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"A cat," Keith repeats incredulously. "On a spaceship."
"Well, it sounds crazy when you put it like that," Shiro says.
"Possibly because it's actually crazy," Keith points out.
"My quarters are plenty roomy," Shiro says defensively. "I could make sure she gets all the preventive care she needs when we're on Earth, and Private Quinn was a vet before the war. She said she'd be happy to be available for emergency care if it's ever needed. Veronica said she'd watch her for me if I'm ever pulled away on a longer mission." Keith still looks skeptical. "The shelter in town just opened up again, and there's so many strays since the war ended, and… and I've always wanted one," he admits, deflating a little. "My grandmother was allergic so I could never have one growing up, but… their toe beans, Keith." He looks up. "Do you really think it's a bad idea?"
Keith sighs, sinking onto the couch next to Shiro. "Honestly, it sounds like you've really thought it through. It does sound crazy, but I'm sure you can make it work. It's not like the Atlas is like any other spaceship, anyway. She's basically a flying city." The lights in the room brighten briefly, as if in cheery thanks.
"That's what I said!" Shiro agrees brightly. He knows he doesn't need Keith's approval, but he still feels better to know he won't be catching disapproving glances from him. "So, you'll go with me, then?"
"Go with you?" Keith's brow furrows. "I mean, I guess, if you want."
"Of course I do," replies Shiro, as if it's the most obvious thing in the world. To him, it is. "It's a big decision, I'll feel better if I have your opinion." If it's also an excuse to spend more time with his best friend, well, he'll keep that to himself. They've been busy recently, with Keith splitting his time between Atlas and the Blades, and Shiro misses him.
He misses the way Keith's face goes soft sometimes, like how it does now.
"Yeah," Keith says quietly, smiling across at him. "I'll go with you."
The next day, Shiro is more grateful than ever that he asked Keith to accompany him. He's a little overwhelmed at the sheer number of cats in the shelter, not to mention the variety. There's everything from squeaking litters of newborn kittens, small and helpless, their eyes not even open yet, to old, jaded cats who stare at him blandly from behind the bars.
"The young litters only go out to foster homes who can take the whole litter, mom and all, until the kittens are eight weeks old," Charity, the friendly woman helping them, explains as she leads them past the kennels holding the youngest kittens. She gestures to the rest of the room. "The kittens old enough to adopt are all from here down. And that door at the end leads to the room with the older cats, which we just came through."
Shiro blows out a long breath as he turns, taking in all the cages.
"I'm not going to hover," Charity says, smiling. "Take your time to look around. I'll be out front if there's one you want to take out and get to know a little better."
"Thank you," Shiro says automatically. "We'll try not to be too long."
Charity waves a hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it," she says cheerfully. "Adopting a pet together is a big step, so it's important to find the right fit, you know? Let me know if you need any help!" With that, she disappears through the swinging door before either of them can voice a word of protest.
Shiro darts a look at Keith, who is flushed bright red. He looks up just in time to catch Shiro's eye, and throws up his hands in innocence. "Don't look at me, I didn't tell her that."
The immediate denial hurts a little, even if Shiro knows it isn't intended that way. "I know," he says quickly. "I guess the confusion is understandable, though."
Keith's eyebrows nearly reach his hairline at that. "Is it?"
"I imagine most people who come in to look at animals in pairs are couples," Shiro says after a moment, because it's easier than because of the way I look at you when you're not looking and because people have made that mistake before and sometimes I don't have the heart to correct them and because we should be.
"You're probably right," Keith agrees after a pause, turning around to look at a kitten that was mewling insistently at him. He blatantly ignores the sign on the wall to stick his finger through the bars, letting the gray tabby gnaw on his nail. "So, kitten or adult cat?"
"Adult," Shiro answers without hesitation. "Definitely."
Keith slants a crooked grin at him over his shoulder. "Not tempted by the tiny toebeans?"
"Very tempted," Shiro admits, coming over to join Keith in his delinquency, slotting a finger through the bars to scratch behind the kitten's ear while she continues mauling Keith's finger. "But I think a calm, older cat might be a better fit, considering my schedule. Besides, those don't get adopted as often," he says dutifully, pouting a little as he withdraws his hand.
Keith's face does that soft thing again, and he steps back from the cage, carefully disengaging from needle-sharp teeth, before reaching out to give Shiro's sleeve a tug.
