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Chapter Text

                Keith slammed his apartment door shut behind him and kicked of his shoes, willing his emotions down to prevent them from overwhelming him. It was one of his bad days where the pressure of everything was building and seemed to be becoming too much. He was worried about passing his classes in order to keep his GPA high enough so he wouldn’t lose his scholarship and then he had to get through his part-time job to help pay for the school funds that the scholarships didn’t cover, not to mention rent. And just the thought of the loan money that he had to take out that would be accumulating debt made Keith feel like he was about to start hyperventilating.

                He briskly walked into his bedroom and pulled his laptop from his backpack before crawling underneath the covers with it and powering the device up, the warmth of the blanket immediately getting him to lose some of the tension his shoulders had been holding. He logged into his Voltron: Defenders of the Universe account and easily settled into his MMORPG role. When Keith had first started playing the game, he’d been prompted to choose between the peaceful Altean race and the bloodthirsty Galra. The choice had honestly been a no-brainer and he chose his role as a pilot of the red lion.

                Once his character had spawned aboard the castle, Keith started looking for a group that he could join up with and work on completing missions. The difficulty of each varied-some could be beaten by a single player while others required 2 or more players. The hardest levels required all five Lions in order to form Voltron and help defeat the Galra. There weren’t many people in the castle considering how late it was.

                Keith started scrolling through his incomplete missions when a notification popped up in the corner of his screen.

Spacedi sent you a message!

Spacedi: Team up for the stranded cargo ship mission?

                Keith squinted at the writing, but shrugged and sent the team request. It was accepted almost instantly and the two of them chose the correct mission from the drop-down and were relocated into their lions near the planet where the ship was downed. Their lions flew down to the planet, Keith found it interesting that his teammate for the night was piloting a black lion, and landed on the blue planet. There was a large red cargo ship nearby that the stranded aliens were sitting next to.

                The two gamers exited their lions, but Keith couldn’t get very far before another message popped up.

Spacedi: I’m Shiro. What’s your name? If you don’t mind telling me, that is.

                Keith bit his lip, but couldn’t see the harm. It wasn’t like this guy knew who he was and it was only a first name anyway.

SpaceSpade: Keith

                He followed behind Shiro’s character who moved to approach the stranded pilots. One of them was purple and holding a wrench in his hand and the other was a woman with a yellow complexion. They also had a small robot that they had in their care that was working with the first one to try and repair their ship. A text box appeared on the screen.

Rolo: I’m Rolo. This is Naima and our cyber unit, Beezer. We need your help to repair our ship and get off this planet. Will you accept this mission?

                Keith was given the option to either accept or decline the mission and confirmed his acceptance. Rolo began explaining the mission that there were a group of Galra on the planet who had stolen their spare parts and needed their help to get them back to repair the ship. The players were also warned of the dangerous species that lived on the planet that they would need to be prepared to fight and the numerous Galra that were no doubt lurking in the surrounding forest. Once the dialogue concluded, Keith turned back to get in his lion, but found it wasn’t reacting to him. Confused, he sent a message to Shiro.

SpaceSpade: Are you able to get into your lion?

Spacedi: No. I guess we have to do this without them and use our bayards instead.

                Shrugging the turn of events off for the moment, Keith turned his character back in the direction that Rolo had pointed them in earlier. Shiro’s character fell into step beside him and Keith equipped himself with his bayard which was a longsword. He didn’t see Shiro make a move to do so.

SpaceSpade: Aren’t you going to equip your bayard?

Spacedi: I actually don’t use one.

SpaceSpade: What?

Spacedi: Yeah, my character uses hand-to-hand.

                Keith had never heard of any player choosing to specialize in hand-to-hand combat before. He didn’t even think that it was possible in the game, but he supposed it was one of those skills that you could pick for your character. His own had excellent skills in flying and knew enough about ships and things that he could pilot almost anything. He even liked to think that if given the opportunity in the game, he’d be able to take control of the Millennium Falcon, but that was just wishful thinking, not to mention the fact that it didn’t exist in the game’s universe at all.  

                The expanse of land had been vast and empty when they’d started out on the mission, but dense foliage had developed rather quickly, leaving many places for enemy Galra or other dangerous beings to hide. The two players moved cautiously, doing their best to keep quiet and prevent themselves from accidentally revealing their location if Galra happened to be nearby. The calm didn’t last long as a rather large and armor-covered Galra came crashing through the trees brandishing a giant club.

                Keith and Shiro immediately fell into a defensive maneuver, avoiding the swing of the giant club that landed where they had been seconds ago, creating a small indent. The enemy growled and hefted his club back over his head, turning to face Keith. He readied himself for the attack and dodged under it, bringing his sword down in an arc across the Galra’s arm. The attack brought down its HP slightly, meaning it had a strong defense and wouldn’t be brought down as easily as some opponents they’d encountered in other missions.

Spacedi: Strong defense. Alternating attack/distract plan?

SpaceSpade: You read my mind.

                Keith moved out from underneath the Galra’s arm, who was still focused on him, and watched as Shiro came up behind him and performed a complicated series of kicks and punches, throwing him forward and off-balance. Keith danced out of the way as the enemy turned its attention back to Shiro. He darted forward and got in several well-placed hits before it turned back on him. The two of them continued in that way, easily avoiding attacks and hits until the Galra’s HP reached zero and it disappeared.

Spacedi: Nice fighting there.

SpaceSpade: You too. You’ve really got the hand-to-hand down.

Spacedi: It wasn’t always like that. I ended up getting killed a lot when I first started playing.

                Keith smiled.

SpaceSpade: Didn’t we all?

                Their characters continued on through the foliage, knowing that attacks were most likely going to start coming more frequently and become more difficult as they reached their final destination. And they weren’t disappointed. Keith took more hits than he would’ve liked as they worked their way through the forest, but knew he would’ve taken a lot more if it hadn’t been for Shiro. Their attack/distract form of fighting saved them both a lot of trouble and Keith was surprised at how well they worked together, never having teamed up with each other before.

                They passed through the forest relatively easily and landed in a clearing where the final Boss was waiting for them and things got particularly intense. As soon as they defeated the general in charge, they’d be able to reclaim the stolen parts and their HP would fully recharge. That was one of Keith’s favorite bonuses to the game since he didn’t have to try and find something to replenish it. He had just danced out of reach of the Boss waiting for Shiro’s attack when it turned and flung Shiro off to the side.

                Keith bolted up in bed and watched as Shiro’s HP became dangerously low. If he wasn’t careful and got hit again, the next attack would do him in and Keith would be left alone to deal with this guy alone. He had less than half of his HP left which meant they were getting into dangerous territory. He just hoped that this wouldn’t be one of those cases where the Boss would restore his HP when he was almost defeated. Then they really wouldn’t have a chance to finish him off.

                He drove his character forward and made several slashes against his back, making him roar in anger. Keith was tense behind his computer screen, but pleased that his HP was still going down and had reached the orange level. A few more hits and he would be in the red, the lowest zone. He danced away from a retaliation and saw Shiro get to his feet in the corner of the screen. The Boss took one heavy swing forward, but Keith dodged and got under his arm, hitting him again, but got scratched slightly.

                He took several steps back to regroup and adjust. His HP was still at a decent level and he wouldn’t die unless the Boss’s HP re-filled. Keith thought a few more hits should do it when he saw Shiro rush from behind and nearly had to stop himself from shouting at his computer screen, making a disgruntled noise instead. He let out a sigh of relief a few moments later when his attack connected and drained the Galra of the last of his HP.

                Keith slumped back against his pillows and rubbed his hands over his face.

SpaceSpade: Don’t fucking scare me like that.

Spacedi: It was a calculated risk.

SpaceSpade: YOU COULD’VE LOST THE REST OF YOUR HP!!

Spacedi: But I didn’t.

                Keith rolled his eyes, but didn’t send a response. The extra parts appeared in the center of the clearing and hovered above the ground, waiting to be claimed and he made his character stalk forward as angrily as possible to retrieve them.

Spacedi: Hey…did your HP refill?

                Caught off guard, Keith looked at the corner of his screen where his own character’s stats were displayed and was surprised to find that it hadn’t.

SpaceSpade: No

SpaceSpade: Do you think it’s a glitch?

Spacedi: I don’t know. If the boss was going to come back we wouldn’t have gotten the spare parts. Let’s just head back to the stranded crew and see what happens, maybe it’ll happen after we hand over the spare parts.

SpaceSpade: Okay…

                The two trudged back through the forest in the direction of the stranded cargo ship and their lions. He was expecting something to jump out of them and engage them in another fight. He supposed that was the reason why he was walking slightly in front of Shiro’s character. He had to make sure that his HP didn’t fall to zero in case a surprise attack came. But nothing happened.

                They arrived back at the main sight to find the group where they’d left them. Their lions hadn’t moved either. They walked up to Rolo and handed over the spare parts in order to complete the mission.

Rolo: You really helped us out here by retrieving our spare parts. We really appreciate it and are glad we can finally get out of here. After all, we have a certain delivery to make now that the supply’s arrived…

SpaceSpade: Shiro…

                The computer world around them started to shake and shudder as something drew closer and closer on the horizon. It was a huge Galra-even bigger than the boss they’d just defeated-and very angry. Keith now knew why their HP hadn’t been replenished and why nothing had happened with the boss. It was because this was the final stage of the Boss. And Shiro had barely any HP left. He was so distracted by his thoughts that he nearly missed the message that popped up in the corner of his screen.

Spacedi: LIONS! NOW!

                Keith didn’t need to be told twice. He raced back towards where his red lion was left and felt relieved that he could actually board it again. He quickly settled in and felt a surge of renewed confidence now that he’d be fighting with the full HP his lion had instead of his character’s diminished HP. He took off immediately, following closely behind Shiro’s black lion who’d taken off first. As they came closer to the final Boss, he noticed that it was the size of a very small tree, which meant serious trouble for them.

                Dropping slightly underneath Shiro’s line of flight so he wouldn’t accidentally hit him, Keith powered up his lion and sent a powerful laser blast at the Boss. The shot knocked him backwards onto his back, but unfortunately only barely made a dent in his HP. Keith groaned, understanding that this was going to be one of those fights. He was at least reassured by the fact the lions had strong defense systems and wouldn’t take as much damage from each attack as they would if it was their characters facing off against the Galra.

                He watched as Shiro swooped in for an attack himself, clawing across its body as he was still struggling to get to his feet, barely avoiding a retaliatory swipe sent his way.

SpaceSpade: Same tactics as before?

Spacedi: Seems like the only way we’re even going to be coming close to beating this thing. Those two attacks only lost him a few HP.

                The Boss had regained its footing and Keith moved in, drawing his attention away from Shiro. He kept just out of reach, forcing him to follow so Shiro would be able to come up behind him and get some damage in. The last second before he managed to make contact, however, the Boss whirled and brought a hand around, just barely grazing the black lion, but causing damage just the same.

Spacedi: I don’t think that’s going to work this time.

SpaceSpade: Yeah…or at least not so simply. Let’s try again. I’ll distract him first, follow my lead, and be ready to dodge.

Spacedi: Roger.

                Keith’s lips quirked at the response, but he forced himself to focus on the fight. He flew in close, getting the Boss’s attention. Just like before, Shiro moved in behind him, but was ready this time and dodged the attack aimed his way. Once the boss was momentarily distracted by swiping at Shiro, Keith flew in and landed a heavy hit, immediately retreating to a safe distance.

Spacedi: I can’t believe it…that actually worked. Alright, my turn!

                Keith full out grinned as the two of them went through a different maneuver, landing another hit. They didn’t pause after the attack and immediately started another, using the Galra’s mass against him.

                The two of them were so close to defeating him and completing the mission. They’d each taken a few more hits than they would’ve liked, but those had always happened when the Boss’s tactics shifted because of the loss of HP and they had to move quickly to avoid further damage. This time it was Keith who was closer to being out of HP than Shiro who had a little under half of his remaining. He was circling lazily just out of reach of the Boss waiting for the time to make his move so Shiro could drop in and land a shot.

                He dived quickly, avoiding the first attack and came up underneath him, barely avoiding another as Shiro charged for his back. He landed his hit and Keith went to return to his position, but saw the Galra coming after him for being so close. His eyes widened. He didn’t have enough distance to avoid the attack and if this hit caught him, he’d be done and Shiro would be left alone, one shot away from beating the mission.

                Moments before it made contact, Shiro’s lion flew in front of him and took the hit, cutting his remaining HP in half. Using the hit as a distraction, Keith flew up underneath the boss and delivered the last strike, rendering its HP to zero. The boss froze before breaking into shards and disappearing. Keith breathed a sigh of relief as the message appeared telling them they’d successfully completed their mission.

                The second they landed back in the castle, Keith let out a little bit of a hysterical giggle. They were so close to losing that mission… Shiro definitely had balls. Keith could give him that.

SpaceSpade: Are you suicidal or something?

Spacedi: Not really. And I wouldn’t call it suicidal when it’s my character risking HP instead of me actually dying. I would’ve respawned anyway so it’s not a big deal. Besides, if I’d let it attack you, you would’ve been done.

SpaceSpade: You’re insane

Spacedi: The good kid of insane though, right?

SpaceSpade: God, I don’t even know. I can honestly say I’ve never played with someone like you before.

Spacedi: I’d imagine you wouldn’t if you’re not normally up gaming at 2am.

SpaceSpade: Crap, I hadn’t even realized it’d gotten this late. I should probably get to bed since I have class tomorrow. This was fun.

Spacedi: Do you think we could game again sometime?

SpaceSpade: Yeah, Shiro. I’d like that.

                Without giving him time to respond, Keith logged out of his account and scrubbed his face with his hands. He was honestly wide awake and didn’t know how he was going to calm down enough to actually go to sleep. He was feeling incredibly giddy after such a great night of gaming and Shiro seemed really cool. He’d obviously known what he was doing, anyway.

                He shut down his computer and crawled out of bed, replacing the device in his backpack for when he’d have to go to his classes tomorrow. Keith walked over to his dresser and grabbed his pajamas, hoping that a warm shower would be enough to calm him down before he made an attempt at sleep. How such a horrible day had been turned around was beyond him, but he was grateful for it either way.

Chapter Text

                Keith groaned when his alarm went off five hours later. He slapped his hand across his bedside table until he found the offending piece of technology and shut off his phone immediately bringing blessed silence over his bedroom. He rubbed at his tired eyes and pulled himself from bed, looking around blearily.

                “That’s the last time I stay up gaming until 2am on a Wednesday night,” he muttered, grabbing clean clothes from his dresser before walking into the bathroom and starting the shower.

                It was times like these that Keith wished he was lucky enough not to have classes on Fridays so he could sleep in after what was surely going to be an exhausting day of school and work. His mind wandered as he went through the motions of washing himself almost robotically. Once he was finished he shut off the water and stepped out of the bathtub, drying himself with a towel quickly.

                Yawning, Keith pulled on his clothes and carried his pajamas back to his room, deciding to ignore his unmade bed that morning. He picked up his backpack where it’d been left the night before and set it on top of his desk, exchanging the textbooks for his Wednesday classes for those he used on Thursday. He slung the bag over his shoulder and walked towards his kitchen, immediately starting the coffee pot. Keith knew he was going to need all the caffeine he could get and would have to make do with what he could make at home, not having the time, or the money, to run to Starbucks every day.

                As the machine brewed noisily, he fixed himself a quick bowl of cereal with the last splash of milk left in the carton. He ate with his back leaning against the counter, not in the mood to sit down and suspecting that if he did, he’d be having great difficulty getting back up again. Keith’s eyes roved around the kitchen. He would most likely need to shop for groceries over the weekend and wasn’t looking forward to determining what his budget for that would be. Luckily, his rent for the month had already been paid which always was a bit of a relief when he had to calculate his other expenses.

                Keith placed his empty bowl in the sink and grabbed a mug from the cabinet, nearly filling it to the top with what would hopefully give him a much needed boost for the day. He drank his coffee black, more out of necessity than anything else. Expenses were already tight enough and he didn’t have money to spend on creamer and sugar when he needed to buy actual food to eat. He sighed as the mug warmed his hands and the liquid warmed him from the inside.

                As he drank his coffee, Keith pulled his phone from his pocket and checked his email to make sure that he didn’t miss any important emails from professors. Unable to decide whether an empty inbox was a blessing or a curse at the moment, he pocketed his phone and drained the last dregs of his coffee from the mug. He grabbed the travel mug from the cabinet and filled it with what remained in the pot. Resigning himself to the long day ahead, Keith grabbed his backpack and keys and walked out of his apartment.

                He was thankful that he was able to find an apartment so close to campus that he could afford with both his savings and his job. He often considered the possibility that managing the rent would be easier if he had a roommate, but most other students either lived in the city and stayed with their parents or lived in the dorms. Not many wanted to have the additional financial responsibilities that Keith had, not that it was exactly his choice. And he wasn’t about to put an ad out that could possibly end in his death if someone really shifty decided to look into it.

                There were a few other students who were up and bleary-eyed like him, making their ways to 8am classes. Most students were lucky enough to only have a handful of early classes over the course of their college career. Keith being an engineering student, was not so lucky.

                “Keith!” He turned at the sound of his name just as he was mounting the steps to the science building to find Hunk hurrying up the sidewalk towards him.

                “Hey, Hunk,” he greeted as his friend got to the top of the steps where he was waiting. They walked through the double doors together and down the main hallway past the first few empty classrooms.

                “You doing all right? You look exhausted,” Hunk commented, looking concerned.

                Keith gave him a weak smile. “I just had a late night and didn’t realized how long I’d stayed up until I looked at the clock and it said 2am.”

                Hunk gave him a pat on the back as they walked into their half-full classroom. “Were you gaming again?”

                Keith smiled sheepishly. “Yeah. Work was rough yesterday and I needed something to take my mind off it.”

                The two friends took their seats in the middle of the classroom. Keith pulled out his laptop and pulled up the powerpoint for the day’s lesson so he could follow along and take notes, draining the last of the coffee in his travel mug as he did so. The professor walked in moments later and he did his best to prepare himself for the day, hoping that he would manage without a problem and wouldn’t risk falling asleep in any of his classes.

                Keith trudged down the steps in front of the science building with a heavy sigh. Now that his classes were over for the day he hoped to have a little time to breathe and unwind before having to go to work, which would, undoubtedly, prove to be absolute hell. After his first class that morning, he and Hunk had separated for the day. He didn’t usually see his other friend, Pidge, on Tuesdays and Thursdays. He didn’t see her that much regardless since she wasn’t an engineering major like him and Hunk were.

                He pushed into his apartment and moved into the kitchen. Keith pulled open the fridge door and found it perilously empty.

                “Looks like I’ve got nothing for dinner in there,” he said with a sigh. The freezer was in a similar state apart from the box of frozen waffles and half a bag of french fries. Keith pulled open his cabinets revealing a few cans of soup and several packets of ramen.

                “Ramen it is then,” he said, pulling one of the packets from the shelf and getting to work boiling the water for his meal. It wasn’t as though Keith wasn’t used to having to eat ramen by now since he didn’t have many options, but he would’ve liked to have something else to eat before going to work at the restaurant.

                Sitting down with his bowl of food at the table, he pulled his laptop from his backpack that had been discarded on the table. Sometimes he was lucky at work and there would be a dish that had been sent back or some leftovers that they would let him take if no one else wanted them. He always appreciated the kind gesture since his coworkers didn’t know how much that occasional meal helped him out.

                Keith pulled up the online homework sets his teachers had assigned him, figuring he could get through some of the problems before having to go to work. He opened his textbook to the lesson and pulled out some scrap paper and a pencil. The extensive need for math in engineering had been a blessing when he chose the field. It was all very concrete and understandable, which was one of the main reasons he chose the field. Keith enjoyed knowing that there was a definite answer to what he was working with and what he came up with would either be right or wrong.

                His ramen had long been finished by the time he pushed his paper, now filled with numbers and equations, aside. He closed his laptop and carried his empty bowl to the sink, knowing he’d have to do the washing up when he got home from work. Keith crossed his apartment and entered the bedroom. He kicked off his shoes and grabbed his uniform from the closet, stripping out of his clothes quickly. The restaurant he worked at was by no means fancy, but he was still expected to look nice, being a bartender and all.

                The past few years he was forced to shuffle from job to job since no one seemed to want to keep him on staff for a long time. Keith honestly didn’t understand why since he was completely professional at work, but it was just something that he had to work through. Once he’d finally turned 21 he applied to be a bartender at his current workplace and had been there ever since. He was incredibly thankful to have gotten a job there. The staff were amazing and everyone was nice. It was true that he had to deal with some shitty people at times, but most of it made up for it and provided a steady source of income so he didn’t have to worry as much about affording rent and college.

                Keith pushed through the back door of the restaurant that was a couple of blocks away from his apartment complex and headed over to the computer in the back room that was set up for workers to use to clock in. He logged into his account, able to input his information without even paying attention and clocked in.

                “Afternoon, Keith!” Maya greeted cheerily as she turned into the kitchen with an empty tray in hand.

                “Maya.” He walked into the main body of the restaurant which wasn’t too busy at this time of day. A few college students were there doing work with their friends, but Keith was glad he had some time to settle in before the dinner crowd arrived. George was already waiting behind the bar as he walked behind the counter.

                George had started working at Moe’s shortly before he had. He had some previous experience at bartending and Keith was glad to have some help as he was learning how to handle everything and make drinks. It also helped that George was such a personable guy. He interacted easily with customers which wasn’t always Keith’s strong suit, especially when he was first starting out in the beginning.

                “Hey, Keith!” he said enthusiastically.

                “George,” he acknowledged.

                “I thought you had today off?” he asked as he finished wiping down the bar with a washcloth.

                Keith shook his head. “Tomorrow, but I work a double on Saturday so I’ll be here all day then.”

                George gave him a sympathetic look. “That’s rough. At least you have Friday night free.”

                Keith just shrugged. He wasn’t about to explain that he needed to work as many hours as possible to afford college.

                He groaned as the last customers left for the night and they were able to finally start their close-down duties which meant tidying up the bar and wiping everything down. Sometimes they helped with washing the glasses, but thankfully weren’t tasked with that that night. Keith felt like he was about to fall asleep standing up. Being around so many people was so mentally draining on him. It’d been a long day and he really wanted a chance to sit down or sleep.

                He clocked out quickly, rushing through hurried goodbyes with his coworkers and breathed a little sigh as he walked out to be greeted by the cool night air. He always found the walk back to his apartment relaxing after a long day at work, no matter how much his feet were killing him and he just wanted to rest. He didn’t have to worry about interacting with people and just having time to himself to not worry or think.

                Keith was grateful for the amount of schoolwork he’d gotten done earlier. All of his assignments for the next day had been completed and he could get some much needed sleep. Except for the fact that he felt himself being drawn back to Voltron. He wondered briefly if Shiro was on despite the late hour.

                After entering his apartment, he walked over to the sink, turning on the tap and pouring some dish soap in the warm water. He washed the dishes quickly since there weren’t many to do and left them to air dry in the drain board. He picked up his laptop that had been left on the kitchen table and brought it into the bedroom with him. Keith left it on his bed while Voltron was loading and worked on pulling off his uniform. He pulled on his pajamas and brushed his teeth quickly before settling under the covers and pulling the computer to him.

                There were a few more people in the Castle than when he’d spawned the night before. He was surprised to find that he had a notification blinking in the corner of his screen. Keith clicked on it only to find that it was a friend request from Shiro. Feeling pleased that he’d reached out to him, he accepted the request easily. At least this way when he logged on to play he’d know when Shiro was online or not and they could more easily team up for missions.

                Absentmindedly, Keith started looking through the missions that he still had left. There were only a few single-player runs that he hadn’t completed, meaning he’d have to start looking for other players to team up with for the harder missions. He was about to click on one of the few missions he had left that he could do by himself when the chat box popped up.

Spacedi: Hey Keith

SpaceSpade: Hey. I didn’t realize you were on.

Spacedi: I just logged on. Want to do another mission?

SpaceSpade: Yeah, I should have time for one.

                The two of them started another one of those so-and-so took this and we need you to get it back for us. Keith just hoped that it wouldn’t turn into the situation that happened the night before where they had to go back and defeat the Boss’s power-up a separate time. Their chat stayed quiet as they battled their way across a plain. There were fewer places for enemies to hide which was a bonus since they could see things coming. But that also meant that they didn’t have anywhere to hide or anything to divert attacks from themselves while they thought up a strategy.

                Keith was a little worried when they finally made it to the Boss stage. His HP wasn’t as full as he would’ve liked it to be and hoped that it would be enough for him to make it through this battle.

Spacedi: Hang back until we can figure out his attacking pattern. I don’t need you losing any more HP on me for being reckless.

SpaceSpade: Fuck you, I’m not reckless.

                He was a little relieved that Shiro had asked him to hang back if he was being honest. He really wanted to be able to survive this fight long enough for the two of them to win and complete it. Keith was close to a level-up and if he managed to survive long enough on this mission then he was sure he’d get enough XP to make it. He was also surprised that Shiro had noticed where his HP was sitting. He told himself that it was probably because he didn’t want to lose this mission either.

                He was relieved when his HP was replenished after the Boss had been defeated. Keith’s HP had been dangerously low by that point and he would’ve been done with one more hit. For most of the fight he’d been sitting tensely in bed and finally managed to relax now that it was over, practically melting into the bed. Shiro returned the stolen artifact to the people who’d given them the mission and the two players were immediately taken back to the Castle where there were even fewer players than before.

                Keith felt his eyelids getting heavy now that the stress from the mission wasn’t there to keep him awake. It was ironic when he thought about it because this was just a game and didn’t have an impact on him in the real world. He checked the time and saw that it was getting close to midnight. Definitely an improvement from the day before, but he needed to get some sleep so he wasn’t absolutely dead the next day.

SpaceSpade: I’m gonna have to call it a night. I stayed up way too late last night and I don’t feel like absolutely dying in class tomorrow.

Spacedi: Oh, okay.

Spacedi: Do you think…I mean I don’t want to push and if you’re not comfortable doing it that’s totally fine, but…

SpaceSpade: What is it?

Spacedi: Do you think that the next time we game we could use headsets? I figured that would be an easier way to communicate compared to trying to fight and complete the missions and type at the same time.

                Keith was surprised that Shiro was so willing to ask for something like that. He didn’t even have one since he’d never had a use for it. There was a local used game store down the street that would probably have something cheap that he could buy. He’d just need to make sure he had the money in his budget which wouldn’t be too hard since he was going grocery shopping over the weekend. Keith might just have to cut some funds from that and he’d do fine.

SpaceSpade: Sure. I think that’d be pretty nice and it would certainly make things easier.

Spacedi: Great! I’ll talk to you later then.

SpaceSpade: Yeah. Night.

                Keith logged out of his account and sat back into his pillows, deep in thought. He usually wasn’t one to make purchases on a whim like this, especially if it was for things that he didn’t really need, but there was something about Shiro. Something that made him want to talk to him more and get to know him. It was like having another friend. Someone that didn’t know about his situation and allowed him to be himself without all of the worries and bullshit that came with it all.

                Smiling, he shut down his computer and set in on the floor next to his bed. Keith settled down under the covers and closed his eyes. Tomorrow he’d head to the gaming store after classes to buy a headset. He had tomorrow night off so there was nothing from stopping him from gaming with Shiro for a few hours. It would be a nice break before having to go to work on Saturday.

Chapter Text

                Keith woke up far more well-rested than he probably had all week which was strange since he didn’t get that much more sleep the night before than he usually did. He rolled over and shut off his alarm finding that it didn’t sound quite as annoying as it did when he was exhausted beyond belief. He crawled out of bed, careful of his laptop that was sitting in its place on the floor where he’d left it the night before and headed into the bathroom to take a quick shower.

                Most college students hated having classes on Fridays. For one thing it was rare because most classes only met two days a week. Even though Keith did have classes on Fridays he didn’t mind it so much because it was his less busy day. It also meant the weekend was coming up so he didn’t have to worry about getting his homework done for the next day.

                He showered and dressed quickly, grabbing his laptop and backpack before walking into the kitchen. Keith popped the last two frozen waffles into the toaster and pulled up his bank account while he waited for them to cook. He had about a hundred dollars to spend on groceries for the next two weeks. He figured that he could block out twenty-five for the headset he would have to buy that day.

                Keith thought over what he would need to buy from the grocery. He still had some ramen and soup that he could make which would take out the cost of a few meals. He knew that the fruits and vegetables that he wanted would be the most important things on his list. He’d have to cut down on his meat and could buy a carton of eggs instead for protein. If he had enough money left, Keith knew he’d probably buy a package of burgers to keep instead of the fresh cuts of meat.

                Satisfied that he would have to figure a few more things out when he was actually in the store, he grabbed his cooked waffles and sat down to eat them with the last bit of butter and syrup he had. Butter would be another thing that he’d need to buy when he went shopping. The syrup he could live without, but butter was useful for so many different things.

                Keith left his dishes in the sink and slid his laptop into his bag. He grabbed his keys and slipped his shoes on at the door. Hoping that things would continue to work out in his favor and knowing that he’d hang out with Shiro again that night, he walked out the door and towards the stairs.

                The chilly morning air sent a shiver through him as he walked out the door to his apartment complex and he made a mental note that he would probably have to start wearing a jacket in the mornings now that it was getting colder. Keith wasn’t looking forward to winter. Winter meant warmer clothes and higher electric bills. He just hoped that his winter coat would be able to stand up to the brutal Chicago weather again. Or he’d have to work a new one into his budget.

                Shaking himself from the depressing thoughts his mind was heading towards, Keith looked towards the science building that he was quickly approaching. He only had to get through a couple hours of classes before he would be free to go to the gaming store and the grocery. And then tonight he would have time to relax and play video games with Shiro. Those thoughts would hopefully be enough to keep him from being bored out of his mind and stay on track with what his professors were telling him.

                “See you later, Keith,” Hunk said as they parted after classes.

                “See you.” Keith headed away from his apartment and towards the game store that was a few blocks over. It was a nice store and offered good quality products for being used. He didn’t shop there often because there weren’t many times he had the funds to pay for a new game, but the prices were a lot more reasonable than what he would have to pay for something brand new.

                He pushed through the front door and maneuvered around the people that had crowded around the counter to buy what they’d found among the stacks. Keith walked past the many shelves of games and made his way to the back of the store where old consoles and accessories were kept. It didn’t take him long to locate the used headsets that had been placed inside of a box in the corner. He knelt down and began to look through the various styles. He didn’t need something fancy and was worried the more high-tech he got, the more expensive it would be.

                Keith settled on a simple black headset with a microphone that could be pushed up and down in order to adjust it. He carried it up to the front counter where the crowds had thankfully cleared out and handed it to the cashier who immediately began punching things into the register.

                “That’ll be $12.75,” she said while efficiently wrapping his purchase in a plastic bag.

                Keith’s eyebrows shot up and he pulled out his credit card, surprised how much less expensive the headset was then he thought it would be. She swiped his card and handed it back to him with the receipt once the payment had gone through. He grabbed the plastic bag and headed out the door with a polite nod to the worker.

                He carefully placed the bag in his backpack to ensure that it wouldn’t get broken and continued down the street until he got to the grocery store. He knew that in some cities it was hard to find a full-blown grocery store among the other fast-food places and large scale business, but he was thankful that he lived so close to one. It definitely helped Keith minimize the amount of expenses that he had to make already. He grabbed a shopping basket and started looking through the available produce, heart already feeling lighter knowing that he had a few more dollars that could go towards his purchases.

                Arms loaded with bags, Keith awkwardly forced his key into the lock of his apartment and pushed the door open. It was a relief to finally be back after walking several blocks carrying so many bags, a few of which were significantly heavier than the others. Before the door even had time to shut behind him, Keith was setting his bags down on the floor with as much care as he could muster from his aching muscles and sore arms. Keith kicked off his shoes and walked over to couch, knowing that he would need to start putting his groceries away immediately after the walk he had.

                He pulled off his backpack and checked the headset, relieved that it was still in one piece, even though there wasn’t any reason why it shouldn’t be. He left the headset on top of his bag and walked back to his front door. Keith picked up a couple of bags and slowly transferred them to the kitchen table, making a couple of trips before they were all in the kitchen. Starting with the food that needed to be refrigerated helped him get everything put away quickly.

                Keith walked back to the couch pulled his laptop out of his bag and flopping down onto the cushions. He propped himself up against one of the arm rests and opened his computer. The powerpoints and schoolwork that he’d needed earlier were still pulled up and he exited out of them, content to not have to worry about it until later. Since it was only the middle of the afternoon, Keith figured that Shiro wouldn’t be ready to game until later around the time that they’d met up the past two days.

                Instead of playing his online game, he went to the streaming sight that he often used to movies and T.V. shows. It wasn’t exactly legal, but he couldn’t really afford Netflix and he didn’t have a T.V. He settled back into the cushions and waited for the movie that he’d started a few days ago to load.

                Keith reluctantly pulled himself away from his computer and forced himself into the kitchen. He’d finished the movie and gotten hooked on a T.V. show. He pulled out the half-full bag of French fries from the freezer and set the oven to preheat to the correct temperature. He pulled a baking sheet from one of the cupboards and poured the fries from the bag onto the sheet. As he waited for the oven to preheat, Keith brought his computer over to the table and resumed the episode he was on.

                He went back and forth between cooking dinner and watching his show and was glad when he could finally sit down with his food and finish of the latest episode he’d started. Keith was almost a quarter of the way through the first season when he looked at the clock and realized how late it had gotten. He quickly left his dishes in the sink and grabbed his computer and the headset he’d left on his bag before heading into his bedroom. He settled down amongst the pillows and blankets and logged into his Voltron account.

                Keith tentatively plugged in the headset, not knowing what was supposed to happen or what he should be expecting. When nothing happened he returned to his game and went to his settings to see if he’d need to do anything special to make sure that his setup worked. He found a headset option under the speakers and audio capabilities and waited patiently for everything to automatically update, not having thought that so much needed to go into it. When Keith was able to get back to the Castle area, he found a message waiting for him from Shiro.

Spacedi: Ready to play?

SpaceSpade: Yeah, I was just getting my headset all set up.

Spacedi: Great! Go ahead and click the mic button on our chat box and we can figure this out.

                Checking to make sure that his sound was on, he tentatively clicked the little microphone and waited.

                “Keith?” A voice deeper than he was expecting rumbled through his headphones and made something curl pleasantly in his belly. Keith ignored it and returned his attention to what was going on. He slid his microphone down in front of his mouth and cleared his throat.

                “Yeah…Shiro?”

                “Yup! Sweet. So I haven’t completed this one mission yet where you get dropped off at a water planet and it involves this whole underwater creature thing that’s been terrorizing the inhabitants of the planet and we have to beat it. Are you interested in doing that one tonight?”

                “Uh…sure,” Keith answered while scrolling down to the mission description from the dropdown.

                “Cool.” Shiro sent him the mission request and once he accepted it, the Castle faded away and a loading screen popped up. The line was silent as they waited. Thankfully it wasn’t an awkward silence since Keith had no idea how he would’ve broken it. He wasn’t the best at navigating conversations with other people and often did better when they took the lead.

                Suddenly, the opening clip began to play. It showed the Altean princess giving them their orders that they were needed on this planet to help the people defend themselves against the monster that was attacking them. They were being charged with investigating just what was going on and were warned, once again, that not everything could be as it seemed.

                Once the clip ended, the two of them were left to dive into the water that covered the blue planet. Flying in a lose formation with each other, they directed themselves towards the sea colony that was about a hundred feet under the surface of the water. They found the leader of the colony waiting for them and waited for their instructions as the dialogue box popped up.

Praise to the Gods! Help has finally come! For months we have been plagued by a creature that comes from the deepest depths. Dear Paladins, we are in need of your help. If you can free us from the reign up this monster we will forever be in your debt. Will you help rid of this evil that the demons have brought upon us?

       >Yes<  No

Keith chose the ‘Yes’ option and read along as more dialogue scrolled through.

We are most honored to have your help. You will find the creature in the deepest cave. Be wary of what you find there. Kill quickly, before it kills you.

                “Kind of ominous, don’t you think?” Keith jumped and looked around before remembering that it was Shiro who was talking to him.

                “Uh…yeah. A bit.” He rolled his eyes at himself, not able to believe the reaction he’d just had.

                “You forgot that I was here, didn’t you?” he asked, obviously amused.

                Keith felt his face heat up and was really glad that no one was around to see it.

                “Shut it! I was not.” And now he sounded like a petulant child. This was not how he was hoping this would go, but now Shiro was laughing and…it wasn’t all bad. He’d like to hear him laugh again, actually. “Let’s just find this monster and figure out how to get rid of it.”

                Shiro hummed an affirmation from the other end and the two of them started their ascent downwards. This was the first mission that had brought Keith underwater and he was curious as to how it was going to affect his abilities to fight. It could prevent his laser from working or any number of things. He wasn’t expecting there to be much detail in the ocean and that it would just be a blue expanse. Oh how wrong he was.

                The game designers must’ve put an enormous amount of time into developing so many details. There were forests of vegetation. There were mountains of rock and villages similar to the one they’d first encountered nestled among everything. The one stark contrast was that instead of everything building up as it would on land, it caved downwards into itself.

                “Woah,” Keith breathed and then realized that was probably a stupid reaction to have towards a video game.

                “I know. Is this your first underwater mission? I had the same reaction,” Shiro said almost reverently.

                “Yeah. I was sort of putting off the one underwater solo mission that’s available and haven’t done many partner or group missions. Never really had the people, you know?”

                “You’re missing out. The underwater solo was one of the first missions that I did. I haven’t completed any of the ones that need 3-5 players, but this is my last 2 player water mission. They’re some of my favorites because the animation is absolutely amazing.”

                “I’ve been more of a solo player since I started this game. It doesn’t really work with the tougher missions, but I held my own on the first level options.”

                “Not anymore.”

                Keith looked at his computer screen accusingly. “What do you mean?”

                “You don’t have to be a solo player anymore because I’m going to make sure that you get through all of the 2 player missions and the higher levels. You should get to see some of the stuff that’s waiting for you!”

                Keith opened and closed his mouth several times, trying to think of an answer. Frustrated that he couldn’t think of something to say he grit his teeth together. “Whatever. Let’s just do find this sea creature and get rid of it.”

                He grit his teeth a little less when Shiro chuckled, not that he’d ever admit that to anyone.

                Keith could see why Shiro liked the water missions so much, but he was becoming increasingly annoyed with how fucking big a planet covered in water was. The two of them kept going deeper and deeper into the ocean, but they never came across a cave or something that looked like a cave.

                “How deep is this thing?!” Keith finally exclaimed, frustrated beyond belief.

                “I don’t know. I feel like we should’ve found it by now. How about we do this…if we don’t find it in the next few minutes we just head back and look somewhere else?” Shiro offered.

                Keith huffed out a frustrated breath. “Fine.”

                They continued on and Keith was about to suggest turning back and looking for the cave somewhere else when an opening popped up in the rock that was surrounding them.

                “Thank God,” Shiro sighed. He sounded tired and Keith honestly couldn’t blame him.

                “Let’s get this over with quickly. And I’m never doing another ocean mission. Ever.”

                “No, you have to! I’m sorry, this one did kind of suck, but the other ones are better.”

                “I don’t believe you,” Keith said, piloting his lion through the cave entrance.

                “Then I’ll just have to show you the other missions and make you understand.”

                Keith cleared his throat awkwardly and continued forward, choosing to ignore the comment. He didn’t want to admit to himself how much he’d like that.

                They’d made it a few feet into the darkness of the cave (their lions only emitted a feeble amount of light that didn’t even begin to penetrate the choking blackness) when a rumbling sounded. Rocks began to float down through the water making it even murkier as it swirled around them.

                “Shiro…”

                “Hang on….I think there’s something else going on here.”

                “What do you mean?”

                Keith followed behind Shiro’s lion as he continued to move through the water.

                “If you were some terrifying sea creature only intent on killing whatever came near you, why would you issue something that almost sounded like a warning? I don’t understand it and I think there’s something else that we don’t know.”

                “Do you remember what the Princess said when we first took the mission?”

                “That’s right! That what’s going on here may not always be what it seems. Brilliant, Keith!”

                They hurried forward into the cave. Keith expected it to go on forever like the ocean did, but it opened up into a well-lit cavern so fast that it took him by surprise and he fumbled a bit with the controls. Curled up in the middle of the area was a creature that Keith would compare to the Loch Ness monster. It was watching them warily and he thought it almost looked scared.

                “It looks injured,” Shiro pointed out.

                Keith was about to object but he realized Shiro was right. There were awful looking red slashes on its sides and white scars peppering its deep green skin.

                “Someone’s hurting this creature and they wanted us to come and kill it. But how can we help?”

                Shiro started forward slowly until he was right in front of the creature’s face. A dialogue box popped up suddently.

 Who did this to you?

                The creature relaxed, sensing the kindness and concern that radiated from him.

The people high in the water. They have hurt me for years, having forgotten the bond that I made with their people hundreds of years before. Please help me. I’m worried that I might die soon.

                Piloting as fast as they could, they moved away from the cave and back up to the first city they’d encountered. The trip back was much faster and Keith felt his excitement growing as they approached. What they didn’t expect was to find the city waiting for them, armed and angry.

You failed to kill the monster. And for that, you must die.

                “You don’t understand! You’re supposed to have a bond with her,” Shiro exclaimed desperately.

                “Shiro…they can’t hear you. It’s a game,” Keith said, trying and failing to stifle his laughter.

                “Oh….yeah.”

                Suddenly everyone moved and Keith found himself fighting against a swarm of people, both of their lions back to back as they fended them off. He was really glad that they’d started using headsets that day. There was no way that they would’ve survived this battle without being able to talk to each other or tell each other where to go or what they needed. Keith was really glad that he’d started gaming with Shiro in general. Being a solo player wasn’t all he thought it was cracked up to be. Especially if you were dealing with an entire city of dangerous water-people.

                Keith slumped back against his pillows when they transported back to the Castle. The battle had taken all of his energy and both of them were nearly out of HP.

                “Never again, Shiro. I’m never doing anything that involves water again.”

                Shiro laughed. “Okay. I’ll accept that. For now.”

                “No, Shiro….” he warned.

                “Gotta go, Keith! See you later.”

                “SHIRO I SWEAR TO-DID YOU JUST HANG UP ON ME??”

                Feeling both amused and slightly irritated, Keith powered down his computer and set it on the bedside table. He got up and stretched before grabbing his pajamas and heading to the bathroom to change. He thought back to what Shiro said about the other underwater missions. If he was there with him, then Keith thought it probably wouldn’t be so bad.

Chapter Text

                Keith groaned at the sound of his alarm. He shut off his phone and buried his head under his pillow, not wanting to get up and start the day. Sighing, he kicked the blankets off himself and rolled over to the edge of the bed. He swung his legs over the bed and stood up, scrubbing his face with his hands to try and wake himself up. Keith trudged through his bedroom door and towards the kitchen.

                He pulled the box of cereal that he’d bought the day before from the cabinet and set it on the counter as he searched for a clean bowl. He picked up the one form the drain board and pulled a spoon from the drawer that housed all of his utensils. Keith poured himself a bowl and sat down at the small table that furnished his kitchen. He sighed and ate his breakfast slowly, desperately willing himself to wake up despite the lack of motivation or the day ahead.

                Keith yawned around his last mouthful of cereal and blinked his eyes a few times to try and get them to stay open. He pushed his chair back and left his bowl in the sink to be washed later. As he walked back to his room, he lifted his arms over his head and stretched, enjoying the feeling of all of his stiff joints loosening after being held in the same position for so long. Keith stripped out of his pajamas and pulled on the dark pants and shirt that made up his work uniform.

                He wasn’t looking forward to working a double shift, but he needed the money and…he needed the money. He slipped his feet into his shoes and tied them quickly. Keith grabbed his wallet, keys, and phone from his bedside table and checked the time as he headed out the door. One of the worst things about working a double shift was that he had to be there for the opening duties. As he climbed onto the bus he could only hope that he wouldn’t be stuck with any of the shitty work.

                Keith sighed in relief as he checked the job list after clocking in. He just needed to go around and straighten the table settings. This was one of the easiest jobs that a person could be given at the start of the day. He didn’t even have to refill any of the containers that were on the tables. He spotted a few bleary-eyed servers as he made his rounds. Keith exchanged tired smiles and polite nods with them, knowing that they’d probably be faced with some pretty shitty customers over the course of the coming day.

                “Everyone to your stations! Doors open in ten minutes,” the manager called from where she was poking her head out of the kitchen door.

                Keith settled himself behind the bar and checked over the bottles of alcohol and the stash of glasses. Everything looked good from the night before and he hoped that the early crowds wouldn’t be too crazy since he’d be on his own until that afternoon when the second bartender would come in. He watched as the hostesses took their position at the front entrance and the doors were unlocked. Keith was dimly aware of the soft classical music that had begun to pump through the speakers. It was moments like these where the restaurant was at its most calm.

                Quickly enough the calm turned into a few people here and there. Drink orders started to trickle in, a small enough number that Keith was able to keep up with them easily enough and even had down time to clean glasses and used shakers rather than send some of them back to the kitchen to be washed by the dishwashers. The small crowds eventually morphed into larger crowds that brought in a constant stream of drink orders. The craziness and mealtime rushes weren’t far behind that.

                Keith was getting to the point where he didn’t know how he was possibly going to survive and get all of the orders filled when the other bartender finally arrived.

                “George! Thank God, I’m drowning in orders here,” he breathed, almost relieved amidst the oceans of salt and slips of paper and bottles of liquor that were a large part of what they encountered every day.

                George chuckled. “How many times am I going to have to save your ass from the dinner rush?”

                Keith’s eye twitched and he narrowed his eyes. “Careful now or I just might switch your salt supply with sugar.”

                George clutched his heart and made his eyes go comically wide. “You wouldn’t.”

                “Try me.”

                Keith and George stared each other down for a few moments before the two of them burst out into laughter. Keith slid a handful of order slips over to George and resumed making the margarita that had been ordered several minutes ago. With the new help, the two of them managed to move through the stack of drink orders much more quickly than Keith would’ve been able to alone.

                Once they’d made it through the backlog, the two bartenders were able to slow down and breathe a little bit even with the constant stream of orders coming from the servers.

                “So how was the day off?” George finally managed to ask.

                “It was a nice break. Not long enough-never long enough.”

                George raised the empty martini glass he was holding in a mock toast. “Ain’t that the truth.”

                “I got some grocery shopping done and hung out in my apartment to game so it wasn’t all bad.”

                “Oh yeah, you’re playing that big, new game aren’t you? What’s it called again? With the two sides and the war-aren’t there giant cats or something?”

                Keith chuckled. “You mean Voltron? Yeah, that game. And it’s lions, not cats.”  

                George rolled his eyes. “Whatever, lions are cats.”

                “All right, I’ll give you that one.”

                Keith looked around for the next order that was waiting, but found none. He shrugged and started filling the sink with warm water to clean some of the shakers and glasses they’d used. He grabbed the wash cloth and added enough soap to start up a decent lather. Keith began washing the used drinkware as George continued to make drinks behind him. They worked well together and the silence wasn’t bothersome. In fact, there were few people that Keith was able to work so well with and still get along with quite amicably.

                As he continued to load the drain board with clean dishes, he looked over his shoulder and spotted a lull in the number of incoming drinks.

                “Care to give me a hand and dry a few of these?”

                George looked up at the question and threw Keith a cheeky smile. “Aw, but then I’d miss out on the pretty view.”

                Keith rolled his eyes. “Linnndaaaaa…” he threatened softly.

                “Shh!” George hissed fiercely, looking from side to side. “If you call her she’ll come!”

                “Then do your job.”

                He grumbled good-naturedly and pulled a clean dishtowel from under the sink and began to dry and replace the now clean drinkware. By now the crowds were really starting to clear out and the servers were able to have a bit of breathing room and start some of the closing procedures. They didn’t have long before they’d all be done for the night and by the looks of it, Keith and George wouldn’t have to stay and help out with prep for the next day. It was a surprise for a Saturday, but by no means unwelcome. And one that meant they could get home that much sooner.

                After handing off the last glass, Keith let the water drain from the sink and turned to face the now-empty restaurant. He hadn’t even realized that everyone had already cleared out and they’d just shut the doors. George hung the last martini glass on the overhang and grabbed the dirty cloths that they’d gone through that day, leaving Keith to take inventory and make note of how much alcohol they’d gone through to give to Linda. Once that was done, he grabbed the list and the box of empty bottles and headed towards the back of the restaurant.

                Keith put the bottles with the rest of the trash to be sorted through later and made his way through the crowd of other employees to Linda’s office. He knocked on the open door and was beckoned in when she looked up from her computer.

                “Here’s tonight’s inventory and stock use for the day,” he said, handing off the slip of paper.

                She looked over the list with an approving nod. “Thanks, Keith. Everyone else is taking care of the work in the back so you’re free to go.”

                “See you later,” he called out over his shoulder as he left the office and went to the computer to clock out. He caught sight of George headed out the back and waved before turning to the computer. It’d been a busy day and he was happy to finally punch in his employee code and leave for the day despite knowing he’d be back the next.

                A biting breeze caught him as he stepped out the back door and he shivered. It was starting to get colder and he’d need to start wearing a jacket when he came into work. He wasn’t looking forward to the coming winter. Winter meant cold and cold meant needing heat, but heat cost money. He sighed and shook himself, content to not have to think about that quite yet. Keith turned down the street and headed back in the direction of his apartment, steering clear all the while of the groups of people who were still out late, drunk or otherwise.

                He sighed in relief when he finally pushed his apartment door open. He was tired, too tired to even contemplate making dinner despite being hungry, and kicked off his shoes in the entryway. Keith spotted the dishes that he’d left in the sink and resigned himself to cleaning them after he changed out of his work clothes. He unbuttoned his shirt and let that fall to the floor before pushing his pants down. He threw on the pajamas that he’d left that morning and grabbed his laptop to bring into the kitchen with him while he was at it.

                Keith set to washing the few dishes that were left in the sink as his computer started. He finished the washing quickly and leaned against the counter as he dried the bowl he’d used for breakfast and studied his computer screen as the programs continued to slowly load. He sighed at the thought that he might need to buy a new computer one of these days. That wasn’t an expense that he was looking forward to right now. Or one that he could afford.

                He put his dishes away and grabbed his laptop, opening up his web browser as he walked back to his bedroom. He figured that he could put off a shower until the next morning at least, preferring to climb in bed and see what the world of Voltron was up to at that hour. It was a Saturday after all.

                There were a few more people than usual at that time of night, but most of the gamers had settled down and logged off an hour or two ago. Keith opened up the mission box, but before he could click on anything, he received a notification from Shiro asking to chat. He smiled and looked around him for his headset. Spotting it on the floor, he nearly launched himself from his bed to grab it. Pushing himself back onto the mattress, Keith ended up in some weird sideways position that kind of got him tangled in the covers, but at least he could plug his headset into his computer and talk to Shiro.

                He answered the call and flailed around a bit in bed to get into a comfortable position. Keith laid down on his side and left his laptop facing him so he could see the screen.

                “Hey Keith,” Shiro said, smile audible.

                “Hi Shiro,” Keith said around a yawn.

                “Tired?”

                “Yeah, I had a double shift at work today, so that kept me pretty busy. It was the usual Saturday crowd.”

                “What do you do?”

                “I’m a bartender. It’s pretty steady and gives me a stable source of income to live off of so there’s that at least.” Keith tried, and failed, to stifle another yawn.

                “You don’t really seem to be quite up to gaming tonight if you’re that tired.”

                He tried to stop another yawn and, failing, started to laugh quietly. “Yeah. Not sure how useful I’ll be when I’m this tired. You don’t seem to be too put out at this hour.”

                “Yeah, well… I don’t really get a lot of sleep so this isn’t unusual for me.”

                “Insomnia? That sucks.”

                “Only when I’m tired. Other times it helps me get some work done. I have a lot of free time so that can be a bonus.”

                Keith shook his head even though Shiro couldn’t see him. “Nah, no one should have to miss out on sleep like that. Wish I could do something to help.” His eyelids were starting to get heavy, but he forced them back open.

                “Don’t worry about it. I wouldn’t mind just hanging out and talking though.”

                He hummed. “Okay, but you ask the questions. I don’t think my brain could supply any right now if it tried.”

                Shiro chuckled softly and Keith heard the rustle of fabric over the mic. The sound made this whole thing slightly more intimate. Keith told himself that it was because he was so tired he wasn’t able to grasp the full meaning behind that thought.

                “Okay Keith,” Shiro began and when he spoke this time his voice had become softer. It was quieter and more peaceful, largely different from what Keith was used to hearing during their last gaming session. Another train of thought that he blamed on the fact that he was so tired. “What are you studying?”

                “Aerospace-engineering. You?”

                “Astronomy. It was my dream to be an astronaut when I was little.”

                Keith giggled. “Me too. I always wanted to go up into space. I thought that it would be a great adventure.”

                “Me too. I blame it on the Star Wars films a little bit. They just got me thinking about what’s out there and it all seems pretty cool.”

                “Nerd,” Keith said, laughing breathily.

                “Oh please, says the guy who’s studying aerospace-engineering because he wanted to be an astronaut.”

                “Let me have this.”

                Shiro snorted. “Sure, whatever.”

                “So did you like it?” Keith asked, closing his eyes.

                “Like what?”

                “The new movie. I thought it was pretty good.” Keith thought back on the experience. It had been one of the few times that he’d actually spent the money to go out for an evening instead of waiting until the movie came out on DVD so he could rent it.

                “Yeah, I liked it. Finn was probably my favorite character.”

                “Really? Why?”

                Shiro huffed. “It’s just…he was supposed to be this brainwashed character who did everything he was told, but he chose to think for himself and do what felt right for him. He didn’t want to be another nameless person that killed people simply because his superiors deemed them unworthy to live in the same universe as the rest of them. It says a lot about a person and their character to stand up for what they believe in and make such an important choice that impacts the rest of their life.

                “And I know that his decisions were selfish at first and he just wanted to escape that life all together, but then he got to know Poe and Rey and he saw what they were doing. What they were fighting for and chose to join that fight. He chose to stop running, however reluctant he was at first.”

                Keith stared at his computer screen as silence filled the line. He let himself soak everything in that Shiro had told him. He supposed that it was admirable for Finn to make that type of decision. He was interested to see how it was going to play out for his character in the next film.

                “Keith?”

                “Yeah, I’m here. I’m interested to see what happens with Finn’s character in the next film now. You’ve raised my expectations for him and I hope that I’m not sorely disappointed.”

                “Well if you’re disappointed, then I’ll be disappointed with you.”

                “Sounds like a plan.”

                “Anything that you’re a closeted nerd over?” Shiro asked, breaking the silence that had once again settled between them.

                Keith hummed thinking it over. “I don’t know really. Video games, I suppose, but I don’t really get a lot of play time with school and work.”

                “Come on, there’s got to be something. You’ve seen Star Wars. No secret obsession with Batman or Hobbits?”

                Keith made a face. “Hobbits? Really? Ugh. Ew. Just. Ew.”

                “Okay so no Hobbits then.”

                “No Hobbits,” Keith agreed. “Superheroes are all right, but I definitely don’t have a secret obsession with Batman or anything like that.”  He yawned again.

                “Does Neil deGrasse Tyson get you all hot and bothered, Keith?” Shiro said, voice dark and rough.

                Keith spluttered, nearly choking in his attempt to form a coherent sentence. “Shiro! Oh my-why would-I can’t-the FUCK-“

                Shiro cut of his inherent babbling with raucous laughter that rung clearly over the line.

                “Fuck you, Shiro! God, I can’t believe you’d say something like that.”

                “I wish I could’ve seen your face!” Shiro said through gasps. He was still chuckling occasionally and Keith narrowed his eyes at the screen, wishing Shiro could see him so he could flip him off.

                “I’m too tired for this shit. God, I can’t believe you.”

                “Hey, Keith…I bet he can help you explore the cosmos.”

                Keith shut his eyes and hoped to God he wasn’t about to be the first person to murder someone from the other side of a computer. “You’re horrible. You are, you know that?”

                “I’m sorry. I promise, no more Neil deGrasse Tyson jokes.”

                “I don’t believe you.”

                “Good, you shouldn’t.”

                Keith rolled his eyes and tried to stifle another yawn. He settled down further in his blankets and closed his eyes, enjoying the warmth that his comforter gave him draped over his body.

                “I’m not looking forward to winter.”

                Shiro hummed. “Not much one for the cold?”

                He sighed. “No, I’m not. I get cold easily and heat’s expensive.”

                Shiro hummed again. “You could always move south. It doesn’t get too bad down here.”

                Keith perked up a little, his drowsiness and comfort quickly pulling him towards sleep. “Oh?”

                “Yup. Florida’s pretty nice. Except for when spring break’s happening. Then you get a bunch of drunk college kids around here. Although, I always experience that because college and there’s always alcohol everywhere.”

                Keith laughed lightly. “Yeah, but you can do homework at the beach. That sounds like a pretty sweet deal to me.”

                “Yeah.” Keith swore that Shiro almost sounded fond. “It can be. Definitely.”

                Keith felt sleep pulling at him, demanding that he just let go and succumb to his dreams.

                “Keith? You asleep?”

                He hummed vaguely at the prompting.

                Shiro chuckled. “Sweet dreams, Keith. I’ll talk to you later.”

                Keith was asleep before the line even disconnected.

Chapter Text

                Keith blinked his open slowly and came face to face with his blank computer screen. His headset had been pushed from his head overnight and was resting on the keyboard. He dragged a hand down his face and looked around him, the sun streaming through the curtains lighting his room. He pushed himself into a sitting position and looked over to his bedside table, grabbing his phone from where he’d left it the night before.

                He was pleased that it was still well before noon, thinking that it must be later because of how well-rested he was. He didn’t have to go into work until later that night, leaving him plenty of time to work through his homework that was due over the next couple of days.

                He swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up, stretching his arms over his head and groaning at the feeling of his muscles stretching. He grabbed his laptop, setting his headset on the bedside table and padded out of his room and towards the kitchen. Keith set his laptop on the table and moved over to the cabinets. He grabbed the box of cereal and a bowl, pouring a generous amount inside. He left the box and pulled a spoon from the drawer before sitting down at the table.

                He took a bite of cereal and opened his laptop, powering it up and logging in. Keith watched as his computer booted up and his programs loaded, his web browser opening where he’d left it the night before. He watched as the castle loaded on Voltron. A message notification in the top corner of the screen caused him to furrow his brow. He clicked on it and stared at the screen, spoon halfway to his mouth.

Spacedi: Sweet dreams! I’ll talk to you later when you’re not half asleep after a full day of work.

                Keith smiled. He felt a little guilty that he’d left Shiro hanging the night before, but they’d had a pretty great conversation. He liked talking to him and thought they could be pretty great friends if nothing else. He finished the rest of his cereal quickly and put the bowl in the sink to wash later.

                On the way back to his bedroom he stopped to go to the bathroom. He grabbed his backpack from his desk and returned to the table, pulling several books and worksheets from it. He spread them across the table and set out an eraser, picking up his pencil to get to work.

                After a few minutes of working in silence, Keith pulled up his Spotify player on his computer and clicked on the playlist of soft piano music that he’d created for when he was working on his homework. The soft sounds filled his apartment and he got back to work on the various math problems that they would go over in his class the next day. Despite the complexity of the math, he found it soothing to work with.

                Keith leaned back in his chair and stretched his arms over his head, feeling his back pop after sitting in one place for so long. He picked up the several sheets of paper that he’d worked through and put them in a pile to the side. A notification from his computer caught his attention and he looked towards the screen, furrowing his brow. He went back to his web browser and saw that he had a new message on Voltron.

                He opened up his messages and smiled.

Spacedi: Hey, you’re awake! I’m surprised you didn’t sleep the whole day away. ;)

                He sighed, exasperated and moved to type a reply, fingers moving quickly over the keys.

Spacespade: Okay, rude! I’ve been up for a while now working on homework thank you very much.

Spacedi: Haha, I’m sorry, but I couldn’t pass up the chance to poke fun after you fell asleep on me last night.

Spacespade: :p You didn’t have to talk to me, you know. And I was tired. You try working a double shift as a bartender at a restaurant and not be dead afterwards.

Spacedi: Okay, okay. What are you working on anyway?

Spacespade: I just got done with some physics problems. I have a few calculus worksheets to get through next.

Spacedi: Ugh, physics.

Spacespade: Hey it’s not that bad! Besides, it’s relaxing work after I’ve had to do nothing but work and deal with people.

Spacedi: I suppose. Not my favorite subject though. I prefer astronomical imaging regardless of how important math is to my field of study.

                Keith stacked his books up at the side of the table and pulled his computer closer to himself.

Spacespade: Sadly, I don’t get to do much work with the astronomy side of things such as looking at stars and taking pictures.

Spacedi: Pity. You feel like gaming later?

Spacespade: Sure! I have another shift tonight so I’ll be back when we usually get together.

Spacedi: Cool. I should probably get through some of my own work, too.

Spacespade: Yeah, probably. I don’t think professors will accept extensive gaming in their curriculum.

Spacedi: No need to be rude!

Spacespade: Oh, so it’s only okay for you to be rude and poke fun?

Spacedi: :p Yes.

Spacespade: Uh huh, sure. I’ll talk to you later. It’s best if you don’t distract me from my schoolwork. I can’t go failing out of college anytime soon.

Spacedi: Fine, fine. I’ll talk to you tonight.

                Keith shook his head and grabbed his calculus book, pulling out the problem set that had been assigned for their next class. He grabbed his pencil sharpener and sharpened his pencil while considering his first problem. He set the sharpener aside and pulled his eraser close just in case, immediately getting to work.

                It was several moments before he noticed that his music had stopped playing. He paused in his work and looked up, going to his Spotify to find out that his playlist had ended and he hadn’t realized it. He clicked through several things, looking for something else to listen to and decided on an album of video game music that had been played by an orchestra. The music filled the room, the notes coming softly from his computer’s speakers.

                He checked the time and looked over the rest of the problems he had to work through. If he kept his current pace he should finish before he needed to get ready for work and head off to the restaurant. Sighing, he put pencil to paper and got to work once again.

                Keith rubbed at his eyes and pushed his papers away once he finished with the last problem on his worksheet. He checked the time and groaned. He only had thirty minutes before he’d have to leave for work and he needed to eat something before he left. He sighed and pushed his chair back, moving over to the refrigerator and pulling the door open to inspect the contents.

                He ended up pulling out one of the few microwave dinners that he let himself buy and ripped open the box. He set it in the microwave and set the timer before tossing the box in the recycling. While he waited for his dinner, Keith returned his books and papers to his backpack, closing his laptop and carrying both things back to his bedroom. He heard the microwave beep and hurried back to the kitchen, pulling his hot food from it and setting it on the stove, careful not to burn his fingers.

                Keith pulled the plastic cover from the tray and added that to the garbage before pulling a fork from the silverware drawer. He mixed his food and carried the container over to the table, holding it carefully by the edges. He sat down and tucked into his meal, enjoying the hot food after not having eaten anything else all day besides breakfast.

                Once he was done, he deposited his fork in the sink with his dishes from breakfast and dropped the empty plastic container in the trash. He walked back down the hall to his bedroom and pulled his last clean pair of black pants and black shirt from his dresser. He sighed and looked over at his laundry basket that was nearly overflowing with clothes. He pulled off the shirt that he’d fallen asleep in the night before and exchanged it for his work shirt, pulling his pants on over his boxers a moment later.

                Keith grabbed a clean pair of socks from his dresser and slipped them on, stuffing his feet into his shoes a moment later. Remembering how cold he’d been after work the night before, he pulled his favorite jacket from where it was hanging in his closet, loving the red, white, and yellow coloring that was on it. He slid his arms through the sleeves before picking up his wallet, keys, and phone from where he’d left them on the bedside table and heading out the door.

                He shivered when he stepped out of his building, grateful that he’d made the decision to bring a jacket along. Fall was coming along in full swing and he knew that it wouldn’t be too long before snow would start to fall as the temperature dropped even further. He walked down the street quickly, hands buried deeply in his pockets. Maybe Shiro was right and he should move somewhere south where it stays warmer longer and he wouldn’t have to deal with the cold.

                Keith pushed through the backdoor of the restaurant and was greeted with the not-quite muffled sounds of the workers in the kitchen and the dim murmur of conversation that was drifting back form the main dining area. He walked over to the computer and punched in his employee ID quickly to clock in. As he walked down the hall towards the dining area, he pulled his jacket from his shoulders and folded it up in his arms.

                He weaved his way through the tables towards the bar area where one of the workers who he didn’t know as well was silently mixing drinks. Keith walked around the counter and shoved his jacket into a bin underneath the bar before washing his hands at the available sink. After drying them off with a paper towel, he grabbed a slip of paper that was on a very small pile and began collecting the necessary glass and mixers.

                The silence that passed between them wasn’t as fun as the usual banter that he and George shared when they worked together, but Keith wasn’t entirely complaining. He wasn’t friendly with very many people at the restaurant mainly because he wasn’t comfortable with everyone there, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t work well with them and get along, regardless of the quiet and silence that permeated their interactions.

                The hours passed quickly, the two of them receiving a constant stream of drink orders which wasn’t exactly out of the ordinary for a Sunday night. He’d be more concerned if they were overwhelmed with orders that included mostly hard liquor rather than the wine that was often desired. By the end of the night, they were mostly hanging around not really doing anything since the crowds had slowed down and most of the patrons had already left the restaurant, needing to get home and get in bed before heading off to work the next morning.

                Keith watched as Linda herded the last guests out the front door and locked up behind them. She turned back to the main area and nodded, a tired smile pulling at her lips.

                “Head through the closedown procedures everyone. Once you’re finished, you’re free to go for the night.”

                Keith loaded the rest of the dirty classes and mixers into a bin and carried them towards the back room as Neil took down their inventory and wiped down the counters. He dropped the bin off with the rest of the washers who nodded at him and added the new things to the sink. When he walked back down the hallway he passed Neil who’d just handed the list off to Linda and was clocking out. He hurried back to the bar and grabbed his jacket from where he’d left it before his shift, slipping his arms through the sleeves as he walked back to the computer.

                He clocked out quickly and waved at everyone as he walked out. The cold air bit into the skin of his cheeks and he wrapped his jacket further around himself, holding it close and tucking his hands underneath his armpits. He ducked his head and covered the sidewalk quickly, not wanting to be out in the wind any longer than he needed to be.

                Keith pushed into his apartment and shut the door behind him quickly, locking it and rubbing his hands together to generate some warmth. He walked into his bedroom and pulled off his jacket, hanging it back up in his closet and toeing off his shoes. He grabbed a pair of sweatpants and exchanged them for his work pants before climbing into bet with his laptop and headset.

                He put his pillows behind him and leaned back while waiting for Voltron to load. He plugged in his headphones and watched as his character popped up in the middle of the Castle entrance. He felt excitement bubble up inside of him. He fidgeted slightly as he waited, staring at the screen and the lack of other players.

                The incoming call tone pulled him from his thoughts and he accepted it easily.

                “Hey, Shiro!” he said, happily.

                “Hi Keith! Someone doesn’t sound like they’re about to pass out tonight,” he said, chuckling.

                “Yeah, I had a much easier go of it today at work. I’m ready to do some gaming before I have to go to sleep and wake up again tomorrow.”

                “Glad to hear it, because I have an idea of what we can do tonight!”

                “And what’s that? You’re certainly excited.” Keith was grinning so hard his cheeks were starting to hurt. He never would’ve realized how much fun he could have while working with someone else.

                “Don’t worry, it’s not another water mission. There’s this one on a pretty desolate planet that’s sort of like Mars, but not. I don’t really know how to explain it, but it’s pretty cool.”

                “Okay. Let’s go then,” Keith said, already scrolling through the list of available missions until he found the one that Shiro was talking about.

                He clicked on it and watched as the screen faded to black before the loading image popped up and showed how much time they had left. Soon enough, the image changed again and Keith was met with a hazy yellow planet that his and Shiro’s characters were standing on. A text box appeared at the bottom of the screen:

You’ve reached the planet Murgelfar. There is a known element that is essential to ship building located here. It is traded widely on the market and used in parts making. You have been tasked with retrieving a store of this element located in the northern plane and bringing it back to the Castle for distribution. Take caution as not all inhabitants of this planet appreciate having their resources sold no matter how much it benefits them and their economy.

                Keith heard a faint rumble over his headphones and assumed that it was probably a storm that was rolling in on Shiro’s end, shrugging it off.

                “Okay, so we just need to head to where the element deposits are located? Doesn’t sound too bad,” Keith said.

                “Yeah. Just watch out for some of the inhabitants. They like to surprise you.”

                Keith frowned at Shiro’s tense voice. He’d sounded fine a few moments ago.

                “Okay. Ready to go?”

                “Yeah.”

                Their characters started forward across the yellow sand and dirt. Keith’s eyes scanned the screen and the expanse in front of them. He heard another low rumble over his headset and shrugged it off, certain that it was coming from Shiro’s end now.

                They’d only taken a few more steps when suddenly something burst up out of the sand. Keith equipped his blade and moved in to attack the creature, swiping a few times and easily taking down the creature. He turned and found Shiro’s character standing in the same place as before.

                “Shiro? Is everything all right?” Keith asked, his concern growing.

                “Yeah. Don’t worry about it, I’m fine.”

                Keith frowned at Shiro who still sounded tense. He was about to open his mouth to ask again when another rumble sounded followed by a quiet whimper from the other end of the line that he suspected wasn’t entirely voluntary.

                “Shiro…are you…afraid of thunderstorms?”

                “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for this to ruin or game night. I can go.”

                “No!” Keith burst. He swallowed and collected himself. “No, it’s okay. We don’t have to keep playing. If you just want someone to talk to, I can be here.”

                The line was silent for a moment. “Okay,” Shiro said, quietly.

                Keith pulled them from the mission and brought them back to the Castle. He set his laptop to the side and settled down against his pillows, facing his computer screen. He heard the rustle of fabric from the other end and could just imagine some faceless guy wrapping himself up in a comforter and shutting his eyes to try and block out the storms. He wondered what Shiro looked like. If he was big or small, muscular or skinny…

                Keith cleared his throat. “So there was this man at the restaurant today…” he trailed off, hoping that this line of conversation would be fine with Shiro.

                “Yeah?” he croaked.

                “Old guy, probably in his 50s or 60s and was there with his family. He was a really funny guy, cracking all these jokes to the wait staff and his family. So his daughter, at least I think it was his daughter, could’ve been a daughter-in-law or something else, anyway, his daughter orders this steak, right? And when she gets it she tells their waiter that it’s a little too rare for her. So this guy turns to the waiter and tells him that their prices are pretty good for selling such a treasure.

                “Oh, it was such a terrible joke, but this guy thought it was so funny and started laughing at himself. The waiter smiled and took the food back to have it cooked a little longer. He just made things so easy for all of us. It’s nice when there are customers like that.” Keith chuckled.

                “Do you get along with everyone you work with?” Shiro asked quietly.

                Keith hummed. “Yeah, I think so. I’m not as friendly with everyone as I am with George, but there isn’t anyone I fight with or can’t work with, so it’s not too bad. Since I’m behind the bar I don’t have to deal with too many asshole customers either which is nice. I don’t think I’d ever be able to handle working at a real bar and getting harassed by customers who aren’t happy or are drunk or whatever.

                “My friend Hunk tells me that I work too much, but I need the money. And it’s not like I’m doing anything indecent. If I could get paid to play video games all day, I’d do that, but that’s not going to happen. Ugh, being a college student is such a joy. But enough about that, it’s bad enough that tomorrow’s Monday and I have to go back to classes. At least my homework load for the weekend wasn’t too bad and I’ve gotten some decent sleep. I can’t say that’ll last for the rest of the week though. It’s something that I’m used to anyway.”

                As he kept talking, Keith thought about the fact that he’d never talk this much with someone that he didn’t really know, but found that he was comfortable with Shiro as crazy as that was.

                “I have this other friend named Pidge. She’s not an engineering major like Hunk and I are, but we’re all really great friends. Whenever we have time we’ll get together and watch movies or do something else. A lot of people underestimate Pidge and Hunk, but they’re the best people I know. We all met freshman year and I’m so happy that we did. I don’t know where I’d be without those two by my side.”

                “They sound nice,” Shiro whispered. He sounded more relaxed and now that Keith thought about it, he hadn’t heard any thunder for a while.

                “They are. I think you’d like them.”

                “I’d like to meet them.”

                The two of them were silent for several moments.

                “Are you going to be okay?” Keith asked.

                “Yeah. Thanks, Keith. It means a lot. That you stayed on to talk to me, I mean.”

                Keith smiled. “I’m glad I could help in any case.”

                Keith closed his eyes and listened to Shiro’s breathing.

                “I have anxiety,” Shiro began.

                “You don’t have to tell me this or explain yourself,” he protested.

                “It’s okay. I want to. I don’t do well with loud, unexpected sounds-ergo thunderstorms-or when people surprise me by moving in when I don’t expect them to or grabbing on to me without me noticing them. For the most part, I’m okay with dealing with all of it and usually when there’s a storm I just buckle down and ride it out. But you helped a lot tonight. Thank you.”

                He felt his chest tighten at Shiro’s words. “You’re welcome. Talk to you tomorrow?”

                “Definitely.”

                Keith bit his lip. “Good night.”

                “Night.”

                He exited out of his web browser and shut his laptop. He set it and his headphones on the floor and rolled over, pulling his blanket up to his chin. He closed his eyes and felt himself relax, ready to get some sleep before his classes the next day even though his brain insisted on forcing him to keep think about Shiro and his fear of storms.

Chapter Text

Keith sighed when his alarm went off. He blinked open his eyes open and grabbed his phone where it was placed on his bedside table and shut off the noise. He reached his arms over his head and stretched, feeling more rested than he had in weeks. He huffed happily and grinned up at his ceiling, chuckling to himself.

                He sat up and threw the covers from himself before crawling out of bed. He stuck a hand underneath his shirt and scratched at his stomach as he walked out into his apartment to head into the kitchen. He grabbed the box of cereal and a bowl from the cabinets, pulling the cardboard flaps open and pouring a generous amount into his bowl.

                Keith carried his breakfast over to the table and lifted a spoonful to his mouth before hurrying back to his bedroom to grab his phone. He didn’t have any texts from any of his friends, but he usually didn’t at the beginning of the day. He’d see them later at school anyway. He sat back down and tucked into his breakfast, eating quickly even though he wasn’t running late.

                He left his dishes in the sink before dashing back into his bedroom to throw some clean clothes on. Once he was dressed and had brushed his teeth, he shoved his laptop and books into his backpack. Keith stuffed his feet into his boots and grabbed his jacket before stuffing his wallet and phone into his pockets and heading out the door for class.

                He shivered when he pushed through the front entrance to his apartment complex, the wind tearing at his clothes. Winter was drawing nearer and nearer and Keith was in no way prepared for the weather that was coming. Chicago loved to bring the freezing temperatures and record snowfall. Something that made getting to class super fun since classes were rarely cancelled during the winter months unless the whole city basically had to shut down.

