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Keith tiptoed down the hall, suppressing his whine as the chill of the castle seeped through his socks. He didn’t want to wake any of the other paladins. It had been hard enough to wake up to his alarm, set ridiculously early, and force his sleepy body out of bed. Right now, all he wanted was to get to the end of the hall, to Shiro’s door, and slip safely inside without disturbing anyone.
Once inside, he could cuddle up to Shiro’s warmth and sleep in with him like they both deserved. Like they both wanted.
He didn’t knock on the door, since waking Shiro would defeat the whole purpose of Keith’s stealthiness. Instead, he let himself in quietly, waiting just inside the door as his eyes adjusted to the dim light.
Shiro was a dark lump on the bed, shape softened by layers of blankets. Keith watched as his chest rose and fell rhythmically. Peacefully. Tiptoeing closer, Keith leaned over the bed far enough to see the small smile gracing Shiro’s lips as he slept. No nightmares tonight, it seemed. Keith felt his own face soften and he reached out gentle fingers to brush back bleached strands of hair.
“Keith?” Shiro muttered, not bothering to open his eyes.
“Who else,” he answered softly. “Go back to sleep.”
Nestling his face against the pillow, Shiro scooted over to make room for Keith. Not a lot of room -- the bed was small -- but enough for Keith to spoon tightly against the bigger man’s back. Pressed this close, Keith could feel Shiro’s breathing even out, could feel his heartbeat settle into a slow soft rhythm.
“Why are you here?” Shiro’s voice was a slurred whisper. “Not that I’m complaining.”
“Today’s Valentine’s Day, as far as I could calculate. I want to spend it with you, if that’s okay?”
Shiro leaned back gratefully into his warmth, and Keith could hear the smile in his voice. “That would be perfect.”
Keith nuzzled against his shoulder and let the other’s presence lull him back to sleep. It was totally worth it, waking up early, now that they got to share this moment together.
During the Voltron War, it had been hard to find quiet time for themselves; they always had to be on alert for Galra attacks, or intel missions, or the minor everyday problems that came with living on a millennia-old castle. Now that the conflict was finally over, things had settled down a bit, but the Paladins’ lives were still packed full. Too many planets had had their governments wrecked by the Empire, and it was a full time job getting the galactic economy back on its feet and functioning after ten thousand years of martial law.
Plus, there were the other Paladins to think of. Keith hugged Shiro tighter as he thought of what their reactions might be if they found out that he was head-over-heels for their leader. Maybe he was only projecting his fears onto them, but he didn’t want to share what he had with Shiro. Their bond was private and that love belonged close to his heart, not out in the open for everyone to see.
It really wasn’t anyone else’s business who he kissed.
He pressed his lips to Shiro’s shoulder as if to reinforce that fact to himself.
The bigger man was already asleep again, safe in Keith’s embrace. If only they could stay like this forever, Keith thought, snuggling deeper into the blanket. Just the two of them and their love, taking the day off to pamper each other.
He closed his eyes and rested his forehead against scarred skin. Slowly Keith felt himself drifting off, his thoughts turning soft and fuzzy, until an alarm shattered the calm. He felt Shiro startle violently, his whole body going stiff, and Keith himself sat up and threw off the blanket, ready for action.
“Paladins!” Coran’s voice rang tinnily through the castle’s speakers. “You are all needed in the control room as soon as you can. Princess Allura has an important announcement to make about today’s schedule.”
Keith sank back to the bed, back bowed and head in his hands. “Can we pretend we didn’t hear?” he asked, even as Shiro was kicking his way free of the blankets.
“I’m sorry.” Shiro leaned over and pressed a kiss to the top of Keith’s head. “Duty calls.”
“That’s not duty. That’s just Coran. Since when does he command us?”
“Since the first day we set foot on this castle, as I recall,” Shiro said, smile in his voice. Somehow he was okay with being rudely awakened and he seemed far more alert than Keith, despite the younger being woken up twice this morning.
“But I wanted to spend time with you,” Keith groaned. The floor was just as cold under his feet as it had been earlier that morning.
