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Shiro held Keith close and tight, swaying a little from side to side. ‘See you laters’ were always hard—he didn’t think they’d ever get easier— but it was part of the job. He’d accepted that.
“Thanks for watching Kosmo for me,” Keith said against his shoulder and Shiro chuckled, turning his head to press a kiss into his husband’s hair.
“Of course, baby,” he replied, giving Keith a squeeze. “You should go. You have a schedule to keep.”
Keith sighed, turning his face into Shiro’s neck, breathing him in.
“Yeah,” he murmured.
They pulled apart reluctantly and Shiro watched as Keith said goodbye to the huge blue wolf at his side.
“Be good for Shiro, yeah?” he said, scratching Kosmo behind the ears, just the way he liked.
Kosmo made a soft, whining sound, ears back. He pawed at Keith a little and Keith soothed him, running his hands over his head, smoothing his thumbs over his ears.
“I know, bud,” Keith murmured, “I wish you could come with me, too. I’ll be back soon. Promise.”
Kosmo licked Keith’s hand, making one last, plaintive noise, before Keith turned back to Shiro.
“Be careful out there, trouble,” Shiro said, gathering Keith close once more.
“Always am,” Keith purred, cupping Shiro’s cheek in one hand and kissing him deeply.
Shiro watched Keith’s face, hands dragging down his arms, trying to feel all of him as Keith pulled away, fingers sliding against fingers, before letting him go.
“See you soon,” Keith said. “Love you.”
Shiro raised a hand, smiling.
“Love you, too.”
Shiro rested his hand on top of Kosmo’s head as Kosmo leaned against his leg, both of them watching Keith climb into his cruiser. They watched and waited as he checked his systems, the cruiser humming to life.
Keith waved to them once more through the cockpit windshield, before he was taking off down the tarmac.
They stood there, watching the cruiser slowly rise, until it blinked out of sight, off into space.
None of this was new. Shiro had seen Keith off on missions plenty of times. They’d been separated before for all kinds of things with the Coalition and the Blades.
But this was the first time that they’d been apart since they’d gotten married.
Eight months, four days, sixteen hours, and five minutes.
By all counts, they’d had a good run. They were able to go on a honeymoon, set up their new house, and be planetside together to really start building their life with a house and careers and Kosmo.
They’d talked about kids...but that was a ways off still.
They both knew that they would still be called away at some point, that was just how things went. But even when you knew it was coming, it was still hard.
Parting, as the old ones would say, was such sweet sorrow.
Shiro sighed, slipping his hands into his pockets, his ring catching briefly on the lip of his jeans. He looked down at Kosmo.
“What do you think, boy? We’ll head back home?”
Kosmo gave a soft, sad ‘boof’ and Shiro patted his head.
“I know, buddy. Me, too.”
They headed back to the truck, the only vehicle they had that was big enough for all three of them, and Shiro opened the door for Kosmo, before hopping in himself.
Keith would be gone for about a month. He was being pulled to help on a refugee mission.
Shiro didn’t know the logistics, but apparently a group of Blades on reconnaissance had stumbled upon what seemed to be a defunct training base, with signs of life. They were pulling in as many resources as they could to do additional investigating before potentially pulling a rescue mission.
It wasn’t dangerous, exactly, but missions like these were unpredictable. Shiro trusted in Keith’s abilities, and he knew he would be with a team that Keith knew and trusted.
Shiro just hated not being there.
Keith didn’t need anyone to keep him safe, but at least Shiro would have eyes on him. Could step in if need be.
Kosmo whined softly in the backseat and Shiro forced himself to relax.
“Sorry,” he chuckled wryly.
It didn’t take long to get back to their house, already feeling colder and emptier without Keith there.
The first few days were always the hardest, but Shiro had made plans to see Matt and Pidge. Hunk would be in town and had already promised to pop by for dinner when he wasn’t filming his space cooking series.
He would be busy with seeing all of them and work and making sure that Kosmo didn’t get bored.
He’d have to talk to Pidge about having her make another puzzle feeder for him, since he was so smart, and had figured the regular dog ones out so quickly.
