I started watching voltron like one or two weeks after it aired. I first heard about it from a couple of artist that made fanart and then I read it was made by the same crew that made atla and lok, so I had to watch it. Also, two of my friends started watching it and I love having people to talk about shows so I decided to join in the fun.
Being the multishipper that I am, I ended season 1 shipping many ships, but my biggest ship was kl. Because their interactions were fun (I like shipping people who are assholes to each other sometimes) and mostly because of the fandom that produced so much good content for it.
Still, I loved every ship and I had this theory that Keith had been/still was in unrequited love with Shiro in canon. (I love hurting myself, so I made a bunch of aus with a friend about several characters being in unrequited love with one another and called it the âpain trainâ).
So all the ships lived in peace.
But then the ant*s attacked.
Season 2 came and the discourse kept increasing. And oh boy did my interest for kl lowered. Sheith kept having super sweet, emotional, close moments in canon so it climbed to my top 1 ship. Meanwhile, klant*s kept attacking everyone else, which made me drop kl completely. It also helped that I love Keith and Shiro as individual characters so much.
Three more seasons later, Iâm still a multishipper and Sheith is my undisturbed Number 1 ship. And Iâm gonna be honest, out of all the big OTPs Iâve ever had, Sheith is easily the nicest one. They are so sweet I couldnât not love them.
I was too exhausted yesterday and today Iâm no better, so this is not going to be very eloquent, but here is a mini meta:
Keith will fulfill his promise to save Shiro as many times as it takes until this is over.
Like we know that Keith is very focused on Shiroâs safety and that he is very stubborn. But the reason I think heâll manage to make Shiro survive until the end is that he hasnât broken a single promise heâs made in the show.
When he told Shiro he was coming to get him when they were stranded and Shiro was wounded: he did.
When he told Allura that heâd come back to them: he did.
When he said he wouldnât give up on Shiro: he didnât.
And Iâm going to be honest, the âAs many times as it takesâ feels pretty ominous in the sense that this is definitely not over and that Keith is going to have to save Shiro again. But not in the sense that he wouldnât manage to do it.
So in my opinion, there are only two options:Â
1- Keith saves Shiro again and hey both survive the war and the show
2- Keith saves Shiro again, who survives almost until the very end, when Keith will have to accept sacrificing him for the war to be over.
I have so many silly AUs for this ship. Itâs my happy ship, so only fluff and love from me. Iâve shared and developed a couple of them at the multishipper discord server Iâm in, but here are some more:
Upcoming actor!Keith and Cameraman!Shiro. Shiro always makes sure to make Keith appear extra pretty on film and Keith asks him all sorts of questions about filming just to have an excuse to talk to him.
Keith works in an old secondhand bookstore and Shiro is an ex war-reporter turned into local journalist who is looking for an old book about the town history.
FMA AU In which Shiro is originally from Xing but moved to Amestris when he was young and enrolled the army there, where he is in charge of the security of a town. One day, he runs into Keith, a pickpocketer who uses Xingâs Alchemy to distract people in order to steal, and Shiro is immediately intrigued with him.Â
AU in which Keith is a single dad and meets Shiro the raptor keeper at the local zoo when he takes his child there. Shiro is absolutely smitten and grateful for that child to have so many questions because he can keep looking at their dadâs pretty face.
Shiro takes up swimming as part of physical rehabilitation and Keith is the swimming instructor.
Crappy temporal job AU in which Keith canât get a better job because he lacks experience and no one wants to employ Shiro because heâs missing a hand. (aka me venting about the terrible job market)
Keith is a very passionate and entusiastic worker at a cat shelter where Shiro goes looking for an animal to adopt. He gets a very cute cat and the very cute guyâs number.
As with the fics, there are so many incredibly talented sheith artists out ther, so Iâm goin to choose three again. With all the pain in my heart tbh, because there are just so many great artists in this fandom.
This beautiful pic of Keith and his sharem by @rizurin
No one save him. So, I love the concept of a Shiro harem. I have even before Bairu wrote that as a great prompt in the sheithmas exchange and I have to confess that this piece by Riz was a great visual inspiration for me. They are all so pretty and so distinct. The colors are so lovely. I could look at it for 5 hours straight.
