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The first time it happens, Keith is attempting to keep a good distance. He doesn’t want to swarm over Shiro, make him feel any less capable of walking down the staircase. Daily physical therapy exercises have been going well, and Shiro’s body has grown much stronger over time. The’ve built themselves up to this point now. Keith catches, and he’s growing restless cooped up in the black lion. There’s only so many jokes Shiro can make about being here forever without Keith catching exactly what he means. Shiro has always been an intrepid explorer, and nothing will ever stand between him and his admirable conviction.
The way Shiro bites his lip, grips the railings a little looser than he should - it’s further proof of unspoken things. Frustration. Mostly at himself, at the rate of his recovery. Keith can only guess, but he knows Shiro, knows how much he puts on himself. So Keith lingers behind, sharp gaze fixed on every single movement. A precautionary measure, born from fierce resolve to make sure Shiro is okay.
They get halfway down when it happens. Shiro stumbles on the step, lurching forwards. Eyes wide, Keith dives into action and desperately reaches. It’s an instinct, to protect him, always. As many times as it takes . Keith’s fingers card through absolutely nothing and it’s horrifying. Shiro vanishes in a flash of white light. He’s gone. Before Keith can process that, Shiro materialises.
In his arms.
That’s enough to jolt Keith back into the present, let go of the budding panic.
“What just - what - Shiro! Are you okay? What just happened?”
Tightening his grip to support Shiro, Keith catches his breath. Seeing Shiro disappear that way - it’s not something he can just brush aside. Concern dances in his eyes. There’s a pink tinge to Shiro’s cheeks that absolutely cannot be a blush.
“I… I don’t know,” Shiro admits, glancing around the steps dumbfounded. A soft smile nestles in the corner of his mouth as their eyes meet. “But it’s a good thing you were here to catch me.”
Lips twitching, Keith’s gaze softens. “I’ll always be there to catch you,” and he says it like it’s the easiest promise to make, the most natural of affirmations. That’s because it is.
It’s not until they get to the bottom of the steps that Keith sets Shiro down.
Things only escalate from there.
They’re picking up supplies Kolivan has arranged for blades in their area to give them. Keith bites down a smile when the names Sorang and Akkim are mentioned on the list of blades meeting them. It’s been many, many missions since they last spoke, but they are old friends. Tracking down that quintessence, isolated from contact from the outside world, really had fostered a familiarity between the crew. Apparently, going by the same reaction, those names means something to Krolia as well. Curiosity piqued, Keith mulls it over on their journey to the stop-point. Romelle, Coran and Shiro agree to stay back and keep an eye on the lions whilst Keith and the others are picking up the gear.
As the blades approach, Keith turns to Krolia.
“You knew Sorang?” he asks. “And Akkim?”
“We shared many missions together before I went to earth,” Krolia says, her voice entirely full of fondness. There are many stories there, waiting to be told. “I’m glad to hear their names again.”
Out of all the blades, Sorang is the first to remove her mask and that’s not at all uncommon. Tail swishing, she greets them with a toothy smile. Her eyes flick between Keith and Krolia in open joy, the scales around the edges of her face gleam in the sunlight. One look is all it took for her to piece together their connection, it seems.
“Oh! This is very wonderful. Krolia, you are mother to a brilliant son.”
“I know.” Krolia sounds so proud and Keith isn’t really sure how he’s supposed to handle that or Sorang’s teasing. Clasping Keith by the shoulders, Sorang gasps. Her eyes rest on the scar, but she knows better than to mention it. She’s always been good at keeping Keith focused on other things, momentary distractions.
“A brilliant, bigger man! You must be eating well, no longer a little duckling.”
Of course, Sorang had to bring that up didn’t she. Keith groans, close to dragging a hand down his face. It’s been years and yet still that one thing prevails.
“She’s right. You have grown from many, many waddles,” Akkim observes cheerfully not missing a beat, walking a circle around Keith and comparing their heights. Keith still has nothing on Sorang’s tall frame, but he’s catching up to Akkim. He smirks when Akkim’s hand bumps into the back of Keith’s head when comparing, Akkim gives a small hair ruffle for old time’s sake. To Keith’s dismay, Krolia raises an eyebrow whilst mouthing ‘duckling’. The paladins behind them seem stunned by the scene, unsure how to respond. Sorang and Akkim are always an initial surprise behind the expectations of wearing a mask. They’re excellent blades, as wise as their many years, and even better people.
