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They manage to get a digital Earth calendar working, displaying it on a wall in the dining room so everyone can see. It’s only February, nearing the end of the month, and Shiro plans to age another year quietly (and, he supposes, with Keith).
That is, until, the others find out.
“Hey Shiro,” Pidge asks one day. “When is your birthday?”
“I don’t have one.” Shiro says.
Keith, without looking up from the tablet he’s using, also answers. “His birthday is on the 29th. He’s a leap year baby.”
Shiro looks at him, betrayed. Keith meets his gaze and flips him off.
“Oh! Then we have time to plan!” Pidge exclaims and when he looks back to her he sees that she looks delighted at the thought. “I have to go tell the others!” She then sets her laptop aside and rushes out the door.
“You don’t have one, huh?”
“Don’t make fun of me,” Shiro replies, walking over and sitting down next to him. “It’s the first thing that came to mind.”
“They would have found out eventually,” Keith says with an amused smile. “Aren't you the one who's always saying we should trust each other with these things? Because we’re a team?”
“I don’t see you telling them when your birthday is.” He grumbles, huffing when Keith simply laughs. Shiro leans against him until Keith moves the tablet out of the way and then he shifts until he’s lying down, his head on Keith’s lap. “I just don’t want them to make a big deal out of it...”
Fingers brush against his cheek before they start running through his forelock, gentle and soothing. He closes his eyes as he relaxes even further, letting out a content sigh.
“It’s not a big deal to them, Shiro. You’re their friend, of course they want to make your birthday special. I did the same, remember? I wanted to make it the best day for you, because you deserve it. They probably feel the same.”
Shiro doesn't reply, only nodding once to show that he understands. Keith hums, as if satisfied with that. He never really liked celebrating his birthday the older he got but he thinks it might be nice, surrounded by the people he cares about most.
They fall into a comfortable silence, Shiro nearly dozing off because of Keith’s actions. He leans into his touch when Keith brushes a thumb across his eyebrows, smiling at the small laugh Keith lets out.
“Can I still spend some time with you?” Shiro asks, opening his eyes. “Before or after whatever they're planning, I mean.”
Keith gazes down at him, eyes warm and smile soft. “Of course.”
☆
Everyone seems busy the days after that, showing up for training and food before disappearing once again. Shiro would normally be concerned but he knows they must be working on something for his party (Pidge had said it would be) so he left them alone.
It’s not strange to see Pidge, Hunk, and Lance working on something together—Coran joining in on occasion as well.
The day before his birthday he wakes up alone and stares up at the ceiling, wondering why Keith didn’t wake him up. He gets out of bed, pulling on his clothes and leaving the room to search for him.
Shiro finds Keith on the Bridge chatting with Allura, voices hushed and heads bent close together. Allura suddenly lights up and nods along to something Keith is saying, raising one of her hands up high. He watches a smile blossom on Keith’s face, looking relieved as he nods as well.
He leaves them be and wanders back to his room, deciding to try and get some extra rest in; fingers of his human hand dragging along the wall as he walks. After he’s sitting back on his bed, ready to lay down, the door opens again and there stands Keith.
Keith smiles at him. “Hey.”
“Hey yourself.” Shiro replies, smiling back at him.
He walks into the room and when he’s close enough Shiro wraps his arms around his middle, pulling him down on the bed with him as he falls back. Keith laughs, adjusting until he’s resting on top of Shiro.
“You good?” Keith asks with a hint of worry in his eyes. When Shiro nods it disappears, relief taking its place. He then shifts some more, head on Shiro’s chest. “Wanna stay like this until lunch?”
“Shouldn’t we change back into pajamas, then?”
“We’ll just be ready for later this way.”
Running his fingers through Keith’s hair, Shiro nods. “Makes sense.” He continues playing with Keith’s hair, growing warmer when he feels Keith nuzzle against him. “You seem tired.”
“Kinda am, been doing a lot recently.” He murmurs and Shiro catches the faint quirk of his lip. “Something about a party for our very important leader’s birthday.”
“Wonder who that could be,” Shiro says thoughtfully, tightening his hold around Keith. “I’m sure they’ll enjoy it, especially if they get a kiss from someone special.”
He gets a small ha in response to that and nearly pouts. “Really? No kiss? I’m devastated. I can’t go on. Looks like I’ll be gone before my birthday, what a shame.”
“Tragic.” Keith deadpans, but he still leans up to press a kiss to Shiro’s cheek. “There we go, you got your kiss. Tomorrow you can have some more, deal?”
“Will I still get some now?”
“Would you look at that,” Keith says, putting his head back down. “I’m suddenly really tired again. Guess I’ll have to go back to sleep, using you as my pillow.”
“Keith!”