This genderbent sheith art by @juno8482
Juno is one of my favourite artists in this fandom. I love their lineart and I love the way they color. Itâs all just so good and their sheiths are so tender (and sexy too!), like look at these soft and emotional sheiths! Blessed.
This comic page about Shiro realizing heâs in love with Keith by @coospace
Itâs a sheithy redraw of a manga and even if Iâve never read the source material, this fanart is just so full of emotion. I love the tiny panels of Keith in different situations (his smiles, his eye...) and Shiroâs awestruck face. Me too Shiro, me too. The artists says in her tags that is ânot as good as the originalâ but, excuse me, itâs perfect.
The âItâs good to have you backâ/âItâs good to be backâ duo is such an iconic Sheith quote, which also happens to be my custom tag for them on my main, so I was bound to use these two times as my chosen screenshots (Too bad Shiro and Keith are not in the same frame in the second exchange). They are just so happy to see each other! Look at how openly Shiro is smiling in that second pic, I wish he was always that happy.
Anyway, Rule Of Three says this exchange has to happen a third time and Iâm gonna die if it doesnât.
Iâve read so many good sheith fics that itâs incredibly hard to choose just one, so Iâm going to rec three instead.
The whole townâs sleeping by astrainclinant
17k words, T rating
This one is probably a classic when it comes to sheith fic recs and for good reason. It was the first sheith fic I read and the one that hooked me into this ship. Itâs extremely well written and paced. I get so emotional every time read it. Itâs an exquisite take on their pre-kerberos relationship and how it developed after Shiro came back to Keihâs life. Never fails to move me.
Sheith family series by swallowed_stars
6 works, 26k words total, T rating
This is a series and not just one fic but Iâm weak to domesticity fics and to happy after-the-war endings and to kid fics and this series has all of these. Itâs just fluff with many emotional moments as Shiro and Keith work to maintain their growing family of adorable kids. Itâs just so cute.Â
And now that Iâm at it Iâd like to rec all the other fics from this author. An honorable mention goes to A pair of kings, which also made it into my bookmarks.
Hearstone by mikkimouse
6k words, T rating
Well, itâs mer may, so I reccomend this fic with Merman!Keith and Fisherman!Shiro. Itâs really cute and heart-wrenching and it really stood with me for a long time after I read it (to the point that I remembered the title despite forgetting to put it into my bookmarks, which had been amended). So if you like mermaids and Sheith you are going to love this fic.
I think Keith was the first one to initiate physical contact with Shiro at the garrison.
The shoulder touches, the fistbumps, the back slaps, the handclasps, etc.
Keith is not a very physical person, but the more emotionally comfortable he felt with Shiro the easiest those touches came to him. At first he did it without realizing it, but when he noticed that Shiro did not only not pull away, but started reciprocating his casual touches, he kept at it.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Here is my @sheithlentines gift for Ruka @rukaisafan
Iâm so sorry for making you wait so long. I really wanted to finish earlier, but words kept coming and coming and it got really out of hand and I when I noticed it was already over 15000 words :/
This was supposed to be for valentines day, but Iâm super late so, happy Ides of March eve, I guess!
Summary:Â Shiro is a witch who makes love potions. Little does he know that the half elf hunter, Keith, who lives on the edge of town has fallen in love with him. Is it a potion? Or is it true love?
This is my @sheithsecretsanta gift for @kingbairu Iâm very sorry for the delay and I hope you have a great new year!Â
You asked for Keith enjoying a harem of Shiros and my boy deserves all the Shiros he can get on his hands so I went with that.
Summary: Having a harem of six different versions of the love of your life is all fun and games until you have to go shopping for Christmas presents.
Words: 5467
Read on ao3
Being in a relationship with six alternate versions of the love of your life is a blessing according to everyone.
Every time someone heard of his living situation, after the incredulity had passed, he received comments about how lucky he was and how he might never get bored, usually accompanied by a wink or a playful smirk. But as Keith wandered through the brightly lit corridors of a shopping mall, he was starting to feel like it was actually a curse.