                Keith pushed through the doors of the science building and rubbed his hands together frantically to try and get some warmth back into them.

                “Keith!”

                He looked up at the sound of his name and grinned when he saw Hunk and Pidge hurrying towards him.

                “Hey guys. What are you doing in this area of the science building?” he asked Pidge.

                Pidge rolled her eyes. “So I’m not allowed to come in her now? I do have the occasional class in here. I swear just because I’m not majoring in engineering like you guys…” she huffed.

                Keith grinned. “We lost you to your obsession with technology instead.”

                Pidge stuck her tongue out at him.

                “Anyway…we were thinking of doing something together this weekend. Maybe a movie night or something. Or we could go out and see a movie. Anything really. We just haven’t done anything in so long,” Hunk said, happily.

                “Yeah, I think that’d be a great idea! Staying in and having pizza and watching a movie will be a nice break since mid-terms are coming up next week.”

                “Sweet! We can do it at my place this time if you want,” Hunk volunteered.

                Keith felt relief wash over him since that would be one less thing that he would need to spend money on.

                “That sounds great! I might need another movie night next weekend to get over the stress of mid-terms and just relax. I have Saturday night off this weekend so if the two of you are free then, that’s when we can have this.”

                “All right!” Hunk exclaimed.

                “Sweet,” Pidge said before checking her watch. “I have to get to class, but I’ll talk to you guys later. See ya!”

                Keith and Hunk waved her off before heading towards their respective classrooms. He pushed through the door of his room and found a seat in the middle of the room. He pulled out his computer and opened up his word document to begin taking notes as the professor walked in.

                “Good morning, class,” she said, setting down her folder of files on the table in the center of the room before leaning back against the edge of it. “Now, as you all know mid-terms are coming up next week. The material that we have covered thus far is fair game since it’s all built on each other. What we go over this week is going to be included as well so make sure that you gain a thorough grasp of it and ask any questions that may come up. Remember that this mid-term counts for almost as much as the final exam will at the end of the semester.

                “Any questions before we begin?” She looked over her students’ faces and found no complaint. “Very well, let’s begin,” she said, moving over to the computer that was set up in the room.

                Keith’s eyes flicked between the board and his computer as he diligently took notes. He wasn’t too worried about this class-it was one of his strongest that he was taking-but there was one that he was nervous about taking his mid-term for. He was struggling in one of his other science classes. Well, struggling wasn’t the right word, he was passing and he had to put in a large amount of work to pass, which was what was stressing him out. He was worried that if his grade managed to fall too low, than that would cause his GPA to fall and he’d lose some of his scholarship.

                Every time his old worry would arise, he would tell himself that he was just being anal since one class couldn’t drop his GPA that much, but he also knew that poor grades over time added up and he needed to remain vigilant and be cautious to avoid any slip-ups.

                “That’s everything for today. I’ll see you all later this week. Remember that if you have any questions, to get them answered before it’s too late. It’s best to understand the mathematics and theories behind all of this so that you can adequately answer the application questions.”

                Keith saved his notes before shoving his computer into his backpack and heading out the door to his next class. He navigated the slightly crowded hallways easily, avoiding the large groups of people waiting for classes or moving together to lunch. He darted up the stairwell and made his way to the second floor where his other class was. He leaned against the wall opposite of his room and waited for the class before his to let out.

                He pulled out his phone to check over his email and found something from the financial aid office in his inbox. He had to stop himself from letting out a groan of frustration. He was really not in the mood to have another meeting about his finances. It usually wasn’t bad news, just designed to help him stay on top of payments, but he always left feeling dejected and annoyed.

                He opened up a reply and sent back a confirmation email that he would be available to meet on Thursday between his classes. He looked up when he heard the door get pushed open and stuffed his phone into his back pocket and waited for the rush of students to clear out before he shuffled inside and took his seat towards the middle of the room. He pulled out his computer and opened his notes, looking through them quickly to review before the lesson.

                Keith sighed as his professor dismissed them from class. He did his best to shake off the stress that was prickling at the back of his mind, determined not to think about it. He knew that he could pass this mid-term. He knew that everything was going to be okay. He just needed to get through the next week and focus in class and make sure that he actually did all the work and did it well. He closed his computer and packed up his things, noticing that half the class had already walked out and he had to get to work. He hadn’t been late once and he wasn’t about to start making a habit of it when keeping his job was so important.

                He pushed past the crowds in the hallway beyond and made his way towards the staircase. He hurried down it and pushed out the double doors, shivering when the cold air ruffled his jacket and got to his skin. He pulled the flaps of his jacket closer around him and ducked his head, hurrying across campus and down the sidewalk towards his apartment. It was a relief when it finally came into view because it meant that warmth was at hand.

                Keith hurried through the building and pushed the door to his apartment open, kicking his shoes off inside. He set his backpack down on the couch and shrugged off his jacket before working on stripping himself of the other clothes that he was wearing. He had a little bit of time before he’d need to leave for work which meant changing and getting something to eat, and possibly doing a bit of work to relieve the burden he’d have later that night.

                He pulled out his work clothes and changed quickly before heading back out to the kitchen to make some lunch. He pulled out one of the many ramen packets that he had sitting in his cabinets. He left the noodles to boil in the water on his stove as he retrieved his backpack form the couch and pulled out his computer and worksheets. He set everything out on the table and finished cooking his lunch, taking a seat and putting pencil to paper.

                Keith let out a frustrated groan when he got done with his worksheet. He honestly hated the class that it was for because the homework always left him frustrated and feeling stupid. Shaking his head at himself, he pulled up the answers to the worksheet that the professor had posted online. He’d come up with the right answers to three-quarters of the questions, but still had some areas where he could improve. He circled the numbers of the questions that were wrong and left a not to redo those later and make note of any questions that he had before his next class with that professor.

                Checking the time he stiffened and rushed to put his dirty dishes in the sink and grab his wallet, phone and keys. He nearly sprinted out the door and down to the ground floor to make it out to the sidewalk. He rushed down the street, quickly darting around people as he made his way to the restaurant. He wasn’t late, but he would definitely be cutting it close. Far closer than he would’ve liked. Keith hated feeling rushed and whenever he lost track of time it left him with an odd sense that he was forgetting something and usually put him off the rest of the day. He really hoped that today would not be one of those days.

                He pushed through the back door of the restaurant, chest heaving. The kitchen staff greeted him as he made his way through and he returned their greetings. He clocked in quickly and pulled off his jacket, relieved that he’d just barely made it.

                “Cutting it kind of close today, aren’t we?” Linda asked, with an understanding smile as she walked by.

                Keith winced. “Yeah, sorry about that. I was preoccupied getting some of my homework done.”

                She waved off the comment. “Don’t worry about it. You weren’t actually late in any case and schoolwork is important. Go ahead and head to the bar. A lot of drink orders will probably start coming in regardless.”

                Keith gave her a grateful smile and folded his jacket over his arm before pushing through the door to the main room. He weaved through the tables and made his way behind the bar counter. The worker there nodded at him before washing his hands and pulling his own jacket on. He grabbed the dirty mixers and glasses and brought them back to the kitchen for cleaning on his way out.

                Keith walked down the bar, checking the stores of alcohol to make sure he wouldn’t run out of anything. His first drink order arrived and he got to work, falling back into the easy atmosphere of mixing drinks and soft music that could be relaxing every once and a while.

                He sighed when the last costumers left for the night and he could leave. It was a pretty light evening for him since it was a Monday, but he was grateful to be done and head back home. He wiped down his counters and took a quick inventory before pulling his jacket on and heading to the back of the restaurant. He dropped the list off with Linda and exchanged quick goodbyes with her before dropping off his dirty tumblers and heading out the back door and into the cold night.

                He shoved his hands deep into his pockets as he made his way back home. The streets were nearly empty, the streetlamps providing dim and yellow light along the sidewalk since most of the shops were closed. He kept his head down and walked quickly, wanting to get out of the cold as quickly as possible.

                Keith rubbed his hands together as soon as he pushed inside. The warmer temperature of the building was a welcome relief after the brutal walk. He stifled a yawn as he shrugged off his jacket and headed into the kitchen. He shuffled all of his papers together and left them in a stack before booting his computer back up and logging onto Voltron. He brought the computer back to his bedroom and settled down on top of his comforter, plugging in his headphones and setting them on his head.

                He accepted the incoming call that was beginning to feel almost routine at this point.

                “How’s it going?” Shiro asked.

                “Pretty good. I’m not looking forward to next week though. It’s time for mid-terms. Ugh.”

                “Ew. I can understand the feeling. I just got done with mine last week.”

                “Really?”

                “Yup. I’m glad to be done in any case. It’s a welcome relief.”

                “I’m sure,” Keith said, sighing. “I think I’ll do fine. It’s just getting through them and finishing all of the exams.”

                Shiro hummed his agreement.

                “So what did you want to do tonight?”

                “I figured we could get through the mission that we started last night and actually finish it this time. As long as no freak storms roll in.”

                Keith chuckled. “No such thing as a freak storm.”

                “No such thing as a freak storm,” Shiro mimicked. “Yes, thank you, Keith.”

                “Any time. Come on, let’s do this.”

                Keith was taken back to the yellow planet that he’d been on the night before. He relaxed, the familiar game and movements comfortable and Shiro’s active presence in the game comforting.

                “Oh come on,” he snarled, punching ferociously at the keys.

                “Relax, Keith,” Shiro said, trying to calm him, but he could hear the edge in his voice. “Let’s try that maneuver again. There’s got to be some way that we can beat this boss.”

                “I feel like we’ve tried this a dozen times and nothing seems to be working.”

                “No, there has to be a way.”

                Reluctantly, Keith followed Shiro’s instructions and made to attack the monster that they were battling. His eyes widened when he finally detected the pattern in its movements.

                “There, Shiro! Take that opening!”

                Much to his relief, Shiro’s character rushed forward and his hit connected, taking a large chunk out of the monster’s hp.

                “Again,” Shiro said.

                “You got it.”

                Keith moved forward and was pleased when they continued to drain the monster’s hp bar. He groaned, relieved when it finally hit zero and the thing disappeared. He scrubbed his hands over his face, completely ignoring the text that popped up on the screen announcing that they’d beat the level and completed his mission.

                “God that was tough,” he muttered.

                “I know,” Shiro said, laughing. “Good thing we weren’t battling that thing in real life.”

                “You got that right. I don’t know how I’d survive if I was suddenly forced into space to pilot some giant mechanical lion weapon thing. Plus if you die out there then you’re dead.”

                “Uh…”

                “Sorry,” Keith said, wincing. “I made it morbid.”

                “Don’t worry about it. It’s getting pretty late anyway and I’m sure that you’re tired and need to get some sleep.”

                Almost as though he was proving Shiro’s point, he yawned loudly.

                “Well I can’t argue with that. See you again tomorrow, right?”

                “Definitely!”

                “Later, Shiro,” Keith said, sitting up in bed.

                “Later. Night, Keith.”

                He smiled as they disconnected and he pulled his headphones off. He stretched his arms over his head and checked the time, groaning when it was later than he thought it was. He shut down his computer and pulled himself from bed. The least he could was get a shower in before he decided to get some sleep. He’d feel better the next morning if he was able to wake up nice and refreshed and not worry about taking a shower before having to head off to class, because he knew that he wouldn’t want to try and squeeze one in between classes and work, that would be a different kind of hell.

                Keith pulled off his work clothes that he hadn’t bothered to change out of before and headed into the bathroom, turning the hot water on and as high as he dared to let it go before stepping under the warm spray, sighing as the water washed over his skin and provided some warmth and relief.

Chapter Text

                Keith groaned at the sound of his alarm and pushed himself up in bed. He had a few hours before his first class, but he needed to get some homework done before he could head off to campus. The night would be a long one since he wouldn’t have time to get back to his apartment before work. He reluctantly pulled himself from the warm covers and shut off his phone before heading into the kitchen where he left his work the night before. Yawning, he prepared himself some breakfast, looking at the dirty dishes with disdain as he sat back down at the table. He would need to take care of those later as well.

                He groaned in frustration and ran his hands through his hair, exasperated. He gave his hair a few good tugs before setting down his pencil and looking at his worksheets, feeling utterly defeated. He’d gotten a few of the problems that he’d missed the day before right. Sighing he stared down at the pages in front of him and felt the stress building at the back of his head. He wouldn’t be surprised if it developed into a splitting headache that left him whimpering and clutching his head in bed.

                Keith erased his work for the last two problems that he got wrong and looked down at the ruffled paper, willing himself to get the right answer. He checked the time on his phone and was relieved that he still had plenty of time before he would have to leave. Knowing that it wouldn’t do to try and rush his work and force the answers, he pushed his chair away from the table and picked up his dirty dishes and headed over to the sink, thinking he could at least get the pile in his sink washed.

                He let the hot water and soap and the process of cleaning clear his mind. He relaxed as he made his way through the dirty dishes and was feeling significantly better once they were finished. He left them to dry and made his way back to his room to get dressed. He pulled out his work clothes and folded them gently, leaving them on the edge of his bed next to his laptop. He rifled through his dressers and pulled out a clean pair of jeans and one of the few remaining shirts that he had left. He’d need to do laundry soon, but he wasn’t going to worry about that at the moment.

                Keith changed his clothes and collected his work clothes and laptop before heading back out into the living room. He stuffed his things into his backpack before collecting his homework and the rest of his things. He grabbed his jacket and headed out the door, picking his wallet and keys up on the way.

                He ducked his head against the chilly wind that never seemed to abate once the weather began to change. He sighed and looked at the other people walking by, bundled up in their coats and hats. It wasn’t quite too cold for the scarves to come out just yet, but it wouldn’t be long before they did. He hurried through the crosswalk to get to campus and made a beeline for the building that his classes would be in, resigning himself to another day of listening to his professors drone on and threaten them with the mid-term that was looming over their heads.

                Keith sighed and stuffed his things back into his backpack once his final class of the day came to a close. He had about fifteen minutes to make it to the restaurant before his shift was set to start, meaning that he wouldn’t have any time to dawdle or hang out. His stomach growled and he cursed himself for forgetting something small to bring to eat before he would have to get to work.

                He pushed through the back door and walked through the kitchen, making his way to the computer. He punched in his employee number and headed to the bathroom so he could change his clothes. He slipped into the handicap stall and pulled the wad of clothes form his bag, relieved that they weren’t wrinkled too badly.

                Keith walked through the main floor and found George waiting for him behind the counter already. A smile lit up his face and he waved at him around the margarita he was preparing. Keith slipped behind the counter and stuck his jacket and bag underneath the counter before grabbing the next drink order that was waiting to be filled.

                “How’s my wonderful intergalactic space warrior today?” George teased, laughing, as he handed off the finished drink.

                Keith rolled his eyes and reached for a bottle of alcohol that was underneath the counter. “Not too bad for a Tuesday. That’s about it. Mid-terms are coming up next week so that’s not something that I’m looking forward to.”

                “Oh, that’s rough. I’m sure that you’ll do great.”

                Keith set the drink on a waiting tray with its ticket and turned towards the next one, moving around George easily as the two of them worked. “I hope so. Mid-terms are almost as stressful as finals.”

                George shot him a reassuring smile as he picked up the last drink ticket. “Don’t worry. You’ll do great.”

                Keith leaned back against the counter and watched as his coworker finished up his last drink. The two of them settled back and waited for more orders to come in. The night was going to be a slow one for them, not that they were complaining or anything.

                Keith blushed when his stomach let out a large growl, barely pausing his movements before continuing the next order.

                George looked over at him and smirked. “Little hungry?”

                “Yeah. I didn’t have time to eat anything before coming here before work.”

                He checked his watch. “The orders have been pretty light. Why don’t you go ahead and take your break and get something to eat?”

                “Are you sure?”

                George waved him off. “Yeah, it’s no problem. I can handle this.”

                “No, I can’t. You should take your break first, you’ve been here longer than I have.”

                He gave him a look and huffed. “I’ll be right back.”

                Keith sighed and tried to ignore the rumbling in his stomach, resigning himself to a bit longer without food.

                “What is this George tells me that you haven’t had anything to eat today?”

                He looked up in shock to find Linda standing in front of him with her hands on her hips. He glared at George standing behind her who at the most self-satisfied grin on his face.

                “Well?” she asked.

                “I didn’t have time to grab a bite to eat between my classes and having to come in and I forgot a snack.”

                “Well come on then,” she said, turning and heading back for the kitchen.

                “What?” George shoved him out from behind the counter.

                “Go and get something to eat. I’ll be here when you get back and you look like you could use it.”

                Keith followed dumbly after Linda wondering what the hell was happening. By the time he made it to the back hallway, Linda was already pushing back out through the kitchen door and shooing him into her office. He reluctantly took a seat in one of her large chairs and was rewarded with a plate of food in his lap.

                “I won’t have you passing out on the job because you forgot to eat or refused to eat. You’re one of my employees and I’m not going to turn down feeding you when you need it,” she scolded, wagging her finger at him before taking her own seat behind her desk and moving around several sheets of paperwork. When he continued staring at her she looked up. “Less staring, more eating.”

                Keith nodded slowly and picked up the fork that was on the side of the plate, carefully spearing one of the large chunks of ravioli. He took a bite from the pasta and closed in eyes in warm, cheesy bliss. He often got food from the restaurant, but it wasn’t every day that he got to eat something so fresh without having to reheat it. He opened his eyes and turned to his meal with a new fervor, his stomach happy that it was finally getting something to eat. And if he saw Linda smiling a little too fondly at her paperwork, then that was neither here nor there.

                Once he was finished, he left Linda’s office with a quiet thank you and returned the dishes to the kitchen where everyone greeted him kindly. He replied in kind, hurrying back through the door to get back to the bar where George smiled at him.

                “Well, now that you’re refreshed and full of warm food, I’m heading out to take my break, because it’s unfair that you get to have all the fun.”

                Keith rolled his eyes, but took the towel that George handed to him. “I told you that you could’ve taken your break first, but you were the one who set Linda on me and got me taken away.”

                “Well I couldn’t have you passing out on us. The last thing we need is you falling down behind the counter. Everyone would’ve thought that you were sneaking drinks! And then where would that leave us?!” he said, throwing up his hands in mock exasperation.

                Keith snorted and pushed him out from behind the counter. “Just go take your break.” He turned back to the handful of orders that were waiting to be filled and got to work. No doubt George had seen him coming and left them for him instead of doing them himself. As long as he didn’t get a complaint that they weren’t being filled fast enough, he didn’t care.

                As the last customers walked out the door, he reached his hands over his head and stretched his back, feeling much better once his muscles relaxed and he was able to let the tension seep from his body. He quickly took inventory of what they had left and wrote up a list for Linda as George got the last of the dirty dishes and tumblers in a bin to bring to the back for the washers. Keith threw on his coat and grabbed his backpack before heading out. He left the list in front of Linda who waved him off and clocked out, heading towards the back door.

                He practically felt dead on his feet after the long and busy day. The cold air that met him as he walked out the back door helped to perk him up a little bit, but it didn’t do too much. As he walked back to his apartment, he sifted through his mental list of what homework needed to be done for the next day. He had all of his worksheets done, but still had some reading to do. Sighing, he resigned himself to a bit of a late night. He probably wouldn’t have time to game with Shiro either depending on how long the reading assignment was.

                Keith pushed through his apartment door and kicked off his shoes, sliding the lock into place behind him so that he wouldn’t have to do that later. He trudged into his bedroom and set his backpack on his bed before pulling off his jacket and throwing that on top of the comforter as well. He slowly pulled the buttons of his shirt open, fumbling slightly when he couldn’t quite get them through the small hole in the fabric. He let his shirt flutter to the ground on the edge of the overflowing laundry basket and shoved his pants down his hips.

                He shivered slightly as goosebumps raised over his quickly chilling skin and pulled the shirt he’d left on his bed over his head, climbing under the covers as he did so. He grabbed one of the straps of his backpack and pulled it closer to him, sliding the zipper open. He threw his clothes from earlier over to the mound of dirty laundry and pulled his laptop and a textbook out instead. He set his laptop to the side to boot up and opened to the first page of the reading that they had assigned for the next night. He flipped through the pages and was satisfied when it didn’t look to be too long or arduous for one night.

                He stuffed a pillow behind his back as he leaned against the wall, knowing that if he tried to lie down he would only end up falling asleep which was the one thing that he didn’t need in that moment. Keith settled in to read, eyes roving slowly over the words, trying to take as much of it in as possible. He let his fingers skim over the sides of the book, catching on the not quite even sides of the pages and brushing against the groves where the pages pulled apart. The action was soothing and helped him to focus a little more.

                After getting through a page he pulled his computer closer to him and pulled up his homework playlist to have some white noise in the background. He nearly pushed it back, but hesitated, wanting to pull up his gaming account, but knowing that he would kick himself if Shiro was actually on.

                “Damn it,” he said, running a hand through his hair. He clicked on his web browser and pulled up the website, logging in quickly. He got through another paragraph as everything loaded and blindly reached for his headset that was on the bedside table as his eyes continued to move down the page. His hand found the mic and he lifted it over to his lap, pulling on the cord until he found the input. He fumbled along the side of the laptop trying to get them plugged in and smiled once he succeeded.

                Keith slid his headset on and was a little shocked at the swell of music that greeted him, but rolled his eyes at himself when he remembered that he’d just put his studying playlist on. He sat back and continued to read, turning the page as he got more comfortable. The call tone broke through the music, cutting it off and making him jolt at the sudden change. He turned his attention to the screen and clicked on the accept call button before quickly finishing the paragraph that he was on.

                “Evening Keith,” Shiro said happily from the other end of the line.

                “Evening,” he said, distracted, flipping through the remainder of his reading to gauge how much he had left.

                “You sound distracted.”

                “Sorry,” he said, still not giving Shiro his full attention. “I’m just trying to figure out how much reading I have left to do before tomorrow.”

                “Oh, if you have homework to do we don’t have to game tonight.”

                Keith’s gaze jerked over to the screen almost thinking that he’d see Shiro’s face there. He sounded almost…disappointed by the possibility Keith might have homework to do.

                “I’m about halfway through it and it’s not too long so I shouldn’t have a problem gaming with you tonight.”

                “If you want to go ahead and finish it now, I can wait. At least then you won’t have to fight against sleep if you get tired while we’re gaming.”

                Keith smiled. “You sure? I don’t want to bore you while I read.”

                “Yeah, yeah. It’s no problem honestly. I can do something while I sit here and chill. And you don’t have to stay on the line if you don’t want to.”

                Keith felt his face heat up. “I mean…if it’s too much of a bother…”

                “No! No, it’s okay. I’ll just be here,” Shiro said in a rush.

                Keith bit his lip and ducked his head to look at his textbook, once again having to remind himself that Shiro wasn’t actually there and couldn’t see his reaction. “Okay.”

                The companionship was nice, even though Keith couldn’t see what Shiro was doing. He’d catch little bits of what sounded like him breathing, slow and relaxed and sometimes Shiro would start humming without realizing it, stopping when Keith joined in if it was a song that he knew. Once he’d finished the last page of his reading, he shut the book and clutched it to his chest, leaning his head back against the wall and closed his eyes. He wanted a few more minutes of just being able to listen to Shiro. He thought that it helped him get to know him better, since they really hadn’t shared much personal information.

                He sighed happily, relaxed after such a busy and hectic day, not caring how out of the ordinary it was for him to be so comfortable with another person. That didn’t matter. None of the outside world mattered. It was just him in his room and his friend Shiro on the other end of the line. He didn’t have to put up any walls or hide himself. He could just be and let any worries or stress fall away. It was nice and he didn’t want to give it up.

                “Shiro?” he asked.

                His humming stopped. “Sorry, was I bothering you?”

                “No! No…I’m just finished with my reading so if you wanted to play through a mission or something. We could…do that,” he trailed off awkwardly.

                “Oh! Yeah, sure. Give me one second.”

                Keith let his book fall to the floor and readjusted the pillow behind his back as he shifted into a more comfortable position. He heard the distant rustling of fabric or something on the other end and assumed that Shiro was moving or getting comfortable.

                “Okay. So tonight I was thinking…”

                Keith let Shiro’s voice wash over him and turned his attention to the game, listening to his explanation and watching as they shifted to a new mission. And if he smiled a little to fondly at his computer screen…well, there was no one around to call him out on it.

Chapter Text

                Keith groaned at the sound of his alarm and pressed his pillow over his head. He did not want to get up. He was exhausted and had work later that day and was just not in the mood to interact with people. Normally he wasn’t this bad off on a Wednesday, but he could pretty much guess the reason why he was so tired. And it had everything to do with a certain Floridian with a deep, soothing voice-and it was way to fucking early to go there right now.

                Sighing, he shoved his pillow away and snatched his phone from where it sat on the bedside table, angrily swiping his thumb over the screen to silence the annoyingly chipper music that was issuing from the speaker. For a few too long moments he considered just rolling back over and burrowing underneath the sheets. That was something that Keith had never let himself do before and he probably shouldn’t start now. Too many things were on the line and as much as he wanted to, fucking off from the world would have to wait until he had a break from classes in a month.

                Keith kicked his blankets off of his body, shivering slightly when the cool air washed over his skin and raised goosebumps. He hurried out of his room, grabbing the last clean pair of clothes that he owned, and into the bathroom for his shower. He turned on the water as warm as he was willing to let it go and stripped out of his pajamas before stepping under the spray. He could let himself indulge a bit this once and maybe when it really started to get colder outside, he’d let himself take one hot shower to fight off the chill.

                He left some bread in the toaster and took a few minutes to tidy the things in his room. He packed his backpack for the day and shoved his dirty laundry into the large tote that he used to take his things down to the wash room that was provided to their apartment. When Keith had first moved into the place, he’d taken the time to compare the prices for the washers and dryers to the laundromats around town and found that he was getting a better deal by using the facilities offered, and they even seemed to be in slightly better condition than the more public places.

                He threw his laundry soap and fabric softener into the bag as well before carrying it and his backpack out into the main room, leaving the two bags by the couch. He wouldn’t have time to do his washing until that night, but he had an earlier shift at the restaurant which meant he’d be home earlier than usual. And he could at least work on some homework while he waited for his laundry to finish. It wasn’t unusual for the other tenants to find him lounging around among the machines while his things were getting taken care of.

                Keith heard the toaster release and pulled the small tub of butter from the fridge and a knife from one of the drawers. He buttered his toast quickly and stood at the counter to eat it while checking his email on his phone and any texts that he’d gotten overnight or that morning. In his group message with Pidge and Hunk, Pidge had told them that she got two six packs of beer for super cheap. Keith smiled and sent back a reply with his encouragements. He felt like he should be bringing something for their get together over the weekend, but knew that if he tried to say something, his friends would just insist he was making a fuss over nothing.

                Instead, he continued to eat his toast and told himself that he wouldn’t let himself feel bad about it. He could save up and get something nice for their next get together. Checking his watch, Keith picked up his second slice and set his plate in the sink before grabbing his backpack and heading out the door. As soon as his feet hit the sidewalk and he was greeted with a blissfully sunny morning, Keith felt marginally better than he had when he’d woken up that morning. There was nothing standing in the way of making his day a good one even if mid-terms were looming on the horizon.

                Keith slipped around the groups of people that were lingering to enjoy the sunshine on their way to class. He would’ve liked to have had more time to kill to enjoy what was one of their last days of pleasant weather, but classes were calling and he had a busy day ahead of him. He pushed through the doors to the engineering building, nearly knocking into someone on their way out and wove through more groups of people on his way to his classroom. He was about to question why there were so many more people on campus when he realized that he’d been witness to the start of the campus tour season. Rolling his eyes at the disruption, he pulled open the door to his classroom and slipped inside, taking his seat quickly. He pulled out his computer and let it boot up in front of him as he took out his homework sheets from Monday.

                Keith stuffed his things back into his backpack and hurried from his last class, hoping to catch a few more rays of sunshine on his way to work, but he was sorely disappointed when he pushed through the doors to the building he was in. Some clouds had blown in and were currently blocking the sun and the clear blue sky. He sighed and shuffled down the sidewalk. He had a bit more time to get to work than he had the day before and he was going to enjoy it as much as he could. Remembering what he’d grabbed on his way out this morning, he pulled a granola bar from the side pocket of his bag and tore the wrapper open, grateful to have a bit of food in his stomach after a day of classes.

                He pushed through the back door of the restaurant and was greeted half-heartedly by the workers back there, tired after their already long shifts. The conversations among the cooks were muted as they went through their work and completed the few orders that were coming in during the middle of the day.

                Keith clocked in quickly and walked the rest of the way down the hallway and turned towards where the bathrooms were located. He pushed inside, skirting around another man on his way out and slipped into the handicap stall, letting his backpack fall from his shoulder as he reached down to unzip the pocket and pull out his work clothes. He changed quickly and washed his hands before making his way around the bar counter.

                The other worker gave him a tired and grateful smile and quickly made his exit towards the back where he could leave. Keith slipped his backpack under the counter and busied himself with rearranging the different bottles of alcohol as there weren’t any current orders that needed to be filled. He always thought the middle day shifts were a bit strange. He wasn’t at the restaurant early enough to get to leave when the second shift came in, but he wasn’t there late enough where he would stay until closing. It was always strange, but most of the time he did get to leave with a to-go box of dinner in his hand.

                He looked around himself. The counters were spotless, the glasses arranged as they should be-all of the dirty tumblers and mixers having already been taken to the kitchen-and now all of the bottles in their places. Not much to do on a Wednesday. It almost made him wish that he was back in his apartment, but that would mean missing out on more money that was easily being made. Besides, other than homework, he didn’t have anything to do until that night as it was.

                The corner of Keith’s mouth quirked up as a waiter walked over to him and handed him a slip…to which he rolled his eyes and shared a knowing look with the other man. Of course the first order that he got would be a Bloody Mary. At least that was better than a Gin and Tonic or something else that middle-aged and elderly women ordered at Sunday brunch. He prepared it quickly and left it on the counter for when the waiter came back around to collect it. After that, the dinner crowds began to file in and every half hour an order for a glass of wine would come in, and, finally, his co-worker.

                Between the two of them there was hardly anything to do and Keith was nearly shoved away from the bar when the end of his shift came so that the other worker could at least keep himself busy. Keith couldn’t blame him. He probably would’ve done the same thing if it meant being kept busy and not crushed under boredom that he had no way of abating in a fancy restaurant.

                He shook his head at his coworker and collected his things before heading towards the back. As he was clocking out a voice spoke up behind him.

                “Oh good, you haven’t left yet.”

                He turned to find one of the cooks standing in the doorway smiling at him.

                “I was just about on my way out actually.”

                “If you wouldn’t mind hanging around a few more minutes we can whip something up for you to take home for dinner.” She turned and held the door open for him as they entered the kitchen.

                “You don’t need to do that.”

                She waved his comment away. “It’s no bother really. And with it being a weekday we’ll probably have a lot of food left over anyway so no one’s going to miss it. And you know that Linda won’t mind. She hates seeing any of her employees go hungry and we’re really not losing money. In fact, our food waste is lower because we don’t throw as much out. Hey Jeff! Whip something up for Keith real quick. His shift just ended and he’s on his way home.”

                Jeff gave a thumbs up and grinned at the two of them before moving to get started on a new dish.

                Keith crossed his arms and leaned up against the wall while he waited. “At least it’s good food. It’s ten times better than anything that I could make at home.”

                “I’m sure that you could come up with something. You’d think that after working in a restaurant for so long you’d be able to come up with any number of dishes.”

                “I’m also behind the bar making drinks, not in the kitchen where all of the cooking actually happens.”

                She hummed her agreement and moved to put the finishing touches on a few of the plates that were waiting to be taken out by their servers. As he waited, Keith mentally ran through the list of things that needed to be done when he got back home. He was in a decent spot with his homework which meant he’d have a bit more free time tonight after cleaning up around his apartment. That also meant he had more time to game with Shiro without having to stay up too late. Tomorrow would be another busy day with classes and work, but at least after that it would be Friday and he could have a far more relaxed weekend to enjoy time with friends.

                He was pulled from his thoughts when a plastic bag was shoved into his hands.

                “There you go. Now get out of here and go home. We’re tired of seeing your face,” the cook said as she shoved him towards the door, pulling an easy laugh from him.

                “All right, all right. I’m going, okay?” His grin softened and he held up the bag of food. “Thanks for dinner.”

                She shook her head and crossed her arms, watching as he turned and walked through the back door. He turned back towards his apartment and stuffed one of his hands in his pocket, using his other one to hold tightly to the plastic bag. Even though it wasn’t likely that he was about to lose his food during the short walk back to his home, he wasn’t going to take any chances. Especially not when they went through so much trouble to put it together for him.

                Keith pushed into his apartment and let the door shut behind him. He left his shoes on and walked towards the kitchen, setting the bag on the counter and shrugging off his backpack and jacket to leave on one of the chairs. He grabbed a knife and a fork from the cutlery drawer and added those to the bag before moving it over to the table.

                He walked through his apartment to his bedroom and pulled off his work shirt as soon as he was through the door, kicking off his shoes and quickly adding his pants to the small pile. He pulled on a comfortable pair of sweats and a loose tee, sliding his feet into some sneakers before grabbing his discarded clothes and headed back to the kitchen. He shoved his clothes inside the laundry bag and pulled his backpack on once again, picking up both the laundry bag and his food before heading out the door and towards the elevator.

                The ride down to the basement was surprisingly quick and he was glad to find the laundry room empty. There were a couple of machines in use, but he at least had the place to himself. He shoved one of the chairs over to the table used for folding and set down his things, being careful not to crush his food. Keith took advantage of the empty room and got his clothes started in several different washing machines before settling down at the table. He pulled his computer from his bag and opened that, navigating to the assigned reading for his next class-and, unable to help himself, pulled up Voltron as well.

                He opened the plastic bag and paused when he noticed two containers inside of it. Normally he only got one. He shoved the bag to the side and opened both of the Styrofoam containers, chuckling when he found a large amount of pasta in one and a gigantic slice of cake in the other.

                “They really decided to treat me tonight,” he said, shutting the box with the cake and setting aside for later in favor of the pasta.

                Keith made it through about of half of his reading before the washing machines began to beep at him that they were finished. He pushed back his chair, finally setting the empty pasta container back in the bag and moved over to take his clothes out and move them into the open dryers. As he was moving his things, the other resident who was coming to pick up his things walked through the door and moved past him.

                Keith returned to his seat just as a beeping started coming from his computer. He switched tabs and smiled when he had an incoming call from Shiro. He turned to his bag and remembered that he didn’t have his headphones with him and that they were still upstairs in his apartment. He denied the call and quickly opened the chat to type out his explanation.

SpaceSpade: Sorry, no headphones right now.

Spacedi: :( Keiiithhhhhh

SpaceSpade: I left them in my apartment when I moved to the laundry room. Now behave while I finish up my reading for tomorrow.

                Keith got a couple of more paragraphs read before he heard the new message notification. Curious as to what Shiro needed he changed tabs.

Spacedi: SIGH. This isn’t as fun as it was the other night.

                Keith rolled his eyes and typed out a quick reply before switching tabs. This time he barely got through a paragraph before he heard the usual sound.

SpaceSpade: You’re just going to have to be patient and wait.

Spacedi: But Keiithhhhh

SpaceSpade: Hush. You’re a grown man. You can wait another half-hour for my clothes to finish and for me to get back up to my apartment.

Spacedi: But that’s so long.

                Keith ignored Shiro’s last message and returned to his reading. He really needed to get it finished and he didn’t have much left as it was. He’d just have to ignore Shiro for a bit no matter how hard that proved to be. He tried to focus on the words again, but his leg began to bounce impatiently under the table. His eyes flicked over to the page numbers and it felt almost as if he had so much left to read, but he had to get it done. He knew that as soon as he started talking to Shiro, he wouldn’t come back to it which wasn’t something he could afford to do.

                He worried at his lip with his teeth and forced his eyes to stay on the page. He was so close to being done and nearly groaned in frustration when he heard the dryers beep. He was going to finish this before heading back upstairs even if it killed him. Thankfully, Shiro had been quiet after he stopped replying to his messages. If he’d continued to talk to him, there was no way that he would’ve been able to get his work done.

                He sighed and felt a sense of accomplishment wash over him as he was finally able to close out of the reading, leaving his game open in the only other window.

SpaceSpade: I just finished my work. Give me like ten minutes to grab my laundry and head back upstairs.

                He didn’t wait for a reply before shutting his computer and stuffing it back into his backpack. He grabbed his laundry bag and moved over to the dryers that he’d been using, pulling each of them open and shoving the now clean clothes back into the back before shutting the doors to the dryers. He pulled his backpack on and grabbed the bag of food before squeezing through the door to the laundry room and heading for the elevator.

                Keith let his laundry bag fall from his shoulder almost as soon as he walked through his door. He kicked his shoes off and hurried to pull off his backpack and extract his laptop from the constricting fabric. He left it and his cake on the table before dashing into his bedroom and grabbing his headphones from the bedside table, quickly returning to sit in-and nearly fall out of-the chair. He plugged in his headset and opened his laptop sending the call through to Shiro.

                “Finally! I thought I was going to have to wait forever,” Shiro said trying, and failing, to sound serious.

                Keith smiled, happy to once again hear his voice. “You didn’t have to wait that long. And to be fair, you called me before our usual game time.”

                “Well if you didn’t want me to call you, you shouldn’t have been logged into your account. You’re a tease.”

                “Yeah, yeah,” he said, pulling the cake out of the plastic bag and popping the container open. He shoved a large forkful into his mouth and hummed around the chocolate. “What level did you want to play through tonight, anyway?”

                The line was silent for a moment.

                “Are you eating?”

                “Yup,” Keith said, and after his next bite he couldn’t help the small moan the slipped out. The chocolate cake from the restaurant was the best around after all.

                “Well,” Shiro croaked. He stopped and cleared his throat. “We’re nearly finished with all of the two player levels so I thought we could find some more group members and take on some tougher missions.”

                “Do you know of any other free players that could join our group?”

                “Yeah. A couple of my friends play this game, actually and thought it would be fun to do a mission with us.”

                “Okay, sure.”

                “Do you mind if they join our call?”

                Keith paused and speared his slice of cake a couple of times. “They’re your friends so…I trust you. They wouldn’t be complete strangers, I guess.”

                “Cool.”

                Keith watched as two new usernames were added to the call log and waited as they worked to connect.

                “Lance? Allura? You there?” Shiro asked.

                “Commander Sexy reporting for duty,” a chipper voice chimed in.

                “Lance,” Shiro groaned.

                Someone who wasn’t Keith or Shiro sighed.

                “I’m here. Although I wish I could’ve waited a second later to connect so I didn’t have to hear that awful greeting.”

                “Hey!” Lance objected.

                “Lance, Allura, I’d like you to meet Keith,” Shiro said.

                “Uh…hi,” he greeted awkwardly.

                “So assertive. Shiro are you sure this guy can keep up with us?” Lance asked.

                Keith felt a prickle of annoyance at the comment and was just about to retort, but Shiro spoke first.

                “I think you might need to worry about keeping up with him instead, Lance.”

                Keith felt himself flush and looked around to make sure that no one saw, which was honestly ridiculous since he was alone in his apartment.

                “How about we just get to the mission already?” Allura broke in as Lance grumbled in the background.

                “Fine, fine. Let’s tackle the first four-player option on the menu,” Shiro said.

                Keith quickly found it from the drop-down and clicked on the mission. He took another bite of cake as the screen faded to black before opening on a wide shot of a distant green planet. He sat back and readied himself for the gameplay to come, determined to show them just how good he was.

Chapter Text

                Keith jolted awake as his alarm started blaring right next to his head.

                “Who? What? Huh?” he asked, frantically looking around. He stared down at the kitchen table that he’d apparently fallen asleep at last night and the crick in his neck that was quickly making itself known helped him understand that he was never going to do that again. He pulled his headphones from where they’d settled around his neck and swiped a finger over the trackpad of his laptop while silencing his phone with his other hand. His Voltron account was still pulled up from the night before and he had a message from Shiro waiting for him in his inbox.

Spacedi: Great job, tonight. I’m pretty sure that you just fell asleep in the middle of our conversation, but I can’t be mad when you sound so peaceful. Sweet dreams and I’ll talk to you later. : D

                Keith immediately felt his face heat up at the words. He couldn’t believe that he fell asleep. He felt like it was always him doing something embarrassing. But he also couldn’t help feeling utterly triumphant over last night’s gaming session. Flashes of the missions that they’d played through flitted through his brain and he remembered how petulant Lance had gotten when Keith had stolen so many points and battle opportunities from him. It also didn’t hurt that Shiro took every chance to throw a compliment his way and let him know how much he as benefiting their team.

                He sighed happily and stretched his arms over his head, feeling several parts of his back and spine pop as they loosened and readjusted themselves where they needed to be. He groaned, feeling so much better despite his neck not being in the best of shape and his level of exhaustion that would no doubt get worse as the day went on. He quickly packed his things into his backpack before pushing his chair back and heading for his bedroom, picking up his laundry bag on the way.

                He threw the bag onto his bed and began to rifle through it, pulling out a clean pair of clothes for the day and his fresh work clothes. Keith changed quickly, foregoing a shower since he could probably get away without taking one until that night. He did take the time to brush his teeth really well since he’d missed doing that the night before and his mouth honestly felt disgusting. He blamed the chocolate cake. Too much sugar.

                As he put two slices of bread in the toaster he finally managed to glance at the clock and realized that he wasn’t running late. He had quite a bit of time before he had to leave for class actually. He shook himself, feeling like he was going a bit crazy with the stress of everything. He just had to remember that it would all be fine and he wouldn’t receive any bad news when he had his financial appointment that afternoon. And then he would have work tonight and tomorrow was Friday which meant he was one step closer to the weekend and to his movie night with his friends.

                When his toast was ready he let himself sit down at the table and eat it slowly, enjoying the relief of leaving a morning rush behind and taking his time. Once he was finished, he left his dirty dishes in the sink and grabbed his backpack before heading out the door. He shoved his hands into his pockets as he hit the sidewalk and ducked his head against the cold wind. He’d have to remember to pull his gloves out from wherever they’d been stowed when he got back home that night. At least that would help keep his hands warm during the upcoming fall and winter months.

                Keith sat down in his first class and pulled his jacket off, enjoying the warm air that had already heated the room since classes began earlier that morning. He pulled out his computer and waited for his professor to walk in and begin their session. Their mid-term was going to happen during their next class so he knew that some of today was going to be spent talking about that. It was reassuring in a way and he was ready to get it over with.

                He nearly ran into someone as he pushed his way into the stairwell after his last class, half of his mind still on the lecture and the other half of his mind already seated in the office of the financial worker who he was on his way to meet. He knew that he wasn’t going to be able to shake his mood until the mid-term was over. It was going to keep nagging at the back of his mind and prophesize some form of doom for him. Tests were the worst.

                Keith made his way across campus to the main building and headed down the staircase towards where the lower offices were kept. He’d made this walk so many times that he could probably do it in his sleep. Yet that never seemed to calm him down when the threat of his ability to go to school was on the line.

                The secretary smiled at him when he walked through the door. “How can I help you today?”

                “I have an appointment with Sarah.”

                The sound of keys being pressed filled the silence between them. “Keith, right? She’ll be with you in a few minutes so feel free to have a seat.”

                He nodded and sat down on the hard bench. He hated this. The tight smiles and false hospitality. They wanted to make you try and be as comfortable as possible, but when you whole future relied on what they were about to tell you…it was a little hard to do. He’d be glad when he’d never have to step foot in this office again and never have to be greeted by tight smiles and people who were tired of dealing with poor college students.

                Keith ducked his head and clasped his hands together between his thighs, one of his knees bouncing impatiently as he waited to be called back. He was glad that there wasn’t any chipper music playing like he’d heard in some of the other offices. He knew that the melody would drive him insane as he sat in tense silence.

                A woman who he immediately recognized pushed a side door open and he got to his feet. She smiled at him and beckoned him back to her office. He followed quickly, moving past mostly closed doors, indicating that most of the other advisors were hard at work with students in similar situations to his own.

                The soft click of Sarah’s office door behind him almost felt like the sound of him being locked in prison. He took a seat without being prompted and watched as she made her way around her desk. Sarah didn’t immediately speak, instead pulling up what he knew would be his file and his other academic information that they’d need to discuss with regards to his finances.

                “Okay,” she finally began, sitting back in her chair and giving Keith a warm smile. “Everything is in order with your currant finances and you’re doing an excellent job of keeping up with some of the payments as well as ensuring that your loans are maintained. Your GPA is currently more than enough to maintain your academic scholarship which means that you won’t have any more financial burden at this time. Other than that, my only recommendation is to keep up with your studies and maintain the grades that you’ve been getting especially now that mid-terms are here. It might seem like a long way off, but finals will also be coming around before you know it and then you’ll be in your last semester of college. Do you have any questions for me at this time?”

                Keith shook his head. “No.” He never did.

                “Okay. You’ll be receiving another email from me as we get closer to the end of the semester and we can talk about next semester in a bit more detail and make sure that everything works out. Next semester you can also expect to be meeting with me a few more times than you’re used to since we’ll need to make sure that everything goes smoothly as you finish up and transition into the working world. Unless you’re going on to graduate school right away. If that’s the case we can talk about options for schools and how to handle finances. Right now, I just need you to sign this form as proof that we had our meeting today and you understand your current situation.”

                Keith nodded. He’d done this so many times already and quickly scratched out his signature.

                Sarah took the paper back and smiled at him. “Perfect! You’ll be hearing from me in several weeks. Enjoy the rest of your day.”

                He nodded again and picked up his backpack, pushing out of her office quickly and making his way back through the building. The bitter wind biting into his cheeks was a strange relief. God, he hated this. Hated the worry that was always there. He just wanted to feel secure for once and not have to worry about everything. He turned away from the building, knowing that the day he would step in there for the last time would be a welcome one indeed.

                Keith pushed through the back door to the restaurant and headed towards the computer to clock-in, half-heartedly returning the greetings that the kitchen staff shot his way as they worked on preparing the current orders and doing a bit more prep work for the evening ahead. He slipped into the bathroom and quickly changed before making his way behind the bar. He wasn’t in the mood to make conversation, but was still sad to see the other bartender go. He just didn’t want to be left alone with his thoughts.

                More than the usual number of orders came in for a week night and it seemed that quite a few business workers were treating themselves before the weekend. He’d pity any of them who drank a little too much and would have to go to work with a hangover the next day. Or maybe they wouldn’t. Hell, they could probably afford to take a day off if they were feeling a bit shitty. He shook himself from the thoughts and tried to focus back on the drinks that he was making. It wouldn’t do to think about that now. He really needed something else to focus on and making drinks wasn’t doing much to distract his mind from what it really wanted to latch onto.

                Closing came as a major blessing. He was happy to leave and get back to his apartment where he could more thoroughly distract himself from his current despair and misery. Or at the very least, let himself wallow in misery in the safe confines of his bed. Keith finished his last tasks pretty quickly and was just clocking out when Linda stopped him at the computer.

                “Keith can I talk to you for a minute?” she asked.

                He frowned. She seemed nervous. Linda was never nervous around him.

                “Sure. What is it?”

                She rubbed the back of her neck and sighed. “Look, I’m really sorry to do this, but we’re going to have to pull you from the double shift on Sunday. We’ll have you working in the evening, but we accidently over scheduled and I don’t want to take anyone off that day to ensure everyone has at least one shift. I know that the doubles are important to you and I can give you priority next weekend if that would help.”

                Keith felt his stomach drop. This day just kept getting better and better. “Yeah…I…thanks. I’d appreciate that for next week. Sorry to rush, but I really need to get back and finish up some last minute work.”

                The last part was a lie, but Keith needed to get out of there now. He ignored the calls from the kitchen staff and pushed through the back door impatiently. His mind raced, focused on recalculating his expenses and trying to determine if he’d have enough to cover the rent for the month. The consideration for the next weekend would be generous, but he wouldn’t get that money for another month which wouldn’t help out with his next round of rent. His payday was tomorrow after all.

                He nearly sprinted back to his apartment and slammed the door shut behind him, wincing at the loud sound. He leaned back against the wood heavily and rubbed tiredly at his face.

                “Great. Now I’m going to get a noise complaint,” he muttered. He kicked off his shoes and hurried into his bedroom, tossing his backpack onto the bed and pulling at his clothes. He exchanged his jeans for a pair of pajama pants with red lions on them and a worn in grey shirt.

                Once he was changed, Keith nearly fell onto his bed and pulled his laptop from his backpack, kicking the bag to the floor with his foot. The action made him feel a little better, but did nothing to the quickly rising panic within him. He needed a distraction. Now.

                As his Voltron account began to load, he reached over and grabbed his headphones, plugging them in and jamming them on top of his head. His fingers tapped anxiously next to the trackpad as he waited. Every second felt like a minute and his mind kept moving faster and faster, coming up with worse and worse scenarios if he wasn’t able to make his rent for the month and then couple that with his mid-term coming up. He felt almost as though he was being sucked into a black hole-not that they actually sucked and he wouldn’t survive the gravitational pull anyway, and even if he did survive that the amount of trapped light inside the black hole would incinerate him in a second.

                Keith closed his eyes, cursing himself for his interest in space. He just wanted to have a breakdown and make references to space phenomenon without his brain analyzing every aspect of it to provide a more accurate and believable metaphor. His thoughts quieted for a moment when the Castle popped up and he was relieved that Shiro was already logged on. He sent the call through quickly. He shut his eyes as his anxious thoughts reared their ugly heads again and nearly missed Shiro’s greeting.

                “Hey, Keith! How’s it going?” he asked, sounding incredibly pleased with himself.

                “How many two player missions do we have left?” he asked, ignoring the greeting. He didn’t want to have to wait for anyone else and he couldn’t guarantee that if anyone else joined them, he wouldn’t be able to stop himself from snapping at them and that was something they didn’t deserve. It was hard enough keeping himself together at the moment. He just hoped that Shiro’s kind demeanor would help him stay in check.

                “Keith…is everything alright?” he asked after a moment.

                “Fine,” Keith snapped and then winced at his tone. So much for keeping himself controlled.

                “Really? Because you don’t sound fine.”

                He shut his eyes and rubbed his forehead. This was it. This was the moment that was going to break him, because he couldn’t stop thinking about everything soon enough. Because all of his worries couldn’t leave him alone for once. And because Shiro was nice enough to ask him what was wrong, because he knew that Keith wasn’t fine. He sighed and slowly began to explain.

                “I’m sorry. I just…God it’s so hard sometimes. Working my way through college. I have to make sure to keep my GPA up or risk losing my academic scholarship and if that happens, I’ll be put into some serious debt. And then there’s this class that I’m struggling with and I’m worried if I do poorly on the mid-term then that’ll bring my GPA down which means less money. And then my double shift on Sunday got cut and I’m really hoping that won’t affect my ability to make rent and I-I-“ Keith cut himself off with a sob and forced a hand over his mouth to try and quiet the sounds. The tears flowed quickly. They always did.

                “I’m so scared, Shiro,” he whispered. “It gets to be so much and I feel like I don’t have anyone to rely on and don’t have anywhere to go. I’m scared of being booted out of college and being left with nothing and sometimes I just don’t know what to do.”

                “You have people to rely on. You have friends,” Shiro said, earnestly. “If you need someone even I…I can be here, too.”

                “Wh-what?”

                “I know that we barely know each other and have only been gaming for a short time, but I think you’re a really great person and would like to be here for you. As a friend if nothing else to try and give you the support that you need.”

                Keith stared at his computer screen, really wishing that he could see Shiro in that moment. Wanting to know how true is words were even though they rang with complete conviction and honesty.

                “Do you have skype?” he blurted, mouth acting faster than his brain.

                “I…yeah?” Shiro asked, obviously confused. “Wait-are you-do you-really?”

                Keith took a shuddery breath and prepared himself for what was to come. “Yes. If you want to.”

                “Yeah. Yes. Absolutely. Message me your username and I can send the call through.”

                Two minutes later and they were staring at each other through the screen for the first time. Shiro just gaped at him and he felt himself flush, trying to brush away the last dredges of tears. It was unfair how ridiculously attractive Shiro was and here he was with a tear-stained face. His cheeks were probably an ugly and blotchy red, too.

                “Shiro? Could you say something? Please?” Keith pleaded, looking anywhere but at his screen.

                “Uh…hi,” he said, still sounding a little dumbstruck.

                “Is everything okay? You’re making me a little nervous,” Keith said, fidgeting.

                “Yes!” he responded, too loudly. He cleared his throat. “I mean, yeah. Yeah, everything’s fine.”

                Keith squinted, wondering if it was just the lighting or if Shiro was actually blushing. He swore that his cheeks were tinted with a light pink. He was probably just embarrassed by this whole situation.

                “Are you feeling better?”

                Keith looked down at his hands in his lap. “Yeah. I feel a bit better after crying. All my worries and anxieties are still there, but they aren’t going to go away in one night.”

                “Good. That’s good. That you’re feeling better, I mean. Not that you’re still worried or anxious.”

                “Yeah.”

                Silence fell between the two of them as they each obviously didn’t look at each other.

                “Hey, Shiro?”

                “What is it?”

                “Thanks.”

Chapter Text

                Friday felt like an utter dream to Keith. He hardly registered his own actions throughout the day and didn’t even really remember waking up or getting ready for the day. He almost felt like a zombie and didn’t really register where he was until he received a slap on the back, forcing him to look around and comprehend that he was at work. He didn’t even remember clocking in or going to class! And was honestly surprised that he managed to even dress himself in his work clothes, although he was sure Linda would’ve stopped him if he’d looked too out of sorts.

                “Someone seems to be a little out of it today,” George said, bringing Keith out of his thoughts and to focus back in on the drink that he’d been preparing. “Late night? Too much studying? Or too much gaming?”

                “Uhh…” Keith responded eloquently, grasping for some sort of explanation as to why he was acting the way he was. He couldn’t exactly say he was thinking about the hot guy that he met online while gaming. Not only did he not know how to go about explaining that situation, but he didn’t think he was prepared for the lecture that he would undoubtedly get about interacting with strangers online and the possibility that his life might turn into an afterschool special. George would probably even go so far as to suggest he’d been featured on America’s Most Wanted. You’d think being twenty-one would get you a pass for things like that, but Keith was never so lucky.

                “Based on your intelligent response and the fact you’re grasping for some sort of response, I’m going to take a wild guess and say that you were up late gaming last night and didn’t get enough sleep,” he said with a chuckle and moved to pick up a bottle of alcohol for the next order coming in. It was getting into the busier part of the night where more people were coming out just for the drinks than for actual meals.

                Keith didn’t bother responding and did his best to focus back in on his work and knew that he wouldn’t be able to let his mind wander any further. He didn’t want to risk messing up anyone’s drinks because that would mean losing drinks and money and he wasn’t prepared to be responsible for that on top of everything else. And with the growing crowds, that would slow things down for them if they had to make twice as many drinks to make up for Keith’s lack of concentration.

                He looked at the pile of orders that were quickly stacking up and turned back to the drink he was almost finished with. He wanted to shove it all away and not worry about it, but a thought struck him. Something that would help to keep him focused…

                “Hey, George,” he called, smirk pulling at the edges of his lips.

                “Yeah?” he asked, bottle in hand and eyebrow raised in question at Keith’s expression. He’d known him long enough to know that a smirk wasn’t always a good sign.

                “Feel like having a little competition tonight?” he asked, gesturing to the pile of tickets that was waiting for them.

                A grin slowly pulled at the edges of his mouth, eyes lighting up at the prospect of making a game out of their workload. “You’re on,” he said, raising the bottle in his hand. “Whoever gets the most drinks made wins. And the loser has to do all the closedown procedures.”

                “Hope you like staying late,” Keith said. “Because I’m not going to lose,” he said getting back to work with a renewed fervor. These next few hours were going to pass by with a breeze.

                “How is it that we both managed to end up with the same number of tickets?!” George nearly screeched as they finished totaling their piles.

                “Damn, I really thought that I was ahead there,” Keith said, running a hand through his hair.

                “You were ahead. Clearly, I was making the most drinks during the night.”

                Keith raised an eyebrow. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said, reaching for the bottle of cleaner and the towel to wipe down the counter.

                “Please, you’ve been out of it all night. I don’t understand how you have the same number of tickets,” George grouched and reached for the empty bottles to take inventory of how much stock they’d used.

                “I don’t care who won what or what you’re arguing about, but I want to see more cleaning boys! It’s Friday and I know that you as much as me are ready to get out of here for the night,” Linda called as she walked past.

                The two of them hurried back to their closedown procedures and probably got done in record time. Getting motivated at the end of a long day wasn’t too hard when the threat of your boss was just around the corner. Keith and George parted ways quickly, knowing that they’d see each other again soon enough, and were more concerned with getting home after a long day. Keith may not have had a shift the next day, but that didn’t mean that he wasn’t looking forward to spending time with his friend that night and getting more than enough sleep.

                He pushed into his apartment and made his way into the bedroom, leaving his backpack at the foot of the bed while he moved over to his dresser to pull out something more comfortable to wear. Swapping out his work clothes for a pair of sweatpants and a shirt found him back in the kitchen with his headset and rummaging around for something to make for dinner. He was still doing really well on food and thought he might be able to pull some money from his food budget if he ended up running low after being pulled from the double shift on Sunday. Things really seemed to be looking up for once. Or maybe it was just memories of having someone to lean on that were helping him see the brighter side of things.

                As he was heating up the water to make some of the pasta that he’d stocked up on-and it was in fact pasta and not ramen noodles-he heard a ringing coming from his computer. Keith stepped over and was surprised to find Shiro calling him through skype rather than his Voltron account which he had already pulled up. He answered quickly and grinned when Shiro’s face came into view.

                “Hey, Shiro,” he said, picking up his computer and carrying it over to the counter next to his stove.

                “Wh-what’s up? What are you doing?” Shiro asked, belatedly.

                “Making dinner. I just got back from work and decided to make some pasta to celebrate that it’s Friday. I would say that I’m surprised that you’re online already, but I can’t really say that I am.” He felt relaxed talking to him like this. He was a little worried that things could’ve been a bit weird after the night before, but he found Shiro’s presence particularly grounding. “How are things on your end?” he asked while reaching for the box of pasta.

                “Oh, you know, just another Friday. Not really one for the history books,” Shiro said, laughing awkwardly.

                Keith glanced at his screen and found Shiro looking away from him and off screen. He saw traces of pink along his cheekbones and leaned in further while absentmindedly stirring the pasta.

                “Shiro, are you feeling alright? You’re not sick are you?” he asked, squinting for good measure.

                He looked back at the screen and looked taken aback when he caught how close Keith was. Keith watched as his face got even redder.

                “Fine, fine,” Shiro said, trying to wave away his concern.

                Keith gave him one last look before returning to his pasta. “Okay. I still think you should make sure that you don’t have a temperature and aren’t sick.”

                “Later. I can take it later.”

                “Okay,” Keith said, not entirely convinced.

                Shiro cleared his throat, searching for something to say. “Allura and Lance had a lot of fun with us the other night. They’d like to join up again.”

                “Cool. I can’t wait to kick Lance’s ass again.”

                Shiro laughed. “You know, the point of team missions are so that you work together and not fight amongst the players.”

                Keith shrugged and speared a piece of pasta to taste. He hummed in satisfaction and turned off the stovetop, picking up the pot and carrying it over to the sink to drain. “As long as it doesn’t cause us to lose, I think that we can manage to have a little bit of fun at least. ‘Sides, Lance’s ego’s big enough that he can take it.”

                “I’m not sure that he’d agree with you on that, but he’d also probably claim that he doesn’t have an ego. Still, I’d like the two of you to get along on some level at least,” Shiro said.

                Keith paused as he grabbed the jar of tomato sauce from the cabinet above his head. He looked down at it as he addressed what Shiro said. “You think that we don’t get along?”

                “Do you?” Shiro asked, disbelief obvious.

                Keith rolled his eyes and placed a hand on his hip as he turned to face the screen. “Of course we get along. Even I could tell from our first night gaming together that Lance wanted to see how I held up. Eventually, it became less about testing me and more about seeing how far we could push each other. I just managed to come out on top. Don’t worry so much.”

                Now that his dinner was ready, Keith moved his computer and his bowl of food over to the table while Shiro sat there silently, obviously thinking.

                “So did you want to game or what?” Keith asked between bites since it looked like Shiro wasn’t going to say anything anytime soon.

                “Hm?” Shiro asked, being pulled from his thoughts. Keith raised an eyebrow at him. “Oh, yeah. Sure, we can game.”

                “You can invite Lance and Allura if you want. If they’re free anyway.”

                “Actually…do you mind if we do something else?” he asked, rubbing the back of his neck.

                Keith shrugged. “Sure. What did you have in mind?”

                Shiro shrugged, obviously feeling a bit embarrassed about the request. “I just feel like maybe hanging out and watching a movie or something.”

                Keith quirked an eyebrow. “You want to try and stream a movie at the same time?”

                “Yeah.”

                “That’s great and all, but I don’t have Netflix.”

                “Oh.”

                “Hang on,” Keith said, leaning forward and pulling up his web browser. “I don’t remember the name of it, but I heard about this website that can let you watch things at the same time. It’s sort of hard to explain. So you would be streaming from your Netflix account, but I’d be able to watch it too, even though I don’t have Netflix.”

                “That sounds perfect. I think that I’ve heard of that too, actually…”

                “Here it is! It’s this website called rabbit.” Keith heard Shiro typing even as he looked around the website himself.

                “Oh hey, this looks pretty cool. So I just need to set this up with my Netlfix account…”

                Keith listened as he clicked several things and typed in information.

                “Okay, I think I’ve got this figured out. I’m going to send you the link to this room through Skype and we should be able to get started.”

                Keith heard the notification from his Skype window and pulled up the room. Once it was opened in his web browser he shut off the call with Shiro and brought up the video and audio capabilities of the chat room.

                “Shiro? You there?”

                “Yeah. Although, cutting out without saying goodbye was a little rude.”

                Keith rolled his eyes. “Oh, please. I was gone for like two seconds, it didn’t kill you.”

                “It was still rude,” he muttered. “Anyway, what do you want to watch?”

                “It doesn’t really matter to me. I’ll probably be fine with anything so if there’s something in particular that you like watching or are in the middle of watching, I’ll probably be fine with that.”

                Shiro hummed. “Do you like anime?”

                “I’ve never really watched it, but I’ll give anything a try.” Keith picked up his computer and the remains of his dinner and headed over to his couch. He moved a few of the pillows up against the arm of the couch and laid down, leaning against them and stretching out his legs. He settled his laptop on top of his legs so that he could still eat and sighed happily as his muscles relaxed in the soft cushions.

                “Okay, I think this one’ll be good to start with. I’ve been wanting to watch it for a while so I guess this is just my excuse to get you involved too.”

                “What’s it called?”

                “The English name is Your Lie in April. It’s supposed to be really good.”

                “Okay. Is this going to have subtitles then?”

                “Yeah, is that a problem?”

                “I think I’ll be okay. I just might have to do full screen so that I can read them, depending on how small they are and if the video quality isn’t too fuzzy.”

                “Well, let’s find out.”

                Keith watched as Shiro pulled it up and animated cherry blossoms filled his screen. The image followed a blond girl walking down the street and following a cat.

                “Is this an anime about music students?” he asked as the opening began to play. He might never admit it, but he thought the music was pretty catchy and could see the appeal of why people went to such lengths to find it sometimes.  

                “Yeah.”

                “Okay.”

                Silence fell between them again as the episode progressed. He thought that this might be something he could actually get into even if it wasn’t along the lines of what he usually took interest in.

                “What did you think?” Shiro asked as the credits began to play.

                “I like it. Can we watch another episode? I really want to see what happens with her violin performance.”

                “Yeah, of course.”

                One more episode turned into another and another and another. Even with his eyes drooping and his mind complaining about the influx of information that the anime was giving him, Keith couldn’t find it in himself to complain or ask Shiro to stop despite the late hour and his need to actually get some sleep. Keith was enraptured by the storyline and the characters to the point that he might even be a little bit obsessed. He wanted to know what was going to happen to Kousei and he wanted so much for Kousei to succeed at his solo competition.

                It was probably unhealthy how invested he was in the wellbeing of a fictional character, but the writing and the characterizations just made him want to care about him. He wanted him to do well and find motivation in the people who claimed to be his rivals. He wanted him to find support in his friends and realize that it’s okay for him to play the piano and move on with his life and be great.

                Keith sat up and clutched the sides of his laptop, staring with wide eyes as Kousei battled himself during his performance. He felt himself saddened by the turn that the anime had taken and sagged against the couch’s back cushion, nearly burying his face in the fabric.

                Shiro paused the episode as the ending music began. “You okay there, Keith.”

                Keith groaned. “I was really hoping for a different outcome for Kousei.”

                “I know, but he can’t just magically come back after having such an impactful experience. He has to find his love for the piano again and deal with the trauma that he’s been through. We’re only half way through the anime so there’s plenty of time for it to get better. Unless you want to put that off for later.”

                Keith looked at the time and sighed. “3am huh? I should probably get to bed.”

                “You don’t have work tomorrow, do you?”

                “Nah, it’s my night off. But I’m getting together with some friends. We’re going to hang out and watch movies before mid-terms-shit! Fuck, mid-terms. I should really be studying for those.” He groaned again, not wanting to think about his upcoming tests or the rest of his anxieties.

                “So study tomorrow-well, later today anyway. Get some sleep, get refreshed, and then study before you get together with your friends. We can finish this next weekend after you get through your tests. Just think of it as the reward that’s waiting for you.”

                “Okay. Yeah, sounds good. I can totally do that,” Keith said, trying to convince himself. Neither of them made a move to leave the chat. “I guess, I’ll go then. Talk to you later, Shiro?”

                “Yeah, talk to you later.”

                Keith closed out of his web browser and stared at his desktop for a minute, not wanting to move off the couch. He hadn’t even considered the amount of hours that he’d need to put into studying next week. That would mean he’d probably not be able to game or talk with Shiro for a while at least. He sighed and shut down his computer, setting it down on the coffee table before wearily pushing himself to his feet.

                He shuffled into his bedroom and let himself fall down onto his bed and pulled his comforter over himself, his eyes sliding shut easily. It was so strange. They’d only known each other for a short amount of time and had been skyping for barely a fraction of that, yet Shiro already felt like a large part of his life. It felt weird to even consider going a day without interacting with him. Shiro had wedged his way so far into Keith’s life already that the thought of him possibly disappearing was absolutely terrifying for him to consider.

Chapter Text

Keith blinked, bringing himself out of yet another daze. He was trying to seriously focus, but it just wasn’t happening for him. He’d let himself get plenty of sleep the night before, well that morning, after going to bed at 3am because he knew that he would need it if he wanted to get some form of studying done. And yet here he was, unable to focus on his task and the words in front of him, his mind deciding to wander back to Shiro yet again. The traitor. The day before had been bad enough, especially with trying to navigate classes and make sure that he didn’t miss any vital information, especially with mid-terms coming up, but this was just getting ridiculous.

It was already late afternoon and his friends had been messaging him to get the last of the details hashed out for that night. He’d contributed eagerly and was actually looking forward to it. Knew that he needed it because of his levels of stress. Which strangely weren’t bothering him as much as they usually did because all he could fucking think about was Shiro. Keith groaned and let his head fall down onto the text book in front of him. This was really not how this was supposed to go.

He shouldn’t be so focused on someone who he barely knew. Shouldn’t be remembering the light flush that dusted his cheeks and drew attention to the light scar across his nose that he hadn’t noticed before. Or the way that it had highlighted his dark eyes, the soft glow of his computer screen making them illuminated. Or how soft his hair had looked, especially the white streak that came out from the center of his forehead.

“Gahh!!!!” Keith exclaimed, pulling at his hair in frustration. He leaned back in his chair and stared at the ceiling, letting his hands fall to his lap. “What do I do?”

His phone vibrated on the table and he looked down at it. He reached for it and pulled up the new text from Pidge.

Pidge: Get your butt over here in an hour. We’re getting this party started early.

Keith sighed.

Keith: Sure thing.

It wasn’t like he was getting any work done as it was. If he didn’t get too smashed or worn out after movie night and was competent enough to make it back to his apartment, then he might be able to get a little more studying done later once all other distractions had been taken care of. He hoped he was lucky enough for that to happen anyway.

He walked into his bedroom and started to strip out of the shirt and sweatpants that he’d been in all day so that he could take a shower. Even if he didn’t exactly need one, it would give him time to think and deal with whatever was going on in his brain for once instead of trying to push it to the side in favor of other things. He walked into his bathroom and turned on the water, letting it warm up slightly before stepping under the spray and pulling the curtain closed behind him.

Keith leaned his head against the wall and let the water flow down his back. Normally he wouldn’t give himself time to enjoy the feel of the warmth spreading over him for fear of what it might do to his bill, but he needed a minute to get his thoughts together.

He knew that he enjoyed talking to Shiro and gaming with him. They got along together really well for only knowing each other for such a short period of time. Keith felt like he could tell him anything. He’d already spilled his worst fears to him and was brought back from the edge of what could’ve been a much worse freakout and everything had been fine. They probably even got closer and even strengthened the bond they’d already developed.

And there was no doubt that Shiro was attractive. Keith could see it and knew it. Had been thinking and fixating on that fact all day instead of doing what he needed to be doing which was studying if he didn’t want to fail his mid-terms.

He might like Shiro a little more than just as a friend. But he couldn’t have a crush on him. He just couldn’t! For one thing, they lived several states apart and only knew each other online. Even if they hadn’t even met in person there was no way that Keith could’ve developed feelings that fast. And Shiro probably didn’t even like him anyway so there was no reason to get his hopes up.

Keith pushed himself off the wall of the shower with a new sense of determination. He wasn’t going to let the fact that he found Shiro attractive get in the way of their interactions. He liked having Shiro as a friend and that was all that mattered. He could easily just keep acting the way he’d been acting and keep things normal and relaxed between the two of them. It was no big deal, really. That’s what he thought at least, as he reached for the soap.

Keith pressed the buzzer for Pidge’s apartment and shivered as a gust of wind blew over him. He wasn’t ready for winter to continue getting closer, but it was inevitable, much to his own dismay.

“Yeah?” Pidge’s voice asked over the buzzer.

“Pidge, it’s Keith. Let me up!”

“Sure thing!”

Seconds later he heard the sound of the door unlocking and pulled it open, glad when it shut out the cold behind him. He hurried over to the stairs, knowing better by now than to trust the elevator to get him to Pidge’s floor. He only had to go up to the second floor anyway, so the ride really wasn’t worth it. As soon as he hit the landing and pulled open the door to her floor, he saw Hunk’s head from where it was already sticking out from her doorway. He waved him down the hallway and Keith hurried towards him, slipping through the door and into the apartment.

“Now that you’re here, we can get this party started!” Pidge spoke up from her spot in the kitchen.

Keith laughed. “If you’re hoping for a good party, I hope that you’re the one funding the alcohol store to get it going.”

He walked into the kitchen and saw her furiously cutting at a pizza that she’d just pulled from the oven.

“Sadly, we thought it best not to purchase that kind of alcohol. Especially after the last time.” She paused in her cutting and shuddered. Keith didn’t need a reminder as to what she was talking about. It didn’t end up being a good evening. They thought that it would be the best way to celebrate the end of the school year, but bad things happened. Very bad things.

“Anyway, grab a beer. I’m almost done getting this cut and then we can eat and you can tell us what’s been going on.”

Keith’s hand froze, outstretched to one of the available bottles on the counter. “What’s been…what do you mean?” He forced his hand to move and wrap around the bottle, cool condensation seeping into his skin even as he picked up the bottle opener and pulled the top free quickly.

“You were completely out of it yesterday!” Hunk exclaimed. “If something is bothering you, you know you can talk to us about it. Is something wrong with your job?”

“You aren’t having a problem with financial aid or anything right?” Pidge asked, watching him.

Keith put his hands up in front of him, trying to wave away their concern. “No! No, nothing’s wrong. I’ve still got my job and my financial aid is fine.”

“Then what had you so distracted?” Pidge asked, letting her hand that wasn’t holding the pizza cutter fall to her hip.

He looked between his two friends, wondering just how much he could afford to tell them. How much he wanted to tell them. It wasn’t like everything surrounding Shiro was completely unbelievable. He was a real person who Keith had gotten to know. A real person who Keith might like a little more than he should.

“Well…” Keith began. “A while back I was playing Voltron one night and teamed up with this other guy. We worked really well together and started to make it a regular thing to do missions and stuff. He convinced me to get a headset and then we started talking and kept working together and have just become really good friends I guess…”

Keith trailed off and nervously looked between his two friends, unsure of what their reactions would be.

“Well, that’s not so bad.” Hunk said at the same time Pidge squealed.

“Oh my God! You have a crush!”

“What?!” Hunk and Keith stared at her.

“You so do! That’s why you were so out of it yesterday. You like this guy!”

Keith felt himself flush. “Well-that’s-I-I mean-Pidge-“ he cut himself off with a pitiful whimper and buried his face in his hands.

“Okay, everyone take some pizza and grab a seat. We are going to spend tonight learning more about Keith’s crush and then maybe watch a movie if we have time.”

Keith piled a couple of slices on his plate and trudged into the living room, letting himself fall onto the end of the couch. He picked up his first slice and grabbed a bite as his friends joined him.

“First of all…what’s his name?” Pidge asked.

“Shiro,” he said very reluctantly.

“And how much do you know about this ‘Shiro?’” Hunk asked, his defensiveness over his friend already rising.

“He lives in Florida and is in university like us. We’ve, um…we’ve skyped a few times actually so he definitely doesn’t look like a creeper,” Keith laughed awkwardly, trying to make it seem less weird.

“Wait, you’ve skyped?!” Pidge exclaimed. “Well, what does he look like?”

“Uh…he’s Japanese. He’s got black hair, but there’s this white streak that sticks out from the center of his forehead.” Keith soon forgot about his friends watching him intently, getting lost in his memories of Shiro. “He’s got dark grey eyes and this barely-there scar that goes across his nose and…what?” he asked, noticing how his friends were watching him with matching smiles.

“Yup, you definitely have a crush on him.” Pidge said, falling back into the couch and making herself comfortable. “So have you asked him out yet?” she asked around a mouthful of food.

“What? No! I can’t ask him out!”

Hunk stared at him. “Why not?”

“Because what if he doesn’t even like me? I don’t want to make things weird between us.”

Pidge hummed.

“Has he done anything that seemed a little out of character for him? Maybe something along the lines that indicated it was more personal?” Hunk asked.

“No? I don’t think so. I mean, last night instead of gaming we just watched this anime.” Keith looked up from his food and found his friends staring at him again. He was getting real tired of that, real fast. “What?” he asked, exasperated.

“That sounds like more than friends to me,” Hunk said. “That sounds like a date.”

“Whatever.” Keith felt his face heat up and was ready to stop talking about this. It was already giving him a headache and a torturous feeling of embarrassment. “Can we just drop it and watch a movie?”