He gets laughed at, of course, but he does get another kiss on his cheek and then one on his lips right after so it doesn’t really matter in the end.
☆
“No peeking!”
“You tied a shirt around my eyes,” Shiro says, amused. “How am I going to peek?”
“You’d find away.”
Pidge and Lance are the ones who are pulling him down the halls, both of them being his eyes for the time being. He feels himself smiling, excitement unfurling in his chest. They force him to stop suddenly, the three of them nearly falling over from the sudden change, and he feels doors open in front of him.
“Take one step forward,” Pidge directs in a soft voice and he does exactly that, stilling when they let go of him. “Now, take off your blindfold.”
He unties the shirt, blinking until everything comes into focus.
There’s a large banner hanging from the ceiling, a colorful ‘Happy Birthday!’ written on it. His team, his friends, are standing underneath it with large smiles on their faces—Keith is the only one seated, his own smile smaller than theirs. He steps closer, chuckling when they circle around him in a group hug.
“Thanks everyone.” He says warmly. “This means a lot.”
“No problem,” Lance replies as they all break away from Shiro, face bright. “We wanted to do this for you, Shiro. Even if your birthday technically doesn’t exist this year, I think you should be allowed to have a party.”
“I even baked you a cake!” Hunk exclaims with enthusiasm, giving Shiro another hug as he passes by. “I’m going to go get it now! Wait here!” He rushes off before Shiro can say anything so he simply shrugs, walking over to where Keith is sitting and taking a seat beside him.
A hand brushes against his metal one, no hesitation in the touch, and links their pinkies together. He glances over at Keith, who only offers a small quirk of his lips. Shiro intertwines their fingers, enjoying the way Keith’s eyes light up at the action. He gives his hand a squeeze, feeling something in his chest settle when Keith does the same.
“Alright Shiro, here it is!”
Hunk enters the room holding a tray, slowly making his way over to the table Shiro’s at and placing it in front of him. The cake is a dark purple, frosting a lighter shade of purple writing out Happy Birthday Shiro across it. There are even small designs around the letters and when he leans in closer he realizes it’s actually the team with their lions, as well as Allura and Coran.
“I was limited, of course, but I did the best I could.”
“I love it.” He says, glancing up at Hunk who beams in response. “Thank you so much.”
The others come closer, standing on the other side of the table with the same looks of anticipation.
“Are we ready to sing?” Allura asks, looking both curious and excited. “Pidge taught me the words, I hope I get them right.”
“If we can’t,” Coran adds, the same expression on his face. “Then we’ll improvise. As long as we carry the tune then I’d say we’re in the clear!”
They start only seconds after and Shiro can’t stop smiling. A small laugh escapes at how both Allura and Coran stumble over the words, an intense look of concentration on their faces. Lance seems to be trying his best to sing the loudest while Pidge goes slower than the rest. Hunk and Keith are the only ones who manage to keep their voice steady.
Shiro laughs again when they all clap for him, feeling lighter than he’s ever felt. Hunk holds out a knife but Shiro shakes his head, not wanting to let go of Keith’s hand.
“You’ll probably cut it better than I can.” He says when Hunk hesitates. “Just make sure I get the piece with Black and I.”
Hunk offers a salute, knife still in hand. “Can do.”
He gets his slice of cake a moment later and he finds himself smiling again at the image of his small face right next to Black, drawn in frosting. He’s about to break a piece off when Lance sits down in a seat across from him, capturing his attention.
“There were no candles but you can still make a wish,” Lance tells him, a teasing glint to his eyes. “Sucks that there wasn’t anything like them in the castle, it would have been great to see your face.”
“Why?”
“I would have put six, since you’re a leap year baby.”
Shiro sighs.
Lance’s laughter is loud and carefree, grin lingering. “I’m kidding, I wouldn’t do that. Probably.” He takes a plate of cake from Hunk and Shiro watches his expression grow softer as he looks down at it; his piece has himself and Blue on it. “Anyways, happy birthday. I know out in space in an alien castle isn’t the ideal place to celebrate but I hope it’s been good for you.”
He scans the room, noting how untroubled and cheery everyone looks. His gaze stops at Keith, who’s talking to Hunk with a tiny smile on his face while still holding his hand. Shiro finds that he’s smiling again as he thinks of the family he’s made out here and how close they’ve all gotten. “Yeah,” He says, looking at Lance. “I’d say it is, so far.”
Pidge pulls Lance and Hunk away immediately after that, the three of them sitting with Allura and Coran only a few seats away from them. He looks down at his piece of cake, a bit wary to try it. It’s made out of alien ingredients so who knows what it might taste like.
“Come on, birthday boy. You have to eat your own cake.” Keith is watching him with an amused look on his face, his own slice missing a corner.