But until then, Shiro was going to allow himself to wallow a little. Eat some ice cream, watch the stupid trash series he’d been squirreling away for when Keith was gone (because Keith relentlessly teased him about him liking it), and indulge Kosmo in many doggy treats and belly rubs.
Shiro knew that Kosmo would have it a little rough, too.
It was pretty rare that Keith couldn’t take Kosmo with him, but they didn’t want to run the risk of having additional bodies and something going totally awry. Kosmo would follow Keith, but not necessarily other Blades, and in situations like this, which required a lot of finessing, the wolf would be a liability.
Kosmo’s connection with Keith was strong. They were almost always together. Keith had even hinted at him being able to understand Kosmo on a far deeper level that was beyond human understanding.
Shiro attributed this to Keith’s Galra genes and the myriad of abilities he had that were so beyond the scope of anything that Shiro could do, or even comprehend.
And that was okay.
He had a good relationship with Kosmo. This would be the longest they would both be without Keith, but Shiro was confident that that could manage.
“C’mon, buddy,” Shiro said, opening the backdoor, leading out to a patio. He had a pint of ice cream in one hand and a box of treats under his arm.
He and Kosmo sat out on the patio, Shiro with his ice cream, and Kosmo with some treats, looking up at the stars, and missing Keith.
🐺
Shiro stuck to a pretty regimented routine normally, but he was even more on top of it when Keith was gone.
It was easier for him that way, keeping himself focused and busy. It was also better for Kosmo, making sure that he was kept occupied and exercised. The worst thing was a bored wolf. He got into all sorts of trouble when he didn’t have enough stimulation.
Shiro’s alarm went off at 6am. Kosmo was sleeping on Keith’s side of the bed, curled up into a ball toward the end of the bed by Shiro’s feet. He perked up as Shiro moved around to turn off the alarm.
“Hey, Kosmo,” Shiro hummed as the wolf wiggled up the bed, licking Shiro’s face. “Good morning to you, too.”
He chuckled, scratching the sides of Kosmo’s head, fingers digging into his soft fur.
“C’mon. You ready for a run? Hmm?” Shiro asked, smiling up into Kosmo’s wolfish face. His tongue was lolling out of the side of his mouth and he barked once, which Shiro assumed was a yes.
He was smart, so he definitely knew what Shiro was talking about.
Shiro slid out of bed and Kosmo followed, laying down in front of the bedroom door as Shiro made the bed, and got changed into his running gear.
The sky was just beginning to lighten up as he made his way down the street toward the nearby park and its trails.
Kosmo ran beside him at an easy trot, looking happy to stretch his legs. Shiro could relate. It felt good to run, to not think about anything except the exertion.
He felt very in-sync with Kosmo as he ran, as if they were truly running together. It was almost disconcerting, but Shiro dismissed it. He was often in the zone while he ran and this was probably just that. He was just more aware of having Kosmo with him.
They ran about six miles before turning back home.
Shiro made himself a protein shake, fed Kosmo breakfast, and settled in to really get his morning going.
He was bringing Kosmo to the office with him, which allowed him to keep an eye on the wolf, exercise him, and keep him busy by roping his staff in to play with him. It also kept Shiro on track, too, making sure he ate regularly and stayed hydrated.
Kosmo was a hit with a lot of the younger staff members, and he was such a ham, too.
Kosmo was smarter than even the most intelligent dog. Shiro wasn’t sure exactly how smart he was, but smart enough that he understood full sentences, and commands. He could do all kinds of tricks and take numerous kinds of commands. He also seemed to enjoy showing off a little.
The staff especially enjoyed when he would transport himself to and from various rooms, bringing random items like: forks, socks (which Shiro was pretty sure were his), magazines, and balls. Shiro was just glad that he was preoccupied and enjoying himself.
Not having Keith around was tough, so any little bit of positive distraction was welcome.
And he felt that he and Kosmo had a good routine at home.
Keith was set to call at some point, but Shiro had yet to get an update. The radio silence was uncomfortable, but Shiro just continued to focus on his day to day.
He’d hear from Keith soon and there was no need to worry.
🐺
As the days went by, Shiro started feeling...strange.