“It’s….a long story,” Keith admits sheepishly to the group. And that’s a good time to move on as any. “So, you guys got the supplies for us?”
Akkim extends a hand, guiding Keith forwards towards their ship. From there, things flow smoothly. It’s nice. Between crates, Krolia and Sorang exchange stories. Keith mutters something in Galra as he walks past, mostly to prove to Sorang how much he’s improved. With a grin, he narrowly avoids the playful smack of her tail. Akkim asks for more jokes, to which Hunk and Pidge are all too happy to oblige. Lance soon joins in too, and it turns out to Keith’s horror that he finds a few of them funny too.
“I knew it!” Lance cries jubilantly, pointing an accusing finger at Keith. The juxtaposition is startling and it’s unclear if Lance is actually glad about this. “You just laughed at one of my jokes!”
This will never be forgotten, will always be used against him in any of their future discussions, Keith knows this. Rolling his eyes fondly, Keith makes his way back towards the ship for another crate. As he steps inside, he’s greeted by a sight he could never have predicted.
“Shiro...” It’s a surprise to see him standing there amongst the supplies. And from the looks of things, it’s a surprise to Shiro himself too. He’s frowning down at the floor, studying it carefully as if something unworldly and unnatural.
“I thought you were gonna stay in the lion,” Keith cocks his head, picking up one of the crates. He doesn’t ask the question they’re both wondering.
“I was… but I was just thinking about you and now here I am,” Shiro says and Keith has no idea how on earth he’s supposed to feign a neutral expression. There’s a budding smile surfacing, but it’s promptly cut short. Beside him, he can hear Lance rustling, likely on the verge of making some comment. Nudging him with an elbow, Keith narrows his eyes pointedly. They’ll have to talk about this later, Keith is aware. But for now, the serene scene folds over them and welcomes Shiro into it with open arms.
Sorang and Akkim take to Shiro very kindly, and Keith is so very glad nobody else can understand the words exchanged before they part ways. Krolia catches it, humming as she walks by his side, Shiro on the other. She’s also smiling. Knowingly.
It’s a good thing Keith’s hair is a little overgrown, because he can feel his ears burning red the entire journey back.
“I’ll ride with Pidge,” pressing a hand into Keith’s shoulder lightly, Shiro smiles. It unfurls gently over his lips, seeps into every word. “You’ll be okay?”
Keith hears it, what Shiro is really asking and it floors him even now to this day after everything. They put each other first. Nodding weakly, he grips the controls tighter. He doesn’t doubt Shiro, or Pidge. But there’s a pang in his chest - an unconditional one that fills him with fear each time Shiro slips out of his sight. The incident on the steps still unsettles him.
“Yeah.” Keith forces a smile that must look as stale and unconvincing as it feels. “See you at the next drop-off.”
“I’m only a lion away, Keith.” And that’s too much because Keith should be the one reassuring Shiro.
Pressing his eyes shut, Keith slumps back in his seat and hitches a breath. He hears the slide of the black lion’s doors, indicating Shiro is gone. Okay. Come on. He’ll be back. He will. Keith knows this and it’s illogical to think otherwise. But sometimes, just sometimes, it doesn’t feel irrational at all to worry, to let this consume him. The black lion rumbles beneath his fingers, in a way Keith supposes is meant to indicate solidarity of some sort. Clearing his throat, Keith sits up and opens the comms.
“Okay guys. We’ll-”
“-Wait!” Pidge exclaims, Keith catches the surprise there. “Where’d Shiro go? He was right here!”
Dread fills him instantly. It’s barely lessened as a bright flash of light emanates from behind him. Glancing over his shoulder, Keith gapes. He’s not seeing a ghost, this is no apparition, no mirage on the horizon of a desert. It shouldn’t be possible, but here they are in this situation. Yet again.
“He’s here,” Keith breathes, struggling to keep his voice even.
And in come the flurry of voices.
“Are you serious?”
“How is he doing that?!”