“Sure, but try not to zone out and obsess over Shiro the whole time,” Pidge said, grabbing the remote.

Keith groaned and let his head fall back against the couch. He never should’ve told his friends any of this information. It was no doubt going to continue to come back and haunt him every day for the rest of his life. He just hoped that he wouldn’t be too distracted during the film. The least that he could do was try and pay attention to what was on the screen. This was supposed to be time with his friends after all and he hadn’t gotten a night in with them for a while.

He managed to grasp at least half the plot and what had happened by the time the end credits were rolling. As much as he wanted to forget about Shiro, his traitorous brain kept dredging up memories and events, and his fucking face to so helpfully remind him of his little problem.

“Okay, that’s it,” Pidge said, reaching for the remote and shutting off the T.V.

Keith looked at her. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

Pidge smiled at him to reassure him that it wasn’t anything bad. “It’s obvious that you’ve been having trouble paying attention, so I think it’s best if we just call it a night.”

Keith sat up to object.

“Yeah, I’m feeling pretty beat too,” Hunk broke in. “And I need to make sure that I’m up relatively early tomorrow to get some studying done.”

“Yeah, okay,” Keith said, standing up and shrugging on his jacket. “We should do this again soon.”

Pidge followed him over to the door. “Yeah, and maybe next time you can invite your boyfriend,” she said, pulling the door open.

Keith spluttered and whirled around to protest, but was met with a door in his face and the muffled sound of Pidge’s laughter.

“Jerk,” he muttered petulantly before heading towards the stairs. He felt a little bad that they were cutting their night short because of him and his inability to pay attention, but it was probably for the best. Keith had studying to do too and he’d have more time to catch up with them after mid-terms were over.

The sidewalks were still filled with a number of people on their way to socialize. They were dressed to go out for drinks or out to eat, taking advantage of the chance to enjoy themselves. Keith just wove through and past them, more than happy to leave them to do what they wished and make his way to his own home instead.

He walked straight through his apartment and landed heavily on his bed, facedown. All of the muscles in his back immediately relaxed at once and drew a long groan from his lips. He rolled onto his side and let his eyes slide shut. He wasn’t quite tired enough to fall asleep, but it felt good to take a moment to relax and not focus on anything or think about anything. Or try to not think about someone.

He gave himself a mental count to thirty. “Okay,” he said, pushing himself into a sitting position and shoving off his jacket. He kicked off his shoes and walked back to the kitchen where he left his books from earlier. Keith opened his laptop and pulled up Spotify to start his studying playlist. If there was any way that he was going to make it through a couple hours of intense and focused studying, then this was going to be it. He’d struggled the rest of the day, but this time he could do it.

He absentmindedly tapped his pencil along to the beat on the tabletop as he worked to commit the words and theories to memory. He felt motivated, like he could pull off mid-terms with ease. He wasn’t sure where his new confidence came from, but he was going to hold onto it for as long as it lasted.

Until a notification sounded that was obviously not from the music.

“Don’t look, Keith,” he said flipping to the next page of his notes and pulling his textbook closer to check the information made sense. “Don’t fucking look.”

Keith made it through another page of his notes, throwing in more details where he thought it was necessary, and pleased that he added them back in from memory instead of copying them from the book, when another notification sounded from his computer. He groaned and let his head fall forward onto his notebook.

“Fine. Fine, what is it?” he lifted his head a fraction and saw that he had two messages on Skype. And who else would they be from but Shiro.

Shiro: Lol, I thought that you were supposed to be hanging out with your friends tonight.

Shiro: Unless you are and just left your computer open and I’m messaging no one at the moment.

Keith fought to keep himself from replying right away. Shiro’s words were giving him an out. He didn’t have to respond. He could just leave it alone and go back to studying and no one would be the wiser.

“Fuck, I hate myself,” he said before sitting up and pulling his computer towards him.

Keith: We decided to call it a night early. I was just trying to get some studying done since I wasn’t very productive this afternoon.

Shiro: Ah, sorry. I didn’t mean to bother you while you’re working. I can leave you alone and let you get on with your studying since you’ve got tests coming up.

Keith: It’s alright, really. I don’t mind.

He didn’t mind. He really didn’t mind. And fuck it all if that didn’t worry him at least a little bit.

Keith: I’m sure that you’ve got stuff that you need to work on too.

It was a somewhat desperate attempt. And he hated that he was grasping for anything. For any something.

Shiro: I mean, yeah, I’ve got homework that I need to work on. Hey, did you want to study together?

Keith felt his heartrate pick up. This was bad. This was so very bad. He’d only end up getting distracted. He should tell him no. He should tell him that he really preferred to study alone and not with his friends and that he wouldn’t get much studying done because he would only want to hang out and talk or do something else. He placed his hands on his keyboard and willed himself to type out the words. Willed himself to tell Shiro that they couldn’t, because he was already terrified of the feelings blooming in his chest like the bright flowers that came after a cold, harsh winter.

Keith: Sure, I don’t mind. As long as we get some actual work done and you don’t coerce me into watching more anime or playing Voltron.

Seconds after Keith’s message was sent, the call came through. He took a steadying breath before accepting it and was met with Shiro’s grinning face.

“I promise that I won’t distract you. I’ll be good,” he said, laughing.

Keith swallowed. This was not good. This was not good at all. Shiro was wearing a tank top and his bangs were clipped up and out of his eyes. But a few strands had gotten loose and were framing his gorgeous face. He smiled, probably a little shakily, but worked to compose himself.

“You better be.” He was relieved when his voice at least sounded normal, because he was utterly, utterly fucked.

Chapter Text

Keith’s life had become a non-stop blur of work, studying, classes, and tests. He was vaguely aware that some eating and sleeping were happening in between all of those things, at least sometimes, but his thoughts were a whirlwind. It didn’t help that almost every night instead of gaming or watching anime, he’d be skyping with Shiro. The two of them would be quiet, the only sounds those of turning pages or pens scratching, but the thoughts flitting in Keith’s head were loud. Oh so loud.

He’d be sitting there, going over a calculation in his head, completely confident because he was thinking about physics and how much power and fuel was needed to get a 165,000 pound space shuttle off the ground and into space when Shiro’s muscular shoulders shifted underneath the tight navy blue shirt he was wearing. He had to bite back a groan on more than one occasion because letting it out would only draw concern from Shiro and that would lead to some awkward questions that he couldn’t fucking answer so he just had to bury his head back in his book and try and focus on his courses.

But did he stop skyping with Shiro? Did he tell the man that he needed some time for himself to make sure that he knew the material? No. Because he loved causing himself pain with his crush that had started getting wildly out of control. He’d had his own share of crushes in the past. They didn’t happen often and before college he never would’ve dreamed even acting on one of them because even showing interest in another guy would’ve been liable to get him punched. And he wouldn’t have just laid down and taken it if he had.

Keith was just grateful that his friends were as swamped with their own studying and work as he was. Pidge had still managed to send him a few texts that were teasing and made fun of him, but for the most part they were all on strict radio silence. Exams tended to have that effect on people. Except Shiro.

He just had to make it to the end of the week. His tests would be done and his grades would be released Friday and then he could kill his crush once and for all. He would have the chance to game with Shiro or do whatever and he would finally be able to see for himself that Shiro didn’t like him like that. It would hurt, but it would be necessary. And he could handle it. He’d been through worse.

Linda: I know that you’ve been working yourself into the ground over mid-terms this week so I’m giving you the night off. I don’t want any excuses and reassurances that you’re fine to work. You need a break and you’re working all day tomorrow, so go get some rest.

Keith huffed and stumbled through the door to his apartment. He was a little annoyed to have gotten the text because there was that little voice in the back of his head protesting that he could do it and that he would be fine, but if he was being honest… He was exhausted and worn out and he honestly needed a break.

He headed straight for his bedroom, kicking his shoes off along the way and dropping his jacket on the floor. He pulled out his laptop before collapsing onto his bed and rolling onto his side, letting his computer sit next to him on the bed. He wanted to do something to forget about his tests and his grades that would be released later, but even playing Voltron seemed like too much work.

He let his eyes slide shut and let out a breath, body relaxing against his mattress. A notification sounded on his computer and Keith groaned, turning to bury his head further into his comforter. Maybe if he was lucky he’d smother himself and wouldn’t have to worry about anything else. He could be put out of his misery for once instead of having to deal with everything that life decided to throw at him.

Keith huffed and peeked out from where he was trying to hide. He pulled up Skype and read over Shiro’s message.

Shiro: How did you do on your tests????

Keith sat up with a groan and settled back against the headboard of his bed, pulling his computer into his lap.

Keith: Grades haven’t been released yet so I’m still waiting. I’ll know later tonight.

Shiro: I’m sure you did great.

Keith: I’m just glad that it’s all over. I’m so tired. This week has drained me.

Shiro: Well now that you’re free from the joys of studying and test taking, want to play Voltron?

Keith: That sounds like it would take too much brain power.

Shiro: Lol. What about that anime we started watching last week? Want to finish that?

Keith paused before replying. He stared at Shiro’s words, wondering when the change had occurred that they would just do things together. There was no asking whether they wanted to hang out with each other, it was just assumed. And it didn’t bother him. But this was just something that friends did, right? It was true that he had to schedule his plans with Hunk and Pidge because of their busy schedules, but now that he thought about it, he and Shiro always had access to each other when they were on their computers.

And it didn’t bother him.

Keith: Sure…

Shiro: Okay, I’ll get it set up and send you the link in a minute.

Keith waited, staring at his computer screen, but not really seeing it. His mind was anything but silent. A storm cloud of thoughts raging in his brain at what he was beginning to realize. And what he didn’t want to accept. The fact that he liked Shiro. Liked him more than just a little bit. The appearance of Shiro’s next message in the skype window briefly pulled him from his thoughts and he opened it without thinking. Tried focusing on the image on his computer screen even as music spilled from his speakers.

As the episodes progressed, Keith slowly ended up on his side, staring at his computer screen. His head was resting on his pillow and the other was clutched tightly to his chest. He knew what was coming. He knew it. But that didn’t make the ending any easier to handle.

He did his best to stifle his sobs, trying to keep quiet even as tears poured down his cheeks when the credits rolled on the final episode. He wiped frantically at his cheeks. This was not how he imagined the end of his hell week going.

“Keith?” Shiro asked, his own voice uncharacteristically thick.

“I hate you so fucking much right now,” Keith mumbled.

“Are you…are you crying?”

“Yes, I’m fucking crying!! I don’t know how you could get through that and not cry!” Keith snapped, exasperated.

Shiro chuckled. “Just wanted to make sure I’m not the only one…”

“God I hate you.”

Shiro laughed again. “Hey, weren’t you supposed to get your grades back for finals?”

Keith sucked in a breath. “I really didn’t need that reminder.”

“Come on, I’m sure you did fine. And I want to know how you did.”

“Fine, fine.” He opened a new tab in his web browser and pulled up his student portal for his university. It took him a minute to navigate to the page and while it was loading he squeezed his eyes shut.

“Well?” Shiro asked expectantly.

Keith opened his eyes slowly, scrolling down the page to read over his updated grades. He relaxed the further down he got and felt relief wash over him.

“I passed. With flying colors, honestly.”

“See, I knew that you could do it! Great job, Keith.”

“Yeah, thanks.”

Silence fell between the two of them. Keith stared at his grades, the warmth that had bloomed in his chest from Shiro’s words not showing any signs of fading.

“Hey, Shiro…I’m going to call it a night. I’m exhausted and should get some sleep before I have to go into work tomorrow.”

“Oh. Yeah, yeah, don’t worry about it. I’ll talk to you later, then?”

“Yeah,” Keith answered, frowning. “Later.”

He closed out of everything that he had open and shut his computer. He sat back, thinking. Shiro had sounded almost disappointed by the fact that he had to hang up. He probably just didn’t want to be left alone since it wasn’t that late. And it was a Friday. Keith was sure that it had nothing to do with him. He reached for his phone and pulled up his list of contacts, scrolling down until he hit one of the people he knew he could talk to.

He held the phone up to his ear and waited as the ringing sounded in his ear.

“Hey, what’s up? Everything cool?” Pidge asked. It sounded like she was eating something.

“Yeah, yeah. I just need to talk to you about something. And Hunk if he’s around.”

“He’s not here right now, but I can relay the info when he gets back and get him caught up on the situation.”

Keith let out a breath. “Okay.”

“You didn’t bomb your mid-terms, did you? That’s not what this is about, right?” Pidge sounded worried.

“No. I just checked them. Passed with flying colors. That’s not the problem.”

“Is this about Shiro?”

Keith sighed, heavy and full of meaning. “Yeah…”

“Did something happen?”

“No.”

“So you didn’t tell him that you have a crush on him?”

Keith nearly choked. “No!”

“Relax, just checking. What’s the problem then?”

He sighed. “I just…I realized how much time that we actually spend together and talking to each other. Our friendship is just sort of assumed at this point and there’s not really a question that we won’t hang out or do something together.”

“Does that bother you?”

“No.”

“So what’s the problem?”

“I don’t know…I just…I feel like this is so much. So soon. And I like him, but isn’t that kind of weird? We only met online and have only been doing this for a couple of weeks. Isn’t that too soon?”

“Keith,” Pidge sighed, sounding both exasperated and fond, “You are pretty much shit at anything that comes to romantic feelings, aren’t you?”

“I…guess? Should I be insulted by that? I feel like I should be insulted by that.”

“You can be insulted by that statement all you want, but it’s true. So let me spell something out for you. Feelings aren’t this logical thing that you can dissect. You should know this, Keith, even though you are going into science. It’s not rational, these types of things just sort of happen. So if you’re comfortable with it all, it shouldn’t really be a problem.”

“I guess…” he said, reluctantly.

“Trust me, Keith. I know that you’re going to have doubts and you’re going to second guess every move that you end up making, but it doesn’t have to be that way. I know that it’s probably really scary. Not only are you putting yourself out there emotionally, but you’re also doing so with someone who you’ve started to largely consider a friend. But if you don’t ask him, you aren’t going to know where you stand.”

“But what if he doesn’t like me like that?”

“I’m going to be honest with you, Keith. There’s the chance that might happen. But that doesn’t mean you can’t still be friends. That doesn’t mean you still can’t do stuff together. If he doesn’t like you in a romantic way and insists on cutting off all ties because you have a crush, then he’s the asshole in this situation and doesn’t even deserve to have your affections if he reacts that badly to it.”

Keith smiled. “Thanks, Pidge.”

“I’m your friend. It’s what I do. But…you should tell him. You should put all of it out there, before you end up hurting yourself and him.”

“I’ll think about it.”

“You better,” Pidge warned. “The three of us should get together again soon and you can tell us how it goes. And maybe we can actually get through a couple of movies without you spacing out on us. Or force-feed you ice cream in case it does go badly.”

Keith chuckled, already feeling lighter. Maybe he could handle this whole situation. “Sounds like a plan.”

“You’re not going to curl up in a ball and cry your eyes out if I hang up now, are you? I think I just heard the front door open which means it’s time to spill all of your dirty secrets to Hunk.”

“You’re the worst.”

“Love you, too,” Pidge said before hanging up.

Keith locked his phone and let his hand fall to the bed. He stared across his bedroom, not really seeing what was in front of, allowing his mind to focus on the question and issue at hand. He thought about how the conversation would have to go and didn’t see any other outcome than it being so incredibly awkward. How was he going to tell Shiro how he feels?

He could just imagine the disgusted expression that would come over his features. He could already hear Shiro freak out on him.

“I trusted you!”

“I thought that we were friends!”

“You’re disgusting!”

Keith squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block out the thoughts and keep them away. He didn’t want to think about this. He didn’t want to think about it. It was bad enough with everything else that he was always forced to deal with, but now this was just one more thing. Shiro said that he could go to him with anything. He could talk to him about anything. How was he supposed to talk to him about this?

He curled into a ball on his side and gripped the long strands of his hair in his hands. It was only a moment before the tears were sliding down his cheeks. Unlike the last time that he’d cried, he was silent, body only shaking slightly with his agitated breathing. And God did he hate that Pidge knew him so well.

“I can’t-“ he gasped. “I can’t do this.”

He rolled onto his back and stared at the ceiling, tears still sliding down his cheeks. “I can’t tell him. It’s going to ruin everything.” Grasping onto the broken determination that was rising up inside of him, Keith sat up and got out of bed. He turned and looked at his computer where it was still sitting on his bed. He shivered.

That was the thing that had started all of this. That had been the outlet for his frustrations and brought him to Shiro. But now it was mocking him. Because it had the power. It could destroy everything for Keith. Could absolutely wreck him. And if he let go and told Shiro about his feelings and it all blew up in his face? He didn’t know how he was going to come back from it.

“No. I can’t tell him. I can’t.”

Keith hurried over to his dresser and grabbed a change of clothes. Hopefully a shower would help him push all of this aside. He was too keyed up to sleep and he couldn’t exactly get back on his computer because Shiro would know. And that would only end up confusing him and hurting him. Shiro was the last person who Keith wanted to see hurt.

So he turned to the bathroom. He turned on the spray and stripped out of his clothes quickly. He tried to force his mind to go blank, which he was not very good at because every other second, thoughts of Shiro kept coming back to him. He kept thinking about his kind smile and bright eyes. Kept thinking about how soft his hair looked and how it would feel to run his fingers through it.

Keith squeezed his eyes shut. And if his tears happened to be hidden by the water running down his face, then that was fine, too. He’d let it go. He’d let the feelings remain. If he had to hide and keep them to himself he could do it. If he lost sleep thinking about what could be and remind himself why it can’t be. Then he could do that, too. If it broke him inside every time that he saw Shiro smile at him and reminded him that he’d never be able to feel his lips against his own… Then he could handle it.

Because he wasn’t about to ruin one of the few good things that he had going in his life. If his feelings ruined him, instead? Then he could handle it. Because it would mean that he would be the one suffering and not Shiro. He’d suffered a lot in his life. So what was one more thing added to the list? He’d content himself with the smiles that Shiro would give him and his bright laughter that would crackle through the speakers, the connection making it no less genuine.

He could handle it. He just had to keep reminding himself of that fact.

Chapter Text

Keith groaned when his alarm went up. His head pounded with each note of the cheery tune and he fumbled to turn it off. How he managed to wake up with a headache was beyond him. He just hoped that a handful of aspirin would be enough to make the pain go away before work. Having a day long shift was the worst possible thing to deal with while suffering from a headache. Especially since it was a Saturday and there were bound to be a lot of idiot customers.

Reluctantly, he pulled himself out of bed and trudged from the bedroom, phone in hand. He had a few hours before he’d have to leave and he was going to do everything in his power to get this day turned around. Once he was in the bathroom, he sagged against the wall and pulled open the medicine cabinet, grabbing the bottle of pills that were bound to be his lifesaver for the day.

He pulled off the cap and poured two into his palm, popping them in his mouth and swallowing them dry before replacing the bottle in the cabinet.

Keith shuffled down the hall and made himself home in the kitchen, turning on the coffee machine and digging through the cabinets to find something to eat. Even after a full night’s sleep he still felt exhausted and he wasn’t sure if that was because he was coming off a week of studying and exams or because his brain was fixated on his little problem that he was intent on not letting be a problem.

He stared into his cabinets, not really seeing what was there. He knew he needed to make breakfast and he was hungry, but the thought of having to pour a bowl of cereal was even too much. Nonetheless, he pulled down the box of cereal from the cabinet and grabbed a bowl, shaking out enough cereal to fill most of it. He left the open box on the counter and pulled a spoon from his silverware drawer, leaning heavily against the counter as he began to eat.

The aspirin was helping a little bit. The pounding wasn’t quite so rough, but the effect wasn’t what he’d been hoping for. He was just glad that he didn’t have to interact directly with customers. He imagined that couldn’t be easy at all if the servers were feeling even a little bit off or unwell.

Keith finished up his breakfast and poured his coffee into one of the clean mugs that he had. He knew that he was going to regret leaving the dishes for that night, but he really couldn’t bring himself to even consider dealing with them. And when he got back he’d probably just put them off until the next morning anyway so it wouldn’t really matter one way or the other.

Two cups of coffee later, Keith was back in his room, digging around to find his clean black pants and shirt for the restaurant. He changed clothes quickly, giving his teeth a quick brush before he was grabbing his wallet and keys and throwing on a jacket for the walk over to the restaurant. He slipped on his gloves and even managed to dig out a scarf to keep the cold at bay.

He rubbed at his forehead as he walked through the front door to his building, the rush of cold air taking his breath away and sending a sharp stab of pain through his skull. He grit his teeth and forced himself to keep walking. He’d gotten the night off the day before. Linda was trusting him to come into work and take the double shift. He was the one who needed it. He couldn’t afford to miss work and he couldn’t put Linda in that position to find someone else to come in. it was going to suck, he knew that, but he’d just have to deal with it. Everyone had bad days.

Even though he wasn’t looking forward to the busy day ahead of him, Keith was grateful that he was going to be at the restaurant when it opened. It was always so comfortable in the morning. And one of the perks of working at the bar was that he didn’t have much prep work to do other than take down any supplies that they had and which bottles had been opened.

“Doors opening in ten minutes,” Linda said, walking through the dining room to assess that everything was in order. “Servers be ready. The dining room looks good, thank you!” She stopped in front of the bar and flashed a smile at Keith. “Feeling rested, I hope.”

“Sort of,” Keith said with a grimace. “I woke up this morning with a very bad headache, but I’m here and I’m going to be fine.”

She searched his face. “Okay. I’m not going to force you to leave, but if it gets worse I want you to tell me, okay? Working while unwell is one of the worst things to do and I don’t want you to feel like you have to put yourself through that.”

Keith nodded. “I will, Linda. But don’t worry, I’ll be fine.”

She nodded once before turning on her heel and heading back towards her office and the kitchen, no doubt to run last minute checks in there to make sure that everybody was ready for the incoming customers.

For most of the morning, he was able to sit back and watch as the customers came in. Occasionally, Keith would look through their supplies and glasses to make sure that everything was in good order, but none of the early diners were ordering drinks. Not that he was bothered by it. The pounding in his head only continued which made the dim restaurant lights seem brighter than they were and the soft music even louder.

He found that he could hardly even handle the soft murmurs of conversation that were coming from the customers.

“Keith, I know that you’re tired, but I really need you to be a little quicker on these drink orders, okay?” Linda asked.

Keith smiled, or tried to smile. He was sure that it was more than a little strained since the worry shining in Linda’s eyes didn’t dim at all.

“I’m sorry, Linda. I’ll get these done faster. I know that it’s not an excuse, but I’m just having an off day.”

She nodded and walked away, leaving him to his work. Somehow, he managed to turn over the drink orders faster, but amidst his pounding head and the scowl that he was surely wearing on his face, there were thoughts of Shiro.

He’d just realized his feelings for him and now they wouldn’t leave him alone. He’d told himself that he could deal with it, but he was starting to think that he wouldn’t actually be able to deal with it. He had to keep his mouth shut, because he was honestly afraid that he might snap at someone who wasn’t doing anything wrong and that would just make things worse.

It was one of the reason he was so relieved to have George coming in for the evening shift with him. Because if it was anyone else who he’d have to deal with, he wouldn’t have been able to do it. He knew that he wouldn’t have made it.

“Afternoon Keith!” George grinned brightly when he slipped behind the counter and began to wash his hands at the sink.

“Ugh, please leave your cheeriness outside. You’re far too happy,” Keith grumbled, setting his newly finished drink at the edge of the bar for pickup.

George grabbed the towel and dried his hands while scrutinizing Keith. “You okay? You look like you’ve had a rough day.”

“I just haven’t had a good day. I’ve had a headache since this morning and nothing has helped.”

“Did you ask Linda about maybe leaving early? I’m sure that I could handle this alone or we could find someone to come in,” he continued, starting in on the next drink order.

Keith shook his head. “As much as I’d like to, I can’t. Linda already gave me last night off because of mid-terms and I really need the money. It’s just a headache, I’m not dying or anything.”

George nodded. “Okay, but if you need an extra break or something, I can cover for you or if there’s anything else…”

“I’m fine alright? And I’ll let you know. I just don’t feel like trying to have a conversation. I don’t have that much mental energy and hearing the conversations from the rest of the dining room is already bad enough.”

“Yeah, sure thing man,” he murmured, focusing in on the drink that he was making.

As crazy and unlikely as it was, George’s agreement to keep quiet managed to dull the throbbing in his head just a little even as his thoughts got pulled back to Shiro.

Keith nearly collapsed with relief by the time the restaurant was closed for the night.

Him and George moved through their close-down procedures quickly, not wanting to take any longer than necessary. It had been a long day even if Keith hadn’t had a headache and been plagued by thoughts of his friend. They were both more than happy to get out of there for the night and Keith wouldn’t have to work until the following evening which would give him time to relax and feel better.

Linda walked up beside him as he was clocking out and shoved a plastic bag in his hands. “The kitchen staff wanted you to take home something to eat. They heard that you weren’t feeling the best today and thought they could help make your night a little easier.”

Keith looked inside the bag, utterly bewildered at the amount of containers that he found inside. It was far more than he was used to getting whenever they chose to give him dinner. “But-“

“No buts,” Linda argued, steering him towards the back door. “Just get home, eat, and go to bed. You look like you could use the rest and I want you to be in better shape before your next shift.”

“Yeah, thanks,” he replied absentmindedly, still staring into the bag while he walked through the back and shoved the back door open.

He walked home in a daze, not even noticing the biting chill that had wrapped around him as soon as he left the warmth of the building. He was so focused on wondering how the people that he worked with could be so nice that he almost forgot about his headache and the reason why his mood had been sour. But there was nothing stopping the thoughts from racing back once he stepped into the silence of his apartment. The silence was so loud and he brought up a hand to rub at his forehead as he moved into the kitchen.

Keith pulled off his gloves and tossed them onto the couch with his jacket as he passed by on his way to the bedroom. His laptop was where he’d left it the night before and he tucked it under his arm as he headed back to the kitchen to look through the food he’d been given and find something to eat.

He set his laptop on the table next to the bag and opened it absentmindedly before pulling the bag towards him. He pulled out the first container and found a generous portion of fettuccini alfredo. The sight of it made his mouth water and he grabbed a fork to take a bite before turning to the other containers.

They’d given him mashed potatoes, spaghetti Bolognese, some extra bread rolls, a huge slice of chocolate cake, and they even threw in a piece of cheesecake. Keith kept out a couple of the rolls and the cheesecake to eat after he finished the alfredo. The rest got shoved into his mostly empty fridge for later.

He finally let himself sit down at the table and was feeling so much better when a notification from his computer had him nearly jumping out of his chair in surprise. Without thinking, he hit the skype box that had popped up in the corner of his computer screen and was met with Shiro’s grinning face. He nearly choked on the food that he was eating.

Shiro frowned. “You okay, Keith?”

Keith stared at him and nearly winced when all of the thoughts and feelings that he’d been feeling all day came rushing back. He opened his mouth to speak, knowing that he needed to respond to Shiro. He had to say something. He’d told himself that he could handle just being friends, but it had only been one day and he was already so tired.

“Keith?” Shiro asked again. “Are you alright?”

Keith swallowed. “I…I uh…”

He stared down at the food in front of him. He thought about the kind workers at the restaurant who were always looking out for him and wanted to make sure that he had something hot to eat. He thought about Linda and how even though she’d chastised him at work, she’d done it with kindness to keep him from feeling worse.

“Keith?”

“I’m sorry!” he blurted. He rubbed the palms of his hands against his eyes, hoping this would be over as painlessly as possible. “I’m so sorry, Shiro. I told myself that I could do it. I told myself that I’d be able to handle it because I really enjoyed having you as a friend, but I can’t do it. I can’t.”

“What is it? What’s wrong? What can’t you do? Keith?” Shiro asked, voice frantic.

“I like you okay?” he admitted quietly. “I like spending time with you and hanging out and being stupid. I think you’re funny and amazing and I was prepared to take my feelings to my grave because I didn’t want to lose you as a friend. I didn’t want to scare you off or make you hate me, but I just can’t. I can’t keep this to myself. So if you don’t ever want to see me again…I understand.”

Silence fell between them. Keith wasn’t sure if he wanted Shiro to say something or if he wanted to let the silence stretch on forever. At least this way, he could pretend that he hadn’t just ruined everything and that they were still friends and it was going to be okay. But he was anxious because he didn’t know how he was going to react. He had no idea what Shiro was feeling. Didn’t know if he was disgusted or anything and couldn’t bring himself to look up from where his gaze was trained on his hands in his lap.

“Keith?” Shiro asked.

Keith bit his lip and fought the urge to screw his eyes shut.

“Keith, look at me.”

He let out a whoosh of air, but felt like the weight of the world was keeping him from lifting his head.

“Keith, look at me. Please.”

It was the please that did it. The hint of desperation in his voice that got Keith to lift his head and look at the screen. Shiro was watching him, eyes flitting around his face. He must’ve found whatever it was that he was looking for because he smiled, softly, a light flush coming to dust his cheeks, even visible through the darker lighting and poorer video quality.

“I’d never be so terrible of a person as to stop being friends with you just because you liked me. But…” Keith fisted his hands in his lap as he waited for the next part of Shiro’s statement. It held so much. Held answers and questions that he didn’t know yet. Waiting for what was coming caused Keith’s heartrate to skyrocket. He would’ve thought that the whole world could hear it as he waited to see if his world was about to be turned upside down or if it would stay the same.

“But,” Shiro repeated, “I like you too.”

Keith felt his world tilt. He thought that he was about to end up on the floor, but he was still upright in his chair even as Shiro continued to talk to him.

“I’ve enjoyed spending time with you. Whether we were gaming or watching movies or just hanging out over skype while we did our homework. It was nice having someone else here with me. I never realized how quickly someone could wedge themselves into my life, but you did. I can’t imagine going back to the days without you even though they stopped mere weeks ago.

“You always seemed so independent. I thought, here’s a guy who’s doing everything himself. Someone who’s working his way through college and is going to have big life plans ahead of him. Someone who’s going to be so successful and have people running after him. I didn’t care if I only got to be with you over skype or by playing video games. Because you were there and being with you was as easy as breathing.

“So this is my way of saying that I like you, too.”

Keith felt lightheaded by Shiro’s admission. And it wasn’t until he realized he’d stopped breathing that he figured out why. He sucked in a breath and sagged back in his chair. Shiro was smiling at him. He was there, but he was also hundreds of miles away.

“So…what happens now?” Keith asked. “I’m not really familiar with how this whole thing works. Are we dating now? Is that what we’re doing?”

“I guess?” Shiro said, chuckling. “To be honest, I’m pretty much as lost as you are. We could watch a movie? I guess that would count as a date. I don’t know what you were doing when I called besides eating.”

“Yeah just eating dinner. I had a really rough day and the cooks sent me home with a ton of food.”

“So dinner and a movie then?”

“Only as long as you don’t pick something sad like that anime you made me watch.”

“I’m tempted to do, just that.”

“Don’t make me dump you, Shiro.”

Shiro’s laugh rang through the speakers as clear as a blue sky after a summer storm. Keith smiled to himself and picked up his fork to go back to eating. For once he was glad that he couldn’t handle the pressure of something. Because this was so much better.

Chapter Text

Keith blinked his eyes open and smiled. He felt more rested than he had in weeks with work and exams and stress. He rolled onto his back and stretched his arms over his head before reaching for his phone. Memories of the night before came back to him: eating dinner and watching a movie with Shiro. Joking and making comments about what they were watching. It was such a huge relief after he’d been stressing all day and worrying about his future or what was coming in his life. Worried that he was about to lose of his friends.

He was surprised to find that he had a few texts waiting for him on his phone. He didn’t have to work until the evening which meant he got to sleep in, but it wasn’t so late that his friends would’ve been up too long ahead of him. Usually he was the first one up in the morning so that he could work on his homework before his shift. The first messages were from the chat that he had with Hunk and Pidge.

Pidge: Yo losers, we need to have another movie night.

Hunk: I agree with this! Pizza and movies all the way.

Pidge: We’re in, what about you Keith?

Pidge: Keiiiiithhhhh

Pidge: Answer us!!!

Hunk: Come on, Keith! Wake uppppp

Keith rolled his eyes.

Keith: Yes we do need another movie night. Next weekend is pretty full with work, but I think I’m off on Wednesday if you guys are cool with getting together in the middle of the week.

He switched over to the other message that was waiting for him and smiled.

Shiro: Morrrrrrrning! :D Hope you slept well!

Keith: Morning Shiro. I feel more rested than I have in weeks. And I don’t have to work until tonight so my morning is blessedly free.

Feeling more motivated then he had in a while, Keith threw his blankets to the side and practically jumped out of bed to get to the kitchen for some breakfast. His computer was still there from the night before, but he’d managed to throw away the to-go containers that his dinner had been packed in.

While he pulled the box of cereal from the cabinet and a bowl his phone vibrated three times in quick succession on the counter. He picked it up and grinned.

Pidge: PARTY ON WEDNESDAY

Hunk: Yesssss

Shiro: Free enough to do some gaming?

He sent back an equally excited message to Hunk and Pidge because he was ready to spend some quality time with them where he wasn’t distracted by a certain someone and then sent a confirmation to Shiro. He finished making his breakfast and sat down at the table in front of his computer. There was no reason why he couldn’t multi-task and get in one run with Shiro before he would have to resign himself to doing more homework and then go in to work his shift.

~~

Things finally seemed to be working out in his life now that mid-terms were over and most of his stress for the moment had disappeared. He couldn’t even find it in himself to get angry over shitty customers at the restaurant. Because they didn’t matter. His classes had calmed down and he wouldn’t have to worry about grades again until it was time for finals. And those were still almost two months away.

And he had Shiro. Ever since Keith came out and admitted his feelings to him, things had gotten even better than they had been when they were still just friends. They got to text each other and talked to each other even more often than they had before. Sometimes, Shiro even managed to distract him so much that his thoughts would wander during class or he would find himself smiling for no reason.

It was no surprise that his friends began to notice his change in behavior and were quick to ask him about it when their movie night rolled around.

He pressed the buzzer for Hunk and Pidge’s apartment and waited, rubbing his hands together to generate a little warmth since he left his gloves at home.

“Hello?” Hunk asked, voice becoming distorted through the speaker.

“It’s Keith. Let me up.”

Hunk didn’t even respond, but the sound of the beep had Keith pulling the door open and stepping into the warmth of the building. He sighed and felt himself relax after tensing up in the cold. He headed for the stairs and pulled out his phone as he started to make the walk up, smiling when he saw the message that was waiting for him on the screen.

Shiro: Enjoy your night off! Don’t go too crazy. You’ve got classes tomorrow, you know.

Keith: Yeah, yeah. I’m having a movie night with Hunk and Pidge so don’t expect any texts from me.

Shiro: You’re getting rid of me so quickly??? I’m hurt. :(

Keith: You’ll get me all to yourself later. It’s time for me to spend some much needed quality time with my friends.

Shiro: Have fun!

Keith shook his head and slipped his phone back into his pocket as he hit the floor for Hunk and Pidge’s place. When he looked up, he found Hunk standing in the doorway to their apartment with his arms crossed and an eyebrow raised.

“What?” Keith asked.

“Nothing,” he said, shaking his head. He smiled and stepped to the side, holding the door open for Keith.

“Okay…” Keith said, walking past him.

He toed off his shoes as Hunk shut the door behind him.

“Pidge! He’s here!” Hunk called.

Keith heard the sound of bare feet slapping the floor and watched as she swerved around the corner from the kitchen, finger raised in accusation.

“YOU!” she said.

“Okay…me?” he asked.

“You have some explaining to do and you are not allowed to leave this apartment until you give the two of us some much needed answers.”

“About what?”

“About why you’ve been acting so weird since the weekend.”

Keith looked between his two friends. “I haven’t been acting weird. Why do you think I’ve been acting weird?”

“You’ve been acting weird,” Hunk confirmed.

“Okay, I’ll bite. How have I been acting weird?”

“He doesn’t even know,” Pidge said, turning to look at Hunk.

“If this conversation is going to be this difficult, I’m going to need some pizza while we talk this out,” Hunk said, stepping around Pidge to head back to the kitchen.

“Let’s go, mister,” Pidge said, following Hunk.

Keith shook his head and walked after them. They had a few pizza boxes sitting on the counter and bottles of pop. He was glad that they hadn’t stocked up on the beer or alcohol because if this was going to be a long and tiring conversation, he would’ve ended up drinking too much and the next day of classes and work would not have been fun in the slightest and that was not what he needed at the moment.

He poured himself a cup of soda and sat down at the table. Hunk was nice enough to give him a plate of food while Pidge sat across from him, scrutinizing him carefully. Keith tried not to shift under her gaze. They’d been friends a long time, but there were still moments like this when she was able to make him uncomfortable like she could see right into his soul.

“So…” she began and Keith leaned back in his chair, taking of sip of his drink. “You obviously have not realized that it was happening, but you were acting weird. From what I could see. And Hunk’s observations have offered further proof to back up my suspicions.”

“And that would be…?” Keith prompted.

“I don’t have a definite conclusion yet, but you’ve been spending a great deal of time on your phone texting. Normally, I wouldn’t think anything of it. Everyone’s entitled to have other friends. We certainly don’t get all of your time because it’s your time. But, Hunk has said that you’ll be texting up until class starts and even check your phone during lectures which is something that you’ve never been known to do.”

“You’ve also seemed kind of out of it,” Hunk broke in. “Normally you’re so focused on classes that it’s weird for you to not be paying attention. There were also times when it seemed like you were staring off into space and daydreaming. I’m not saying that’s an entirely bad thing, but you’ve always been so focused on classes and making sure that your grades were solid. We just want to make sure that everything’s okay and you’re not involved in something bad. I’d hate for something to happen to you during your last year of college when you’ve worked so hard to get here.”

Keith looked between his two friends and smiled. “I appreciate everything that you’re saying and your concerns. It’s nice to know that you guys are looking out for me, but I think you have a bit of a misunderstanding of what the situation is. It’s not bad.”

“So you’re not involved in some drug-running mafia that’s gotten you into their claws and are forcing you to cash in on a debt because they helped with college expenses all of these years and not it’s your turn to lead a new group of people to take on Chicago?” Hunk rattled off.

“No…how did you even come up with that conclusion?” Keith asked.

“It just seemed like the most logical at the time,” Hunk said.

“Well it’s definitely not that.”

“Okay. Then what is it?” Pidge asked, curiosity evident in her voice.

Keith felt himself flush and looked away. “Um…well…truth is, I’m not really sure how to put this into words and tell you.”

“You know that you can tell us anything, Keith,” Hunk said.

“I know…” He took a deep breath. “Okay. I’ll just come out and say it as best I can. You guys remember when I told you about Shiro right?”

Pidge stood abruptly, shoving her chair back. “Something happened between the two of you?!” she exclaimed.

“Well, yeah…essentially…”

“Did you finally tell him how you feel?” she asked. “Or did he confess to you? What happened?!”

“I sort of told him how I feel. It all sort of just tumbled out after work on Saturday. I’d had a bad day and I just couldn’t find it in myself to keep it in anymore and it all came out…” he said, trailing off.

“This is fantastic!” Pidge said.

“Congrats!” Hunk said.

“You don’t even know the rest of it!” Keith said, laughing. It was just like them to latch onto one part of the story and get all excited without knowing what else happened.

“Well hurry up and tell us before I start getting my own ideas about what happened!” Pidge explained and Keith knew that was the worst possible idea because she would come up with the most extreme scenarios that were highly unlikely but somehow made sense to her.

“Okay, okay, before you start overthinking things. So I told Shiro everything about how I feel and he said that he felt the same. And-“

“So you’re dating now, right?” Pidge asked eagerly.

“Well, yeah, basically. I mean-“

“This is fantastic!” she interrupted. “So that means you’ve been texting each other all week? That’s so cute!”

Keith flushed and looked away. “Yeah, well...”

“I’m happy for you, man,” Hunk said with a grin.

“Thanks, Hunk. I’m happy, too.”

“Does he send you cute space memes?” Pidge asked.

“Pidge…what?” Keith asked.

“Like what do you talk about? You like space and I’m sure that he knows that so does he send you space memes? Do you nerd out about Star Trek and Star Wars together?”

Keith shrugged. “We just talk. About everything and nothing. Random stuff, I guess.”

Pidge deflated. “Ugh that’s so…normal.”

“Yeah, well…wait, what were you expecting it to be?” he asked.

“I don’t know. Maybe for this super suave guy to sweep you off your feet and spin you around and whisper sweet nothings into your ear,” she said, waving her hand.

“I can assure you that it’s definitely not that. Do I even seem like the type of guy who would be in a relationship like that? Never mind, you know I don’t think I want to know the answer to that question. Is that everything that you wanted to ask about? Or is there more? Because I’d really like to sit down and watch a movie and eat some pizza instead of getting grilled about my new relationship.”

“She’s done,” Hunk broke in. Pidge shot him a look and he shrugged. “I really want to watch this movie. We can talk more about Keith’s boyfriend later.”

“Okay,” she sighed. “I’m done. For now.”

Keith rolled his eyes before collecting his plate and his drink so that he could move over to the couch. Pidge and Hunk joined him a moment later with their own food and settled down next to him. Hunk flicked the T.V. on and got their movie started quickly. Keith settled back into the couch and propped his feet up on the coffee table as he watched.

One of the best things about being friends with Hunk and Pidge and sharing their movie nights together was that they weren’t afraid to poke fun or make jokes about bad acting or horrible writing. They could sit around and laugh during something that was serious or critique a joke that was supposed to be funny but really wasn’t when you thought about it.

“I can’t believe this guy,” Pidge mumbled from where she was curled up against the arm of the couch. “He goes through all that trouble to make up this elaborate scheme only to find out that he was the one being tricked. I don’t know how anyone could be that ridiculous.”

“I get the whole falling for someone else’s plan,” Hunk broke in thoughtfully. “But what he was trying to do was way too complicated. It was never going to work because someone would’ve noticed what he was up to or would become suspicious by his actions. There was just no way that could’ve been realistic as badass as they filmed it.”

“They just wanted to use as many explosions as possible. But half of those don’t even make sense because the chemicals that would’ve been available wouldn’t have mixed to create that kind of explosion,” Keith huffed. “They need to take a look at the science aspect of things. Explosions aren’t going to make something a box office hit. It’s only going to cost them more money.”

Hunk held out his hand and Keith gave him a high-five.

“How old is this guy anyway? Like 60?” Pidge continued. “Should he even be able to take that much of a beating?”

“It helps that he’s not actually getting hit. And the person who is taking the hits is the 20-year-old stunt double,” Keith murmured.

He stifled a yawn. It was getting late and the many, many pizza slices that he’d eaten were making themselves known by trying to get him to go to sleep. Carb comas were always fun.

Pidge mirrored his yawn and leaned over Hunk to swat at him, still keeping her eyes on the screen where the main character was sitting on the floor in handcuffs while the mastermind explained the whole plan to him.

“Don’t yawn,” she said. “You’re making me yawn and this movie isn’t over yet. We can’t be tired, it’s only ten.”

“It’s also a Wednesday,” Keith argued. “And we have classes tomorrow. And we ate a shit-ton of pizza.”

“You’re right, it’s definitely the pizza,” she agreed. “But still. Don’t make me yawn.”

“We only have a little longer until this movie’s over,” Hunk added. “We can make it until the end and then it’s time for bed.”

Murmurs of agreement came from both Pidge and Keith as they sunk further into the couch. Keith’s eyes wanted to close, but he forced them to stay open. He was to the point where he didn’t even really know what was happening on screen anymore, but he didn’t really care. He just knew that he didn’t want to fall asleep on their couch because they’d be too nice to wake him back up and he didn’t need to be in a rush the next morning.

The last few minutes dragged by and Keith thought that he really was going to end up falling asleep, but he managed to make it. He nearly cheered when the credits started to roll. It meant that he was only a short walk away from being back at his apartment and falling into his bed for some much needed mid-week rest. He sat up and stretched his arms over his head, looking over at where Hunk and Pidge were. Hunk was rubbing his eyes and Pidge was very much asleep. Her head was resting against the armrest, forcing her glasses to become skewed and pressed against her face.

He shared a look with Hunk who just smiled and shook his head fondly.

“You go ahead and get home,” he said. “I’ll get Pidge into her room so she can sleep in bed.”

“Thanks, Hunk,” he said, standing carefully. “Tonight was fun. I needed it.”

“Totally. We all did. I can’t wait until we can all get together again. But that might not be until Thanksgiving if we’re all being honest,” he said, standing with Pidge cradled against his chest.

Keith chuckled softly. “Probably. But this next month until break rolls around is going to be busy. And then it’s only a few more classes until finals.”

Hunk groaned. “That’s not something that we need to be thinking about yet, Keith.”

“I know, I know. Sorry. But yeah, we should try and have another night together before Thanksgiving.”

He nodded. “I’ll let Pidge know tomorrow after she wakes up and gets moving. You go on home and get some sleep. We all need it, but you definitely do with how hard you’ve been working.”

Keith waved at Hunk as he walked down the hall. He slipped his shoes on and gave one last look at the apartment, smiling softly, before stepping out into the hallway and heading for the stairs.

Chapter Text

Keith sat down heavily at his kitchen table and tried to stifle a yawn. It was a Friday, but he’d just gotten off work and needed to get some homework down since his weekend was going to be packed with shifts at the restaurant and he had to take advantage of every bit of free time that he had. He opened his laptop and couldn’t help the smile that pulled at his lips as soon as a skype call came through. He answered it quickly and sat back with his cheek propped against his fist.

“Hi Shiro.”

Shiro grinned at him and waved like the dork he was. “Hey Keith. How was work?”

He shrugged. “Work was work. Not the worst it’s ever been for a Friday night, but I have a busy workload this weekend so I need to get some homework done tonight.”

Shiro made a face and leaned back in his chair, bringing a spoonful of ice cream to his mouth. “Homework on a Friday. Sounds gross.”

Keith sighed and reached for his backpack. “I didn’t say it wasn’t gross, but it’s something that I unfortunately have to do if I’m still going to graduate at the end of the year.”

He laid out several books on the table, pushing his laptop a little further away to make room before flipping his notebook open to a clean page. He started in on the physics problems that he’d been assigned for the weekend, enjoying the silence that was between them.

“Hey, Halloween’s next weekend, right?” Shiro asked, breaking the silence between them.

Keith furrowed his brow. “I think so. Why?”

“You doing anything fun?”

Keith shrugged. “Probably working. Unless Linda decides to give me the night off to enjoy my youth or something, but I really need the money so it’s not a big deal. What about you? Any fun parties that you’re going to?”

He squinted at his math. Something looked wrong, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

“There are always some pretty big parties on campus and some of the fraternities put haunted houses together. I’ll pass on those, but Lance and Allura might do something with me. I think last year we ordered pizza and just hung out and watched scary movies.”

Keith snapped his fingers and scrubbed at his work with his eraser to fix the mistake that he’d made.

“That sounds like fun. That’s what Hunk and Pidge will probably do anyway. When they’re in between rounds of having to pass out candy to kids who knock on their door.”

Shrio sighed wistfully. “I miss the days of trick-or-treating. Being a kid was so easy.”

Keith shrugged. “I guess. I kind of just see it as having had different worries as a kid and now that I can look back at everything I did it just seemed easier compared to everything that I have to worry about now.”

His vision blurred slightly and he rubbed at his eyes, trying to clear the exhaustion that was threatening to pull him under.

“You okay? You look tired,” Shiro asked.

“I am, but it’s nothing that I haven’t had to deal with before. I’ll be okay and it’s the weekend, but I really need to get some more work done.”

“You won’t be able to do much if you’re that tired. The numbers and problems are just going to be swimming in front of your eyes and won’t make any sense as much as you try to make it happen. You should really get some rest and work on it tomorrow after you’ve had some sleep.”

“I know…but I only have a few problems left for this and I don’t want to leave anything without finishing it…as much as I’d like to listen to you and just go to bed, I can’t. Not with work ahead of me. If I had some coffee I’d be okay, but having a caffeine addiction can get expensive after a while.”

Keith looked down at his paper and blinked to try and make the numbers and words focus.

“I know that you want to get it done, but it’s important to take care of yourself too. Odds are, it’ll take you twice as long to get through the problems now then it would when you’re well rested. So in reality, you’ll be able to sleep more if you go to bed now and can get through your work quicker in the morning.”

Keith smiled ruefully and looked at Shiro where he was perched in his chair.

“I bet the real reason you want me to go to bed is so that you can sleep. You’re just trying to use my own exhaustion against me so that you don’t have to admit how tired you are.”

Shiro chuckled. “That’s not it at all. I just don’t want you to run yourself into the ground if you can help it. I’d rather not lose the one guy who’s reciprocated my feelings in my lifetime.”

“Okay…okay. I’ll go to bed if it’ll make you feel better. At least you’re not here in person. Then you probably would’ve physically dragged me to my room and made things worse.”

Something seemed to flash in Shiro’s eyes at his words. Keith wasn’t sure if it was hope or something else, but he didn’t feel like dwelling on it too long.

“Maybe one day I can be there and pull your ass to bed so that you actually get the kind of sleep that you need.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Keith mumbled. “I’ll talk to you later, Shiro. And if you’re up in the morning you can stare at me while I work on my homework again. I know how much you love doing that.”

Shiro shrugged. “There’s no way I couldn’t look at you, baby.”

Keith stared at him even as blood rushed to his face at the words. “Shiro! You can’t just say that!”

Shiro bit his lip as his eyelids drooped. “Why not? I like it. I think I’ll use that more often.”

“You better not!” Keith protested. If anything he liked the endearment a little too much. “I’m hanging up now. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Bye, baby,” Shiro said just before he ended the call.

Keith groaned and let his head fall to the table. And immediately lifted it back up if he wanted to make it anywhere near his bed without falling asleep. He sighed and shut his computer before grabbing his phone and heading to the bedroom. He really didn’t need Shiro doing anything else to embarrass him like that.