It wasn’t a bad feeling. Just different. Like, sometimes he started thinking about things that did not feel like they were his thoughts.
He didn’t think it was a cause for panic because none of the thoughts were...bad. Just... weird .
He would be brushing his teeth and suddenly start thinking about dog treats. Or he would be in a meeting and all of a sudden be thinking about running in the park.
Shiro started monitoring what he was experiencing. He wasn’t having any weird headaches. Didn’t feel out of control of his body or anything.
He felt like himself. It was just these strange, intrusive thoughts.
“You’d know if something was wrong, right boy?” he asked Kosmo one night while he gave him belly rubs.
Kosmo looked at him and Shiro was immediately soothed, feeling a deep sense of camaraderie. Happiness. He chuckled.
“Yeah. That’s what I thought.”
In the midst of these strange occurrences, Shiro received word that Keith would be able to video call them the following day. They had just reached the old base and would be there for a few quintants before investigating the base itself.
Shiro was honestly relieved, glad that Keith had arrived at his destination and wasn’t any worse for wear. The hardest part was yet to come, but he felt good being able to talk to his husband before he was tossed into the unknown.
On the video call, they chatted about Keith’s time in space and how he felt about his upcoming mission. Shiro talked about work and mentioned the weird situation with his thinking.
Keith tilted his head, a strange expression on his face.
“Uh,” he started. “I think I know what’s going on with you.”
Shiro’s brows furrowed.
“You do?”
Keith nodded.
“Yeah. I think Kosmo’s bonded with you.”
Shiro was still confused.
“What do you mean?”
Keith smiled.
“I mean that he’s creating a psychic link with you. Like, you can communicate with each other. It’s not like talking, right? More like a feeling, or flashes of images. We communicate like that all the time, he and I.”
Shiro blinked, allowing the information to process. He wasn’t really surprised , given that Kosmo was an alien species, but he hadn’t realized that he and Keith had that kind of connection, or that Shiro could have that connection with Kosmo, too.
Shiro looked down at Kosmo, who was looking up at him from beside Shiro’s chair.
Shiro had an image of Keith pop into his head and a warm feeling washed over him.
“Do you wanna say...hi?” he asked out loud and Kosmo barked, sitting up straight, tail wagging.
Keith laughed heartily and Shiro moved out of the way so Kosmo could jump into his chair to say hi to Keith.
“Hi, buddy! I know! I miss you, too! I’m glad you’re being good for Shiro!”
They all talked for about an hour before Keith had to go.
Afterwards, Shiro got on the floor with Kosmo, chin resting on his hands.
Kosmo looked back at him, head between his splayed-out paws.
“So...you can understand me?” he asked and Kosmo barked in response, tongue lolling out of his mouth, looking happy. And Shiro could feel his happiness.
“Whoa…”
Kosmo made a soft woofing noise and licked Shiro’s face, making Shiro laugh.
“You’re pretty amazing, y’know that?”
Kosmo smiled a puppy dog smile back at Shiro, in complete agreement.
🐺
Over the next few days before Keith came home, Shiro and Kosmo continued to bond.
Shiro loved that they barely needed to communicate. Simply exchanging a look and they were on the same page.
Shiro learned, too, that whatever connection there was between them went both ways.
Shiro had been doing very well lately. Better than he had in quite a long time.
After the end of the war, anxiety, panic, insomnia, and hypervigilance had plagued him and the other paladins.
They’d sought out help in their own ways and Shiro had done some pretty intensive therapy. He had tons of coping skills, a good routine, and felt much more confident in managing his symptoms.
There were some nights that were still hard, but those were few and far between.
Apparently, tonight was one of those hard nights.
Shiro was running for his life. His legs and lungs burned from the exertion. He was going to get caught. If he didn’t keep going he was going to get caught.
Everyone was going to die, if he didn’t hurry—
Shiro gasped awake, coming back to reality, heaving. Kosmo whined at him, pawing at him from his side.
It took Shiro a few minutes to remember where he was. He was safe, in his house, on Earth, in his bed. Keith was on a mission, on his way back home, and Kosmo was here.
Kosmo had woken him up in the middle of a nightmare. He’d moved to lay on Shiro’s chest, licking his face, and whining softly.