Hunk’s rambles cut through. “Is it something to do with you know when you said you saw him in that place the black lion saved him to? Is it like a-”
Keith catches it in the corner of his eyes. Shiro looks down at the place the prosthetic used to be, clenched his fist. It’s troubling, but it has to be experienced tenfold for Shiro. Keith’s heart aches at the sight, has him biting back a little sharper than necessary to shut the probing down.
“-Guys. We’ll talk about this later, okay? Let’s move!”
It plays on Keith’s mind more than he cares to admit. The theories spouted by Pidge and Hunk intermittently across the comms do less to ease his concerns rather than more. He understands their desire to find the answer and help, that it’s important to. But the thought of something else happening to Shiro twists his insides uncomfortably, is dizzying in the most unpleasant of ways that leaves him incapable of concentrating even on piloting when it hits hardest. Shiro has lost so much and he’s fought so hard. He deserves this peace, this time to recuperate and rest.
“Uh guys,” Lance calls out across the comms, breaking Keith from his thoughts. “I think Shiro just lion hopped again.”
They’ve resorted to calling it ‘lion hopping’, because it’s been happening more and more Shiro tries travelling in other lions. He always finds himself back here inexplicably, back in the black lion. Not always at first, but eventually. Keith sits and talks to the black lion in the quiet hours when they’re cruising and Shiro is asleep, tries to understand what’s going on as best he can. It hasn’t evaded him that perhaps some part of their bond may be tied to the astral plane. But the black lion gives nothing back, often insulted by being affiliated with these ‘mere parlour tricks’ as it calls them, insisting this is something it isn’t responsible for. Keith’s unsure what to make of that, and he’d hardly call this a ‘parlour trick’.
“He’s not here,” Hunk confirms as the others call off to reveal the same.
By the time Allura is speaking, Keith already has Shiro’s hand on his shoulder.
“Man, this place might be one of the nicest we’ve stopped at so far!” Lance exclaims whilst leaning back in his seat. He’s made himself right at home on this planet, along with the space mice.
But it’s also been the only place they’ve stayed with other people, and Keith cannot help be uneasy about it. The lions are exhausted, the team are vulnerable. And as much as Keith strives to see others through a lens that is generally fair and allows their actions to prove their character, it’s too much of a risk to have that luxury right now. Giving strangers the opportunity to gain their trust could be a costly mistake, and it just might be used against them. One glance towards Krolia sat beside Shiro has Keith on high alert. Shadow is lying dutifully by Shiro’s feet, nudging its nose into Shiro’s leg.
He can’t risk that, knowing who is at stake.
“We’re not stopping,” Keith snaps back, drawing all the team’s attention to him. He’s glad Shiro is just out of earshot from this conversation. “We’ll gather supplies and stop at the next site. We don’t know who we’re dealing with, they could be dangerous.”
Allura steps forward in the silence, offering a sympathetic smile.
“Keith.” And there’s that enviable, diplomatic disposition. Keith’s convinced if anyone could talk down the devil themselves through words alone and give a firm negotiation that worked in her favour, it would be Allura. “I understand your caution, and I agree we should not let down our guard entirely. But they have given us refuge.” Her eyes drift towards the food prepared on the table. Even Keith can see it looks good. “It would be… rather rude to refuse their offerings.”
Pidge’s stomach grumbling behind Keith breaks his resolve. She can’t be the only one hungry and in desperate need of refueling. Glancing over his shoulder, Keith catches Shiro dozing off beside Krolia. His head is tipped down and drooping. Undoubtedly, it’s not planned rest and further proof of just how wiped out Shiro really is. They’ll have better facilities here, and that cements it for Keith.
“Fine. But we shouldn’t stay too long.”
It’s not until the hot water burns away the tension brewing between his shoulders that Keith agrees Lance had been right to suggest they stop here for a few days. Allura’s reassurances so far have proven to be correct. The people of Tygerik wear kind smiles and sincerity on their sleeves, Keith almost feels ashamed for questioning their intentions. But getting back to earth and regaining the ability to wormhole jump is a priority gnawing away at his bones. And the consequences of making do without the powers of the castle ring all too sharply behind his eyes with each and every blink. It’s not just the whole team in danger, it’s the universe.
Then there’s his universe, Shiro.