He never thought that he’d be one for pet names, but it’s not surprising that Shiro would be able to pull so many different reactions from him.

~~~

Keith blinked his eyes open and panicked that he wasn’t waking up to an alarm. He reached for his phone to check the time and saw that it was a few minutes before his phone was set to even go off. He stared at it before sitting back, a little stunned. He couldn’t even remember the last time that he’d been able to wake up on his own, let alone before his phone even went off.

Shaking his head, he threw off the covers and climbed out of bed. He padded out to the kitchen, stretching his arms over his head and poured himself a glass of water before sitting down at the table in front of the books that he’d left out the night before. He let his computer boot up while he finished up the last couple of problems that he hadn’t managed to finish, feeling relieved when he could finally set the book aside until he needed it for his next class.

He grabbed one of his other books and put on a playlist of soft, classical music before he began to read, finding the material less stifling and boring than he would have on any other day.

Keith made it through a couple of pages before his phone vibrated on the table. He checked the time and saw that he still had a few hours before he needed to get ready for work so it wasn’t Linda asking him where he was. He checked his phone and couldn’t stop the smile that tugged at his lips from seeing a message from Shiro.

Shiro: Gooooood morning!!!!

Keith: Morning, Shiro

Shiro: You’re well-rested, I hope?

Keith: Very. I even managed to wake up before my alarm went off and getting through my homework is so much easier than it would’ve been last night.

Shiro: See? I told you that it would be! You should listen to me more often. It might do you some good.

Keith rolled his eyes.

Keith: If I listened to you, I probably would’ve failed out of college by now for sleeping instead of doing work.

Shiro: Hey!

Keith: Or I would’ve lost my apartment because you would’ve convinced me to quit my job so that I could focus on my studies, but then I wouldn’t have any money to buy groceries or pay rent.

Shiro: There’s no need to be so mean! : (

Keith chuckled.

Keith: I’m kidding, I’m kidding. But you probably would’ve caused my grades to slip at least since you want me to sleep instead of doing my work.

Shiro: Not instead of doing your work, just sleeping before you do your work so that you can actually focus.

Keith: Uh huh, sure. But if there’s nothing else you need, I need to get back to my reading since I have to work later.

Shiro: Skype?

Keith: Sure.

Keith set his phone to the side and went back to his reading, reaching blindly for his computer when it started making noise at him. He finally tore his eyes away from the words and accepted the call, not even sparing a glance at Shiro’s face before he was finishing the sentence that he’d paused in the middle of.

“What? Not even a hello?” Shiro asked.

Keith knew he was smiling and continued to read. “Nope. I told you that I had to do homework. You can’t just say you aren’t a bad influence and then get mad at me for prioritizing my homework, Shiro.”

“Aw, baby…” he whined.

Keith felt himself flush and cleared his throat, hoping that it wasn’t too obvious how much the nickname got to him.

“I can easily hang up if you’d rather have that,” he threatened instead.

“No, I don’t like that idea.”

“I didn’t think you would. Now do some of your own work while I get this reading done. I have to go to work tonight and I don’t want to end up stressing out if I get behind on this because of you.”

Shiro sighed. “Okay, okay. You made a fair point. I’ll stop bugging you.”

“Thank you,” Keith said.

He heard some papers rustling through the speakers and finally let himself peek at Shiro out of the corner of his eye. He had a book propped up on his computer and was focused on reading, looking relaxed and content. Keith tried to suppress his smile at the sight, but knew that his lips were turned up at the ends regardless.

He huffed at himself and went back to reading. Maybe one of these days he could enjoy an evening with Shiro without having to worry about work or school. But he couldn’t imagine that that was about to come anytime soon.

~~

By the time Keith got back from his double shift at the restaurant he was tired, but content. It hadn’t been a bad day and most of the customers had been nothing but friendly.

Keith: I’m done with work and thanks to your cooperation this morning, have most of my work done so that means you don’t have to stare at me scratching on papers if you don’t want to.

Shiro: Movie?

Keith kicked off his shoes at the front door and grabbed his computer, holding it close as he typed out a quick response.

Keith: Sure. What are we watching?

Keith: Nothing like that last anime okay?

Shiro: …fine…I guess I can find something on Netflix.

Keith grabbed his computer and carried it into his bedroom with him. He let it boot up while he changed into something more comfortable and settled himself on the bed.

Shiro: What about Captain America: Civil War?

Keith: Fine with me.

Keith: Set it up.

Shiro: So bossy, jeez.

Keith: Please, you love it.

Shiro: Sadly I do.

Shiro: I’m sending the link to you now.

Keith’s skype pinged and he pulled up the message that Shiro had sent him. He clicked on it and was brought to the website they’d used before to stream the anime. This time, Shiro had the video feed up so they could see each other while they watched.

“Ready?” Shiro asked with a grin.

Keith smiled. “Yeah.”

Keith let his eyes linger on Shiro for a moment even as the movie began to play. He let himself curl up against his pillows and allowed his brain to finally rest now that he didn’t have anything he had to focus on and could just let himself be.

~~

“Keith? Keith?”

Keith blinked his eyes open slowly and brought up a hand to rub at the sleep in his eyes.

“What time is it?” he asked.

“It’s 11:30. You fell asleep but I didn’t want to wake you and then the movie ended and I was worried that you might accidentally kick your laptop off your bed if I left you like that.”

Keith smiled and let his head fall back against the pillows. “Thanks. That is definitely something that could’ve, and probably would’ve, happened and I can’t exactly afford a new computer right now. I just hope that I can get back to sleep now.”

“Sorry,” Shiro said, sheepishly.

“No, no, it’s fine. I’d rather save my computer than worry about a few extra hours of sleep.”

“You think you can get back to sleep?” he asked.

Keith nodded. “Yeah. Which is what I should go do. I’ll talk to you tomorrow, okay?”

“Okay, babe. Bye,” Shiro said, grinning.

Keith rolled his eyes and exited out of his web browser before shutting down his computer. He turned off the lamp on his bedside table and pulled out his phone to set an alarm for the next morning. As much as he was worried about not being able to fall back asleep, he had no trouble rolling back over and burrowing under the covers. It was only a few moments before his breaths evened out and he was lost to the world of dreams once again.

Chapter Text

Keith’s semester seemed to pass in a blur after mid-terms happened and he and Shiro started dating. He got lost in his schoolwork and his work-work, and all of the little dates and chats he had with Shiro over text and Skype. He barely remembered Halloween and Thanksgiving was merely a wisp of existence in the fabric of his life. He stayed safely indoors during the hell that was Black Friday shopping and made it to the end of classes.

Unfortunately, the quick passage of time also meant new forms of stress and worries over his exams and his last semester that would be coming once the awe of the holidays wore off and his responsibilities returned again. It also meant that he was once again reminded of how tenuous his financial situation could quickly become and how little control he was at risk of having over it if he didn’t manage his time and choices well.

There wasn’t anything to suggest that he was in a bad spot during his meeting with the financial office, but that never stopped the old anxieties and worries from returning with a vengeance. He was tormented with thoughts on the way home of his grades not being good enough no matter how hard he studied. His scholarship would be taken away and he’d be left on the corner of the street after being evicted from his apartment and fired from his job because there was no way Linda would ever keep someone who was a dead-end college student who couldn’t manage their finances and wasn’t smart enough to keep everything under control.

Keith felt the old urge return to apply for scholarships even though he’d just sent in a few more applications for his last semester. Any little bit of money that he could get his hands on would help, but the thought of being left with nothing and without a support network because, really, who would want to be friends with a deadbeat? It was crushing. It was eating him up inside and he had nowhere to go and nowhere to turn to and he thought that he was on the verge of dying because he just needed to breathe.

He stumbled into his apartment and struggled towards his bedroom. His phone vibrated in his pocket but he ignored it, more focused on drawing in any bit of oxygen he could and making it to his bed before he was sure to collapse.

He dropped his bag on the floor and practically fell onto his mattress, kicking his shoes off as he went. His phone vibrated again and he grudgingly pulled it out of his pocket to check that it wasn’t Pidge or Hunk trying to get into is apartment because they could sense he was dying.

Shiro: Hey, baby! You up for Skype tonight? You know, celebrate the end of classes?

Shiro: You’re not still in your financial meeting are you? You said you’ve be out by now, but sorry if I’m intruding and it went longer than usual.

Keith sighed and hugged it to his chest while he screwed his eyes shut. He wanted to block out everything. He felt like he didn’t deserve Shiro’s kindness. It would only weigh him down. Shiro deserved better. He deserved to have someone who wasn’t on the brink of drowning under pressure and breaking from the force of the world dragging him along.

As usual, the tears came unbidden. They gathered in the corners of his eyes and before he could even hope of wiping them away, they spilled over, replaced as quickly as they’d gone. He turned his face into his pillow and let out a low sob, feeling the need to muffle his cries even though there was no one around to hear them.

His phone vibrated with another couple of messages, one right after the other and he fought to clear the tears away so that he could read what was on his screen.

Shiro: Keith? I’m worried, is everything okay?

Shiro: I’m sorry if you’re still in your meeting, but I’m calling.

Keith wiped at his tears and fought to make his shaking fingers cooperate so that he could type out a response. He only got one letter on the screen before Shiro’s call came through and the next hit of his finger landed on the answer button. He sighed, knowing he couldn’t ignore the situation now.

“Keith? I’m so glad you answered. Are you okay?” Shiro asked, voice tense.

“I’m…” his voice hitched as he fought to draw in a breath.

“Are you crying? Baby, what happened? Please talk to me?” Shiro spoke quickly, words blending together. “Did someone hurt you? Did something bad happen?”

“I’m fine,” Keith said, sniffling. “I just came back from my financial meeting.”

“Oh,” Shiro said, sounding a little relieved. “What happened? What’s got you so upset?”

“The same stuff that always does whenever I have to talk about money and paying for college,” he said, rubbing at his eyes. “Everything started to pile up and became this huge thing and I just felt the weight of it all crushing me and I couldn’t stop thinking about what would happen if the slightest thing went wrong and I lost my scholarship or if I couldn’t get a job and what I would have to do to pay for it all and what would come after that if I-“

“Babe, calm down,” Shiro interrupted. “You need to take a deep breath and relax for a moment.”

Keith tried to follow his instructions. His breathing was still shaky, but it helped to ebb the panic that had been returning seconds before.

“That’s better. Now, I’m not going to lie to you and say that none of that would ever happen in a million years, but you’ve been so careful about everything and you’ve planned for this. You can do it, Keith. You’re going to graduate and you will find a job. And if you happen to have some trouble you’ve got great friends who will help take care of you.”

“I know, but what if-“

“No what ifs, babe. You can make it through this. There’s no need to stress over it. What happens, happens. The best you can do is make something of a bad situation.”

Keith sniffed and wiped at his nose. “Thanks, Shiro.”

“Anytime, babe.”

He sighed. “I wish that you could be here,” he whispered, not realizing how much he really wanted that to happen until the words came out of his mouth.

“What-really?” he asked.

“Yeah…I really wish that I could be with you right now.”

“Well…”

Keith bolted up in bed, his head spinning from the sudden change. “Well?” he breathed.

“I mean, we both do have breaks coming up so…theoretically we could make it work.”

Keith pulled his knees to his chest and wrapped his free arm around them. “Would you want to? I don’t know if I could leave with work and everything, but would it be possible for you to come up here?”

“Domestic flights aren’t too expensive so I don’t see why not. And you have a job and I wouldn’t want to make you feel like you have to take time off either to come visit me or for me to be up there…”

“It shouldn’t be a problem to have a couple days off. The real issue would be buying a plane ticket…” Keith trailed off, knowing that in his already meager savings, he didn’t have any room for such a large expense if he could avoid it.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Shiro asked, voice picking up speed.

Keith could sense Shiro’s repressed excitement and it ignited something in him. “Yes. I want to see you. We’ve known each other for a few months now, I don’t see anything wrong with it.”

“There’s just…one thing,” Shiro said, hesitance creeping into his voice.

“Oh. What is it?” Keith asked, hoping it wasn’t something really weird or strange.

Shiro let out a deep breath. “You know how when we first started to game and there was that storm here and I told you that I had anxiety and had trouble with storms?”

The memory of that night was vivid.

“Yeah, of course I remember.”

“Well the reason I have anxiety and get nervous around storms is that-“

“Shiro, you don’t have to force yourself to tell me this.”

“I know, but I want to. You’re important to me and I want you to know this.”

“Okay, if you’re sure.”

“I am,” he breathed. “So a few years ago, I got into a really bad car accident with my parents. Most of what I remember is the loud blaring of a horn before the crash and then pain and darkness. My mom died in the crash, but my dad came out of it with minimal injuries. I…wasn’t that lucky. Because of where the car hit, my hand got caught when the door bent inwards.”

Keith sucked in a harsh breath.

“Yeah, so they had to amputate my hand.”

“I’m so sorry, Shiro.”

“It’s okay, Keith. You didn’t know, but one of the reasons I’m telling you this is because I have a prosthetic hand.”

Keith blinked. “That’s it?”

“Umm…yes?” Shiro said, confused.

“Shiro, I’m not going to think any less of you whether you have a prosthetic or not. I like you for who you are and the person I got to know through our gaming sessions and skype dates. I’m not going to shove you aside because of what happened after a car accident.”

Shiro sighed and Keith smiled.

“Were you really that worried about what I would think?” he asked.

“Yes. It seems silly to think I was worried you’d want to break up, but I’ve had so many interactions with people who can’t seem to see past my prosthetic and it’s hurtful and I was nervous to tell you because I wasn’t sure what you would think and I knew it would be so easy for you to disappear since we’ve only known each other through the computer and-“

“Shiro,” Keith said, cutting him off. “Take a breath, babe.”

Shiro chuckled. “Sorry.”

“There’s nothing to be sorry about,” he assured him. “Is there anything else you want to tell me? Things that might be helpful for you?”

“I don’t like sudden, loud sounds. Which is why I don’t like thunderstorms. And then if anyone sort of jumps out at me or catches or touches me unaware that startles and unsettles me.”

“So no surprises,” Keith said.

“No surprises,” he agreed.

Silence fell between them.

“So…” Shiro said.

“So,” Keith agreed.

“Do you have to work tonight?”

“Nope. With finals approaching, I’m all yours. My workload is a bit less than it’s been the rest of the semester and Linda is trying not to overwhelm me with too many shifts and always promises to give me more work during break to make sure that my earnings don’t slip.”

“Feel like having a skype date?” he asked.

“That sounds great. And like exactly what I need,” Keith agreed.

“Great. You got your computer?”

“Yeah, one sec.” Keith cradled his phone between his shoulder and his ear as he reached for his backpack, pulling his laptop from its home inside of it. He opened it quickly and before he could even pull up his own skype before Shiro’s call came through. He ended the call on his phone before answering it. “Hey, Shiro.”

Shiro grinned and raised his right arm, giving a little wave. For the first time Keith noticed where the prosthetic trailed up the arm to meet the scarred skin around his bicep. Keith was sure that he was doing it on purpose since he’d never seen it before.

Keith settled back against his pillows and smiled back at Shiro, something in his chest warming at the sight.

Chapter Text

Keith wiped down the kitchen counter for the third time that morning. When he was finished, he tossed the wet wipe in the trash and hurried back into the bathroom. He stared at himself in the mirror and pulled at the hem of his black shirt nervously. He knew he looked fine, but it felt like something was wrong or missing.

He jolted when the alarm on his phone went off from where he’d left it in the other room. He hurried out and turned it off, feeling his hands start to shake from nerves. He slipped on his leather jacket and gloves, shoving his wallet and phone into his pockets and grabbing his keys. He glanced around his apartment one last time, still feeling like it wasn’t good enough even though it was spotless.

He locked his door behind him and flew down the stairs, hitting the sidewalk a little faster than he needed to, but it worked out when he got to the bus stop just before his bus pulled up. He flashed his pass and took a seat near the back away from all the people who were headed to the airport for flights and loaded down with luggage.

He’d brought extra fare along for Shiro on the ride back. He’d thought about getting a cab so Shiro wouldn’t be pressured to ride the bus, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to afford it on his own and didn’t want to force Shiro to split it with him. Not when it would take the same time to get back to his apartment complex whether they took a cab or the bus.

Keith pulled out his phone and opened up the message thread he had with Shiro, looking over the last few texts he’d gotten.

Shiro: I can’t believe the day is finally here! I couldn’t sleep last night because I was so excited.

Keith: You’re such a dork

Shiro: Only for you, baby

Keith: Shut up.

Shiro: I’m on my way to the airport

Keith: Are you just going to narrate your entire morning to me?

Shiro: Do you have a problem with that?

Keith: I mean, not really, but it is kind of distracting me from cleaning.

Shiro: You don’t need to trouble yourself on my account : (

Keith: Of course, I do. You’re my boyfriend. You’re worth the trouble

Shiro: Now who’s saying sappy things?

Keith: Shut up.

Shiro: I’m through security and waiting at my terminal. I can’t believe this is finally happening.

Keith: You and me both. You’re going to be good on a plane? Your anxiety won’t affect you will it?

Keith: Shit, I didn’t think about that until now

Shiro: It’s fine, Keith. I shouldn’t have any issue flying

Keith: Oh. Okay

Shiro: I’m boarding now. I’ll see you on the other side.

Keith: Have a safe flight

Keith leaned back in his seat and blew out a breath. He locked his phone and squeezed it tightly in his hands.

The buildings creeped by as they made the last couple of stops to pick up passengers before turning towards the airport. He was glad when they left the city traffic behind and covered the distance more quickly. He was stuck at the back of the bus when they finally did arrive and he had to wait for everyone else to file out and unload their bags before he could step off.

He gripped his phone tightly in his hand and then changed his mind, turning on the ringer before slipping it into his back pocket. He turned in the opposite direction of the ticket counters and walked towards where baggage claim was located. He hung back past the last carousel and watched as crowds of people came through the doors from where their flights landed.

He pulled out his phone and checked the time. Shiro should be getting in soon. He hoped he wasn’t too early. He didn’t want to look suspicious and be kicked out by security when he was waiting for his boyfriend.

His phone beeped in his hand and looked to find a text from Shiro.

Shiro: Just got off my plan. I’ll be down to baggage claim in a couple minutes. See you soon!

Keith felt happiness and excitement well up inside of him. He struggled to keep from smiling like an idiot, but knew he looked every bit the infatuated dork he’d become. Energy thrummed under his skin and he fought to keep his fingers still enough to type out a response.

Keith: I’m already waiting her for you

He shoved his phone back into his pocket and turned his eyes back to the door. He watched every face that came through, waiting to see Shiro’s among the crowd. He felt his frustration grow when he wasn’t the next person to come through. The flow of the crowd stopped, letting the door fall completely closed.

A beat passed and it was shoved open roughly. Keith’s breath caught as Shiro’s face came into view, eyes flitting from one face to the next until they finally settled on his own. Shiro stumbled to a stop as their eyes locked and Keith felt his lips stretch wide in a giddy grin.

Keith didn’t hesitate, feet pounding across the floor as he rushed towards Shiro. Shiro did the same throwing his arms wide as they came together and wrapped them tightly around him. Keith buried his face in Shiro’s neck, feeling complete and whole and safe. He squeezed Shiro close, reveling in their close contact after so many months and so much waiting. Shiro pulled back and bit his lip, eyes glancing down to his lips.

Keith’s breath caught. He closed the distance an inch in question. Shiro responded, dipped his head closer, but not enough for them to come together. Keith let all of his reservations go and closed the last distance between them. Shiro’s lips were warm and soft against his own, his grip tightening around his waist.

The last stress and tension living in Keith’s muscles dropped away as relief overtook everything else. They pulled apart to gaze at each other and find reassurance they were both actually there.

“Keith…” Shiro whispered. The one word was enough to bring him back, to solidify everything in him and reinforce how right all of this was.

He cradled Shiro’s face in his hands and pulled him back down to claim his lips again. Shiro tried pulling him closer and Keith tangled his fingers in the longer strands of Shiro’s undercut. Before he could become too lost in the kiss Shiro pulled back.

“As much as I’d like to continue this, I think I should get my bag and we can pick up where we left off later when we don’t have an audience,” Shiro said, glancing around.

Keith cleared his throat and let his hands fall away, stepping back. “Yeah, that’s probably best,” he said, laughing lightly. He moved to shove his hands into his pockets, but Shiro grabbed hold of one of his hands. Keith looked up in question and saw Shiro look away as pink dusted his cheeks. Shiro twined their fingers together and Keith felt his own face heat up.

Shiro tugged him down the line of carousels to the one his luggage would be dumped onto. They stayed behind the crowd that had gathered next to the belt, waiting for their luggage to come around.

“Oh there’s mine,” Shiro said, dropping Keith’s hand and slipping through the crowd. He pulled a black duffle from the belt and made his way back to Keith, taking his hand without a second thought.

“Do you mind taking the bus?” he asked as they headed towards the exit.

“Not at all. It’ll be a great way to see the city,” Shiro said with a smile.

Keith shivered as the doors opened and they were hit with a blast of cold air.

“I’m not in Florida anymore,” Shiro said, bracing himself against the wind and letting out a breathy chuckle.

Keith huffed a laugh. “That’s for sure.”

“Hang on,” Shiro said, pausing to dig through his duffle. He pulled out a black beanie and stuck it on his head.

“Better?” Keith asked, trying to suppress a smirk.

“Much,” Shiro said, snatching Keith’s hand in his and leaning down to kiss the side of Keith’s head.

“Come on, we don’t want to miss the next bus or we’ll have to wait even longer in the cold,” he said, tugging him down the row of stops until they got to the one that would take them back to Keith’s apartment. There were a few other people in line already huddled together to stave off the wind.

“I brought extra fare for you,” Keith said, digging out his wallet.

“You don’t have to do that,” Shiro said, curling Keith’s fingers back around the coins in his hands. “I can pay for my own fare. How much is it?”

“$2.25,” Keith mumbled.

Shiro pulled out his wallet and got the fare ready in time for when the bus pulled up to the stop. The crowd in front of them hurried on first. Keith scanned his pass and Shiro handed his change to the driver.

They moved towards the back of the bus where most of the empty seats were. Since Shiro didn’t have a suitcase that he had to handle it was much easier for them to take his things to the back of the bus even if there was less leg room. Keith took the seat next to the window and Shiro squeezed into the seat next to him.

“I’m expecting a full tour of the city,” Shiro joked, knocking shoulders with him.

“I don’t know how trusty I am as a tour guide, but I’ll do my best,” he said, smiling back at Shiro before letting his gaze slide back to the window. The glass and the side of the bus was cold and he instinctively shifted away from it to keep warm. Shiro let go of Keith’s fingers in favor of wrapping an arm around his shoulders. Keith blushed, but leaned into Shiro’s side regardless as they pulled away from the airport.

They rode in silence into the city. There were low murmurs of chatter from the other passengers on the bus.

“How was your flight?” Keith asked, finally breaking their silence.

“Not too bad. The weather was good and we didn’t hit much turbulence which was appreciated,” he said, glancing down at Keith. “How are things now that classes have ended for the semester and exams are over?”

“Good. It’s so much easier working without having to deal with classes and the stress that comes with that. Graduation is going to be a relief when I can just focus on having a job and nothing else.”

“Linda’s not working you too hard, I hope?” Shiro joked.

Keith smiled. “Nah, she’s been great. I’ve already gotten to pick up a few extra shifts to make up for the ones I’m passing on this week.”

Shiro bit his lip. “You know you don’t have to stop working just because I’m here…”

Keith shook his head. “I know that you wouldn’t hold it against me, but I want to spend time with you. It’s sort of my doing that you came all this way and I want us to spend some time together. I mean, how many times have you been to Chicago in your life?”

“This would be the first,” he said, chuckling.

“See? So I can’t leave you to wander around by yourself. Or leave you to stay locked in my apartment.”

Keith saw they were getting close to his stop and he pressed the call button. As they turned the corner onto his street, he nudged Shiro who picked up his duffle and moved to the front of the bus with him following closely behind.

“I’m just down here,” Keith said, stepping down the sidewalk. Before he could even take a handful of steps, Shiro was twining their fingers together again. The public displays of affection was definitely something he was going to have to get used to. Having an in-person boyfriend was a lot different than navigating a long-distance relationship.

Shiro followed dutifully behind him as they climbed the stairs to his floor. He was glad to be inside and out of the biting wind. For the most part he was used to the temperature changes when winter rolled around in Chicago, but the wind was a different matter entirely when it seemed like it could virtually break through anything he was wearing and force a chill deep into his bones.

Keith was forced to let go of Shiro’s hand so he could unlock the door to his apartment. He pushed it open and flicked the light on, standing to the side so Shiro could walk in with his things.

“I wasn’t sure what you wanted to do about sleeping so you have the choice of the bed or the couch unless there’s something else you’d prefer,” he said, staring at his feet as he shut the door behind Shiro. He watched as Shiro looked around the apartment, suddenly seeing so many more flaws then he had that morning after cleaning.

“Do you have a problem with sharing the bed?” Shiro asked.

The question got Keith’s gaze to snap to Shiro’s face. He was rubbing the back of his neck and blushing again. He cleared his throat.

“I didn’t know how comfortable you might be sharing the bed so I thought I’d just leave the option out there in case you preferred to sleep alone.”

Shiro smiled and stepped closer to him. “I flew all the way here to spend time with you. I’d have to be crazy if I didn’t want to take advantage of the situation and cuddle with you in bed,” he said, grinning lopsidedly.

Keith chuckled, he couldn’t help it really. “You’re such a dork, Shiro,” he said between huffs of laughter. The lingering tension and nervousness at bringing Shiro into his life quickly faded away. Now when he thought about it, there was really no need to be nervous anyway. They’d already opened themselves up to each other so many times and saw what cracks lingered in their hearts. The thought of being rejected after finally meeting in-person seemed ridiculous now that he thought about it.

“Does that mean I get to share a bed with you?” he asked, batting his eyelashes.

“Yes.” Keith stepped around him and turned to face Shiro so he could walk backwards. “My room’s back here. You can dump your bag in there and if you’re hungry we can have dinner and watch a movie or something.”

“Sounds great,” Shiro said. “What are you feeling?”

“Pizza?” Keith asked.

Shiro nodded. “Sounds good to me.”

“You can pull up Netflix on my computer and we can sit on the couch and watch it while we eat.”

“Sure, thing,” Shiro said, walking around him.

Keith left Shiro in his bedroom so he could pull the frozen pizza from his freezer and heat up the oven for it to cook.

Keith ripped open the box and pulled the plastic covered pizza out to set on the counter. He grabbed one of the few baking sheets he had and set it on top of the stove before fighting against the plastic covering on the pizza. He huffed when he couldn’t break it and pulled out a knife instead, slitting the plastic easily and pulling it off.

He left the pizza on the baking sheet and tossed the plastic into the trash can, glad when his oven beeped to signal it was the right temperature. He shoved the pizza inside and set the timer before turning back to the living room.

Shiro was seated on his couch with his laptop on his thighs. He walked over and leaned his arms on the back of the couch next to Shiro’s shoulders, watching as he scrolled through Netflix.

“Find anything good?” he asked.

Shiro hummed. “There are some movies that look pretty decent.”

Keith raised an eyebrow at the sly smile that pulled at Shiro’s lips.

“What’s that look for?” he asked.

Shiro turned to look at him. “I think I found the perfect movie for us to watch.”

Keith furrowed his brow and leaned over the couch to get a closer look, rolling his eyes when he saw Shiro had pulled up Men in Black.

“Really?” he asked.

Shiro shrugged. “We both like space so why not?”

“Okay,” Keith said. “Not so much space as just aliens though.”

Shiro waved him off. “Details.”

He hit play and set the laptop on the coffee table. Rather than walk around the couch like a normal person, Keith climbed over the back and settled down heavily next to Shiro, earning him a chuckle.

Their movie was interrupted a few minutes later when the timer went off and Keith had to retrieve the pizza. He loaded a couple slices on to two different plates and passed them off to Shiro who was still sitting on the couch so he could grab drinks for them. When he got back, he settled into Shiro’s side and took his own plate of pizza, content to sit through their movie and enjoy some time together.

Chapter Text

Keith sighed and blinked his eyes open. He was met with Shiro’s face, eyes closed and lips parted on gentle breaths. Keith smiled, eyes trailing down Shiro’s rumbled shirt and over the scarred arm that was resting over his waist. He remembered how nervous Shiro had been the night before about taking it off, but he’d done it and Keith had planted a soft kiss on the smooth stump at the end of his arm.

Shiro had held him close after that and it struck him just how worried he was over being rejected for something he couldn’t control. He wondered if someone else had rejected him over it.

Shiro shifted next to him and Keith looked back up at his face. His eyes were still closed, but Keith was sure he’d be waking up soon. He shifted closer and tilted his head up, planting a small kiss on his chin. Shiro’s brows furrowed and he blinked his eyes open looking down at Keith. His gaze immediately softened.

“Good morning,” Keith whispered.

“It is now,” he said, grin lazy.

Keith rolled his eyes and brought a hand up to Shiro’s cheek. “Stop.”

“Why would you want me to stop? What could be better than saying cheesy things in the morning?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe this,” Keith said, pulling Shiro down for a proper kiss. Shiro relaxed next to him and wrapped his forearm around his back to pull him closer, not that Keith was wanting to get any further away.

“Come on,” Keith said, pulling away. “We should get up and have breakfast.”

“Or we could just stay here,” Shiro said, burying his face in Keith’s neck.

Keith chuckled. “I thought you wanted to see Chicago? Don’t you want to do fun things?”

“I just want to be with you,” he mumbled.

Keith cleared his throat as he felt his face heat up. “Come on,” he said, patting his arm. “We should go see the city. Besides, you’re meeting Pidge and Hunk tomorrow so we should do something before they interrogate you like a cop on a bad 80s show.”

Shiro chuckled. “Okay, okay,” he said, pulling away. Keith pushed off the covers as Shiro rolled onto his back. He shivered at the loss of warmth, reaching for his hoodie that had been thrown over the back of his desk chair and slipped it over his head. He was glad he’d slept in socks because he knew his feet would be freezing on the floor if he didn’t have the layer of cotton between the bottom of his feet and the hardwood.

Shiro watched him from where he was still lying in bad and Keith stuck out his tongue at him, leaving the bedroom behind in favor of the kitchen.

He pulled the carton of eggs free from the fridge and a bowl down from the cabinet. He broke several eggs into the bowl and mixed them with a fork. When that was done he pulled out a pan and set it to heat up on the stove.

While he was in the middle of scrambling the eggs, warm arms wrapped around his waist. Keith smiled and leaned back in Shiro’s hold, soaking up his warmth.

“Put on some toast?” he murmured, dropping shredded cheese and pepper over the eggs.

Shiro pressed a kiss against the side of his head and moved away, undoing the twist on the loaf of bread and throwing a couple slices in the toaster. Keith turned off the stove and lifted the pan away. Shiro started looking through his cabinets and Keith was about to ask what he was doing when he found the plates and pulled two of them down.

“Thanks,” Keith said, dividing the eggs between the two of them. He left the pan on the stove to cool and pulled out a small tub of butter from the fridge for their toast. He was just reached for a knife when the toast popped up. He pulled the slices free. “There are glasses in the cabinet over there if you want to get some water or something,” he said, scraping the butter onto the bread.

Shiro nodded and filled a glass for each of them, walking over to the table behind Keith. Shiro sat next to him and Keith held out a fork for him which he took with a smile. They ate in relative silence until Keith felt something nudge his foot. He frowned and looked up at Shiro who was smiling at him. Keith shook his head and went back to eating.

Until he felt it again. Keith rolled his eyes and pressed his foot down on Shiro’s to keep him from moving it. He made some sort of protest in the back of his throat and tried to move his foot away, but Keith just pressed harder. Shiro huffed and sulked into his eggs. Keith took a bite of toast to hide his smile, eyes shining.

Before Keith had even swallowed his last bite of food, Shiro was pushing his chair back and taking the plates over to the sink.

“Wha-Shiro!” he exclaimed, scrambling after him.

“You cooked breakfast. The least I can do is the dishes,” he said with a smile, turning on the tap.

“But you’re my guest,” he protested.

Shiro leaned to the side and stole a kiss from his lips. “I’m your boyfriend,” he said with a grin. “Let me do this. Go take a shower or something and we can leave and explore the city when you’re done.”

Keith blinked at him. He smiled and started scrubbing at the dishes. He slowly turned and walked back through his apartment towards the bathroom, letting out a sigh when he was safely locked behind the door. He was way in over his head with Shiro, but he couldn’t really find it in himself to care. Instead he reached for the shower and turned on the water.

He shivered when he shut off the water after showering and the steam and warmth dissipated, the cool air sucking it away. He toweled dry and got dressed quickly, running a hand through his damp hair. He padded out of the bathroom and back to his bedroom, finding Shiro sitting on the edge of his bed and stuffing his feet into a pair of socks.

“You look all ready to go,” he commented, reaching for his jacket.

“And you look like your head’s going to freeze as soon as you step outside.”

Keith rolled his eyes and slipped his arms through the sleeves of his jacket. “I’ll be fine. I’m sure it won’t be too bad.”

Shiro hummed. He threw on a jacket and scarf before walking over to him with a smile on his face.

“What?” he asked when Shiro got closer.

“Oh nothing, just this,” he said, shoving something down on Keith’s head.

“Shiro!” Keith cried. Shiro stepped back and smiled at him. Keith raised a hand to his head and ran his fingers over the knitted beanie Shiro had been wearing the day before. “Your hat?”

“Might as well stay warm, right?”

“But what about you?”

“I’ll be fine.”

Keith smiled and moved forward, rocking up onto his toes to kiss Shiro on the cheek. “Come on. Might was well get out before too many other people.”

“Sure.”

Keith stuffed his feet into his boots and pulled his jacket tighter around him before slipping his hands into his gloves. He pulled Shiro towards the door and left his apartment behind. Shiro tangled their fingers together and followed Keith onto the sidewalk. Cool air whipped around them and they both let out a small gasp.

“I don’t know if I’ll ever get used to that,” Shiro said with a chuckle.

“I live here and I hardly get used to it,” Keith said, bumping their shoulders.

“Well, my dear tour guide, where to?” Shiro asked.

Keith shook his head and pulled Shiro down the sidewalk heading further downtown. There were a few other groups on the sidewalks, but the street was filled with cars. Shiro craned his neck to look at the buildings towering over them. Keith smiled and kept pulling him along, making sure he didn’t bump into anyone or walk off the sidewalk into traffic.

Shiro stopped at a street vendor and bought them both cups of hot chocolate. Keith wrapped his arms around the warm cup and inhaled the sweet smell of chocolate.

“You didn’t have to do that,” he said, taking a careful sip.

“Am I not allowed to do nice things for my boyfriend now?” he scoffed. “You’re giving me this wonderful tour of the city, I thought I should pay you back with a warm drink. And possibly bribe you…”

“Bribe me into what?” Keith laughed.

“Ice skating?” he asked, pointing down the street.

Keith followed his gaze and saw they had made it to Millennium Park. He frowned and shifted on his feet.

“I’ve, uh…never been ice skating,” he said, staring down at his drink.

Shiro’s hand came to rest on his elbow and he looked up at him through his eyelashes. “Let me teach you?” he asked.

Keith bit his lip, looking between Shiro and the rink where several couples were already making circles around the ice.

“I’ll even pay for the skate rentals,” he offered.

Keith sighed. “Okay.”

He really wanted to regret his decision to agree, but when Shiro’s face lit up like a Christmas tree, he really couldn’t find it in himself to care if he fell flat on his ass in front of half the city.

“Just…” he started and saw Shiro’s smile dim a little. “Just let me finish my drink first,” he added.

“Sure Keith,” he agreed, still pulling him in the direction of the frozen ice plane that would be Keith’s demise. The smell of roasting nuts greeted them as they got closer and Keith spotted a row of food stalls that had been set up around the rink for anyone who was hungry. Shiro found a bench for them and they sat, Keith shivering a bit at the cold wood of the bench seat. He cradled his cup between his two hands, trying to draw out the lingering warmth that was quickly disappearing and leaned into Shiro.

Shiro wrapped his arm around Keith’s shoulders. Keith’s need to stay warm outweighed his aversion to ice skating and taking as long as possible and he finished his drink quickly.

“Ready?” Shiro asked.

He let out a sigh. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

“Come on,” Shiro said, tugging him to his feet. “I promise it’s going to be fun.”

Keith pursed his lips. “You and I probably have very different definitions of fun, Shiro.”

“Not so different. We met playing the same online videogame after all.”

Keith huffed a laugh. “True.” He elbowed Shiro.

“Ow. What?” he asked.

“Which we haven’t played in a long time.”

“Later?” he asked.

Keith nodded and Shiro turned his attention to the skate rental clerk.

“Two pairs of rental skates,” he said.

The clerk nodded and pulled the correct skates from the shelves. “Take off your shoes over there and bring them back so we can re-shelve those. That’ll be $24.”

Shiro nodded and pulled out his wallet, handing over a few bills. He turned and directed Keith to the benches and sat down next to him eagerly. He pulled off his shoes and slipped his feet into the skates, tying them expertly. Keith was slower. The boots felt strange on his feet. He peeked over at Shiro to see how he was tying the laces and he started on them slowly, fumbling with the strings.

“Need help?”

Keith looked up at Shiro and nodded. “Honestly? Yeah.”

“It’s fine. The only reason I know what I’m doing is because I’ve gone before,” he said, kneeling in front of Keith.

Keith blushed as Shiro went about tying the laces. He felt like a little kid. When Shiro was finished, he experimentally lifted his feet to test the weight of the skates.

“Ready?” Shiro asked, getting to his feet with ease despite how unsteady Keith thought standing on two literal blades would be.

“I guess,” he said, curling his fingers tighter around the edge of the bench.

“Here,” he looked up and saw Shiro’s hand outstretched for him. “We’ll take it slow, okay?”

Keith nodded and grasped his hand. He planted his skates as securely as he could and was pulled to his feet. He wobbled a bit at first, getting used to standing and Shiro’s hands went to his waist to keep him steady.

“Have you ever been roller skating?”

“What?” Keith asked, looking up from the foam padding on the ground.

“Roller skating. Have you ever been?”

Keith furrowed his brow, wondering what the question had to do with anything. “I think I’ve been like once.”

Shiro smiled. “Okay, well this is kind of like that if you can remember how to do it. It’s just on ice instead of wheels.”

“I remember I went home with a ton of bruises,” Keith said, making Shiro smile sheepishly.

“Okay, maybe not the best example,” he hedged.

Keith chuckled. “You think?” He felt more relaxed now, the conversation having helped distract him.

“Ready?” Shiro asked. He nodded. “Okay,” he said, moving to Keith’s side and keeping hold of his hand. “Take it one step at a time. Really easy, there’s no rush.”

Keith nodded and stepped forward. The boots felt heavy and he wobbled a bit, but got used to walking in them. Getting on the ice was going to be a different story entirely. Shiro stepped out first and turned to face him, holding out both his hands. Keith bit his lip and let out a sigh, taking Shiro’s hands in his and gripping tightly.

Shiro gave him a reassuring smile and he placed one skate on the ice. He hesitated.

“It’ll be okay, Keith,” Shiro said. “You can do it.”

He let out a breath and put his other foot on the ice. Shiro’s grip helped to steady him. He grinned and Shiro smiled back, breathing a foggy laugh into the cold air.

“Think you can take a step forward?” Shiro asked.

Keith lifted his skate and tried using it to push off, but he wasn’t getting anywhere.

Shiro hummed. “Let’s try something else. Turn and place a hand on the wall. I’m going to stay right next to you.”

Keith felt nervousness bubble up when one of his hands was let go. He felt more and more unsteady without Shiro’s presence, but he put his hand on the wall, holding tightly to keep himself comfortable.

“Let’s try that again,” Shiro said with a smile.

Keith watched him move forward and did his best to match his movements. It took a couple of tries before he made any movement. His progress was slow and more people whizzed past them, but they didn’t matter. He was reluctant to move forward, but Shiro tugged him along. He finally got into a rhythm and was making steady progress despite staying close to the wall.

“You’re doing great, Keith!” Shiro encouraged.

“Thanks,” he mumbled, feeling a blush rise to his cheeks.

“You think you’re ready to let go of the wall?”

“Uhh…”

“Come on,” Shiro said, swinging in front of him and holding out his other hand.

“I thought that didn’t work before?” Keith mused with a smirk.

“I think we’ll be alright to try again,” he said with a shrug.

Keith forced his fingers to relax their grip on the wall and he took hold of Shiro’s other hand. Shiro grinned and started skating backwards. Keith did his best to keep with Shiro’s timing, but found he was off, his movements more jerky and less coordinated than Shiro’s were. He furrowed his brow, trying to concentrate when he felt the tip of his skate catch on the ice.

His eyes widened as he tipped forward, ramming into Shiro who wrapped his arms around him as they hurtled towards the ice. Keith squeezed his eyes shut and felt Shiro slam into the ice before he slammed into Shiro.

“Sorry,” Keith mumbled and looked up at Shiro. “You okay?”

Shiro blinked his eyes open and looked down at him, grin pulling at his lips before he started laughing.

“What?” Keith asked, trying not to laugh, but he couldn’t stop the chuckles that bubbled up from his chest.

“All part of the experience to fall at least once,” he said. “You ready to try again?”

Keith smiled and rolled off Shiro, carefully getting back to his feet. Shiro held out his hand when he was back on his feet. Keith grabbed it and tugged Shiro closer, fingers going up to his hair so he could tug him down for a kiss.

Shiro smiled when they parted and snickered.

“What?” Keith huffed.

“Your hat got messed up,” he said, hands going to the beanie on his head and straightening it. Shiro’s gloves were soft against his skin and he missed their warmth when they dropped away. He twined their fingers together. Now that he’d fallen once, it didn’t seem so bad. It probably helped that he landed on Shiro.

Keith pushed off, a little wobbly, but he maintained his balance as Shiro skated beside him. For the first time he recognized the music that was playing: the Christmas carols mixed with Top40 hits.

“I don’t want a lot for Christmas…” Shiro started as the song changed.

Keith groaned and buried his face in his hand. And promptly took them away for risk of falling and landing on his ass this time.

“There is just one thing I need,” he continued.

“Shiro…”

“Come on,” Shiro said, skating in front of him. “I don’t care about the presents. Sing with me.”

Keith bit his lip. “Underneath the Christmas tree.”

Shiro grinned and pulled him along, continuing to sing despite the amused looks they were getting. But Keith really couldn’t find it in himself to mind.

Chapter Text

Keith frowned and clicked several times, trying to get his aim centered on the alien in front of him. “Come on, come on, come on,” he muttered.

Shiro chuckled next to him and nudged his shoulder before Keith was left to watch Shiro’s character kill the alien they were fighting.

“Hey,” he grumbled and pouted at Shiro who was sitting next to him with his laptop on his crossed legs.

“Don’t pout,” he said, leaning closer. “We’re a team, aren’t we?”

“You took my shot,” he said.

Shiro smiled and leaned closer. “Come on, Keith. Don’t be that way, baby.”

Keith felt his face heat up at the pet name and shifted in place. Shiro nuzzled into his neck and placed a kiss there making Keith swallow. He moved his character around on the screen to collect a few coins now that the boss was dead to dry and distract himself from where Shiro’s lips were pressed under his chin.

He tried to ignore it, he really did, but his head tilted to the side and his eyes slid shut at the ministrations. He sighed and turned to meet Shiro’s lips for the next kiss. Keith kept one hand firmly on his laptop to keep it from falling to the side and wrapped his other hand around the back of Shiro’s neck, fingers scratching through Shiro’s undercut.

The sound of an alarm broke them out of their kiss and set Keith’s heart pounding in his chest.

“Fuck,” he whispered and chuckled. “That scared the shit out of me.”

“You and me both,” Shiro said and Keith noticed where Shiro’s grip was a little too tight in his shirt.

Keith sucked in a breath and reached for his phone to shut off the alarm he’d set. “Moment ruiner,” he accused.

Shiro chuckled, slowly relaxing. “Come on, I want to meet your friends and I thought you wanted me to meet them.”

Keith pouted. “I do want you to meet them, but I was kind of enjoying myself.”

“Oh?” Shiro asked, leaning closer.

Keith swallowed, mouth dry. “Y-yeah…”

“Well,” Shiro said, dragging his lips along his cheek. “We’ll just have to pick up where we left off later. Sound good?”

Keith swallowed again and looked into Shiro’s sparkling eyes. “Yeah,” he said, a little too breathlessly. “Sounds like a great idea.”

Shiro smiled and shut his computer with a snap, setting it on the empty coffee table. He pushed himself to his feet and held out a hand to Keith. He shut his own computer and left it next to Shiro’s, letting himself get pulled to his feet. Shiro pulled him close and claimed one last kiss before pulling away with a grin.

“Come on,” he said, squeezing Keith’s hip. “I want to meet your friends.”

“You say that now,” Keith said, slipping on his jacket. “You haven’t met them yet and you haven’t been interrogated.”

“I’m sure it won’t be so bad,” Shiro said, wrapping a scarf around his neck and slipping his beanie on Keith’s head.

Keith raised an eyebrow.

“I just don’t want you getting cold,” he mumbled.

Keith pulled the edges of the beanie down over his ears. “Okay,” he said, trying to fight down the red flush to his cheeks. “We should get going. Pidge and Hunk are probably already at the bar pre-gaming.”

“Lead the way,” Shiro said, taking his hand.

Keith grabbed his wallet and keys, patting his back pocket to make sure his phone was still there and locked his apartment behind them. He tugged Shiro towards the stairs and ducked his head when they pushed through the front doors to the building. A cold wind whipped over them and Keith was glad they were walking in the opposite direction so the wind was hitting their backs.

The bar they were headed to was tucked back in a set of buildings. It was a little run down and would be seen as sketchy by anyone who wasn’t familiar with it, but had a great reputation among college students and some of the locals. Keith ducked down the alley that led to the main door and knew Shiro was questioning his choices by how his steps slowed.

“Come on,” he said, nodding towards the end of the alley. “The door’s just down there.”

“This isn’t the part where you turn out to be a mass-murdering psycho is it?” he asked.

Keith chuckled, his breath fogging in the air. “Nah. Plus if I was a mass-murdering psycho I would’ve already had plenty of opportunities to kill you. Come on. Trust me, it’s fine.”

With a few more tugs, he got Shiro to the end of the alley and pushed through the battered door that boasted a crooked and cracked ‘Open’ sign.

Warm air and cheerful conversation greeted them. Keith looked around and found all the booths taken. There were several people standing around the upright tables and a few groups playing pool.

He hummed. “Slow night.”

“This is slow?” Shiro asked.

Keith nodded. “Yeah, but it’s still early. I’m sure more people will come in later if the weather isn’t keeping them at bay. It’s not a music night so there’s going to be less of a crowd.”

A waving hand caught his attention and he spotted Pidge and Hunk in the last booth in the corner. Keith grinned and pulled Shiro over to them. Pidge scrambled out of the booth to meet them and pulled Keith into a hug.

“Hey Pidge,” he said. He stepped back and gestured to Shiro. “Guys, this is Shiro. Shiro this is Pidge and Hunk.”

“Nice to meet you,” Shiro said, raising a hand in greeting.

“Finally, the boyfriend,” Hunk said with a grin.

Keith rolled his eyes and pulled Shiro down into the opposite side of the booth from his friends. “Don’t go scaring him off,” he chastised. “I see you two have already gotten started.” He nodded towards the pitcher on the table.

Pidge filled the two remaining empty glasses on the table and pushed one to Keith and Shiro. “Only because you took so long to get here.”

Keith grinned and took a sip of the beer, sighing happily.

“So Shiro…” Pidge stared.

“Let me guess, this is where the interrogation starts,” he said amicably.

“So Keith warned you.” She nodded knowingly.

Shiro shrugged. “Yes and no. My friends would do the same thing. You’re looking out for him. I can respect that.”

Pidge hummed.

“How are you liking Chicago?” Hunk broke in.

“It’s cold.”

The three of them snickered.

“But it’s nice so far. Keith’s shown me around the city some. We went ice skating.”

Pidge spluttered into her drink. “You convinced Keith to go ice skating?!”

Keith felt himself flush and hid behind his beer.

“He convinced you to go ice skating?” Pidge asked turning her attention to Keith. “What did he have to bribe you with? A blowjob?”

Keith’s flush deepened. “No!” he protested. He saw Shiro sag against the back of the booth with a hand over his mouth, cheeks as red as Keith’s probably were.

“Oh is that why you were late?” Hunk asked.

“Hunk!” he squeaked.

The two of them laughed and downed what was left in their glasses, Hunk refilling them from the pitcher.

“We were playing video games. And you can’t blame us for being late when you were early,” Keith scoffed.

“Video games,” Pidge murmured. “Basically the way the two of you met. Shiro you obviously saw something you liked in Keith’s brash online personality.”

Keith grumbled something into his beer and sagged in his seat. “You know with the way you two talk, you’d think I’m a terrible person who’s impossible to get along with.”

“Not impossible, but it takes a special kind of person for you to be friends with,” Pidge muttered.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means,” Hunk said, smiling. “That you’re particular about the people you get close to. You don’t want someone who’s going to give you a bunch of B.S. You like genuine people.”

Shiro’s knee pressed up against his and Keith glanced down before looking at Shiro’s smile out of the corner of his eye.

He sighed. “I guess.”

“So, Shiro,” Pidge continued. “What did you find so enthralling about Keith.”

“His sense of humor,” he answered easily. “And how invested he got in the video game. He’s dedicated to what he does.”

Pidge groaned while Hunk aww’ed.

“I don’t know what I worried about. You two are going to be that disgusting couple the rest of us get annoyed by but are secretly relationship goals,” Pidge grumbled.

Keith’s mouth dropped open. He blinked, trying to come up with some sort of reply to that. Shiro snickered next to him, bowing his head before laughter racked his body. They all turned to stare at him.

“Sorry, sorry,” he apologized. “I shouldn’t laugh, but you guys are hilarious.”

“Just wait until you’re privy to one of our movie nights,” Hunk said, eyes sparkling.

“Oh?” Shiro prodded.

“Alcohol and pizza and whatever movie we’re feeling that night. Things can either go really great or horribly wrong depending on how much alcohol is consumed and what movie we’re watching.”

“Yeah,” Keith agreed. “Pidge has been known to go on for hours about the science or theories that are used in some films. Usually when that happens we’ve just gotta let her work it out of her system. Don’t ever try to get in the middle of a Pidge rant because it won’t end well. She’ll just talk over you or make some weird tie-in about aliens or something.”

“Please,” Pidge said. “I don’t make a tie-in with aliens. That’s your thing. I’m more concerned with the science! It has to be logical and if it’s not making sense there’s no point,” she scoffed.

Keith opened his mouth to argue and sighed. “Yeah, you’re right, but come on. I mean, aliens. Who doesn’t think aliens are pretty cool?”

“A majority of the population?” Shiro offered.

Keith pouted at him and downed the rest of his beer. “I feel so betrayed. I can’t believe you Shiro. You would throw your own boyfriend under the bus.” He shook his head and looked across the table at his friends. “Aren’t you guys going to do anything about this?” he asked, gesturing to Shiro. “It’s a crime.”

“You only think it’s a crime,” Pidge scoffed, snatching the pitcher before Keith could make a grab for it and pouring the rest of it in her glass. “And because we’re all so done with your shit, you get to buy the next round,” she said, shoving the empty pitcher back at him.

“Fine,” he grumbled, pushing himself out of the booth and leaving Shiro behind with his friends.

“That was totally an excuse just to get me alone with you guys wasn’t it?” Shiro asked, watching Keith walk away towards the bar.

“Yup,” Pidge agreed.

“Completely,” Hunk said.

“Worked out better than trying to corner you in the bathroom,” Pidge said, taking a sip from her glass.

“I suppose I’m going to get the shovel talk now,” Shiro murmured, keeping his eyes on Keith who looked over his shoulder and gave Shiro a smile.

“You know…” Hunk began. “We were going to, but considering you’re staring across the bar at your boyfriend…”

“It doesn’t really seem necessary anymore,” Pidge finished.

Shiro managed to pull his gaze away from Keith and look at the two people in front of him who were both smirking him and watching him with interested expressions.

“Keith’s experience with romantic partners is incredibly limited,” Pidge supplied. Hell, his experience with positive relationships romantic or platonic is incredibly limited.”

“We just want to make sure this is good for him and we already know it has been, but…” Hunk added.

“We want you to take care of him,” Pidge interrupted. “Not in a financial sugar daddy kind of way, but just support him and give him what he needs.”

Shiro smiled. “I don’t think that’ll be a problem. I know about his financial situation. We’ve shared our anxieties with each other. Hell, it was after his last financial meeting of the semester when we finally broached the topic of meeting and I offered to come up here. I want him to be happy.” Keith caught his eye when he turned away from the bar with a full pitcher.

“Well, I have no objections,” Hunk said. “Do you?”

“None at all,” Pidge said, taking a drink from her glass to hide her smirk. “None. At. All.”

“What did I miss?” Keith asked, setting down the pitcher and sliding back into the booth next to Shiro.

“Not much,” Shiro said, reaching for his hand under the table.

~~

The cold air helped to sober them as they stepped out of the bar, but Keith’s cheeks were still flushed from the drinks. Shiro’s hand was slung low around his waist and Keith had no qualms leaning into his presence.

“Well that was a fun evening,” Shiro murmured, leaning down to press a kiss to the side of Keith’s hair where it poked out from underneath the beanie. Keith smiled up at him and slipped his hand into Shiro’s back pocket.

“I’m glad you came,” Keith said. “And that you got along so well. It means a lot.”

“It’s all worth it. You’re with it.”

Keith looked up at him, their gazes boring into each other. Shiro leaned down for a proper kiss and Keith wrapped his arms around his shoulders. His lips were soft and still tasted faintly of beer which intensified when he opened his mouth and their tongues brushed against each other.

Keith pulled back and stared up at Shiro who bit his lip and Keith swallowed, tugging him down the sidewalk. He was thinking about how much he enjoyed living so close to the bar when they turned the corner to his building. Shiro kept him close as he pulled his keys from his pocket and fumbled them into the lock, pushing the door open and pulling Shiro in after him.

He hurried up the stairs and pushed into his apartment, pressing Shiro up against the door as it slammed shut and wrapping his arms around him again. Shiro pulled him close, pressing their bodies together, his palms blazing a trail of heat across his skin even though one of them was a prosthetic. Keith sighed into their kiss and pulled back.

“Is there a reason you’re stopping?” Shiro asked, looking down at him.

“Come on,” Keith said, stepping back and missing the press of their bodies together. He kicked off his shoes and pulled off his jacket as he walked backwards before turning and heading towards his bedroom. He heard Shiro follow after him and hummed when he wrapped his arms around him from behind.

Shiro pressed a kiss to the side of his head once, twice, and a third time before dipping his head to kiss Keith’s neck. Keith tilted his head to the side, reveling in the feel of Shiro’s lips running over the side of his neck. He leaned back into him, eyes sliding shut as the corners of his mouth ticked up. He ran his hands over Shiro’s arms around him, feeling heat spread underneath his skin.

“I want to kiss you,” Shiro murmured against his skin.

“I thought that’s what you’re doing.”

Shiro huffed a laugh into his skin and turned him in his arms, bringing their lips together again. He smiled into the kiss when he was walked backwards to the bed. He pulled Shiro down with him and let himself be pulled back into the circle of Shiro’s arms as they laid on their sides. Shiro’s hand rested on his hip, fingers slipping underneath the hem of his shirt.

Keith pushed himself closer, sighing as their lips pressed together again. Shiro’s grip on his hip tightened and he shifted, feeling himself responding not so subtly to the possessive touch. He groaned into the kiss and Shiro’s grip tightened further. Shiro broke their kiss and pressed his lips underneath Keith’s jaw, kissing along the underside of it. He shifted forward, leg pressing between Keith’s.

“Fuck,” he hissed, hips stuttering against Shiro’s thigh.

“Keith,” Shiro groaned into his neck in response. “God, Keith.”

Keith’s breath left him in a rush at how low and wrecked Shiro’s voice already sounded. “Shiro, please…”

Shiro sucked on his neck, making him squirm, cock barely brushing against the thigh between his legs. Throwing caution to the wind about how they hadn’t talked about this yet, he pressed harder against Shiro’s thigh, searching for sweet friction, making his cock harden further in his jeans. Shiro’s hands moved lower, gripping his ass and pulling his hips higher so their crotches rubbed together. He clutched at Shiro’s shoulders when their clothed erections rubbed together.

“Shit,” he said. “Do that again.”

Shiro obliged and Keith bit his lips at the throb that pulsed through him. He pulled Shiro’s lips away from his neck, chasing kisses that first tasted like beer and delved into something deeper, something utterly Shiro. He took what he needed as they moved together on his bed and what Shiro seemed all too willing to give. Each throb and pulse through his cock brought him closer to the edge and he knew the same was happening for Shiro as his breaths shortened and he clutched at him tighter, making their rocking become more frantic as the sheets bunched underneath them.

“Keith…” Shiro said, pulling away from his lips and pressing their foreheads together. He gazed into his eyes and Keith’s eyelids fluttered shut on a particularly delightful press that had his toes curling against the covers. Heat pooled in his belly and he could feel the muscles in his stomach starting to tighten as each pulse moved through him harder than the last.

“I’m getting close,” he said.

“Me too,” Shiro agreed, tugging at him, at his hips, searching for as much contact as possible. His breath stuttered on the way out and Keith had a fleeting thought of what it would feel like if they’d managed to get their jeans off before getting this far. The thought alone coupled with the next slide of their erections against each other had him closer to falling over the edge.

Keith arched backwards, pressing closer to Shiro and searching for more contact through the fabric of their shirts. Shiro shuddered against him, hips stuttering on the next thrust and he was coming, squeezing Keith impossibly tighter. Keith continued to move against him, working Shiro through his own orgasm and chasing his own until he spilled in his boxers and rode the waves of pleasure that surged through his veins with a gasp and groan.

They gasped shared breaths, taking sloppy and slow kisses as they came down from their high. When Keith managed to open his eyes he found Shiro watching him and he huffed a laugh. Leaning in for a more coordinated kiss before pulling himself from bed to get cleaned up and in something more comfortable.

Chapter Text

Keith burrowed further into the warmth surrounding him and sighed happily. He blinked his eyes open and found his face pressed against Shiro’s chest. He thought about the night before and how things had just happened between them and bit his lip. He wasn’t embarrassed. It was hard to be embarrassed with Shiro when they’d already been so emotionally intimate with each other. He was more surprised that it had actually happened more than anything else.

He trailed the side of his finger across the small span of fabric below his hand, watching it shift the shirt just barely. Shiro sucked in a breath and Keith’s eyes flicked up to his face, watching him let out a breath before opening his eyes. His gaze immediately met Keith’s and he smiled, ducking his head for a morning kiss.

Keith tried kissing him back, he really did, but his grin was making it hard to kiss properly. He broke away with a chuckle. Shiro grinned at him and rolled him onto his back, pressing him into the mattress and aiming for a proper kiss this time. Keith’s hands went to Shiro’s hair as their lips moved together. Keith brushed the strands that fell into Shiro’s face back before trailing his hands down Shiro’s chest so he could wrap his arms around his back.

“We should talk about last night,” Shiro said against his lips.

“Oh?” Keith asked only halfway paying attention.

“Yeah…” Shiro said, moving his lips down to Keith’s neck. “Were you okay with it?”

“I was more than a little okay with it,” he said, voice breathless. “It was amazing.”

“Yeah, but-“

Keith hooked his leg around Shiro’s back and rolled them so he was sitting on Shiro’s stomach. A hand immediately went to his hip and Keith planted his hands on the mattress next to Shiro’s shoulders, leaning forward so they were looking in each other’s eyes.

“Were you okay with it?” he asked.

“I thought it was great,” Shiro clarified, rubbing his thumb against Keith’s hipbone. “I just want to know what you’re okay with. Like, is that as far as you want to go right now or did you feel like we were moving too fast?”

Keith smiled because this man… “Shiro we’ve been talking with each other for months and have been together for a little while already. I don’t think last night was us moving too fast, but we don’t have to go any farther yet. I’m more than content just spending time with you or watching a movie. If you’re not okay with doing anything else that’s fine with me.”

“No, Keith, that’s not-“ Keith cut off his protest with a kiss.

“Not wanting to jump headfirst into everything doesn’t make me think any less of you, Shiro. Everyone has boundaries and everyone should respect people’s boundaries.”

“I just don’t want to fuck this up,” he mumbled.

Keith smiled and brushed his thumb against Shiro’s cheek. “Hitting the brakes once and a while isn’t going to fuck things up, Shiro, but ignoring boundaries and doing things you’re not comfortable with will.”

“Thanks,” Shiro said, gaze soft.

Keith rocked forward and brought their lips together before he crawled off Shiro and tucked himself against his side.

“Anything you want to do today?” he asked. “You’ve already seen the city. Well, some of it anyway. I don’t know if shopping is your thing or whatever.”

“Wherever you are is where I want to be,” Shiro mumbled, making Keith groan.

“Don’t go saying cheesy stuff like that.”

Shiro pressed a kiss against his hair. “But seriously, whatever you want to do is fine with me.”

“Don’t make me pick. I’d always elect to stay inside and watch movies or stupid shows than having to go outside.”

“That really doesn’t sound so bad.”

Keith raised an eyebrow and looked up at him. “Really?”

He shrugged. “It’s what most of our dates have been so far. The only difference is that this time we get to cuddle.”

Keith patted him on the chest and sat up. “Then come help me make breakfast. We can camp out on the couch.”

“I’ll meet you out there, just as soon as I can give you more than just one hand,” he said, waving his arm in the air.

Keith smiled, giving Shiro one last kiss before pulling himself from the warmth of his bed. He grabbed the hoodie that was thrown over the back of his desk chair and pulled it over his head, navigating his way down the hall blindly until he freed himself.

He looked through his cabinets, wondering what he could make that was more impressive than eggs and toast when he spotted the small packages of flour and sugar tucked away in his cabinet. He didn’t use the stuff often and usually avoided buying too much of it, but it would be perfect for pancakes.

He hurried into the living room to retrieve his computer and searched for a pancake recipe until he found one that was simple to make and he had all the ingredients for it. (Whoever was making really expensive gourmet pancakes obviously had too much time and money on their hands.)

He pulled the biggest bowl he had from the cabinet and started measuring out his ingredients.

“What are we having?” Shiro asked, wrapping his arms around him from behind as he leaned over to squint at his computer screen.

“Pancakes,” he mumbled, reaching for the sugar and the correct measuring cup.

“Yum,” Shiro said, moving over to the fridge to pull out the milk and eggs. “One of my favorite breakfast foods.”

“I hope you’re good at making them, then. Because I don’t think I’ve flipped a single pancake in my entire life.” He held the spoon still while Shiro poured the milk into the dry ingredients. He mixed them together slowly, making sure not to accidently fling flour everywhere. He didn’t want to deal with the mess and didn’t want to waste the flour.

Shiro pulled out a frying pan to heat up while Keith finished mixing everything in the bowl. He grinned and twirled a spatula between his fingers. “Ready?”

“I think the real question,” Keith said, carefully pouring some of the batter into the pan, “is if you’re ready.”

“I’m always ready,” Shiro said, watching the pancake and waiting for bubbles to form on the top of the batter. “But you’re going to learn how to flip a pancake.”

Keith huffed and set the bowl on the counter as Shiro carefully slid the spatula underneath the bottom of the pancake. He crossed his arms and leaned against the counter while Shiro lifted the pancake and flipped it over, presenting a perfectly golden-brown side.

“See?” he asked with a grin. “Easy.”

Keith rolled his eyes and pulled down a plate from the cabinet next to him. “You haven’t seen me try yet.”

Shiro stuck out his tongue at him. “You’ll do fine.”

He transferred the pancake to the plate Keith held out for him and took the plate only to shove the spatula in Keith’s empty hand.

“Go ahead.”

Keith plopped another circle of batter onto the pan and listened as it hissed. “How do I know when it’s ready to flip?”

“Just wait until bubbles start to form on the top of the pancake.”

Keith tapped his finger against the edge of the spatula as he waited.

“Why are you so nervous?” Shiro asked with a chuckle. “It’s just a pancake.”

“It’s not just a pancake,” he scoffed.

“Look it’s ready to flip,” Shiro said, nodding to the pan.

Keith followed his gaze and sucked in a slow breath when he saw the bubbles on top.

“Now just slide the spatula underneath the side and flip it over.”

Keith tried to imitate what he’d seen Shiro do earlier, but when he flipped the pancake it skidded across the bottom of the pan and left a small streak of batter.

“Shit,” he muttered.

“You did it,” Shiro said, wrapping his arms around his waist and propped his chin on his shoulder.

“What are you talking about, it slid,” Keith objected.

“Yeah,” Shiro said with a shrug. “Happens all the time.”

“Really?”

“Of course. I probably do that with like half my pancakes.”

Keith raised an eyebrow and tried to look at Shiro who was grinning.

“Check the underside and see if it’s done.”

Keith huffed but lifted the edge, miraculously finding the same golden-brown on the other side. He set his pancake on top of Shiro’s.

“Your turn,” he said, pulling out of Shiro’s grip.

He hummed and picked up the bowl. He tapped a finger against his chin before carefully pouring the batter in a shape that definitely wasn’t a circle.

“What are you doing now?” Keith asked.

Shiro grinned. “Making shapes.”

“That looks like the Mickey Mouse ears more than anything,” Keith commented, tilting his head to the side.

“That’s because that’s what it’s supposed to be.”

Keith rolled his eyes and Shiro snatched the spatula from his hand as they waited. He laughed when Shiro flipped his pancake and gave him a huge smile.

When it was his turn, Keith tried to replicate what Shiro had done, but ended up with more of a shapeless blob than anything else. Keith had pouted, making Shiro laugh. The pancakes got more and more ridiculous until they were out of batter and had a small mountain of pancakes.

“Cheers,” Shiro said holding up a pancake. Keith rolled his eyes and picked up his own and tapping it against Shiro’s before taking a bite. He brightened at the taste and picked up the plate before moving into the living room. Shiro followed him with his computer and set it next to the plate of pancakes, leaving Keith to pull up Netflix. After starting their show he sat down next to Shiro and threw his legs over his lap.

Shiro’s hand automatically went to his leg and rested there while they ate their pancakes.

~~

Keith blinked his eyes open and found himself tucked into Shiro’s side. They were still on the couch and Shiro’s head was tilted back, his eyes shut. Keith rubbed at his eye and looked at where his laptop was still opened on the table and the empty plate from their breakfast was next to it.

He stretched his arm over his head and arched his back, feeling his spine pop in several places. Shiro shifted under him and groaned.

“You awake?” Keith asked, sagging back agasint him.

“I am now. What were you doing?” he asked, rolling his head to the side so he could look at him.

Keith shrugged. “Stretching.”

“Are you some kind of cat or something?”

Keith stuck his tongue out at Shiro who grinned and ran his hand that was still wrapped around his waist up his back, flattening his palm against his spine.

“I think it’s effective to say we slept through the rest of what we were watching.”

“Yeah, but it was a good nap,” Shiro said.

“At this rate, you’re going to end up sleeping away all the time we have together,” Keith argued, bracing his elbow against Shiro’s shoulder so he could lean his head against his hand.

“Doesn’t sound so bad to me. I could think of worse things than to have you wrapped up in my arms,” he said with a grin.

Keith rolled his eyes. “Don’t blame me if you get back home and can’t sleep because you’re alone.”

The comment actually prickled something in the back of his own mind as much as he said it to rag on Shiro. So much had already changed and evolved in their relationship in a handful of days and he knew it was going to be that much harder to part once their limited amount of time was over.

“I guess I’ll just have to call you up then and talk to you until I fall asleep,” he shot back.

“Uh, no,” Keith argued, crossing his arms. “I’m not about to sacrifice my own sleep and level of sanity just so you can get to sleep.”

Shiro smiled and wrapped his arms around him, pulling him closer. Keith huffed and rolled his eyes at his soft expression even as it make him want to squirm from happiness. He snaked his arms around Shiro’s shoulders and dipped his head, meeting Shiro’s lips.

Shiro’s grip tightened on him and he sighed, tilting his head back to deepen the kiss. Keith’s fingers, scratched up through his undercut and tangled in the longer strands.

“Now that,” Shiro said when they broke away, “is definitely going to be something I’m going to miss when I’m back home. Damn.”

Keith chuckled. “You know I never thought I’d be one for physical affection, but I think it’s going to be something I miss, too.”

“I guess I’ll just have to visit again sometime,” Shiro said, rubbing his fingers into Keith’s back.

“Or…” Keith suggested. “I could come visit you?”

“You’d really want to?” he asked. “Would you be able to work it into your budget?”

He nodded. “I think so. As long as I start planning now and have everything for the semester under control I could fly down during spring break. It’ll help not having to pay rooming expenses since I’m assuming I’ll get to stay with you.”

“Of course. I’m not going to give up prime cuddling time and there’s no reason you need to stay at a hotel when I’ve got plenty of space.”

Keith hummed. “I guess it’s settled then. I’ll get to see you in a few months.”

“Great,” Shiro said, tilting his chin up for another kiss Keith easily gave.

“Feel like putting a different movie on?” Keith asked between kisses. “And try not to fall asleep this time?” he asked with a laugh.

“Sure,” he mumbled, making no move to fiddle with the laptop or let Keith go.

He gave into a few more kisses. “Are you going to let me go so I can put something on?”

Shiro shrugged under his hands. “I dunno. I kind of like having you here in my lap.”

“I never said I wasn’t coming back.”

Shiro sighed and let his hands fall away. Keith gave him one more peck before turning to his computer and scrolling through Netflix until he found his watch list and clicked on the first movie he’d been waiting to see. He settled back into Shiro’s side and threw his arm across Shiro’s stomach as his arm came around his back. Keith rested his head against Shiro’s shoulder and smiled when a kiss was dropped onto his head.

~~

Keith ran his fingers lightly over the fabric of Shiro’s shirt as they laid in his bed that night. He was tucked against him and Keith felt more awake than he had all day. His time with Shiro was almost over and even though they were already making plans to see each other again, he wasn’t ready for Shiro to leave. He wanted more than anything to keep him there with him.

“You should get some sleep.”

Keith jolted in Shiro’s arms at the sound of his voice breaking through the silence.

“You’re awake?”

Shiro’s grip tightened around him and he sighed and opened his eyes. “Yeah. I can feel something radiating off you. I just don’t know what it is.”

Keith shrugged and moved his hand up to Shiro’s hair to comb through the strands. “I just…don’t want you to leave, I guess.”

“You’ve got me for a little longer.”

“Yeah, but…”

“I know, but we can enjoy our last day together.”

“Yeah,” Keith said, voice soft in the silence.

Shiro dipped his head and pressed a kiss to Keith’s lips. “We’ll see each other again before you know it and you can call or text me anytime and I’ll do the same. And we’ll have plenty of time to talk to each other or skype when you’re not working and we’re not bogged down with homework.”

Keith smiled. “I guess that doesn’t sound so bed.”

“We’ve been getting on fine like that so far,” Shiro said, nuzzling the side of his face.

“Point taken,” Keith said, pressing a kiss against Shiro’s cheek where he could reach.

Shiro smiled and turned his head to meet Keith’s lips. Keith’s arms came up to wrap around Shiro’s shoulders and pull him closer. Shiro rolled over and propped himself up just enough so he wasn’t crushing Keith into the mattress. Keith tilted his head back and deepened the kiss.

They smiled at each other when they parted to suck in a breath. Instead of going back in for another, Shiro rolled onto his back and pulled Keith on top of him. Keith crossed his arms on Shiro’s chest and rested his head on them, meeting Shiro’s eyes in the darkness. He wasn’t sure how long they stayed like that staring at each other, but it was long enough for them both to drift off to sleep.

Chapter Text

Keith was pulled unexpectedly from sleep. He was ready to bitch and groan about it because it was still dark in his room when he noticed what had woken him. Shiro was shaking next to him, rolled onto his side and arms pulled in close to his chest. His breathing was short and he sounded like he was gasping. Or hyperventilating.

“Shiro?” Keith asked, not daring to reach out and touch him yet.

He didn’t respond and Keith rolled over to turn on the bedside lamp. The dim light gave him a better view and he could see the sweat that was covering Shiro’s forehead.

“Shiro?” Keith asked again, placing a hand on his shoulder. He twitched. Keith sucked in a breath and shook him gently. “Shiro wake up. It’s only a dream. Come on, Shiro.”

Shiro groaned next to him and Keith shook him more firmly, hoping he was close to pulling out of whatever nightmare he was living through.

“Shiro you’re dreaming. Wake up.”

Shiro jolted, eyes flying open as he froze, sucking in gasps of air.

“Hey,” Keith whispered, cradling his cheek. “Hey, you okay?”

Shiro looked up at him before he closed his eyes and swallowed. He pulled away from Keith and sat up, bringing his knees up to his chest and running his fingers through his damp hair.

“Shiro-“

“I’ll be right back,” he said, flinging the tangled covers off his legs and walking from the room. Keith heard the bedroom door close and sighed, resigned to waiting. He crossed his legs and leaned back against the headboard, fiddling with the blanket over his lap.

He heard the tap turn on for a few minutes before shutting off. Keith straightened, expecting Shiro would walk back to the bedroom after a few seconds, but nothing came. Feeling something tighten in his chest, Keith climbed from the bed and crossed his room to the doorway.

The bathroom door was still shut down the hall and he couldn’t hear anything as he approached. Keith knocked gently on the door.

“Shiro?” he asked. “Are you okay?”

He swallowed at the silence. He didn’t like it. It felt like there was a wall being built between them.

“Please let me in,” he whispered.

He heard a heavy sigh before the door was pulled open. Shiro stood there, eyes cast to the side so he wasn’t looking at Keith. Keith was shocked by how vulnerable he looked. It wasn’t the same kind of uncertainty when they’d talked about boundaries, this was something completely different, like Shiro was worried Keith was going to judge him and throw him out on the street.

“Are you okay?” Keith asked again. “Tired? Shaken? What do you need?”

Shiro’s eyes slipped shut and he furrowed his brows before slowly, so slowly, looking at Keith. The vulnerability seeped further into his eyes. Keith wasn’t sure what he’d experienced in his life or how other people had reacted if they saw Shiro like this, but it made his heart ache.

“Do you want to go back to bed?” Keith asked.

Shiro shook his head.

“Okay. Couch?” he asked, holding out a hand.

A moment passed before Shiro nodded and placed his hand in Keith’s. Keith walked him down the hall and settled on the couch so he was leaning against the arm rest. He pulled Shiro down onto the couch so he was laying on his chest and Keith wrapped his arms around Shiro’s shoulders, fingers running through Shiro’s hair.

Shiro let out a breath and the lingering tension in his shoulders diminished, his eyes sliding shut as he let himself focus on the sensations of Keith’s fingers in his hair. Keith paused for a moment to drop a kiss on the top of Shiro’s head before going back to his ministrations.

Keith wasn’t sure how long they stayed like that. Shiro was a steady presence on top of him and he was starting to get drowsy again from the warmth between them and the pillow behind his head by the time Shiro actually shifted.

“Thanks,” he whispered.

Keith smiled. “Are you feeling better?”

He nodded against his chest. “I’m sor-“

“Hey, no,” Keith interrupted, stopping his petting to look down at Shiro who was staring at a spot across the room. “There’s nothing for you to apologize about. I don’t need any explanations or excuses. I just need to know that you’re okay and if there’s something else you need to reorient yourself.”

“No, I’m okay for now. This…this helped. It’s a lot more than I usually get when I have nightmares.”

Keith swallowed and squeezed Shiro tighter, wishing he didn’t have to deal with this kind of thing by himself.

“Well…if you ever need anything while I’m away, you can call me.”

“What about your precious need for sleep?” Shiro tried to joke.

“This is more important than sleep,” he murmured into Shiro’s hair.

Shiro took a shaky breath and buried his face in Keith’s shirt.

“Feel like watching a movie? Or are you ready to go back to bed?”

“A movie sounds good,” Shiro said, voice muffled. “I usually can’t go back to sleep on nights like this.”

Keith struggled to reach over to the coffee table with Shiro on top of him, but he managed to wrap his fingers around the edge of his laptop and pull it over to him. He balanced it on Shiro’s back as he found Netflix and scrolled through the movies looking for something to watch. He picked one of the animated Disney films and set it to play before setting his computer back on the table.

He shifted under Shiro and found a more comfortable position, fingers going back to Shiro’s hair as a pleasant tune filtered from the speakers.

~~

Keith woke on the couch to find Shiro breathing softly on top of him. His eyes were closed and the screen of Keith’s computer had long gone dark. He smiled, glad Shiro was able to relax enough to get some more sleep.

His smile fell away as soon as he realized he really, really had to go the bathroom.

“Fuck,” he muttered and slapped a hand over his eyes.

Shiro shifted on top of him. “Hm?” he mumbled, eyes still closed.

Keith sighed. “Shiro? Hey, Shiro are you awake?”

“What is it?”

“Do you mind getting up for a minute?”

Shiro groaned and buried his face in Keith’s chest. “But I’m so comfortable,” he whined.

“Well you’re not going to be if I can’t get to the bathroom,” Keith huffed.

That got Shiro’s eyes to snap open and he looked up at him.

“I have to go to the bathroom,” he clarified.

“Oh,” Shiro said, moving sluggishly off of him.

As soon as Keith could wriggle free he darted off the couch and to the bathroom, slamming the door behind him with a little more force than necessary in his hurry to relieve himself. It wasn’t the ideal way to wake up his boyfriend, but at least he hadn’t pissed on him. That would’ve been even worse.

After washing up he peered around the door and found Shiro reclining on his back on the couch. His head rolled to the side and he looked at him at the sound of the door and he smiled.

“Feel like coming back here?” he asked.

Keith sighed and crossed the room over to him, standing at his side. “Sorry about that.”

Shiro shook his head and caught his hand, tugging on him until he relented and draped himself over Shiro’s chest, mirroring how they’d slept before.

“What time is it?” Shiro rumbled underneath him.

Keith lifted his head and glanced at the clock. “Not quite noon yet.”

“So late,” he groaned.

Keith shrugged. “We needed the sleep.”

“I can sleep when I get back home,” Shiro argued.

Keith chuckled. “It’s okay. We’ll be together again soon.”

“Yeah, but my flight’s tonight and I wanted to spend as much time with you as possible.”

Keith planted his chin on Shiro’s chest and looked up at his boyfriend. He smiled at Shiro’s pout. “It won’t be that bad, I promise. And we still have a lot of time. We can lay around on the couch and get some last minute time together. But first, we can start with breakfast.”

“I think it’s more brunch at this point…” Shiro pointed out.

“It can be whatever we want it to be. Who says we have to confine our meals to the strict routine everyone else finds acceptable?”

Shiro smiled and ducked his head, only managing to reach Keith’s forehead for a kiss.

“Come on,” Keith said, sitting up and climbing off the couch. “I can make us something to eat and if you want to get cleaned up or put on your prosthetic you can.”

Shiro stopped him before he could move too far away and pulled him down for a proper kiss. Keith patted Shiro’s cheek before moving off into the kitchen. He heard the springs in the couch creak and looked over his shoulder to find Shiro walking back to his bedroom.

He searched his cabinets, looking for the best thing to make. He didn’t want to make pancakes again since they’d just had that. He settled on making toast and a large serving of scrambled eggs, hoping it wouldn’t be too underwhelming on Shiro’s last morning with him for a while.

As he was plating the food arms wrapped around his stomach from behind and a kiss was pressed to the side of his head.

“Smells good,” Shiro said, warm against his back and smelling fresh out of the shower.

“It’s not the pancakes we had yesterday, but I hope it’ll do,” Keith said, turning in Shiro’s arms to wrap his own arms around Shiro’s shoulders.

He smiled. “Maybe not, but it’s just as good.”

Keith raised an eyebrow, trying to look skeptical and failing with how happy and content he was. “You haven’t even tried it yet.”

“Don’t need to. Everything you make is good.”

“Then let’s eat,” Keith said, trying to pull out of Shiro’s grip, but he didn’t let go.

“Let me at least show my gratitude for all the work you put into making dinner,” Shiro said, ducking his head, bringing their lips almost together.

Keith didn’t hesitate to press forward, wrapping his arms tighter around Shiro’s shoulders at the soft caress of their lips together. Keith lost himself into the kiss, forgetting that he’d just made breakfast and it would get cold if they waited too long.

Shiro hummed and licked his lips when he pulled back. “I’m sure your breakfast will be on par with the pancakes from yesterday, but I’m not sure it’ll be on par with that.”

“Then I guess we better find out,” Keith said, pulling back and shoving a plate into Shiro’s hands before breezing past him with his own food for the couch.

~~

