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One and two and three and four and five…
Plasters littered the length of Keith’s arm just like the tears that had streaked down his reddened cheeks. Shiro tore open another plaster to cover up the last cut on Keith’s elbow as he chuckled to himself at the sight: A disgusting tear-stained, mucus-covered face holding up two dirty and slightly bloodied arms. They had been climbing around the rock formations in the desert wastelands near the orphanage and Shiro had climbed up too far and too fast for Keith to catch up. The younger boy had missed a step in his hastened attempt to reach Shiro and slipped down the rocks, grazing both of his forearms in the process. Shiro himself had gotten his own palms cut up as he slid down in a hurry to check on Keith.
“Hey now, don’t cry! Look, I’ve covered your wounds in plasters, now they’ll heal in no time!” Shiro flashed a toothy grin at the younger boy, ruffling up his hair. The wounds on his palm smarted with pain as it came into contact with Keith’s hair, but Shiro bit his lip down to hide it. It was a small wound compared to Keith’s abrasion and he didn’t want to worry the crybaby any further. But it was too late, his hand had been taken into smaller palms and small gentle puffs of breath were administered to the small cuts on his hand.
“I’m sorry Takashi… You got hurt because of me…” Keith puffed out between breaths and sniffs. As if blowing on his cuts could do anything to heal them, but Shiro was filled with warmth by his actions.
You’re the one in greater pain. Don’t apologise, Keith.
--
...and one and two and three and four and ten…
Strong and firm arms stroked Keith’s back as he screwed his eyes shut in an attempt to stop the tears from falling. It was a day of celebration, it was supposed to be a happy occasion. It wasn’t every day the orphanage had a kid outstanding enough to be accepted into the Galaxy Garrison. But knowing that Shiro was going so far away for so long tore at Keith’s heart.
It’s only two hours away from the City! Shiro had reassured him but Keith had retorted that their orphanage was also two hours away from the City, making the distance between them a total of four hours. It might not seem much, but it’s the longest he’s been from Shiro especially since the older boy had to stay in the Garrison barracks during the course of his studies. Keith clenched his fists and gripped on the fabric that was the back of Shiro’s shirt as he willed himself to melt into Shiro’s embrace if it meant he could go with him too. He could feel his tears fall fast, dampening the front of Shiro’s shirt.
“Keith…” Shiro had began but Keith pulled away and rubbed against his eyes, a bitter smile forming at the edges of his lips. “I’m sorry Takashi… I shouldn’t be crying on such a happy occasion.” Shiro frowned as he pulled Keith back into a firm hug.
It’s okay to cry. Don’t apologise, Keith.
--
...and one and two and three and four and fifteen…
The number of times they passed each other in the corridors increased over time now that Keith has settled into his first year at Galaxy Garrison. When he first enrolled, he took every opportunity he could get to spend time with Shiro. He would smile and give a small but eager nod or wave when they passed each other by in the Garrison compounds and that always gave Shiro a much needed energy boost for the rest of the day. He even spent the weekends studying with Shiro.
Lately, however, it seemed like Keith was avoiding him. He doesn’t meet Shiro’s gaze in the corridors and has completely stopped looking for Shiro to hang out. If they absolutely had to talk, Keith referred to him as ‘Shiro’ which was what everyone at the Garrison called him rather than the familial ‘Takashi’ he has grown up hearing. Wanting to find out what was going on with Keith, he had pulled him aside one day, into the privacy of his own dorm room with courtesy of his roommate.
He had sat Keith down on his bed and knelt down before him, just like he did while tending to his wounds when they were kids, just like he did when he broke the news of his acceptance into Galaxy Garrison just a few years ago. He had tried to gently coax the younger man to tell him what was wrong only to be asked not to treat him like a kid anymore. I’m not a child anymore, Shiro. And it stung him deeply because he knew.
He knew Keith wasn’t a child anymore. He knew and that was part of the reason why he had left for Galaxy Garrison back then. But seeing Keith hurt this much, bottling everything up inside until he was on the verge of breaking apart was not what Shiro had wished for. And that was when he noticed the light behind Keith’s eyes dim out into nothingness and resignation as he muttered an apology so soft, Shiro almost missed it.
“I’m sorry Shiro, but I love you…” And he was gone, out from the room before Shiro has realised. It was unfair for Keith to shoulder so much pain when Shiro had been battling the same feeling by himself for so long as well. He decided to right this wrong and ran out after the younger man.
It’s okay to love me, I love you too! Don’t apologise, Keith.
