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There was a rattling sound coming from the ceiling.
Not knowing who to trust on this alien, supposedly rebel Galra base, Shiro decided to move to the corner of the room. He didn’t even try to find an object to use as a makeshift weapon – his new arm would more than suffice.
As he braced himself for a fight, a crate fell down from the ceiling and a face popped out. Well, half a face, the bottom half covered with what looked like a bandana. “Are you the human?”
“I think so? I’m Shiro.” He said, staring up at the very big, very pretty pair of eyes.
The man who he supposed was crawling in the ventilation system looked him up and down, finally settling on his face. “It’s nice to meet you, Shiro. See you later.” He said, before disappearing again.
Shiro was stunned for a moment, only recovering after a few seconds. “Wait! I don’t even know your name.” He shouted, to no reply.
***
After a few days in isolation, not counting the unofficial visit from the ceiling-dweller, Ulaz and Kolivan brought him to meet the rest of the Blades. They pointed to each of them, their face masks disintegrating when introduced. They introduced the smallest one at the very end.
“This is our pride and joy, Keith. The only child of a Blade born in the last couple of decades.” As soon as the mask disappeared, he knew. He might not have seen the whole face, but those beautiful eyes were unmistakable. This was the pretty vent crawler. Shiro couldn’t stop himself from staring, not only at the eyes, this time.
“He’s like our own child to all of us.” Kolivan said pointedly. ”And we would do everything to protect him.” One of the Blades behind him mimicked slicing someone’s throat. Good to know some gestures are universal.
Keith gave him a tiny smile.
He was doomed.
***
“My father was human. He passed away.” Keith told him, somehow easily perched in the middle of a completely slick, impenetrable wall above him. “My mom is Galra. She took me here when she found out Dad died. I still remember Earth, a little. But I want to know more.”
“Earth is alright.” Shiro replied without much conviction. “Only planet I’ve been to so far, so I’m not an expert.”
***
He liked Keith, and Keith liked him.
Alas. As soon as Keith started being friendly towards him, everyone else stopped.
Dinner time was the worst.
“So.” Kolivan turned to address him. “How are you finding the base?” And then, without giving him the time to answer the first question. “What is your relationship with Keith?”
“Keith and I are getting along well. We’ve trained together a few times, spared once or twice.” Shiro said, hesitantly.
One of the Blades, easily three times the size of him, decided this was the moment to chop right through bone of whatever horrible, gigantic creature was on the table, with what looked like an oversized machete. He swung it a couple more times. Each one of swings could sever several human beings in half.
Keith put a hand on his knee under the table.
He was going to die.
***
He was just trying to find a pod, and not to accidentally listen in on a conversation between Kolivan and Keith. He tried to hide with the utilities as soon as he heard voices.
“Look, Keith, I understand that seeing another human might be exciting for you, but you should curb your emotions.”
“It’s not about that. I want to spend time with him and you can’t stop me.”
“I can call your mother.”
“What do you think she’s gonna tell you?” Keith stormed away angrily, from the sound of a coder being thrown to the floor and doors being slammed. Now to have Kolivan leave.
“This is unacceptable. Can’t manage him by myself.” He heard Kolivan say. Shiro wasn’t sure what he meant exactly, but used the moment to escape to his room.
***
There was the timid knock on his door.
Keith was wearing shorts and a checkered shirt tied mid torso, showing off his toned stomach and long, long legs. “What do you think?” he asked, twirling around.
Shiro choked on his tongue.
“My mom has a collection of old Earth movies that my Dad used to watch. I think these are called daisy dukes?” Keith asked, pointing to the very short shorts, and then looking concerned. “Shiro? Are you okay? Your face is completely red.”
“I’m fine.” Shiro managed to utter, with a furtive last look at Keith’s pretty face and legs, before turning tail and walking away as fast as dignity would allow him.
He knew his survival was dependent on the goodwill of the Blades. He was not a smart man.
He turned around “You look really great.” He half shouted at Keith before breaking into a full sprint away from Keith and towards the gym.