They stayed curled up together on the couch after finishing breakfast and watched anything and everything they found interesting on Netflix. The shows and movies were less important than getting to spend their last few hours together, holding hands, leaning against each other, cuddling, or running their fingers through each other’s hair. (There were a few make outs in there too, but Keith wasn’t going to divulge that information to his friends.)

Keith had excused himself to shower and get changed as Shiro packed and they held hands tightly on the bus ride to the airport. Neither of them said anything during the ride, but Keith leaned his head against Shiro’s shoulder, drawing his last few moments of physical comfort from him as the buildings whizzed by and Shiro’s thumb rubbed circles into the back of his hand.

The line for Shiro’s airline check-in was long and Keith was forced to wait to the side, holding Shiro’s backpack tightly in his hand as he watched him make slow progress forward until he was at the counter. Shiro smiled and talked jovially with the worker, making Keith swallow thickly. He was going to miss that smile.

After handing over his suitcase and taking his boarding pass he turned away, eyes immediately going to Keith who moved to meet him at the end of the line. Shiro took his backpack and grabbed Keith’s hand, squeezing it tight as they moved to security. The line was already long and moving slowly and they took a moment to stay to the side.

Keith stared down at his shoes, not knowing what he would see in Shiro’s eyes or how he was going to react to that.

“Keith,” Shiro said softly.

Keith took a shaky breath and lifted his head slowly, meeting Shiro’s eyes and the sadness that lingered inside.

“We’ll see each other again soon.”

Keith surged forward and wrapped his arms around Shiro’s shoulders, holding him tight. Shiro pulled him as close as he could.

“I’m going to miss you,” Keith mumbled into Shiro’s shoulder. “I’m going to miss you so much.”

“I know. Me too. But only for a few months,” he said, rubbing the palm of his hand up and down Keith’s spine. “Only for a few months.”

“It’s going to be a long few months.”

“We can skype and call and text,” Shiro said. “And you better believe that I’m going to want to talk to you as much as possible.”

Keith huffed a sort of strangled laugh and fought back the emotion that wanted to overtake him. He wasn’t going to cry. Not in the middle of the airport and not in front of Shiro.

“As much as I don’t want to, I need to get in line before it gets too long. Can’t miss my flight and I’m sure you need to get back.”

Keith nodded and forced himself to pull back. Shiro smiled and cupped Keith’s cheek and Keith offered his own shaky smile. Shiro ducked his head and kissed him firmly. Keith’s eyes slid shut and he reveled in the last bit of feeling that would have to carry him through until spring break. Shiro broke the kiss first and Keith took his time in letting his eyes open, taking in every physical feature of Shiro in front of him.

Shiro stepped back and Keith grabbed his hand, holding tight as long as he could. Shiro walked backwards, holding his gaze until he was too far away and he had to pull his hand away. Seconds after Shiro moved into the roped off area, someone else stepped in behind him.

Keith waited, watching Shiro’s slow progress and reveling the glances he would always shoot over his shoulder as he waited. He fingered his phone in his pocket, only pulling it out once Shiro had made it through security and moved out of sight. He turned away and started walked towards the exit, fingers slightly unsteady.

Keith: Have a safe flight.

Shiro: Don’t work too hard. I’ll make sure to text you when I land. Love you, baby.

Keith bit his lip and tightened his grip on his phone, hesitating for a moment.

Keith: Love you too, Shiro.

He locked his phone and squeezed it tight in his hand before hurrying back outside to the bus that was waiting. He swiped his pass as he boarded and walked to the back, slumping into the last row of seats as he tried to calm his heart.

His phone vibrated and he swallowed before looking down at it, feeling a smile tug at the corners of his lips.

Shiro: <3

These next few months were going to be too long.

Chapter Text

Keith yawned as he pushed through the back door of his work. He swung around to the employee lockers and sluggishly put in his combo before pulling the metallic door open and throwing his jacket and wallet inside. He sighed and let it fall shut before running a hand through his hair and slipping down the hall past the door to the kitchen. He punched his number into the time clock and headed out to the floor.

The sounds of dishes and silverware tapping against each other and the soft murmurs of conversation blended together in the background with the soft classical music playing over the speakers. He could see George hard at work making drinks, lips turned down in concentration and he made it behind the counter before he took notice of him.

“Need help?” Keith asked, crossing his arms and leaning his hip against the counter.

George’s head snapped up after he dumped a tumbler of liquor into the glass he was prepping. A wide grin stretched across his face.

“Heyyyyy, look who’s back!” He quickly finished up the drink and set it on the tray with the drink receipt. “How was your week of vacation?” he asked, draping his hand towel over his shoulder.

Keith glanced to the side as the corner of his lips ticked up at the memory of Shiro. “It was great,” he murmured.

“Oh?”

Keith looked up to find George had moved closer and was eyeing him.

“What’s that look for?” he asked.

Keith shrugged and felt his face heat up. “Nothing.” He cleared his throat and skirted around George. “We should get these drink orders taken care of.”

“Not so fast,” George said, taking the next drink order after Keith. “You look like you got the best Christmas present. You never look like that.”

“Well…” Keith said as he turned to grab the bottle of whisky behind them.

George gasped and when he turned around found him with a hand over his chest. Keith rolled his eyes at his dramatics and pulled a small glass from the rack underneath the counter.

“What’s that look for?” he asked.

“What Christmas present did you get?” he asked, leaning forward.

Keith shoved him away. “Don’t just stand there. We have a pile of drinks to get through.”

George raised an eyebrow and made a show of pulling out the glass and alcohol he needed. “I am clearly working. Now continue. I want to know about this present you got. What was it?”

“Not so much an it as a who,” Keith offered.

“You didn’t get a mail order bride did you?”

Keith spluttered and nearly spilled the bottle of whisky he was holding. He breathed a sigh of relief when he got the lid back on. It was one of the more expensive brands and he wasn’t sure Linda would let him off easy for spilling it and he wasn’t prepared to pay her back for it. Not when he needed to save up for spring break.

“What the hell, George?” Keith asked, holding the bottle of whisky close to his chest. “Why would you ask something like that?”

He shrugged and put the finishing touches on his drink, setting it on one of the trays before picking up the next slip in the pile. “Hey, you never know. And you haven’t exactly been in the most sharing mood. If you don’t tell me anything I’m going to assume the worst.”

Keith grumbled and stuck the whisky under the counter. He set the drink on a tray and looked around to make sure none of the other wait staff were nearby. He was already the concern of a lot of the employees since he was living on his own and paying for school. The last thing he needed was for them to be worried he was dating a serial killer.

“You promise to keep this quiet?” he asked.

George leveled him with a look. “You seriously can’t trust me with this?”

“I just don’t want it getting around when it doesn’t need to.”

George’s disbelief and exasperation morphed into determination. “Of course, man. I’ve got your back.”

Keith let out a breath. “Okay,” he said, fiddling with the bottles of alcohol. “My…boyfriend came to visit last week.”

He was expecting to hear glass shattering in the kind of dramatic fashion George embodied, but when he turned to look, George was staring at him, mouth wide open, and tequila held firmly in his hand.

“When the hell did you,” he started too loud. Checking himself, he added, “Get a boyfriend?”

Keith scratched the back of his head and measured out the first alcohol for his next drink. “A few months ago I think? It’s been long distance and I haven’t really told anyone besides Pidge and Hunk.”

“Wait, wait, wait…long distance. So you met this guy online?”

Keith raised an eyebrow and nodded. “Yeah, I did. Just like all the people who use dating sites do.”

George opened his mouth to say something, but paused and nodded. “Keith Kogane did you use a dating site?”

Keith scoffed. “Of course not.”

“Then how did you two meet?” he asked, finally turning back to his work and completing the drink orders in earnest.

“We ended up teaming up one night while playing Voltron. We kind of became regulars at that and a few weeks went by and we got closer before getting together.”

“Aww,” George crooned. “You’re both nerds.”

“Shut up,” Keith said, elbowing him in the side even as he grinned. “Shiro’s a bigger nerd than I am.”

“So his name’s Shiro huh?” George asked.

Keith flushed and turned away.

“Nah, it’s nice,” he continued. “I’m glad that you found someone. Honestly, I didn’t even think you were interested in dating, but you seem happy with him. Next time he’s in town you should bring him around and let me meet him. I’ll fix him up a nice drink on the house.”

Keith’s lips ticked up. “Thanks, George. I really appreciate it.”

The two of them fell back into work next to each other, a companionable silence hanging over their heads as they filled the remainder of the rush orders that had piled up before Keith had made it in.

~~

As Keith swung past Linda’s office on his way out she spoke up inside and stopped him.

“Wait, Keith!”

He backtracked and stuck his head around the door, finding her already halfway out of her desk chair.

“What’s up?” he asked.

“I’ve got the open slots for the next few weeks that you’re on break. I’m giving you first pick of the extra shifts that you want. I’ll let you take up to three extra shifts each week, but you’re already pretty booked here so don’t overdo it and there are plenty of other people who would be more than willing to take the extra shifts, too.”

Keith took the spreadsheet from her hands and looked over the list, sitting in one of the armchairs in front of her desk as he looked things over. Since he didn’t have obligations with school at the moment, he had more than enough time to take on three extra shifts without having to worry about losing sleep and he could probably find time to spend with Shiro outside of that since his schedule would no doubt be flexible too.

“Do you have a pen so I can mark these?” he asked.

Linda held out a blue fountain pen and he took it, bracing the sheets of paper on his legs as he marked off the extra shifts he wanted to take.

“The changes will be uploaded to the employee scheduling system, right?” he asked, passing the papers and pens across the table.

She nodded. “I’m going to update your schedule right now and I’ll post the extra shifts for everyone else to pick and choose as they please. When you can get it to me, I’m going to need a copy of your schedule and updated availability for next semester so I know when I’m going to be able to schedule your hours.”

Keith nodded. “Do you want a physical copy or is email okay?”

“Either’s fine. Just make sure it’s as a timetable.”

“Sure thing,” he said, pushing out of his chair and turning to leave.

“One last thing,” she said, stopping him.

He raised an eyebrow and turned back around.

“Don’t give me that look, it’s nothing bad. I just wanted to know how your break last week was. You’re normally so focused on school and work that you don’t give yourself much time off.”

Keith smiled. “It was nice. I actually managed to enjoy the week and having the chance to spend time with my friends without struggling to work it around everything else.”

Linda smiled and nodded. “That’s good. And you’re always welcome to take more time if you need it.”

“I know, but that probably won’t happen until spring break. I’m hoping to go somewhere so I’m going to need the extra shifts to save up for it.”

“That’s wonderful! I’m glad you’re taking the chance to enjoy some time for yourself. I’ll keep you in mind for extra shifts as always and let me know if there’s anything else you need from me. Enjoy the rest of your night.”

“Yeah, thanks,” Keith said with a smile before he slipped out of her office and headed towards the employee lockers. He pulled his jacket and wallet free, slipping his arms through the sleeves of his coat. He pulled out his phone as he headed towards the back door and smiled at the message he had from Shiro.

Shiro: It’s so lonely without you, babyyyyyy

Keith’s smile turned to a grimace as he pushed the back door open and was met with a gust of chilling wind that ruffled his hair. He ducked his head against it and pulled his jacket tighter around him, wishing he had a hat or a scarf to keep him warm. Or even a car that he could blast the heat in as he drove back to his apartment.

He grit his teeth as he hit the sidewalk and kept his head down, typing out a quick message to Shiro as he fought against the cutting wind.

Keith: I think it got colder now that you’re gone.

Keith: Why did you have to take all the warmth with you?

He clutched his phone tightly in his hand and crossed his arms to try and keep some semblance of warmth trapped in his body. He was definitely going to jump into bed as soon as he got back and wrap himself in a thousand blankets to keep warm.

His phone buzzed in his hand but he waited until he was safely around the corner to his street and out of the direct force of the wind to check it.

Shiro: It’s not my fault you decided to live where it’s cold.

Keith: I didn’t ‘decide’ to live here. This is where I grew up. Not like I could do much else when I was applying for colleges and couldn’t legally move anywhere yet.

Shiro: Well now that you can move anywhere you like you can move somewhere warmer so you don’t have to deal with the cold.

Keith shook his head and pulled his keys from his pocket, fumbling them in the lock to his building before he managed to shove the door open and step into the warmth. He sighed as the door fell shut behind him and blocked out the cold, making him shiver at the sudden temperature change.

Keith: After I graduate.

Keith: There’s no use transferring for my last semester of school

Shiro: You disappoint me

Keith rolled his eyes as he stepped off the landing to his floor.

Keith: Whatever, Shiro. Are you busy tonight? I just got off work and don’t have to go in again until tomorrow afternoon. I have all kinds of free time without having to worry about classes.

His phone vibrated as he shoved his keys into his apartment door and pushed it open, letting it fall shut behind him as he toed off his boots.

Shiro: I’m always free for you. Movie or gaming?

Keith: Are Lance and Allura free too? We could do one of the harder missions and get that done.

Shiro: Let me text them and I’ll let you know.

Keith slipped into his bedroom and tossed his phone onto his bed as he undid the buttons on his work shirt, exchanging it for something more comfortable and his pants for a pair of sweats. He settled down against the headboard and opened his laptop.

He felt his phone vibrate and reached across the comforter for it.

Shiro: Both of them are free and ready to game. Apparently they’re mad the four of us haven’t gotten together more often.

Keith: Cool. I’m about to log into my account so I’ll meet you in there.

Keith pulled his headphones from the bedside table and plugged them into his computer before slipping them on his head. He adjusted the mic in front of his mouth and logged into his Voltron account. He watched as he appeared in the middle of the Castle and he took the chance to scroll through the available missions for a four-player team while he waited for Shiro and the others to get online.

He grinned at the sound of a notification and opened the call.

“Hey, baby,” Shiro said making Keith roll his eyes.

“Hey, Shiro. Your friends on yet?”

“Nope, but they’ll be on soon. Both of them weren’t exactly ready to start right away.”

“Sorry.”

“Not your fault,” he said easily. “You have any ideas for what mission you want to do?”

“Yeah, I was actually looking through them and I think I found one that might be pretty interesting.”

“Oh? What did you find?”

“It’s the one on the sand planet or whatever. Takes four players and it looks like we have to retrieve something for the king or the royal family.”

Shiro hummed and Keith could hear him clicking over to it. “Yeah, that one looks good. I think it’ll prove to be a challenge for us.”

“Shiiirooooooo!”

Keith blinked at the new voice sounding through his headphones.

“Finally joining us, Lance,” Shiro said.

“Hey, I’m not last. Allura’s still getting set up.”

“I know. We were just looking at missions and found one to do.”

“Which one?”

“The one on the sand planet,” Keith said, breaking in. “It’s a four-player. Should be cool.”

“Sup, Keith?” Lance said, brightening. “How was it having Shiro up there with you? Shiro’s been keeping pretty tight-lipped so I’m not getting any of the-“

“Lance,” Allura said, breaking in. “Leave them alone.”

“Ooooh,” he shot back. “Look who finally decided to join us.”

“Careful,” Allura warned, “or the next time I see you, you’re going to get a nice slap across your cheek.”

“You’re no fun,” he whined.

“You only say that because Allura’s got better scores than you,” Keith said, clicking on their mission to calibrate it with their group.

The line when dead silent and Keith froze, thinking he’d overstepped his boundaries. But then Shiro’s booming laughter filled the silence and Allura started to giggle. He could hear Lance mutter something, but it didn’t come through the line clearly.

“He’s got a point,” Shiro said, making Keith grin.

“You only say that because he’s your boyfriend,” Lance muttered.

“You do have good attack accuracy, though,” Keith conceded, feeling a little guilty over having singled him out.

“Damn right, I do,” Lance scoffed. “Someone has to have all of your backs when your attacks fall short half the time.”

“It’s not that bad,” Shiro said as their screens switched over to the video before their new mission.

“It kind of is. You and Keith are lucky that you’ve specialized your characters in hand-to-hand because there’s less room for error when you’re going directly against one of the enemy fighters and only have to worry about dodging their counterattacks. Throwing objects or using guns would decrease your accuracy by a lot,” Lance rattled off.

“But…” Shiro tried.

“I mean,” Keith said, “he’s got a point. I always preferred going hand-to-hand or using a sword and dagger with my fights because I always felt guns were too bulky and didn’t offer the fast turnaround I wanted. So if you threw a gun or blaster at me for a mission I wouldn’t halfway know what to do with it, let alone be able to aim and neutralize our opponents easily.”

There was silence for a moment and Keith looked down at his screen, making sure he was still connected thinking it had dropped, but all four of them were blinking strongly.

“Did I say something wrong?”

“You agreed with me,” Lance said, sounding confused more than anything.

Keith frowned. “Yeah? Is that a problem?”

“No?”

“Well now that we’ve got that settled,” Keith muttered with a role of his eyes. “How about we actually get to this mission? I think there might be some good rewards and an opportunity to level up. After all this talk, I want to gain more experience and increase my attack points.”

Everyone else made sounds of agreement and Keith smiled, watching as their characters appeared on the planet their mission was on. As much as he was already missing having Shiro around, it was nice having the chance to relax without worrying about everything else.

Chapter Text

Keith yawned and pulled his key from his pocket. It was late and he was just now getting off a double shift for the day. The crowds hadn't been bad, but standing on his feet and preparing drinks all day was no less taxing. He was just glad he didn't have to deal with the customers. There had been more than one old couple who'd complained about the speed of service and if Keith had been in the position of the waitstaff, he would've easily told the customers that their food wasn't going to be cooked any faster unless they wanted it burned on the outside and raw on the inside.

He stretched his arms over his head and crossed the lobby of his building to the rows of mailboxes. His key stuck as he tried to slide it inside his mailbox and he wiggled it to get it inside before he could turn it and open the box. He pulled out a few envelopes and frowned at the slip that indicated he had a package in the office. He hadn't ordered anything and didn't know anyone who would've sent him something. If Pidge and Hunk had anything to give him, they would've done that in person.

Keith stared down at the slip as he walked over to the office and pushed the door open. The superintendent was still at his desk even this late at night and he didn't know if he ever actually slept.

"Evening, Keith," he said, sounding tired.

"I got a package slip," he said, holding up the piece of paper.

"Oh, right. Came in this afternoon," he said, pushing his chair back and moving over to the row of shelves that housed various boxes and the bigger envelopes which didn't fit in the small mailboxes. He hummed as he scanned the shelves, pulling a thin package down once he found it.

Keith handed over the slip of paper and took the package. "Thanks," he said, looking down at the label as he turned and walked out of the office and towards the stairs. His brow furrowed as he saw the return address belonged to Shiro. He had no idea what he would’ve send him, especially since he'd just been there the last week.

He hurried up the stairs to his apartment and pushed inside. Kicking off his shoes in the entryway, he headed towards the kitchen and dropped the package on the table, reaching for the scissors in his junk drawer. He used one of the blades and sliced open the tape. He pulled open the flaps and stared at what was nestled inside.

Keith reached for his phone and pulled it from his back pocket, pulling up his message history with Shiro.

Keith: Did you send me your beanie???

He set his phone on the table and pulled the small knitted garment from the box, revealing a note underneath. His phone vibrated and he reached for it, checking the new message.

Shiro: So you got it????

Keith: Yeah, but why did you send me your beanie.

Shiro: I figured you could use it more than me since it's so cold up there. And it would give you a little reminder of me when I'm not there.

Keith felt his face heat up at the message.

Keith: I don't think you need to give me a reminder so I don't stop thinking about you.

Shiro: So you've been thinking about me, baby?

Keith: You're ridiculous

Shiro: Yeah, but that's what you like about me.

"Yeah, maybe it is," he muttered to himself.

Almost against his better judgement, he held the beanie up to his nose and took a deep inhale. It smelled like Shiro and was comforting in his absence. He pulled it onto his head even though he didn't need it inside his apartment.

Keith reached for the note and unfolded the small sheet of paper.

Keith,

I figured you could use this more than me since it's so much colder up there. And think of it as a Christmas present from me since I don't have anything else to give you right now. And maybe it's my way of being with you even though I can't be there in person right now.

x Shiro

Keith shook his head and folded the piece of paper back up. His stomach grumbled and he turned to his fridge, searching for the leftovers he'd stored the night before. He pulled the container of pasta out and set it on the counter before reaching for a bowl. He dumped the pasta into the bowl and stuck it into the microwave to heat up.

He grabbed his phone as he waited and sent another message back to Shiro.

Keith: You busy tonight?

Shiro: No. What were you thinking?

Keith: Feel like a movie or show? I'm kind of tired so not looking for anything too long, but we could hang out while I eat my dinner and relax before bed.

Shiro: Sure. I can get things set up.

Keith: Cool. I'll go grab my computer.

The microwave beeped and he mixed the pasta before sticking it back in to finish heating. He crossed his apartment and grabbed his computer from the bedside table in his bedroom and his headphones. He set it up on the kitchen table, moving the empty box out of the way and set it to power up while he retrieved his now cooked food from the microwave.

He settled into one of the chairs and kicked his feet up on the chair opposite of himself, leaning heavily against the back of the chair. He logged into his rabbit account and accepted the invitation that was already waiting for him for Shiro's streaming room. He plugged in his headphones and turned on the microphone for the chat room.

"Hey, Shiro," Keith said as he speared a couple of bites of pasta and navigated them around his mic to stuff in his mouth.

"Hey, babe. How are you?" he asked, voice soft.

“Not too bad today,” he said around his mouthful of food. “I’m a little more tired than usual because I had a double shift today, but the crowds weren’t too bad.”

“It was just being on your feet all day?”

“Yeah, just all the standing,” Keith said, fork clinking against the side of the bowl. “And I wasn’t working alone for the night rush so it wasn’t too bad.”

“Was George working with you?”

Keith shook his head and then felt silly since Shiro couldn’t see him. “No. It was one of the other ladies for the night. I think this was only our second or third time working together, but we’re both on top of our shit so it wasn’t bad. There were actually a couple times when she would jump on the drink orders as they came through and I was left without something to do for a few minutes.”

He watched the screen as Shiro pulled up Netflix and queued up a show for them to watch.

“But things are going good?”

Keith chuckled. “Yeah, they’re good. It’s nice not having to be stressed about school for once when I’m at work and I don’t think I’m ever scheduled for two double shifts in a row so I’m taking full advantage of the extra sleep I’m getting.”

“You gonna miss it when classes start up again?”

“Of course I am, but it’s only one more semester. After I graduate I’m only going to have to worry about everything else.”

“You’ll be fine,” Shiro said. “I’m sure of it.”

Keith propped his fist against his cheek and stared at the screen in front of him. Things had gotten so much better after Shiro had come into his life.

“Yeah…” he said quietly. “I’m sure I will be.”

“You ready to watch a show?”

“I’ve been ready. You’re the one who’s kept us from starting with all of your questions.”

“Well excuse me for wanting to know how my boyfriend is doing,” he muttered.

“You can text me these things you know,” Keith said.

“Yeah, but there’s something about getting to hear it come from your mouth that just doesn’t come through a text.”

Keith felt his face heat up and he shifted in his chair. “Let’s just get this started before I fall asleep.”

Shiro chuckled, voice low and breathy in Keith’s ear and it set goosebumps loose over his skin. He fought down a shiver that traveled over his skin and reminders of their last night in bed together flitted through his mind. He swallowed and fought to bring himself back to the present to focus on the show they were watching.

He couldn’t let himself get caught up in such thoughts. Not when there was already so much distance between them and he wouldn’t be able to close it until spring break.

~~

Keith blinked his eyes open and stretched his arms over his head. He arched his back above the mattress before he fell down heavily onto it. There wasn’t anything quite like being able to wake up without the blare of an alarm. He sighed, debating whether he should get up and eat breakfast or try to sleep a little longer.

Finally, he rolled over and reached for his phone on the bedside table, finding a text from Shiro already waiting for him.

Shiro: Morning, baby! Hope you slept well

Keith bit his lip, trying to keep his lips from pulling into a wide grin. He threw an arm over his eyes and chuckled, feeling happiness rise up in his chest. He never would’ve pegged himself as the type to get embarrassed over something so simple, but Shiro had convinced him differently about a lot of things when it came to their relationship.

Keith: Is there ever a time when you’re not unbelievably cheesy?

He let his phone fall down onto his chest even as it stayed in his grip and pushed himself up from bed. He took a minute to stretch his arms over his head and arched his back once again. He sighed and let his arms fall to his sides, phone gripped in his hand as he walked down the hallway towards the kitchen.

He grabbed a glass from the cabinet and filled it under the tap before taking a long drink to wash away the aftertaste of his morning breath. His phone vibrated against the counter as he refilled his glass.

Shiro: When it comes to you? No

Keith rolled his eyes and leaned against the edge of the counter, smiling down at his phone in his hands.

Keith: Careful or you might run out of cheesy things to do

Shiro: I’ll just have to get more creative with my ideas then ;)

Keith bit his lip and felt his stomach flutter happily.

Keith: You busy tomorrow night?

Shiro: No more than usual during break. You wanna do something?

Keith: Yeah. Movie night?

Shiro: Sure! Do you have to work?

Keith: I’ve got an evening shift today and a morning shift tomorrow so I’ll be all yours for the evening.

Shiro: What do you feel like watching?

Keith: Anything really. While I’m busy working you can busy yourself with scouring for something to watch.

Shiro: You got it, babe.

Keith chuckled and picked up his water glass before moving back down the hall. He reached into the bathroom and started the shower before slipping into his bedroom. He set his phone and the half-empty glass on his bedside table as he pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it onto his unmade bed before stepping out of his sweatpants.

He downed the rest of his water before grabbing his phone and heading into the bathroom. He turned on some low music and shoved his boxers down around his legs before stepping into the shower. He hummed along to the music as he ran his hands through his wet hair.

~~

Keith struggled to pull himself off the couch when it was late in the afternoon and time to get dressed for his shift. Having the morning and afternoon to laze around was something he could certainly get used to, but working as a bartender wasn’t something he wanted to do for the rest of his life. He’d much rather have a more predictable schedule and work without running the risk of having to deal with unhappy customers.

He washed his dishes that were left over from lunch before moving into the bedroom to change into his work clothes. He shoved his feet into his boots and pulled his jacket on. He turned to walk away and leave for the restaurant, but paused when he caught sight of the beanie that he’d left on his bedside table the night before.

He reached for it even as a smile pulled at his lips and slipped it onto his head, using the warm hat to cover his ears. He shoved his wallet and phone into his pockets and flicked the light of his bedroom off as he left it behind.

Keith picked up his keys from the bowl on the table next to the door and pulled his apartment door open, nodding towards one of the other residents as he passed. He double checked to make sure his door was locked before hurrying for the stairs.

The biting wind slipped underneath the edges of his jacket and Keith pulled it tighter around himself, but the beanie easily kept his head warm. The walk wasn’t as bad as it normally would’ve been and he was starting to wonder why he hadn’t bought a hat for himself sooner when it was protecting him against such a strong chill. The only other thing he needed was a scarf, but the fact that it wouldn’t smell like Shiro made it less appealing.

“Afternoon,” Keith said as he pushed through the backdoor of the restaurant and practically ran into one of the servers on their way out.

They nodded back before slipping through the door and into the cold outside. Keith hurried down the hallway past the kitchen to the breakroom, fighting off the last of the chill that still clung to him. He shoved his jacket and new hat into his locker and let it fall shut behind him.

He quickly clocked in and headed towards the floor where a young woman was looking particularly frazzled behind the counter. She looked more than a little relieved when he slipped behind the counter and he gave her a nod in return.

“Rough night?” he hedged, not too keen on having a conversation with someone he didn’t know that well.

“A bit. I screwed up on one drink order and the next thing I knew, there was a whole pile of receipts waiting for me that I was struggling to get caught up on.”

Keith looked at the sizeable pile sitting on the counter and reached for the one on top. “No worries,” he said, reading over it. “We can get these taken care of before too long.”

They didn’t talk much as they worked through the drink orders and got them sent off with minimal new orders coming in. Keith was glad when he could take a moment to breathe after they finished off the pile and a single new order came in. His coworker snatched it up before he could and he got started on working through putting away some of the new glasses the kitchen had brought for them.

“Thanks for that,” she sighed after finishing up the last drink and setting a newly emptied bottle of alcohol into the bin below the counter to be counted at the end of the shift.

“No problem,” Keith said, nodding towards the bin of glasses. “We’ve gotta help each other out.”

“Thanks,” she said again, reaching for one of the new glasses. “I got a bit overwhelmed with the influx of orders.”

“Are you new?” Keith asked.

“Yeah. I’ve only been around for the past week.”

He nodded. “Don’t worry too much. You’ll get the hang of it before too long and if you’re ever paired up with George he’ll make sure to take care of you.”

She nodded in recognition. “I’ve worked with him a couple of times already and he was actually working when I was brought in for the interview. He’s really nice.”

Keith nodded.

“I’m Kayla by the way,” she added, moving around him.

“Keith,” he offered.

“So how long have you worked here?”

“The past three years.”

“Wow,” she said. “Impressive.”

He shrugged, ducking his head as he picked up the empty bin the glasses had been in and stepped towards the edge of the counter.

“It’s good work and Linda’s been amazing so I haven’t had any reason to leave yet. I’ll be back in a minute after I take this back to the kitchen.”

She looked a little disappointed that he was ducking out of the conversation. “Sure thing. I’ll hold things down here…”

Keith nodded and turned on his heel, heading towards the kitchen. He winced a little at his abrupt exit. He didn’t want to come off as though he didn’t like her already. He knew how stressful and anxiety inducing the first few weeks of a new job could be, but he wasn’t the best around new people. He sighed as he pushed through the door to the kitchen.

One of the bussers hurried past and took the bin from his hand, either going to replace it with the others or to fill it with more things. Keith sighed and let his hand fall back down before he turned on his heel and made his way back to the bar.

Kayla had her head down and was working on a new drink, but she flashed him a smile when he rounded the corner of the bar. He nodded back politely and reached for the next drink ticket, hoping that the rest of the evening would stay as relaxed as his shift had been so far.

Chapter Text

Keith grinned when George walked around the counter for his shift. He made to run past him and head to the back room, but he stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

“What’s gotten into you?” he asked with a chuckle. “You got a hot date or something?”

“Something like that,” Keith hinted, slipping out of his grasp. He turned to walk backwards.

George made an interested noise. “You’ll have to tell me about it later,” he said, propping his elbows on the counter and perching his chin in the palm of his hand.

Keith rolled his eyes. “It’s not that big of a deal. We’re just watching movies.”

George sighed. “You should’ve let me imagine what could’ve happened. What else am I going to use to keep myself entertained during work if it’s not your escapades with your boyfriend?”

“Do what you always do and make fun of the customers who are being rude,” Keith said, turning to leave. “I’ll see you around.”

“See you,” George called after him.

Keith rushed to the back, careful before he pushed into the kitchen to avoid taking out anyone carrying a tray. He jerked back when he came face to face with Kayla who had a hand raised to push the door open.

“Sorry,” he apologized, stepping around her. “I was just on my way out.”

“Sure,” she said, smiling brightly.

Keith spun around and slipped past her to the time clock, punching in his ID to clock out before he hurried to his locker. He slipped his arms through the sleeves of his coat and shoved his beanie on his head.

A few of the cooks raised hands at him as he passed by.

“Wait!”

He stopped and one of the older women shoved a plastic bag in his hands. He looked inside to find several to-go containers inside.

“Dinner for the night,” she said with a smile.

“You really don’t have to…” he started.

She held up a hand. “It’s the end of the week and you’ve been working hard. Take it.”

“Thank you,” Keith murmured.

She smiled and turned to get back to her station. Keith watched her go before he remembered why he was in such a hurry in the first place. He pushed out the back door and hit the pavement, keeping the loops of the plastic bag tight around his wrist.

His breath puffed in front of him as he ran down the sidewalk, swerving around people who were heading to dinner or doing some shopping after work. His chest felt warm and happy and excited despite the biting cold that threatened to suck his good mood. It was another reason he was glad he worked so close to his apartment because it didn’t take him too long to get to his front door.

Keith shoved his key into the lock impatiently and shoved into the main lobby. The door closed loudly behind him, but he didn’t pay it much mind as he thumped up the stairs to his floor.

He kicked off his shoes as soon as he was inside his apartment and set the bag of food on the kitchen table before moving into his bedroom to change into something more comfortable. He dropped his work clothes in a pile on the floor and pulled on a pair of sweats and a light tee, feeling better now that he was back inside out of the cold.

Keith grabbed his computer and started it up as he walked back to the kitchen. He set it on the table and pulled out the containers to look at what he’d been given for the night. He had a large slice of chocolate cake, spaghetti, garlic bread, and a cup of chili that was still hot to the touch. He put one of the slices of bread on a napkin and left the chili on the table, putting everything else into the fridge for later.

His computer sounded an alert, making him smile. He grabbed a spoon and settled down at the table, opening the messenger he shared with Shiro.

Shiro: You ready for tonight?

Keith: Yup! I just got back from work so I was grabbing some food. I just need to pull up rabbit. Voice chat tonight?

Shiro: Sure. I just need to grab my headphones.

Keith: Me too

He left rabbit to load in his web browser as he darted back to his bedroom to get his headphones from his bedside table. He slipped them on his head and adjusted the mic so that he could eat his dinner without worrying it might accidentally drip all over the tech.

“Hey baby.”

Keith smiled as he broke off a bite of garlic bread to dip into his cup of chili.

“Hey yourself,” he said.

“How was your day?”

He watched as Shiro navigated the screen and pulled up Netflix.

“Not too bad,” he said around a mouthful of food. “It felt really long because I was waiting to get home all day. George made fun of me on the way out and asked me if I had a hot date.”

Shiro chuckled. “And what did you say?”

“Oh I said that I had to meet this insufferable guy for a project and he was the most ridiculous person ever and I only wanted to get there so I could leave.”

“Keith,” he whined. “Come on, babe.”

Keith laughed and swirled his spoon in his food. He bit his lip at the grin that pulled at his lips. “Nah, I just said that it was something like a date, that’s all. How were things for you today?”

“You know, quiet. I’ve been trying to find things to keep me busy and went to the library today for some books.”

“Find anything good?”

“I grabbed a couple sci-fi stories, but nothing has really caught my attention yet. But I think I could blame that on the fact that I was looking forward to tonight more than I was reading.”

“Dork,” he muttered.

“Yeah, but I’m your dork,” Shiro shot back. “You ready for the movie?”

“You know it.”

Shiro hit play and sound immediately flooded his headphones. As soon as he got finished with his dinner, he was going to curl up in bed with his computer and enjoy a lazy night with his boyfriend.

~~

Keith smiled. He was feeling warm and content, curled up in bed with his computer and Shiro on the other end. That didn’t stop him from wishing Shiro could be there with him and they could be curled together as they had been during his visit. The credits started rolling on their second movie of the night.

“You want to watch another?” Shiro asked, voice low in his headphones.

“Not really,” Keith said. “I’d rather just talk to you for a bit.”

Shiro’s chuckle crackled a little bit as it came through, but it did nothing to diminish how sweet it sounded. Keith rolled onto his back and dropped a hand on his stomach.

“What did you want to talk about?” Shiro asked.

“Dunno really. I didn’t have much in mind, but thought it would be nice. Reminds me of when you were still here. Almost like we could be lying in bed together right now instead of hundreds of miles apart.”

“I miss being able to curl around you at night. Even though you’ve never slept with me in my bed, it still feels too big.”

“Only a few months until I can,” Keith said with a smile.

Shiro groaned. “Don’t remind me. That’s so far away.”

“Don’t I know it,” Keith grumbled and sighed. “I’d much rather have you with me right now. Your strong arms wrapped around me and your chest pressed against my back…” he trailed off as his voice got softer. The image felt far too real and left something wanting in his chest.

“Keith?” Shiro asked, something sounding off in his voice, almost like it was on the verge of dropping.

“Yeah?” he asked, sounding breathless himself. He swallowed, feeling very warm in his apartment. He shoved the blankets down of his legs, but it only offered a small sense of relief.

“What are you wearing?”

Keith’s eyes widened. The question was a like a punch to his gut and the warmth that had started to spread over his skin cranked up about a hundred degrees. He swallowed and spread his legs, searching for a more comfortable position.

“Nothing too attractive, I’m afraid,” he answered easily. “A red tee and a pair of grey sweats.”

Shiro hummed. “Are they the sweats that always seemed to hang low on your hips?”

Keith licked his lips. “What if they are?”

“If they were I’d have to lay you out on the bed and push your shirt up so I could suck and bite at your hips. Every time you’d wake up and stumble from bed it would make my mouth water. I was desperate to know how it tasted.”

“I don’t think there was anyone stopping you,” Keith said. His eyes slid shut and he slid his hand down enough to push the hem of his shirt up. The air bit at his heated skin and he could already feel himself stirring at the promises Shiro’s words held.

Shiro hummed. “I might not be so hesitant next time.”

“Yeah?” he breathed. “What would you do?”

“I want to drag my hands over your sides and feel every inch of skin on your stomach and chest.”

He could almost feel it and arched into the nonexistent touch. “You’re not allowed to do that unless your own shirt is off and I get to touch you.”

“I think that can be arranged,” Shiro said, voice low in his ear. “I think I’d kiss you on your neck. Bite into the skin until it was a deep purple that you couldn’t hide from anyone.”

“George would tease me about it for days.”

“Good. He’d know who you belong to. Everyone would know.”

Keith sucked in a breath.

“Wait, Keith. No I didn’t mean to sound so possessive like that. You don’t belong to-“

“Shiro,” he interrupted, fingers itching to travel further south until he could cup himself through his pants. He wanted to dip his fingers under the waistband of his sweats even more than that and imagine it was Shiro’s hand that would wrap around him. “Say it again.”

“I-what?” he asked.

“Say it again. That I belong to you. I…no one’s ever wanted to keep me around like that before.”

“Keith…”

“Please.”

“Keith. My Keith.”

He swallowed. “Wh-what else would you do?”

“Once I was done marking you up I would lay down between your legs. Are you hard, Keith?”

Keith’s toes curled reflexively. “Almost painfully hard.”

“Have you touched yourself yet?”

“No.”

“I wish I could taste you. Mouth at you through your sweats before I pull them down far enough to swallow you down.”

Keith shifted, practically whining at the thought.

“Touch yourself, Keith,” Shiro whispered. “Touch yourself for me.”

He swallowed and slid his hand down, cupping himself through his sweats. He immediately pressed into his touch and sighed.

“Shiro…”

“I wish I could see you right now.”

Keith flushed and framed his cock with his index and middle finger. “I guess you’ll just have to save that for later.”

“I wish I could feel you in my hand. I’d wrap one arm around your stomach and keep your back pressed against me while I work you with my other hand. I’d want to feel you squirm and lose yourself against me. I’d want you to sit back and feel everything without having to worry about anyone other than yourself.”

He squeezed his eyes shut at the words. He could imagine it perfectly. He couldn’t decide whether Shiro would use his prosthetic or human hand to help him get off. And then he couldn’t decide which idea he liked better between the two.

“Can you push your sweats down for me, Keith?” he asked.

“Duh,” he said, easily shimmying out of them. He pushed them down his legs and kicked them off, not caring where they landed on the bed.

“Can you do everything as I say it, Keith?”

“If you don’t hurry it up, I’m going to do it myself,” he warned, gripping the sheets next to his thighs.

Shiro chuckled low in his ear and Keith bit his lip at the sound. He imagined how that would sound with hot breath fanning over his ear as Shiro’s body pressed against him from behind.

“So impatient,” he said. “I guess I shouldn’t expect anything else from you.”

“Shiro,” he warned again.

“Fine, fine,” he sighed. “I’d wrap my hand slowly around the base of your cock, letting you feel each finger as it came to rest around you.”

Keith had to stop himself from bucking his hips as he followed what Shiro said. After waiting to be touched for so long, it was a struggle to keep from moving before Shiro said anything.

“The first stroke would be slow. I’d want you to feel each brush of skin,” Shiro continued.

Keith arched his back against the mattress as he did so.

“I’d pause at the top of your cock to make you squirm before moving again, keeping my strokes even and slow. I want you to savor each touch until you’re feeling too much but it’s not enough to push you over the edge.”

Keith sighed, digging his heels into the mattress. “Would you just sit there and watch, Shiro? Your dick digging into my back? Surely you couldn’t just sit by if I’m writhing up against you like you seem to believe would happen?”

Shiro groaned and cursed.

“Can you imagine it?” Keith asked, breathless. His hand was still moving steadily, his need and desire mounting slowly as fire spread through his veins and the muscles in his stomach tightened deliciously.

“Yes,” he hissed. “I bet you look gorgeous, baby.”

Keith’s breath left him in a rush and he shivered, toes curling and uncurling. He fisted his free hand in the blanket next to him.

“Are you on the edge yet?” he asked. “Do you want to come or should I make you wait?”

He grit his teeth at the question. He glanced down at his stomach and saw it heave with his desperate breaths, his dripping cock curled over his stomach even as his hand slid easily over it.

“Shiro, please,” Keith said.

“What do you need, Keith? Need me to stroke faster?” he asked, breaths becoming heavier over the line.

Keith swallowed and moved his hand faster. He arched into the touch, breaths matching with Shiro’s and for one moment it was almost like they were together in bed. The muscles in his thighs tensed as everything in him coiled tight. It was almost painful how close to coming he was.

“Baby,” Shiro groaned.

He whined and squeezed his eyes shut, almost hating himself for the sound.

“Keith,” Shiro said, voice low and rough.

He bit down on his lip and arched his back, stroking himself roughly. Almost unknowingly he reached down between his legs and pressed a finger against his entrance. He gasped at the touch and his breath hitched as come splattered over his chest.

“Fuck,”  he heard Shiro hiss over the line before he was groaning and gasping for air.

He listened as they both panted gently, sucking in air after everything that had just happened. He bit his lip, fighting the pleased smile that was pulling at his lips even as his stomach flipped happily.

“That was…” Shiro trailed off.

“Yeah,” Keith agreed. “That was amazing, Shiro.”

He chuckled. “I’m not sure if amazing really covers it. It was incredible. God, baby…”

“Yeah…”

“Take five to get cleaned up?”

Keith huffed a laugh. “Yeah, that doesn’t sound so bad.”

He pulled the headphones from his head and carefully moved off the bed so he wouldn’t get come on anything that was still clean. He left his sweats and boxers where they’d been shoved to the foot of the bed and waited until he was in the bathroom to pull his dirty shirt off. He used it to wipe most of himself clean, but wet a washcloth for good measure.

Keith slipped a clean shirt over his head and redressed himself before he crawled back into bed and shoved his headphones back on. There was silence on the line and he curled up against his pillow, feeling warm and content as he waited for Shiro to get back.

“Sorry,” he apologized when Keith finally heard Shiro’s mic being moved around again. “That took longer than I thought it would.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Keith said around a yawn. “It’s not a big deal.”

“You tired?”

“A little. I’m wrapped up in bed and I’ve got my boyfriend on the other end of the line after the best jackoff I’ve probably had in a while…”

“Keith!” Shiro whined making him smirk.

He laughed. “Come on, Shiro it’s nothing to be embarrassed about.”

Shiro heaved a fake sigh and Keith tried to imagine what he looked like doing that. Maybe he was staring at the ceiling while lying on his back. If he was there Keith would roll over and rest his head on his chest.

“Shiro?” Keith asked, feeling his eyes grew heavy as sleep pulled at him.

“Yeah, baby?”

“I love you,” he murmured before drifting off to dreams of memories of strong arms, sleepy cuddles in bed, and days spent holding hands around the city and ice skating.

Chapter Text

“Shiro?” Keith asked, voice lazy and content.

“Yeah, baby?” he said, concern coiling in his chest. He knew Keith had said that it was the best jackoff he’d had in a while, but he really hoped he wasn’t starting to regret it.

“I love you,” he murmured.

Shiro froze, his heart practically stopping in his chest. He licked his lip and sucked in a shaky breath.

“Keith?” he asked, keeping his voice soft. “Hey Keith?”

The line stayed silent and Shiro knew he must’ve fallen asleep. He used his one hand to push himself up in bed and pulled his computer into his lap, staring at the screen where their stream was still pulled up.

He clenched and unclenched his hands, feeling sweat start to bead in his palms at the admission. Now that the initial surprise had faded, he was feeling giddy more than anything else. Excited. He cared about Keith a lot and knew his feelings were only getting stronger. Last night had only been proof of that.

He bit his lip, thinking forward to when they were going to be reunited. It couldn’t come soon enough.

“I love you, too, Keith,” he whispered into the mic, wishing he could be there in person. Wishing he really could have Keith wrapped up in his arms so he could whisper it into his ear. He wanted to press a kiss to his cheek or trail kisses along his neck.

He was only met with silence even though he knew he would be.

“I love you so much and I can’t wait to see you again,” he continued. “You’re the greatest thing that’s ever happened to me.”

Shiro sighed and leaned his head back against the headboard. He grinned up at the ceiling and breathed a laugh. He wasn’t sure if he was going to be able to sleep after tonight. Any sleep that might have been pulling at him was gone and he was wide awake with nerves and excitement.

Keith was one of the best things that had happened to him. Even though he thought he’d be nothing more than a friend at first, things had quickly gone beyond that. Keith was funny and sassy and sarcastic and so amazing and beautiful. And his voice was silky and smooth and he’d be happy doing nothing more than holding him close for the rest of his life.

After seeing Keith in person, what was starting to feel like an eternity ago, being apart was becoming more and more painful. He wanted to talk to him all the time just to hear his voice. It didn’t even matter what they talked about. He just wanted to know he was happy and safe.

Shiro sighed and pulled his headphones off. He closed out of the streaming service and shut down his computer. He climbed out of bed and set his things on his desk before going through his methodical evening routine, brushing his teeth and taking his meds before crawling back into bed.

He grabbed his phone with his hand and typed in his code, pulling up his messages with Keith. He stared at their last messages to each other and wanted to type out something to him, but didn’t know what to say.

Keith was in bed asleep and wouldn’t see anything until the morning and somehow, any text he could said wouldn’t be as amazing as the chance to tell Keith himself. He wanted him to hear the words from his lips because he loved him. He loved him more than anyone else he’d ever been with. Not that there had really been many people. And none of those relationships had been half as amazing as the one he shared with Keith.

And he wanted to spend a long time with him. If he was lucky enough, he’d take forever if it meant getting to see Keith’s smile every day.

Chapter Text

Keith smiled before he opened his eyes in bed. He rolled over and snuggled into his pillow before he frowned, feeling something press into the side of his face. He opened his eyes and found his computer next to him and the mic of his headphones bent in front of his eyes.

“Shit,” he sighed and sat up, pulling the headphones from his head. He rubbed at his eyes and yawned, stretching his arms over his head. He looked at his computer and ran his finger over the trackpad. The screen lit up and he found the expired rabb.it page in front of him. He closed the window and pushed the lid of his computer closed.

He sat back against his headboard and smiled, thinking of the night before and laying in bed talking to Shiro. He bit his lip and chuckled at the memory of jacking off to Shiro’s voice and the sound of him. It made him excited to see him again over Spring Break. Hell, it made him excited to talk to him again.

He leaned his head back against the headboard. He couldn’t remember falling asleep. He knew he’d gotten up and cleaned himself before getting changed. Then he laid back back down to talk to Shiro. He bit his lip at the memory of Shiro being embarrassed when he’d said it was the best jackoff he’d had in a while. It was more than a little endearing to hear. The last one he’d had that was so good was when Shiro had still been there after their night in the bar.

And then he’d told Shiro he loved him and couldn’t remember anything else after that.

Keith jolted forward, eyes going wide as his heart hammered in his chest. He’d told Shiro he loved him. And then he fell asleep. He’d just left Shiro with the weight of his words and no response. He was an idiot.

“Shit.” He fumbled around in bed, searching for his phone and found it on his bedside table. He hesitated as he reached for it before wrapping his fingers around the slim case. He bit his lip and pressed the home button, finding a supreme lack of notifications. He didn’t know if he should be relieved or worried.

Keith typed in his passcode and pulled up his messages with Shiro, fingers hovering over the keys, but he found himself unable to type out a message. He clicked on Shiro’s contact instead and pressed the call button.

The sound of the dial tone was loud in his ear and he bit at his thumbnail, unsure of what Shiro was going to say or if he was even going to pick up. The line clicked and Keith winced, waiting for what was to come.

“Morning, baby,” Shiro said, voice still sounding a little rough from sleep. “What’s up? You don’t usually call me so early.”

“Um…” he started, wincing at his inability to make his brain work.

“Everything okay?” Shiro asked, worry creeping into his tone.

“Yeah. I mean, I think so, I hope so anyway,” he said. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

“You can talk to me about anything, Keith,” Shiro said. “Whatever you need.”

“Thanks, Shiro. It’s just…about something I said last night. Before I fell asleep.”

“Oh?” he asked, voice sounding more interested than he would’ve thought.

Keith bit his lip, knowing he must be remembering what he’d said. He rubbed at his forehead. “Well…I don’t know if you remember this but before I fell asleep last night, I…kind of told you that I love you.”

Shiro sighed and it actually sounded happy or pleased. “Yeah, I remember,” he said and that was definitely a smile in his voice.

“And?” he asked. “I mean, you don’t have to say anything back, I just…didn’t want to creep you out or make you feel weird or anything and I-“

“Keith,” he interrupted with a chuckle. “It’s okay. You didn’t creep me out and it wasn’t weird. As long as you meant it?”

Keith grinned and bit his lip again, the warm feelings from the night before returning. They always seemed to come around when he was talking to Shiro. “Yeah, I did. I meant it.”

“Good,” Shiro said. “Because I love you, too.”

Keith’s breath left him in a rush and he closed his eyes. He never would’ve thought the day would come when he would have a boyfriend, but to have come so far and have someone he loved? Well, he had people he loved, but to have someone he was in love with? That had always seemed like nothing more than a pipe dream.

“Shiro?” he asked, sliding down in bed until he was on his back and staring up at the ceiling.

“Yeah?” he asked with a chuckle.

“Thanks.”

Shiro laughed harder. “For what?”

“For loving me,” Keith said with a smile that he knew would never see the light of day outside of his bedroom.

“Keith?” he asked.

“Yeah?”

“Thanks for loving me, too,” Shiro murmured.

Silence fell between them and Keith enjoyed the moment to revel in what they’d just told each other.

“We’re such dorks,” Shiro said.

Keith laughed, feeling more than a little breathless for how early it was. “Yeah, but we already knew that.”

“Yeah, we did,” Shiro said, softly. “Are you up to anything today? Any plans?”

Keith sat back up in bed and looked around his room. “I have work later, but I’m definitely going to relax and enjoy my morning. School’s going to be starting back soon and I’m a little terrified as far as semesters go.”

“You’re going to do great,” Shiro reassured.

“It’s my last one. I’m not so sure how I’m supposed to be feeling about all of this.”

“Amazing and accomplished because you’re my super smart and hot boyfriend who made it through four years of college while holding down a job.”

“I’m about to get a lot more stressed,” he warned.

“So am I,” Shiro agreed. “But we can be stressed and job hunt together.”

Keith laughed and climbed out of bed, shivering at the cold floor beneath his feet. “That we can.”

“And just think of it this way,” Shiro continued as Keith walked to the kitchen to make some coffee. “You can work your ass off doing homework and job hunting and then you’ll get a great vacation for spring break and won’t have to worry about it for a solid week.”

Keith laughed, low and soft. “I’m going to put you on speaker so I can make coffee, okay?”

“Yeah, sure,” Shiro said.

Keith set his phone on the counter and pulled down his bag of coffee grounds. “I haven’t even started the semester and I’m already ready to be on vacation.”

Shiro chuckled, the sound more distorted now that the phone was resting on the counter. “I think that’s because you’ve never had an actual vacation.”

Keith smiled and measured the grounds into his coffee maker, pouring in the water to let it brew. “I think you might be right about that. I think the closest I’ve gotten was when you came to visit me.”

“Wasn’t a bad vacation. Thanks to me.”

“Thanks to you?” Keith asked with a laugh.

“Well, it was because of my presence that I got you out of work and out of your apartment.”

“This is true,” he said, picking his phone up and taking it off speaker.

“And I also took you ice skating and we went out for drinks and drank hot chocolate.”

Keith pulled down a coffee mug and bit his lip. “Well two of those things aren’t going to work during spring break. And if you try to force hot chocolate down my throat, I’m going to throw it back in your face.”

“How about some frozen hot chocolate?” Shiro asked.

Keith sighed, pulling the full pot of coffee from the machine and pouring a cup. “I guess that could be acceptable.”

“Or I could buy you ice cream.”

“Ice cream would also be acceptable,” Keith said with a nod.

“Good. I’m glad to know that I can please you. And we might need the ice cream on the beach.”

“The beach?” Keith asked.

“Yeah!” Shiro said brightly. “My apartment complex is super close to the beach so we can easily walk there and enjoy the sand and the waves.”

Keith thought over his wardrobe and his amazing lack of swim trunks. “Great…”

“Do you not like the beach?” Shiro asked.

“The only beach I’ve been to is the one on Lake Michigan. And I’m pretty sure I don’t even have a pair of swim trunks right now.”

“Oooh,” Shiro said.

“Yeah…” Keith mumbled, taking a sip of his coffee.

“Well if you don’t have any in stores by the time you need to leave, we can get a pair down here. We pretty much have swimsuits stocked year-round.”

“Sure,” Keith said. “Thanks.”

“Sure, baby,” Shiro said.

Keith smiled and rolled his eyes. Shiro’s antics were never going to end and he found himself a little happy over that. He kept his life interesting and exciting.

~~

Keith pushed through the backdoor to the restaurant and was hit with a wonderful aroma of smells. He sighed, almost wishing he had enough money to eat there every night. Sadly, his shifts were about to be shortened again as soon as classes started, and he didn’t have many days left of freedom.

He shuffled into the locker room and shoved his things inside his locker. He pulled the beanie from his head and smiled, fingering the knitted garment in his hands as he was reminded of how Shiro had given it to him. And he loved him. They loved each other. He bit his lip and set it on top of his jacket. Spring break couldn’t come soon enough. Already, their Skype dates just weren’t enough anymore. Not when he knew how it felt to have Shiro’s arms wrapped around him.

He shut his locker and headed for the floor, pausing at the clock to punch his employee ID in.

“Hey, Keith!”

He looked up as George slapped him on the back with a grin.

“Hey!” Keith said, returning the smile.

“How was the night off? And the date with the boyfriend?” he asked with a sly grin.

Keith felt his face heat up at the memory.

George gasped. “What’s that look for?” he asked. “Spill, Kogane.”

Keith chuckled and ran a hand through his hair. “Well, you see….” He glanced around and made sure no one else was within earshot. “I kind of told Shiro that I love him.”

George’s eyes widened, and a grin split his face. “That’s great man! And what did he say? Does he love you, too?”

Keith nodded. “Yeah. He told me this morning.”

“This morning? Why didn’t he tell you last night?”

“Maybe because I accidentally fell asleep after I told him?”

George rolled his eyes. “You’re a piece of work, Kogane. I can’t believe you fell asleep after confessing your love for him. What kind of boyfriend does that?”

“Me apparently,” he grumbled.

George patted his shoulder. “I’m happy for you though, man. Tell Shiro I said, congrats.”

“It’s not like we’re getting married,” Keith said.

George shrugged. “Maybe not, but the two of you have found each other in the craziest of circumstances and you’ve made this work. I don’t know how and I’m amazed, but I’m happy for you and you should be happy for yourselves. So, just let him know, okay?”

Keith felt his stomach twist at the thought of how wrong everything could’ve gone in their relationship and how unlikely it was they would’ve met in the first place. He nodded. “Yeah, I’ll tell him.”

“Good,” George said, flashing a smile. “Now, I gotta get going. Crowds are a little crazy tonight and I’m exhausted.”

“See you, later,” Keith said, as George paused at the timeclock before heading into the back.

George raised a hand over his head without looking back. Keith turned to the floor and hurried out. If the crowds really were that bad, he hoped he hadn’t left his coworker with too many orders to try and fill by themself. He caught sight of Kayla working diligently behind the counter, juggling bottles and cups. He could see the small stack of receipts in front of her.

He washed his hands quickly, giving her a quick nod as he grabbed the receipt on the top of the stack. She nodded back, but her lips were pulled down into a tense line. They didn’t speak at all as they worked through the orders. It seemed they got two or three more orders for every drink they sent out. Keith barely felt like he was breathing, they seemed to dirty the crates of freshly-washed glasses as soon as they came back from the kitchen.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the rush of drink orders slowed, and they managed to catch their breath. Keith looked around himself, staring at the dirty tumblers and mixers and the empty racks and shelves where all their glasses went. The tub that held the empty alcohol bottles was half-full, unusual for a standard night behind the bar.

Kayla set their last pending drink order on the tray with its ticket and crossed her arms on the counter, burying her face behind them.

“That’s probably the worst I’ve seen it in a while,” Keith admitted with a sigh. He rubbed his fingers against his temples, feeling his stress headache give a painful throb at the sudden change of focus.

“I was so worried that I was going to be left under that pile along when George said his shift was up,” Kayla said.

Keith winced. “Sorry, I should’ve gotten out here faster, but we passed each other and chatted.”

Kayla waved her hand. “Don’t worry about it. I’m just glad I had the help. I never would’ve gotten done if I was filling all those orders myself.”

“I guess we should get cleaning while we have nothing else to do,” he muttered. “And just in case another rush of orders comes in.”

She winced. “Is it bad that I want to do nothing except curl up in a ball and sleep?” she asked.

Keith shook his head and smiled. “Nope, because that’s honestly the same thing I want to do. If you want to get those last few glasses put away, I can get some of this stuff washed up since we’ve basically got nothing clean left.”

She nodded and they moved around each other, Keith dumped everything into the sink that was quickly filling with hot water. He poured in a generous amount of dish soap as it filled and watched as bubbles spread over the surface. He shut off the water and got to washing, the rhythmic act giving his mind a chance to rest after the stressful barrage of orders.

“New order,” one of the servers said behind him. Keith sighed as he heard the receipt get smacked down on the counter.

“I got it,” Kayla murmured.

Keith nodded, not saying anything else as he slowly transferred clean measuring cups, shakers and tumblers into the drying rack. Kayla dried what she needed as she made the drink and tossed what she dirtied back into the soapy water.

After she’d finished the drink, Keith saw her cross her arms and lean back against the counter a few feet away from him. He kept his head down and continued to wash, enjoying the silence for a moment. Kayla pulled out a clean towel and started to dry the pieces he’d finished washing as he emptied the sink and washed his hands.

“Keith, can I ask you something?” she asked as she passed the dried pieces off to Keith to put away.

“Um…sure,” he said, moving around their small space. He wasn’t sure what she’d want to know since they’d already talked a little about their everyday lives.

“Look, this may seem kind of weird and I know we’ve only worked together a handful of times, but you’re a great guy and really nice, so…”

Keith chuckled. “If you want someone who’s really nice, that would be George, not me,” he said.

“Well, that’s not exactly what I meant, but anyway, I know this might seem weird, but you’ve been great to work with so far and I really like you…”

Keith’s stomach twisted and dropped at the words. He looked towards the end of the counter, the urge to flee strong because even though he hadn’t seen it coming, he knew where this conversation was going.

Kayla sighed. “Look, I’m just going to say it. I like you and was wondering if you’d go out on a date with me?”

She looked up at him, eyes pleading, and Keith swallowed.

He sighed. “Look, Kayla…you’ve been great to work with too, but I can’t.”

Her face dimmed. “Oh,” she said. “Can I ask why?”

“I’m seeing someone else,” he said.

“Oh, well…she’s a lucky girl.”

Keith bit his lip. “Yeah,” he sighed.

“Are you happy?”

The question was so unexpected that Keith jerked back, looking up at Kayla with wide eyes.

“What?” he asked.

“Are you happy? In your relationship?” she asked.

“Yes,” he said with a nod. He almost wanted to add that the exact details of his relationship were none of her business, but he’d already rejected her and knew her curiosity was only natural since people loved to know everything about other people’s relationships.

She nodded and ducked her head, turning away from him. When another drink order came, she jumped at it and started filling it immediately. Keith fought down the urge to apologize. He had nothing to be sorry for and couldn’t help her feelings or how she was taking the rejection.

He was happy with Shiro. Happier with him than he’d ever thought he’d be and he wasn’t going to apologize for being in a happy, committed relationship. Things didn’t need to be awkward between him and Kayla because of it and if she had a problem with him dating someone else or couldn’t handle being professional when they were around each other, then that was going to have to be something she would have to deal with.

Chapter Text

“Keith!”

He looked up and found Hunk barreling towards him. Keith grinned and accepted the hug from his friend. “Hey,” he said.

“It’s been so long since we’ve gotten to hang out.”

“I know,” Keith sighed. “I was hoping to spend more time with you guys over break, but…”

“Nah, don’t worry about it. Pidge and I had our own stuff going on, too. We went and visited our families and I’m sure you spent some more time with Shiro,” he said with a smirk.

Keith flushed and tugged at the edges of his beanie, his breath fogging in front of him in the cold air. “Yeah…”

They pushed through the doors of their academic building and Keith sighed happily at the warmth.

“What’s that look for?” Hunk asked, pulled him from his thoughts.

“What?” Keith asked.

“That smile,” he said. “You look happy about something.”

Keith bit his lip and stuffed his hands in his pockets despite being out of the cold.

“Keithhhhhh?” Hunk asked, elbowing him in the arm.

“Shiro and I…”

“Yeah?”

“We told each other that we love each other.”

Hunk gasped and grinned. He pulled Keith into a rough hug. “That’s amazing! I’m so happy for you guys!”

Keith grinned and nodded. “I know. Never thought I’d see the day.”

“This is huge, man. Pidge is going to be so excited.”

“I’m going to be so excited about what?”

They turned and found Pidge grinning behind them. She pulled her hat off her head and shook out her hair.

“I saw you guys and thought I’d stop by and catch up before class,” she said, walking over to them. “Had to sprint across the quad to make it, but what’s it really matter anyway, right? So what’s up?”

“Keith and Shiro said their ‘I love yous,’” Hunk explained.

“That’s great!” she exclaimed, looking up at Keith. “And perfect since you’ll be seeing him again over spring break,” she added with a smirk.

“I know,” he said. “I’m really looking forward to it.”

“You’re going to have to buy plane tickets soon though, aren’t you?” she asked.

Keith nodded. “Yeah, I should probably take care of that this weekend. Amidst the new round of shifts and homework that I’m going to get this week.” He sighed.  

“But it’s your last semester. Just remember that,” Hunk said, patting him on the back. “We can have stressed, job hunting parties where we order pizza and do drunk job applications.”

Keith chuckled. “That doesn’t sound too bad.”

“You can invite the boyfriend, too,” Pidge added. “He can join us over Skype.”

“Sure,” Keith said. “When are you guys free next? We should get started on this as soon as possible.”

Hunk hummed. “Are you good for Friday in two weeks? We could do then.”

Keith furrowed his brow, trying to think over his schedule. “I need to double-cheek my schedule, but I think I should be okay. Once we get our schedules worked out, I can ask Shiro. He should be good for whenever we decide to do it.”

“Cool,” Pidge said with a grin. “We’re all in charge of bringing a bottle of the strongest stuff you want. You can go for whisky, vodka, tequila, I don’t care which. And then we’ll split the cost of the pizza. Keith you can crash on the couch after.”

Keith nodded. “If the night goes how I think it’s going to go, I’m going to need it.”

“Great!” Pidge said. “I gotta get to class. I’ll see you guys later.”

“See you,” Hunk and Keith said. They waved her off as she hurried down the hallway. Keith and Hunk turned to the stairwell and started climbing. When they reached the second floor, Hunk broke off and Keith continued to the third floor where his class was.

Keith pulled out his phone, weaving expertly around other people in the hallway as he approached his classroom. He typed out a quick message to Shiro, smile pulling at his lips even though he hadn’t sent it yet.

Keith: So…in a couple weeks Pidge and Hunk and I are planning to have a night in where we get drunk and submit job applications and wanted to know if you wanted to join us?

He pushed open the door to his classroom and made for his seat in the back. Shiro’s reply came before he managed to sit down.

Shiro: How exactly am I supposed to join you? Fly up there? I wouldn’t mind taking a vacation after the first two weeks of classes.

Keith rolled his eyes.

Keith: You’re not allowed to skip class and come up here. I’m talking about over Skype. We Skype you in while we work on applications.

Shiro: Ahhh, I see. Use the power of technology so it actually seems like I’m there.

Keith: Shut up, Shiro

Shiro: Love you, too, babe

Keith bit his lip, his stomach flipping happily at the words. It still didn’t seem real. And he never got tired of saying it or hearing the sentiment from Shiro. They loved each other, and it was the best thing he could ever ask for.

Shiro: I might see if Lance and Allura want to join in. We could have our party here and your party there.

Keith: Sure. The point is to get drunk and apply for jobs so Hunk and Pidge wouldn’t mind. We already wanted to have you there so it’s no problem. And I’m sure it will be a lot more fun for you so you’re not alone in your apartment.

Shiro: What time should I tell them?

Keith: We’re not sure on the exact details yet. I need to check my work schedule so we’re going to finalize the rest later

Shiro: You should just take the night off so we can definitely make it for then

Keith: Can’t. Gotta make the money.
Keith: I need it for when I come see you

Shiro: Only another two months
Shiro: God, I can’t wait until I get to see you again.

Keith: Me too.

The door to the classroom was pulled open and Keith looked up to find his professor striding inside.

Keith: Talk later. Prof’s here which means class.

Shiro: Have fun!

Keith grinned and tucked his phone away, pulling out his books.

~~

Keith stared at his computer. He was in his living room with his feet propped up on the coffee table. He’d gone through to update his resume and knew he had all the right information on it, but it still didn’t feel good enough. And he hadn’t even started applying for jobs yet. Now more than ever, he wished that a job could fall from the sky and land in his lap. It would save him a lot of stress and the rejection he knew was coming.

He sighed and ran a hand down his face. “Whatever. I can worry more about this later.”

He checked the time and saw that it was getting late. He saved his resume and closed out of the document, grabbing his textbook from the coffee table. He leaned back and flipped open to the page of his assigned reading.

If he wasn’t careful, he was going to end up getting behind on his reading and schoolwork and that’s something he couldn’t afford to do. Not when he had work and job applications on the line. He’d come this far and worked his ass off, he wasn’t going to start failing classes when he was almost finished with school.

Keith sat forward, planting his feet on the floor. He rubbed at his eyes to try and clear away his exhaustion and focus on the words in front of him. School was most important, and he couldn’t let it slip, no matter what else he was worried about.

~~

Keith yawned, covering his mouth with his hand.

“Someone looks tired.”

He looked up from the drink he was preparing and saw Kayla had slipped behind the counter without him noticing. He smiled.

“Yeah,” he sighed. “Getting back into school has hit hard and I’m trying to balance everything.”

She nodded. “Yeah, I can understand. I’ve got a load of credits this semester and I don’t think any of my professors are going to be taking things easy.”

Keith chuckled. “Yeah. Not to mention job applications.”

“Job applications?” she asked. “Are you leaving?”

“It’s my last semester so I’m going to need a real person job.”

“Oooh,” she said. “I didn’t realize you were getting ready to graduate.”

“Yeah, I’m trying not to stress too much, but I can already feel the pressure of needing to have a job lined up when I graduate.”

“Where are you looking?” she asked as she pulled out a bottle from under the counter.

Keith shrugged. “I haven’t thought about it too much. I guess I’d go somewhere down south. I want to work with a space program, but I’m not sure how easy it would be to get on with NASA.”

Kayla whistled. “Surely there are other groups down there though.”

“A few, I think,” Keith said.

“Well, I’m sure you’ll find something,” she said.

“Yeah…”

Keith stared down at his hands as he worked, keeping mostly to himself.

“You know,” Kayla said, pulling him from his thoughts. “If you needed help with the applications or finding jobs, I wouldn’t mind helping.”

Keith swallowed, grabbing the drink ticket from the server before they could even set it down. “Thanks, but I can handle it. I’m getting together with my friends in a couple weeks and we’re going to do a lot of work on applications and resumes.”

“Oh,” she said behind him. “Well if you need any help, I don’t mind, and it’ll be good experience for when I have to do it later…” she trailed of with a tight laugh.

“Yeah,” Keith said, expertly mixing the drink for the order. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

He set it on the tray with the ticket and dumped his mixers into the sink to clean.

“I can do that,” Kayla said, holding out a hand.

“Don’t worry about it. I got it, it’s fine,” Keith said, keeping his head down. He checked a sigh and was ready to kick himself. He wasn’t trying to sound like an asshole, but the turn in the conversation had made him uncomfortable and he really wanted to pull out his phone and call Shiro. He sighed and closed his eyes, slowing his movements so he didn’t splash water over the side of the sink.

He only had a few more months to go before they were going to be together again. It wasn’t that long, and they’d have plenty of fun next weekend doing job applications and getting drunk. He looked over his shoulder and saw Kayla leaning against the counter further away from him. Her arms were crossed over her chest and she was staring off to the side.

Keith almost wanted to apologize. He rinsed off his mixers and started drying them.

“Look,” he said, catching Kayla’s attention. She glanced over at him before looking away. “Sorry if I was kind of harsh, I just...I just don’t really the need the extra help is all.”

“I think I should be the one apologizing,” Kayla said. “I shouldn’t have been so pushy.”

Keith shrugged and started putting the mixer pieces away.

“I just thought it might be kind of fun to hang out outside of work.”

“Don’t take it personally,” Keith said, “but I don’t have much time to hang out with my own friends outside of work, let alone anyone else. Most of the time I actually do see them is when we run into each other on campus between classes.”

Kayla nodded. A server walked by and set down a new ticket. Kayla got to it before Keith could and he watched her work, noticing the droop to her shoulders, but if she was already making a second attempt so soon after asking him out the first time, something inside of him knew that this wouldn’t be the last time.

~~

Keith shivered when he stepped inside his apartment. The warmth was a nice change from the freezing temperatures outside and he brushed the snow from his beanie and his jacket. Now that they were in the midst of winter, he knew it wasn’t going to be long before the inches started to accumulate, and he’d have to wade through snow to get to class and work. He toed out of his boots and left them in the entryway. He winced at how much salt and slush he was going to end up dragging inside when the weather really got bad.

He pulled out his phone and sent off a quick message to Shiro.

Keith: I’m so tired. Zzzzz I’m ready for spring break

He tossed his jacket over the back of his desk chair and set the beanie on his desk. He sighed, and landed heavily on the edge of his bad, falling back onto the mattress as sleep tugged at him. His phone vibrated, and he rolled onto his side even though his legs were still hanging over the edge of the bed.

Shiro: I’m ready for you to be here, too. I was gonna ask if you wanted to watch a show or maybe play a round of Voltron tonight, but that’s probably a hard no, isn’t it?

Keith: You have no idea. Getting back into school has been kicking my ass. Not to mention this girl at work….

Shiro: You wanna talk about it?

Keith: She’s just…she’s apparently not one to give up.

Shiro: Isn’t that a good thing?

Keith: When it comes to work? Yes. When it comes to trying to get me to go on a date with her? Hell no.

Shiro: Oh

Keith: Yeah, I told her I was seeing someone, but apparently that’s not enough. Little does she know that I have the hottest boyfriend ever waiting for me in Florida.

Shiro: Keithhhhhh

Keith grinned and chuckled.

Keith: What’s wrong, baby? Are you getting flustered?

Instead of getting a new text message, his phone started ringing. Keith grinned and answered.

“Hello?”

“You’re so mean,” Shiro groaned.

“Am I not allowed to use pet names with you now?” he asked with a laugh. His stress and exhaustion were starting to lighten slightly. He imagined that if Shiro was there with him, his responsibilities wouldn’t seem half as bad as they were.

“No…” he grumbled, sounding like he was burying his face in the pillow.

“Come on, bayyyy-beeee,” Keith cooed.

He heard a muffled noise come over the line and smiled. He closed his eyes and imagined what Shiro looked like. He imagined his cheeks were bright red and he had the bottom half of his face hidden behind a pillow while he held the phone up to his other ear.

God, he missed that man.

“Anyway,” he continued after the silence stretched between them. “How is school for you? You’re probably not having as rough a time as I am.”

“It’s not too bad,” Shiro said, voice light. Keith could see him rolling onto his back to stare up at the ceiling and smiled. “Most of the professors I have this semester have been ones I’ve had before which means less scrutiny when it comes to my arm.”

“Wait…” Keith said. “Do professors give you shit over your prosthetic?” he asked, sitting up.

“Well…I wouldn’t say they give me shit exactly…but they always kind of stare at it during the first few classes until they get used to seeing it. Sometimes they don’t even stop then,” he muttered.

Keith felt anger coil in his gut and frowned. He fell back on his bed with a huff. “When I come down there you should introduce me to anyone who’s giving you shit and I’ll kick their asses.”

“Keith, you don’t need to-“

“I’m serious, Shiro. I’ll fight them on the street. The cowards,” he growled.

Shiro laughed. “Okay, Keith,” he said, softly.

Keith huffed, his anger draining out of him. “Hey,” he said. “If I don’t have too much homework over the weekend, do you feel like gaming or watching a movie or show on Saturday? It would be pretty late, and I know it hasn’t been that long since our last one, but…”

“Sure,” Shiro said. “I’d like that. And next time we’ll have a split party where we get drunk and do job applications,” he said with a snicker.

“Ugh,” he groaned. “Don’t remind me.”

“It’ll be okay. You’re cute and smart, and companies would be stupid not to hire you. Isn’t that right, baby?”

Keith smiled and bit his lip. “We’ll have to wait and see, I guess.”

He yawned and placed a hand over his mouth.

“You should get to bed,” Shiro said. “Don’t want you to fall asleep in class and it’s getting pretty late over there.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right,” Keith said, rubbing his eye. “I’ll talk to you later, okay?”

“Sure thing. Don’t work too hard and don’t stress too much.”

Keith breathed a laugh. “Okay. Love you, Shiro.”

“I love you, too, Keith,” Shiro said, voice soft.

Keith bit his lip and pulled his phone from his ear, ending the call. He sighed and stood from his bed, grabbing his pajamas so he could change in the bathroom before bed. His dreams were probably going to be filled with images and memories of Shiro again, but he couldn’t really complain when it was just as good as reality. Even if they were separated for the moment.

Chapter Text

Keith breathed a sigh of relief when he walked out onto the floor of the restaurant and spotted George behind the bar. He’d spent all morning working on homework and he was practically braindead, knowing he’d have no energy to deal with persistent coworkers if he’d been stuck with Kayla on his shift.

George looked up as he approached and smiled. “I was starting to think you weren’t going to show.”

Keith stifled a yawn and swung around behind the counter. “Sorry. I’m not trying to be lazy on purpose. Getting back into the swing of school has just been tougher than usual so I’m really glad you’re the one I’m working with tonight.”

“Thanks, I guess?” he said with a chuckle as he set a drink on one of the available trays and picked up a new ticket. “I feel like I should be insulted by that.”

“You shouldn’t be,” Keith said. “I could use a friend around while at work.”

George paused, his eyebrows furrowing. “Everything’s okay with you and Shiro, right?” he asked.

Keith blinked and grinned. “Yeah, of course! We’re doing really great actually and are probably going to watch a movie after I get off tonight. Although with how I’m feeling I might fall asleep before we even get started.”

George relaxed. “Good. I’d hate for the two of you to be having relationship troubles on top of all the other stress you’ve got going on.”

“Nah,” Keith said fondly as his brain sifted through memories of his boyfriend. “We’re really good. I’m just waiting for Spring Break to get here so I can see him again.”

“How are you handling being separated?”

Keith let out a breath and readied the bottles for the drink he was making. “The first few days were rough. It’s gotten a little easier since we both have things we have to do, but I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t rather have him around.”

George nodded. “I can imagine. Vacation will be here before you know it and you’ll be back together again.”

“Yeah…” Keith said, more than a little wistfully. He glanced over at George and saw his knowing smirk, snapping him out of his thoughts. “School and work will make it feel like time flies by. I won’t have a second to spare to sit around and miss Shiro.”

George chuckled. “Yeah, hold onto that. Don’t let yourself lose that spunk. You’re going to need it.”

“Don’t I know it,” Keith grumbled.

George grinned, and they continued working in silence. Keith was glad to give his brain a little bit of a break from any form of mental strain. He could pretty much make every drink in a daze at this point. He didn’t need to focus on his work as much as he did when he got started as a bartender since the craft was second nature to him now.

Maybe he could convince Hunk and Pidge to buy a ton of booze and he could mix drinks for them. It probably wouldn’t get them drunk as quickly as straight shots of vodka and tequila, but he knew it would be fun nonetheless.

The night and the orders coming in were slow for a Saturday, but Keith wasn’t complaining. It was better than a rush they couldn’t control, and he hoped it would last for the rest of the night.

George passed him a glass as he pulled bottles of alcohol from under the counter, mixing the drink before setting it next to the ticket on the tray. George took his dirty mixers and dumped them into the sink, sticking his hands into the soapy water to start washing as Keith hung to the side and waited for the next drink to come in.

He sighed and crossed his arms, eyes roving over the few tables of patrons he could see from his place behind the bar. He let his mind start to wander now that he didn’t have anything to focus on.

~~

Keith dug his hands into his jacket pockets as he slipped out of the back door of the restaurant. The sky was dark, and the kitchen staff were doing their last rounds of cleaning before they got to leave for the night. Keith didn’t envy that kind of work when he got to leave so much sooner than they did. He also didn’t have to come in as early since they had kitchen prep, too.

The snow and salt that was still left on the sidewalks crunched under his feet as he walked back to his place. For once, he wasn’t in much of a hurry and the cold wasn’t bothering him too much despite being in the throes of winter.

Keith’s head tilted back, and he looked up between the buildings. He couldn’t make out any of the stars and the moon’s light was muted behind the clouds that hung over the city. It was supposed to snow again that night and he hoped it wouldn’t be too deep when he had to leave for work the next day.

His breath puffed out between his lips and he turned his gaze back to the sidewalk. He walked past a few strangers who were out, but they all kept to themselves, eyes focused on the walk in front of them. Keith didn’t mind. Interacting with strangers was one of his least favorite things to do.

Keith pulled his keys from his pocket as he jogged up the steps to his apartment building. He unlocked the door and pushed inside, the warmth of the building enveloping him like a hug. He hurried up the stairs to his floor, knocking the lingering salt and snow off his shoes before he walked into his place.

He threw his coat over the back of the couch and started stripping out of his work clothes as he walked into his bedroom. He changed into a pair of broken-in sweats and threw on a hoodie. The cold hadn’t been so bad when he was outside, but a chill still managed to linger in his bones now that he was in the confines of his home.