“How does it taste?” Shiro asks curiously.
“Find out for yourself.”
He hesitates for only a couple of seconds before shrugging and breaking off a small piece from his own, popping it into his mouth. The flavor hits instantly, tangy that leaves behind a lingering sweetness, and he blinks in surprise. “Huh,” he says as he uses his fork to get a bigger piece. “Tastes good.”
“Your definition of good is very different from mine,” Keith tells him. He is still eating the cake, though, and when Shiro raises an eyebrow in question he shrugs. “I don’t want Hunk to think it’s bad. It is good, I can tell, I’m just not a fan of the flavor.” He pauses as he takes another bite, nose wrinkling only a bit. “Better than what I’ve had on Earth, at least.”
“Reminds me of lemon cake,” Shiro says with a shrug, finishing the rest of it. Loud laughter causes him to look over at the rest, watching as they all hover over something. He gets once glance at it, cube shaped and dark colored, before his view is blocked. “Wonder what they’re doing.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
He looks at Keith, suspicious. “Is it something for me?”
Keith smiles at him innocently. “Like I said, don’t worry about it.” He also finishes off the rest of his cake, eating slower than Shiro did before pushing his chair away from the table.
Shiro looks up at him when he stands, trying not to show how confused he is. “Are you going somewhere?” He pauses. “Are we going somewhere?”
“I want to show you something.” The look he gets from Keith is almost shy, cheeks dusted with a hint of pink as he stands there. “Right now would be a good time to see it.”
That sounds like the best idea, only because he’ll get to spent some time with Keith and only Keith just like he wanted. Instead of answering he stands up and smiles when Keith directs one of his own at Shiro. They start walking towards the doors, Shiro following Keith.
“Come back soon,” Pidge calls out as they leave. “The party still isn’t over, we’ve got one last thing to do.” She turns back to the table, where he gets only a small glimpse of the object (which has somehow started to glow) before the doors shut.
They start walking down the hall, Keith leading the way. When he glances over he catches the smug expression on his face, which disappears when their eyes meet. “It’s a gift, right? What did they get me?”
“Don’t be impatient, Shirogane.” Keith chides lightly as they turn left, the hallway having only one door at the end of it. “You’ll find out soon enough.”
He doesn’t pout but he’s close to doing it.
They stop in front of the door and Shiro watches as Keith takes a deep breath before he opens it. He walks in first, Shiro right behind him. The room they enter is bigger than the ones he’s seen in the castle so far, with large windows that easily show off the stars.
Keith brings him over to the small steps that are a few feet away from the windows, pulling him down as he sits.
“We did this for your birthday before Kerberos, remember? We sat underneath the stars on top of the Garrison roof.” Keith says quietly, and Shiro feels his weight against his side. “This time, we’re right next to them.”
“I remember.” says Shiro, just as quietly. “Sometimes, when we weren’t busy with out work, I’d look up at the stars and hope that you were doing the same back on Earth. It made things a little less lonelier.”
“You had the Holts.”
“I did, yeah, but they weren’t you.”
“You missed me.” Keith’s tone is light, almost teasing, but Shiro can hear the question underneath.
Shiro shifts until he’s facing Keith, waiting for him to do the same. They’re still holding hands, so he gives it a light squeeze and meets his gaze. “Of course,” he murmurs, leaning in and brushing their noses together. “I missed you on Kerberos and I missed you when the—” he swallows, taking a deep breath. “—when the Galra had me.”
The small hitch of Keith’s breath causes him to lean back, lips twitching at the surprise he sees on his face. It’s the same reaction Keith always has whenever Shiro expresses his love, like he can’t believe someone could ever say it to him. He remembers, before, when it took so long to convince Keith that he actually meant it and he’s glad there’s no longer any disbelief in his eyes; the surprise melting away to the same adoration he feels.
He leans in again, kissing the corner of his mouth. “Thank you for this,” he murmurs, eyes flicking to the windows. “Now we can keep coming here, look at the stars like we used to.”
“We don’t know these constellations.” Keith replies, and Shiro feels a small brush of lips against his own.
“We can learn them.” Shiro promises, letting go of Keith’s hand to place it on his cheek. This kiss is softer, his attempt at conveying how much he loves Keith through actions rather than words. The message seems to be understood, because he feels a smile against his lips. He finds himself smiling too as the kiss turns from one to multiple.
Eventually they break apart, Keith pressing their foreheads together. He can hear the smile in his voice when he speaks, words full of nothing but fondness. “Happy Birthday, Shiro.”
They continue to sit close together for a long while, the unfamiliar stars shining brightly outside the windows. The feel of Keith’s lips against his own, still tasting like the citrus flavored cake they had, makes it all perfect.