Shiro reached for his everyday clothes, then thought for a moment and grabbed his armor instead. “You can still spend time with me on the way to the bridge.”
It’s not the same, Keith thought, but there was no arguing with a duty-bound Shiro. “I’d better go get dressed too,” he said, resting his hand momentarily on Shiro’s shoulder before heading back to his own quarters.
----
As it turned out, the announcement was more of what they’d been dealing with for the many months since the war ended. Another planet -- the Galmar homeworld -- was wanting to join the alliance and had requested Allura to personally oversee the ceremony. And since the Galmari had contributed ships and troops to the war effort, Allura decided that it was only courteous to pay them a visit.
“Can we please get breakfast before we wormhole?” Hunk asked when the princess finished her explanation. He was still in his pajamas and his whole demeanor was longing for bed.
In fact, even though Keith and Shiro were in their armor, no one else was. One of the advantages to no longer fearing sneak attacks at any moment. Plus it gave them all excuses to shuffle back to their quarters while protesting that they would only be a minute.
But while the allure of sleep was tempting, Keith instead followed Shiro as he headed to the kitchen.
“I’ve got nothing against the Galmari, I just wish they had better timing,” Keith said.
Shiro flipped on the light and began opening cabinets, looking for bowls. “Me too. I mean, who makes diplomatic calls this early in the morning?” He turned around, looking perplexed. “Three years on this castle, and I still don’t know where Hunk keeps the spoons. Any ideas?”
Sighing, Keith helped dish up two bowls of the usual food goo. He started to sit down on the counter, ready to eat quickly and get back to business, but Shiro tapped his elbow.
“Let’s go eat elsewhere. The rest of the team will be here any minute.”
Keith tilted his head in confusion but got up anyway. “You suddenly have something against the team?”
“No. It’s just... we got kinda interrupted this morning, don’t you think?”
“Oh.” It was like watching a shooting star, the way Keith’s eyes lit up at the thought.
Shiro picked up his breakfast in one hand and held the other out in invitation, which Keith gladly took. Together they threaded their way through the castle, looking for a quiet area not too far from the usual hallways. Even this long after the tumult had died down, there were still whole sections of the ship that hadn’t been aired out in millennia, and it was better not to stray far.
They settled in a small alcove, a bay window looking past the outer turrets and into the sparkling void of space. A nebula hung in the sky, red hemmed by brilliant violet, the last remains of a star’s dying splendor. That was the best thing about traveling on the castle, Keith realized, as they ate their goo in comfortable silence. There were always new places to see, new vistas that spread before their wondering eyes.
Sitting across from him, Shiro nudged at Keith with his foot. “What are you thinking about?”
Keith thought of telling him the truth, realized it was boring, and scrambled for a better answer. “You.”
“You’re lying.”
“You’re blushing.”
Shiro bent his attention to scraping the last dregs out of his bowl.
“I’m being serious. You think I’d drag myself out of my own bed and into just anyone’s?”
“Well,” Shiro started, then carefully set his bowl and spoon aside. “A good hypothesis stands up to repeated testing. Would you drag yourself over here right now to kiss me?”
Keith lurched eagerly to his knees, already scooting into Shiro’s space with single-minded focus, when there was a gagging noise from the doorway. Pidge stood there, laptop in one hand and bowl in the other.
“Sorry, don’t mind me, I didn’t mean to interrupt anything important,” she said, even as she made no move to leave. “I just need to run some voltage diagnostic tests on the castle’s systems over here. You can...” She waved her hand vaguely. “...do whatever you were doing. I won’t peek.”
Pidge sat down with her back conspicuously to them and started opening panels near the floor, exposing wires and conduits.
Keith looked at Shiro’s still-blushing face, only inches from his own, and gave him an apologetic little sigh before retreating to his own side of the alcove. “I’ve got stuff I need to do,” he muttered, mostly as an excuse to Pidge.
“Yeah, same.” Shiro nodded and reluctantly collected his things, standing up and offering Keith a hand.
Even though they walked back to the kitchen side by side, close enough that their hands brushed every few steps, the moment didn’t feel the same.
