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Keith scrambles for his phone the moment he hears it buzz. With bated breath, he opens the text.
Mrs. Holt (4:14pm): Hey buddy
His blood turns to ice. This is not the number he was hoping to hear from. If anything, it’s the number he least wants to hear from. If Mrs. Holt is contacting him after days of radio silence from Shiro… Keith shakes his head, trying not to think too hard about the implications. He texts back.
Keith (4:14pm): mrs holt?
Mrs. Holt (4:16pm): Its shito. My phone kinda got eaten by an balloon so I’m borrowing Colleen’s.
Shiro (4:16): *shito
Shiro (4:16): *SHIRO
Shiro (4:16pm): *an avalanche
Shiro (4:17pm): Sorry. My right hand got eaten bu the avalanche too. Hard to type left handed ob a shot ton of painkillers.
Keith’s heart beats in his throat, emotions flooding through him faster than he knows how to react. Shiro. Shiro’s alive. Shiro’s talking to him. Shiro’s hurt. But he’s safe, he’s safe, he’s safe. He’s not alone. Keith presses his back against the nearest tree to steady his shaking body.
Keith (4:17pm): SHIRO
Keith (4:17pm): god
Keith (4:17pm): fuck
Keith (4:17pm): where r u
Shiro (4:18pm): Im at the hospital. Colorado. Mat and Colleen are here
Keith (4:18pm): im omw
That’s not entirely true. Keith was on his way, but he ran out of money for gas somewhere in Missouri, so now he’s camped out with his motorcycle in some Midwestern forest without much of a plan for getting out of his predicament. But he will. For Shiro’s sake, he’ll figure it out.
Shiro (4:19pm): Yourw what???
Shiro (4:19pm): Keith your not bacon from Rhode Island to Colorado in the muddle of the school week
Shiro (4:20pm): *biking
Shiro (4:20pm): Duck it the typos can stay
Keith (4:20pm): uh actually
Shiro (4:21pm): Keith… what did you do
Keith (4:21pm): pidge said there was an emergency and her mom was going to co
Keith (4:21pm): she was pissed bc her mom wouldn’t give her all the details
Keith (4:21pm): but we knew it was abt you and matt
Shiro (4:23pm): So yiu just… hopped on your bike and started riding didn’t you
Keith (4:23pm): …yeah
Shiro (4:23pm): Where are you now?
Keith (4:23pm): idk
Keith (4:24pm): somewhere in mo?
He can practically hear Shiro groaning in response. He should probably be ashamed of himself, but he’s too busy buzzing with adrenaline to feel anything but nervous relief.
Shiro (4:26pm): can you just… stay put? Were heading home tomorrow. We cab pick you up on the way. I bet we can fit your bike in the back on colleens ban if we work at it
Keith (4:26pm): ya sure
Keith (4:26pm): that wont b a problem
Keith (4:26pm): since I have no gas money to do anything but stay put
Shiro (4:27pm): Buddy………
Shiro (4:28pm): Ok I;m out if energy so I gotta go
Shiro (4:28pm): Gonna give Colleen the pone so you two can talk logistics
Keith (4:28pm): k
Shiro (4:29pm): Love you buddy. So much
Keith (4:29pm): love u too
Tears pool in Keith’s eyes, streaming down his face and blurring his vision. He responds numbly as Mrs. Holt helps him get set up with a motel for the night and gas to get there, but nothing quite feels real. Shiro is alive. Shiro is hurt. Shiro is coming back.
He doesn’t get much sleep that night. He almost wishes he rejected the motel in favor of another night in the woods. There’s something grounding about the cool November air and the sounds of the forest at night. But at least the motel allows him to charge his phone.
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It’s almost dusk when the Holt Family Van pulls into the McDonald’s parking lot where Keith is waiting with his bike. Shiro comes stumbling out the second the automated door slides open, despite Colleen’s suggestion for him to stay put. His right arm (which now ends just above the wrist, Keith notes with a sinking feeling) is in a sling, and his face is bandaged to hell and back, but… he’s walking and breathing and here. He’s here! He’s alive!