A wet breath drags from his trembling lips, the water rippling down his spine. I died, Keith . It rattles through him, creeps up on him in the quiet when he least expects it to. The gravity of those words is too much sometimes, the grief that he buried in the sand now sits macabre and dark amidst the twinkling stars. He can’t wash this away, knows he can’t. And he doesn’t want to forget what it took to get Shiro here and keep him safe. That’s never something he will forsake or quantify because it’s forged from a limitless force that blazes within him, drives him.
But he can let the water singe his affirmations a little deeper into his skin. To protect, to fight, to make sure they survive no matter what unforgiving circumstances find their way to their doorstep. The searing shower holds all his senses captive, there’s no place for anymore wandering, no place to consider Keith had been searching the stars for a dead man whose consciousness had been trapped right where he sat and mourned and cleaved himself open the entire time. No, there’s no place for that to resound. Now the water starts to submerge his concerns, enough to finally breathe again. Slow steady gasps of air that sit uncomfortable above a tightened chest and throbbing pulse.
Rinse and repeat.
The shower is satisfying, exactly what he didn’t know he needed. Keith slings a towel around his waist, pulling his hair back into a ponytail. As he steps out of the shower, he almost finds himself slipping over at what he sees behind the curtain; almost. What the - Grabbing the bannister, thanking every celestial being in the universe the towel around his waist has in fact remained in place, Keith stares at Shiro, mortified. God, this is really happening. Shiro just magically appeared in the bathroom, any earlier and this could have been far more compromising.
“Keith! I- I… I’m so sorry I don’t know how this happened I-“ Shiro stammers, hands raised. His eyes pointedly veer away from the towel, but Keith doesn’t miss how they glide over his chest. Huh, that’s interesting information to file away for later and certainly isn’t making his face fill with heat. It’s just hot and steamy in here, that’s all. Yup.
Setting down his own embarrassment, because hey look there’s nothing wrong with being half naked yet alone in front of your one true soulmate despite said feelings being unacknowledged out loud, Keith reaches back to turn the shower off behind him. Then, all his focus goes back to Shiro.
“Don’t apologise.” He leans forward, placing a hand just above Shiro’s chest gently. “It’s not your fault it happened again. Are you okay?” It’s concerning, Shiro is so quiet. Too quiet, gaping like a deer caught in blinding headlights.
“Keith, I should go...” Hastily making way to the bathroom door, Shiro waves in a way that is far too frantic to not be suspicious. “See you later!”
Keith realises in horror that it's not just Shiro’s jaw that dropped before he left.
So did the towel.
The lobby of the quarters the Tygerik’s gave them is quiet as Keith steps inside, which is good. It is starting to get late, which probably explains it. The second sun has finally set on the horizon, leaving the planet tinged in a deep navy hue. Above them, the glass ceiling provides an incredible view and leaves nothing to imagination. A few floors up, the observatory is evermore breathtaking. Keith presumes that’s where Coran is, and probably the others. It’s about the right time to see some spectacular sights, he managed to catch a few with Shiro yesterday.
Shiro…
With a sigh, Keith sits down on the edge of the couch beside Krolia. He begs every shred of self-respect he has left to please stop replaying the shower scene over and over in his mind. But it only gets worse when his gaze finds Shiro asleep, sprawled across another couch. It’s been hours, he just can’t seem to forget. How do you move on from accidentally exposing yourself like that. The whole thing is a complete disaster.
“Everything okay?” Pidge asks curiously, peering over her computer screen.
“It happened again.” Keith makes a conscious effort to omit the details. Be vague and ambiguous, and also quiet enough to not rouse Shiro from his rest. “Shiro just randomly appeared out of nowhere this morning in front of me.”
“Well, it clearly has nothing to do with the lions as we haven’t been piloting them...” Pidge types something rapidly onto the laptop, adjusting her glasses. “That rules out a few possibilities.”
“I know what’s going on,” Krolia says suddenly, eyes fixed ahead. Keith can’t be too sure but he swears there’s a small smile tucked into the corner of his mother’s mouth when she explains. “I think Shadow is responsible for what’s happening to Shiro.”
“Shadow?” Keith asks, folding his arms across his chest. He can barely hide the relief rushing through him. It’s not the black lion, just as the black lion insisted. It’s not the astral plane, it’s not the body rejecting Shiro’s consciousness again. Probably. “What do you mean?”
Krolia gestures to the space wolf, nestling close to Shiro. It hasn’t escaped Keith’s notice just how much time Shadow spends with Shiro.