It was the middle of November and the stores hadn't started putting their Christmas decorations yet. It was all end-of-the-fall discounts and non-themed goods. Still, Keith was determined to find a present for every one of his boyfriends, rushing the corridors with a desperation that was clearly uncalled for.
He wasn't used to giving presents. He had never had anyone to exchange them with during his youth and fighting and intergalactic war left little time for celebrations. But this was their first Christmas together -alone- and at peace. It was all new to Keith. Thinking of what to buy someone when they haven't specifically made a request. This wasn't his forte, but Keith wanted to give something to the men he loved.
It's not that he didn't have any idea of what they would like. He had plenty! But they were all too little, too impersonal for what they meant to him. They deserved a personalized present, a different presents for all six of them, that fit their subtle differences. But he couldn't just start getting things at random. He loved them all so much, but he didn't love any more than the others, he needed the presents to feel around the same value. But how?
He was getting stressed.
âWhat does it matter? Just get them the same thing.â Complained Lance as he slumped on a bench after finally convincing him to take a rest. Hunk and Pidge sat with him, looking just as frustrated as Lance.
âI can't do that!â Replied Keith firmly.
âCome on Keith, it's not like they are going to care.â Said Pidge âYou could give them all a used tissue and they'd just be grateful that it's you giving it to them.â
Hunk and Lance nodded along, with a less disgusted expression than that comment deserved. They were already used to the passion the Shiroganes professed for Keith.
âWhy did you even come if you are not going to help me?â
âI though we were just going to hang out, not to be dragged from one store to the other. You didn't even let us stop in the computer store...â Pidge complained with a half pout.
âYeah you never mentioned why were coming to the mall in the first place.â Lance, pursed his lips in though and turned towards the others âMaybe we should have figured something was wrong, Keith would have never come to such a crowded place if he didn't have a Shiro reason.â
A Shiro reason. That's how they called it every time Keith did something out of the ordinary or acted overly pleasant. Never mind he had almost sacrificed himself for the whole universe more than once. He didn't do everything for Shiro.
It was true that Keith hated malls with all his being, though. Sometimes he could find something interesting, but the combination of too many people, bright lights and loud sounds was enough to drive him up the wall after a couple of hours. However, malls have a wide variety of stores and Keith needed inspiration for his boyfriends' presents.
Okay, maybe he did have a Shiro reason this time.
Keith turned to Hunk, who had been strangely quiet the whole time, pleadingly. âHunk...â
Hunk sighted tiredly. âDon't look at me man, I'm with them.â
Having being betrayed by his one nice friend was the last straw and finally, Keith gave up and sat on the bench dejectedly. Lance pat his back suggested looking for a place to have lunch before going home.
Keith couldn't blame his friends for feeling frustrated when he was feeling exactly the same.
A whole morning lost and he still didn't have a single idea.
They got up and  headed to the restaurant area. Hunk put a warm hand on his shoulder, always trying to comfort. âDon't worry so much Keith. All the Shiros love you, they really won't careâ
Keith knew they wouldn't care. Shiro had never been selfish. None of his alternate versions were. In fact, they never asked for anything or had big expectations, always surprised when someone extended a friendly hand towards them. Which is why Keith wanted to give them something nice.
None of them had even expected that Keith would love them.
After all the clones had been rescued and Sven took refuge in their reality, they had made plans on retiring to some dark part of the galaxy, not expecting anyone to want them. Not when not even them knew who was the original. If any of them were. So when Keith declared that he was going with them, that he would find them if they disappeared and bring them back together, that he would never let any of them feel alone and unwanted; they had been surprised.
Keith had been more surprised when all of them told him they loved him.
The Shiros were just grateful to have Keith in their lives. So much that they had decided to all live together on Earth, to never deprive Keith from any of their presences. And to never deprive each other from Keith. That's how selfless they were.
So Keith really needed to give them something. To show them that he cared about every single one of them. That he thought of them, of their likes and needs.