He pulled the sleeves of his hoodie down so they were almost over his hands and grabbed his computer, climbing into bed. He pulled his blanket around him as he started up his laptop and snuggled down inside the fabric. It was slow to start, and he drummed his fingers on the casing as he waited for the different programs to load.

Keith’s phone vibrated next to him and he picked it up, smiling when he saw it was Shiro texting him.

Shiro: You home?

Keith: Yup. I’m getting my computer set up now.

Shiro: Great! I’ll get rabbit set up and you can join my room when you get on there.

Keith: Sure

He leaned forward and adjusted the pillows behind him before he slouched down, trying to get more comfortable. His computer felt so slow and he wanted everything to load so he could get to Shiro.

Finally, after too long, he was able to open his web browser and pull up rabbit. There was already a notification waiting from Shiro and he clicked on it, taking him to Shiro’s room where Netflix was up on the screen.

He clicked on the mic, impatient as it took a couple seconds to calibrate and connect properly.

“Hey,” he said, probably a little too gruffly.

“Hey, baby,” Shiro said. “How are you?”

“Tired,” he sighed.

“Busy night?”

“Not really, actually. It was pretty slow. At least for me and George. But the amount of homework I had this morning and then work was a strain and I’m exhausted.”

“I’m sure it’ll get better.”

“Yeah,” Keith sighed. “I’m just ready to spend a nice night with you and watch a movie. I’ll warn you now though that I might fall asleep.”

Shiro chuckled and it made something warm curl in Keith’s chest.

“I think I can forgive you this time,” he said. “Are you going to be busy tomorrow?” he asked.

“I’ve got work tomorrow night, but my morning should be free. What’s up?”

“Well…” he said, and Keith could hear the grin in his voice and thinly veiled excitement. “I figured since we’re getting close we should book your plane tickets.”

“Close being a relative term?” Keith asked with a chuckle.

“Close in terms of needing to make travel planes,” he said.

“Okay,” Keith said. “It’s a date.”

“Not a very romantic date,” Shiro grumbled.

Keith shrugged even though he couldn’t see him. “It’s the best we can do right now. But if you really want something romantic, we can watch a rom-com tonight.”

“Eugh,” Shiro said and Keith could almost see his grimace. “No thanks. I think I’ll be the nerd I am and watch some sci-fi.”

“Took the words right out of my mouth, babe,” Keith said, letting himself sink back into his mattress. The cold was starting to recede, replaced by a strong warmth that spread from his chest.

“Does this mean I get to pick the movie?” Shiro asked.

“Sure,” Keith said, grinning. “But you better make it good.”

He watched as Shiro scrolled through Netflix, going through the shows and films suggested for him. He clicked on one and read the description.

“This sound good?” he asked.

“Sure,” Keith said, unable to stifle a yawn.

Shiro chuckled and hit play. “Don’t fall asleep on me.”

“No promises,” Keith said, lazy grin pulling at his lips. “You’d physically have to be here to stop me.”

Shiro hummed as the intro to the movie started to play. Keith was more focused on the sound of Shiro’s voice than what was happening on the screen in front of him. “If I was there with you then I wouldn’t mind letting you sleep.”

Keith huffed a laugh. “And why’s that?” he asked.

“Because,” Shiro said. “I’d be able to hold you and watch you sleep. I’d know you’re getting the rest you need and not working yourself to death.”

The warmth in Keith’s chest spread. “Well, you’re just going to have to trust me for now.”

“I know,” Shiro sighed. “And I do, but…”

“But?” Keith prompted.

“But that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t much rather have you here with me.”

“And I’d much rather be there with you,” Keith agreed. “But we still have another month and a half before that’s going to happen.”

“Keith?”

“Yeah?”

There was a pause, the only sound between them coming from the movie on the screen.

“I love you.”

Keith smiled and snuggled further under his blanket. “I love you, too.”

Shiro’s laugh was soft and sounded giddy. Keith was feeling the same.

“If you get too tired, let me know and I can shut off the movie and let you sleep.”

“Okay,” Keith said.

He looked at the screen but wasn’t really seeing what was going on. Not that it mattered all that much.

~~

Keith grumbled when his alarm went off. He reached for it, swatting his hand on the bedside table until he found his phone and was able to pick it up to shut it off. He yawned and rubbed at his eyes, trying to fight through the lingering sleep that wanted to pull him back to his dreams.

He forced himself to sit up and sat there, looking around his room as he tried to get his thoughts in order. There was a chill to the air that he’d been able to ignore under the blanket and he wrapped his arms around himself, wanting to fall back into bed go to sleep.

He grabbed his hoodie he’d discarded the night before and tugged it on, crossing his arms over his chest as another violent chill moved through his body.

“What the hell,” he grumbled, climbing out of bed. He flinched when his feet hit the wood floor and cold seeped into the bottoms of his feet.

He tiptoed over to his dresser and pulled out a pair of socks, awkwardly balancing to shove them onto his feet. He hurried into his living room and checked the thermostat, gaping when he saw the temperature was under forty degrees.

He rushed back into his bedroom, snatching his phone from the bedside table before dialing the number for the superintendent.

“Hello?” he asked, voice obviously tired.

“Hey, it’s Keith and the heat-“

“Say no more,” he sighed, interrupting. “The heat’s out in the whole building. I’ve put in a call to have the maintenance crew come in and they’re going to get here as soon as they can. The snow’s pretty bad outside and they have to come across town so sorry to say that it might be a few hours.”

Keith blinked. “Oh,” he said. “Okay. Thanks.”

“Of course,” he said. “Is there anything else you need?”

“Nope, that’s it.”

“All right,” he said. “Call if you need anything else.”

“Sure,” Keith said, ending the call. “This is going to be fun,” he grumbled to his empty apartment and sighed. He could at least be grateful that he still had electricity.

He shuffled into the kitchen and started rummaging through the cabinets, searching for something to keep him warm. He found a can of instant hot chocolate mix and set a pot of water on the stove to boil. As he waited, he retrieved his computer and several blankets and set them up around the couch to have somewhere warm to retreat.

His phone buzzed as he was mixing the boiling water with the hot chocolate mix into a large mug. He absentmindedly stirred the mixture with a spoon, picking up his phone to find a message from Shiro waiting for him.

Shiro: Morning, babyyyyyy

Keith smiled and carried his phone and hot chocolate into the living room, getting comfortable among the blankets before he replied.

Keith: Cold morning

Shiro: Awww, need someone to come warm you up?

Keith: Yeah, actually. The heat’s out in my building

Shiro: Shit

Keith: Yeah, it’ll hopefully be fixed by the afternoon, but the snow we got was bad and I don’t even want to think about what the roads look like

Shiro: You got anything to keep you warm?

Keith: Lots of blankets and hot chocolate, but that’s about it. I’m kind of wishing I had a space heater, but I don’t even know where I could go buy one or if I’d even want to go outside when I don’t have to.

Shiro: Sorry

Keith shrugged even though Shiro couldn’t see him.

Keith: Can’t be helped. The best I can do is deal with it. I’ve got work later so that’ll give me somewhere warm to go if the heat’s not on soon.

Shiro: You at least ready to book your plane tickets?

Warmth bloomed in Keith’s stomach that had nothing to do with the hot chocolate he was drinking. He bit his lip, excitement spreading through him.

Keith: Definitely.

He reached for his computer and nestled it over his blanket covered legs, clutching the warm mug close to his chest. His phone started to ring, and he answered it quickly, cradling it between his shoulder and his ear as he typed in his password with one hand.

“Hey,” he said, keeping his attention on his computer that was booting up.

“Morning, babe,” Shiro said. “Have you looked at any prices yet?”

“Nope. I’m just getting my computer powered up now, so it could be a minute or two before I can get on the internet. The one good thing about this morning is that electric is still working. I really don’t know what’s up with the heat.”

Shiro hummed. “Yeah, that is kind of strange… Maybe there’s a short or a connection slipped.”

Keith sighed. “I guess we’ll find out,” he said, taking a sip of his drink. He opened his web browser. “Okay, what airport am I flying into?”

“Melbourne International Airport,” Shiro answered.

Keith hummed, typing in the airport and the flights there from Chicago. “These aren’t bad,” he said, scrolling down through the list of flights that was only a couple hundred bucks for round trip tickets.

“What time do you think you could get in?”

“Well, I can finish up my classes on Friday and pack that night and leave Saturday morning. I’d get there in the middle of the afternoon, but I could stay until the next Sunday if you’re okay with me staying a little over a week?”

Shiro chuckled. “Do you even have to ask?”

“I just want to make sure,” he grumbled.

“I’m perfectly fine with you staying that long. Hell, I’d welcome it. I’ve missed you so much that I want to spend as much time with you as I can.”

Keith bit his lip and felt his chest warm despite the cold that permeated everything around him. “I’d have to get a noon flight back,” he continued after Shiro’s words had hung in the air too long.

“That’s fine. I’m good to take you there and pick you up whenever you need it. My schedule’s a lot more flexible than yours was.”

Keith smiled. “Okay, give me one second. I need to grab my wallet so I can pay for these.”

Warm butterflies exploded in his stomach. He hadn’t even thought about it much before now that this was actually happening, but now there was no mistaking the face he was going to fly down to Florida to see his boyfriend. It was something he never would’ve expected to happen in his life.

“I’m going to put you on speaker, okay?” Keith asked.

“Sure.”

He hit the speaker button and set the phone to the side as he started booking the tickets. He typed in his personal information, grin getting wider as he reached the bottom of the page and put his payment information in.

“Okay,” he said softly before clicking the payment button. “It’s done,” he said when the confirmation flashed. “I’m officially coming to visit you over spring break.”

“Make sure to send your flight numbers and info to me,” Shiro said.

“Don’t worry,” Keith said, picking up his phone. He took it off speaker and leaned back against the cushions, eyes still locked on his computer. “I’ll get all of that to you later.”

“Hey, Keith?” Shiro asked.

“Yeah?”

“You’re coming to visit me.”

He breathed a laugh, chest ready to explode. “Yeah. Yeah, I am.”

Chapter Text

Keith gripped the edges of the plastic bag tightly in his fingers. He’d tried to shove his hand in his pocket while he carried the bag, but it made the two bottles inside knock against his side uncomfortably. He was left suffering with cold hands since he didn’t have any gloves.

He jogged up the steps to the front door of Pidge and Hunk’s apartment complex and pressed the buzzer for their place.

It crackled before Hunk’s voice came through. “Hello?” he asked.

“It’s Keith, let me up,” he said, shaking in place as snow swirled down around his head. His backpack knocked against his back and he belatedly realized he should’ve stuffed the tequila bottles in there with his computer and spare change of clothes instead of carrying them like the idiot he was.

“It’s about time you got here,” Hunk muttered before the door clicked and buzzed in front of him.

Keith ignored the comment and jerked the door open, stepping into the warmth of the building. He shivered as warm air wrapped around him. At least the alcohol would help serve to warm him up when he got upstairs.

He jogged up the stairs, reaching their floor quickly. He hurried down the hall and barely knocked once before the door was being pulled open in front of him.

Pidge grinned up at him and stepped to the side, letting him inside. “We have pizza if you want some,” she said as she shut and locked the door behind him.

“Sure, I’ll take a slice,” he said. “I’ve got two bottles of tequila for all our shot taking needs too,” he said, setting it down on the counter next to a bottle of vodka and some margarita mix. An open box of pizza was next to the shot glasses and cups.

Hunk waved at him, chewing on a slice of pizza and he returned it. He could see Pidge and Hunk had their computers set up on the kitchen table and Keith pulled off his backpack, setting his laptop and phone down next to theirs.

He tossed his backpack on the couch and stowed his shoes next to the front door. He wasn’t willing to take off his jacket or beanie yet since a chill still lingered under his skin.

“You want a blanket or something?” Pidge asked, noticing his shivering as he took a slice of pizza.

“I’ll warm up soon enough,” he said. “I’m just ready for the snow to end. This week has been brutal.”

“I know. The walk to campus has been rough,” Hunk agreed. “But at least we’ve had our heat.”

Keith shrugged. “Mine was only out on Sunday and by the time I got back from my shift at the restaurant it was up and running so nothing to worry about. I was one of the lucky few who had somewhere warm to go.”

“You should invest in a space heater,” Pidge suggested.

Keith raised an eyebrow and moved to open his laptop to get Skype set up. “And how would that help my electric bill?”

“Fair enough,” Pidge said, pulling the bottles of tequila out of the plastic bag as Keith fiddled with his laptop to pull up Skype. “What do you say we start with some margaritas?” she asked.

“Sounds good to me,” Keith said, sitting down at the table. He opened Skype and found Shiro was offline. He frowned and pulled out his phone, sending a quick message to him.

Keith: You ready to Skype? I’m at Pidge and Hunk’s and we’re ready to get things going.

He nibbled on his pizza as he waited, watching Pidge pour tequila into three different glasses before diluting it with the margarita mix.

“At this rate, you’ll be able to bartend in no time,” he joked, taking one of the cups she handed to him.

“Hey, you don’t get to be picky. And we didn’t come here to make fancy ass drinks and sit around talking about high society bullshit. We came here to get drunk and do job applications. So you can sit down, shut up, and knock that back.”

Keith raised an eyebrow, but didn’t object, taking a pointed sip from his cup instead.

“That’s what I thought,” Pidge huffed.

Keith’s phone vibrated on the table next to him and he grinned and picked it up.

Shiro: Sorry, sorry! I was running late getting to Lance’s place and well I just got here now so we’re trying to get everything set up.

Keith grinned, imagining Shiro flushed from sprinting to Lance’s house and frantically trying to get his computer set up on a stable surface.

Keith: Don’t worry about it, babe. Take all the time you need, no rush.

He’d barely sent the message when his Skype started ringing. Keith rolled his eyes and answered Shiro’s incoming call.

“I thought I told you that you didn’t have to rush,” he said.

“Sorry,” Shiro said, still trying to catch his breath. “I was already in the middle of getting things set up when I realized you’d texted me.”

“Keith, hey!”

Keith blinked as Shiro’s head was shoved out of the way and Lance grinned at the camera. “Hey Lance. Do me a favor and get Shiro a drink?”

He heard Shiro make an indignant comment off the screen and snickered.

“Don’t worry about that. We’ve got plenty of drinks ready to go. And we’re ready to start taking shots,” Lance said.

“He’s right,” Allura said, showing up in the background with a glass in her hand. “Although I’m starting with a glass of wine.”

Keith chuckled and raised his red solo cup. “I’ve got a cheat margarita and so do Pidge and Hunk.”

“You could at least introduce us,” Pidge said, coming up behind him to lean over his shoulder.

“Yeah, we’re good for more than just giving you drinks and pizza,” Hunk added, looking over his other shoulder.

“This is Pidge and Hunk,” Keith said, pointing to each of them in turn. “Guys this is Allura and Lance.”

“And Shiro!” Shiro exclaimed, sticking his head into the frame.

Keith rolled his eyes and chuckled. “They’ve already met you!” he called back.

“Yeah but still!” he huffed.

“Okay, now that introductions are out of the way, what’s our game plan? When do we take shots?” Keith asked.

“I want a shot for every cover letter I have to write,” Lance said.

“You do realize that’s going to be every job application?” Allura asked next to him.

“A shot for every application we get submitted,” Pidge offered.

“And one for every application that doesn’t need us to answer a million questions,” Hunk added.

Keith grinned. “Sounds good to me. You still got that whiteboard, Pidge?” he asked.

She rolled her eyes. “Just who do you think you’re talking to?” she asked, walking down the hall towards her bedroom.

“What’s the whiteboard for?” Shiro asked, forcing himself into the frame in front of his computer since Allura and Lance were making no move to make room for him.

“Gotta keep a tally of how many shots each of us takes,” he said, rolling his shoulders. “I want to know how much of a lightweight all of you are.”

“You think you can outdrink me?” Lance scoffed.

“I’m a bartender dude,” Keith said with a grin.

“That doesn’t mean you know how to hold your liquor,” Pidge grumbled, walking back into the room and pretended like she was about to whack Keith over the head with the board as she passed. He stuck out his tongue at her and she didn’t hesitate to flip him off.

“Did we come here to argue about getting drunk and who can hold their tequila, or did we come here to get drunk and do job applications?” Allura asked and Keith blinked at how her choice of words mimicked Pidge’s from earlier. “Quit arguing and let the shots decide.”

“It’s on,” Lance said, hurrying off the screen.

Keith minimized his Skype, moving the small pop-up window into the corner of his screen so he could pull up Indeed and started searching for jobs in his desired career field. The initial results impressed him, but then when he filtered out everything that wasn’t entry-level, it became less exciting.

“First cover letter!” Lance called through the mic on his computer.

“What are you taking a shot of?” Pidge asked, pulling the cap off a marker.

“Vodka,” he said.

A second later Keith heard him splutter and he chuckled. “Not used to the burn?” he asked.

“Fuck off, Keith,” he muttered.

Keith ignored him and skimmed through the requirements of the first job posting he found. He clicked the link to apply and was surprised to find that it was an easy application that didn’t need much more than his name, contact info, resume, and an optional cover letter.

He quickly typed up a letter, using a rough format that he remembered from one of his classes and hoping he could be convincing enough about his work experience and education.

“I’m going to need two shots,” he said when he hit submit. “Wait, no, I’m going to need three shots. One for the cover letter, I barely had to answer any questions, and I submitted the app.”

Pidge cackled and lined up three shot glasses in front of him.

“Shots! Shots! Shots!” Lance chanted through his computer’s mic. Keith grinned and pulled up Skype so he could see the other half of their party. Shiro was watching curiously through the camera and Keith took a step back, lining up the shots of vodka in his hand.

“Can you catch these for me Hunk?” he asked.

“You know it,” he said, stepping out of his chair. He stood next to Keith, hands cupped in the air to catch the shot glasses that Keith would down.

“Three…two…one…” Pidge started. “Go!”

Keith slammed the first shot back, tossing the glass in Hunk’s direction. He followed it with the second and third in seconds and sucked in a breath, wincing at the burn down his throat. Warmth burst to life in his stomach, slowly spreading out to the rest of his limbs.

“How are you feeling?” Shiro asked, shooting him a grin.

“Good,” he said. “Ready to get back to more applications so I can take more shots.”

“Before that can happen, I’m up next,” Allura said, setting her computer to the side as she walked off screen to pour herself a drink.

“Me too,” Pidge said, filling up one of the shot glasses Keith had just used after plucking it from Hunk’s hand.

“Make sure to mark the tally,” Keith said absentmindedly, going back to his list of possible jobs to apply for.

“Shut it,” Pidge grumbled. “It’s my whiteboard so you don’t get to tell me how to use it.”

Hunk whistled. “Someone’s getting testy already. I didn’t think you were drunk enough for mean-Pidge to come out yet.”

“Are you kidding?” Keith asked, laughing. “A drop of alcohol is all it takes for mean-Pidge to come out.”

He blinked when Pidge’s face suddenly filled the space between his eyes and the computer screen.

“You want to say that again?” she asked. “Don’t make me delete your resume.”

Keith flinched, throwing himself to the side to pull his laptop away form Pidge’s reach. “You wouldn’t,” he hissed.

She narrowed her eyes. “Try me.”

“I spent hours working on this resume. You can’t just delete it.”

“Bitch, I can do whatever I want,” she said, coming after him.

“If you guys keep goofing off, all three of you are going to lose this job application party,” Shiro said through the mic.

Keith and Pidge narrowed their eyes at each other. “Temporary truce,” she said.

Keith nodded, and she went back to her computer. Keith sat as far from her as he could get at the kitchen table.

“Just wrote a cover letter,” Lance said. “Hit me with a shot.”

“Me too,” Shiro added.

Pidge reached over and marked two tallies on the board.

Keith groaned when he opened up a link to an application and found a list a mile long of information he had to fill in. His head hit the table with a thunk because he was definitely not drunk enough to get through all of that.

“Giving up already, Keith?” Pidge asked. “What happened to being able to drink us under the table because you’re a bartender.”

“It’s not that. This application just has so much information I have to fill out. It’s fucking depressing.”

“Better get started,” Allura said through Skype. “The sooner you get going, the sooner you can take another shot.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he muttered, sitting up as he slowly started putting his information in the separate fields.

“I need another shot,” Shiro said.

Pidge made another tally on the board and Keith slouched down in his chair, typing in his information as quickly as he could to get through it. He uploaded his resume and scrubbed a hand over his face when half of it was filled in incorrectly.

“I need two shots,” Hunk said, filling his glasses as Pidge made two more marks on the board.

Keith opened a blank document and started typing up another cover letter. The letters weren’t his strength, but he knew by the time he was finished with job applications, although he might never really be finished with them, he’d get pretty good at bullshitting his way through it and making himself sound good.

“I need another shot,” Shiro said.

“Me too,” Keith added as he finished his cover letter. “I just got done with my cover letter and need a break before I finish this application.”

Pidge handed him a glass.

“Cheers baby,” Shiro said through Skype.

He raised his glass even though he couldn’t really see Shiro and knocked it back, sighing at the warmth that spread through him. He propped his cheek against his fist and moved to the next part of the application, signing all of the confidentiality agreements and equal opportunity disclosure information.

The rest of the application was a breeze and he sighed when he was able to hit the final submit button.

“Give me another shot,” he said. A bottle was passed to him and Keith filled his glass.

“I’m going to need one too,” Allura said.

“Same,” Hunk added.

Keith knocked his shot back as Pidge made several marks on the whiteboard. Keith smiled as he set his glass on the table. He was starting to feel a lot better about applying for all of these jobs. His stress was disappearing, and job hunting didn’t seem so bad. He knew he’d manage to get a job eventually and if he had to, his job as a bartender would keep him busy in the meantime. He wasn’t completely out of work.

“What’s that dopey look for?” Pidge asked with a snort.

“Huh?” he asked, looking up from the job description he was reading through.

“You look like a happy idiot which is strange considering what we’re doing,” she explained.

He snorted. “Vodka. What else would it be?”

“Fair enough,” she said, holding out her hand.

It took Keith a moment to understand what she wanted before he passed the bottle to her. She poured a shot and knocked it back before making a mark under her own name.

Keith grinned and sat forward when he found a quick apply application. He typed in his information and uploaded his resume before typing out a quick cover letter.

“I’m going to need another three shots,” he said with a grin.

“Keith slow down!” Shiro called over Skype.

“Nah, you guys just need to keep up with me. We’re supposed to be doing job applications,” he said, lining up the glasses in front of him. He knocked one back, setting the glass to the side as more warmth spread through him.

“Just you wait!” Lance cried. “I’m going to catch up with you and drink you under the table.”

“Then you better hurry up,” Pidge said. “You’re three shots behind Keith.”

“What?!” he asked. “How is that possible?”

“Uh maybe because I’m working,” Keith said, going back to reading through the list of job applications. He blinked his eyes, trying to focus on the words on the screen that were starting to come through less clearly.

“Give me another shot,” Shiro said.

Pidge put another tally on the board and Keith re-read the same sentence three times before he started giggling. He pressed a hand against his mouth, trying to contain his laughter, but it didn’t work. He wrapped his arms around his stomach as he giggled, sagging down in his chair because this whole thing was so fucking ridiculous.

If college students were doing stuff like this, he could only imagine what it would like for workers in three-piece suits to be sitting around a shitty apartment, taking shots as they filled out job applications.

“Keith, you okay over there?” Pidge asked, leaning around her computer.

“Baby, have you already lost it?” Shiro asked.

Their concern made him giggle harder and he pulled up the Skype window to find Shiro, Allura, and Lance watching him expectantly, concern filling their gazes.

“Okay here me out,” he started, trying to catch his breath around his giggles. “But do you think that a bunch of people in fancy suits sit around and take shots while doing job applications? Like what do they do when they have to write cover letters and fill out job apps?”

Shiro’s grin pulled at his lips and he chuckled. “I don’t think they have to go to these kinds of lengths when they’re looking for a new job,” he said.

“No, but that would be hilarious,” Lance said, laughing. “Is this what we’re going to have to do if we ever change jobs?”

“I don’t even have my first job,” Hunk added. “I don’t even want to think about finding a second job yet.”

“Me either,” Pidge grumbled. “But it’s time for me to take another shot.” She grabbed a glass and poured herself a drink, sighing before she drew a tally on the board.

“Get back to your applications or you’re really not going to win at this rate,” Allura added.

Everyone scrambled to get back to their applications even as Keith continued to giggle in his chair, his focus starting to wane because of the vodka in his system.

Chapter Text

Keith smiled, not even caring if he looked loopy from where he was curled up on the couch. Hunk and Pidge were next to him, heads lolling on the cushions as they tried to find some last shred of self-control after all the shots they’d taken. The whiteboard was abandoned in the kitchen along with Pidge and Hunk’s computers once they were all tired of doing job applications.

“Your cheeks are red,” Shiro said, huffing a laugh from where he’d curled up in one of the armchairs at Lance’s place. “It’s cute.”

Keith giggled. “Your cheeks are red, too. I’m not the only one who probably drank too much.”

“Yeah but you drank the most. And gave up on job applications before the rest of us.”

“So?” Keith scoffed. “I took more shots and my chances of getting a job are better now that I’ve run through a bunch of applications.”

“Yeah,” Shiro agreed, eyelids dropping as he continued to gaze at him.

Keith bit his lip and glanced over at Hunk and Pidge. Pidge was leaning heavily against Hunk and both of their breaths were evening out. They were well on their way to passing out for the night.

“Where’s Lance and Allura?” Keith asked instead.

“Lance is passed out on the couch. It looks like one of his socks is barely hanging onto his foot. And Allura disappeared a while ago. I heard some water running from the bathroom so she’s probably in bed.”

“She’s going to look the best out of all of us tomorrow, isn’t she?”

Shiro shrugged. “I don’t know about that, but she’ll probably be feeling a little better. I know that I don’t have any plans to do anything tomorrow and am going to laze around and nap and eat as much hangover food as I can.”

Keith grinned. “Me too. Maybe if we have to do this again, we can cuddle up together after. The hangovers won’t be as bad.”

“Ugh, gross Keith,” Pidge grumbled. “Take your sappy ass somewhere else.”

Shiro chuckled and Keith rolled his eyes.

“Yeah right. I’m drunk off my ass. There’s no way I’m going to try and walk home like this and taking a cab is the worst idea ever. I don’t need to be thrown onto the sidewalk for vomiting all over the seats,” Keith muttered.

“Then tell Shiro goodnight and go to sleep,” she hissed back.

“No,” Keith argued, hugging his laptop close to his chest which only served to smother the camera against his shirt.

“Fine, fine,” she grumbled, struggling to pull herself off the couch on unsteady legs. She used her hand on Hunk’s shoulders to keep herself steady. “Come on, Hunk.”

“What is it?” he grumbled, turning away from her. “Unless it’s food, I don’t care what you want to say.”

“So, you want to stay and watch the gross spectacle that is Shiro and Keith together? Their proximity is already making me want to vomit which is saying a lot considering how much vodka and tequila is sloshing around in my stomach.”

“Okay, I’m up, I’m up. There’s no way I want to bear witness to that,” Hunk muttered, pushing himself off the couch.

“Hey,” Keith protested.

Hunk took a moment to regain his sense of equilibrium before he and Pidge started shuffling down the hall towards their rooms.

“Night, Keith,” Pidge called back to him. “Don’t throw up on the couch.”

Keith rolled his eyes. “I’m far past the point of possibly throwing up,” he muttered, stretching his legs out on the cushions.

“It’s a fair request though,” Shiro said from the computer.

Keith slumped and adjusted his computer in his lap to see the video feed again. Shiro grinned at him, his cheeks still flushed from alcohol.

“Yeah, I guess. Better that I don’t because she’ll definitely make me clean up my own vomit if I do.”

“It’s only polite,” Shiro agreed.

Keith rested his head against the back of the couch and let his gaze rove over Shiro. He could hear the faint sounds of Pidge and Hunk getting ready for bed but was more than fine staying curled up on the couch.

“What’s that look for?” Shiro asked, finally breaking the silence.

Keith shrugged one shoulder. “Nothing really. You’re just beautiful and I can’t believe you’re real.”

Shiro bit his lip, the flush on his cheeks darkening. “I could say the same of you.”

Keith covered his mouth as he yawned, feeling sleepy, warm, and content. The couch was inviting and soft and welcoming.

Shiro chuckled. “Tired?”

“Only a little,” Keith admitted. “But I don’t want to stop talking to you.”

“I’ll be here tomorrow,” Shiro said, shifting around until his own head was pillowed on a cushion. The camera tipped a bit because of Shiro’s new position.

“I know, but…” Keith sighed. “I love you, Shiro.”

Shiro grinned. “I love you, too. And we’re another day closer to seeing each other again.”

Keith groaned. “It’s still so far away.”

“Then go to sleep and it’ll get here faster,” Shiro said with a soft laugh.

He huffed and traced his fingers over his computer screen, wishing he could actually touch Shiro through it.

“Goodnight, Shiro,” he murmured.

Shiro’s smile was soft, eyes shining in the dim light. “Goodnight, Keith.”

Neither of them made a move to end the call.

“We should probably hang up,” Shiro admitted.

“I know, but…I don’t want to.”

“Me neither.”

They continued to stare at each other. Warmth spread further through Keith and his body felt lethargic and heavy, almost like he was sinking into the warmth of the couch.

“You look like you’re about to pass out,” Shiro said with a giggle.

Keith’s smile was slow to pull at his lips. “That’s because I think I might be.”

“Go to sleep, Keith. We’ll talk tomorrow when we’re both hopefully not feeling too disgusting.”

Keith groaned at the thought of a hangover. “Okay, okay. Goodnight. Seriously this time.”

“Night,” Shiro agreed before ending the call.

Keith stared at his Skype for a moment before he sighed and shut his computer. He set it on the coffee table before curling up on his side, letting his eyes slide shut as sleep took him easily.

~~

Keith licked his lips and grimaced. His mouth tasted disgusting, like there was some kind of film covering his tongue and lasting in the back of his throat. His head was fuzzy but thankfully wasn’t buzzing and his stomach felt off, like it needed something in it, but he didn’t really have an appetite for anything.

He sighed and forced his eyes open, lazily wiping at the sleep that crusted the edges of his eyes. He swallowed and grimaced again, the taste somehow worse now that he was aware of it.

He pushed himself up and took a deep breath, finally registering the smell of coffee that permeated the air. Hunk and Pidge were already seated at the table, their heads resting on their crossed arms as they no doubt tried to recover from the night before.

“How are you two feeling?” he croaked, leaning heavily against the back of the couch.

“Disgusting,” Pidge grumbled. “I don’t want to drink for at least a month.”

“At least?” Hunk asked, voice muffled by the table. “I don’t want to drink for a year.”

“Give it a day,” Keith said, pushing himself from the couch. “You’ll forget how you’re feeling before you know it.”

He shifted, wanting nothing more than to get out his day-old jeans and shirt, but would have to wait until he got home. The thought of a hot shower in his future had him desperate to run from Pidge and Hunk’s apartment.

“I’m going to the bathroom. We should probably make some hangover food,” he grumbled, shuffling down the hallway.

“Hunk,” Pidge said.

Hunk groaned, but heard his chair move back along the tiled floor to indicate he was getting up.

Keith shut the door behind him and flicked on the light, wincing at the harsh fluorescent glare. He blinked his eyes several times to clear the spots and let his eyes adjust.

He looked about as miserable as he felt. His hair was sticking up in three different places and his eyes looked dead to the world. He wiped his hand against the corner of his mouth to clear a short trail of spit that had dried while he was sleeping.

Keith sighed and quickly used the toilet. He washed his hands and scrubbed the warm water over his face to hopefully wake him up. It was a decent start since he wasn’t taking a shower. The thought was tempting but getting cleaned up only to put on his dirty clothes was something that wouldn’t come easily and would be best to avoid.

He pulled open the cabinet door under the sink and grabbed the large bottle of mouthwash that lived under it. He poured a small cup and tipped it back, swishing the liquid around his mouth. He winced at the sharp flavor and spit it into the sink, rinsing it down the drain.

Keith screwed the lid back on, feeling better now that most of his bad breath was rid by the mouth wash. An acidic flavor still lurked in the back of his throat, but he could deal with that until he got food to wash it away.

He pushed out of the bathroom and hummed when he smelled bacon frying. He swung around the corner and found Pidge had set out three plates and was buttering slices of toast while Hunk handled a pan of bacon and one of scrambled eggs.

“Anything I can do to help?” he asked.

“You can do the dishes once we’re done eating,” Pidge said, rubbing a hand over her eyes.

“That’s only fair. Have either of you made coffee yet?” Keith asked.

“I knew I was forgetting something!” Hunk huffed as he pulled the pan of eggs from the stove.

“I’m on it,” Pidge said, moving around the kitchen island to pull the bag of coffee grounds from the cabinet.

Hunk divided the eggs between the three plates before he grabbed the bacon and slipped a couple slices on each plate next to the slices of toast.

Keith plopped down in one of the chairs and pulled his phone from his pocket. He opened his messages and pulled up his conversation with Shiro.

Keith: You awake yet?

He left his phone next to his elbow as the coffee started to brew and mixed with the smell of breakfast.

“Milk and sugar?” Pidge asked.

“You know it,” Keith said.

“I got it,” Hunk said, going over to the fridge for the gallon of milk. He set it on the table as Pidge set a jar of sugar next to it.

Keith bit off a bite of bacon, groaning as the taste caused his stomach to grumble. “Hunk, you’re the best.”

Hunk chuckled. “Anyone’s the best when they make hangover food,” he said, picking up a slice of toast to nibble on. He pulled down three mugs from the cabinet to fill from the pot.

Keith’s phone vibrated, and he glanced down at it to see a reply from Shiro.

Shiro: Ughhhh I don’t want to drink for like a hundred years.

Keith chuckled, already feeling better than when he’d woken up.

Keith: Same, but bacon, eggs, and toast makes things better.

Keith: And coffee.

Shiro: Even thinking about eating is making me nauseous.

Keith: Use mouthwash first. You’ll feel better after you do.

“Here, Keith,” Hunk said, setting a mug next to him.

“Thanks, Hunk,” Keith mumbled happily. He spooned a bit of sugar in the cup and mixed in a generous amount of milk.

Shiro: I’ll take the advice. I just hope that I make it home.

Keith: You’ll be fine. Eggs are your friend.

Keith shoved the edge of his toast in his mouth and took a bite, leaning his head against his fist. He chewed lazily, taking care not to eat too fast for fear of upsetting his stomach. The hangover was bad enough but having to worry about making himself nauseous was the last thing he wanted.

“You have to work today?” Pidge mumbled around her own food.

Keith shook his head. “Thankfully no. If I did, I probably wouldn’t have let myself drink so much last night. As soon as I get home I’m taking a shower and resigning myself to spending the day on the couch half-heartedly doing homework.”

“I’m sure Shiro can help you with that,” Hunk said, draining his mug of coffee.

“Maybe,” Keith said, chuckling. “He’s got to get past his own hangover and from what I can tell, he’s not doing too well right now.”

“He just needs to brush his teeth and get some food in his belly,” Pidge said, putting her and Hunk’s dirty dishes in the sink as she grabbed another mug of coffee.

“That’s what I told him,” Keith said, standing up with his plate. He took it over to the sink and drained his mug before turning on the faucet, letting the water warm as it ran over the dirty dishes.

He reached under the sink for the dish soap and squired some on a sponge before he got to work washing the dishes. The movements were easy and rhythmical and helped to offset the fuzziness in his head. He didn’t have to focus, just needed to clean and let his mind stay blank.

Hunk handed him the pans he’d used for eggs and bacon and he stuck those under the running water as he washed the last plate. Keith scrubbed at the grease in the pans, making sure to get every drop of it washed down the drain.

Pidge stepped up next to him and started drying the dishes as he scrubbed at the last pan.

“You don’t need to do that,” Keith said.

She shrugged. “Don’t worry about it. Hunk cooked, and you did the washing. The least I can do is dry everything and put it away. Besides, I’m sure you’re ready to get home and shower,” she said, taking the last clean pan from Keith’s hand while he turned off the faucet and squeezed the excess soap and water from the sponge.

Keith hesitated as he set the damp sponge on the edge of the sink to dry.

“Get out of here,” Pidge said with a grin. “You’ll feel better once you’re cleaned up and in some comfortable clothes.”

“Okay,” Keith said, moving around the apartment to shove his things in his bag. He hesitated when he picked up his laptop.

“Hunk get him out of here,” Pidge huffed.

“Come on man,” Hunk said, with a chuckle as he steered him towards the front door. “You’re going to be half-frozen when you get home as it is. Might as well get it over with.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Keith huffed as he shifted in the hallway. “I’ll see you guys later.”

Hunk waved, and he turned towards the elevator, hearing the door shut behind him.

Keith ducked his head as soon as he was out on the sidewalk. He swallowed as the cold attacked every inch of his body, breath fogging in front of him.

He hurried down the sidewalk, ignoring the fuzziness in his head. He was glad his stomach wasn’t protesting anymore despite the breakfast that he ate. His phone vibrated in his pocket and he didn’t bother pulling it out to check the message. He cared more about keeping his hands warm than whatever message Shiro had sent him.

He nearly barreled into someone as he slipped around the corner onto his street and sidestepped around them with a half-hearted apology. He jogged up the steps to his building and pulled out his keys, shifting his weight to keep the cold from creeping in any further.

Keith shoved through the door to his complex and hurried towards the stairs. He shivered as the warm air of the complex wrapped around him. It would be a while before he fought off the chill from outside and there was no guarantee that he would even be able to get it out of his bones. Even with a pile of blankets and bowls of soup.

He pushed down the edges of the beanie on his head and unlocked the door to his apartment. He stepped around it and locked the door behind him, leaving his shoes next to the door.

He headed for the couch and pulled out his phone, curling up on the cushions to keep his body heat in his limbs as long as possible.

Shiro: Showers are the best thing to ever happen after a hangover.

Keith chuckled and thought of the hot water washing over his skin. He fidgeted on the couch as he typed his reply.

Keith: I wouldn’t know yet. I just got home.

Shiro: How are you feeling, baby?

Keith: Cold of course. Winter is sparing no one. Or at least it’s not sparing me.

Shiro: Take a hot shower and put on warm clothes. I’m going to hunker down on the couch for the rest of the day.

Keith pushed himself to his feet and moved through his apartment as he typed out his next message, heading for the bathroom.

Keith: I think I’m going to do the same thing. Once I get into something warmer and wrap myself in a blanket.

He turned on the water, hesitating before pushing the temperature up higher than normal despite the increase it would give his electric bill. He didn’t take scalding showers all the time so one day shouldn’t hurt.

He stripped out of his clothes, sticking a hand around the curtain to feel temperature. Once it wouldn’t freeze him he stepped inside, pulling the curtain shut behind him. He sighed as the hot water flowed over his skin. He wanted to curl up underneath the spray and stay there to avoid the chill that would permeate the rest of his apartment but knew he couldn’t.

Keith washed quickly, barely hearing when his phone vibrated on the counter next to the sink. He hesitated before he shut off the water and shivered as steam billowed around him. He grabbed a towel, wiping the excess water from his skin.

He jumped out of the shower and hurried towards his bedroom, trying and failing to outrun the cold. He pulled out his warmest sweatpants and a hoodie, shoving his long limbs into them.

He was going to curl up on the couch the rest of the day and maybe he could convince Shiro to watch a few movies with him.

Chapter Text

Keith grinned as he drew another red “X” through the box on his calendar. Each day he marked off was another day that was getting him closer to Spring Break and his reunion with Shiro. His excitement was continuing to build, and he knew the same thing was happening to Shiro too. Their texting was becoming more frequent and practically every minute they spent in their houses left them on their computers and skyping with each other.

It had left Keith distracted on more than one occasion because even if they swore they were actually going to do homework with each other this time, it always ended up pushed to the side as they excitedly talked about their plans they’d already memorized.

And their homework load was only getting worse and worse because mid-terms were approaching. In half his classes, Keith had exams and in the other half he had papers that needed to be written. The papers were well on their way since he didn’t have any problem getting preliminary research done before actually sitting down to write them, but studying for his exams wasn’t going well at all.

He couldn’t do it when he was skyping with Shiro. It was impossible, and he was going to have to stop talking to him soon if he wanted to ensure he aced his exams.

The Skype tone filled the silence of his apartment and Keith couldn’t keep the smile off his face at seeing Shiro’s name pop up. He accepted the call before Shiro had to wait much longer.

“Hey,” he greeted, leaning back in his chair.

“Hey baby,” Shiro said, stretched his arms over his head where he was laying in bed.

Keith raised an eyebrow but didn’t stop himself from admiring the view of Shiro stretched out on top of his covers. “Is this your way of trying to convince me to have a study date with you?” he asked.

Shiro huffed and let his arms fall back over his head before he gave up and rolled onto his side, pillowing his head on his bicep.

“It’s Friday, can’t we just enjoy a day to ourselves?”

Keith rolled his eyes. “Not when I’ve got assignments to get done and tests that I have to pass. Besides, we’re going to see each other soon and we can make up for the time we’re losing right now.”

“You promise?” Shiro asked, eyes sparkling.

Keith huffed. “Yes, I promise, Shiro.”

They stared at each other through the screen for a moment, Shiro unconsciously picking at a loose thread on his comforter.

“You’ve got your packing list right?” he asked.

Keith grinned. “Yes Shiro,” he sighed, picking up his computer to carry it into his bedroom. He crawled into his own bed, head resting on his pillows as he set his computer on his chest and angled the screen down so his face still appeared in the viewfinder of his camera.

“Just checking.”

“We’ve gone over it ten times at least. I’ve got the list and I’m not going to forget anything on it. And if it’ll make you feel better about me packing, you can even Skype with me while I pack.”

“Okay, okay,” Shiro admitted. “I’ll stop bugging you about it.”

“You never bug me. But the more we talk about all of this, the more impatient I’m going to get and the wait is going to be even worse.”

“Only a couple weeks,” he sighed, eyes sliding shut.

Keith took a minute to appreciate how Shiro looked with his eyes closed and relaxed in bed. Something warm sparked in his belly and he shifted his computer onto the bed so he could lay on his side.

“It’ll be over before you know it,” Keith said, voice soft. “Mid-terms and homework will keep us busy.”

“Speaking of homework, you better not bring any with you,” Shiro said, looking at Keith with narrowed eyes through the camera.

Keith huffed a laugh, the warmth in his stomach seeping out into the rest of him.

“Don’t worry. School is going to be the last thing on my mind during break. I’ll make sure you have all my attention.”

Shiro grinned. “Good. And you’ll be free of the cold and the snow.”

“The snow’s actually starting to melt. During the day anyway. The puddles of water freeze at night since the temps still drop so low but we’re thawing.”

Shiro hummed. “You think I could help you thaw out a little more.”

Keith stilled, watching Shiro carefully through the camera. He hummed and rolled onto his back, unconsciously shifting away from the camera so it captured his stretched torso. He kept his eyes locked on Shiro as he idly scratched his stomach, forcing the hem of his shirt up to revel the pale skin of his stomach.

Shiro’s eyes zeroed in on the patch of skin and he licked his lips. Keith bit his lip, a muffled groan slipping out behind his teeth.

“God Shiro do you really wanna-“

“Yes,” he breathed. “God yes. Keith, you’re so fucking gorgeous.”

Shiro moved around on his bed, the springs creaking as he resettled himself on his back, positioning his computer away from him to capture everything from his head to the tops of his thighs.

Keith caught a glimpse of a small tent in Shiro’s pants as his cock slowly started to harden.

“I can’t wait until you have your hands on me,” Keith murmured, shoving his shirt farther up his stomach. He shivered as chilled air hit his overheated skin and spread his legs, his own cock taking notice of what was happening between them.

“Would you let me leave bruises?”

Keith blinked, staring at Shiro whose face turned a bright shade of red visible in the low light of his bedroom.

“I’d want you to,” he admitted. Shiro stared at him, eyes wide and lips parted. “I’d want to have your fingers digging into my hips. I’d want you to ravage my neck so everyone knew someone had a claim over it.”

“God Keith, I’d never let you leave without a bruise on your neck,” Shiro said, running his hand down over his chest to cup himself through his pants.

Keith groaned, watching Shiro work himself with his hand over his pants. Keith’s fingers twitched. He wanted to touch himself. He wanted to touch Shiro. He wanted to feel good and he wanted to make Shiro feel good.

“Are you just going to lay there and watch or are you going to do something?”

Keith’s eyes snapped up to Shiro’s face. His blush had gotten deeper and his gaze held the fire of a thousand suns. It burned him, spreading heat over and under his skin. Keith shifted his legs wider.

“Do you want me to do something?” he asked.

“I want to see you touch yourself,” Shiro rasped, voice low. He paused his own movements, his hand resting over his cock.

“Like this?” Keith asked, unable to fight down his smirk as he rucked up his shirt and dragged his fingers teasingly over his stomach. He shivered at the light brush of skin over his warming skin.

“How is it that you can tease me through a video camera?” Shiro whined.

Keith chuckled, his voice dropping an octave. “If you think that’s bad for teasing, I promise you that I can do so much worse.”

“Yeah?” Shiro asked, hope flooding his voice.

Keith bit his lip and nodded, pressing his hand more insistently against his stomach as he slowly trailed it towards the top of his sweats. He stared at the ceiling, eyes going out of focus as he imagined it.

“I could touch myself,” he started, quickly getting swept up in the different things he could do as they popped up one by one. “I could get a hand around my cock and get myself so hard and wet and aching. I could finger myself open in front of you, shove a dildo or a vibrator up my ass and make you watch. You wouldn’t be able to touch or feel. You wouldn’t be able to fuck me.”

Shiro groaned, low and desperate but Keith didn’t even hear it.

“You’d watch as I got myself off and covered myself in come, messing up the sheets enough so I’d have no choice but to wash them. But you wouldn’t be able to get me there. You’d be stuck watching me wreck myself.”

“No,” Shiro growled.

Keith chuckled, finally dipping his fingers under the elastic of his sweats. He rolled his head to the side and found Shiro’s eyes boring into him.

“What? Don’t like that idea Shiro?” he asked, pitching his voice higher so it sounded sweet and innocent. “What are you going to do from so far away?”

“Careful Keith, or I won’t let you leave my bed when you get here,” Shiro warned.

“That doesn’t sound so bad actually,” he said. Keith abandoned the waistband of his sweats and slid his hand overtop the fabric, squeezing himself over the material. He sighed and arched into the contact, trying to get more friction but keeping himself on edge enough that it wasn’t quite enough.

“Feel like taking your sweats off for me?” Shiro asked.

Keith turned his head to the side and found Shiro watching him intently. He grinned and pressed both hands against his stomach, sliding them down to the band of his sweats. He hooked his thumbs underneath the elastic and lifted his hips before shoving them down over his thighs, leaving him in his boxers.

“Boxers, Keith,” Shiro said.

Keith smirked, watching Shiro push down his own pants and his boxers.

“You only said you wanted my sweats off,” he shot back.

Shiro stilled and glared at him through the screen. The sight was ridiculous and made him snicker. Keith didn’t torture either of them much longer and dutifully shoved his boxers down with his sweats, kicking them off his legs.

He sighed and stared up at the ceiling, trying to calm the panic that wanted to rise and overwhelm him at the idea of being naked for his boyfriend over Skype. They were really doing this. Shiro could see every inch of him and he could see all of Shiro.

“God Keith you’re gorgeous.”

Keith swallowed and finally looked to see Shiro’s reaction. He was staring at him, lips parted and wide eyes trained on Keith’s dick. Shiro licked his lips before raising his gaze to meet Keith’s.

“I want to suck you,” he muttered, voice low.

Keith chuckled and scrubbed a hand down his face. “God you’re going to kill me, Shiro.”

“Hopefully not before I get my mouth around you or my dick inside you.”

Keith dropped his hand and finally let himself look at Shiro. From what he could see, Shiro was thick, cock flushed red and standing starkly against the black hair surrounding the base.

“It would be a shame if I missed out on that,” he whispered but he knew Shiro could hear.

Shiro wrapped his hand around the base of his cock and Keith watched, mesmerized as Shiro stroked himself, sighing at the touch. Keith bit his lip, wondering what Shiro would feel like in his hand. He couldn’t even begin to comprehend how he would feel inside of him.

Keith watched Shiro’s hand for a moment, catching sight of a drop of precome beading at the head. Shiro used his thumb to spread it around on the next stroke and Keith wrapped his fingers tightly around the base of his own cock, content to watch Shiro fall apart under his own hand.

“You’re not just going to sit there and watch, are you?” Shiro gasped as he twisted his hand on the next stroke.

“I dunno Shiro. I could get off from just watching you like this,” Keith murmured, voice low in the back of his throat.

Shiro whined, head falling back. “You can’t just say stuff like that. Not when you’re not even doing anything.”

“You want me to do something, Shiro?”

“Fuck…yes!” he cried.

“Is this enough?” he asked, stroking himself once. Shiro’s eyes locked on his cock and Keith swore he could feel the heat from his gaze through the camera. Keith stroked himself again, his own eyes landing on Shiro’s hand which was moving in time with his.

He kept his movements slow, grip loose so it offered some friction but not enough to push him remotely close to the edge of what he could take.

“Aren’t you going to go any faster?” Shiro asked, arching into his hand.

Keith bit his lip and squeezed his hand around his dick. He gave a firmer stroke, testing the waters as he watched Shiro through the camera. Shiro’s thighs lifted from the bed, muscles tense and shaking.

Keith sucked in a breath through his nose, his hand working himself faster as he watched Shiro try to keep some semblance of composure. He was breathtaking, and Keith wanted to kiss every inch of his skin.

“I can’t wait to get my lips on you,” Keith murmured. “I want to kiss every inch of your skin and run my lips across it. I want to taste you.”

Keith’s stomach tightened, heat coiling as he continued to work himself, pace easy. He wasn’t in a rush and wanted to enjoy every minute shared between them. He twisted his wrist on the next stroke, stoking the fire in his belly. It burned brighter and surged upwards faster than he thought was possible when Shiro let out a shaky moan on the other side of the camera.

“Shiro?” he asked.

“Yeah baby?”

Keith pulled his gaze away from where Shiro was working himself and glanced over his face. His cheeks were flushed in the low light of his bedroom and his forehead was scrunched up in concentration, lips parted as he fought to suck in air.

Keith twisted his wrist again and thumbed at the slit of his cock, letting out a low groan as his breath left him in a rush. Precome slipped down next to his fingers and he spread it on the next stroke, easing the slide of his hand a bit more.

“Keith I need-“ Shiro started and cut himself off.

“What do you need?”

“God, I need more. I need you.”

Keith swallowed and stroked faster, giving into the need that had been building in his stomach. Everything that had happened over the months rushed to the surface. The improbability of their whole relationship was almost laughable. And he would’ve laughed, probably more than a bit hysterically, if he wasn’t getting off with his boyfriend over Skype.

“I need you, too, Shiro,” Keith agreed. He arched on the next stroke, his thighs quivering with how tensed the muscles were. He thrust his hips up, meeting his hand on the downstroke. “I…” he ground his teeth together, trying to force the words out.

“Shit,” Shiro muttered.

Keith forced his gaze to the camera and watched as Shiro practically curled in on himself, his hand speeding up as he breathed harsh pants. He watched, mesmerized as Shiro whined, face screwed up in concentration with the need to come and pour his release across his hand.

Keith stroked himself faster, hoping the sound of skin sliding against skin filtered through the speakers enough that Shiro heard him over his own broken and choked off whines.

“Come on baby,” Keith purred, toes curling into the blanket underneath him. “You’re so close, you can do it.”

“I’m so close,” Shiro agreed, twisting his hand on the next stroke.

Keith rubbed his thumb over the head of his cock, his hips stuttering as he almost spilled over his fingers. Fighting back his orgasm hadn’t been a conscious choice and he mourned the loss of release that he craved.

He ground his teeth together, forcing his hand to move faster. He squirmed, digging his heels into his duvet, eyes locked on Shiro. Shiro bit his lip, teeth forcing more color into the plush skin. A garbled noise echoed in the back of his throat and Keith watched as his mouth fell open, streams of come spilling over his fingers as he worked himself through his release.

Keith licked his lips, feeling desperate as he fought to push himself over the edge. Shiro’s hand dropped away from his softening cock, his palm upturned to show the pool of white that collected there.

The rush of his orgasm didn’t rip through him as he expected it to. It was a gentle push over the edge; a damn breaking that flooded him with warmth through every inch of his body as ripples and waves pushed it down to his toes.

Keith sighed, sinking into his mattress as his come spread and slid over his stomach. An easy smile pulled at his lips and let his eyes slide shut.

“I can’t wait until you’re here,” Shiro whispered, voice hoarse.

Keith’s head rolled to the side, eyes fluttering open. He looked at every inch of Shiro’s face, his smile pulling wider at the blissed out and happy expression on his face.

“I know. And I can’t wait until I’m there. Only a little longer.” Keith winced as the come on his stomach started to cool, sucking out his body heat. “Clean up first and then we can continue this?”

Shiro nodded. “That sounds like a good idea.”

Keith forced himself from his bed and hurried into his bathroom. He washed his hands first and cleaned off his stomach with some toilet paper. He hurried back to his bedroom and shoved his boxers and sweats back over his legs before ducking under the covers to wrap himself in warmth and fight off the chill that threatened to make sleeping impossible.

Shiro was back a moment later, looking warm and inviting. He grinned when he saw Keith’s head poking out of his blankets.

“You look so cold,” he teased.

“Shut up, Shiro,” he hissed.

Shiro chuckled, eyes sparkling. “I love you, too.”

Keith huffed and ducked under the covers, hiding the grin that hurt his cheeks.

Chapter Text

Keith huffed and ran a hand through his hair as he stared at his full closet. His empty suitcase was sitting on his bed and even though he’d had his packing list prepared for over a month, he still felt overwhelmed by everything that he needed to take.

“Hey, Shiro?” he asked.

“Yeah, what’s up?” Shiro asked, voice coming from his computer where it was sitting on his dresser with Skype pulled up.

“I literally have no idea how I’m going to get packed tonight.”

“Where’s your packing list?” Shiro asked. “Don’t you have it?”

“Yeah, but I literally just said I needed shirts. What kind of shirts do I need to bring? Which shirts do I want to bring?”

“Short sleeves and then you’re going to want a jacket because it can still get chilly early in the morning and at night,” Shiro said. “And if it’s windy during the day, a jacket will help cut through the chill too.”

“Okay,” Keith said, not sounding entirely convinced. He shoved his hangers to the side, looking at the shirts he had. Most of what he had was black or navy since they held up the best against constant wear and tear. He tossed several shirts over his shoulder to his bed until he had enough that would get him through the week.

“I just want to say that seeing random shirts fly across the screen with no explanation was the funniest thing ever,” Shiro said.

Keith rolled his eyes. “Shut up, Shiro,” he said, shooting a look at him as he stepped back into view to fold the shirts and stuff them into his suitcase.

“It’d be a crime if I did. I’m far too entertaining.”

Keith chuckled. “I think you’ve been spending too much time with Lance. His ego is starting to rub off on you.”

“Maybe so, but it keeps things interesting.”

Keith hummed, eyes focused on the fabric in his hands.

“You ready for your flight tomorrow?”

Keith smiled and turned away from the camera to walk back to his closet. “Yeah, I think it’ll be alright. First time on a plane and all that. I’m more excited than nervous right now since it means I’ll finally see you again tomorrow.”

“Me too, baby,” Shiro agreed.

Keith grabbed several pairs of jeans and draped them over his arms. He paused and furrowed his brow. “Is it warm enough for shorts down there yet?”

Shiro hummed. “Some days it is. You might want to be prepared for both though.”

Keith nodded and remembered that Shiro couldn’t see him. “Okay.” He grabbed a couple pairs of shorts and tossed the pile onto his bed before he folded them and added them to his suitcase.

Shiro smiled at him as he walked over to the dresser and Keith rolled his eyes but smiled back.

“I think I’m brain-dead after mid-terms this week,” Shiro said, leaning back against the pillows on his bed. “I’m surprised I’m even functioning right now.”

“I think it’s adrenaline more than anything. But if you need to pass out, go ahead.”

“Are you kidding?” Shiro scoffed. “And miss you pack for your trip tomorrow? Never.”

Keith grinned and pulled several pairs of boxers and socks from his top drawer. “Good to know you’re so dedicated.”

“I’m always dedicated when it comes to you,” Shiro said, cheesy grin pulling at his lips.

Keith hummed and hurried back to his suitcase to drop the pile of underwear and socks inside. He picked up his list and marked off everything he had packed and went back to his dresser to get a spare change of pajamas.

He tossed them over to the bed and lifted the computer from his dresser. “I think that’s about all I can pack for now. The rest is toiletries and I can’t pack those until after I wake up tomorrow and get ready to leave.”

“You take out your trash yet?” Shiro asked.

Keith paused and frowned. “I think so, but I’m going to check. I don’t need to get a complaint when I’m not even here that something smells like it died.”

He carried his laptop with him to the kitchen and found the trashcan satisfyingly empty. He double-checked he didn’t have any perishables that would go back while he was gone before he returned to his bedroom and moved his suitcase to the floor.

He slipped under his covers and positioned his computer on his stomach. “Now we match.”

Shiro chuckled and wormed his way deeper under his covers. “You should get some sleep.”

Keith shrugged. “Yeah, but I can talk a little longer. Unless you want to get rid of me?”

“I only want to get rid of you now because it means you’ll get here sooner. This wait is killing me.”

“I know. Before now I had work and mid-terms to keep me busy but now there’s nothing but the ticking clock that’s mocking me with each slow second that has to pass before I can see you again.”

“Then turn off your computer and lay in bed. You’ll get to sleep quicker,” Shiro argued.

“Then why don’t you log off first?” Keith challenged. “If you leave then I’ll be forced to go to bed and can’t stay up talking to you until midnight.”

“Maybe I will,” Shiro teased.

Keith smirked and waited, raising an eyebrow for each second longer that Shiro stayed on Skype.

Shiro groaned and scrubbed his hands down his face. He huffed a sigh and sank back into his mattress. “Okay,” he finally admitted. “I’m going to go away and sleep and curse everything in the universe that is keeping you away from me.”

“Goodnight Shiro,” Keith whispered.

“Goodnight Keith,” he huffed, pulling his hands away from his eyes. “I can’t wait to see you tomorrow.”

Keith let out a long breath, letting the tension go from his shoulders. “Me too. I love you.”

Shiro grinned. “I love you, too.”

He waited another second before he reached forward and ended the call. Keith closed his eyes, pressing his head back into his pillow. He needed to sleep. He knew he needed to sleep, or he was going to be exhausted when he woke up and he wouldn’t want to get out of bed and get moving.

But he was also wide awake and knowing he was going to see Shiro again in less than twenty-four hours had his heart beating just a little bit faster.

Keith opened his eyes and shut his computer. He rolled onto his side and set it on top of his bedside table and shut off the light, rolling back over to settle into bed and get some sleep.

A moment passed, and he worked to even out his breathing. He heard the distant sound of a car horn outside and a siren several blocks away. Something creaked in the building as the walls and wood settled.

Keith sighed and pulled his comforter a little tighter around him. He turned onto his back, sliding a hand under his pillow to give him something firmer to sleep on.

He huffed and rolled onto his opposite side, pulling his knees up to his chest as he let out another heavy breath.

Keith growled and forced his eyes open. He snatched his phone from the bedside table and pressed the power button, finding only a minute had passed.

“Fucking hell,” he muttered. He snatched his computer from the table and forced the lid open, glad he hadn’t shut it down. He pulled up Netflix and searched for Bob Ross’s painting specials, starting the first episode.

He smiled as Bob Ross’s kind face filled the screen and his calm voice emanated from the speakers as he introduced the painting he was going to be doing that day.

Bob Ross was calming and as one episode turned into the next, he found himself getting drowsy, but he was still awake enough that he wouldn’t be able to sleep if he shut his computer down.

Keith yawned and covered his mouth. He shifted in bed and moved his computer onto his comforter so he could curl up on his side. His eyes got heavier and heavier and he had to fight to focus on the image on the screen as his vision blurred from exhaustion.

Finally, Keith managed to fall asleep during one of the episodes as Bob Ross pulled the shaping paper from his forest landscape.

~~

Keith jolted when his alarm sounded, sending his heart pounding in his chest. He jolted upright and snatched his phone from the bedside table to shut off the alarm, panicking for a moment that he’d forgotten his flight and was going to miss seeing Shiro.

He relaxed when he checked the time and was comforted that he still had plenty of time before he’d need to get to the bus stop for the shuttle. He scrubbed at his eyes, trying to clear the sleep from them as he yawned.

He was exhausted and his limbs were heavy from his lack of sleep. But he knew he could sleep later and getting up and out of his apartment was the most important thing.

He pushed himself from his bed and grabbed the pile of clothes he’d left out to change into in the morning. He shuffled into the bathroom and squinted against the harsh light when he turned it on.

Keith changed slowly, movements lethargic due to his sleepiness. He brushed his teeth, eyes nearly falling shut multiple times before he tossed his pajamas into the hamper and carried his toothbrush and deodorant into his bedroom, shoving them into his backpack.

He pulled his computer towards him and properly shut it down before adding that to his backpack with his chargers. He double checked his headphones were in the front pocket and shoved his wallet into his jacket with his phone.

He grabbed his luggage and gave one last look around his bedroom before he left it behind. He stopped to change the temperature on his thermostat, leaving it cooler than what he needed but not cold enough that any of his pipes would freeze in case the temperature took an unexpected dip.

Keith paused at the front door and shoved his feet into his boots, lacing them up quickly. He bit his lip, fighting down the excited smile that pulled at his lips. He was starting to wake up now that he was reminded of what he was awake for.

He glanced around his apartment one last time and grabbed his keys, opening his door to step out into the hallway. He locked and double-checked his door once outside and made for the stairs, hurrying for the first floor as his suitcase banged against the side of his leg.

He braced for a blast of cold air that he wasn’t quite used to not being around anymore now that spring was approaching. There was still a chill in the early morning air but nothing as brutal as the middle of winter. He turned left and walked the few blocks to the bus stop that would pick up the airport shuttle and set his suitcase at his side, stuffing his hands into his pockets as he waited.

Keith pulled out his wallet while he waited and counted out his fare, squeezing it tightly in his hand. Headlights shone across him as a large vehicle turned down the street and he recognized the lumbering form of the city bus.

It rolled to a stop in front of him and Keith stepped inside when the doors pulled open. He put his money into the tower and pulled his suitcase to one of the many open seats, shoving it in next to him as they started forward.

Keith’s leg jiggled up and down as they wove through the streets. He was impatient and ready to be at the airport. The day was going to be a long one and he couldn’t wait until he was reunited with Shiro again.

A few other passengers climbed onto the bus and took their seats, staring out the windows at the buildings outside. They made it to the airport without issue and Keith nearly raced off the bus and through the main doors, impatient to get checked in and get to his gate.

He walked past the range of airlines until he found his own and got behind a couple at the front of the line. There was only one attendant working at the early hour, but she seemed friendly and awake for being alone.

The people in front of him were checked in rather quickly and Keith fumbled with his wallet as he approached the desk.

“Good morning,” she greeted. “May I have your license please?”

Keith nodded and handed her his ID she checked it over and hummed under her breath as she maneuvered through the steps on the computer screen.

“Are you checking a bag today?”

“Uh, yes,” he said, gesturing to the suitcase at his side.

“Go ahead and place that up here for me.”

Keith lifted it onto the scale and watched as she nodded and printed off a bag tag to wrap through the handle. She stuck it together and lifted it easily from the scale, placing it on the conveyor belt behind her.

“Here are your tickets,” she said, placing them in an envelope, “and your gate is C23,” she said brightly, handing it over to him with his license.

“Thank you,” he said with a nod and hurried away from the counter and towards the stairs that would take him to security.

He ignored the restaurants and shops that were in the main entryway. He knew he’d need to grab something to eat once he was inside, but he didn’t want to get stuck outside of security even though he still had two hours before his flight was set to board.

Keith tapped his fingers nervously against his thigh as he waited in the single security line. The attendant looked bored as he scanned tickets and checked licenses. Keith fumbled with his ticket and license when he made to hand them over and got a sigh in return that made his cheeks flush.

The woman directing people to put their belongings on the belt and step through the scanner was friendlier and he was glad to have her help as he put his things in the correct bins. She waved him through and he had no issue collecting his belongings.

Keith relaxed once he had his shoes on and his backpack resting on his shoulders, his ticket securely in the front pocket. He stopped at the first coffee stand he found and got a large coffee and a muffin, taking a long sip from his steaming cup.

He strolled past the other shops, stopping every now and then to browse if something caught his eye while other travelers hurried past to get to their gates. He picked up a cheap paperback that probably wouldn’t offer much of a quality story but would keep him busy if he got bored.

Once he made it to his gate, he settled into one of the available seats. It wasn’t overly crowded, but the nicest chairs and the charging stations had already been taken by college students and a few people who were obviously on business trips if their briefcases and the laptops glued to their hands were anything to go by.

Keith pulled out his phone as he finished the last of his coffee and started to pull his muffin from the paper bag. He scrolled to Shiro’s contact, hoping he was awake, and hit the call button.

He fiddled with the paper wrapping on his food as he waited, butterflies swarming his stomach at being reminded once again how close he was to seeing Shiro again.

The line clicked. “Hey babe,” Shiro said, voice soft and warm and filled with so much more than Keith ever thought was possible.

“Hey,” he murmured, slouching in his chair to rest his head back.

“How’s it going? You’re not calling to tell me that you’re not actually coming, or you missed your plane or something, are you?”

Keith breathed a low chuckle. “No, nothing like that. I’m in the airport. I’m at my gate and I’ve got a muffin in my lap and you on the phone. I’m doing great.”

“I’d be doing better if you were here already,” Shiro murmured.

He closed his eyes and let out a long breath. “I’m almost there. Just a few more hours and we’ll be together and get over a week to spend together.”

“I wish it wasn’t just a week,” Shiro whispered.

“Me either but it’s better than nothing. And to be fair if I didn’t have to come back for school, we wouldn’t be able to get any schoolwork done together. We’d probably both fail out during our last few weeks.”

Shiro chuckled. “Yeah, you’re probably right. Did you manage to get to sleep last night?”

“Eventually,” Keith said, lifting the muffin to take a bite. “I don’t think I managed to get to sleep until two in the morning. I had to put on one of Bob Ross’s specials on Netflix to try and fall asleep.”

“But you managed to get out of bed and get to the airport this morning.”

“Yeah. I panicked when my alarm went off and thought I’d slept through my flight, but everything was fine and I’m here and I’m probably going to pass out on the plane because I’m so exhausted. Unless the caffeine kicks in soon. Then I’ll be okay.”

“You can get more coffee on the flight if you need it,” Shiro said with a laugh.

“I might pass while I’m on the plane but don’t be surprised if I try to bully you into going to a coffeeshop when I get there.”

“You don’t have to bully me, I’ll willingly take you,” Shiro agreed.

Keith smiled, his stomach flipping happily.

“Attention, we’ll be boarding for flight 2634A to Melbourne, Florida soon. Please have your boarding passes ready and standby for boarding instructions.”

“Well, they’re calling my flight,” Keith said, sucking in a breath.

“I guess I’ll be seeing you soon,” Shiro said, his grin audible.

“I guess I will. I love you, Shiro,” Keith murmured.

“I love you, too, Keith.”

Keith lowered his phone and ended the call, biting his lip to keep from looking like too big of an idiot as he prepared himself to see Shiro in just a few more hours.

Chapter Text

Keith bit his lip, leg bouncing up and down as they approached their gate. He was seated towards the back of the plane and he knew the wait to get off was going to kill him. He was closer to Shiro than he’d been in months and he was desperate to close that last bit of distance and finally be reunited again.

A ding sounded over his head and he glanced up to find the seatbelt light had been turned off. He pulled up on his buckle and let it fall open. He bent down and grabbed his back from under the seat in front of him and pressed it against his chest, perching on the edge of his seat as the first few rows of people stood and gathered their things.

Keith pulled his phone from his pocket and took it off airplane mode, waiting as it connected to the nearest cell tower and gave him service again. He glanced up and stumbled to his feet when he saw the first few rows of people had gotten off the plane even though he was far from moving.

His phone vibrated and glanced down at the screen, finding a message from Shiro waiting for him.

Shiro: I’ll be waiting for you outside of security. Can’t wait to see you, babe.

Keith smiled and swiped his thumb across the screen to unlock his phone. He tapped out a reply, some of his nervous energy disappearing now that his attention was redirected.

Keith: I’ll be there soon. The first few people have finally been let off. Can’t be long for me, too.

He slipped his arms through the straps of his backpack and settled it on his shoulders. He’d gotten lucky with a window seat, but now that he was waiting for the two people in his row to pull their carry ons from the overhead bins, he was regretting taking that spot.

Keith let out a breath once he was able to step out of his row and head down the aisle. The flight attendants nodded at him as he passed, and he returned it. He stepped off the plane and gripped the straps of his backpack as he hurried up the ramp to the main terminal.

He stepped around a few children and families as he passed them, edged on as he closed more and more of the distance between him and Shiro. He grinned when he stepped through the doorway and past the rows of people waiting to board the next flight.

He strode quickly, stepping around anyone who was moving slower than he was. He swallowed, his heart beating rapidly in his chest. He barely registered the gates and stores he passed, only caring for the man who was waiting for him outside of security.

Keith fought down the urge to sprint when he saw the security gates. His stomach flipped happily. He hadn’t felt this giddy in a long time.

He swung around the corner past security and slowed, rising onto his toes to get a better look over the crowd. He spotted the familiar tuft of white hair over the crowd and grinned, darting past the pairs of people around him.

“Shiro!” he called, waving a hand over his head.

Shiro grinned and hurried towards him, closing the distance just as Keith launched himself into Shiro’s arms. He caught him expertly, keeping his feet off the ground.

Keith smashed their lips together, wrapping his arms tightly around Shiro’s neck. They fumbled for a second in their haste but Shiro tilted his head back to give a better angle.

Keith pressed their foreheads together, breaking the kiss so he could let out a happy sigh.

“Hi,” Keith murmured.

Shiro tightened his grip. “Hi.”

They stared into each other’s eyes for a moment before they giggled. Shiro grinned, the corners of his eyes crinkling up in happiness. Shiro gave Keith one last peck on the lips before he set him back on his feet and took his hand, linking their fingers together.

“I’m so glad you’re here,” Shiro said, rubbing his thumb across the back of Keith’s hand.

“I’m so glad I’m here, too. I kind of can’t believe I’m here,” Keith agreed.

“Come on,” Shiro said, tugging him away from security. “Let’s go get your bag and we can get out of here.”

Keith nodded and pressed against Shiro’s side, soaking up the warmth radiating off him.

“So how was the flight?” Shiro asked, pressing a quick kiss to the side of his head.

“Not too bad,” Keith said. “A smooth ride, I guess. I don’t really have anything to compare it to since it was my first time flying.”

“No motion sickness?”

Keith rolled his eyes. “I’ve been on the buses in Chicago. If I can handle that, I’m pretty sure I don’t have to worry about motion sickness on a plane.”

They stepped onto the escalator and faced each other. Keith’s gaze darted around Shiro’s face, taking in every detail that never came across Skype. Shiro grinned back at him.

“Are you tired? Hungry? In need of coffee?” Shiro asked, straightening as they reached the bottom of the escalator and turned towards baggage claim. With one glance at the monitor, Shiro steered Keith towards the right carousel that was already miraculously moving.

“I’m a little tired, but nothing I can’t handle,” Keith said, leaning into his side as a traitorous yawn escaped his mouth.

“Uh-huh,” Shiro teased. “Not tired?”

“I said I was a little tired,” he chuckled, elbowing Shiro in the side. “I wouldn’t mind grabbing something to eat, but I can pass on the coffee for now. Unless you’re planning on walking me all over your city, that is?” he asked.

“No, we can save that for later,” Shiro said. “I figured we could have a lazy day around the house today. I know how much flying can drain a person.”

Keith smiled and released Shiro’s hand when he spotted his suitcase coming around the belt. He slipped between two people and pulled it from the rotating belt, elbowing his way through the people he’d passed to get back to Shiro.

“Here, let me,” Shiro said, trying to take the handle of his suitcase.

Keith waved his hand away. “It’s fine. I can take care of it. You just lead the way out of here.”

Shiro pouted but pulled him towards the doors leading to the parking garage. They hurried across the crosswalk and turned down a row of cars. Shiro fished a set of keys from his pocket and clicked the middle button.

Keith saw the trunk of a car a few feet away pop open. Shiro shoved it the rest of the way up and waved his hand for Keith to put his suitcase inside. He chuckled and rolled his eyes but lifted his suitcase to slide into the back.

Shiro grinned and closed the trunk with a click before he walked around to the driver’s side door. Keith climbed into the passenger seat and took a deep breath, inhaling the unique smell of the car that carried a faint lingering of French fries.

“What do you feel like having for lunch?” Shiro asked, twisting around as he backed out of the parking space.

“What’s good around here?” Keith asked, squinting against the sunlight as they approached the exit for the parking garage. Shiro rolled down his window to insert the parking ticket and slipped a few dollars into the machine to pay.

“There’s this really good Indian place on the way to my house,” Shiro said, accelerating as they left the airport behind and got onto the highway.

Keith smiled. “Sounds good to me.”

He glanced down at Shiro’s hand resting on the gear shift. He placed his hand over Shiro’s and nudged his fingers to uncurl from the leather handle, linking their fingers together. Shiro squeezed his hand, rubbing his thumb over the back of his hand.

~~

Keith grinned and sat forward as they pulled into the driveway of a small house. When they came to a stop, he shoved the door open and climbed out with the bag of food they’d picked up.

It looked to be one floor and there wasn’t a garage attached for Shiro to park in. There was a small awning over the door, but there wasn’t a porch in the front.

“Care to show me around?” Keith asked, glancing over his shoulder at Shiro who was walking around the opposite side with his suitcase.

“Of course.” He flipped his keyring around and walked up the small path to the front door. He jammed the key into the lock and turned it with an expert flick of his wrist before pulling it out and pushing the door open.

The foyer was as prominent as the porch, but the curved ceiling opened into a higher living room with a couch and a tv. A hall broke off from the room and Keith glimpsed two doors down it, one halfway to the end of the hallway and the other at the very end.

“I’m going to drop this off in my room really quick,” Shiro said, lifting the suitcase. “Unless you’d rather sleep on the couch.”

Keith raised an eyebrow. “You really think I flew all the way here to not sleep in the same bed as you?”

Shiro snickered. “No, but I thought I’d give you the option anyway.” He hurried down the hall and pushed the last door open, swinging the bag around the corner before he hurried back to Keith.

“The kitchen’s through here,” he said, placing his hand on Keith’s lower back and steering him through a low archway into a bright kitchen. Glass doors were set into the opposite wall behind the table and gave Keith a view of the fenced in backyard that had a hammock hanging between two trees.

“Might have to check that out later,” Keith said, nodding towards the backyard.

“We can go outside after lunch. The weather’s nice today,” he said with a happy sigh, pulling a pair of plates from one of the cabinets.

Keith set the bag of food on the table and pulled out the two containers of curry they’d bought. He opened the box of rice and ripped open the foil around the naan.

“You first,” Shiro said, handing him a serving spoon.

Keith eagerly scooped a pile of rice onto his plate before ladling a large amount of curry overtop. He slapped two pieces of naan next to it and pulled out a chair on the opposite side of the table, sitting down to eat.

Shiro plated his food just as quickly and took the chair next to Keith, scooping some curry onto his naan.

Keith groaned at the first bite of food, not realizing just how hungry he was after his morning of travel. Shiro covered his mouth with his hand as he chuckled at Keith who rolled his eyes and kept eating.

Shiro hooked his foot around Keith’s ankle under the table, giving him a smile when he glanced up at him.

They ate most of the curry, fighting over the last bit of rice, but Shiro gave it up to Keith in favor of the last slice of naan, savoring the last bites they were able to fit into their overstuffed stomachs.

Keith sighed and pushed his plate away, crossing his arms on the table to rest his head over them.

Shiro chuckled and tugged at his arm. “Come on, Keith, you don’t want to fall asleep here, I know somewhere much more comfortable.”

“Noooo,” he groaned, eyes heavy with exhaustion.

“Trust me, Keith. You and your neck will thank me.”

Keith sighed and let Shiro pull him to his feet. He pouted up at him and Shiro smiled before pressing a quick kiss to his lips, making warmth curl in Keith’s chest. He leaned into Shiro’s side and wrapped his arm around his back.

Shiro guided him to the backdoors and unlocked them, pushing it open. The air and sunlight was warm as they stepped onto the deck. Keith tilted his head back to soak up the sun and took a deep breath of the faintly salty air.

“Come on, you don’t want to stop there,” Shiro said, tugging on his hand.

Keith chuckled and looked over at Shiro as he pulled him towards the steps. The wood creaked under their feet and the grass swished around their shoes, not having been burned and charred by the summer temperatures that were approaching on the horizon.

Shiro gripped the edge of the hammock and held it in place as they lowered themselves onto it. It sank and shook under their weight and Keith tightened his grip on Shiro’s hand. Shiro chuckled.

“Trust me, okay?”

Keith rolled his eyes. “Of course, I trust you.”

“Then relax and let go,” he said, falling backwards to stretch out along the width of the fabric.

Keith settled back a little more gently and let out a breath, staring at the blue sky above their heads.

“Keith?”

He turned his head to the side, breath catching in the back of his throat at how the sunlight caught Shiro’s eyes just right. Shiro smiled, eyes crinkling at the edges. Keith rolled onto his side and placed a hand on his chest before leaning in for a kiss.

Shiro tilted his head back and sighed into the kiss before he pulled back. He started to gently rock the hammock back and forth and pulled Keith against his side, closing his eyes as the birds called over their heads.

Keith smiled and rested his head on Shiro’s shoulder, letting the gentle rocking of the hammock underneath him lull him into a gentle doze.

~~

Keith wrinkled his nose when something brushed against his cheek.

It came again, tickling his cheek and he huffed, brushing the back of his hand across his face to try and drive it away.

Quiet laughter met his ears and Keith blinked his eyes open, finding Shiro next to him where they’d fallen asleep on the hammock.

“You have a good nap?” Shiro asked.

Keith grinned. “The best nap.”

Shiro ducked his head and pressed a proper kiss to Keith’s lips which he gladly accepted. He wouldn’t have minded staying in the hammock for the rest of the night, but a stronger gust of wind blew over them and made him shiver not that the sun was quickly approaching the horizon.

“Come on,” Shiro said, pulling him upright. “It’s getting late. We should have dinner. I’m thinking of grilling some burgers.”

“Sounds great,” Keith said, stifling a yawn before he stretched his arms over his head and rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

Shiro jumped up from the hammock, making it shake a little bit. Keith threw his arms out to try to stabilize himself, worried he was about to be flipped backwards. Shiro chuckled and held his hands out to Keith who took them, getting pulled to his feet.

Shiro wrapped an arm around Keith’s back and dipped him, smacking a kiss against his cheek. Keith laughed and threw an arm around Shiro’s shoulders, holding him in place to press a kiss to his lips.

Shiro righted him and pressed their foreheads together, breaking the kiss with a sigh. He relaxed his hold and stepped backwards, pulling Keith back towards the house.

“So,” Shiro said as they slipped into the kitchen, “I was thinking over what we could do over the next couple of days…”

“Oh?” Keith asked, bracing his arms on the counter.

Shiro nodded and pulled a package of burgers from the freezer. “We have dinner plans with Allura and Lance. They’re excited to meet you in person.”

“Now it’s my turn to get the runaround by your friends.”

Shiro chuckled and pulled out a spatula and plate before walking back towards the glass doors they’d come through. “I don’t think it’ll be anything too bad. They like you. I think they’re just going to try and get you drunk again.”

“I wouldn’t mind a few drinks,” Keith said with a shrug, shutting the doors behind them as Shiro set the plate and spatula down with a clatter to heat up the grill.

“And then I was also thinking we could go to the beach,” Shiro said. “It’s supposed to be warmer later in the week.”

Keith crossed his arms against another breeze of wind. “I still need swim trunks, you know,” Keith said.

