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The team had gathered together around a fire, a week of travelling inside the Lions making everyone feel cramped and sore. Keith stood a bit away from everyone else, observing quietly. The sun of the planet they’d landed on seemed to have a short cycle, as they’d arrived in what Pidge had informed was morning, but it was already starting to near the horizon after only a few hours. Shiro stood in the distance, near a cliff quite a few feet away from the rest of them, his eyes seeming to never leave the skies. With a deep breath, Keith tried to find his resolve and slowly approached, trying to make himself seem as calm and cool as possible as he stood beside him.
“Hey,” a hand on Shiro’s left shoulder as he approached was all he needed to do to show he was concerned, and Shiro nodded at his greeting. The light of the sun made him almost glow, his now white hair looking almost orange with the hues of the sunset. Keith had to swallow hard so as not to stare, instead averting his gaze to said falling light, which now light up the clear sky with brilliant shade of red and orange, streaks of purple highlighting in arches.
“I’m fine,” Shiro tried to offer a smile, but Keith didn’t totally buy it. He tried to return his gaze, but was still getting used to his expressions through the white hair, the markings of everything Shiro had been through… 'Another deep breath, Keith…'
“Do you…wanna talk about it?” Keith offered, waving to the cliff edge where they both took a seat shoulder to shoulder. He looked up at first, trying to give Shiro some time to reply, and realized that the planet had two moons, something he knew Shiro would’ve been fascinated by in the past. His eyes returned to watching Shiro’s expression carefully after too long a pause, scanning for anything that may alert him to something wrong.
Shiro shook his head with a deep exhale, a light dismissive shrug as he tried to release some of the tension in his muscles.
“It’s just…a lot of memories in my head. I’ll be fine, Keith, really,” he emphasized, really not wanting to feel like he needed even more saving. He recalled Keith’s face all too clearly as he-'no, the imposter…no, him? A part of him? Ugh…'-attacked him. But he never gave up, and Shiro was only just coming to terms with what that meant, what Keith was willing to risk for him.
“Memories…” Keith repeated after a moment, voice almost a whisper, snapping Shiro back to reality. Keith had a feeling he knew what that meant, but he didn’t push for more information. He hoped that Shiro would talk if he wanted to. Unfolding his arms, he fidgeted with his hands in his lap, working at his bottom lip as he tried to figure out the words he wanted to say. The movement wasn’t lost on Shiro, who quickly picked up on the sudden anxiety.
“Keith, I-” Shiro tried to start, but a hand instantly rose to stop him, Keith shaking his head as he took another deep breath. When he finally turned his gaze to meet his, Shiro thought he’d never catch his breath again. It was like being plummeted in a sea of galaxies, but the galaxies were made of emotions so deep that Shiro couldn’t sort through them all with just one look. He waited patiently for him to gather his nerve.
“I’m… I’m sorry,” Keith’s voice was rough as he breathed out the apology, his chest heavy with the emotion he was holding back. But Shiro…Shiro was hopelessly confused.
“Sorry… Sorry for what?” Shiro blinked, wanting to reach out, but still waiting, not wanting to interrupt him. He had a feeling that this was something Keith needed to say, and Shiro wanted to understand whatever it was.
“You…” he had to look away from the steel gaze that bore into his own, the intensity too much for a second and making him lose his nerve. 'Patience yields focus, Keith… You can do this.' Newly determined, he kept eyes locked forward on the horizon instead, the sun now making a gorgeous painting of deep maroon and purples that helped soothe Keith’s racing mind.
“I’m sorry I didn’t…realize sooner,” he managed to say clearly, emotion rising in his chest again. It didn’t matter, he couldn’t stop now, so he pushed through it. “You died…and I didn’t… I thought… You were all alone, and I didn’t even know,” his voice cracked, and he bit his lip hard to fight back the tears threatening to rise. Keith was a lot of things, but he wasn’t an open crier.
The image of Keith underneath his blade, fighting for him, begging for him to come back, flashed through his mind, and Shiro eyed Keith with a bit of surprise. They’d been there for each other so much throughout the years, and lately it seemed like it was always Keith who had been doing the saving, so it shook him to see Keith blaming himself so deeply for something he couldn’t have ever known. Shiro did reach out now, his arm wrapping around Keith’s shoulders as he waited for Keith to look at him again.
“Keith, it’s not your fault,” he gently pressed their foreheads together, catching how the action made Keith close his eyes and take a centering breath. “Hey… You found me, and I promise, I’m not going anywhere again. Besides, I wasn’t alone,” he could still feel Keith’s shoulders shaking, and he gently raised his face up to place a small kiss on his forehead, “I was with you every time you were in the Black Lion.”
Keith blinked, remembering clearly crying out for Shiro when he needed to get to the team in time to fight Lotor. He raised his head now, eyes meeting Shiro’s, the dark depths of which were enough to steal his breath away when he realized how much fondness was there. He leaned forward quickly, trying not to think and just do as he closed the distance between their lips.
Shiro let out a small sound of surprise, but almost instantly leaned in, meeting Keith’s timid lips with his own sure, ready ones. It was a slow kiss, both working gently to make sure the other wouldn’t pull away, but Shiro could feel Keith’s impatience. He smiled against his lips, letting his tongue caress Keith’s bottom lip as a plea for entry. Soon they were making out, hands twined in each other’s hair – though Keith had to lean on one behind him, Shiro leaning in enough that it was pushing him back, but he enjoyed every second.
The sun was beyond the horizon and millions of stars were above them in a deep navy sky, setting Shiro was a bit too happy about. Shiro was the first to pull away, suddenly aware that time was passing, and that air was a necessity. He realized belatedly that this was their first kiss and wondered if Keith knew that in the moment. Keith’s expression was a mix of embarrassment and longing, and Shiro leaned him back up so he could try to breathe normally again. When they could both catch their breaths again, Shiro couldn’t stop the smile that quirked at the edges of his lips. He turned to pull up Keith’s jaw, a little amused at his startled expression, but too determined to get his words out to get sidetracked.
“S-Shiro-” Keith was a little afraid he’d be kissed again, suddenly aware that their team was just some little ways away, and definitely not wanting them to walk up. Was that our first kiss? The realization washed over him suddenly, but he forced himself to meet Shiro’s eyes. He was mostly startled by the… he was afraid to put words to what he thought he spotted in his expression, afraid to hope, so he stayed quiet and watched him – waiting.
Shiro breathed in, taking in the moment around them, not wanting to let it go, a little afraid of how quickly reality took things away from him, but needing to let out what was building in his chest, the words repeating in his mind. 'Patience yields focus, right? You can do this, Shiro.' Oddly enough, the voice in his head…was Keith’s.
“Keith,” his voice was low, gentle, “I love you, too.” The words were barely out before he was met with a quick brush of lips, arms around his neck, and he could tell Keith was crying. Shiro wrapped his arm around him.
“I’m so glad you’re back, Shiro,” Keith whispered.
They sat there, against each other, for a long while, not willing to let the moment go before Pidge finally walked up to where they sat to call them over for food. But that night was a new memory that Shiro would cling to for a long time, one that was his, and no one would take it from him, not ever again.