--
...one and two and three and four and twenty…
The thrusts followed a distinct rhythm they’re both accustomed to as they hold each other close, locked in an intimate embrace of sweat and tears. Hands wandered and gripped for dear life, lips locking and unlocking countless times. The breaths shared in the room were short, hot and hoarse as they interlocked lips, hands and bodies. It was like an elaborate dance, a ritual of sorts that was so full of love, need and lust. It was going to be their last ritual for some time - a year to and a year from the tiny moon named Kerberos. Thinking back to how he had acted when they had to be apart for 4 hours made Keith laugh mirthlessly. What was 4 hours compared to what could be 4 billion miles away?
Keith found himself willing to melt once again into Shiro’s torso if it meant he could go along with him. He gripped onto the strong back, digging his nails in and leaving as many marks as he could. As he was pounded and grinded into, he found himself lost in sobs as he tried to meet every single one of Shiro’s deep thrusts. I shouldn’t be doing this, I shouldn’t hold him back from his dreams . His cracking voice bounced off the walls of the soundproof room, and he muttered between loud cries of pain and pleasure over and over again, “I-I’m sorry Shiro… I’m sorry… Sorry… Sorry....” Shiro’s face contorted in heartache and longing for the smaller man beneath him. He could do nothing but comfort Keith in his arms with his own grunts and tender touches.
I’m the one leaving you behind, I should be apologising. Don’t apologise, Keith.
--
...one and two and three and four and twenty-five…
The blows came raining down on both them and their adversaries. It was an ambush, right when they thought it was safe to trek through the narrow canyon too small for their lions to pass through and too high for their battered lions to soar past. They had meant to scout for any possible leads as to where they are and to make haste back to their lions if their scouting revealed nothing. The Galran were unfortunately one step ahead of them and had them surrounded after misleading them into the deepest parts of the canyon where the local hostile inhabitants lived. Fending off the alien foot-soldiers by themselves had been bad enough, but now that the Galran fleet was here and ready to eradicate both the local inhabitants and the paladins, they were literally fighting a losing battle.
“Coran said they’d be here with the castle to back us up soon, but when is soon exactly?!” Pidge all but screamed as she shielded herself from Galran lasers and 2 other local soldiers.
“Whatever it meant, now would be a good time!” Hunk smashed past another hoard of local soldiers while dodging the lasers.
Well at least the lasers had knocked out a generous number of the attacking locals, allowing the paladins to properly defend against the Galran soldiers. Anything is better than a war on two fronts, Shiro thought to himself as he found a leeway to catch his breath after pummeling three Galran soldiers out of the way.
“SHIRO BEHIND YOU!!”
Was it Lance or Hunk that shouted? He couldn’t process the voice in time. Everything happened so fast. He had turned himself back swiftly, his battle-trained muscle memory acting before the rest of his brain processed anything else. He blocked off an elbow-smash from a Galran soldier just as he saw Keith lunging at 3 other soldiers right behind the one that just tried to split open his skull. Keith’s eyes were burning, seething with hatred. Just as Shiro was about to join in and support him, a blast sounded to his right, knocking him clear off his feet and sending him flying a distance away. The last thing he saw was Keith’s face of shock as he was sent off flying, his mouth forming Shiro’s name. Then he saw the castle hovering overhead, sending calibrated photon bullets at the ambushing army. And then it was all dark.
--
...one and two and three and four and thirty.
Keith unlocked his fingers from his left hand as they travelled upwards to Shiro’s face—his left palm pressed on his forehead and right hand at his chin with two fingers on his jawbone, tilting his head upwards.
Voices could be heard in a distance. Pidge? Lance? Don’t know, don’t care. Keith only had one thing on his mind for now.
He leaned down and pinching Shiro’s nose shut with the hand that was on Shiro’s forehead, pressed his mouth firmly against Shiro’s mouth, closing off any space between their lips.
Until the castle lands, this is all I can do.
And Keith blowed, quick and hard.
Once.
Twice.
Releasing the liplock after each breath to check if Shiro’s chest had rose as his lungs were filled with air.
Until we can get you to the castle, this is all I can do.
He traced Shiro’s chest with his right hand, looking for his sternum. Locking his hands one on top of another again, he start pumping down in rhythm again.
“SECOND CYCLE!”
One, and two, and three, and four, and five...
Until we can get you into a healing pod, this is all I can do.
...one, and two, and three, and four, and ten...
I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you Shiro…
...one, and two, and three, and four, and fifteen...
Please don’t leave me again…
...one, and two, and three, and four, and twenty...
Not after you just came back!
...one, and two, and three, and four, and twenty-five…
Not after you finally returned to me…
...one, and two, and three, and four, and thirty.
"THIRD CYCLE!"