He could always just tell them, but words always felt to small for how big his feelings were. And he'd always been better with actions than words. Keith knew he couldn't find a present that would clearly express all his feelings either, but he hoped it would make all of them start to feel like they belonged, like they mattered.
He wanted to give them something special, because they were special to him.
The sound of someone knocking at the bathroom door snapped Keith out of his thoughts. He let the warm water splatter his face to clear himself before he answered. âYeah?â
âAre you okay? You've been in the shower for a long time.â Takashi asked, his voice muffled by the door and the running water. Still, Keith could hear a hint of worry in his voice. And a little hint of amusement as well. Keith hoped he hadn't been talking out loud. It wouldn't be the first time.
âOh, yeah, I'm fine. I'll come out in a moment.â He had totally lost track of time while thinking of his boyfriends and what he could give them. Shiro had always been on his mind, but now that he had six Shiros, his mind rarely wandered away from them.
Not that he wanted it to.
âIt's okay, take your time.â And with that he heard Takashi's steps walking away.
Keith turned off the water and smiled to himself. All of their friend still have problems telling all Shiro's apart, but for him it was so easy. Just by the way they moved: the sound their steps made on their wooden floor, by the way they turned the keys and the door knob or the way each of them moved their hands and shook their feet when they felt slightly anxious. They all had a different quirk, a different tone of voice and they all reacted to stress in their own ways.
Keith would even swear they all had a different smell, but he didn't really want their friends to try and confirm that for him.
Everyone else should just make do with learning their different haircuts. They had decided to wear a different style each to help people. It worked, sometimes.
Keith got out of the bathroom, making sure to close the door behind him to not let the heat out. He rubbed a small towel over his still damp hair and announced to the rest of the house that the shower was free to use.
Kuron came walking towards him rapidly from their bedroom, clothes in hand.
âThanks, babyâ He said and reached to kiss his head and caress his cheek as he passed his side. It was now a habit that the would all kiss him -on the top of his head or his forehead or cheek or shoulder, it didn't matter- every time they crossed paths on the house.
Keith climbed down the stairs to the living room with a small smile on his face.
That smell disappeared the moment he smelled of food. A shock of worry surged through him and he run to the kitchen.
He was relieved to see Sven there. None of the Shiros cooked, but Sven was capable of simple things like pasta and frying things, so sometimes he took over the kitchen so Keith wouldn't have to cook for them. He must have been in the shower a long time if Sven hadn't even asked him. A look at the clock told Keith that it was almost dinner time.
He went back to the living room when Ryou walked to him to take the towel from his hands and dry his hair for him. He leaned and gave a kiss to Keith's forehead as well. Keith hummed and closed his eyes at the sensation, Ryou was always so delicate when touching his hair -probably because he was the only one with long hair like him- and it felt so good to have his scalp massaged.
Ryou led him to the sofa, never leaving his head and went around him to dry the back of his hair. That's when Keith opened his eyes and saw a flash of colorful flickering lights coming from between the curtains..
âThey've switch on the Christmas lights, already?â he asked looking at the window.
All the others looked to the window. They got up and walked to open the curtains and, indeed, all the Christmas lights that the council had put up were on. They were pretty, but they were yet another reminder that Christmas was coming and he still didn't have a present.
None of the Shiros there seemed to share his worries, they were more busy discussing with each other.
âBut we've just entered december...â
âMaybe we should decorate the house as well.â
âBut none of us are religious.â
âBut it will be nice.â
âYeah, it will be niceâ
It only took them five lines to agree with each other and now they were discussing on how exactly they should decorate the house.
Keith liked watching them discuss things. It was like he was witnessing a soliloquy, only the inner voices of the speaker where coming from outside. In a way they were discussing with themselves -and you could tell they thought alike by how easy they came to an agreement- and sometimes Keith liked to pin them one against the others in small ways just to see them get riled up and watch them come to terms.
They kept talking about wreaths and trees when a pair of arms snaked around his waist âLet's ditch these idiots and elope.â Whispered Kuro's deep voice on his ear.