☆
The moment they step through the doors a flash goes off, causing Shiro to blink away the spots in his vision. Pidge stands in front of him, grinning down at the cube in her hands.
“It works!” She crows, doing little hops in place. “This is your gift!” She presses a button on the side and a picture is displayed holographically, Shiro and Keith wide eyed with surprise. “A camera! It can only display one image at a time but you can choose which one it can be.”
Shiro takes it from her and looks down at it with a smile. “Thank you, Pidge.” He says, pulling her in for a hug. She hugs him back eagerly and he laughs when she attempts to squeeze him. “A group picture would be nice to look at.”
“Then we’ll take one,” she says with a nod as she steps back. “Come over to the couch, Allura and Coran have something to show us.” There’s a knowing smile on her face and he has to stop himself from asking about it.
Keith leans against him the moment they sit down and Shiro wraps an arm around his shoulders. Hunk and Lance sit down on the floor while Pidge sits on the other end of the couch, curling up on her side. Allura and Coran are fiddling with someone on the wall until Allura claps and rushes to take a seat as well, Coran following her only seconds after.
“It’ll be on in just a tick,” he tells everyone. Shiro doesn’t even have to wonder what is happening because a screen comes down from the ceiling, an image flickering to life on it.
“We’re watching a movie?”
“Yes!” Allura answers excitedly. “We’re going to show you one of the Altean movies that were around when I was young, all of the children loved it! The others chose a movie from Earth to watch afterwards as well, so hopefully you’ll enjoy this night together.”
He’s already grinning. “I definitely will.”
The lights dim as the movie starts, pulling his attention away from her. He glances at everyone, taking in their curious and eager looks, before settling back against the couch—the same feelings blossoming within him.
Shiro and his friends, his family, watch the movies together; the best way to end his birthday.
☆
“So that’s Star Wars, huh.” Keith says when they’re back in his room, their backs pressed against the wall where the bed is. “Now I understand why so many people still love it, despite the fact that it’s really old.”
“Am I witnessing the birth of a Star Wars fan?” Shiro teases, laughing when Keith elbows him. “What surprised me was the Altean movie. It was really funny but I’m still not sure what the plot was.”
“Isn’t that the point of most movies?”
“Guess so.”
They fall into a comfortable silence, Keith playing with his fingers and Shiro watching him. His birthday is pretty much over at this point and, when he thinks about the party and how happy everyone was for him, it might have been his favorite one.
Shiro sniffs.
“Are you crying?” Keith asks, concern in his voice. He feels hands cup his cheeks, thumbs rubbing the tears away as they start to leak out. “Happy tears?”
“Yeah,” he answers, voice low. “I was feeling a bit overwhelmed, suddenly, with the reminder that everyone…” He trails off, sniffing again.
“Loves you?” Keith finishes for him, a soft smile on his face that he manages to see through his blurry vision. “It’s true, they do love you.” A pause. “I love you.”
He feels himself tremble but his lips still curl upwards, leaning forward to press his lips to Keith. “Love you back.” He breathes out before lying down on the bed. Keith does the same thing only seconds later and he shifts so they can face each other. Keith smooths his hair back, touch gentle and calm.
“Do you need anything else?”
“Just you.”
Keith says nothing more, occasionally kissing his forehead. He hears something clatter to the side of them and lifts his head curiously. The camera that Pidge made rests in Keith’s hands, displaying the photo the group had taken after the movie—all seven of them smiling without a care in the world. Keith presses a button and a different one is displayed, the one of Shiro and Keith when they walked into the room.
“We should take a better one,” Keith says softly, sitting up in bed. “Because you’ll end up wanting a picture of us to look at every day.”
“I had one at the Garrison,” Shiro says, also sitting up. He wipes at his eyes, hoping they don’t look too awful. “It’s only fair if I have one out here too.”
Shiro watches Keith fiddle with the cube for only a few short seconds before he presses another button. It floats, moving away from them and staying in the air a few feet away from them.
He feels Keith cheek against his own and puts on a smile as the bot counts down in a sequence of beeps. There’s the pressure of a hand on his other cheek, forcing him to face Keith rather than the camera. Keith’s eyes light, a hint of a smile on his face as he leans in and kisses him. Shiro doesn’t hesitate, kissing him back and smiling as he does it.
The flash goes off, camera falling onto the bed, but he doesn’t part from Keith.
This is where I want to be. Shiro thinks to himself as Keith straddles his lap. Hands slip beneath his shirt, spreading heat through his body with every brush of his fingers. This is where I want to stay.
☆
“What did you wish for?
“Hmm?”
“When Lance said you could still make a wish, what did you wish for?”
“I didn’t even bother making one.”
“Why not?”
“We’re all alive right now and you’re still right beside me. What more can I ask for?”