“Shadow manipulates space-time by travelling through dimensions to teleport. But it seems that it might be able to also do the same to others.”
“But how do we know for sure?” It’s not like Shadow can just tell them what it’s doing at any given moment in time. Krolia meets his eyes, and smiles openly. Somehow she knows Keith needs this, confirmation to ease the pressing doubts. Maybe, just once, the universe can play along and be considerate. Let them have this, something trivial and ridiculous without distorting it into something foreboding.
“We run a test.”
At the word test, Pidge perks up in her seat.
“What’s your hypothesis, exactly?”
“Shadow is moving Shiro to wherever Keith is.”
Keith suddenly laments how straightforward both he and his mother are in getting to the point. There is nowhere to hide here, no other implication people can take from that. Fortunately, they are in the presence of a scientist tech-wizard and engineer extraordinaire; Lance is nowhere in sight to prod and tease and god knows what else. That’s something that definitely cannot be taken for granted.
“So… it’s fetch but with like a person by throwing them through the space-time continuum?” Hunk asks. It sounds rhetorical, but has Keith snorting in dry amusement. Typical, Shadow has not once successfully brought back a stick when they’re trying to play a game, but it’ll teleport Shiro just fine.
“Exactly! It’s just like that!” Pidge exclaims with excitement and that sets off the sparks of science. The rapid dialogue that ensues between the pair of them is impossible for Keith to even being to understand. Krolia looks over to Keith blankly who shrugs back. Well. At least they’re both in the same boat there, which is reassuring. Undeterred, Krolia continues.
“There’s a simple way to confirm if this is true, Keith leaves the room while we stay to watch Shadow and Shiro.”
Now this is the part where Keith wishes he could just spontaneously combust on the spot or teleport himself somewhere far, far away. Keith doesn’t believe in luck as a governing force, but it is damn lucky Shiro is asleep and not catching any of this. Honestly. Krolia stands, the epitome of a woman on a very serious important mission, beckoning Shadow over.
“But why - why me?” Surely they’ve all noticed the gaping elephant in the room, that it’s him Shiro is being constantly teleported towards. But denial really is that easy to swim in, so he does as it’s too much to admit. Just because it’s consistent doesn’t mean it’s the only explanation. Averting his gaze, Keith purses his lips. “Maybe… maybe we should mix it up. Someone else leave the room instead.”
The reaction is unexpected. Silence splinters quickly into raw chaotic energy that’s inescapable. Pidge and Hunk burst into giggles of all things, holding their sides then shaking each other by the shoulders. Krolia narrows her eyes, casting an incredulous look at Keith. The green and yellow paladin follow suit to draw their focus over to him, grinning in a way that’s far too knowing. In fact, they look seconds away from doing some kind of strange reenactment or giving a terrible commentary Keith definitely won’t ever survive hearing.
He has never felt more judged in a single moment of his life.
“Uh… okay,” Keith manages weakly before things can escalate, or worse Shiro wakes up to this calamity. “I- I’ll...Guess I’ll just see myself out.”
He makes it four steps out the door before a familiar flash of white bursts in front of him. Shadow is wagging its tail looking infinitely proud of itself; Shiro barely stirs from his sleep. Glancing between Shadow and Shiro, Keith blinks.
“Wow that was fast,” Pidge remarks from the doorway in genuine awe. “I guess Shadow is just used to seeing you guys together a lot.” Keith hears the rising snark, and he doesn’t appreciate his own team turning on him in such a way. It’s so uncalled for.
Krolia taps her chin thoughtfully, but Keith knows his mother better than he did two years ago at Ranveig’s base. There’s something playful lingering there in her eyes. Pidge and Hunk are a bad influence, and apparently he can trust nobody to just let him live his life in peace.
“Perhaps it senses the strength of their connection…”
“Yeah,“ Hunk agrees in a nonchalant tone Keith can only describe as dangerous. He’s proven correct moments later. “Your little buddy sure likes playing happy families.”
“Pfft,” Pidge smirks and it’s an attack laced in poison with no known antidote. “Don’t you mean matchmaker- ”
Keith does the only reasonable thing he can do in the face of this epic betrayal. Pressing the button beside him, he closes the door and locks it for good measure. That’s how it has to be. Everyone gets a time out, apart from Shadow who still looks expectant for praise. It’s difficult not to give into those big eyes and fall to his knees to scratch behind Shadow’s ears. But no, Keith needs to be firm here.