It had taken a little time for Shiro to calm down, to really come back to himself, but having a ninety pound weighted blanket on top of you definitely helped.
Shiro could feel Kosmo’s concern and he ran his hands over Kosmo’s side, his breathing slowing.
“Thanks, buddy,” Shiro murmured and Kosmo licked Shiro’s face, expressing gratitude. He’d been worried it seemed.
Shiro got up a few minutes later, went to the bathroom, and washed his face. He went downstairs to make some sleepy time tea, standing at the counter, resting his hand on Kosmo’s head and stroking his ears.
Kosmo stayed at his side the entire time, reluctant to be further than a handspan away.
It wasn’t that Shiro thought Kosmo didn’t like him or anything, he just knew that the bond between Kosmo and Keith was stronger. Even with the psychic connection or whatever, Kosmo would always be Keith’s .
But Shiro was starting to reconsider this.
It felt more like Kosmo saw them as a pack, and you had to care for each member. Sure, there might be stronger bonds between some members than others, but in the end, they were all connected as a unit.
Shiro felt like he was finally getting it.
He poured hot water into a mug with the teabag, letting it steep, and sat on the floor with Kosmo, chuckling as he lay in Shiro’s lap, and Shiro stroked his furry head.
He just wanted Kosmo to understand how grateful he was and apparently it was working because Kosmo seemed to relax, ears perking after having laid flat against his head, and his tail thunked against the floor.
“Thank you,” Shiro said again, kissing the top of Kosmo’s head. “Thank you so much.”
Kosmo looked up at Shiro with his intelligent eyes and Shiro felt the feeling wash over him.
You’re welcome.
🐺
“I know, buddy. I miss him, too,” Shiro said, watching as Kosmo sat at their front door, looking out over the stoop through the glass.
Kosmo barked, and Shiro could feel him practically whining.
“Keith’s coming home today, pal. It’ll be okay,” Shiro soothed. Kosmo huffed, laying down with his head on his paws.
Keith was set to come back late that day, and it seemed that Kosmo was eager for him to be back already. Shiro felt pretty similarly. He couldn’t wait to have Keith back in his arms again after nearly a month away.
Shiro took Kosmo out for a run like usual, playing with him in the park, before they headed back home.
Shiro showered and changed, getting a notification that Keith would be home within the hour.
Kosmo had perked up and danced at the front door, barking at Shiro to hurry up , because Keith was coming home.
“I know, I know! I’m coming!”
They made their way to the airfield to wait for Keith to enter the atmosphere and come in for a landing.
Shiro watched the sky eagerly and Kosmo stood at his side, poised just the same. Waiting and watching.
Keith’s shuttle finally appeared, making its way to the landing strip.
Kosmo was on his feet, barking once.
Keith landed smoothly and Shiro followed as Kosmo made his way to the door to head out to meet Keith on the tarmac.
The automatic door opened and Kosmo made a run for the tarmac, Shiro followed after with a light jog, laughing.
It took a few minutes before the door to the ship hissed open. Keith’s duffel bag was tossed out first, landing on the tarmac, and then he followed suit.
Kosmo teleported, landing right on top of Keith, knocking him backwards.
“Hey!” Keith laughed as Kosmo licked his face, tail wagging excitedly. “I’m happy to be back, too! I missed you, bud!”
Keith ruffled Kosmo’s fur and stroked his hands over his ears, before gently pushing him off so he could get to his feet.
Shiro watched them, warmly amused, and smiled at Keith brightly when Keith met his eyes.
“Hi, baby,” Shiro said, opening his arms for Keith to fall into them. “Welcome home.”
Keith sighed, squeezing Shiro a little.
“Thanks, angel,” he murmured.
Shiro leaned back a little and Keith looked up at him, smiling. He looked none the worse for wear, if maybe a tad tired.
They kissed, soft and sweet, and Shiro ran his hand through Keith’s messy hair.
“Tired?” Shiro asked.
“Very.”
“Let’s get you home.”
Kosmo ‘boofed’ from Keith’s side as he and Shiro pulled apart. Keith rested a hand on his head, petting him gently.
“So, did you two have fun?”
FIN