Keith smiled and laughed airily âAnd where will we go?â
âAnywhere you want, baby. We have spaceships, the whole universe is ours.â Kuro kissed the tip of his ear lightly. It was cold when it rubbed against his still damp hair.
Kuro dragged his hands from the front of his stomach to the sides of his waist and rubbed small circles there. It was his turn to sleep next to him tonight and Keith already could tell he would try to get frisky. God, he couldn't wait.
âI think you are one of the idiots.â Keith smiled fondly and unwrapped himself from Kuro's arms when he saw Takashi bringing the first plates to the table.
âC'mon Keith, you know I'm your favorite.â He caught Keith's hand as he was drawing away and made him turn around.
âActually, my favorite is Sven, because he is the only one that knows how to cook.â
Kuro released Keith with a gasp to bring his hand to his own heart, in mock pain. âYou wound me.â
Keith just ignored him and went to help Sven, who was bringing the last plates out of the kitchen.
It wasn't the first time one of the Shiros talked to him about marrying. By far.
But none them was selfish enough to ask him seriously.
Kuro sometimes came out as egoistic and cold towards the others, but Keith knew that Kuro just pretended to be unattached and that he would not renounce to the support network that his other selves made. Having people with similar traumatic experiences as his helped him a lot. So Keith knew, as much as all of them loved him, none would take him away.
But Keith sometimes wondered. He had never really cared about this whole marriage thing â never thought he would have a family of his own when he was young and now, after all this years fighting with the paladins, he'd learned that a family is not dictated by blood or contracts.
Still, Shiro had cared and he would marry all of them if he could. Just to make them happy.
âI only have ten days and I still have no idea what I'm going to get them.â Keith slid down the sofa until his whole legs where hanging and his neck was bent against the back. His pose looked miserable and uncomfortable, but he didn't receive any pity from his friends on the floor.
âWe've already given you like a million ideas and you didn't like any of them.â Pidge didn't even look up at him, focusing on the machine in her hands.
âBecause they were really bad.â
âNo they weren't, you just like being annoying.â
Keith grumbled something to himself, which got him a warning look from the woman. He decided it was better to change topics before they decided to kick him out of their house. The Shiros were decorating his and he didn't want to be in the middle of it when they realized they had clearly gone overboard and tried to solve it.
He was fearing the worst when he had to go back.
âSo, what are you guys working on now?â
âWe are trying to hook the old DVD player into the new altean TV we got for mom.â Pidge explained to him.
âI don't know why, though. We have streaming services! You don't need DVDs!â Matt said loudly enough for his mother to hear from the next room.
Colleen Holt appeared at the door, summoned by her son's complaints. âI told you, I have important videos stored in disks, I don't want to lose them.â
âWe could just transfer them to a computer.â Matt countered
âOh, whatever, it's not like you have anything better to do.â Keith now understood were the siblings got their snark from.
âWe have jobs.â Matt moved the screwdriver in his hand to point at him and his sister.
âAnd a lot of free time too.â Yep, definitely got the snark from their mom.
Pidge started laughing at Matt's exaggerated eye roll and just nudged at his leg with her foot. They went back to their task and Colleen turned her attention towards Keith.
âKeith, darling, are you and the Shiros finally coming to have dinner with us this Saturday?â
âAh, yes yes.â Keith straightened up to sit properly. âWe are bringing the wine, but do you want us to bring anything else?â
âOh, no that won't be necessary, don't worry.â
âYou should bring the Shiros with dog tags so that she doesn't confuse them again.â Pidge said, smirking at her mom.
âKatie!â Colleen scolded her and turned to Keith with concern on her face. âThey know I don't do it on purpose, right? It's just that... they all look so alike.â
Keith felt sorry for her, she wasn't the only one who had problems telling them apart. âIt's fine, don't-â
âDon't worry mom, we mix them up all the time.â Matt interrupted him âThe only one who knows them is Keith.â
âI mean, it took me some time-â
âNo, it didn'tâ Matt interrupted again.
âYou'll get used to it in time, don't worry.â
âAh, I hope so, darling.â
With that hey went to discuss the technicalities of connecting human and altean devices. Colleen listening attentively to her children.