“I’ll make it up to you later,” Shiro murmured in Keith’s ear. The bigger man pressed in close behind him as Keith put his dishes in the sink. “I promise I’ll spend time with you today.”
“Thanks,” Keith started, but the words died in his throat as footsteps heralded the approach of the other paladins. By the time he turned around, Shiro was already at the doorway, shoulders square and steps firm as he strode out to face the day.
Keith’s back sagged into a gentle curve, aching again for the momentary warmth of his lover.
First his morning plans had been interrupted, and now this. When would they find a moment to be together?
The day was shaping up to be a lot more frustrating than he’d thought.
----
On the bright side, the castle had hosted enough of these alliance meetings that everyone knew what was expected of them. Hunk and Coran were cleaning the dining hall until it shone. Pidge was changing the lights to shine deep red, mimicking Galmar’s dim star so the guests would feel at home. Allura was with the mice in her quarters, digging through the closet to find a suitable dress for the event. Lance was off in his lion, going to rendezvous with the delegates’ ship and escort them aboard.
That left Keith and Shiro to their own devices for the time being.
“We should probably lend a hand,” Shiro said at last. He and Keith were leaning against the doorway into the dining room, watching the two argue over whether candles or flowers would make for better centerpieces.
Keith shook his head while Hunk stomped off to find some candlesticks to prove his point. “I think we’d only add to the confusion at this point.”
“That’s an excuse if I ever heard one,” Shiro said, but the corner of his mouth was turned up into a mischievous smirk. Keith wanted to kiss it off of him.
“C’mon.” The Red Paladin took his hand and tugged. “I know somewhere out of the way.”
“Is that so?” Shiro followed him easily, wrapping his fingers around Keith’s palm.
“We won’t be in the way, and no one will come through to check the voltage-whatever stuff. You’ll like it.”
Shiro hummed happily and swung their joined hands. “You sure I’ll like it? Because I’ve been all over this castle and there’s not a lot of new areas left on board. How are you going to impress me with the same old rooms?”
“Well there’s always my bedroom...” Keith let the thought hang and listened smugly to the catch in Shiro’s breath.
“I don’t think... We shouldn’t get too involved. The others could need our help at any minute.”
Keith knew that, but he couldn’t help feeling a small twinge of disappointment at the lost opportunity. “Anyway, we’re almost there.”
Shiro stopped in the middle of the hallway and used his grip on Keith’s hand to pull the smaller man closer. “Third time’s the charm, right?” His fingers slid up the armor bracers and danced across to splay against Keith’s ribs. This time it was Keith’s breath that caught, Keith’s eyes that widened then slipped closed as warm lips pressed in a soft kiss.
But after only a moment, Keith forced himself to pull away and focus on his surroundings. “Are we really doing this here, now?”
Shiro held his hand again and stepped forward. “Lead the way. Just make it quick.”
They hurried down the corridor, laughing to themselves as they accelerated to a jog. Keith managed to stay barely ahead, dodging around corners and almost throwing Shiro off balance as he tugged him along. Around one final corner, the star deck opened before them. The large open space was dimly lit by running lights and the glow of the red-violet nebula.
“This is the special place?” Shiro asked. He slowed to a stop and took a moment to drink in the view. “You were right, I do like it. But there’s something I’d like even more.”
Keith opened his mouth to ask what could possibly top Shiro’s beloved stars, but instead a squeak was startled out of him. Shiro’s arm was strong around his waist, pulling until their bodies were pressed close enough to feel each other’s pulse. Inclining his head, Keith closed his eyes, breath bated as he waited for the imminent kiss.
But it never came. He opened his eyes to find Shiro glaring out at the stars, where... oh.
A streak of blue light was weaving back and forth, leaving sweeping trails of sparks and smoke that obscured the view. Lance was coming in with the Galmari shuttle and he was showing off every ounce of his piloting skills -- which were suitably impressive, considering the way he was singlehandedly able to blot out an entire nebula.
