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Shiro hissed at the hard press of the cloth against the wound in his side and Keith winced at the sound.
“Sorry,” he said.
Shiro laughed weakly. “I’ve had a lot worse.”
Keith clenched his jaw. “Doesn’t mean you deserve to be hurt any more.”
Shiro sighed into Keith’s somber mood.
“Shit happens, and we deal with it.”
Keith nodded, dabbing at the purple gash. He didn’t really know what he was doing but he figured clean was probably better than filled with alien dirt and alien lizard monster spit. This wound was just full of alien junk and Keith hated it; he wanted to be able to keep Shiro safe, especially after everything they’d gone through.
“I just wish we didn’t have to,” Keith mumbled, more to himself than to Shiro.
Shiro looked over at him and then back to the hastily made fire. He hummed, smiling to himself.
“It’s better when we can deal with it together.”
Keith hated the implications of that, knowing that Shiro had been left to deal with everything on his own for too long, all because he hadn’t gotten to Shiro in time.
“Sorry,” he apologized again.
“You don’t have to keep apologizing, Keith. It honestly doesn’t really hurt.”
Keith looked up from the wound and into Shiro’s eyes.
“Not for that.” He hoped that his meaning was clear. He hoped that Shiro knew what he was trying to say, everything he was so so sorry for, every scar down Shiro’s skin, the history of abuse, god, even the arm .
Judging by the way Shiro’s eyes widened, Keith guessed that he did. Shiro exhaled, reached out with his left arm, reached behind Keith, and smashed him into a tight hug. Keith softened into the touch that he didn’t know he needed as Shiro breathed into his hair.
“Don’t you dare blame yourself for what happened to me.”
Keith almost sobbed. “Shiro, how could I not? I couldn’t find you, couldn’t convince the Garrison that you were alive, and I— I just—-”
Shiro petted down the back of his head. “This was them. You did absolutely everything you could, Keith. I don’t blame anyone.”
Keith shivered and relaxed, turning slightly as to lean on Shiro’s shoulder.
“You’re a better man than I am.”
Shiro held him a little bit closer. “Don’t you dare say that, Keith. You inspire me every day.”
Keith looked up at him. “Me?”
Shiro nodded. “I could never keep going like you did.”
Keith scoffed. “You survived the arena, Shiro.”
Shiro smiled. “And who do you think I was thinking about?”