Keith was glad they could all return safely to Earth and that everyone of his friends was back with their families. And, above all, he was glad that he didn't look at all those families with envy anymore. Because now he had a family of his own.
He looked at the clock. It still was early, but something was tugging at his stomach and he wanted to go back home. To see his boyfriends and  get a kiss from all of them like he always got whenever he arrived home. This time, he'd ask for a hug too.
He got up from the sofa and went to retrieve his coat.
âYou're leaving already?â Matt asked.
âYeah, they've probably already finished decorating the house.â
âOh, were they giving you a surprise?â Colleen asked innocently.
Matt and Pidge burst out laughing. âNo mom, he was hiding from themâ Matt clarified.
When colleen turned to him questioningly, Keith felt his cheeks warm from embarrassment. Saying that he was hiding sounded a little strong, but he couldn't really deny it âThey get...â He tried to look for the perfect word âFussy when they worked togetherâ
âIt's like an unstoppable storm. They are so coordinated, it's really scary. Can't blame Keith for wanting to hide.â Pidge put it into better words than him.
âIt's just hard to give my input when I have to go against six people. Even if they will accept it, I prefer if they just do their thing.â
Pidge and Matt snorted at the same time. âYou say that like you don't have them all wrapped around your little finger.â
âAnyway.â Keith punctuated. He was still blushing hard and tried to hide by putting on his coat and turning away. âI have to go make lunch, can't trust them in the kitchen.â
âYeah, go feed your harem!â Pidge shouted at him.
If Keith was blushing before, he was ablaze now. It being a âharemâ was recurring joke between his friends, but he would never get used to his relationship being described like that.
âMy! Katie, don't call it that!â Well, at least Colleen looked as embarrassed as him at that term.
âHey Keith, can I join your harem? I also want someone to cook for me.â Matt said and his mother went to swat at him for following his sister's joke.
âWhy don't you just come back to live with your parents?â Keith suggested through gritted teeth.
âPlease, no.â Colleen said and pointedly ignored her son's indignant gasp. âAh, but they better be grateful to you for that, darling. A home cooked meal with love is the best gift anyone can receive.â
Keith froze on the spot to look at Colleen with shocked eyes.
âDarling, are you alright?â The three Holts were staring at him quizzically.
âYes! Now I know what to do, thank you Ms. Holt!â Keith jumped forward and, to everyone's surprised, grabbed Collen by her shoulders and kissed her on the cheek soundly. Then bolted to the door.
âYou-you're welcome, I guessâ He heard Collen's confused voice before he closed the door.
So Keith finally had an idea for what to give them but, if he wanted to make it a surprise, he had to get all Shiros to leave the house for the whole afternoon of Christmas eve. Or at least, make them leave him alone in the kitchen for what he expected to be a few long hours.
There was no way he could make a surprise, special dinner with six people wandering around the house. He had to cook six different dishes -their favorite food was another thing that set them apart- and that would take him too long to justify without giving the surprise away.
He tried to employ his friends' help, but it all proved impossible.
The 24th of December is a day to spend with your families and they all had families to be with. He couldn't just ask them to sacrifice their family evening to distract the Shiros for him.
Hunk and Lance, as the darlings they were, have tried to help a little anyway. They tried to convince the Shiros to hang out in the morning, so Keith could cook then and leave the dishes ready for warming up for dinner, but all the Shiros refused.
Every single one of them.
All claiming that they wanted to spend the whole day together with Keith.
Which threw the being alone for hours option out of the window as well. Not a great start.
He had let Sven prepare some pasta dish for all of them for lunch and, after an hour of idle chatter in the couch and browsing many TV channels, he had gotten up and pointedly ignored every request from one of them to 'come to the couch and take a nap with me?' and had retreated to the kitchen, making sure that no one followed him when he closed the door behind him.
He'd been so naive thinking a door would keep the others away.
He hadn't even finished taken one ingredient from the fridge when Taka-chan went to look for him.
âWhat are you doing?âHe asked, startling Keith, who dropped two carrots to the floor.
