Work Text:
Tomorrow was Christmas.
Keith’s boots crunch over the snow as he makes his way home, a white bag in hand holding Shiro’s Christmas present.
The snow trickles down from above, coating his hat and collecting on his shoulders. The mall had been crowded, full of impatient holiday shoppers that had done a perfectly good imitation of turkeys with their heads cut off and Keith was impatient to get home.
They were going to dinner over at Hunk’s place tonight and Keith has to find time to wrap Shiro’s gift before Christmas. He knew he was doing this last minute, but he’d put off going to the mall to avoid the holiday shoppers. Obviously, his plan had backfired.
But the worst was done now, and he was relieved to be heading back to the familiar comforts of home.
__
Kosmo barks and leaps over to greet Keith as Shiro putters around the kitchen making dinner. He hurries to hide the gift in the coat closet as Shiro makes his way to greet Keith as well, looping an arm around his waist and placing a tender kiss to Keith’s cheek.
“Hey, handsome.”
Keith kicks the closet door closed behind him as he reaches up to embrace his boyfriend.
“Dinner should be ready in an hour.”
“Can I help with anything?” Keith asks, following Shiro to the kitchen.
“Mm you can do a real good job of standing there looking pretty,” Shiro hums.
“I don’t know, that sounds like too much work,” Keith teases back, the tension leaving his shoulders now that he was home.
The mall had been much too crowded for Keith, and Christmas shopping was always a stressful time of year, further accentuated by rude and pushy customers.
As Shiro starts messing around in the kitchen again, Keith takes his place against the counter with a generous glass of red in hand.
Shiro starts humming along to the song playing on the radio, much to Keith’s amusement.
“…want a hippopotamus for Christma~as, only a hippopotamus will doo~” he thrums, glancing over at Keith’s blushing face while rolling out some dough.
When Shiro turns around to fetch a pie tin, Keith steals a piece of dough and plops it into his mouth before Shiro can tell him off.
He relishes the taste of the salty dough as Shiro frowns at him.
His face scrunches up as he rifles through the fridge. “I think I forgot the sage, damn, I need to go to the store I’ll be right back babe.” Shiro kisses the top of Keith’s head before dashing to grab his coat.
Keith sips his wine and Kosmo hops along behind Shiro, hoping for a walk. It’s not until Shiro pulls open the rickety closet door that Keith remembers what he has hidden in there.
By the time he’s put his glass down and gotten up, Shiro’s already closing the front door behind him.
Nonetheless, Keith goes to investigate whether Shiro saw anything. He sighs in relief when he sees the white bag tucked behind his own coat. Just to be safe, Keith places it in their bedroom closet behind some old coats.
When Shiro gets back, he puts the finishing touches on the dish before placing it in the oven and ripping his apron off to go shower before their dinner.
Perfect, Keith thinks, an opportunity to wrap his gift.
Shiro intercepts him on the way to the closet, looping one arm around his middle and pulling Keith back into his chest.
“Wanna join me?” he chuckles into Keith’s ear.
As much as Keith would love to join his irresistible boyfriend in the shower, he really should wrap his gift. Who knows when he’ll get an opportunity again, especially with dinner at Hunk’s tonight?
“I showered this morning, I’m good.” Playing coy, Keith tries to disentangle himself from Shiro’s warm embrace.
Shiro draws his features into a pout, and reluctantly lets him out of his grasp. Keith can’t resist Shiro’s pout, he looks so cute and wounded that Keith would do anything to make him smile again. He strokes Shiro’s cheek and leans in to give him a sweet kiss to assuage him.
Shiro returns the kiss, hands trailing up and down his back. Before Keith knows it, the kiss becomes less innocent; more desperate, more urgent.
He’s breathless as Shiro tugs on his lower lip. He looks up at him with hooded eyes and finds a grin sneaking its way onto Shiro’s face.
Keith gasps mockingly, “You tricked me.” He steps back, hoping to clear his head.
Shiro’s stupid grin widens as he walks backwards to the bathroom. “Almost had you, too.”
Keith scrunches up his nose at Shiro before retreating into the closet to grab the gift. Once he hears Shiro step into the shower, Keith pulls out the wrapping paper, tape and scissors and gets to work.
He’s barely placed the scissors to the wrapping paper when he hears the bathroom door creaking open. With one fell swoop everything is shoved under the bed just as Shiro steps out of the bathroom.
Shiro’s delectable ass fills Keith’s vision as he walks to the closet to grab a towel, winking at Keith as he passes by.
Keith decides to let out a soft whistle just as Shiro disappears into the bathroom again, earning him a soft chuckle.
The scissors are gliding cleanly across the paper when Shiro pokes his head around the bathroom door. Keith shoves everything under the bed again and tries to appear nonchalant while sitting on their bedroom floor. Fuck that was a close call.
