I've heard a lot about what Shiro does for Keith, both mentally and emotionally (e.g. his constant presence at his side and his belief/support in Keith). My question is, what do you think Keith provides for Shiro? What can you say are some of the things he does (both consciously and unconsciously) that help Shiro to feel at ease and be a better person?
Oh yes I love this question! Because their dynamic is very much built up on mutual love and support. They each rely on one another, completely caught in each otherās orbit. And I think Shiro needs Keith just as much as Keith needs him.Ā
The trouble with Shiro taking care of everyone elseāgiving advice left and right, calming down Keith and Lance, reassuring Hunk, comforting Pidge about her family, telling Allura she needs her restāis that no oneās really looking out for him. Except for Keith, of course. He doesnāt idolize Shiro as their perfect, fearless leader like the rest of the team. And he knows things are different after Kerberos, knows Shiro is more on edge and his nerves are fraying at the seams. So Keith keeps an eye out for him just in case. Whenever something is amiss, Keith is usually the first to notice:
Keith is especially sensitive to Shiroās PTSDāwhenever something triggers a flashback and Shiro freezes, Keith is usually the one that notices first and tries to snap him out of it.Ā
Heās there to see Shiroās first flashback, and he clearly looks concerned, but he doesnāt interfere until Shiro explains what just happened. After seeing Shiro do that only once, Keith is able to recognize those same signs in the future and reaches out to Shiro whenever he has an attack.Ā
Just as much as Shiro anchors Keith, Keith is a grounding force for him. Heās there for Shiro during his panic attacks, is there by his side through nearly all his darkest momentsāreaching out to him, reassuring him. When Shiro crash lands back to Earth, Keith welcomes him into his home, saysĀ āItās good to have you back.ā Shiro is gone for a year, and this is the only real homecoming he gets. Shiro also only ever allows his facade to drop in front of Keith. Around everyone else, his leader persona is always up. Had he been trapped with anyone else in Across the Universe, Iām convinced he wouldāve put on a brave face. But heās painfully honest with Keith, admits he might not make it, shows his weaknessāshows that heās afraidāand then asks Keith to save him. Heās not the infallible leader everyone else believes him to be. And he doesnāt need to pretend he is with KeithĀ
If Shiro is the balm that soothes Keithās storm, talks him down and helps him find his center, then Keith is Shiroās fire. When Shiro feels like he just canāt go on anymore, Keith drives him forward. And if heās unable to take those steps, then Keith will carry him the rest of the way. Shiro was someone who gave himself up for dead, who appointed Keith as his successor because he was so convinced he wouldnāt live to see the end of this. And whether he ends up recaptured by the galra or dies a paladinās heroic death, he fully believes heās living on borrowed time. Keith is the one who keeps driving him forward, who holds his gaze and says,Ā āYouāre gonna make it.ā Keith gives Shiro hope.Ā
Shiro says Zarkonās trying to take control of the lion, and Keith yells back for him to fight it. Because he sure as hell isnāt about to let Shiro just give up on himself and go down without a fight.Ā
Of course, this probably goes without saying, but Keith is very much like a knight in shining armor in that heās always there to safeguard Shiro. Time after time he puts Shiroās safety above the mission, his own identity, and everything elseāheās Shiroās hero. When everyone else says itās time to move on, Keith is still carrying a torch for Shiro, vehemently adamant about never abandoning him. When everyone else is off on their own missions, Keith is still scouting debris fields at the far corners of the universe, still scouring vast galaxies for Shiro even after all this time. When Kuron even jokes about thisāāHow many times are you gonna have to save me before this is over?ā Keithās response is nothing but achingly fond and honest when says,Ā āAs many times as it takes.ā
And when Kuron is still in recovery, when he says he might be unable to move around or let himself be seen by the other paladins just yetāKeith is the only one allowed at his bedside. This might very well not even be Shiro, but Shiroās memories about Keith were captivating enough for Kuron to know this was the one person he could trust above all else, the one person he could afford to bear himself to when he was at his most vulnerable. And of course Keith is the one at his bedside watching over him. He loves him, after allĀ