“We can go shopping tomorrow,” Shiro said with a smile. “I mean, if you want to anyway. We don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

Keith shook his head. “As long as I’m with you, anything sounds good to me.”

The burgers hissed when they hit the grill and Shiro turned back to him, giving him a smile.

“Stay here for a minute.”

“Sure.”

Shiro slipped past him and disappeared into the house. Keith stared out over the backyard, feeling at home so close to Shiro, feeling like this could maybe be his home. If he was lucky enough.

For just a moment, Keith let himself indulge in the idea that this could be his home. He could wake up next to Shiro every morning. They could spend their summers laying together in the hammock. Maybe they could even get a dog since there was plenty of space in the backyard. If Shiro wanted that future with him, anyway.

He jumped when warmth enveloped him, not having heard the glass doors slide open again. Shiro chuckled low in his ear and wrapped his arms around his waist, pulling the blanket around him.

“A blanket?” he asked.

Shiro pressed a kiss to his cheek. “You looked cold. Thought I could bring you something to keep you warm.”

“Thanks,” Keith mumbled, feeling his cheeks warm.

Shiro awkwardly pulled him over towards the grill with the grip on his waist, intent on keeping him pressed against his side. He lifted the spatula and checked the burgers that were starting to sizzle and brown on one side.

He flipped them with a loud hiss. Keith smiled, inhaling the smell of cooking food, and rested his head against Shiro’s shoulder, wishing he’d never have to leave the spot he was right now and could spend the rest of his life in peace with the man he loved. .

Chapter Text

Keith inhaled sharply as he slowly awoke. He felt better in the morning than he had in a long time and wouldn’t mind lazing around in bed a few more hours. The bed was soft and feather-light underneath him and he turned his face into the pillow under his head, inhaling the smell of Shiro’s home.

He was warm and happy, and he never wanted to leave.

“Shiro,” he murmured, sliding his arm across the mattress to where his boyfriend had laid claim the night before. He frowned when he found rumpled sheets and a lack of his boyfriend’s body.

Keith forced his eyes open and confirmed what he suspected. He grunted and pushed himself up on his elbows, looking around the small bedroom he was alone in.

He caught the smell of bacon cooking and smiled, lazily shoving the comforter off him. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and stretched his arms over his head, his back not making a single pop or protest in he didn’t know how long.

He pushed himself to his feet and swung the door the rest of the way open, making his way down the hall towards the kitchen.

Now that he was closer, he heard the bacon grease popping and sizzling in the pan, a low humming accompanying the sweet music. Keith quietly stepped into the doorway, not wanting to disturb Shiro just yet.

Shiro was at home behind the stove, relaxed in a way that Keith had only gotten to see a few times since they hadn’t been granted much time in person.

Keith crossed his arms and leaned against the archway, happy to watch Shiro work.

Shiro reached for the spice rack and glanced in his direction, freezing.

“Noooo,” he whined, lips pulling down in a pout. “I was going to be all romantic and bring you breakfast in bed.”

Keith chuckled and pushed off the doorway, closing the distance between them. He wrapped his arm around Shiro’s shoulders.

“Maybe you should’ve thought about that more carefully before you started cooking bacon,” he murmured, pressing a kiss to Shiro’s lips.

Shiro smiled into the kiss, letting out a slow breath when they parted. He held Keith’s gaze. “Good morning,” he murmured.

Keith pressed their foreheads together and closed his eyes. “Morning,” he breathed.

“Baby?” Shiro asked.

Keith bit his lip at the name. “Yeah?”

“Not that I don’t love having you right up next to me, but if you don’t let me get back to cooking, the bacon’s going to burn.”

Keith chuckled and released his hold on Shiro, giving him space to finish cooking. “Anything I can do to help?”

“Make the coffee?” he asked, throwing a wink over his shoulder as he sprinkled garlic powder over the scrambled eggs and lifted the pan of bacon from the stove. “Grounds are in the cabinet above the coffee maker.”

“Sure thing, babe,” Keith said, pulling open the cabinet. He pulled a filter from the package and the plastic container of coffee, setting to work prepping the machine. He set it to brew and tucked the grounds back in the cabinet.

Arms wrapped around his waist and he smiled, leaning into Shiro’s hold. Shiro pressed a kiss to the side of his head.

“Hungry for breakfast?” he murmured.

Keith nodded and let Shiro pull him over to the table which had been set when he wasn’t paying attention. Shiro pulled out his chair and Keith chuckled, taking his seat. Shiro sat next to him and they ate, listening as the coffee machine started to gurgle.

Keith gazed through the glass windows that opened into the backyard and the blue sky he could see through the trees. It was peaceful and pleasant, and Keith was happy. He picked up a slice of bacon and bit off the end, carefully sliding his foot to the side to wrap his ankle around Shiro’s.

~~

“Here we are,” Shiro said, pulling into a public parking lot. He tossed his ticket in the window and shoved his door open.

Keith did the same and shielded his eyes from the glare of the sun off the surrounding cars. The sun was warm on his face even if the temperature of the air didn’t quite match it.

“This is a nice town,” Keith commented, letting Shiro take his hand and lead him down the sidewalk.

“Yeah,” Shiro agreed. “It’s not as big as Chicago, but it’s got a lot of stuff close together. If you’re up to it, after we go shopping at the sporting goods’ store, there’s a nearby park that has great food trucks.”

“A picnic lunch?” Keith asked, wrapping his hand around Shiro’s bicep to press against his side. “If we weren’t already dating, I’d think you’re trying to woo me.”

Shiro chuckled and pressed a kiss to the top of his head before pulling him around a corner. “What makes you think that because we’re dating, I’ve stopped making it my mission to woo you?”

Keith ducked his head, feeling his cheeks heat up. “Shut up,” he grumbled.

“Ah here it is,” Shiro said, pulling the door to a large shop open. The bell rang over their heads and Shiro tugged him towards the back corner, already knowing where to go. “It’s not the best selection since this isn’t the biggest store around, but there should be something you can find.”

Keith immediately spotted a pair of red trunks and released Shiro’s hand, making a beeline for them. He checked the size and was about to be disappointed when he saw they were too small when he spotted another piece of red fabric behind a pair of black trunks. He pulled them free and glanced at the size. He held them up to his waist and smiled when they seemed to be a good fit.

“Is there a changing room in this place?” he asked, looking over his shoulder at Shiro.

Shiro pointed behind him and he saw the archway between two wall displays.

“Be right back,” he said, slipping between the other racks of clothes.

Keith shut the door of the first changing room behind him and pushed the flimsy lock into place. The metal hanger made a soft clink when he hung it on the hook. He popped the button on his jeans as he pressed the toe of one shoe against the heel of the other and wobbled dangerously as he tried to get his shoes off.

He kicked his first shoe off and shook his other foot to get the other free before he yanked down the zipper of his jeans and shoved them down his legs.

Keith pulled the swim trunks from the hanger clips and stepped into the legs, pulling them up to settle around his waist. They were a fraction loose and he tightened the strings until they fit snug around his hips.

He looked in the mirror and judged the fit, finding he didn’t mind how they looked. They were a lot better than the over-washed, worn-out trunks the orphanage had for him as a kid when he was given free swimming lessons.

He carefully undid the strings and stepped out of them, putting them back on the hanger before he pulled his jeans back on and shoved his feet into his shoes. He grabbed the trunks before pulling open the changing room door.

Keith spotted Shiro absentmindedly browsing and smiled, walking up behind him.

“Hey.”

Shiro jumped and whirled around, rolling his eyes when he found Keith behind him. “Don’t do that.”

Keith chuckled and took his hand. “I’m ready if there’s nothing else you need.”

Shiro shook his head and pulled him towards the register with the lone cashier. “Nope. The only other thing I need today is some lunch from one of the park food trucks.”

“You’re in for a treat today,” the cashier said, catching the end of Shiro’s sentence. “I hear Johnny’s is going to be there.” He took the swim trunks from Keith and tossed the hanger in a bin under the counter, fishing the tag out from inside to scan the barcode.

“Really?” Shiro asked, eyes lighting up.

The cashier chuckled and nodded, holding his hand out for the twenty-dollar bill Keith passed to him. “Yeah. They tweeted about it an hour ago. And I think that really good cupcake one is going to be there, too. You might want to hurry though, we’re supposed to be getting some rain later.”

The cashier folded up the trunks and stuffed them into a bag with the receipt, passing it and Keith’s change back to him.

“Thanks for the tip,” Shiro said, taking Keith’s hand.

“No problem,” he said, waving them off. “But if you feel like returning the favor, I wouldn’t mind a sandwich from Johnny’s.”

Shiro chuckled. “I’ll keep that in mind,” he called over his shoulder as he pushed the door open.

Shiro guided him to a crosswalk, waiting near the curb for the light to change so they could cross.

A few cars passed before the light changed and Keith let himself be pulled along, glancing up at the buildings surrounding them. The city was peaceful. It was busy and had people but wasn’t as overwhelming as Chicago could be.

Children’s laughter met his ears and he tore his gaze away from the sky, spotting the large park as they approached. A dog barked, nearly running across their path as it jumped and caught a frisbee in its mouth before returning to its owner.

The sidewalks winding through the green area weren’t expansive and Keith spotted a pair of food trucks that were parked on the side of the road circling the area.

Short lines were crowded around both, but by some miracle, the one Shiro chose first didn’t have anyone waiting to order, only customers waiting on their food.

“Well?” Shiro asked with a smile. “What do you think?”

Keith glanced over the small wooden sign set up in front of the truck. He hummed and leaned into Shiro’s side. “What do you recommend?” he asked.

Shiro’s grin widened. “Do you trust me?” he asked.

Keith rolled his eyes. “Do you really need to ask me that? Now?”

He chuckled. “Let me order for you. I think you’ll like it.” He released his hand and stepped forward. “And don’t listen,” he warned, wagging a finger at him.

Keith huffed and crossed his arms, but obediently waited out of earshot. He watched as Shiro greeted the worker before he moved towards the back of the line once Shiro was finished.

“Happy?” Keith asked when Shiro made it back over to him, stuffing his change in his pocket.

“I’ll be happier once you taste what I’ve ordered for you,” he said, wrapping an arm around Keith’s waist.

“Let me buy dessert?”

Shiro pressed a kiss to the top of his head. “If that’s what you want.”

They stood in silence as the line crawled forward, enjoying being together with the sun shining over their heads. Keith spotted some white clouds on the distance, but they were still far enough off they wouldn’t roll in until later that afternoon.

Shiro practically snatched up the bag with their food and pulled Keith towards an empty bench. He dug around inside and pulled one of the foil-wrapped sandwiches free, handing it to Keith.

Keith smiled and set his shopping bag on the opposite side of him before carefully unwrapping the food. Shiro pulled his own free and waited impatiently as Keith sized up his sandwich, stretching out the moments between them.

“Keith,” Shiro huffed.

Keith chuckled and finally took a bite. He groaned at the hot, seasoned beef and cheese that hit his tongue. He chewed slowly, enjoying the flavor and hint of spices that danced over his taste buds. He looked up at Shiro and nodded.

“I knew you’d like it,” Shiro said happily. He ripped the foil from his own sandwich and took a generous bite, collapsing against the back of the park bench.

Keith slid across the bench until his side was pressed against Shiro’s. He gazed across the park and ate his lunch, warm and happy.

~~

Keith sighed, resting his head against Shiro’s shoulder. Shiro’s arm tightened around his waist as they stared at the tv and the movie they’d chosen to watch. Rain pattered lightly against the window, the gentle spring shower having rolled in an hour ago.

It was calm and peaceful, and Keith didn’t want to be anywhere else. He rolled his head back, waiting until Shiro pulled his gaze away from the screen to meet his eyes. He smiled and ducked his head, pressing a slow, languid kiss to Keith’s lips.

Keith smiled against Shiro’s lips and wrapped his arm around Shiro’s shoulders, not breaking the kiss as he straightened on the couch, some of his drowsiness pushed to the side.

Shiro made an interested noise in the back of his throat and tugged on Keith, trying to pull him closer. He went with the movement, throwing a leg over Shiro’s waist to slide into his lap.

Shiro flattened his other hand along Keith’s spine, forcing their chests together as Keith’s other arm wrapped around his shoulders. Keith hummed, trying to wiggle even closer as he swiped his tongue along Shiro’s bottom lip.

Shiro groaned and parted his lips, letting Keith’s tongue slip inside. Keith sighed, tasting a hint of tomato sauce from the pasta they’d eaten for dinner. Keith rolled his hips lazily and Shiro’s grip tightened.

Shiro sat up, uncrossing his ankles to plant his feet on the floor. He fumbled on the couch next to them, wrapping his fingers around the remote. He blindly pressed the power button, waiting until the sound cut off to toss the remote to the side and get a grip on the back of Keith’s thighs.

Shiro stood from the couch, letting Keith hook his ankles behind his back. He carefully navigated the living room, careful not to trip over anything as he made his way to the bedroom. The door creaked open and Keith broke the kiss, framing Shiro’s face with his hands.

Shiro chuckled and unhooked Keith’s ankles from his waist before he tossed him on the bed. Keith’s breath left him in a rush as he bounced once on the mattress. Shiro didn’t leave him alone for long and jumped onto the bed, rumpling the blankets.

Keith laughed and tried to roll away but Shiro got a hand around his waist to pull his back against his chest. He pressed an open-mouthed kiss to the side of Keith’s neck, making him sigh and tilt his head to the side.

Shiro flattened his hand on Keith’s stomach before pushing up the hem of his shirt to rest his palm over the smooth skin beneath. Keith arched into the touch, his eyes sliding shut as heat started to gather under his skin and his cock took notice of Shiro’s warmth wrapping around him like a blanket.

Keith arched his hips back, pressing his ass against Shiro’s cock, feeling the small bulge as he got his attention. Shiro groaned and tightened his grip on Keith, pushing him more firmly against him.

Shiro nipped at the side of his neck and he huffed a laugh, squirming in Shiro’s hands to turn around and face him.

“Nooooo,” Shiro protested as Keith came to face him.

Keith rolled his eyes and wrapped an arm around Shiro’s shoulders, bringing their lips together. He rolled his hips forward, groaning at the friction on his quickly hardening cock and the heat and need building under his skin.

Shiro broke their kiss and pressed their foreheads together. “I want to touch you,” he whispered.

“Do it,” Keith breathed. “I want you to. As long as I can touch you, too.”

Shiro nodded and pulled back, hands dropping to his pants to undo the button and pull the zipper down. Keith did the same, watching as Shiro was freed of his jeans and left in his boxers. He stretched back out beside him as Keith fought to kick his pants free, huffing when they caught on his foot.

Shiro chuckled and sat up, pulling them free before he dropped them over the edge of the bed. He trailed his fingers up Keith’s leg before digging his fingers into the meat of his thigh. Shiro smiled down at him and pressed another kiss to his lips.

Keith hummed into it and took hold of Shiro’s hand, rubbing circles into his palm with his thumb. He took a moment to enjoy the kiss before he pressed Shiro’s hand to his cock, gasping and bucking into the touch.

Shiro squeezed his fingers around Keith’s clothed shaft, earning a shaky exhale.

“I think we’re still wearing too many clothes,” he murmured.

Keith grinned. “I think you’d be right.” Instead of reaching for his own briefs, he hooked his index fingers over the waistband of Shiro’s boxers and shoved them down his legs, freeing his cock.

Keith gave himself a second to take him in and licked his lips. He glanced up at Shiro who was watching him, gaze open and relaxed. He tugged Keith’s underwear down, letting Keith kick them rest of the way off.

He huffed and flopped back down, throwing his arm over Shiro’s waist. “Now, where were we?”

“I think I was about to do this…” Shiro murmured, wrapping his fingers around both their cocks.

Keith shuddered, his eyes sliding shut at the overwhelming feeling of Shiro’s hot and hard cock against his own. It was almost too much, and his stomach tightened so quickly it was just on the verge of painful. He wasn’t going to last long. Not with how much he cared about Shiro. Not with how much he loved him.

“Fuck,” Keith breathed.

“Maybe later,” Shiro said with a breathy laugh. “I don’t think I’m going to last very long.”

“Good because I won’t either,” he said, forcing his eyes open.

He met Shiro’s gaze and they both snickered, breathless and excited.

Shiro carefully stroked them together. It made Keith’s toes curl and he felt every muscle in his body tense. He let out a shaky breath, trying to hold himself back and retain some semblance of control. He pressed his forehead against Shiro’s.

Shiro kept his movements light, knowing any more pressure or more stimulation would push them over the edge when they wanted to savor things just a bit longer.

Keith bit his lip when he felt Shiro’s precome slide between their dicks. His heart thundered in his chest, ready to burst through his ribcage from all the sensations rushing through his body.

“Shiro?” he breathed.

Shiro pressed a kiss to his lips. “Let go, Keith. I’ll be right behind you,” he murmured, twisted his wrist on the next stroke.

Keith gasped and arched his back, pressing into Shiro’s fist as he came. His eyes went wide and unseeing and he shook as he felt Shiro’s cock pulse next to his, the mess growing between them.

The first thing Keith was able to focus on was the sound of heavy breathing bouncing off the walls of the bedroom. He blinked his eyes, trying to focus his vision and relaxed his spine from where he was nearly bent backwards, coming to face Shiro whose chest was heaving as he fought to catch his breath.

Keith smiled and pressed forward, capturing Shiro’s lips in a languid kiss. He sighed when he pulled back, his heart beating no less heavy in his chest.

“I love you, Shiro,” he murmured.

Shiro’s smile grew and he used his clean hand to pull Keith closer to him, trapping their mess between their shirts.

“I love you, too, Keith.”

Chapter Text

Keith ran his hands over the shirt and flannel he was wearing. He bit his lip, trying to keep his nerves under control. He ruffled his hair again, feeling it wasn’t going to look good no matter what he did.

“Keith?” Shiro asked, appearing behind him in the mirror. He smiled and wrapped his arms around his waist, perching his chin on his shoulder.

He sighed and leaned back into the touch.

“You have nothing to worry about. You know that, right?” Shiro asked with a small smile.

Keith met his eyes in the mirror. “But what if they don’t like me?”

Shiro grinned and pressed a kiss to the side of his head. “I think you’re forgetting about the number of times we played Voltron together. And then there was the whole drunk job application party that we had over Skype.”

“Yeah, but that was all over the computer. What if they don’t like me?”

“They’ll love you. You really don’t have anything to worry about, Keith. It’s going to be fine. We’re going to have a great night and I really think you’ll like the pub we’re going to. It’s mine, Lance, and Allura’s favorite spot.”

Keith bit his lip and ducked his head.

“Come on,” Shiro said, trying to tug him away from the mirror. “I won’t let anything bad happen to you.”

“Okay,” Keith mumbled. He straightened in Shiro’s hold and took a deep breath. He met his own gaze in the mirror and narrowed his eyes, nodding once before he turned to face Shiro who was smiling at him.

“You’re not going into battle, don’t worry.” Shiro held out his hand and Keith linked their fingers together, shutting off the bathroom light.

Shiro tugged him down the hall and opened the front door for him. Keith paused at the edge of the front step as Shiro locked the door and took a deep breath, enjoying the lingering warmth in the air as the sun sank closer to the horizon.

Shiro placed a warm palm at his lower back and Keith opened his eyes, giving him a smile as they descended the two steps to the sidewalk and crossed the small yard to Shiro’s car in the drive.

Keith climbed into the passenger seat and sank into the broken-in leather. He wiped his warm palms on his pants. Shiro started the car and backed out of the drive, turning down the street.

Keith bit his lip and stared out the window at the other houses they passed, trying not to focus too much on the night that was to come.

He stiffened when warmth slipped across his palm. He glanced down and found Shiro’s hand gripping his. He looked up and found Shiro staring straight ahead, a smile pulling the corner of his lips up.

Keith smiled and slipped his fingers between Shiro’s, giving his hand a squeeze. He relaxed back in his seat, looking at the houses they passed with less anxiety and a greater sense of calm radiating from his heart.

~~

Keith wasn’t sure what he’d been expecting when Shiro told him they were going to a pub, but the small location with minimal parking had Shiro written all over it.

“What do you think?” Shiro asked, locking the car behind them as he took Keith’s hand in his.

“It’s nice. Very you, if I do say so myself.”

Shiro chuckled. “Just wait until you see the inside,” he said happily, tugging Keith towards the narrow wooden door.

A few people standing outside smoking cigarettes gave them curious looks, but Keith didn’t think too much of it. Not until they stepped inside and a few people glanced their way, pausing their conversations or games of pool, sizing him up and down.

Shiro didn’t notice, waving at the bar and a few people as he made his way to the back corner, keeping Keith’s hand locked with his all the while.

“Shiro! Keith! Finally!” Lance proclaimed, jumping up from his seat in the booth.

“We’re not that late,” Shiro huffed, guiding Keith towards the booth and keeping an arm around his waist.

Keith glanced at the other patrons as they slowly resumed their conversations and games, glad the attention was drifting away from them.

“You know,” Lance murmured rubbing his chin as he looked Keith up and down. “I thought you’d be taller.”

“Lance,” Allura huffed. She shoved him to the side and got to her feet, holding out her hand to Keith. “I’m so glad we’re finally getting to meet in person, Keith.”

Keith smiled. “Me too. Thanks, Allura.”

“Why don’t we sit down and figure out what to order, I’m starved,” Shiro said, nudging Keith into one side of the booth before sliding in after him.

“If you’re so hungry you should’ve gotten here sooner,” Lance said, swiping the menu Shiro was reaching for.

“Come on Lance,” Shiro huffed, swiping the next two and handing one to Keith. “I was just giving you extra time to decide since it always takes you forever to order.”

“Only because I want to be certain of my choice,” he protested.

“You order the same thing every time,” Allura sighed and shook her head.

“Well maybe I just want to be extra sure I’m not in the mood for anything else,” Lance shot back, lifting his menu up to his face.

Keith smiled and flipped through the short list of menu items. Even though it wasn’t extensive everything sounded delicious.

“Who’s going to order anyway?” Shiro murmured, flipping to the back with the drinks list.

Keith glanced up and saw Lance and Allura share a look.

“I think it should be you,” Lance said, pointing his finger at Shiro.

Shiro glanced up and blinked when he saw Lance looking at him expectantly. “Why me?”

“Because you got here late,” Allura offered. “It’s only polite.”

“Keith got here late, too,” he stammered.

Allura sighed and shook her head, disappointed. “That would be rude of us to make Keith order when he’s our guest. No, it should be you.”

Shiro pursed his lips. “Fine,” he grumbled. “What do you want?”

Allura smiled and pulled a pen from her purse. She swiped one of the napkins from the holder and scribbled down her order before passing it to Lance who did the same. He slid the napkin over to Keith, who took it and wrote down his food and drink order.

“Are you sure you’re okay taking care of this yourself?” Keith asked, handing the napkin to Shiro.

“Of course he is,” Allura said. “We trade off taking the order all the time. And he’ll really just have to bring the drinks back for us since they have someone take care of the food and bring that around to our table.”

“Uh, huh…” Keith said, glancing between her and Shiro.

“I won’t be long. They’re usually pretty quick about getting orders in,” Shiro said, pressing a kiss to the side of the Keith’s head before he stood from the booth and headed towards the bar.

Keith watched Allura wave her hands at the bartender and make a quick hand sign. The man with bright orange hair and a mustache nodded and scurried to the opposite end of the bar, engaging in conversation with a couple of the patrons as Shiro approached the counter.

“I’m guessing this is your cue to threaten my life if I do anything to hurt Shiro,” Keith said.

Lance grinned and placed his palms on the table. “You bet it-”

“No,” Allura interrupted. “We’re not going to have any shovel talks.”

“But why not?” Lance whined. “Shiro got one from Pidge’s friends. It’s our turn.”

Allura huffed and turned back to Keith. “We’re not going to give you a shovel talk. I just wanted to tell you that I’m really glad you and Shiro are together and managed to find each other. It was completely by chance you found each other that night when you were gaming and I know how much happiness you’ve brought to Shiro’s life since you came into it.”

“He’s made me happy, too,” Keith murmured, glancing at Shiro who was still trying to wave down the man at the bar who was going everywhere but to him.

“I really hope you can both be together like you deserve. Shiro’s been looking forward to Spring Break for so long because it meant you’d be reunited with each other,” Allura added.

“I’ve been looking forward to it, too,” Keith said, scratching the back of his neck as he felt his cheeks heat up. “After being here for a few days already, I really can’t imagine being anywhere Shiro isn’t.”

He glanced up and found Allura smiling at him.

“I was really hoping you’d say something like that, because I have an idea.”

“Woah, wait. What do you mean you have an idea?” Lance asked, turning towards his friend scandalized. “Why didn’t you tell me about this idea?”

“Because I don’t think you would’ve been able to keep this idea to yourself if I told you about it earlier and I really want to make this a surprise for Shiro,” Allura huffed.

“Okay, fine,” Lance admitted. “Just tell us before Shiro gets back.”

They all glanced over at the counter where the bartender was finally taking down Shiro’s food and drink order.

“Okay, okay,” she sighed. “I was thinking—since we’re all getting ready to graduate and we’re already looking for jobs—that it might be a good idea for you to apply for jobs here in Florida.”

Keith blinked at her. “You want me to apply for jobs here?”

Allura bit her lip to try and stop her grin and nodded. “I think it would be amazing if you got a job down here because then you could be near Shiro. I’m not saying that you have to move in with him or anything, but the two of you have been through so much and I’d love to see you be closer after the months you’ve spent apart.”

Keith opened and closed his mouth, trying to find the words to put to his tumultuous feelings. The idea wasn’t bad. He wasn’t against it at all and actually really liked the idea of moving down to Florida and getting a job and being close to Shiro.

“I…I really like that idea actually. And I think a part of me may have already been considering it. Being with Shiro these past few days…it’s been like a dream come true and I really can’t imagine being anywhere else.”

Allura beamed. “I’m so happy to hear that. And you don’t have to worry about this getting out to him. We’ll make sure to keep it a secret. Even with Lance’s big mouth,” she said with a soft chuckle.

“Hey, don’t expect me to let the cat out of the bag on this one. I’m going to keep this completely under the radar. Just you wait and see,” Lance huffed.

Keith and Allura chuckled.

“Thanks,” Keith said, looking between them. “I really appreciate you getting behind this idea and supporting us so much.”

“Of course!” Allura scoffed. “The two of you are clearly happy together and I don’t want anything to come between you. Not figuratively or literally.”

She glanced to the side and cleared her throat, leaning back against the booth cushion. Keith frowned, following where her gaze had been to Shiro approaching their table with four glasses in his hands.

“Well that took a lot longer than I expected,” Shiro muttered, gently setting the glasses in the middle of the table. “Usually Coran isn’t so flustered when he’s taking orders and managing the other patrons.”

Allura shrugged and grabbed her beer. “Maybe he just got behind on things. It seems a little busier than normal in here.”

Shiro raised and eyebrow and looked around the pub at the small groups at the bar and around the pool table. “I think you might be imagining things Allura.”

“If you say so,” she said voice light.

“Anyway, what did I miss? What were you talking about while I was gone?”

“Nothing really,” Allura said.

“We were just giving your boyfriend the shovel talk,” Lance said into his glass.

Allura elbowed him in the side, pulling a hiss from his lips.

“They didn’t grill you too much, did they?” Shiro asked, wrapping an arm around Keith’s shoulders.

He smiled and shook his head, snuggling further into his side.

“Good,” Shiro said, pressing a kiss to the top of his head.

“You know what we haven’t done in a while?” Lance asked, perking up. “We haven’t played much Voltron lately because of school and applications and everything else. We should do a round or two sometime this week.”

“Why not tonight after dinner?” Allura asked. “We’ve got plenty of time. As long as Keith brought his computer.”

“Of course I did,” Keith scoffed.

“Sounds like a plan,” Shiro said.

~~

“Come on, come on, come on,” Keith chanted, frantically pressing the spacebar on his computer as he fought the enemy they were facing.

“That’s not going to kill them any faster, Keith,” Allura huffed, swooping in to take out a new line of fighters and clearing the path for Lance’s Lion to burst through and shoot a laser blast at the soldiers farther back in ranks.

“This battle hasn’t been easy,” Shiro said from the opposite end of the couch. “But I know we can win this. We just have to be smart and make sure they don’t get any other serious attacks in.”

“Easy for you to say,” Keith quipped. “Your Lion is practically a tank.”

“There’s a difference between being smart and having a strong Lion,” Shiro huffed. “I’m just not as reckless as you are.”

Lance snickered over their headsets.

“Can we focus, please?” Allura said, barrel rolling across the screen before she dived and swiped through several lines of soldiers. “I don’t doubt that I could take all of these fighters out myself, but it would be nice to have at least a little help.”

Keith gunned his thrusters and raced forward, shooting past Allura for an attack. He dove under and around three enemy planes, dragging his claws along the sides to break their engines open and leave them as exploding masses in the sky.

“We’re almost there,” Shiro said, leaning forward. “We just have to get past the remainder of the troops and get the egg.”

“No problem,” Lance and Keith said together.

There was silence across the line before Allura sighed.

“I’m getting that first,” Lance snapped, taking off across the battlefield.

“You wish,” Keith scoffed, racing after him. “We both know who’s more skilled in getting past ranks of soldiers.”

“Guys,” Shiro said. He looked up and glared at Keith, but he ignored his gaze, more concerned with beating Lance to the prize.

He dived around the laser blasts, grinning as he pulled ahead of Lance.

“Not so fast,” Lance huffed, pulling up underneath him.

Keith swerved, barely avoiding a collision. He focused his gaze ahead, only caring about the rapidly closing distance between them and the egg.

He sucked in a breath when he saw one of the fighter planes, aiming for Lance.

“Shit,” he hissed, jerking his Lion to the left. He slammed into Lance’s Lion, forcing him off course.

“What the hell, Keith?!” Lance shouted.

Keith tried to force his Lion upward, but the laser blast from the fighter hit his right flank and sent him veering off course.

“Damn it, Keith,” Shiro said, voice tight.

“I’m fine,” he huffed. “Just get the egg. I’ll regroup in a second. It’s not that bad.”

He glanced at his stats. He wasn’t doing great and another hit like that would take him to the ground. He wasn’t sure what would happen to him if he crashed. It had never happened before. He just hoped they made it out of this before that could happen.

As the ship that attacked him readied another strike, Allura’s laser slammed into it, sending it spiraling to the ground to take out rows of soldiers.

“That’s how you do it,” she huffed.

“Thanks,” Keith said with a chuckle.

Allura flanked his right and Shiro came up on his left. Lance was already several miles ahead and Keith was relieved to watch him sweep up the egg from where it was sitting.

“Thank god,” Keith muttered as the scene dissolved around them and they were taken to the main base.

Something brushed up against his leg and he looked up to find Shiro watching him with a raised eyebrow. Keith grinned and Shiro narrowed his eyes at him.

“Just how close were you to dying?” Shiro asked.

Lance and Allura fell silent.

“Uhhhhh,” Keith said.

“Well, this has been fun guys,” Shiro said. “But I need to punish my boyfriend for being an idiot.”

Lance made a noise in the back of his throat while Allura cackled before they both signed off.

Keith pulled his headphones from his head and set them on the coffee table with his laptop. He stared at Shiro for a moment before bolting from the couch.

Shiro was after him in seconds. “Keith!”

Keith ducked around the corner into the kitchen and shoved the glass doors open to jump out onto the patio, avoiding Shiro’s first grab for his shirt. He wasn’t really sure where he was planning to go or if he thought he was going to jump the fence, but he wasn’t ready for whatever retribution Shiro had to offer.

He made it down the steps and halfway across the yard before arms wrapped around his stomach and pulled him against a solid chest.

“Got you,” Shiro gasped, trying to catch his breath.

Keith squirmed in his grip fighting to get away. “Let me go.”

“Nope,” Shiro said, finally getting himself under control. “I worked hard to catch you and I’m never letting you go.”

Keith’s heart skipped, feeling like Shiro was talking about so much more than just their chase around the house.

Chapter Text

“Here are the towels,” Keith said, walking into the kitchen where Shiro was packing everything into a large bag for the beach.

“Thanks, babe,” Shiro said, taking them from him to stuff on top of their bottles of sunscreen and water they were taking with them.

Keith tugged on the edge of his tank top as he waited for Shiro to be finished. It was late into the morning and the temperature was warmer than what they’d gotten so far that week, the afternoon promising abundant sunshine and heat teasing the summer months to come.

“You think we need anything else?” Shiro asked, pushing the towels aside to check the bottles at the bottom of the bag.

“Only the two of us,” Keith said with a smirk.

Shiro grinned and shouldered the bag before grabbing his car keys. He tossed a pair of sunglasses to Keith who slid them onto his nose before Shiro donned his pair. They each snagged a pair of flip flops from the closet next to the door and Keith held the front door open for Shiro as he sidestepped through with the large bag.

Keith chuckled and wrestled the bag from Shiro’s arm while he locked the front door and headed towards the car. Shiro hurried to catch up and unlocked his car before hopping in the front seat. Keith tossed the bag into the back and joined Shiro in the front, grinning as they backed out of the driveway and turned towards the coast.

He watched the houses pass by, eventually fading only to be replaced by surf shops and restaurants the closer they got to the ocean. They turned down another street and finally reached the beachfront, storefronts bordering one side of the street while the other had stretches of parking lots before wide swaths of sand welcomed those inhabiting the land and embraced the white froth of the ocean’s waves.

Several cars were parked in the open lots already and Keith could see a few people trying to get a good enough wave to surf. Shiro easily found a spot and Keith climbed out, inhaling a deep breath of salty air. The sound of the ocean waves lapping at the sand was clear and soothing, easing any remaining tension Keith might have carried in his chest.

Shiro grabbed the bag from the backseat of the car and walked around to Keith who still gripped the open car door in his hand as he soaked up everything around him.

“Come on, it’s even better on the sand,” he said with a smile, holding out his free hand.

Keith pushed the door shut and laced his fingers with Shiro’s. They stepped over the last asphalt divide and onto the warm sand that pressed over the sides of their shoes. Shiro seemed to walk effortlessly across the shifting sand while Keith struggled to free each foot from the warm grip on his shoe.

He huffed and stopped, pulling his flip flops from his feet to carry in one hand and continue forward. Shiro chuckled and tugged his hand, trying to hurry him along.

Keith stuck his tongue out at him and let himself get pulled along towards the waves. They easily found an open space to set up their beach towels, a few other groups of people having set up camp along the wide expanse of sand around them. Shiro dropped the bag and handed one towel to Keith before taking one for himself.

They spread out their towels and Keith eagerly sat down, tilting his head back to soak up the sun shining over their heads.

The pop of a cap broke the silence between them and Keith glanced over to find Shiro pouring sunscreen into his hand to spread over his skin. Shiro held out the bottle towards him without looking up and Keith swiped it from his hand, pouring some lotion into his own hand to spread over his arms.

They passed the bottle back and forth, in nearly perfect sync as they covered every visible inch of themselves in the lotion. Shiro tossed the bottle back into their shared bag and stretched out on his towel, tucking his hands behind his head.

Keith braced his hands behind himself, trying to find a comfortable sitting position, but quickly gave up and laid back on his towel. His eyes slid shut behind his sunglasses and he sighed, the warmth of the sun’s rays seeping into his skin with a gentle glow.

The cries of the seagulls faded into the background and Keith felt himself drifting. He wasn’t tired so much as lulled into a state of peacefulness that he wasn’t sure he’d ever experienced before.

At one point when he drifted back to consciousness, he felt something moving over his hand and raised his head enough to find Shiro’s fingers twined with his own. He smiled and let his head fall back against the sand, content to drift back into a light doze as the hours crawled by and he was free to not worry about anything.

“Keith.”

He felt something poke his check and tried to swat it away.

A chuckle rumbled next to him.

“Come on, Keith. Wake up.”

“No,” he bit out, trying to roll onto his side and away from the person pulling him back to consciousness.

“Don’t you want to wake up and get food?”

Keith finally recognized the voice as Shiro’s and huffed.

“Why can’t I just sleep instead and worry about food later?”

“Because you’re going to regret it when you wake up starving and are grouchy over having to wait to get food. Now get up. Come on.”

Keith forced his eyes open and rolled onto his back to look up at Shiro’s smiling face above him. He squinted at him, something Shiro missed since he still managed to have his sunglasses on.

“You’re lucky I love you,” Keith sighed before sitting up.

“I know,” Shiro murmured, squeezing his hand.

Keith swallowed, not expecting his words to hold so much more meaning than he intended. But Shiro was wrong, he wasn’t the lucky one, Keith was. Shiro could probably have anyone in the world he wanted, but he’d somehow managed to choose Keith over them all.

Shiro easily got to his feet and used his hold on Keith’s hand to pull him up.

He started to move away, but Keith stayed put, eyes looking out towards the waves.

“See something you like?” Shiro asked.

“Why don’t we go swimming first?” Keith asked, pulling his gaze away from the endless sea. “That way we don’t have to worry about making ourselves sick after eating food.”

Shiro shrugged. “Sounds good to me. I just need to…um…” He bit his lip and glanced down at his arm.

“Sure,” Keith said, letting go of his hand.

Shiro hesitated, his fingers twitching at his side before he reached up for the clasps on his prosthetic. He was methodical about it, not taking too much time on any one piece, but Keith could sense that he was struggling with taking his arm off in public.

It popped free and Shiro cleared his throat before tucking it away in the bag they’d brought. Keith glanced at where Shiro’s shoulder ended before he dragged his gaze up to Shiro’s face. He was looking away from Keith, blush dusting his cheeks in obvious embarrassment.

Keith couldn’t stop the swell of affection he felt if he tried. He took Shiro’s human hand in his, catching his attention. Shiro looked down at their hands before meeting Keith’s gaze. Keith offered him a smile and squeezed his hand before pulling him towards the water.

Shiro kept up with him easily. Keith stole glances of him out of the corner of his eye and watched Shiro’s blush deepen as he bit his lip to try and hide his pleasure with Keith’s ease around him.

One day Keith was going to prove to him that he was beautiful and amazing just the way he was. He only wished he could kick the asses of everyone who made Shiro feel less than the universe of worth he was because he was missing an arm.

Keith shivered when they reached the edge of the waves and the water swirled around their ankles. The feeling of wet sand squishing between his toes was weird and strange. He winced when a shell poked the side of his foot.

“Has anyone ever sliced their foot open in the ocean?” Keith muttered.

Shiro chuckled. “I’m not sure if you want me to answer that. Come on, it gets better.”

Shiro took the lead, pulling him further into the water as the waves swirled around their thighs, wetting their swim trunks, and then circled their waists.

Shiro stopped and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. Keith faced the ocean and did the same, finding another wave of calm wash over him.

A wave of water hit him in the face and Keith spluttered, bringing his hands up to wipe the water from his face. Deep, rumbling laughter sounded next to him and Keith turned to find Shiro holding his stomach and laughing hysterically, eyes crinkled closed out of sheer joy and happiness.

“Oh, it’s on,” Keith muttered. He slipped his hands under the water and heaved them upward, throwing a wall of water across Shiro.

Shiro turned away, letting the water wash over him and flatten his hair. He glanced back at Keith, eyes sparkling and Keith watched the last hesitance and tension leave his shoulders as he let himself enjoy the moment between them.

His grin turned mischievous and he splashed more water at Keith.

He was ready this time and lifted his hands to block most of the water, wiping off the droplets that slid down his face and into his eyes.

Keith gave up trying to splash Shiro back and charged towards him instead, moving as fast as the water would allow, which wasn’t very fast. But Shiro wasn’t having much more luck and tried to use his hand to push himself through the water.

Keith pumped his arms at his sides but once it was obvious he wasn’t closing the gap between himself and Shiro, he lunged forward, arms outstretched to try and grab Shiro’s waist.

Before he could reach him, a wave buffeted his side and sent him off course and sinking under the waves. He fought to get his feet back under him and burst out of the water, spluttering and wiping the water from his face and eyes. He pushed his sopping hair out of the way.

“Well that didn’t work out how I wanted it to,” he muttered.

He glanced up and found Shiro nearly doubled over as he laughed at him, the waves pushing against his side.

“Laugh it up while you can,” Keith said, stalking towards him through the water.

Shiro backed away, keeping space between them as he tried to get himself under control.

“What are you afraid of?” Keith asked innocently. “There’s nothing wrong with a little water.”

Shiro finally managed to stop laughing and fought through the last dying chuckles. He stilled and watched Keith with a smile on his face as he closed the distance between them. Once Keith was within reach, Shiro wrapped his arm around his back and pulled him close, pressing their chests together.

Keith huffed, but wrapped his arms around Shiro’s shoulders, letting himself lean on his steady presence.

“You look like a drowned cat,” Shiro murmured, biting his lip to keep his grin from widening too much.

Keith huffed and shoved him backwards. Shiro managed to suck in a breath before he sank under the water. He popped up a moment later, grin still in place and Keith rolled his eyes before letting gravity take hold and pull him backwards towards the water.

He shut his eyes and took in a breath before he sank under the surface, giving himself a moment of peace.

~~

The sun had climbed to its zenith before Shiro and Keith managed to pull themselves from the waves. They would’ve stayed in the cool water longer if their stomachs hadn’t insisted on getting food. Keith kept his arm around Shiro’s waist, content to stay as close to him as possible after the relaxing and happy afternoon they’d spent together.

Shiro wrapped his arm around Keith’s shoulders, leading him towards the little shack that offered food for the beachgoers. There wasn’t much of a line and the short menu of items led to a quick decision-making process as they got to the front of the line.

“I’ll have a chicken tender basket,” Shiro said.

“And the nachos for me,” Keith added when the worker turned to face him.

She nodded and punched a few buttons on the register. “That’ll be ten bucks,” she said, holding her hand through the window.

Before Shiro could pull his arm from around Keith’s shoulders, Keith had his wallet out and was handing over the bill. He rolled his eyes when he caught Shiro pouting and shoved his wallet back into his pocket so they could move to the side and wait for their food.

“Don’t give me that look,” he muttered. “There’s nothing wrong with letting me pay for things sometimes. I’m not that poor.”

“I didn’t mean that,” Shiro said. “I just like treating you. I want you to have everything.”

Keith smirked. “Shiro…is that your way of asking to be my sugar daddy?”

Shiro’s face went bright red. “No! That’s not…Keith I wouldn’t-I don’t have enough money for that!”

Keith chuckled and squeezed Shiro’s hip. “I know, I know. But it’s okay to let me treat you, too. We’re both in this relationship. You don’t have to do everything for me.”

Shiro huffed. “I guess you’re right,” he mumbled.

Keith smiled and his gaze slid past Shiro, landing on the people behind the couple ordering. They were standing close together and were staring at him and Shiro. It took him a minute to realize they were staring at where Shiro’s arm was missing.

Keith narrowed his eyes and pulled Shiro closer. The movement caught the couple’s gaze and they met Keith’s eyes before flushing and hastily looking away.

“Oh, that’s our food,” Shiro said, oblivious to the stares. He pulled his arm from around Keith’s shoulders and passed Keith his nachos before taking his basket of food. “Thanks,” he said to the worker before he turned back towards where they’d left their towels.

Keith stuck close to Shiro, glaring at anyone who’s eyes lingered just too long on Shiro. He thought Shiro was still oblivious to the stares as they walked, but Shiro’s steps slowed as they approached their towels and his shoulders started to sag, his smile turned sad and a little bitter.

Shiro sat down first, pulling away from Keith as he carefully lowered himself to the sand, mindful of his food. He set the basket in the middle of his crossed legs and stared down at it for a while, as though he was trying to find the words to say something to Keith.

Keith took a deep breath.

“I’m sorry, Shiro.”

Shiro’s head jerked upwards. His eyes were wide and lips parted. His mouth opened and closed a few times before he managed to form words.

“What do you have to be sorry for?” he croaked.

“I’m sorry that you have to deal with a bunch of assholes who can’t stop staring at you. You’re beautiful and kind and I’m sure none of them are willing to realize how much of a wonderful person you are. All of you,” Keith said, holding Shiro’s gaze and hoping that what he said was enough.

He wasn’t the best at words. Never had been. Things were simpler if he could do them himself or solve things with his fists. But he didn’t think Shiro would appreciate having him try to beat up everyone who looked at him wrong.

Shiro held his gaze, jaw slack in shock. After a few moments he seemed to pull himself from whatever daze he’d fallen into. He set his food to the side and reached for Keith, wrapping his fingers behind his neck to pull him in for a sloppy kiss.

Keith planting his hands on the sand, hoping to keep himself from falling into Shiro. Before Keith had a chance of adjusting his head to slot their lips together more seamlessly, Shiro broke the kiss and pressed their foreheads together.

Keith watched him, trying to understand what had just gone through Shiro’s mind as he breathed, eyes still closed.

“Thank you,” he murmured, eyes fluttering open to meet Keith’s gaze.

“For what?” Keith asked.

Shiro huffed a laugh. “Thank you for caring about me and seeing me as a person when so many other people look at me like I’m part of some freak show.”

Keith shook his head. “You’re not a freak show, Shiro. You’re amazing. It’s why I love you.”

Shiro grinned. “I love you, too.”

He finally pulled away and reached for the food he’d set to the side. Keith watched him eat, shoulders relaxed and gaze straying to the ocean.

Keith’s stomach tightened, realizing how much he really did love Shiro and how much of his body and soul belonged to him. Allura’s words from the night before came back to him along with her desire for him to find a job in Florida so he could be with Shiro.

He wanted that so much. He wanted anything that would keep them close and let them be together. He’d do whatever it took to make it happen. If it meant he got just a little more time with Shiro to give him everything he deserved.

Chapter Text

Keith exhaled a contented sigh as he listened to the rain pattering against the window. His eyes lazily focused on the t.v. screen and the movie they were in the middle of. It had been raining all day and he was more than happy to stay curled up on the couch with Shiro as it continued to pour outside.

It was peaceful and every day he spent with Shiro either tucked away in his house or out seeing the local sights Shiro insisted on showing him left him knowing it was going to be harder and harder for him to leave in a couple days. He didn’t want to leave. He wanted to stay with Shiro as long as he could, and he was quickly realizing that he wouldn’t mind spending the rest of his life with Shiro.

In fact, he wouldn’t mind it so much that he could picture them slowly waking up on Saturday mornings, sharing kisses as the sun peeked through the curtains. They could swap languid kisses before finally pulling themselves out of bed because they needed to eat more than anything else. They could cook breakfast for each other and curl up at the table in the corner or take it out onto the back deck if the weather was nice enough.

Maybe one day they could have a dog once they were ready to bring another life into the mix. Keith’s heart ached at the thought of it. It would all be so perfect and he couldn’t imagine anything better for his life. It felt like a dream, but he almost couldn’t believe the past months were real either.

Shiro was amazing and lovely and better than anyone Keith ever thought he’d meet considering he expected to die old and alone.

Keith swallowed as Shiro’s grip tightened around him. He had one arm around his back and Keith’s legs were thrown over his lap, giving Shiro room to rest his hand on Keith’s thigh.

Keith slid his free hand over to Shiro’s, linking their fingers together. His other hand was resting in the back of Shiro’s hair, idly running through the short strands as Keith rested his head on his own bicep.

Keith pulled his gaze from the screen and glanced up at Shiro, finding his eyes already on him and a soft smile pulling at his lips, gaze sparkling with warmth. Keith smiled back and lifted his head, guiding Shiro towards him to bring their lips together.

The kiss was slow and Keith idly sucked at Shiro’s bottom lip. Shiro tugged him into his lap, pulling his fingers free from Keith’s to wrap both arms around his back. Keith didn’t mind, wrapping his free arm around Shiro’s neck to keep him in place.

They broke apart, foreheads pressed together. Keith didn’t bother opening his eyes, taking the chance to inhale the crisp mint that always seemed to cling to Shiro.

Shiro sighed and slid his hand into Keith’s hair, tugging his head back. He slotted their lips together, tongue swiping along Keith’s bottom lip. Keith hummed and parted his lips, letting Shiro delve inside.

Keith practically sucked on his tongue, hunger growing as heat sparked in his stomach. Shiro groaned and tried to pull him closer, palms sparking heat where they traced across his back and down to his ass.

He squeezed his ass cheeks, making Keith throw his head back with a gasp. Shiro groaned and buried his face in his neck, trailing kisses down the long column of skin as his hands continued to explore every strong tendon of muscle under Keith’s skin.

His hands settled on his thighs, fingers digging into the thin material of his shorts, his nails nearly biting through the layer of fabric.

Keith bit his lip and shifted in Shiro’s lap, his growing arousal creating a sweet ache in his lower belly. He sucked in desperate breaths, feeling like the rug had been yanked out from under his feet and he’d lost all control.

He knew what he wanted. He wanted everything Shiro was willing to give him, but he didn’t want to get so caught up in the heat of the moment that it pushed Shiro into going further than he was ready for.

“Keith,” Shiro said, voice gravely where it rumbled in the back of his throat.

“Yeah?” he asked, blinking up at the ceiling as he tried to calm his racing heartbeat.

“Keith, look at me.”

He nearly jerked when a warm palm pressed against his cheek. He blinked, trying to refocus his gaze after forcing it down to meet Shiro’s eyes. He blinked again, trying to comprehend the sea of black that eclipsed the usually warm grey of Shiro’s eyes Keith was so used to seeing.

“Keith, can I…” he hesitated, glancing away.

Keith opened his mouth to say something when he saw the beginnings of a wall going up in Shiro’s posture. But he stopped himself and shook his head. He took a steadying breath and met Keith’s eyes again, any remnants of the emotional wall crushed to rubble.

“Can I take you to bed, Keith?” he murmured, gaze open and vulnerable.

Keith stared at him, mouth opening and closing as he fought to comprehend what was going on around him.

He smiled and framed Shiro’s face with his hand, knowing his gaze was softer than any other time in his life.

“Shiro…you can have me anywhere you want me.”

Shiro grinned and then his face flushed as he glanced down between them.

Keith’s smile slid into a smirk and he wrapped his arms around Shiro’s neck, leaning forward to brush his lips along the shell of Shiro’s ear.

“You can have me in the bed, on the floor or the table, even against the wall if you can’t make it all the way to your bedroom,” he continued, voice matching the husky tone Shiro’s held.

Shiro chuckled, laugh breathless as he buried his face in Keith’s neck and squeezed him in a tight hug.

Keith tilted his head back, grinning at the ceiling as he ran his fingers through Shiro’s hair. It didn’t matter what they did or how far they went, just being together was enough for him.

He gasped when the world tilted around him, scrambling to keep a hold on Shiro to avoid falling backwards onto the floor. Shiro’s grip was sure around him as he stood from the couch, easily keeping Keith pressed against him.

Keith tightened his legs around Shiro’s waist, watching the living room disappear from view as they turned down the hallway towards Shiro’s bedroom.

The world shifted again and he was gently lowered onto the plush mattress of Shiro’s bed. Keith loosened his grip, letting Shiro pull back enough for them to meet each other’s eyes.

Shiro’s face flushed and he cleared his throat, glancing away before meeting Keith’s eyes.

“Um, so…” he started. “Who’s…who’s going to top?”

Keith’s brain froze, all systems shutting down in the face of a question he hadn’t really considered.

“I-I mean we don’t have to-” Shiro started, fighting to come up with some excuse. “There’s always…we could just do what we normally do and-”

Keith pressed upwards and silenced Shiro’s stammering with a kiss. Shiro sighed and relaxed against him, drawing confidence from the familiar gesture.

“Shiro,” Keith sighed, breaking the kiss.

“Yeah?”

“Shiro…”

“Yes, Keith?” Shiro asked, smile growing into something soft.

“I want you to fuck me.”

Shiro’s eyes nearly bulged out of his head. “What? Are you-are you sure? We don’t have to do it this way if you don’t want to, and I-”

Keith rolled his eyes and covered Shiro’s mouth with his hand, cutting off his protests.

“I’m sure, Shiro,” he said, holding Shiro’s gaze. “This is what I want. This is how I want my first time with you to be. If that’s okay with you.”

Shiro nodded frantically, displacing Keith’s hand from over his mouth.

“Good,” Keith said, pushing himself up on his elbows to steal one last kiss. “I’m assuming you have lube and condoms.”

“Yeah, yes, yeah,” Shiro said, scrambling off him to reach in the bedside drawer. He tossed a strip of condoms onto the bed and a small bottle of lube.

Keith took the time to sit up, trying to keep his excitement from getting the better of him. The need and want coursing through him had dimmed during their walk to the bedroom and their uncertainty with each other as they broached this new territory, but he had no intentions of stopping if Shiro wanted to finally go all the way with him.

Shiro turned to face him and Keith reached for him, bringing their lips together in another kiss. Shiro’s hands rested on his hips and Keith felt the small tremors running through them.

Keith smiled into the kiss and placed his hands over Shiro’s, guiding them up under the hem of his shirt. Shiro sucked in a small breath and brushed his fingers across the warm skin of his stomach, touch reverent and careful.

He moved them higher, rucking up Keith’s shirt. Keith shivered at the touch and watched Shiro stare at the patterns he was tracing over his skin, eyes wide like he couldn’t quite believe what was in front of him.

In a moment of courage, or insane stupidity, Keith grabbed the hem of his shirt and yanked it over his head, tossing it to the floor to reveal his naked chest. Shiro wrapped his fingers around his sides, hands sliding down to his waist.

Keith let out a breathless chuckle and Shiro grinned at him.

“Can I…” Keith asked, tugging at Shiro’s shirt.

Shiro nodded. He lifted his arms and Keith bit his lip, tugging the shirt over Shiro’s head. Shiro cleared his throat and glanced away, his cheeks turning a light shade of pink. Keith cupped the side of his cheek, drawing his gaze back to him.

He leaned in and captured Shiro’s lips in a short kiss. Shiro hummed and sat forward, nearly sending Keith toppling onto his back. He caught him with an arm around his waist and Keith clutched his shoulders, keeping himself steady as his heart skipped.

Shiro pulled him across the comforter, helping him lay back. He shivered as the material brushed over his skin, forcing himself to stay still when he wanted to lift his hips and press against Shiro.

Shiro’s fingers brushed across his chest before they delved further south, running over his stomach and brushing across the skin above the waistband of his jeans.

Keith bit his lip, letting out a quiet sigh.

“Keith…can I?” Shiro asked, heated gaze boring into him.

He nodded and listened as the zipper of his jeans was pulled down. He felt a spark of indecision, a little terrified of what they were about to do, but it went away as quickly as it came when Shiro’s lips pressed against his chest and he kissed his way down his stomach.

“Shiro,” he sighed, lips ticking up into a small smile.

Shiro hummed and curled his fingers around the band of his jeans and boxers, pulling them down his legs. Keith lifted his hips to help get them off and tried to keep his flush contained at being splayed out in front of Shiro.

“God, you’re beautiful,” he murmured, voice filled with awe as he looked over Keith’s splayed form.

“Shut up,” Keith grumbled face flushing further.

“You are,” Shiro repeated, meeting his eyes. “And I’ll keep telling you that until you believe it. You’re hot and sexy and I can’t believe you’re my boyfriend.”

Keith swallowed, heart skipping a beat at his words.

“And I think I might die if I don’t get out of these pants soon,” Shiro said, crawling off the edge of the bed to shove his jeans down around his ankles.

Keith watched the muscles under the skin of his back shift with the movement and swallowed. Shiro glanced at him and Keith watched his cheeks turn a light shade of pink.

“Here,” Keith said, pushing himself up onto his elbows. He swiped the bottle of lube and reached for Shiro’s hand, pressing the bottle into his palm.

He laid back and hesitated before spreading his legs slightly, feeling a small amount of shame well up in his chest.

Shiro stared for a moment before he crawled onto the bed and settled between his legs. He wrapped his fingers around Keith’s thigh and gave a comforting squeeze. Keith exhaled, letting some of the tension leave his shoulders.

They were both nervous and didn’t really know what they were doing, but it was okay. They loved each other and this might not be perfect, but he could roll with that. As long as he was with Shiro, he could take whatever life decided to throw at them.

He closed his eyes when he heard the cap of the bottle pop. He held his breath, waiting for the first probing touch of a finger, but it didn’t come. Instead, soft lips pressed to his. Keith smiled and tilted his head back, deepening the kiss. He sighed and tangled his fingers in Shiro’s hair.

Some of the heat and need that had disappeared came back, lighting up his soul from the inside out.

He shivered at the first probing touch from Shiro between his legs. The lube was cold against his heated skin and it took a minute for Shiro to feel his way to his asshole, smearing lube across the skin all the while.

Shiro prodded gently, twisting the tip of his finger to wiggle it inside the ring of muscle. Keith forced back his instinctual need to tense against the intrusion and focused on Shiro’s lips pressed against his own.

“Just so you know,” Shiro murmured between kisses.

“Hm?” he asked, too focused on trying to suck Shiro’s tongue into his mouth.

“Just so you know,” Shiro said, breaking the kiss and pressing his forehead to Keith’s, “I have no idea what I’m doing.”

Keith blinked his eyes open and met Shiro’s earnest gaze. He snickered, finally relaxing at the admission.

“I have no idea what I’m doing either,” Keith agreed. “But I really like you and I really like kissing you and I think we can get through this together. Now get back here.”

Shiro grinned and dove back in for another round of drugging kisses.

He carefully twisted his finger in further, working slowly to pump it in and out up to the first knuckle, often forgetting he had his finger in Keith when they got so caught up in kissing each other.

The strange sensation of Shiro’s finger inside of him morphed as the heat in his veins grew. Keith spread his legs further and nearly groaned as more of Shiro’s finger pressed into him.

Once his entire finger was able to slip in and out of Keith’s entrance easily, Shiro pulled his finger out and poured more lube over them, spreading it over two fingers. He moved to work in both fingers, but the added lube made one of his fingers slip inside faster than he expected, making Keith inhale sharply as it sparked a deeper want in him.

“Are you okay?!” Shiro asked, eyes widening as he made to pull away.

“Fine,” Keith said, keeping a tight hold on Shiro. “I’m good that felt…really good.”

“Oh…”

“Can you…can you move?” Keith asked, feeling his face flush.

“Oh! Right,” Shiro mumbled, cheeks turning a deeper shade of red.

Keith let his eyes slide shut as Shiro’s second finger started to press in next to the first. He grasped the blanket next to his hips and kept his breathing even, letting himself get lost in the sensations of Shiro’s fingers that were quickly adding to the heat in his belly.

He practically groaned when Shiro pressed the tip of his third finger against his entrance and he didn’t think he could feel any better than he already did, but the fullness that came with a third finger inside of him nearly drove him mad.

Every nerve in his body was on fire. He wasn’t sure how Shiro was feeling, but he really hoped that he could make him feel as good as he was making him feel. He didn’t even think something like this was possible.

“Wha-” he started, forcing his eyes open when a sudden emptiness came over him as Shiro pulled his fingers out. He blinked, trying to focus on Shiro’s face.

“You still want to go all the way, right?” Shiro asked, holding a wrapped condom between two fingers, shoulders hunching like he was bracing himself for rejection.

Keith smiled, the heat in his veins mixing with a familiar warmth. “Of course I do.”

Shiro bit his lip and ducked his head, fumbling with the packaging before he got it open. Keith watched his mouth fall open as he rolled the condom onto his cock, a deep groan spilling from his lips.

Keith glanced down at Shiro’s cock and felt some of his nervousness return. Shiro’s fingers were one thing, but he was starting to feel uncertain at Shiro being able to fit his cock inside him.

“Do you want to stop?” Shiro asked, voice strained.

Keith met his eyes and he knew if he said the word, they could end things then and there and get on with the rest of their night. He shook his head.

“Just…go slow, okay?”

“Whatever you need,” Shiro said. He leaned over Keith’s form and pressed a slow kiss to his lips.

Keith sighed when he pulled away and waited as Shiro shuffled forward on his knees, taking himself in hand to line his cock up with Keith’s entrance.

Shiro glanced at him before focusing resolutely on what he was doing. Keith closed his eyes and pressed his head back into his pillow, willing himself to relax when he felt the first press of Shiro’s cock before it stopped.

“I’m an idiot,” Shiro muttered, pulling away.

“What? What’s wrong?” Keith asked. “Do you want to stop?”

Shiro shook his head and ran a hand through his hair before he smiled at Keith. “I forgot more lube.”

Keith snickered, fondness warming his chest. He watched Shiro reach for the bottle and pour some into his hand, glancing at him before he spread it over his cock, eyes falling shut as a shudder wracked his form.

“Ready now?” Keith asked, raising an eyebrow.

Shiro ducked his head and pressed a quick kiss to Keith’s lips. “More than ready.”

Keith swallowed and held Shiro’s gaze when the press of Shiro’s cock against his ass came again. He furrowed his brow as the head slipped inside, trying to get used to the new feeling.

“You okay?” Shiro asked, voice strained. His fingers wrapped around Keith’s hips, digging into the skin and muscle.

Keith nodded. “Yeah, just…go slow. I’m not used to this.”

Shiro chuckled. “You don’t have to worry about that. I don’t think I’m going to last very long.”

Keith smiled and let out a slow breath as Shiro pressed forward, pace gentle as he took centimeter by centimeter. This was different after having Shiro’s fingers inside of him. He was full to bursting and Shiro’s whole cock wasn’t even inside him yet.

His chest was as tight as his stomach and he was more than a little surprised the heat licking through his veins hadn’t diminished since this wasn’t the most pleasant thing to be experiencing at the moment.

Keith gasped when fingers wrapped around his cock. He bucked his hips, forcing Shiro a little farther inside him. He groaned, heart jumping in his chest as his breath left him, leaving him feeling like he was floating and riding the most intense high he’d ever had.

“Sh-Shiro?” Keith asked when deft fingers continued to stroke him. He reached blindly, glad when he found Shiro’s shoulders since his eyes refused to work and focus on anything but the ceiling above his head.

“Do you want to stop?” Shiro asked, fingers slowing.

Keith shook his head frantically. “God no, keep going.”

“I’m almost all the way inside,” Shiro said with a grunt. “Just a little more…”

Keith blinked. He was full, nerves wound tight as flames licked underneath his skin. He turned his gaze towards Shiro and finally managed to focus on his strained expression. His eyebrows were drawn down and he was breathing almost as hard as Keith was. A bead of sweat slid down the side of his face.

He glanced up and met Keith’s eyes, expression softening as a smile pulled the corners of his lips up. Keith returned it and pulled Shiro down for a kiss. The movement made Shiro shift inside of him, sending a spark up Keith’s spine. He groaned, wrapping his legs around Shiro’s waist.

Shiro braced his arm on the bed next to Keith, pulling his hips back gently before shallowly thrusting into him, his fingers matching time with his thrusts.

“Shiro,” Keith panted. “I’m really not going to last long if you keep doing that.”

“Don’t worry,” Shiro said. “I won’t be far behind. And we can take longer next time.”

Keith huffed a laugh, the idea that there could even be a next time was like some kind of dream. His toes curled at Shiro’s lower back and he gave into the sensation of Shiro moving inside of him.

He bit his lip, feeling like he was about to snap, every nerve alive with need and desire and love inside him. He groaned, muscles shuddering as the tension snapped and he came over Shiro’s fingers, tightening around Shiro.

“Fuck,” Shiro hissed, head bowing over him as he thrust a few more times before a long breath left him and he stilled.

Keith stared up at the ceiling, a peaceful and happy glow settling over him. He winced as Shiro moved to pull out, leaving him empty and spent.

Shiro’s gaze filled his vision as he ducked his head, capturing Keith’s lips in a deep kiss. Keith sighed into it, framing Shiro’s face with both his hands.

“Don’t go anywhere, I’ll be right back,” Shiro said, climbing off the bed.

Keith chuckled and watched him carefully pull the condom from his softening cock. He tied off the end and slipped into the hallway to the bathroom at the end of the hall. He returned with a small towel and handed it off to Keith, giving him a chance to wipe off his drying come. When he was finished, Shiro tossed the towel into the laundry hamper and crawled back into bed.

He wrapped an arm around Keith’s waist and pulled him against his chest, letting out a sigh as he pressed a quick kiss to the back of his neck.

Keith smiled, eyes sliding shut as he let himself enjoy this new moment with Shiro.

Chapter Text

Keith sagged against Shiro’s chest, drawing in his warmth as he stared at the tv, eyes unseeing. It was raining outside and although it was their last day together, they couldn’t bring themselves to separate or do much else.

Shiro’s arms were wrapped around his waist, not holding tightly, but keeping him in his lap. Not that Keith was complaining. The last thing he wanted to do was leave the next day, let alone be anywhere but right up in Shiro’s space.

Their morning was quiet. Shiro made breakfast and they ate in the nook. Keith insisted on doing the dishes since Shiro had kept him from helping all week and he selfishly wanted that last little taste of domesticity before he had to return to the harsh reality of college life and his job.

Keith rested his head on Shiro’s shoulder, trying to fight off the distant ache that was already trying to settle in his chest.

This week had been everything he wanted and more. He’d dreamed about it since Shiro had disappeared into the airport in Chicago at Christmas. Living with Shiro was everything. And he didn’t want to let that go.

If he wasn’t careful, the distance would certainly break him. His want too great to let him live his usual normal life without Shiro inhabiting the same space as him. He needed Shiro so much it hurt.

Shiro pressed a soft kiss to his forehead and Keith closed his eyes, turning into Shiro’s warmth. The hours would pass too quickly and before long the next day would come. He’d have to get on a plane and go back to Chicago. Go back to his life.

He’d have to leave Shiro.

“You okay?”

Keith blinked his eyes open and tilted his head back, meeting Shiro’s sad and understanding gaze.

“As okay as I can be,” he admitted.

Shiro smiled and cupped his cheek, ducking his head for a proper kiss. He pulled back with a sigh and pressed their foreheads together, thumb rubbing a soothing line along his cheek.

Keith wrapped his arms around Shiro’s neck. “I don’t want to leave,” he admitted.

Shiro’s grip tightened around his waist, trying to pull him closer. “I don’t want you to leave. I wish you could stay.”

He swallowed, feeling a familiar pressure building up behind his eyes. He swallowed again, forcing it back so he wouldn’t have to deal with that right now. He could save that for when he got home and the looming distance crushed him. Now wasn’t the time.

“I wish I could stay, too. I want to stay,” he breathed.

Shiro took a shaky breath, but didn’t say anything else. There wasn’t anything else they could say.

“Why don’t we put on a different movie?” he finally suggested. “Or a tv show?”

Keith nodded, but neither of them made a move to grab the remote. They didn’t want to break the moment. They wanted to freeze this in time and create a little capsule just for them. One they’d never have to leave and could be happy spending eternity in.

Finally, Shiro pulled back and reached for the remote. He shifted around on the couch, taking Keith with him until they were both laying down, Shiro’s head resting on a pillow and Keith’s head resting on Shiro’s chest.

Shiro’s arm wrapped around his back, hand smoothing up and down his spine. Keith let out a slow breath, his eyes sliding shut.

Shiro scrolled through the various shows he had saved on his Netflix account and hit play on some anime they hadn’t started yet. He dropped the remote on the floor and moved to wrap his other hand around Keith’s back, but Keith caught his fingers, intertwining them with his and letting them hang off the couch.

Shiro squeezed his hand and Keith smiled, content to enjoy the time he and Shiro had left as much as he could.

~~

Keith fought to keep his breathing steady. Shiro’s bedroom was dark and Keith could hear the faint sound of a car driving past outside.

Shiro was breathing steadily next to him, but neither of them was asleep. The rest of their afternoon had been quiet and dinner was relaxed and uneventful.

Despite all that and how content they’d been in their quiet day together, Keith wasn’t ready for his last hours with Shiro to draw to a close. He didn’t want to leave Shiro behind when he went back to Chicago. He didn’t want to have to suffer through a few more weeks of stress and school. And then after that, there wasn’t a guarantee he’d be able to find a job in Florida.

There was no guarantee he’d get the chance to be with Shiro again.

Keith sucked in a deep breath, his eyes stinging as he struggled to keep the tears at bay. He burrowed closer to Shiro, hoping to draw more comfort from him. He’d been his rock and his strength all day. He needed him more than he was willing to admit. He’d never needed someone so much. Not since his dad died.

“Hey,” Shiro said, voice rumbling above his head. “Everything okay?”

Keith took a few careful breaths, but he knew they sounded thick. Shiro tightened his grip around him, hands running up and down his back.

“You can talk to me,” Shiro said.

Keith chuckled, the sound wet and he was almost embarrassed when the first tear slipped free.

“I just…I don’t want to leave,” he breathed, sniffling.

“I don’t want you to leave either. I’d do anything to have you stay, but I know you can’t. You’re almost done with your degree. I can’t keep you from that. Not when you’ve worked so hard and not for my own selfish gain.”

Keith smiled. “At this point, I don’t really care about finishing my degree,” he admitted. “I just want to stay here with you.”

Shiro pressed a kiss to his forehead and let out a shaky breath. “I-” he cleared his throat and sniffed.

Keith pulled back and framed Shiro’s face in his hands, brushing away the tears.

“We’re going to see each other again,” Shiro said. “I promise, Keith. We’ll be together again soon and then nothing is going to keep us apart.”

Keith pressed forward, capturing Shiro’s lips in a desperate kiss Shiro eagerly returned.

They pulled apart with shaky gasps, their need to breathe forcing them apart. Keith pressed their foreheads together.

“Come on,” Shiro said, voice gentle. “We should try and get some sleep. Tomorrow’s going to be a tiring day for you. Travelling isn’t easy.”

Keith nodded and let Shiro settle into the mattress. He pressed against Shiro’s side and rested his head on Shiro’s shoulder, draping his arm across his waist. He closed his eyes, willing himself to find enough peace to get some sleep before he’d have to wake up to the harsh reality of being separated from Shiro again.

~~

Keith clutched Shiro’s hand as they crossed the parking lot to the double doors leading into the airport. He’d barely been able to eat breakfast and Shiro wasn’t much better, wanting to spend as much time with his arms wrapped around his waist as possible.

His throat was tight and he knew walking away from Shiro was going to be the hardest thing he’d ever do in his life. The week had been good to them and he wanted to cherish that for the rest of his life.

“I’ll wait here,” Shiro murmured, giving his hand a squeeze before letting go.

Keith nodded before h shuffled up to the counter and pulled out his wallet.

“Good morning,” the worker greeted. “What can I do for you?”

“Hi,” Keith muttered, pulling out his driver’s license. “Ticket for Kogane,” he said, passing his ID to the worker.

He took it with expert hands and started typing on the computer, humming to himself as he clicked through the prompts.

“Are you going to check a bag today?” he asked.

Keith nodded and placed it on the scale.

“Good, good,” he murmured, pulling the luggage tag from the machine. He pulled off the paper backing and slipped it through the handle, sticking it together. He pulled the bag from the scale and placed it on the conveyor belt behind him.

“And here is your ticket,” he said, passing the thin paper and his license back to him. “You’ll be departing from gate C24 today.”

“Thank you,” Keith said and turned away from the desk, clutching his ticket tightly in his hand.

“Are you ready?” Shiro asked when he shuffled back to him.

Keith nodded. “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

Shiro held out his hand and Keith took it, grateful for something to hold on to. He gripped Shiro’s hand tightly, feeling his fingers begin to tremble. He fought to keep his composure, knowing he’d regret breaking down at the airport in front of Shiro.

They fell into the stream of people headed towards security, each step they took sealing their fate that much more.

Before they reached the line, Shiro pulled him to the side and yanked him into a tight hug, burying his face in his hair. Keith wrapped his hands around Shiro’s back, clutching the back of his shirt.

“I’m going to miss you,” Shiro muttered into his hair.

“I’m going to miss you, too,” Keith said.

“Promise to let me know when you make it back home in one piece?”

Keith laughed, forcing the sound through his tight throat. “You’ll be the first person I talk to.”

“I love you so much,” Shiro said, managing to squeeze him even tighter.

“I love you, too, Shiro,” Keith forced out, trying not to let the words get stuck in his throat.

“You should get in the line to go through security.”

“I know.”

“I should really let you go.”

“Yeah,” Keith breathed.

“I really don’t want to.”

Keith chuckled, burying his grin in Shiro’s chest. “I really don’t want you to.”

“Stay with me.”

“I can’t.”

Shiro let out a breath, shoulders sagging. “I know,” he admitted.

“Okay,” Keith said, trying to find his resolve. “Okay.”

He patted Shiro on the back and pulled back just far enough to force Shiro out from hiding. He cupped his cheek, staring into his eyes.

“I love you,” he said. He pushed up onto his toes and captured Shiro’s lips in one last kiss.

Shiro’s arms tightened around his waist, saying more than words ever could.

Keith pulled back and pressed their foreheads together, giving them each a moment to breath.

“Okay,” Keith murmured. He dropped his hand from Shiro’s cheek. “Okay.”

He stepped back. Shiro resisted for a moment before finally sighing and letting go.

“See you soon?” Shiro asked, sounding as defeated as he looked.

Keith nodded and forced himself to take a step back. And then another. His gaze lingered on Shiro for another couple moments before he was strong enough to turn his back on him and join the security line.

He tried not to look over his shoulder as he moved forward, but quickly lost that battle. Shiro stood where he left him, hands in his pockets and eyes sad as the distance grew between them.

Keith almost dropped his ticket and rushed back to him, ready to beg him to take him back to his house so they’d never have to be separated. Thankfully, when he was about ready to break it was his turn in line.

He handed his license and ticket to the TSA agent and waited as it was checked over. Once he was past her and in the line to go through the security scanner, he could barely see Shiro’s white tuft of hair over the heads of the people behind him.

He forced himself to take the next step, and the next, and the next until he was finally at his gate. His thoughts and emotions were a whirlwind and he struggled to get himself under control, feeling like some string was desperately trying to tug him back to Shiro. Shiro, who was probably long gone from the airport and driving back to his house.

Keith was relieved when he finally shuffled onto the plane and found a window seat for himself. He didn’t have to be strong anymore.

He closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against the side of the plane, taking a shaky breath as a single tear slipped free.

~~

Keith shuffled into his bedroom and dropped his bag and backpack on the floor. He threw himself onto his bed and rolled onto his back, staring up at the ceiling above his head. Even though he’d called Shiro as soon as he landed, there was still a gaping hole in the center of his chest.

He sighed and rolled onto his side, nearly curling into a ball as he pulled his phone free and opened up his messages. He scrolled down to his group chat with Pidge and Hunk and typed out a quick message.

Keith: You two + alcohol + my place?

Pidge’s reply came between one blink and the next.

Pidge: We’re on it. Any requests?

Keith: Don’t care. Anything as long as it’s strong.

He sighed and dropped his phone onto the bed, letting his eyes slide shut. Realistically, he should’ve asked them to meet him at his apartment when he landed. He knew he wasn’t going to get through this easily, and it was stupid to wait this long to call his friends for backup.

Keith pulled his blanket around his shoulders and waited, willing the seconds to go by faster. As much as he hated admitting he needed people, he really needed his friends. They’d been there for him for years and this was one of those times he needed their support the most.

More of the blanket had migrated over his form when he heard a sound at his front door. He raised his head, blearily blinking the haze from his eyes as he tried to get his sluggish brain to focus.

The noise sounded again and he finally recognized it as knocking. He frowned and pushed the blanket off his shoulders, swinging his legs over the side of his bed.

He stumbled when he got to his feet, his legs stiff after the long plane ride and staying in the same position in bed for so long. He limped down the hall towards the door, one of his legs loosening up faster than the other.

Keith barely had the door open a crack before it was forced open and he was shoved backwards.

“Sorry it took us so long to get here,” Pidge said, skirting past him with an armful of brown paper bags. “We hit a bit of traffic.”

“There was a line in the drive-thru,” Hunk explained, following Pidge and carrying his own armful of brown paper bags.

“But I just texted you twenty minutes ago,” Keith said, carefully shutting the door and trailing after them into the kitchen.

“Laws don’t apply when there’s a friend in need,” Pidge said, pulling several bottles from her bag and lining them up on the counter.

“That’s…not how that works,” Keith said slowly, watching Hunk line up several styrofoam containers next to his haul. “And is that Indian food?”

Hunk grinned. “Of course it is.”

“How did you get Indian food and alcohol in twenty minutes?!” he cried, looking between the two of them.

Pidge rolled her eyes and set three glasses on the counter. “I told you-”

“Yeah, I know, traffic laws don’t apply, but that doesn’t mean you can defy science by getting this food so fast!”

“I never actually specified which laws I was talking about,” Pidge said with a smirk. She unscrewed the cap of the first bottle and filled a third of each cup, prepping the drinks for the three of them.

Keith let her do her work and took the plate of food Hunk held out to him, sitting down at the table and morosely stuffing a spoonful of rice and curry into his mouth.

“Now,” Pidge said. “Tell us why Shiro’s got you down.”

“How do you know it’s Shiro?” he grumbled.

“Because you just got back from spending a week with him and we know how much you love him,” Pidge explained, voice soft and gentle.

Keith heaved a sigh and stared down at his food. “It was amazing,” he admitted. “Shiro’s wonderful and sweet and kind and every second we got to spend together was heaven. I didn’t want to leave. I almost stayed. I was ready to throw away the four years I’d put towards my degree just to be with him.”

He grabbed his glass and took a large gulp, feeling the burning undercurrent of the whiskey underneath the iced tea Pidge had poured.

“I want to spend the rest of my life with him,” he said, looking up at his friends.

Hunk grinned, hands clasped underneath his chin. “That’s so sweet, Keith.”

Pidge smiled. “I’m really happy for you Keith. And I’m glad you weren’t stupid enough to throw away four years of college. Finish the last two months of school and then you can have the rest of your life after that to spend with Shiro.”

“I, um…” Keith started, rubbing the back of his neck as he felt his face heat up. “I also kind of want to apply for jobs in Florida so I can be closer to him.”

“See? Now you’re thinking,” Pidge said, jumping up from her chair. “This is why you can’t give up your degree. You’re already thinking ahead to a better future than what you would have if you dropped out two months before graduation.”

Keith watched her walk around the living room, inspecting every surface and glancing under the coffee table. “Pidge, what are you doing?” he asked.

She huffed. “Where’s your laptop?”

“In my backpack in my bedroom…why?” he called after her when she disappeared down the hallway and into his bedroom.

“Because,” she said, opening his computer and powering it up as she walked back to the table. “We’re going to help you look for jobs in Florida so you can be where you need to be.”

Keith stared as she started tapping away at his computer, focus solely on the task at hand.

Keith felt the corners of his mouth tick up and took another bite of food. As much as it sucked to be away from Shiro and as hard as the next couple months were going to be for them, he knew he was going to be with Shiro again.

After all, he had a pair of kickass friends who were willing to break all kinds of laws for him. If anyone was going to help him get a job in Florida, it was going to be them.

Chapter Text

Keith yawned and ran a hand through his hair, trying to wake himself up after the long day of classes he was back to. He was already missing the mornings he got to spend sleeping in over spring break and knew that the next week was going to be hell as he fought to get back on schedule.

He tugged uncomfortably at the collar of his jacket as he pulled open the backdoor of the restaurant. The weather was warm enough that wearing his usual jacket was becoming stuffy. It was almost time to put it away for the year.

“Hey! Look who’s back!”

Keith smiled and waved at the cooks as he passed.

“How was your vacation?” Lee called after him.

“Great! I wish I was still on break,” he said over his shoulder.

Lee’s booming laughter followed him down the hall. “None of us would work if we didn’t have to, kid!”

Keith shook his head and huffed. He paused at the time clock and punched his number into the system, waiting for it to beep before he made his way out into the dining room.

Happy chatter surrounded him as he crossed to the bar, the sounds of the patrons muffling the music that played over the speakers. He spotted George behind the counter, mixing drinks with a grin on his face. He spun and twirled, looking completely at ease despite the list of tickets Keith saw in front of him.

“Have no fear, the cavalry’s here,” Keith called as he swung around the back of the bar and slipped his jacket off. He tossed it into the bin underneath the bar and immediately rolled up the sleeves of his shirt, ready to dig into the pile of orders and help things along for them both.

“Hey! Welcome back, man,” George said, pausing just long enough to throw an arm around his shoulders in a quick side-hug. “You’ve got to tell me all about your vacation.”

Keith swiped the next ticket as George set his drink on an available tray. He scanned the scratched writing and nodded, turning to grab a glass and the three bottles he was going to need.

“I don’t really know what to say. It was kind of amazing.”

“Kind of?” George prompted.

Keith bit his lip, trying to hide his grin. “Okay, it was more than just kind of amazing. It was fantastic.”

George chuckled, intercepting his hand as they both took another ticket. “Sooooo things with the boyfriend are good?”

“More than good. Way more than good.”