“Keith!” he calls out, “Keith, Keith… fuck, hold that thought.” He staggers towards the nearby hedges and throws up on the pavement a few feet before actually reaching his destination.
The passenger seat window rolls down to reveal Matt, who appears to be in better shape than Shiro but not by much. “Classy entrance,” he teases, holding out a bottle of water for his friend.
“Sorry,” Shiro rasps after taking a few sips, putting on a sheepish smile, “These meds they have me on… not great for road trips…”
There’s something surreal about seeing Shiro like this. Over the past year, Keith’s gotten used to thinking of Shiro as his friend – his most important friend – instead of his favorite camp counselor. Funny how getting older does that. But this is the first time he’s seen Shiro with his mentor mask completely off. It’s a strange kind of intimacy that fills his chest with warmth and icy terror all at once.
“Shiro,” Keith’s voice breaks as he approaches his friend, putting a quivering hand on his shoulder, “Hey. It’s good to have you back.”
Shiro sweeps him into a one-armed hug and plants a delirious kiss on top of his head, “It’s good to be back.” The way he’s bracing himself against Keith says he’s probably moments away from falling over.
“You should probably sit back down,” Keith whispers against his friend’s collarbone. Shiro reluctantly agrees.
“And you should help me get this bike in the back of the van,” interjects Colleen with a fond chuckle as Keith helps his friend back into his seat, “there’s a toolbox in the back, in case we need to take anything apart.”
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They call it a night at a motel somewhere in Illinois. Matt is out like a light before Colleen even finishes bringing up their luggage, but Shiro and Keith stay up to talk. They sit shoulder-to-shoulder on the creaky glider swing on the balcony, like if they aren’t touching then maybe the other will disappear. Shiro is still high as hell on pain meds, but he’s a little more coherent now that the carsickness has subsided.
“Is this balcony even safe?” Keith scoffs as he runs his fingers over the rusty railing, “It feels like it’s made out of freaking aluminum.”
“Only one way to find out,” quips Shiro, “If we go plummeting to our deaths, I’d say it’s not safe.”
“Reassuring,” responds Keith with a roll of his eyes.
They swing in silence for a minute before Shiro speaks up, more serious this time, “So uh… how long’ve you… you’ve missed a lot of school, huh?”
“Yeah, uh…” Keith fidgets, “I uh…”
Silence again. Then, “You left, didn’t you?” Shiro’s voice is quiet and sad. Keith expected him to be disappointed. Maybe even angry. But instead he just sounds like he’s going to cry.
Keith just nods.
“I’m sorry,” Shiro says, like all of this is somehow his own fault.
Keith curls in on himself, “I’m the one who should be sorry…”
“No,” Shiro presses harder against his shoulder. The word hangs off his lips like he meant to say something more, but he seems to have forgotten what, so he just shakes his head and repeats himself, “No.”
Keith isn’t sure how to respond, because he is sorry. He’s sorry he failed. He’s sorry he let Shiro down. But if Shiro doesn’t want him to be sorry… what else is he supposed to say?
“Quit with the apologizing!” his foster mom screams in his head. The white lady with the pointy glasses, from when he was twelve. “Wah wah wah, sorry sorry sorry… I don’t wanna hear it! Stop apologizing and go fix it!”
“I’ll fix it,” he says in a desperate whisper, “I promise.”
“Oh. Buddy,” Shiro wraps his arm around Keith’s shoulders, “You don’t owe me anything. If college wasn’t working out for you, we’ll figure something else out. You don’t have to do this all on your own. I’m here for you.”
Keith isn’t sure what to say, so he just leans into the one-armed hug and takes a shaky breath.
“I’m proud of you,” Shiro says, “None of this changes that. You know that, right?”
“Yeah,” Keith nods, “I know.” He’s not sure he deserves it. But he knows it’s true.
Shiro reaches up to ruffle his hair, “Good.”
“I’m proud of you, too,” Keith says a moment later. He’s pretty sure he sees tears well in Shiro’s eyes.