Archive of Our Own

Shiro knows when Keith had a bad day. It's very easy for him to tell, mostly by how long they've known each other. Shiro is sure Keith knows every single thing about him, too, and is not ashamed to say when Shiro needs a break, even in front of his crew or their superiors. Keith is a force of nature no one can really control. Not even Shiro himself.

Thinking it through, is mostly Shiro's fault that he doesn't have enough rest. He works too much, many people had pointed out to him when he stifles a yawn before a meeting or discreetly stretches his muscles after being seated down for a long time. Shiro tends to be reserved on how much he actually works and how much he actually rests from it. So having Keith putting his foot down and making everyone leave Shiro alone and forcing Shiro have a well-deserved break is what probably keeps Shiro alive and not over-worked. 

But with Keith- Keith's just so different. He overworks himself and, while many people can tell by the slump of his shoulders and the deeper frown on his face, no one tries to pry him off work because he knows his own limits. Shiro knows his, too, but he waits until the breaking point to do something about it and sleep it off, which is unhealthy and stupid but Shiro can't help it —he always felt the need to keep going even when tired, first trying to win the race against his own decaying body, later trying to survive against forced to-death fights and the universe in war. 

But Keith doesn't. Keith just knows when it's too much, just on the healthy, more coherent side, and he needs a break.

Everyone can see when Keith is tired. But Shiro can identify when he's just tired and when he's completely exhausted —the drag of his always light feet, the drop of his expression, the little pout on his lips, the messy ruffle of hair around his face, his braid tight but bangs just more disheveled than normal.  Shiro just knows when he sees him, and it's more than obvious right then, when the door of their quarters whooshes close behind Keith's slumping body.

He lets out a sigh Shiro knows he's been holding ever since he landed a few minutes ago, having to stand straight and keep himself together longer for the debrief with Kolivan and Krolia.

"Hey," Shiro says softly from the couch, and Keith turns to him slowly, lazily, his tired eyes lightening up when catching sight of Shiro. 

"Hey," he says, voice rough with weariness, and Shiro is grateful his own day was good, because now he can take care of Keith.

Keith had a bad day and, unlike most people that cowers at the sight of a grumpy, exhausted Keith, Shiro knows exactly what to do to make it better and he's more than willing to do so.

"Come here," he murmurs, beckoning him close with his hands.

Keith does, slowly, his feet dragging on the floor, and he sits down in the floor, between Shiro's legs. He sighs long and heavy, leaning his cheek on Shiro's knee, and Shiro starts removing the hair tie holding together his black hair in an intricate braid.

He pulls the hair tie on his left wrist, knowing full well that they are precious since Keith manages to lose most of them on duty and Shiro is the only one that somehow achieves to save some when Keith comes back, and that his right wrist is too wide to making them loose and useless with time, and starts loosening his hair from the braid, little by little, each strand going free on his fingers from the tips to the top. He feels Keith going limp with his ministrations, his shoulders dropping with relaxed breaths, and Shiro smiles to himself, letting his fingers play with Keith's now loose hair and scrape his scalp. 

Keith sighs something similar to Shiro's name and he feels something warm and unbearable fill his chest.

"Better?"