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Life as a half ghoul isn’t easy. Ever since his birth, Keith has straddled two worlds: human and ghoul. As the son of a human man and a ghoul woman, he’s had to work twice as hard as anyone to act like he belongs in either world. He’s tried time and time again to eat like a human, only for his stomach to rebel and reject everything but coffee. Pure, black coffee. Just like a true ghoul.
“Keith?” Shiro stirs next to him. His eyes open as he moves closer to drape his arm over Keith’s waist. “You’re so tense, baby. What’s wrong? Nightmares?” He kisses Keith’s forehead as he pressed him closer.
“Can’t sleep.”
Shiro lays his head on the pillow over Keith’s shoulder. “You don’t have to worry or stay up late to watch over me. Haggar is gone; she can’t hurt me ever again.” He sounds so calm when he says the name of the woman who tortured and experimented on him for months. She took his arm, took his organs in a kagune transplating experiment…
Keith grits his teeth. “Just because Haggar is dead doesn’t mean the rest of her henchmen are. Plus the CCG are still out there, lying in wait to kill any ghoul who drops their guard.” He touches the stump of Shiro’s arm. Hatred for Haggar makes his eyes flash in the darkness of their bedroom.
Shiro nuzzles his neck. “We aren’t reckless in our feeding. We keep low profiles, stay clear of the CCG. Now relax and try to get some sleep. It’s three in the morning.”
Keith gives him an incredulous look. “How can you talk about going to sleep like nothing happened? Haggar took your arm! She used you as a test subject!” He feels so helpless when he thinks of the months of Shiro’s captivity, his panic over his missing boyfriend, and then his blind fury when he discovered what Haggar had done to Shiro.
Shiro sighs as he squeezes Keith tighter. “I hate Haggar for what she’s done to me. Yes, I still have nightmares about my time in her lab. You know I do. I feel phantom pains in my missing arm sometimes. Dwelling on it isn’t going to change what happened to me. It’ll only stop me from rebuilding my life. Besides,” he kisses Keith’s cheek, “I have you. My knight in shining armor. Or black leather,” he teases “You’ll go to the ends of the world to save me from Haggar, the CCG, anyone who comes after me. I know I’m safe with you.”
Keith takes a shuddering breath. Shiro is right of course. Keith can and will take on anyone who tries to take Shiro away from him. “I love you.”
Shiro smiles warmly at him. “I love you too, Keith. Now will you please go to sleep instead of glaring at the ceiling and brooding over the past? We’re ghouls, not zombies. We have to look lively for Allura’s birthday party this afternoon.”
Keith smirks. “And Lance’s shock when she proposes to him. Think he’ll cry?”
“He so will.” Shiro draws the covers up over them. “Both of us have suffered more hardships than anyone should. If we dwell on it, we let it define our lives. I want my triumphs to define me. Not my trials.”
Three in the morning is too early to have philosophical conversations about life and experiences. So Keith relents and begins to relax, especially when Shiro kisses away the worry lines creasing his forehead. “Okay. Good night.”
Shiro chuckles softly. “Good night. Your eyes are normal again.”
“You know I struggle with that when I’m upset.”
“Just like the Hulk.” Shiro grins at him, while Keith rolls his eyes at the nerd he’s going to marry soon.
“Good thing I don’t turn green and lose control whenever my zen breaks. Or we’d struggle with our sex life.” And spend all their paychecks on buying furniture or home repairs.
It feels good to laugh while cuddled up to Shiro. Ghoul life isn’t easy, but he’s here with someone he loves. With Shiro at his side, Keith knows he can do anything.