Canonically what are your thoughts on shiros feelings for Keith? Like I know Keith has the big I love you moment which is hard to refute but I can’t think of any big canon moment shiro has for Keith that can’t be read as brotherly.
I feel like I could refute Keith’s “I love you” moment, even! I’m of the opinion that both brotherly and romantic readings of the text are valid. The big “I love you” was preceded by “You’re my brother” after all, and while I choose to read that line as “Keith’s scared to be honest about how he feels” or “Keith starts with that comment to try and shake Shiro out of his madness, and when that doesn’t work he escalates to a declaration of love,” or even “When Keith says ‘brothers’ he means ‘brothers in arms’”—others don’t understand my point of view at all lol. And I don’t mind as long as they’re not like, MEAN about the fact D:
But back to the question: the one moment that had me SHOOK was this one.
(I should mention: I know that this is Kuron, but as a clone I’d argue that the only difference between him and Shiro are his life experiences and Haggar’s meddling).
That second part especially…I cracked up at that pan they do from Keith’s feet to his face when he first exits the pod. I know it was used to show off Keith’s muscle gain and growth spurt, but as a shot type it has a very specific history. That’s the male gaze reveal shot they use on female love interests; you start at the heels and roam up over the woman’s legs, hips and chest to land on her face. And we cut from THAT kind of shot to Shiro’s stuttering reaction, where he’s tripping over himself to maintain his leaderly persona.
Keith has come back taller and with muscles, and Shiro’s suddenly all flustered. You could say he’s just surprised and happy Keith’s back, but his reaction can also be enjoyed as a moment of pure gay panic. It’s delightful.
It’s difficult to pin down any other big canon moments for Shiro because he’s a lot more reserved about the way he shows his love for Keith. He’s not about the whole ‘I’ll diffuse twenty bombs for you by hand’ kind of flashiness. He expresses his love with back-claps and shoulder touches and hugs, and with constant moral support (minus the times Haggar made him lash out at Keith or push him away).
I think one of the biggest ways Shiro shows his love for Keith is in his willingness to be vulnerable around him. Keith’s the only one allowed to see him weak and anxious when he returns as Kuron. He’s the only one to see him twisted up with regret when Ulaz dies. There’s also the matter of Shiro’s dark sense of humor. Around the other Paladins Shiro never wavers in his “We’ll win no matter what! Keep your chin up!” attitude (the scene with Lance in “White Lion” strikes me as the exception here)—but when he’s stranded with Keith in “Across the Universe” he’s comfortable enough around Keith to drop the leadership hat and pretty much say, “Yeah, I’m fucked. Shit’s fucked up. I’m probably not gonna’ get through this.” I can’t picture Shiro saying “It takes more than a glowing alien wound, a fall from the upper atmosphere, and crashing into a hard pan surface at what I’m guessing is about 25 meters per second squared to get rid of me. How are you?“ to any other Paladin, let alone “My wound’s great. It’s getting bigger all the time.” Shiro has to be a different person for the rest of the team—the heroic leader who never gives up. With the exception of “White Lion,” he only seems to trust Keith with his fears—his cynicism—his weaknesses. It’s the closest he comes to his true self. For someone as closed off as Shiro, that strikes me as a big deal.
…There’s also The Looks, of course.
TL;DR I think everything can be refuted, but there’s definitely a valid reading of the text where Shiro loves Keith romantically (and where he may or may not only realize as much when Keith comes back shredded with a space wolf).