Keith groaned and hid his face in Shiro’s shoulder. “Please keep kissing me. Ignore him.”
“They’ll be landing soon.” Shiro’s sigh resonated in his chest and he hugged Keith closer. “We don’t have time right now. I’m sorry.”
“Please,” Keith whispered, one hand on the back of Shiro’s head, dragging him down into reach. “Kiss me.”
Even Shiro couldn’t stand against such a plea, and he laid a row of kisses all along Keith’s begging mouth, letting him have a taste but pulling away before they could get too lost in each other.
Keith whined, trying to chase after him, but Shiro firmly held him at arm’s length. “We’re needed in the landing bay. We can’t risk this alliance just because we’re greedy.”
At least he said ‘we’, Keith thought to himself, trailing disconsolately behind on the way through the castle. He wants this too. I’ve just got to find an opportunity...
They were the last two to make it to the bay, but the delegates hadn’t disembarked yet. Allura shot a disapproving glance their way as they hurried to stand at attention next to Pidge and Hunk.
“Do I look okay?” Shiro asked out of the side of his mouth.
Keith turned his head slightly. “You look like you’ve got a stick up your ass.”
“I’m sorry.” Shiro chuckled. “I promise I’ll make it up to you.”
“You’d better.”
----
Keith was strangely absent during lunch, but the team was too preoccupied to really notice. Shiro figured that the crowd was getting too much for him and he was probably resting in his room, saving up his energy for the banquet later in the evening.
The Galmari weren’t big on formalities anyway; after the initial introductions were done, they’d focused all their attention on the Alteans, going over and over the terms of the alliance. The other paladins were trying to look invested but were straggling off one by one as the discussion wore on.
In actuality, while the crowd and formalities had been wearing on Keith’s nerves, he wasn’t taking refuge in his quarters. He’d sneaked to Red’s bay and launched unnoticed, racing away from the castle and toward a section of the planet that his scanners indicated was uninhabited. Sure, it was a breach of paladin protocol, but he wasn’t exactly feeling like a team player at the moment. Not when the whole team seemed to be trying their best to get between him and a good time with the man he loved.
Once on the planet, it wasn’t hard to find a patch of local wildflowers. The things seemed omnipresent, clusters of blue and white and yellow buds wavering in the breeze.
Keith remembered coming here during the war. Red had been damaged and Shiro had accompanied him down to the planet’s surface to keep an eye on things while repairs were underway. Despite them being fresh out of battle, Shiro had seemed relaxed and even happy, gazing out over the fields of nodding flowers.
And of course, anything that made Shiro happy was permanently marked in Keith’s memory. Thus the whole reason for him sneaking away from the castle.
While he was sure that the others would call him on his helmet comm if they needed him back at base, he’d prefer if this side mission stayed a secret. Keith gathered as many flowers as he could; he put extra effort into mixing colors, putting harmonious shades together, adding a couple of red ones for accent. He’d never been one for frilly things like this, but it made him happy to think that Shiro would notice the work put into it. And right now, anything that scored him extra points with Shiro sounded amazing.
Finally content with the bouquet, Keith ran back to his lion. This whole trip had been exhilarating in a way he hadn’t felt since he was a cadet sneaking out of the Garrison to go on late-night rides through the desert. He laid the flowers in his lap, their scent heady in his nostrils as he piloted back to the castle.
It wasn’t exactly a bouquet of roses, but Keith hoped it would get the point across. They didn’t have much need for sentimental gifts, and ephemera like flowers seemed so fleeting, but it was nice to have a little bit of Earth traditions out here in space. It wouldn’t be Valentine’s Day without it.
Keith docked quickly and hurried through the castle. Shiro was probably on the bridge with the others, overseeing the meeting, so that would give Keith time to set up --
“Keith!”
He stopped and faced Allura as she came up to him with a relieved expression.
“I knew I could count on you! Thank you for being so prompt.”
Keith blinked at her but tried to stay polite. “Um, you’re welcome?”
“The flowers, please,” Allura said, motioning to where the bouquet was poorly hidden behind his back.
“I don’t think... What’s going on?”