“Hey Keith, could you check on the pie?”
“Sure thing, babe.” Keith gets up, offers Shiro a chaste kiss and wanders into the kitchen.
“It’s all good,” he calls into the bathroom on his way back.
“Thank you!” Shiro calls back, voice muffled by the running water.
Keith huffs as he settles back down and pulls everything out again.
Just as he’s taping the first fold of paper over the gift, he hears the water turn off.
Seriously?
With a deep sigh, he gently pushes it all back under the bed, again.
He hurries to get dressed for Hunk’s Christmas dinner before Shiro walks out and questions what he’d been doing. He slips on a pair of dark washed jeans and a red knitted sweater that Shiro had said looked good on him.
Once Shiro is dressed and the pie is done and wrapped to go, they bundle themselves up in coats, hats, scarves and mittens and are on their way.
The weather is mild, and the trip is but a short walk. Lance and Allura are already there by the time Shiro and Keith arrive, and Pidge and Matt pull in within minutes as well.
Dinner is excellent, as always, and the company is incomparable as the paladin’s exchange greetings and stories. The conversation flows easily and so does the wine, and soon everyone is laughing and cheering and feeling more at home.
Dessert is brought out and everyone politely declines after such a large and filling meal, but in the end they all go back for seconds and compliment Hunk’s cooking until he’s blushing.
The sky is a deep blue and littered with stars by the time they amble out to return to their respective homes. Matt’s holding Pidge up as she’s nearly fallen asleep and Lance takes the wheel while Allura slurs her goodbyes to everyone. Shiro and Keith wave their hands in farewell before turning to make their way home.
Shiro has his arm around Keith’s shoulders, guiding him home after a night of cheerful festivities and one glass of wine too many. A patch of loose snow trips Keith but Shiro’s arms are there to catch him.
Shiro holds him close, arms encircling his body as they share a kiss in the chilly night air. Keith can feel Shiro’s warmth seeping into him with every kiss, warming him down to his toes.
__
It’s late by the time they get back, but neither of them wants to go to bed just yet, so they settle on a movie and collapse on the couch together. Keith leans against Shiro, resting his head on the man’s shoulder as the movie starts.
Over the next half hour their bodies slump further down onto the couch until Keith is cradled in Shiro’s arms. Keith can barely keep his eyes open he’s so tired, but his mind oh-so-helpfully reminds him of Shiro’s gift he has yet to finish wrapping.
With a heavy sigh Keith gets up, doing his best to not wake Shiro who has totally given up on staying awake. Keith grabs a blanket and lays it gingerly over Shiro before retreating to the bedroom to finally finish wrapping his gift.
He pulls the wrapping, the trimmings and the gift out from under the bed and smooths out the paper on the bed before enveloping the gift.
Keith’s taping up the last few folds when he hears the familiar sound of Kosmo padding across the bedroom carpet.
“Hey Kosmo.” Keith drops a hand to pet him, and quite suddenly there’s a pair of arms wrapping around Keith’s middle. Shiro had managed to creep up on Keith, his steps muffled against Kosmos’.
He drops his chin onto Keith’s shoulder and presses delicate kisses to his neck. Keith hums contentedly but he’s too tired to be surprised.
“Keith?” Shiro hums as Keith turns to kiss him back, and the arms around his chest pull him closer.
“Yeah?”
“Whose gift are you wrapping?” Keith’s head is still fuzzy from nearly falling asleep.
“Yours.”
“…”
“Ah fuck.”
Shiro chuckles as Keith attempts to push him out of the bedroom. “You’re not supposed to see,” Keith whines.
Shiro reaches to grab Keith’s wrists. “Babe, if it makes you feel any better, I didn’t see anything.” Keith stops forcing.
“You didn’t?” Shiro rubs his thumb in little circles over Keith’s wrists. “Not a peep.”
He drops his head against Shiro’s chest and hugs him. “Good.”
“But can I open it?”
“I—”
“It’s technically Christmas now, look,” Shiro points to the alarm clock next to their bed which pointedly reads 12:04. Keith purses his lips. “Pretty please?”
Shiro rocks them side to side as Keith contemplates. There isn’t much point in withholding his gift; he’s just going to unwrap it in a few hours anyway. But Keith also doesn’t want to give Shiro a half-wrapped present, especially after all the trouble he went through today.
“One minute, k?” Keith turns out of Shiro’s embrace and finally finishes wrapping his gift. He takes a moment to just look at the finished product. Paper dotted with snowflakes and a red ribbon, nothing fancy but Keith thinks he deserves a second to admire his day’s work.
With a satisfied sigh, he turns and gives Shiro his present. “Merry Christmas Shiro.”
“Merry Christmas Keith.”