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The Galra ship exploded in a series of teeth rattling bangs, waves of heat rolling from the burning ship. Sentries and Galra solders alike scattered to escape the flaming wreckage.
Keith was running too. The surface of this planet reminds him of the desert back on Earth, there’s rocks everywhere and sand that puffs up in dry clouds every time his feet smack the ground. Shiro’s running just behind him and even now while running in the middle of a mission with laser shots being fired from enemy guns Keith is so happy. It was hard to think of he pain when had heard the crew of the Kerberos mission were presumed dead. It was hard to remember the months afterwards where he mourned, the feeling so intense he thought he could feel his heart burning to ash inside his chest. This is where they were meant to be. In the action together, adrenaline running high.
Shiro’s hand appears suddenly and grabs Keith’s arm, pulling him down and across. He can hear shouts from the Galra as he slides behind a huge rock and is roughly pulled into a crevice in the rocks side. Keith sucks in a shallow breath, trying to steady his drumming lungs. He cocks his mouth in a crooked grin at Shiro who’s watching him with a smirk. Keith’s blood is singing, he can hear his heartbeat in his ears and he can feel Shiro’s body pressed against him. They’re hidden from the Galra for a short minute and Keith can’t stop himself. His hands dart up to hold Shiro’s face, holding him still as Keith leans up best he can in the cramped space and presses a kiss against Shiro’s mouth.
This tension between hem had never really been addressed. Keith had crushed on Shiro since the first time he saw him at the Garrison. He loved Shiro’s easy going personality, loved how being around him didn’t feel like work. Keith relaxed around Shiro, felt like himself. So when Shiro huffed a short breath of surprise and pushed into the kiss, helmets clanking awkwardly, Keith’s heart stuttered with joy.
Shiro worked Keith’s mouth open, quick and dirty, tounue snaking over to tease Keith’s own. Keith felt hot and dizzy in a rush of blood that surged through him. He groaned into Shiro’s mouth, desperately trying to deepen the kiss. Keith wanted Shiro to devour him, eat him whole and love him entirely.
Shiro pulled away, resting their foreheads together and took a few steadying breaths. He looked up suddenly when footsteps crashed past the opening of their hiding place. He laughed softly making Keith turn to watch the opening too, wondering if it was one of the other Paladins.
Shiro was standing at the opening, a fresh graze bleeding unnoticed on his face. Keith felt the excitement in him turn ice cold in a sickening flip. He took an unsteady step away from the Shiro he’s just kissed and looked between the identical men. The bleeding Shiro on his right-side and the Shiro he kissed on his left. Before anyone had a chance to say anything, neon purple light glowed from the Shiro on his left and he felt the fingers Galra prosthetic grab his neck in a terrifyingly hot tight grip, the other hand, snatching Keith’s bayard away.
The Shiro at the mouth of the crevice, the real Shiro, started forward but faltered when Keith gasped out a strangled yell. The fake Shiro had tightened his hold and Keith felt himself go dizzy again, but he enjoyed this far less, angry tears threatening to spill down his cheeks and down, down over the imposters fingers curled around his neck. Keith grabbed at the prosthetic, trying to find something to pull or twist that would force the hand to let go.
“Is this how you keep the Paladins in check Champion? Make them into desperate whore’s for your affection? I have to admire how lovely your species is to touch. Very delicate. Move out of our way or I test just how delicate the boys neck is.” The fake Shiro pushed Keith forward, edging them towards the opening of the crevice. The real Shiro reluctantly stepped back, keeping the distance between them. The fake Shiro seemed to enjoy the sound of his own voice, he kept talking as he held Keith in front of him, walking them out the hiding place. “I was meant to take your place in the Voltron crew, you are supposed to be trapped in the decoy ship we just blew up. But no matter. I can adapt. I can simply kill the Red Paladin and yourself. I understand Voltron needs all the Paladins to work, so without you two, I secure a monumental victory for the Empire.”
Keith struggled harder, feet kicking back to try and catch the fake Shiro. He was afraid and furious but he couldn’t shake of the itching sense of shame from kissing the wrong man. That Shiro had caught him kissing the wrong man. And now he had let himself be captured, stuck in the crushing hold of the fake’s hand. He stepped free from the crevice and back out into the open, he couldn't look at Shiro, focusing on the ground as he struggled.