“Oh, you didn’t hear? The Galmari regard fire as sacred. To display it without the proper rituals is an insult. Hunk didn’t know that when he set up candles on the banquet table, and I’m afraid that if the delegates see, it could cause an incident. Were those flowers not meant to be a new centerpiece?”
Keith help up the bouquet and looked at it a little forlornly. “Yeah, I guess this alliance is pretty important. You can have them.” He picked out one of the red flowers and kept it as Allura tucked the flowers into the crook of her arm.
“Thank you very much, Keith. I hope I wasn’t imposing on you?”
“Not at all.”
After the princess walked away, Keith stared down at the one sad flower drooping in his hand. It would be a pitiful gesture, presenting it to Shiro. But still better than nothing?
Keith avoided the main hallways as he headed to his room. He rinsed out the cup he kept in the bathroom and filled it with a bit of water, propping the flower up on the rim so it gave the appearance of being fresh and perky.
He set the makeshift vase on the narrow raised ledge between the bed and the wall. The small spot of red was vibrant, if nothing else, and he wanted to think that it added something to the room. He entertained the passing thought of commandeering the candlesticks, since they were banned from the dining table, and setting up a proper romantic atmosphere.
Still, why make the effort if he and Shiro couldn’t get five minutes to themselves? At this rate, the atmosphere would be the last thing on their minds whenever they could finally be together.
----
Shiro breathed an internal sigh of relief when Keith rejoined the lineup of the other paladins outside the conference chamber. While he was sure nothing could go wrong -- the war was over, the castle was a safe space, Keith could take care of himself -- it made the tension in his chest unwind when he knew the exact whereabouts of the entire team.
Allura was still engaged in diplomatic talks and some sort of ritual hair braiding ceremony, meaning that everyone else was free to wander around as they pleased. Coran poked his head out of the room at one point and announced that they should be ready for dinner in half a varga.
“And if we’re not done here by then...” He glanced back into the room and lowered his voice. “I’m going to go at them with scissors until there’s no hair left to braid.”
Lance suppressed his chuckle until the door slid closed again. “And I thought humans had some weird habits.”
Pidge rolled her eyes and retrieved her duffel bag from the corner. “Anyone want to help me change out the lightbulbs in the dining room? It turns out that Alteans can’t see well in red light so I’ve got to go do something about that before dinner.”
“Lance can help,” Hunk volunteered, resting a hand on Lance’s shoulder and pushing him forward. “I need to go check on stuff in the kitchen.”
“Keith, why don’t you help Pidge and Lance. More people will make it go faster,” Shiro said. He didn’t miss the way Keith frowned at the suggestion, but the Red Paladin tailed after the other two anyway.
Good, that meant that he’d be able to get to the kitchen surreptitiously and have a chance to talk to Hunk. Shiro had been planning a little special something for several days, asking Hunk’s help in making a shopping list and gradually scavenging all the right ingredients. It just so happened that everything was assembled in time for Valentine’s Day, which was a perfect coincidence.
By the time he got there, Hunk was humming to himself as he pulled out a roast from the oven.
“Hey!” Hunk called. “It’s a good thing I put this in earlier. Trust Coran to only give half a varga warning.”
Shiro lit up.
“Does this mean you’ll have time to help me make the dessert for Keith?”
“Oh, the berry cupcakes?” Hunk looked sheepish. “I kinda... forgot those were for your surprise for Keith. I used all the berries in the sweet-and-sour casserole I made for tonight.” He pushed his fingers together and gave a nervous smile.
Shiro shrugged it off and tried to look complacent. “Any chance you have ingredients for something else? It doesn’t have to be cupcakes, I just want to make something special for him.”
“Well, you see --” A timer beeped and Hunk hurried back to the oven. “It’s a matter of time,” he said over his shoulder. “I got so wrapped up in making food for the banquet that I don’t think I have enough time to make something else. Help you make something else,” he corrected.
Indeed, every square inch of counter space seemed to be filled with cookware of some sort, either dishes ready to be cooked or just coming out of the oven, piping hot and steaming while Hunk sprinkled garnish on top.