"Come on," he says. "Let's go find your cat." He leads them through the door they'd entered through, back to the room with the older cats. Some perk up at their entry, pawing at the bars, but most merely swivel an ear in their direction before deciding they aren't worth their notice.
Shiro starts on one side, looking at each cat, sometimes talking softly to them, and reading the information card stuck in the plastic sleeve on each kennel. Keith takes a more random approach, wandering around and pausing at the cats who catch his attention. Eventually he ends up down at the very end, at the closest kennel to the door out to the main lobby. He pauses at the cat he sees there, grinning as he squats down to smile into the kennel on bottom.
"Hey Shiro," he calls. "This one matches you!"
Shiro comes over, smiling at the cat watching them warily from behind the bars. She's white, with medium-length hair and two-tone eyes — one blue, one gold. She doesn't approach the bars as Shiro reads her card.
"Doesn't get along well with dogs, small children, or other cats. Wary of humans, but warms up over time," Shiro reads aloud. "You're a prickly girl, huh?" he asks, smiling a little. "Recommended for a calm adult-only household." He rocks back on his heels, considering. She watches him, then lays down, crossing her front paws primly in front of her.
"I'm not sure households come much calmer than yours," Keith points out. "No kids, no other pets."
"I'd hate to have a cat that doesn't get along with the space wolf, though," Shiro says.
Keith looks momentarily startled by that, but then he grins.
"He's not really a dog, anyway. I'm sure they'd get along just fine. Right…" He pauses to read her name, "...Princess?"
"The name can absolutely be changed," says Charity from behind them. Keith yelps and falls on his ass just as Shiro jumps and catches himself on a nearby cage door. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you," she says, laughing a little as Shiro stands. "But yeah, she was brought in as a stray and never really responded to that name anyway, so it could be changed. Would you like to get her out and meet her? She's had a hard time finding a person because it takes her a little while to warm up to you and most people want a cat to cuddle with."
"You're good at getting us prickly ones to warm up to you," Keith says, sending a soft smile Shiro's way.
"Yeah," Shiro hears himself saying. "Yeah, let's meet her."
Shiro becomes That Cat Dad, and he's not even ashamed of it. The paladin group chat is spammed with pictures of Princess Yuki at all hours, and Keith gets even more in their private chat. Princess Yuki gets only the finest food, and wears a beautiful rhinestone-studded purple collar that jingles prettily when she walks.
Despite the fact that he spends half his time away on missions with the Blades, Keith is still the only person aside from Shiro she'll allow to pet her. Shiro silently congratulates her on her good taste as she curls up in Keith's lap a few weeks after she moves in.
"She doesn't even do that for me," Shiro points out, but he can't bring himself to be mad about it, considering how cute they look together.
"We have a lot in common," Keith says. "Don't we, Princess?"
It's too cute. Shiro is going to die. He snaps a picture to send to the group chat while Keith's distracted scratching under her chin.
"Like what?" Shiro asks, his voice coming out a bit strangled.
"Well, we were both saved by you, for one thing," Keith says without looking up. "Neither of us like strangers too much." He pauses, glances up at Shiro, then looks back down at where he's petting the cat and plows on. "We both like the idea of being petted by you and getting in your bed, but she's gotten much farther with that than I have."
Shiro's brain comes to a screeching halt. He has to mentally rewind that and listen to it again before he can even think of forming a reply. Keith's still keeping his eyes firmly glued to Princess, carefully not meeting Shiro's gaze as he sits down hard next to them on the couch.
"You- She- what?"
Keith shifts on the couch as if he wants to get up but isn't willing to dislodge the cat.
"Yeah, I figured you didn't- never mind, forget I said anything," he says, flushing red.
"No," Shiro says, dumbfounded. "No, I won't, I- did you just use my cat to hit on me?"
Keith shifts again. "Maybe," he says, darting a glance at Shiro's face. "If it worked."
"If it- Keith." It's all he gets out before he's closed the distance between them, leaning carefully over Princess in Keith's lap in order to reach his lips, kissing him with every bit of the pent-up longing he's been repressing for the past few years.
"Oh," Keith says quietly when they part. "You want… this?"
"If by 'this' you mean you," Shiro says, cupping Keith's face in his hands, "then yes, Keith. God, yes."
They lean in again, both careful not to jostle Princess, but if they get a bit distracted and she jumps off in a huff a bit later, well, she's had her time in Keith's lap. It's Shiro's turn.