George paused his stirring and raised an eyebrow. “Way more than good?” he asked. “Wow. He didn’t propose to you, did he?”

Keith chuckled and shook his head. He grabbed two beers and popped the caps, setting them next to the martini George just finished.

“Not at all. But…”

“But?”

“But I might’ve said yes if he had,” he murmured.

“What?!”

Keith blinked as George scrambled to get a better handle on his shaker, almost dropping it and spilling the drink all over their feet.

George carefully set the shaker on the counter and gripped the edge, taking a steadying breath. He raised his gaze and met Keith’s eyes.

“Did you seriously just admit to me that you would marry Shiro if he asked you to?” George said carefully.

Keith felt his face heat up and crossed his arms. He cleared his throat and shifted from foot to foot. “I guess I did.”

George’s disbelief faded and he grinned, chuckles slowly working their way up his throat until he was clutching his stomach and nearly doubled over laughing.

“Oh my god, that’s incredible,” he said, wiping away a nonexistent tear. He fought to catch his breath, keeping one hand on the counter next to him. “But seriously man, I’m really happy for you. You deserve to have someone like Shiro in your life. Especially when the two of you are so happy together.”

Keith smiled, shoulders relaxing where they’d hunched in the face of George’s laughter. “Thanks. I’ve kind of…never mind, it’s stupid.”

“No, come on. You can tell me, man. I swear it’ll stay between us,” he said, grabbing the shaker and finally shaking it above his shoulder.

“Well, I…I’ve been thinking about doing job applications for companies down in Florida. I figured that if I can get a job down there, I can move south and be closer to Shiro.”

George raised an eyebrow. “You’ve only been thinking about it?” he asked.

Keith huffed. “Okay, so maybe I haven’t just been thinking about it. I’ve been doing some applications. Pidge and Hunk have actually been helping me out.”

George nodded and pulled the top off the shaker. He poured the drink in the waiting glass and set it on one of the trays with the ticket.

“I’m happy for you, man. I’m really happy for you.”

“Thanks,” Keith whispered, swiping one of the last tickets from the pile.

“And I know you’re going to make it. I know you can get a job down there and be close to your boyfriend.”

Keith bit his lip and ducked his head, grabbing two beers from the fridge under the counter. He was glad to have so many supportive people in his life, but he didn’t want their encouragement to get the better of him to the point where he got his hopes up too much.

It was possible, but there was no guarantee he’d be able to make the move. He just had to remember that.

~~

Keith glared at his computer screen as he paced back and forth behind his kitchen chair. One half of the screen had half of a research paper he was putting together and the other half had a job application sitting open.

He had deadlines and as much as he hated to admit it, the end of his senior year was hurtling towards him. There was a lot to do and he there was never enough time to finish it all. Not after he was faced with two rejection emails for job applications that day alone, one coming five minutes after he’d submitted his info for review.

His phone vibrated on the table and he glanced at it, seeing Shiro’s name flashing on the screen. He smiled, reaching for it to answer the call.

“Hey,” he murmured, some of his stress already falling away at knowing his boyfriend was on the other end of the call.

“Hey baby,” Shiro said. “I miss you.”

Keith chuckled, laughter soft. He glanced at his computer before moving around the side of his couch to plop down onto the cushions.

“I miss you, too.” He stretched out his legs, propping his feet on the coffee table. “How are classes going?”

Shiro groaned and Keith could almost picture him rolling over to bury his face in his pillow. “Classes suck. I’m tired of doing homework and papers. I’m ready for it to be over.”

“Me too. And don’t even get me started on job applications on top of those,” he huffed.

“Yeah, those are…still a thing.”

“Takashi Shirogane,” Keith swore, leaning forward. “Have you been ignoring job applications?”

Shiro chuckled. “Not ignoring them per say…they’re just really fucking exhausting and I only have so much energy in the day to do homework. Job applications are a whole other monster.”

“Oh believe me, I know,” Keith muttered, thinking about the rejections he’d gotten earlier that day.

“How have they been going for you?”

Keith sighed, his good mood taking a dip. “I got two rejection letters already.”

“I’m sorry to hear that, babe,” Shiro said, sounding just as disappointed as he did. “Was it anything promising?”

Keith’s stomach sank further. The locations of both companies were within a few minutes of Shiro’s house. “Sort of? I think the opportunities would’ve been great. As great as they could be with a first job out of college.”

“I’m sorry. I’m sure they would’ve been good fits for you. I know you’ll be able to find something even better that’ll make you happy.”

Keith bit his lip, thinking about the job application he had sitting open on his computer. “I hope so,” he whispered.

They were both silent for a moment, enjoying the few moments they had together despite the distance between them. Keith closed his eyes, brows furrowing. If he concentrated hard enough, it was almost like he was back on the couch or laying in bed with Shiro, head pillowed on his chest while they cuddled and talked. Maybe a movie was playing in the background they weren’t really paying attention to, sharing kisses in the soft space between them.

“Keith?” Shiro asked.

“Yeah?”

“I love you.”

Keith grinned, biting his lip to try and contain the giddy butterflies that swarmed in his stomach every time he heard those words.

“I love you, too.”

~~

Keith scrubbed at his eyes, trying to focus on the clock in the corner of his computer screen. It was after midnight and even though he’d got another quarter of his paper done and submitted a handful of applications, he still couldn’t let himself rest. Not when he only had so much time to try and get a job near Shiro before the school year ended.

He yawned, eyes threatening to fall shut with his need to sleep and get rest before he’d have to get up the next morning and do another whirlwind of classes, homework, bartending, and job applications.

“One more application,” he muttered, fighting to focus on the words his sluggish fingers typed in what he swore were shrinking boxes. “Just one more and then I’ll go to bed.”

He blinked again, taking longer to force them back open to focus on the words in front of him. He was so tired, but he just had to get this done. A few more minutes and then he’d be able to sleep.

~~

Keith groaned when his alarm went off next to his ear. He smacked his hand on the table, fighting to silence the incessant ringing pulling him from the sweet rest he’d gotten during the night.

He forced his eyes open, feeling like a zombie. He blinked at his fridge, trying to figure out why it was in his bedroom.

Keith sighed and forced himself to sit up. He swiped his phone from the table and shut off his alarm. He glanced at the battery and sighed at seeing it under twenty percent. He’d need to get to class early and grab a seat by one of the outlets to charge his phone.

He rolled his shoulders, feeling his neck and back twinge from the awkward sleeping position all night. It was going to take more than one night in his bed to help repair the damage he’d done the night before. It would make standing on his feet at work absolute hell when he went in for his shift.

Keith pressed the spacebar of his computer and waited as it booted up. It was sluggish to start and he sighed when he was met with his still incomplete application he’d been forcing himself to finish. If he was lucky, he could grab a couple minutes between classes to finish it up and submit before moving on to everything else.

He closed the top of his computer and slipped it into his backpack. He grabbed the books for his classes that were in a pile on the kitchen table. He pushed himself from the chair and winced when his back cracked in two different places.

Keith groaned and stretched his arms over his head before shuffling down the hall to his bedroom. He yanked his shirt over his head and shoved his day-old jeans down around his legs, kicking them off to join the edge of his pile of laundry. He tossed his shirt on top and grabbed a new pair of boxers and jeans.

He dressed quickly and grabbed the first shirt in his drawer, pulling it over his head as he walked down the hall and turned into the bathroom. He stared at his reflection, taking in the bags under his eyes and the dullness of his gaze.

He turned on the tap as cold as it would go and cupped his hands under the running water, washing it over his face to help wake himself up. He shivered at the biting temperature and grabbed a towel to wipe off the excess water.

Keith grabbed a thin hair-tie from the sink drawer and pulled his hair back, tying it up in a messy ponytail.

He yawned and scrubbed at his eyes as he padded back to the kitchen. He grabbed a granola bar from the cabinet and tossed it into his backpack with the rest of his things. He grabbed his backpack and shoved his phone in his pocket, barely remembering to snag his charger from the couch.

He shoved his feet into his boots and grabbed his keys, sluggishly locking his apartment behind him. He shuffled down the hall, gripping the straps of his backpack tightly in his hands. It was going to be a long day and he couldn’t wait until he could go back to bed and forget about everything he had to do.

~~

Keith blinked when he heard his phone chime next to him. He pulled himself from his paper and the extra thoughts continually circling around job applications and grabbed his phone where it rested on the arm of his chair.

He’d found a secluded nook in his building, ready to settle down and do some work between classes. An empty coffee cup sat next to his foot, the caffeine kicking in after he’d downed his third refill.

Keith smiled when he saw Shiro’s name on the screen and quickly opened their chat.

Shiro: hey baby. How are things going today?

Keith settled back into his chair, his shoulders relaxing as some of the stress left him thanks to Shiro’s never-ending calming presence.

Keith: Not gonna lie, I’m exhausted. I ended up falling asleep at my kitchen table last night in the middle of doing a job application.

Shiro: ☹ Don’t work yourself so hard. You’ve already got all of your papers and reports for your classes.

Keith sighed, his eyes falling shut for a minute. His fingers hovered over the keys on his phone. He wanted to tell him. He wanted to spill everything that he couldn’t rest and he had to do as many applications as possible because it meant there was a tiny, miniscule possibility that they could be together again in a couple months and he was desperate to take advantage of that chance.

He bit his lip and forced himself to skirt around his thoughts, only giving Shiro the necessary information.

Keith: I know, but I can’t stop. I really want to have a good job lined up once school wraps up. As much as I love bartending and working with George, I don’t want to be doing that forever. I didn’t go to school for a degree just so I could mix drinks for the next year.

Shiro: I know, baby, but taking care of yourself right now is important, too. Promise me that you won’t lose too much sleep trying to get applications in?

Keith: Fineeeee. I promise. I’ll only lose the socially acceptable amount of sleep so I can get job applications in.

Shiro: ☹

Keith smiled, feeling some of the ache from the past few days disappear. It was by no means better since they were still a thousand miles apart. But it was better. Knowing Shiro missed him and was there for him…it was better.

Keith: Don’t pout too long or your face will get stuck like that.

Shiro: Call me when you get home and I won’t have a reason to pout.

Keith: Deal. But I’ll need proof that you’re not pouting.

Shiro: Don’t worry. I think you’ll be able to tell. Considering I’m always smiling when I talk to you.

Keith felt a burst of butterflies in his chest. He was never going to get used to Shiro. And he never wanted to. Shiro was a gift in his life and he was determined to cherish him forever.

Keith: You were just pouting a minute ago.

Shiro: Technicalities!

He huffed a laugh, voice quiet in the nook he was settled in.

Keith: Fine, fine. We can talk about this later. As much as I love talking to you, I need to get a few more things done before my afternoon classes start.

Shiro: Oh yeah. It’s Tuesday, isn’t it? And you have to work tonight?

Keith: Unfortunately I do.

Shiro: Sorry.

Keith: That’s just how it is. I’ll call you when I get home from work.

Shiro: Sounds good. Later, baby. Love you.

Keith: Love you, too.

Keith stared at his screen for a moment, looking at the matching love yous. He sighed and was about to lock his phone when it chimed with a new email. He glanced at his computer screen which still showed the paper he was working on.

He quickly changed apps, knowing it wouldn’t take long for him to check his email before getting back to work.

Keith opened his email and frowned when the first email came from a sender he didn’t recognize. He clicked on it and scrolled down to the body, eyes widening. He read through it once, and then a second and third time to make sure he wasn’t hallucinating.

Dear Mr. Kogane,

Thank you for reaching out to us with regards to our open research assistant positions. Your academic background is quite impressive and we’d like to have the opportunity to discuss this position with you in more detail and possibly set up a Skype interview with you.

Please respond with your availability if you’re still interested in this position and-

Keith swallowed, trying to keep his heartrate down. His fingers shook as he tried to calm himself down enough to write a reply. This was too much. All of the planning and job applications and wishing wasn’t enough to prepare him for the possibility of landing an interview for a company in Florida.

He slammed the lid of his computer and threw it into his backpack. He pushed himself out of his chair and barely remembered to unplug his phone from the wall before he was skidding around the corner and sprinting down the hall.

Pidge and Hunk would be getting out of class in the next few minutes. He had to tell them about this.

Chapter Text

“Hunk! Pidge!” Keith shouted as he turned the corner and found them at the other end of the hall. People glanced up as he sprinted past, giving him curious looks. “Hunk! Pidge!”

They paused and glanced over their shoulders, sharing a look at finding Keith chasing them down. He slowed as he approached, bracing his hands on his knees when he stopped to try and catch his breath.

“Finally,” he gasped.

“Keith? Is everything okay, buddy?” Hunk asked. “You’re not running from anyone are you? Because I’d rather not be the victim of a chase. Police or otherwise.”

He shook his head. “No. I’m not being chased by anyone. I just had to find you guys.”

“You could’ve texted us, you know,” Pidge scoffed. “There’s this great thing called a cellphone. Really helps with communication.”

“Pidge, I love you, but shut up,” Keith forced out, straightening and placing a hand on his side to try and ease the stitch that formed.

She rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah. Now tell us what you wanted. You’re not normally one to run across campus looking for someone.”

Keith pulled out his phone and unlocked it, the email still open where he’d read it.

“Here,” he said, handing over his phone.

Pidge and Hunk bent over the phone, confused looks morphing into understanding and glee.

“You did it!” Pidge said. “I knew you could!”

“Congrats man,” Hunk said, patting him on the shoulder.

“It’s just an interview,” he muttered, face heating up.

“Just an interview my ass,” Pidge scoffed. “It’s still an interview. And that’s what’s important. This is an awesome accomplishment. Don’t sell yourself short just because it’s not a job offer yet. Give me all the details.”

“I’m really excited and it’s over Skype. Obviously, since I can’t just fly down there yet. And, well, you read it, the offer is for an interview later next week.”

“And you’ve already sent them your acceptance of course,” Pidge said with a nod.

“Oh, wait yeah I need to do that,” Keith muttered. He hit the reply button and typed out his response.

“You’re kidding me, right?” Pidge cried, smacking him in the arm.

Keith jolted and looked up at her, shocked. “What?”

“I can’t believe you,” she admonished. “All that talk about wanting to get a job and move to Florida and you can’t even accept an interview for one within two minutes of getting the email.”

“It’s not like I’m going to lose the interview opportunity if I don’t respond right away. That’s not how it works,” Keith argued.

Pidge shook her head and crossed her arms. “I still think you should’ve accepted before even considering coming to find us.”

Keith stuck his tongue out of the side of his mouth, reading his reply once before he hit send. “Sorry, I guess,” he muttered, pocketing his phone. “I was just so shocked I didn’t know what to do. I still don’t know what to do.”

Hunk smiled. “Don’t worry, man. We can help you out with that. Like we told you before, you’re not going through this alone and we’ll help you every step of the way.”

“Thanks guys,” Keith murmured, warmth spreading through him.

“We’ll even help you figure out what to wear,” Pidge offered. “We all know you’re horrible unless it involves black.”

Keith rolled his eyes. “Shut up. And I’ve got Saturday morning off if you can make that work.”

Pidge punched him in the arm. “We’ll be there. No sweat.”

Keith smiled at them both. “Thanks. I mean it. Thank you.”

Hunk cooed and pulled him into a tight hug. “We’re happy for you, man. And like we’ve been saying, we’re going to help you land this job so you can be where you need to be.”

Keith swallowed, a lump forming in his throat at being faced with his friends’ blatant kindness and the possibility he might actually get what he wants.

~~

Keith shuffled through his apartment; mind set on getting into his bed as fast as possible. He wanted to sleep, but he knew Shiro would be calling him soon for their nightly chat and needed to stay awake just long enough to get a few words across.

And he was looking forward to breaking the news to Shiro that he had a job interview. He wasn’t going to tell him where it was yet, but he was going to tell him it was happening.

Keith toed off his shoes as soon as he was through his bedroom door and shoved his jeans down around his legs, kicking them in the general direction of the laundry pile. He unbuttoned his shirt and added that to the mound of discarded clothes.

He grabbed a clean pair of boxers and a large shirt and changed, falling into bed, and nearly asleep with how comfortable it was. He rolled onto his side, forcing his eyes open and reached for his bedside table, frowning when he didn’t find his phone.

Keith grumbled and forced his eyes open, finding the table empty. He sighed and pushed himself upright, wary to get back on his feet and retrieve his phone. He was in the middle of weighing the pros and cons of crawling when his ringtone went off in his pile of discarded clothes.

He jumped to his feet and rushed to his jeans, fumbling with the pockets until he managed to get his phone free. Shiro’s name flashed across the screen and Keith nearly dropped it trying to answer.

“Hello?” he asked, finally getting a hold on it.

“Hey baby,” Shiro greeted. “How was work?”

Keith relaxed, some of his stress and exhaustion washing off him. “Not too bad. A bit busy, but we weren’t swamped and got through it without too much trouble. How are things with you?”

“Been fighting to keep above water with my schoolwork. I feel like job applications have fallen to the backburner a little bit, which isn’t something I really want to let happen.”

“I get that, but that doesn’t mean you should sacrifice your schoolwork in favor of doing a bunch of applications. Save them for the weekends if you have to.”

Shiro sighed. “Yeah… Anyway, how are things going with you? Any job interviews lined up that you want to tell me about?”

Keith bit his lip, trying to keep the grin from pulling the corners of his lips upwards. “Well…”

“Wait, really?!” Shiro asked, nearly shouting.

Keith pulled the phone away form his ear and chuckled. “Yeah, really. I got an email today about an interview for next week.”

“Congrats, baby! I knew you could do it!”

Keith felt himself flush. “Thanks. I was getting a little stressed so it was nice to finally get some good news. I was worried I’d graduate before getting an interview.”

“I told you you didn’t have anything to worry about. You’re going to do great. What’s it for?”

“A research assistant position. It’ll give me the chance to do something with my degree at least.”

“I’m sure you’re going to have no problem landing it. You’re smart and amazing and there’s no way they won’t love you and want to hire you right away,” Shiro gushed.

“I don’t know about that,” Keith said, rolling onto his side. “But I’m hoping that I’ll get lucky and it’ll pan out. It’ll make getting through the rest of the year easier. Less stress.”

“You’ll get it,” Shiro said. “I know you will.”

Keith thought about all the time they got to spend together over Spring Break and how vivid he imagined their future to be. This was just one more step to getting closer to that future. As long as Shiro wanted it too.

“Thanks, Shiro. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“I think I should be the one saying that to you,” Shiro said, voice soft.

Keith pursed his lips, wanting more than anything to tell Shiro that he would be just fine without him. So many people were just fine without Keith. And Shiro would be just fine without him.

Keith, on the other hand. Keith needed Shiro like he needed oxygen to breathe. Shiro was the glue that held him together no matter how bad things got. He was becoming as important as the sun that rose in the east and gave life to the Earth. He was incredible and different and beautiful like the stars and galaxies that dotted the universe and shined bright in even the darkest of corners.

“Keith?” Shiro asked. “You there?”

“Yeah, I’m here. Sorry, just got caught up in my own head for a bit.”

“Nothing bad, I hope. If you need to talk about it, I’m all ears,” Shiro said, voice sincere and as meaningful as it always was when they were talking or if Keith had an anxiety attack.

“Nothing bad,” Keith confirmed, smiling up at the ceiling. “Just thinking about how much I love you,” he said, keeping his voice light.

Shiro chuckled. “I love you, too. Any other fun or exciting things going on that I should know about?”

“Not much. Pidge and Hunk are going to come over this weekend to help me pick out something for my interview…”

~~

Keith hurried to the door to his apartment when he heard the knocking. He’d been sitting in his room staring at his closet for an hour trying not to let the stress and anxiety of his upcoming interview overwhelm him.

He yanked open the door, not bothering to check through the peephole since there were only two people who’d reasonably be knocking at his door.

“Have no fear, the greatest duo is here,” Pidge said, walking past him towards his bedroom.

“Well I hope you’re the greatest fashion duo because I still have no idea what I’m going to wear,” Keith muttered, locking the door as Hunk followed Pidge through his apartment.

“Runway design, not so much,” Hunk said. “But interview attire? I think we’ve got your back.”

“You’ve got potential,” Pidge said, already elbows deep into his closet, sifting through his shirts and pants. “It helps that you needed nicer clothes for your job. But you’re definitely going to need more variety when you show up for work.”

“I’m not even guaranteed a job,” Keith huffed, plopping down on the edge of his bed next to Hunk. “It’s just an interview.”

“And it’ll only be an interview if you keep thinking like that,” Hunk said, clapping him on the shoulder. “You’ve got the skills to get the job. You can do it. You will do it.”

Keith pursed his lips, tired of arguing with them over this.

“How about this?” Pidge asked. She held out a dark grey shirt and a pair of beige chinos he couldn’t even remember buying.

“Looks good as a preliminary option,” Hunk commented. “I think the real test is going to be having Keith try it on.”

“Do I have to?” he groaned.

“Yes,” Pidge said, tossing the clothes to him. “Not only should the colors match, but they should look good on you, too.”

“Fine, fine,” he huffed. He shuffled out of his bedroom and into the bathroom, hanging his clothes off the doorknob to keep them from getting rumpled on the floor. He switched shirts quickly, slipping his arms through the sleeves and doing up the buttons.

He pulled on the chinos and carefully tucked his shirt into them, making sure it was flat over his stomach and didn’t twist in any awkward way. He gave himself a onceover in the mirror, not finding anything too impressive.

He felt like he was trying too hard. Like a little kid trying on his dad’s clothes to try and seem like an adult when he really wasn’t one.

“Hurry up!” Pidge called. “Your adoring fans are waiting to see.”

Keith snorted and pulled open the door. “Don’t hurt yourself by calling yourself ‘adoring.’”

He stepped around the corner and waved at what he was wearing. “How does it look?”

Pidge nodded. “I approve. Hunk?”

“Nice color scheme, Pidge. Although…I think we should make sure that’s the best option available.”

“Agreed,” Pidge said with a solemn nod. She hopped up and returned to her search deep through Keith’s closet.

“Why can’t this one be good enough?” Keith scoffed.

“Do you want it to be good enough or do you want it to be the best?” Hunk asked.

“Keith, you don’t happen to own a tie, do you?” Pidge asked, voice muffled.

Keith sighed. He loved his friends to death and they were the literal greatest, but they could also be the worst.

~~

Keith rubbed his hands across his pants. His palms were sweaty and he was fighting to keep his fingers from trembling. The collar of his shirt felt like it was choking him and he wanted nothing more than to run away and hide instead of suffering through an insanely anxiety-inducing interview.

He’d woken up that morning with a supportive string of texts from Shiro and it reminded him of the many reasons he was doing this.

He glanced at the clock, watching as the numbers changed. He still had two minutes to go until the start of his interview. Assuming the panel was going to send the skype call right on time. He took a deep breath. It shook as he let it out. He could do this. He could do this and it was going to be great and he was going to get this job and move down to Florida to be with Shiro.

He had to believe it was possible. No matter what. He had to believe he could do it and that just might keep him from epically failing in an explosion of death and fire.

Keith jumped when the Skype ringtone broke the silence around him. He placed a hand over his heart, fighting to calm his heartbeat. He wiped his hands on his pants one more time, forcing a smile on his face as he hit accept.

The image formed, revealing three people sitting at a table in the middle of the room. Keith hid his hands in his laps, twisting them together as they shook.

“Good morning Keith,” one of the men greeted with a smile. “Can you hear us alright?”

“I’m hearing you loud and clear,” Keith said, clearing his throat which was suddenly dry. “How are all of you doing today?”

The panel grinned, each murmuring good things about their days.

“We’ll go around and introduce ourselves really quick and then we’ll get started,” the man continued. “How does that sound?”

“It sounds great,” Keith said, voice cracking at the end of his sentence. He fought down the blush that made its way up his cheeks and cleared his throat, listening intently to the names and titles of everyone sitting in on his interview.

“We have a set of questions we’re going to go around and ask you and then you’ll have a chance to ask us anything. I’ll go ahead and start,” Dave, the first man who’d spoken, explained. “Can you tell us a little bit about why you’re interested in this position and relocating to Florida?”

Keith took a deep breath and squared his shoulders, the thought of Shiro helping to calm him. He opened his mouth and started to speak.

~~

Keith sighed and collapsed back into his chair. He scrubbed his hands over his face as the last of his nerves and adrenaline wreaked havoc on his system. He didn’t feel like it was good enough. He didn’t think he was smart or charming or incredible enough to stand out against every other person they were no doubt interviewing. Most of them closer than Keith probably was.

They seemed to like him. But he knew that was no guarantee to their actual feelings about him and his qualifications.

Keith reached for his phone, pulling up his texts with Shiro.

Keith: Interview’s done

He waited, hoping Shiro’s answer wouldn’t be long before it came through. His phone started vibrating wildly in his hand, Shiro’s name and picture filling the screen.

Keith smiled and answered it.

“He-”

“How’d it go?” Shiro asked, grin evident in his voice. “I bet you did amazing!”

Keith chuckled and shrugged a shoulder. “It was okay. I kind of feel like I wasn’t good enough. Or I wasn’t what they were looking for.”

“I’m sure you did great! From what you told me about the position, you’re plenty qualified. You have the training at least and they certainly can’t expect you to know everything right off the bat.”

“Maybe…” Keith hedged. “They said they’d let me know next week if I made it to the next round of interviews.”

“You’ve got this. You’ll probably be the first person they call,” Shiro swore.

Keith chuckled, feeling warmth bloom in his chest and drive away some of his uncertainty. He wasn’t going to get his hopes up. He didn’t want to assume anything and then feel like shit if nothing came out of this.

“How about this,” Shiro continued, oblivious to the thoughts swirling around his head. “It’s been a while since we had a nice night together. I’m thinking we could use a date night. Forget about job applications and interviews, forget about all of the final projects and exams coming up and we can just enjoy being together and watch a movie or show or something.”

Keith shoved away the immediate desire to protest they didn’t have time for something like this and they needed to get as much done as they could while they had the time. His life was packed enough as it was. He didn’t need to overwork himself and stress. Besides, Shiro would bug him until he gave in anyway.

“That sounds amazing,” he agreed. “Does eight your time work?”

“That would be perfect,” Shiro murmured.

“Awesome. Now I can use all the time I have between now and then to get as much work done as I can.”

“Keith…” Shiro said, voice low.

He chuckled. “Don’t worry. I won’t work too hard. But I would like to get a few things done before classes and work tomorrow.”

“Good. Talk to you later?”

Keith nodded. “Yeah, definitely.”

“Later, baby. Love you.”

“Love you, too,” Keith said, voice soft.

Keith sighed and ended the call. He leaned his head back, his anxiety quiet for the moment.

Chapter Text

Keith ran a hand through his hair, switching between the three word docs he had open and the set of powerpoint slides he was trying to finish up. Most of the right info was on the powerpoint, he just needed to make it more visually appealing. But sifting through thousands of images to find the right ones was not something he was looking forward to doing. 

He was pretty sure he’d fallen asleep the night before after he got back from work, but all he really remembered was some shift from work to doing homework. Coffee and food was involved, mainly because the cooks gave him leftovers on his way out, but he couldn’t recall when he ate it or if he went to his bedroom. 

All he remembered was the table he was sitting at, his slew of notecards and notebooks, and occasionally having to plug his computer in so it wouldn’t die and make him lose everything he was working towards. 

Which reminded him, he clicked save on all of his projects and then opened his school google drive to upload updated copies of them. He’d be damned if he was that one guy who lost all his work when he was nearly finished. If that happened, he wouldn’t come back from the emotional cliff it would send him to the edge of. 

Keith sighed and pushed his chair back, grabbing his coffee mug. He let it swing at his side, eyes going wide when something cold splashed against his foot. He reared back, looking down at the cold coffee that was now covering his feet and the floor. 

He sighed, shoulders sagging. He wasn’t in the mood to clean up his mess, but he knew he’d slip and fall if he didn’t because he wouldn’t remember the spill was there. 

His phone chimed and he swiped it from the table, unlocking it to see he had an unread email. He clicked on it, carefully stepping over to the counter to get some paper towels to wipe off the mess on his feet. 

Once he was clean he wiped up the floor, tossing the brown towels into the trash can. He grabbed his mug and his phone, glancing at the new email. 

Dear Mr. Kogane, 

We’re pleased you took the time to speak with us and would like to invite you to the second round of interviews-

Keith’s eyes widened, his grip going slack on his mug as he scanned the rest of the email, intense relief and happiness smothered every other thought. His projects were forgotten, the fatigue and exhaustion he was fighting with was now meaningless. 

He heard something break and jumped, looking at his counter. His mug was on its side, handle broken off and in two pieces. 

Keith turned back to his phone, leaning against the kitchen counter. He pulled up his group chat with Hunk and Pidge and sent them the news. 

Keith: I made it to the second round of interviews!!!

As he waited for them to reply he opened a new chat with Allura and Lance and typed out a quick message. 

Keith: You guys aren’t going to believe this. I have a second round interview with a company in Florida. I actually have a shot at moving down there. 

His phone buzzed erratically, notifications for new texts popping up at the top of his screen. He switched back to his group chat with Hunk and Pidge, scanning the messages that had already come through and watched as new ones popped up. 

Pidge: Are you serious? 

Hunk: That’s great man, congratulations!

Pidge: See, we told you that you could do it!

Pidge: You should really start listening to us. We know what we’re talking about. 

Hunk: We should celebrate! This is great!

Keith: It’s a second interview, let’s save the celebrating for when I actually have a job offer.

Pidge: There’s nothing wrong with celebrating early. You’re going to get this job. Just you wait. 

Keith huffed and started typing out a reply that they really shouldn’t expect more than what they have when a new message came through from Lance. 

He paused and switched groups as another message from Allura joined Lance’s. 

Lance: That’s great man! Are you flying down here for it? Oh man, are we going to have to try and keep you hidden from Shiro so you can go to your interview? Or do we get to do some surprise visit action where we let Shiro know we flew you down to try and help with the end of semester stress. 

Allura: Lance don’t be ridiculous. Shiro would never believe that we flew Keith down for him. Not when we’ve been telling him that he needs to put his focus on getting his work done and doing job applications. Besides, Keith has his own work he needs to be focused on, too. We can’t let him be distracted from this interview by trying to meet up with Shiro while he’s down here. 

Keith: The interview is over Skype. I won’t be flying down so no need to worry about me or Shiro getting distracted. 

Allura: Have you told Shiro you got the interview yet? 

Keith: Not yet. I’ve got my hands full for the moment with you two and Pidge and Hunk freaking out in our other chat. 

Lance: He should’ve been the first person you texted!

Keith: I’m trying to keep him from finding out I have a chance at moving to Florida. I want it to be a surprise and I don’t want to get his hopes up if this falls through. 

Allura: It’s not going to fall through, Keith. They’re going to love you and want to hire you. And then we get to have the fun job of getting you smuggled down here to surprise Shiro. 

Keith: You’re going to...what?

Lance: Allura already has this all planned out. You’re not allowed to tell Shiro you have a job down here and we’re going to help you get all your stuff moved down here and then we’ll have this big romantic reveal where you call Shiro and then show up at his house to surprise him. 

Keith: That’s…

Allura: I know, you don’t have to tell me I’m a hopeless romantic. 

Keith: No, that’s not what I was going to say

Keith: It’s kind of sweet actually. 

Keith: I don’t mind the idea. I’d love to be able to surprise Shiro like that. As long as he’s okay with me just showing up…

Lance: He’d have no problem with you just showing up. He wouldn’t want you to leave as soon as he set eyes on you again. He’s been kind of depressed since you left. 

Keith: Really?

Allura: Don’t worry him, Lance!

Allura: He’s missed you. He’s missed you a lot. He loved getting to spend time with you in person and really just wants to keep that going. That’s all. He’s been doing okay. Not great, but none of us are really doing great right now considering papers and exams are right around the corner. But we’re making sure he’s not stuck alone.

Keith smiled, grateful Shiro had such good friends. His phone vibrated, another message notification from Pidge popping up at the top of his screen. He was grateful he had such good friends. He’d be nowhere without them. 

He switched chats and typed out a response to Pidge. 

Pidge: You accepted the interview request right away this time, right?

Keith bit his lip and opened up his email, thanking the recruiter and that he would indeed like to interview over Skype again. 

Keith: I have now…

Pidge: KEITH!

Hunk: I thought you learned your lesson last time? Accept offers first, then text us the good news. 

Keith: Sorry, I was just excited. I wanted to tell you guys. 

Pidge: Please tell me once you get the job offer, you’re going to accept it right away and then text us, because we’re going to freak out and not give you a second of breathing room to email them back. 

Keith grinned, feeling his stomach flip. His fingers nearly shook, not from nerves, those would come during the interview. This was excitement. He was looking forward to this. He was daring to hope that this might work out. That he might, for once, get exactly what he wanted. 

Keith: Fineeeee. I promise, I guess. 

Pidge: Don’t sass me. 

Keith chuckled. 

Hunk: I’ll bring you some food to celebrate later, so don’t go anywhere. 

Keith: Don’t worry, I think the rest of my day is going to be spent in a chair as I try to get the rest of my work done. 

Hunk: Good. I’ll be there in a couple of hours. 

Pidge: AND TEXT SHIRO

He huffed and rolled his eyes. 

Keith: Yes, mom. 

Pidge: Don’t sass me. This is your second warning. 

Keith switched message threads, pulling up the one he had with Shiro. He stared at the blinking cursor and bit his lip. 

Keith: Sooooo

Keith: You know that job interview I had last week? 

Keith: Well, it turns out they want to have me back for a second interview.

He waited, fingers tapping the sides of his phone. He shifted, glancing down at his feet that were probably sticky from his old coffee. He’d need to go clean up soon. There was no way he was going to be able to deal with that all day. 

His phone vibrated in his hand and he nearly dropped it, caught off guard when Shiro’s face flashed on the screen. He swiped to answer, holding it up to his ear. 

“He-” 

“Keith, you got another interview?! That’s amazing!” 

Keith blushed. “Yeah, I’m pretty excited about it. So excited I dropped my coffee mug and the handle broke off,” he murmured with a soft chuckle. 

“I’m so proud of you baby,” Shiro gushed. “I knew you could do it. And you’re going to wow them in your second interview, too. I have a good feeling about this one.” 

“So do I,” Keith said with a nod. “I really want this job…” 

“You’ll get it, Keith. I know you will. And then when you accept the job offer we’re going to celebrate. Hell, we could even celebrate now.” 

“I think Hunk and Pidge might have you beat on that one. Hunk’s bringing me food later to celebrate.” 

“It’ll give you a chance to take a break from your schoolwork, too,” Shiro agreed.

 “Yeah. Hunk and Pidge also got mad at me when I didn’t accept the offer for another interview right away and texted them first.” 

“As they should,” Shiro teased.

“It’s not like I’m going to lose the opportunity by waiting a couple minutes to email them back,” he huffed. 

“I know, but we love giving you a hard time.” 

“Yeah, yeah…” he muttered. 

“How’s everything else going? Papers going okay? I’m trying not to think about how close we’re getting. Yesterday I had to pick up my cap and gown and get pictures taken. It’s suddenly hit me that college is almost over. I’m about to head out into the big bad world as an adult.” 

“I know. I’m getting mine on Monday. It’s definitely weird. Although I think all the work I’ve been doing has kept the existential thoughts at bay since I’ve only been able to think about my immediate future and getting through the next day and the next project.” 

Shiro chuckled. “Really? I think I’ve been having more existential thoughts than usual because of the stress.” 

“Just do what I’ve been doing and put yourself into a caffeine induced haze. You won’t have time to think about anything else. Considering I fell asleep at the kitchen table last night I think it’s been working pretty well.” 

“Keith,” Shiro whined. 

He shrugged. “Sorry. I didn’t even realize it happened until I woke up this morning.” 

“Please tell me you’ve showered. Or at least brushed your teeth.” 

Keith winced and glanced down at his dirty feet. “Yeah I should probably do that...I’m not really sure when I last did either of those things.” 

“Keithhhhh.” 

“I was busy!” he scoffed. 

“That’s no excuse,” Shiro muttered. 

“Okay, okay, I’ll go get cleaned up so you don’t have to worry about my health and general state of well-being.” 

“Good. Talk later? Maybe a celebratory movie night?” Shiro asked. 

Keith smiled, thinking about how much he would need to get done to enjoy his night without stressing. Another four pages of writing and finishing up the powerpoint slides shouldn’t be too hard to get done. As long as Hunk didn’t take up more than a couple hours after dropping by with food, he could make another pot of coffee and churn everything out. 

“I think I wouldn’t mind having a celebratory movie night tonight. But if we’re going to make this happen, I need to get a shower and get to work.” 

Shiro made a garbled noise. 

“I know you don’t want me to work myself into the ground, but I have to get something done. Deadlines are coming up.” 

“Fine,” Shiro grumbled. “Just go shower. I’ll leave you alone so you can get work done.” 

“Good. Talk to you later.” 

“You too. Love you, baby.” 

“Love you, too,” Keith murmured. 

He hung up and hugged his phone to his chest, unable to stop the grin that pulled his lips wide. He was giddy and happy and all kinds of ridiculous. 

Maybe it was the sleep-deprivation and drinking more caffeine than was healthy, but he was starting to think things were actually going to work out. He hoped they did anyway. 

Keith sighed and unlocked his phone. He pulled up his music playlist and hit shuffle. Music filtered through the speakers, the drums and rhythms skipping for a moment as his old phone righted itself. 

He grabbed a washcloth, sticking it under the faucet to soak it before he dumped some soap on top of it. He knelt on the floor and scrubbed at the sticky residue that was leftover from his spill earlier, quickly cleaning the area. 

He rinsed the washcloth in the sink and hung it over the faucet to dry. He swiped his phone from the counter and made his way to the bathroom. 

Keith pulled the shower curtain almost all the way closed and turned on the water, giving it time to warm as he set his phone on the counter behind the sink and shucked his clothes, leaving them in a pile on the floor. 

He made a face in the mirror, running a hand through his obviously greasy hair. He grabbed his toothbrush, squirting more paste than he probably needed onto it, and shoved it into his mouth to furiously brush his teeth. 

The feeling was an immediate relief. He really hadn’t noticed how far he’d let his habits slip with his schoolwork holding most of his attention. He was surprised he managed to eat enough food to stay upright. 

Keith rinsed out his mouth and tossed his toothbrush into the holder. He stepped into the shower, relaxing under the warm spray. He sighed and tilted his head back, running his fingers through his greasy hair to wet it. 

He grabbed his shampoo and squirted a large amount into his palm. He worked it between his hands and scrubbed it into his hair, fingernails scratching his scalp in an effort to clean away the muck that built up since his last shower. 

Keith tilted his head back, the spray clearing away the suds and washing them down the drain. He already felt better, and knew it would only get better once he finished washing himself. 

He grabbed the soap and worked it into a lather, methodically washing himself, movements slow and precise.

Keith felt good. He felt really good. He closed his eyes and let his mind wander, almost letting himself believe for a minute that he was back in Shiro’s house. 

Shiro was in the other room, waiting on the couch. They were going to hang out for the rest of the day, not caring what they did as long as they were together. 

He opened his eyes, finding the familiar cracked plaster above his shower wall. 

He wasn’t with Shiro yet. But he would be. 

Chapter Text

The last couple of weeks before his last classes and finals were set to start were an absolute blur. Keith remembered hunkering down at his kitchen table every chance he got and crammed as much studying as possible during his shift breaks at the restaurant to study. Going so far as to scribble notes for papers and topics he needed to revisit when he had another chance. 

His second round interview hardly registered on his radar after it happened and he had zero time to stress or worry about what it might mean. He didn’t even have time to do more job applications since he was more concerned with getting good grades on his papers and projects to finish his last semester strong. 

Somewhere along the way he managed to exchange texts with Pidge and Hunk over what they were doing, never quite able to sync up their schedules enough for either a group study session or a group de-stress session. 

His conversations with Shiro plummeted as they both dug their heels in and fought for every available minute to use for their work. By the time Keith realized he was missing his interactions with Shiro, days had gone by since he’d last spoken with him. He couldn’t remember the last time they’d talked so little since they first met each other. 

Keith staggered out of the large event space clutching his shrink-wrapped gown and cap. After ignoring all attempts from the vendors to get him to buy graduation photo packages or yearbooks or diploma display cases, he was eager to get to class and try to forget how close graduation really was. 

He stepped around a large tour group and opened his message thread with Shiro. He held the package next to his face and grinned, snapping a picture of himself. He hoped Shiro didn’t think he looked as tired as he felt. 

He hit send and stepped around another group of people to squeeze through the door of the building where his next class was. He stifled a yawn and strode down the hall, glad he didn’t have to climb the hellish steps of this building to one of the upper floors. 

Keith’s phone vibrated and he unlocked it, biting his lip at Shiro’s grinning face. He had his graduation cap balanced precariously on his head and looked as tired as Keith was feeling. 

Keith: Only a few more weeks and then we’re going to be free. 

Shiro: I know. I’m kind of terrified, not going to lie. But also a little excited? I don’t really know what I’m feeling. 

Keith: I know what you mean, right now I’m just a mixture of too much caffeine and stress as I try to get through these last few weeks and cross that stage. 

Shiro: Don’t trip as you walk across the stage. 

Keith: I’ll probably be so sleep-deprived I wouldn’t even notice if I did. There would just suddenly be a floor in my face. 

Keith’s thumbs hovered over his keypad as he thought about his last job interview and his complete lack of time to do more job hunting. He pushed the thoughts from his head. He wasn’t going to spend time on that right now. And he definitely wasn’t going to drag down his conversation with Shiro by mentioning it. 

Shiro: Hah! You’d hit the floor and immediately pass out for a nap. I don’t think anyone would blame you. 

Keith: I’m going to enjoy the first time I can sleep in after classes are done. I might even indulge and spend all day in bed. 

Shiro: That sounds like the best thing ever right now. Although I suppose I could probably do my work while reclining in bed…

Keith: Bad idea. Considering how hard we’ve both been going you’re just going to end up falling asleep at that rate. 

Shiro: You’re right. Am I still going to try? Probably. 

Keith smiled. 

Keith: Your funeral. Or nap, I guess. But I’ve got to get to class, so I’ll have to cut our little chat short first. 

Shiro: Noooo it’s been so long since we’ve gotten to talk to each other!

Keith: I know, but soon we’ll have a lot more time to spend together. 

Shiro: I’m expecting lots of Skype dates until I get to visit again. 

Keith’s stomach tightened. 

Keith: It’s a deal. We should definitely celebrate once we’ve got our diplomas in our hands. 

Shiro: Looking forward to it. 

He shoved his phone into his pocket and pulled open the door to his class, skirting around the edge of the room to one of the available seats in the back. He slipped into his seat, dropping his backpack at his feet. He pulled out his notebook and pen and flipped open to his most recent page of notes, tapping the edge of his pen against the paper. 

Keith stifled a yawn and scrubbed at his eyes, fighting off another wave of fatigue he was hoping to avoid until he got out of class. 

He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and ignored it, expecting another text from Shiro which he’d have time to answer after class. He sat up straighter, hoping that would help keep him awake when his body was demanding rest. 

His professor walked in with a bright smile on her face, a manila folder with a stack of papers inside tucked tightly under her arm. 

“Good afternoon everyone and happy Wednesday! I hope all of you are ready for an exciting day because we have a few things to talk about since this is our last official class meeting before the final.” 

Keith stared at his notebook, trying to process what his professor was saying. He knew the end of the year was coming. He was facing it every day with the numerous deadlines staring him down. 

He felt like he was standing on the edge of a yawning chasm ready to swallow him whole if he made the smallest mistake. He glanced up at his professor who was still talking. 

This was going to be a long class. 

~~

Keith shuffled out of class behind the rest of the students. He fought to wake himself up, almost embarrassed that he’d nearly fallen asleep in class. He was relieved his professor hadn’t noticed. Or if she had, decided to let him be. 

He pulled out his phone and unlocked it, clicking on the email notification that was waiting for him. He expected it to be nothing more than info for one of his classes now that the countdown was on and they only had so much time left. 

Dear Mr. Keith Kogane, 

Thank you for taking the time to interview with our company. We were impressed with your education and would like to offer you a position here with our company. We ask that you review the information below before signing and returning this form to us. 

If you have any questions with the below, please don’t hesitate to send us an email or give us a call-

Keith stared at his phone, steps slowing to a stop. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. He had to be dreaming because there was no way that he was being offered a job in Florida. He was always shut down at every turn. Always. This was supposed to go the same way. 

He locked his phone and looked at the crowds of students around him. None of them had changed, but he felt different. 

He needed to find Hunk and Pidge. 

Keith turned on his heel and sprinted back the way he came, set on the door that would take him outside closest to the campus coffee shop and bookstore. He darted around the other students in the hall, only a few of them well-rested enough to give him strange looks. The others just accepting that some weirdo was running through the halls at this point. 

He shoved through the back door, darting around another group of people and barely managing to keep his balance down the short flight of steps to the sidewalk. 

A line of students was moving into and out of the doors to the coffee shop and Keith waited impatiently to get inside. He easily spotted Hunk and PIdge in the corner in a pair of chairs pushed close together, both of them with their computers out and hunched in front of their monitors. 

Keith struggled to catch his breath as he rushed over to them. His chest was tight and he could feel the pressure building behind his eyes. He really didn’t want to cry in the middle of campus, but he was starting not to care. 

Plenty of people had breakdowns at the end of the semester, he could pretend his was no different. 

“Hunk. Pidge,” he gasped, sounding strangled. 

They both looked up, immediately jumping out of their chairs. 

“Keith? What’s wrong? Are you okay?” Hunk asked, hands hovering around him. 

“Who fucked up? Who do I need to fight?” Pidge added, looking over his shoulder like someone was following him. 

“No one, nothing,” he said, trying to put his raging emotions into words. “It’s just…” he unlocked his phone to the email and held it out to his friends. “I’m not dreaming, right? This is actually happening?” 

Their eyes scanned his phone screen, the worry disappearing as twin grins burst forth. 

“Congrats Keith!” Hunk said, pulling him into a bear hug. 

Keith squeezed him back, needing something to hang onto or risk floating away in shock. 

“I told you you could do it!” Pidge said, smacking him on the back. “You just needed to believe in yourself a little more.” 

Keith chuckled and sniffled, wiping away the tears that forced their way out. “I can’t believe this is happening.” 

“We’re so happy for you, Keith,” Pidge continued, voice soft. “How soon do they want you to start?” 

“As soon as I graduate and can get moved down there.” 

“You’re going to see Shiro again,” Hunk added. 

Keith nodded. “I can’t believe this is really happening.” 

Pidge chuckled and pulled Keith into another tight hug. “I’m really happy for you. You deserve this. You deserve to have this opportunity.” 

Ketih chuckled, trying to laugh it off if it would stop more tears from sliding down his cheeks. 

“We’re going to have to celebrate,” Hunk added. “Even though we’ve got deadlines and finals coming up, we can’t not celebrate this.” 

“I think I can make an exception just this once,” Keith said with a smirk. 

“Good,” Pidge said, punching him lightly in the arm. “You know what this means though, right? We’re going to have to start apartment hunting for you in Florida.” 

Keith hummed. “I think I might actually have someone who could help me with that…” 

He opened his message thread with Lance and Allura and sent a quick message to them. 

Keith: I got the job! I’m moving to Florida!!

He nearly dropped his phone when it vibrated seconds after he texted them. 

Allura: Keith, that’s wonderful news! I’m so happy for you, congrats!

Lance: Shiro is going to freak out when you tell him! 

Allura: You mean when he surprises him in person. We can’t let the cat out of the bag now. Not when things are starting to work out. 

Keith: I haven’t let anything slip so as long as neither of you have…

Allura: Don’t worry, we haven’t. I’ve been keeping a close eye on Lance. 

Lance: Hey! 

Allura: Anyway, when are you coming down? We need to get planning. 

Keith: After graduation. I’ll just need to finish up at my job, but other than that, everything else should be taken care of. I only have a month left of my lease so that’s shockingly not going to be an issue. 

Allura: We’ll need to get all your stuff moved down here. 

Keith: I don’t have a car so as long as I can get it all packed up in a Uhaul that shouldn’t be a problem. The drive down will take a few days though. I’ll need to get a place lined up so I can move in right away when I get down there. 

Allura: Don’t be ridiculous, Keith. We’re not going to make you live on your own. I’m sure Shiro is going to want you to move in with him as soon as you get down here. And until he does and everything’s squared away, you can stay with me and Lance. You’ll be relegated to the couch since we don’t have an extra room, but it’s better than having a lease you don’t need or want. 

Keith stared at his phone, trying to figure out why Allura would be so willing to accommodate him. He knew she was nice, but this...this was something different. This was giving him a place to live once they found out if Shiro wanted him to move in.

Lance: Exactly! I’m sure once Shiro sees you on his doorstep he’s not going to let you go. He might not even let you get your stuff from our house lol. 

Keith: He wouldn’t be that bad…

Lance: I wouldn’t be so sure. There’s been more than one time we’ve had to pull him out of a funk because he was missing you. That wasn’t until after he went through his entire slideshow of pictures he had of you. Again. 

Keith snickered. 

Keith: That makes it sound like I’m his pet. 

“Keith. Earth to Keith. Keith!” 

He jumped, looking up from his phone. 

Pidge smirked at him. “Are you done texting your boyfriend?” 

“I wasn’t texting Shiro.” 

She rolled her eyes and hummed like she didn’t believe him. “Sure. Hunk and I have to get to class. Are you good now, or…?” 

He nodded. “Yeah, I’m fine. Done for the day actually. I just got that email and figured I should probably tell you guys what’s going on.” 

“Glad to hear it,” Hunk agreed. “With only one more day of classes we need to get going. Don’t forget we’re celebrating this weekend.” 

“Looking forward to it,” Keith agreed, waving them off. 

They gave him one last once-over before turning and snaking their way through the crowd to the door. 

Keith stole their abandoned seats and slouched in the chair, reading the messages he missed. 

Lance: Is that something you two are into? Because I realllyyyyyy didn’t need to know that. 

Allura: If that’s something they’re interested in, we’re in no place to judge them on their life choices. 

Keith: That’s not something we’re into, so you can rest easy. 

Lance: Good, I was worried there for a minute…

Lance: Oh shit! Shiro’s coming. G2G. 

Allura: Hopefully he can keep this a secret…

Keith: Can’t ruin the surprise now, can we? 

Allura: Definitely not. We’ll have to talk logistics later. Gotta go!

Keith smiled, feeling some of his usual stress and anxieties fall away. He opened the email and read through the offer, his excitement growing. Where he’d been anxious about the school year and what would come after graduation, now he couldn’t wait to get through his last few papers and tests. Once he had his diploma in hand he was going to see Shiro again. 

He couldn’t wait. 

Chapter Text

Keith tried to fight off the deep sense of melancholy he felt standing at the bar next to George. The last few weeks had been a whirlwind of papers and tests and he was finally done. Tomorrow would be graduation and after that he was going to be leaving for Florida to hopefully spend the rest of his life with the man he loved. 

If he didn’t get the rest of his life, the next few years would be enough. 

He stiffened when a hand clamped down on his shoulder. 

“Well, bar buddy of mine,” George said with a sigh. “It’s finally time, huh. Your last shift with me ever.” 

Keith chuckled and shrugged off his hand, bracing his hands on the bartop to look over the last lingering patrons in the dining room. It was strange, he’d worked here for so long and gone through so much. Linda and George, and everyone really, were always there for him. Linda was probably the closest thing he had to a mother. 

He was going to miss them. As excited as he was to graduate and be near Shiro again, he was going to miss this. The people here were there for him when he needed them the most and they weren’t ever going to be replaced. 

“I’m glad you’re lucky enough to get this kind of opportunity though,” George continued. “After everything you’ve been through and how hard you’ve worked, you deserve it more than anyone else I know.” 

Keith swallowed, his throat tightening. “Thanks,” he croaked. 

“Looks like we have one last order,” he said, spotting the server walking towards them and waving a drink ticket. “I think I’ll let you take this last one.” 

“Yeah only because you want to get out of work,” Keith scoffed, taking the ticket from the server. 

“Don’t worry, there will be plenty of work for me when you’re gone. We’re going to have trouble finding someone as quick as you are for your replacement.” 

Keith grabbed a bottle of scotch and poured a small glass, setting it on the edge of the counter for pick-up. 

“I’m sure you’ll find someone even better. You won’t even notice I’m gone.” 

George didn’t answer, but his hand on Keith’s shoulder was all he needed. For so long Keith had always thought he was replaceable. He wasn’t the smartest, or the strongest. His personality clashed with a lot of people and he was quick to get on someone’s bad side instead of their good one. 

But now he wasn’t so sure that was true anymore. He’d worked hard to get where he was. He studied and aced his classes and by some twist of fate he met Shiro who changed his life for the better. 

~~

Keith sighed when he hung the last of the wine glasses. He tossed the towel he was holding into the dirty bin and looked over the restaurant. The tables were clear and shining from the cleaning product even though the lights were dimmed. 

“Well, I guess this is it,” George said, turning to face him. 

Keith nodded. “Thanks for everything.” 

George nodded and after a second of hesitation, he pulled him into a tight hug. Keith squeezed him back, taking a deep breath when unexpected pressure built up behind his eyes. 

“Make sure to come back and visit, okay?” 

Keith nodded. George pulled back and squeezed his shoulders, looking him over one last time before he cleared his throat and stepped around him, hurrying towards the back room. 

He took one last look at the room around him, running his fingers along the bar as he walked out from behind it. He carefully approached the timeclock, punching in his employee ID to clock out for the final time. 

It beeped and Keith turned, finding Linda standing outside of her office with a tight smile on her face. 

“I guess this is it,” Keith said. 

She huffed and strode forward, pulling him into a crushing hug. “Don’t give me that bullshit. You’re gonna do great. Good luck with everything. If you’re in town, you better come visit.” 

Keith nodded, unsure what he could say, let alone if he could speak. 

“And bring Shiro with you if you do.” 

Keith chuckled. “Don’t worry,” he croaked. “I’ll make sure to bring him so you can make him appropriately uncomfortable.” 

“That’s what I like to hear,” she said, finally pulling away from him. 

She smiled at him despite her watery eyes. “Now get out of here,” she said, pushing him towards the kitchen. 

Keith placed his hand on the swing door and glanced over his shoulder. “Thanks for everything. I’ll see you around.” 

She nodded and he pushed through the door, stopping when he found the cooks waiting in a line for him. Most of them were smiling, although a couple of the older cooks were biting their lips, obviously trying to keep their emotions in check. 

“What’s up, guys?” he asked. 

“We’re going to miss you, Keith,” the head chef said as she stepped forward with a large bag of food. “You were great to have here and we wish you the best of luck in Florida.” 

Keith cleared his throat and took the bag. “Thank you. I’m going to miss all of you, too. You’ve been great to me these past couple years and I definitely wouldn’t have survived college without you.” 

The cooks trying to keep it together finally broke and rushed forward to throw their arms around Keith’s shoulders. They shook and sniffled, trying to keep their tears under control. Keith smiled and tried to pat their backs, but the rest of the cooks crowded around moments later, gripping him in a tight group hug. 

“Thank you,” he murmured. 

He waited as the cooks slowly pulled themselves away from him, letting them move at their own pace. 

Once he was freed from their hold he looked each of them in the eye and nodded. He turned from the group and walked towards the back door, placed his hand on the handle. He glanced over his shoulder, finding them all looking at him. 

Keith took a deep breath and pushed open the door, the warm night air engulfing him as the sounds of the city surrounded him. He pulled out his phone and opened his group message with Hunk and Pidge, texting with one hand as he walked. 

Keith: I got a bunch of food from the restaurant if you guys want to meet at my place. Maybe do some celebrating before tomorrow?

They replied almost immediately and he couldn’t help but think they were almost waiting for him to get off work. 

Pidge: Free restaurant food? There’s no way we’re going to pass on that. We’ll bring the drinks

Hunk: We’ll be there in 15

Keith huffed a laugh and shoved his phone into his pocket. He turned the next corner, hurrying down the sidewalk to his apartment. 

He spotted Pidge’s car when it pulled up to the curb and he raised his hand over his head, waving at them. Pidge waved from the driver’s side window and Hunk climbed out of the passenger side, holding an unopened bottle in each hand. 

“That’s what I like to see,” Keith said, glancing up the street before he jogged across to meet them. 

“That giant bag of food is what I like to see,” Hunk said, kicking the passenger door shut. 

“Hey! Be gentle with my car,” Pidge said, jumping out of the driver’s side and slamming her own door. 

Keith and Hunk shared a look. 

“Shut up,” she hissed. “Let’s just get this party started. We’ve got graduation tomorrow and I’d love to embarrass my family by showing up hungover.” 

“You know that’s only going to increase your chances of tripping, right?” Keith asked, pushing through the door to his complex. 

“And I’m going to decrease my chances by wearing comfortable and appropriately fitted footwear.” 

Hunk gasped, trying to put one of his hands over his heart and merely succeeding at waving a bottle around. “Are you suggesting that platform stilettos aren’t appropriately fitted footwear?!” 

“That’s exactly what I’m suggesting.” 

“Don’t worry, Hunk,” Keith said as he stuck his key into his door and turned it. “I’m sure you’ll look killer in the platform stilettos you bought that match your eyes.” 

“Thank god,” Hunk whispered, kicking his shoes off in the entryway. 

Pidge took the bag of food from Keith’s hand as she passed, leaving him to take off his boots. He tossed them to the side and stepped around the empty moving boxes waiting to hold his belongings during the move. 

He knew he needed to start packing, but he was having trouble getting everything organized. As much as he wanted to move, the whole process was already overwhelming him. 

“I can’t believe you haven’t packed anything yet,” Pidge called from the kitchen where she had all of the takeout containers opened on the table. 

“I haven’t moved in four years and I have a lot more stuff than I did back then. Excuse me for having no clue where to start,” he said, pulling a stack of dishes from the cabinet. 

“You don’t need to start anywhere specific. Just start packing and then you’ll get into a flow. You’ve got a Uhaul booked, so you can’t put it off forever unless you want to lose your money,” Pidge said, pulling a plate from the stack in his hands. 

She reached around him and grabbed spoons and forks from the silverware drawer. 

“I can help you if you want,” Hunk offered, unscrewing the lids from the bottles of cheap wine. He grabbed three glasses and started pouring them each a drink. “You’ve already wrangled us into handling the Uhaul so why not have us put stuff in boxes, too.” 

“Well I’m not bringing the couch or the bed, or any of the other furniture so that’s less we have to worry about.” 

“Speaking of,” Pidge said around a mouthful of steak and potatoes. “What are you doing with all that stuff anyway?” 

“The complex is buying it from me. The next tenant doesn’t have anything and they said they’ll pay to have it cleaned as long as they get it. I would bring some of that stuff for Shiro or Lance and Allura, but all of their stuff is nicer,” Keith said, piling up his own plate with food. 

“And Shiro still doesn’t know that you’re moving down there?” Pidge asked. “I’m surprised Lance hasn’t spilled the beans.” 

“Allura’s been keeping him in check.” 

Keith picked up his plate and glass and moved into the living room to take a seat on the couch. He picked at his food, feeling his friends sit on either side of them, their glasses making a soft thump as they were placed on the coffee table. 

The three of them ate in silence. It wasn’t the last time they would see each other. Graduation was tomorrow and then they would help him load up for the move. But the clock was ticking. And Keith was feeling the pressure of the time he had left. 

“Hey-” 

“Don’t,” Pidge said. “Not yet.” 

He nodded and ducked his head, shoving a forkful of potatoes into his mouth. It was delicious, just like every other time he’d had the restaurant’s food. 

Keith grabbed his wine glass and downed half of it. 

~~

Keith stared at the diploma cover in his hand. He flipped it open, once again looking at the empty space where his diploma would be after he picked it up. 

“We did it!” Pidge exclaimed, throwing her arms around his shoulders. 

Keith chuckled, trying to keep the edge of her diploma cover from poking him in the eye. 

“We did. And none of us tripped.” 

“We should celebrate,” Hunk said, joining them. 

“With what? We had the best food we could afford last night,” Keith said. 

“You’re not even willing to splurge for this momentous occasion?” Pidge scoffed, pulling away from him. “You’re so cheap.” 

“What I had in mind wasn’t that glamorous anyway,” Hunk said. “A couple of bottles of champagne, some orange juice, maybe some burgers or frozen pizzas. I don’t really care what we eat, really. Besides, don’t you have to finish up some packing?” 

Keith cringed. After they’d gotten enough wine in them the night before they’d started putting the most random stuff away. 

“Yeah, I guess you could say that…” 

“Come on,” Hunk said, wrapping his arm around Keith’s shoulders. “Let’s go pick up our diplomas. Pidge and I can head to our place and get changed and you can head back to yours and put something more comfortable on. We’ll pick up a bottle of champagne as long as you order us some pizza.” 

“Deal.” 

Hunk grabbed Pidge and the three of them made their way through the crowd. That is, until Hunk and Pidge’s families sidelined them and halted their progress. 

Keith tried to slip away and give them time with their families, but he was pulled into hugs by every member of Hunk’s extended family. And then by every member of Pidge’s immediate family. 

“We’re so proud of all of you,” Mrs. Holt said. “You’ve all worked so hard and made it out the other side.” 

“Especially you, Keith,” Hunk’s mom said. “Hunk told me that you’re moving all the way down to Florida for work. That’s a big change. You must be pretty excited about it.” 

He nodded, feeling his cheeks heat up. “Yeah, I uh...I worked hard and managed to land myself a job down there in the field I want to be in. I’m excited to get started.” 

“And to be closer to your boyfriend,” Pidge teased under her breath.

“Pidge,” he hissed. 

Mrs. Holt chuckled. “I think it’s wonderful that the two of you found each other. I’m sure you’re going to be so happy down there.” 

“Well, I don’t know about the rest of you,” Mr. Holt said, placing a hand on Mrs. Holt’s shoulder. “But how about the families go have some lunch while we let these three go celebrate?” 

Hunk’s mom gave Hunk a kiss on the cheek. “I think that’s a wonderful idea, Sam. We’ll see you later, hun.” 

He nodded. “Sure, Mom.” 

“Come on, guys,” Pidge said, grabbing their arms. “Let’s get going.” 

Keith let himself get dragged away, wishing that his parents could be there for him. He knew his dad would be proud of him. He just wished he could see the look on his face. 

“Hey,” Pidge murmured. “He’d be proud of you.” 

Keith took a shaky breath and linked arms with Pidge and Hunk, keeping them close. “I know,” he whispered. 

He kept his head up as they made their way to the main office behind a swarm of other graduates. This was a happy day. He could be melancholy later. After he had a few drinks in him. 

~~

Keith stared at his phone. Shiro sent him a picture in full graduation regalia, smiling under his cap and flanked on either side by Lance and Allura. 

Keith: You guys look great! Can’t wait to see you with your diploma in hand. Lucky for me I’ve got mine and Hunk, Pidge, and I are making our way through some champagne.

“You can talk to your boyfriend laterrrrr,” Pidge said, falling into him. “Now’s the time for celebrating. We don’t have much time left to drink and eat.” 

“Sorry, sorry,” he said, leaning back into the couch. He was about to prop his feet up when he took in the half-filled boxes around him, suddenly getting the urge to pack. 

He jumped up from the couch, stepping around Pidge’s legs propped up on the coffee table. He grabbed the stack of books on the coffee table and found a box to stick them in. he moved into his bedroom, pulling a shirt from the stack of clothes on the bed to fold and stick in a box filled with other shirts and pants. 

“Keith?” 

He didn’t answer, lulled into a kind of peacefulness by the methodic movements of folding clothes. 

“Everything okay, bud?” Hunk asked. 

He straightened after sticking another shirt into the box. Pidge and Hunk watched him from the doorway, some clarity back in their gazes despite the alcohol. 

“Fine,” he said, moving back to the pile of clothes. “I just felt like doing some packing. I mean, we’re going to have to load up the Uhaul tomorrow, so I’m running out of time.” 

“Yeah,” Hunk agreed. “It really is tomorrow. It didn’t really feel real until now. I kind of always felt like we had more time than this, but we don’t.” 

Keith nodded, keeping his focus on the pile of clothes in front of him. Hands reached on either side of him, taking clothes from the same pile. He glanced to each side of him, finding Pidge and Hunk focused on folding his clothes. 

He smiled. The three of them didn’t normally spend their free time doing laundry together, but this was fitting somehow. Their relationship hadn’t been built on words and they weren’t going to change that when they had to part now. 

Keith placed his shirt in the box and grabbed the next one, continuing to fold. 

Chapter Text

Keith huffed as he set the last box down in the Uhaul. He turned and found Hunk and Pidge standing behind him, just as sweaty as he was, Hunk looking more teary-eyed than he had that morning. 

“Let’s have one last look around, yeah?” he asked. 

They nodded and parted, letting Keith through. He looked up at his apartment building. The sun was shining off the windows, the few clouds in the sky reflected back at him. He let out a deep breath and climbed the steps, pushing through the front doors. 

The landlord’s office door was open and he nodded as he walked past, no doubt waiting for him to finish up so he could take his keys and get to his inspections before having to worry about his replacement moving in. 

Keith jogged up the last flight of stairs and turned the corner, slowing as he approached his open door. He stepped inside, the weirdness from finally moving out growing more potent. All of the big furniture was still in place, like he wasn’t really leaving. But everything that was really his was packed away in boxes sitting in the truck downstairs. 

He had nothing else left of him here except for the wisps of memories. But those were going with him, too. 

He saw a shadow of himself sitting at the kitchen table, books and papers scattered across the surface during late night study sessions after work. He remembered the weekends when he fell asleep on the couch after a grueling week of school and work, trying to spend some time enjoying a book or movie that he didn’t have the energy to stay awake for. 

Keith moved down the hall to his bedroom, seeing himself fighting to get through numerous panic attacks when it came to thinking about how he was going to pay for college. A smile tugged at his lips as the many, many nights he spent talking to Shiro flooded his mind and how by some miracle they managed to connect with each other that first night. 

He might be sad, or nervous, or anxious about everything that was coming in the future that he didn’t already have an answer for, but he knew what he wanted right now and he was going to keep Shiro around as long as he was wanted by him. 

He turned, leaving his bedroom behind. He walked out without looking back, pulling the door shut behind him so he could lock it. He jogged down the steps, pausing briefly to toss the keys to his landlord who plucked them from the air. 

Keith jogged back down the steps. Pidge and Hunk had closed up the Uhaul and were waiting for him, tears now streaming down Hunk’s face. 

“Well-”

They didn’t let him finish, launching themselves at him. They wrapped him in a tight hug, forcing the breath from his lungs. 

“Keithhhhhhh,” Hunk cried. 

Keith hugged them tightly, sniffing to keep his own tears at bay. “I’m going to miss you guys.” 

“You better call and text us,” Pidge said. “We know how much you talked to Shiro on top of school and work so no excuses for not keeping us updated. If you fail in your friendship duties we might just have to move down to Florida with you.” 

“If that’s what I’ll get I might just fail on purpose.” 

“We will come down there. You can’t get rid of us that easily,” she continued. 

“I wouldn’t want to. No matter what. Meet me down there soon, okay?” 

“You better believe we will,” Hunk choked out. “Don’t go running off with Shiro to get married right away. I want to be there to see it. And you can’t not let us throw you a bachelor party.” 

Keith squeezed them tighter. “Don’t worry. I won’t get hitched until I know both of you can fucking celebrate with me. Besides, I’d rather not scare Shiro off by proposing too early.” 

Keith soaked in the love and warmth from his friends. Not that he needed much warmth when he was still sweating from carrying his entire life down the stairs. 

He wasn’t sure how long they stood there. But once they were all as ready as they could be to part ways, they separated. 

Hunk and Pidge stood on the sidewalk, waving at him as he backed towards the driver’s side door. Keith waved back, fumbling for the door handle behind him without looking. He shoved open the door and climbed inside, giving one last look around the corner at his friends. 

He took a deep breath and pulled the truck door shut. He turned the key and squeezed the steering wheel before shifting gears and pulling out into traffic. It was going to be a long trip, but he couldn’t wait for what was at the end of it. 

~~

Keith scrubbed his eyes. He was about 15 minutes away from Lance and Allura’s house. He’d gotten up early to make the last leg of the drive, eager to finally be near Shiro again. He nursed the lukewarm gas station coffee he’d picked up and waited for Lance and Allura to get back to him. 

Keith: I’m about 15 min from your place. You around? 

Allura: Yup! We’ve been hanging around waiting for you to get here, so get your ass here!

Lance: We’re excited to see Shiro’s face when he realizes you’re staying for good.

Keith: Be right there.

He tossed his phone onto the seat next to him and chugged half of his coffee, hoping it would wake him up a little bit before he had to see Shiro. He still wasn’t sure what the plan was going to be. Part of him was almost willing to meet up with him later if it meant getting a quick nap first. They’d already waited months, what was another hour or two?  

Keith pulled out of the gas station parking lot and forced the Uhaul to clamber onto the street. He couldn’t wait to not have to worry about driving again. He didn’t know why people did this when they didn’t have to. Flying seemed so much easier anyway. 

Or maybe it was just the Uhaul that he was sick of. It was clunky and bulky and way too difficult to turn. And had a weird smell to it that he was worried was going to cling to all of his things after hours spent in the confines of the truck. 

Finally , he turned onto the street where Lance and Allura were renting their house. They were waiting for him in the front yard, Lance waving his arms over his head when they spotted the truck. 

Keith slowed, pulling up on the edge of the street in front of the yard. Lance and Allura rushed towards him, barely giving him time to open the door before they were throwing it open and pulling him down into a hug. 

“I probably stink,” he protested, feeling his spine pop in a couple places from the arms around his back. 

“You smell fine,” Allura scoffed. 

“I’ve been cooped up in a Uhaul for two days with crappy A/C. I’ve only had one shitty motel shower and that alone was a miracle. I should get cleaned up before I see Shiro.” 

“No way. I’ve been waiting for this moment for weeks. There’s no way that I’m letting you put it off now,” Lance said, grabbing his arm and forcing him over to their car. 

“Hang on, at least let me get the keys out of the Uhaul and grab my phone,” Keith said, yanking his arm free from Lance’s grip. 

Lance huffed and climbed into the waiting car, turning in his seat to stare out the rear window at him. Keith straightened his shirt and reached into the cab of the truck, pulling the keys from the ignition and grabbing his phone from the passenger seat. He shut the door and locked it, pausing for a moment before turning towards the car. 

Allura stood behind him, smiling gently. “It’s going to be okay, Keith. You have nothing to worry about.” 

“But what if I came all this way and-” 

“Stop,” she said, voice gentle. “Shiro’s going to love having you hear. And like Lance and I told you, if Shiro doesn’t want you to move in with him, then you can stay with us. We’re not going to kick you out on the street.” 

Keith took a deep breath and nodded. “Okay. Okay.” 

She smiled. “Good. Now let’s get you to your boyfriend.” She hooked her arm around Keith’s and tugged him towards the car, pushing him into the backseat and climbing in after him. “Alright Lance, we’re ready to go.” 

Lance grinned, starting the car and tearing out of the driveway and down the street. Keith grabbed the seat next to him, gritting his teeth and glad for the seatbelt that held him in place while Lance took insane turns. 

“How did they give you a license?!” he cried. 

Allura laughed tightly. “It took him three tries. The first two testers threw up after he finished.” 

“I’m really glad I didn’t eat anything for breakfast,” Keith bit out, the coffee he drank sloshing uncomfortably in his stomach. 

“We’ll be there soon,” Allura said, squeezing his hand. “Just pray for strength.” 

After two more terrifying turns, Lance finally slowed and came to a stop on the opposite side of the street from Shiro’s house. It looked just like how he remembered. His car was in the driveway, but Keith wouldn’t have been able to tell if Shiro was home just by looking at the place. 

“Well?” Allura said, nudging him towards the door. “Go on.” 

Keith pushed the car door open and stepped out. He pulled out his phone and clicked on Shiro’s contact, holding it up to his ear. It rang a couple times before the line clicked. 

“Hey, baby. What’s up? Still celebrating after graduation?” Shiro asked, voice soft and warm. 

Keith smiled, all of his anxiety falling away at the sound of his voice just like it had so many times before. 

He crossed the street. “Sort of. There’s one last thing I want to do before I have to start my new job. I’m not sure if it’s going to work out though.” 

“I’m sure it’ll be fine? What is it, if you don’t mind me asking?” 

Keith raised his fist in front of Shiro’s door. “Well, it has to do with you and me. Maybe a movie…” 

Shiro hummed. “That sounds really nice.” 

Keith knocked. 

“Maybe-shit someone’s at the door.” 

Keith chuckled, rocking back onto his heels. “Go ahead and answer it, I don’t mind waiting.” 

“Are you sure?” 

“Yeah, it could be important.” 

“Okay…” 

Keith held his breath as he heard the lock slide. The door opened, Shiro’s eyes slowly coming up to meet his before they widened, his mouth dropping open. 

“But-I-what-when?” he stammered. 

Keith grinned, ending the call on his phone and sliding it into his pocket. “I wanted it to be a surprise. You know that-mph!” 

Shiro grabbed his face and pulled him into a deep kiss. Keith heard the distant sounds of Lance and Allura cheering. Shiro broke the kiss and looked over Keith’s shoulder. 

“Did you know about this?” he cried. 

“It was the only way to get him down here without you knowing!” Lance shouted. 

“How did you of all people keep this kind of secret?!” He turned to Keith, eyes shining bright with joy. “So, how long are you staying?” 

Keith bit his lip. “Well...you know that job I was talking about? The one I really wanted?” 

Shiro frowned and nodded. “Yeah?” 

“It’s here. In Florida.” 

Shiro’s frown deepened. “But if you got a job here in Florida, how are you going to…” He trailed off, finally putting the pieces together. “You’re moving to Florida.” 

Keith grinned and nodded. “The Uhaul’s at Allura and Lance’s.” 

“You’re not staying with them, are you?” 

He shrugged. “Don’t know. I don’t have a place, so…” 

“Stay with me,” Shiro blurted. “Please. I’d like it if you would move in with me?” he asked, cheeks turning a light shade of pink as his voice went quiet. 

“Are you sure? I didn’t want to assume anything and-” 

“Yes,” Shiro said. “I want you to live with me. We’ve had to spend so much time apart and I’ve been wanting that distance to go away since Christmas.” 

Keith grinned. “Okay.” 

“Okay?” Shiro asked. 

He nodded. “Okay.” 

Shiro grinned and pulled Keith against his chest, spinning him in a circle. He kissed him deeply and started walking backwards into the house.

“Have fun you two!” Lance called. 

“I don’t care what you do in the meantime, but we are going to be having dinner tonight,” Allura said. 

“Yeah, fine okay!” Shiro said, slamming the door shut before pinning Keith against it to slot their lips together again. 

Keith sighed into the kiss, relieved and happy. All of this felt so right. He just wished it hadn’t taken this long to get here. 

“I’m so glad you’re here. I can’t believe you’re really here,” Shiro breathed, pressing their foreheads together. 

Keith framed Shiro’s face with his hands. “I’m here. And I’ll stay as long as you have me.” 

“Then you’re going to be staying a long time.” 

Keith grinned. “I think I can live with that.” 

Shiro stepped back and pulled Keith over to the couch. They fell onto it in a tangle of limbs. They weren’t in any kind of hurry, wanting to enjoy being as close as they could for as long as they could. 

~~

5 years later

“Yes, yes, I know Pidge, I know,” Keith huffed, forcing the door open while trying not to drop the three bags of groceries he’d picked up on the way home. “You can have lots of involvement later but I want this proposal to be perfect.” 

He gave Kosmo a quick scratch behind the ear as he stepped around him towards the kitchen. 

“Good. Hunk and I didn’t move all the way down to Florida just to be shunned,” she huffed. 

“Since when have I shunned you? You two went ring shopping with me. And listened to all of my anxieties that he would say no. And helped me plan the dinner.” 

He set the bags on the counter, flexing his sore fingers. 

“And it’s going to be great. And he will say yes.” 

“Okay, I’ll believe you. Now can you let me get to cooking? I don’t have a lot of time before Shiro gets home.” 

“Fine,” Pidge grumbled. “But call us as soon as he says ‘yes.’” 

“Bye, Pidge. I’ll see you and Hunk for lunch tomorrow.” 

He ignored whatever Pidge was starting to say and ended the call. He put on a playlist and kept the volume low, emptying the shopping bags so he could start cooking. 

Keith heard the front door open and his hands froze. His head whipped around, staring behind him with wide eyes as Shiro swung around the corner and raised an eyebrow. 

“Why do you look guilty?” he asked with a soft laugh. “Did Kosmo do something?” 

Keith swallowed and glanced away. “I wasn’t expecting you to be home so early.” 

“I thought I could surprise you, but it looks like you’re surprising me, too. What’s all this?” he asked, walking over towards the counter to stand next to him.

“I was going to make dinner.” 

“Mind if I help you cook?” 

“Not at all,” Keith said, feeling the ring box burning a hole in his pocket, begging him to ask the question. 

“Steak? Wait, you bought a cake? What’s the occasion?” He looked up from the bag he’d pulled towards him, relaxed gaze settling on Keith. 

Keith stared at Shiro, the words fighting to get out of his throat. “I, um, uh...I just thought-” 

“You just wanted to surprise me?” Shiro pressed a quick kiss to his lips. “I’ll start peeling the potatoes.” 

Keith stared at Shiro as he moved in front of the sink, his back to Keith. He rinsed the potatoes and started humming along to the song playing on Keith’s phone under his breath. 

They’d spent countless hours in the kitchen cooking, sharing coffee, doing the dishes… 

If this was any normal night they’d have dinner and probably settle down on the couch with Kosmo and watch a movie or the latest show they got hooked on. This wasn’t meant to be any regular night for them, but Keith realized he didn’t need to make it anything overly special. 

Shiro was everything he wanted in life and he wanted to keep that for as long as he possibly could. Shiro was special and although he wanted to make his proposal perfect, Keith knew this was the perfect time to ask him because he couldn’t wait a second more without knowing what Shiro’s answer would be. 

Confident fingers wrapped around the ring box. He pulled it from his pocket and sank down onto one knee, flicking the box open without a sound. 

“Shiro?” 

“Hm?” he asked, not turning around. 

“Will you marry me?” 

“What?” he asked, half-laughing in disbelief. 

“Will you marry me, Shiro?” 

Shiro stopped, finally turning to look over his shoulder, gaze dropping when he realized Keith wasn’t standing behind him, but was kneeling. 

Shiro stared at him, eyes wide, and mouth moving soundlessly. 

“Really?” he choked out. “You really want me to marry you? Me? ” 

Keith blinked at thim. “I couldn’t think of anyone I’d rather spend my life with more. You’re everything to me, Shiro. You're sweet, and funny, and you've been by my side through so much these past few years. The only future I see for myself, the only future I want for myself, is one that I can spend with you.” 

Shiro sniffed, pressing the back of his hand to his mouth, a few tears sliding down his cheeks. He held out his hand, his left hand to Keith. Keith grinned, pulling the ring from the box to slide onto his finger, relief and happiness battling each other in his chest. 

He surged to his feet and pulled Shiro into a deep kiss. 

“I love you, Shiro.” 

Shiro sniffed, grinning at him. “I love you, too.” He sniffed again and wiped his eyes. “Now, do you think we could get back to making dinner?” 

“Nothing would make me happier, dear fiance of mine.” 

Shiro chuckled and returned to the potatoes, biting his lip to try and control his cheek-splitting grin. Keith shoved the steaks in the fridge until they were ready to throw them on the grill and grabbed a pot to boil the potatoes in. 

He caught Shiro staring at the ring on his finger more than once. He took Shiro’s hand and kissed the ring where it was nestled at the base of his ring finger. 

Shiro grinned and Keith couldn’t wait until their fingers matched.