“I could try to make something on my own?” Shiro asked, but Hunk was already turning around again, stirring a pot on the stove, and didn’t hear him.
Shiro bent down and started opening cabinets, looking for whatever pots and pans might be needed for a recipe. But as he started pulling out oddly-shaped cookware, a heavy hand descended to his shoulder.
“Um, no offense,” Hunk began, “but didn’t you get banned from the kitchen?”
“That was a while ago. I promise I’ll be careful.”
“Shiro.” Hunk put a bit more force into his grip, pulling the Black Paladin away from the cabinets. “Please. Maybe some other time? I can’t have unsupervised destruction in my kitchen, not right now. I can make time after dinner, if the delegates leave? Or maybe tomorrow?”
“It’s no big deal,” Shiro said, standing up and carefully closing the cabinets. “I can wait.”
Hunk looked relieved. “Thanks, man. It’s just I’m under a bit of a time crunch right now, y’know?”
“Of course, I understand. See you at dinner.” Shiro put his hands in his pockets and made his way out of the kitchen, taking extra care not to disturb any of Hunk’s carefully laid out ingredients. He was perfectly aware of his reputation in the kitchen, and didn’t want to jinx a meal that already smelled so good.
Out in the hall, a figure moved in the shadows and his eyes adjusted to see Keith lurking by the door.
“Were you waiting for me?” Shiro moved closer and braced a hand by Keith’s head.
“I guess,” came the quiet reply. Keith inclined his head and rested against Shiro’s forearm. “This just isn’t our day. Not like I’d wanted it to be.”
“Aw, baby. We’ve still got all evening to make it worthwhile, right?” Shiro used his other hand to tilt Keith’s chin up, using his access to lean in closer and let his breath tease across Keith’s cheeks.
“I want to --” Keith started to say, but whatever he wanted got drowned out by Hunk shouting from the kitchen.
“Anyone here to help serve dinner? I need people to carry stuff to the dining table!”
Keith let out a sigh and pulled away, ducking under Shiro’s arm and putting space between them again. “Sounds like duty’s calling,” he muttered, stalking off toward the kitchen.
Shiro took a moment to thump his forehead against the wall, silently shaking his fist at the universe, before he followed Keith to go help.
----
The dinner was every bit as formal and stiff as the paladins had feared. Each delegate had to stand up and give a speech, but after the second one’s turn, it became clear that they had all memorized almost identical scripts. Keith tuned out the voices and concentrated on the wisps of steam rising from the food -- food that they wouldn’t get to eat before it turned stone cold, at this rate.
Across the table from him, Shiro was almost obscured by a dazzling arrangement of blue and white flowers. Flowers that by all rights ought to have been a special gift, meant to bring a smile to gray eyes. Instead they were simply placeholders for the forbidden candlesticks.
The speeches became a pattern of glazing over while voices droned, giving applause whenever the silence seemed to call for it, and then waiting for the next delegate to stand and speak. At last the final Galmar resumed his seat and Allura gestured to the food with a flourish.
“I appreciate your support for this alliance, and I look forward to working with you in the future on our way to galactic peace. Now, please enjoy the meal that the paladins have prepared for you as a token of our goodwill.”
The head delegate stood and bowed, prompting an echo of almost-silent groans to flit around the table.
“Thank you, Princess.” He sat down again, to the relief of everyone involved, and the formalities were finally over.
Even though there weren’t any more speeches, it was hard to relax under so many watchful eyes. Keith ate quickly and in silence, not even responding to Lance’s occasional jabs or Shiro’s concerned expression.
When the meal was over, Hunk started clearing the dishes while Allura escorted the Galmari back to their shuttle. It seemed that everything had gone well; no incidents, no accidental insults, just another piece that fell into the puzzle they were slowly fitting together in the wake of the great war.
Keith pushed out his chair and was the first to leave the dining hall, not bothering to spare Shiro more than a tired wave as he left. Social situations always weighed heavily on him, and besides, he’d been in full armor all day. The stuff was passably comfortable but it wasn’t meant for extended wear, and it was starting to chafe.