“We need to talk.” Crouching down, Keith meets the wolf’s eyes slowly. “I know what you’re doing and I appreciate it, but you can’t keep this up anymore.” Shadow whines, ducking its head and tail drooping. Tilting his head, Keith frowns. “Hey. Don’t be like that. I’m not telling you off, just… asking you to stop.”
Walking over to Shiro, Shadow curls around him and makes a small noise of protest.
“Look, I get it I do I - I know,” Keith sighs, raking a hand through his hair. “Do I worry about what will happen when I look away? Do I think about how he might disappear any second all over again? Yeah. Sometimes... it’s all I think about. But - but that doesn’t matter because Shiro’s his own person, and he knows what he’s doing. I’ll always be there to keep him safe when he needs it, so we can’t treat him like some kid that needs watching.”
Pause. Keith thinks back to where it all started, a shaky breath pulled from his aching lungs.
“Unless he’s falling down the stairs or in danger, then you absolutely can do that and bring him back home. Okay?”
Shadow nuzzles into Keith’s hand, it seems to be a gesture agreeing to a deal.
“Heh, maybe now you can learn to play fetch with things that aren’t people.” Glancing over his shoulder, Keith raises an eyebrow. There’s mischief in his eyes as his lips curve up. “And maybe you can stop pretending to be asleep.”
Shiro’s eyes comically dart open. He has the audacity to pout as he sits up.
“I thought I was pretty convincing…”
“You weren’t.”
Keith doesn’t feel guilty for crushing Shiro’s fake-sleep acting dreams to pieces. He’s been through too many stages of embarrassment now and all of it is first-hand. Where was Shiro when Pidge, Hunk and his own mother were teasing him? In a deep convenient fake sleep, it seems. They move in hushed unison. Shiro takes Keith’s hand as he hoists himself up onto his feet. Neither of them let go despite the moment passing, Keith notices but doesn’t dare point it out. This is a different moment now, a more intimate one.
“Hey, at least now we know what’s been causing all of this,” Shiro admits with a grin. It feels stilted and forced somehow, as if this is a script where the lines written down run against what’s burning on their tongues. Shiro’s thumb absently strokes across Keith’s knuckles and a surge of prickly electricity shoots through every nerve in Keith’s body. All he finds he can do is nod in response until he finds his voice again in a state that isn’t completely unhinged.
“Thank you, Keith. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“Well,” Keith looks down at Shadow standing dutifully beside them. “Something tells me that’s never gonna be a problem again.” You’ll never be alone again, you’ll never be stuck somewhere like that again.
It’s supposed to be played off as a joke. But the delivery of it is a little too flat. Shiro frowns, squeezing Keith’s hand tight but never tight enough to bruise. He always knows, manages to read between the lines and hear what else is being said. Inching closer, Shiro presses their foreheads together. And everything around them melts away, leaving only this, only them. Keith sinks into it, slumping forwards helplessly to chase every piece of Shiro he can and treasure it.
“Nobody could have known that would happen,” Shiro whispers, low and soft. “It wasn’t your fault, Keith.”
Gritting his teeth, Keith pushes further into Shiro’s touch.
“I know.” He does know. But there’s a big difference between knowing and believing, and it doesn’t stop hindsight being any less cruel. Shiro pulls back, eyes searching Keith’s face languidly.
“I don’t plan on going anywhere anytime soon. Besides,” smiling down at the wolf, Shiro shrugs and Keith’s heart swells with more and more affection at the sight. God. “I think between the two of you guys I have the best life insurance in the whole galaxy.”
Later that night, when Keith is pulling back the covers and getting into bed, there’s a blinding flash of white. His back hits Shiro’s chest, Shadow tucked into his other side. Keith ducks his head, smiling into the fur. Maybe Hunk was right, because right here in this room is a family that conjures the rawest form of happiness Keith has ever known. It bursts between his ribs, filling his entire being with warmth.
And honestly, spontaneous and excessive teleporting be damned, Keith wouldn’t have this any other way.
Afterall, Shadow did exactly what Keith asked: brought Shiro home.