There was a sharp yell and the hand slipped from around his neck. Spinning around Keith saw Lance's shell-shocked face a short distance away, gun still raised with smoke drifting from the weapon. The fake Shiro coughed, blood spilling from his mouth, the hand that had been holding Keith was now pressed against his side over a gaping wound pouring blood. The fake Shiro swayed a little before falling to his knees and finally tipping over to fall in the sand.
"We need to get back to the castle ship." Shiro ordered but didn't move until Lance ran to them. Shiro clapped a hand on Lance's shoulder and gave him a small tight smile. "You just saved both our lives Lance. Thank you. Let's get out of here as soon as possible." Lance was staring at the body of the fake Shiro, his dark skin looking uncomfortably pale. "Come on. Don't look... don't look at him. You had to do it." Shiro forcefully turned Lance away from the body and started jogging. "Don't think about it now. Let's just get out of here. Keith." Keith snapped his attention from the body too, this is the first time Shiro had said anything to him since the kiss. "Come on. We're leaving." Shiro didn't check to see if Keith was keeping up, just kept making way towards the castle ship, telling the others to return via the helmet comms.
***
Once Allura had taken the ship away from the sandy planet and once everyone was done tending to any injuries, Keith slipped away to his room. As soon as the door slid shut behind him he banged his head against the wall. How had he not realised it wasn't the deal Shiro? Why, of all the moments, did he pick then to act on his feelings? Why hadn't Shiro said anything go him yet? He felt so stupid, embarrassed that Lance had needed to rescue him, that Shiro had seen him with the fake.
There was a single tap on the door. Keith grimaced. He didn't want to have a conversation, he wanted to pretend nothing had happened. But maturity won by a fraction and he slid the door open, revealing Shiro who looked just as uncomfortable as Keith felt. Keith stepped aside, letting Shiro in and closed the door behind them. They both stood for a moment, neither looking at the other.
Shiro sighed, he sounded worn out. "Keith... I wanted to check in with you. After what happened. Are you.. are you alright?"
"I'm fine. It was a misunderstanding Shiro. We don't need to talk about it." Keith sat down heavily on to his bed. He felt like a coward, he wasn't the kind of person to be meek, but he couldn't bring himself to look at Shiro.
"Do you... Keith, do you have feelings for me?" Shiro didn't sound sure, like he didn't want to be talking about it either.
Keith didn't reply straight away. He sat and stared at his boots, he wished he could make a joke or something that would help make him feel less vulnerable. He didn't understand how people worked sometimes, not when it comes to personal, emotional things. Honesty was best he reasoned. Lies make things more confusing "I've had feelings for you for a long time now Shiro."
Shiro sat down next to him on the bed. "Before Voltron?"
"Since I was still at the Garrison. You," Keith sucked in a shaky breath, "you were amazing. It wasn't even that you're gorgeous. It was how patient you are, how you always had time for everyone, that you enjoyed being so kind. That you didn't see a fuck up when you looked at me." it was all coming out now and Keith wanted to stop, to stop spewing his feelings all over the floor of his bedroom but he couldn't. Every squeeze of his heart prompted a fresh wave of words. "You laugh so easily and you know how to read a room and you're so genuine. You've never laughed at me, you've laughed with me. 'Patience yields focus' has saved my life so many time Shiro. When they said you were dead I thought I was dying too. When you came back to Earth, I died then too. Fighting with you is everything I've ever dreamed of."
There was a long stretch of silence. Keith flopped back, laying on the bed and looking at the ceiling. "I don't expect you to humour me. Or pretend to feel the same. I just want honesty Shiro, I need you to tell me no. I need to hear you say it so I can deal with this and put it behind me."
"In a different timeline I think I could have felt the same for you Keith. Before I left for Kerberos I felt so guilty because you were younger than me but you were such a spitfire and I had a bit of crush on you, back then. But after the Galra captured me and everything since, I've needed you as a friend. Now you're more like a brother to me. I love you Keith. I love you so much, I would do anything for you but I don't have romantic feelings for you." Shiro sighed. "I'm sorry."
"It's okay." it wasn't.
Shiro stood up. "I'm going to let you have some space, I know this kind of thing is something you need to have time with to process. I'll be in my room if you want to talk more or just for like a hug or something. I really am sorry Keith. I wish I felt differently."
Keith sat up and finally looked at Shiro. "It's alright. I can't demand you to reciprocate these feelings."
Shiro smiled softly at him. "You're the toughest person I know Keith. You'll be okay. We're okay." he slid open the door and shut it quietly behind him. Keith sat on the bed for almost an hour without moving before laying down. As soon as his head hit the pillow burning heat pricked his eyes and he couldn't stop the tears.