***
Keith cornered him just as he was leaving his room. “Everyone’s leaving on some big mission today.” He said, and then leaned in to whisper in his ear. “Why don’t you come to my room tonight?” Keith brushed his lips ever so slightly against Shiro’s ear, gave him a butterfly kiss on the cheek, and then swiftly walked away.
Shiro was so screwed.
***
He knew it was a bad idea. He knew it was a bad idea and he did it anyway.
He survived a year in the Arena fighting the most terrifying monsters imaginable, and now he was going to die because of long legs and a pretty face.
“How dare you try to sneak into Keith’s room at night?” One of the Blades in front of him snarled. They all had their masks on, probably for some extra intimidation. It wasn’t necessary, with there being almost a hundred of them in the room, and Shiro being tied to a chair with his arm deactivated.
Shiro wanted to say that he was invited, but then he thought better of it. He would like to live a few minutes longer.
The snippets of half whispered conversations he managed to catch were not at all encouraging.
“We should drop him off at a nearest Empire-led planet.”
“He knows too much about us. I say we kill him and dump him somewhere.”
“We can keep him in the prisoner compartment for a while, then kill him and hide the body.”
All conversation ceased when Keith barged through the door and placed himself in front of Shiro.
“He’s mine.” He said, unsheathing his blade and hissing. Everyone took a step back.
Kolivan sighed. “Well, what are you waiting for? Take the human away.”
Keith hissed louder.
Some of the Blades exchanged looks. Not one of them made an attempt to move towards Keith and Shiro.
“Why aren’t you taking him away?”
One of the Blades raised his hand hesitantly. “Remember when we tried to take away his favourite blanket to wash it, when he was a child? He could have been three, at most. I nearly lost an eye.”
“Had the same thing with his stuffed toys.” Another one piped up. “If Keith likes something, you’re not taking it away without losing a limb.” He waved his cybernetic hand to add to the point. Shiro was torn between hoping it’s not true and really hoping they would leave him alone.
“Fine, then.” Kolivan sighed. “Untie him, and let’s fight.” He motioned to all the Blades standing there, easily a hundred, if not more. “Take out your weapons and fight the human.”
“No, please, I don’t want to fight you!” He could take on some of them, for sure, but not a hundred. Besides, they were Keith’s family. He couldn’t bear to hurt them, not if it would hurt Keith.
There was a long stretch of silence.
Finally, Kolivan cleared his throat. “You don’t want to fight us?”
“No, I really, really don’t.” Shiro said pleadingly.
It was, as usual, the wrong thing to say. For a moment, everyone was seemingly stunned silent.
And then, Keith started crying.
All of the Blades unsheathed their weapons. Keith gave him a look of absolute betrayal before he ran out of his room.
Now he wasn’t going to even get a proper burial. He’d just be tossed out of the airlock, if not into the trash compartment.
Takashi Shirogane, a lost astronaut, tossed out of an alien trash compartment. No one would even ever know.
That was his future until a Galra bearing some resemblance to Keith stormed the room. Shiro was halfway to passing out by that point.
“What is going on here?”
“He said he didn’t want to fight us.”
“Well, did you ask him if he knew what it meant? Humans don’t fight the parents when courting. They just get married.”
***
“Since all misunderstandings are resolved, let us proceed with the ceremony.”
Shiro, being half dragged to the hangar, finally put his foot down. “What ceremony is it.”
Krolia put a hand on his arm. “Marriage, honey. You’re getting married to my son. I’d cry, if I could.”
Shiro stopped moving at all.
“I’m getting married?”
“Are you backing out? Do you not want to marry our Keith?” Kolivan asked. The Blades escorting them put their hands at their weapons.
“What? No, sir. As in yes, sir, I do want to marry him. I just didn’t know it would be now.”
“Well, what are you waiting for?” Kolivan asked, donning a fatherly expression. “You either face a marital bliss with our dearest, only child, or a horribly painful death, if you hurt him in any way.”