His very bones ached and his mind was drained, and all he wanted was to crash face-first onto his bed and not get up until morning.
Which was what he managed to do for all of three minutes before his door chimed.
“What?” Keith grumbled, stumbling over his discarded armor as he reached for the door. “What is it?”
Shiro was standing outside and pushed past him without a word. Still in full paladin gear, he flopped down on his side on Keith’s bed, claiming the space where Keith had been facedown just moments before.
“I’m not leaving,” he announced, rolling to his back and draping his arm over his eyes. “If anyone needs me for anything, they’re going to have to harness up the lions and drag me out of here.”
“That’s good to know,” Keith said. He picked up Shiro’s free hand and tugged off the gauntlet and bracer. “I don’t want any more interruptions either.”
Shiro tilted his arm back enough to peek out at Keith. “You still have energy after everything that happened today?”
Keith shrugged and moved down to work on Shiro’s greaves. “I know what I want.”
“All I want is to kiss and cuddle you like you deserve,” Shiro announced doggedly. “And then I’m going to sleep. For a very long time.”
“No fun stuff?”
“Fun stuff in the morning. Right now I’m just exhausted.”
Keith smirked and ran teasing fingers up Shiro’s calf. “You sure about that?”
Shiro reached up and pulled the pillow down over his face. “Very sure,” came his muffled reply. “Can you turn out the lights already?”
“Can you get your armor off already? I want to hold you but you’ve got too many hard edges right now. ...Unless you want me to take it off for you?”
Shiro rolled off the bed and narrowly caught himself, landing on his feet on the floor. “I can manage, thank you.”
Keith inched closer as Shiro stripped out of his armor and returned to his place on the bed, clad in dark pants and a thin undershirt. When Keith scooted so his back was pressed to the wall, there was just enough room for them both to lie down comfortably as the room lights dimmed to a soothing blue.
“You promised kisses?” Keith asked softly. He wove their legs together, pulling Shiro closer until the bigger man had no choice but to take him in his arms.
“I promised lots of things,” he whispered back. “Too bad this day crushed every one of them.”
Keith nuzzled into his neck and trailed butterfly kisses down to his collarbone. “Like you pointed out, we’ve still got a few hours left in the day. And I’m perfectly happy just being with you.”
“Good.” The word came out slurred as Shiro rolled onto his back and inhaled deeply. He sighed and Keith could feel all the tension bleed out of him as his body relaxed for the first time all day.
Trailing his fingers through white hair, Keith smiled as Shiro’s eyes slipped closed and he nestled closer for warmth.
“It’s been a long day.” Keith pressed the words to Shiro’s chest. “It’s been an even longer year. I think we both deserve some peace now.”
“You can say that again.”
Keith leaned up and kissed along the scar on Shiro’s nose.
“I’m just glad we’re still here, still together, after everything. That’s something worth celebrating.”
Shiro opened his eyes, a glint of mischief hiding in the shadows of his lashes. “I almost forgot. I did get you something for Valentine’s Day, Keith.”
The smaller man’s eyebrows shot up. “I thought you’d forgotten.”
Shiro rocked up to all fours and caged Keith in on knees and elbows, a hand in his hair keeping him from moving.
“Me, forget about you?” He gave a ridiculously wide grin. “Never!”
Then he leaned closer and Keith strained up for a kiss, but the moment before their lips met, Shiro veered off and planted a wet, smacking kiss against Keith’s cheek.
“What the hell --”
Keith sputtered as Shiro pressed their foreheads together and followed it up with a gentler, softer kiss to the tip of his nose. At last Keith relented and gave in, whining and arching until their mouths could meet.
Shiro drew away far enough that they could make eye contact. “I love you, Keith. More than all the stars in the sky.”
“And I love you too, you giant sap. Now come here and kiss me properly.”
“Yes, sir.”
That set Keith off sputtering again, but with a devious smirk on his face. Valentine’s Day or not, he was always in for a good time when he had Shiro in his bed. Tonight wasn’t going to be any different.