âNothingâ Answered Keith out of reflex. It was an obvious lie and he cringe to himself as he took the carrots from the floor slowly, to avoid looking back.
âKeith, if you are still hungry we can start one of the cakes we bought.â Taka-chan pointed to the two boxes on the kitchen table.
âI'm not hungry. And you bought them for tonight's dessert, we can't just take a piece without telling the others.â
âAre you sure? They won't mind if it's you.â
Keith turned and took a hard look at him. âIf you just want to take a piece, you can blame it on me in front of the others. I won't tell.â Keith blinked at him making Taka-chan blush hard. This sweet boy was always so easy to stir.
âThat's not what I want!â He defended himself with a pout. âSo what are you doing, then?â
âI'm cooking dinner.â Keith admitted begrudgingly, hoping he wouldn't have to explain more.
âAlready? But we've just finished eatingâ
âWell...â
âWhat's up?â Ryou had made it to the kitchen. And now it was two people Keith had to get rid of.
âKeith says he's making dinner.â Taka-chan explained.
âAlready? But we've just finished eating.â
Keith brought a hand to his face in exasperation. At least it was just two. And if he managed to come up with a good enough excuse they might help keep the others away.
âKeith!â Kuron came running into the kitchen âThey have a Bruce Lee film on TV, do you want to come watch it? You love them.â
Keith did love those and Kuron waited for his answer so eagerly. Making up an excuse was getting increasingly more difficult.
And that's when things got even harder.
âWhy is everyone on the kitchen?â Keith saw Kuro's face appear behind Kuron's shoulder. And immediately Takashi and Sven, the only two missing, appeared at the door. Their curiosity picked by Kuro's question.
They all looked at Keith expectantly and he had no other option than to bury his face in his hands even more.
Did he really think he could avoid the six of them? Deep down Keith probably knew that it was an impossible feat, but he really had hoped he would have lasted longer, or that he at least wouldn't have to deal with all of them at once.
It was too late now, because he had six similarly confused faces waiting for his reaction.
Keith dragged his hands down his face in what he hoped conveyed enough annoyance and just admitted: âI'm making you dinner and it's supposed to be a surprise so, can you leave please?â He pushed at the chests of Taka-chan and Ryou who were the closest to him. They didn't budge an inch.
âCan we help?â Taka-chan asked. Oh, this sweet boy, always eager to help him.
âYeah, it's not fair you are cooking for all of us, we should help.â Well, they were all eager to help him always.
Why did they have to be so nice always? They made Keith's stomach turn and his heart flutter. They made him sick, and he would gladly die of it.
I cook for all of you everyday, Keith thought bitterly. But upon seeing the open, eager faces of all his boyfriends any anger he could have felt dissolved instantly. Â
âIt's supposed to be a surprise...â he muttered, but a second look at them had him admitting defeat again. âOkay, fine.â
They all entered the kitchen with a few hushed chuckles and whispers of victory but, soon enough, they realized it was going to be impossible to get any work done with so many people in there. Keith sighted when they all turned at him for a solution.
âOkay, Taka-chan and Sven stay and help, everyone else out.â Keith demanded.
âWhy do they get to stay?â Kuro was the first to complain. Keith was sure he wasn't thrilled to help, but being cast off in favor of others didn't sit well with him.
âBecause Taka-chan is the first who offered and Sven is the only one I trust to keep and eye on the fire.â He received a few grumbles and mouth twists in response. âYou can set the table, go and make some origami figures with the napkins or something.â
Finally he managed to shoo the others away.
Okay, so the first surprise had been uncovered, but Keith knew that the second surprise would make up for it.
Once he was getting into the cooking, Keith actually was grateful he had four other hands to help him cut the ingredients. Cooking six different dishes at the same time was proving to be a test for his concentration. To not mistake the quantities of ingredients he had to put in every pot and pan was hard, especially for those dishes that shared ingredients.
âOkay, I need half an onion chopped and...â he looked at his phone for the recipe guide âAnd then another quarter.â
âYes, sirâ answered Taka-chan cheerfully. He had put his dark fringe up with a little pin so that it would not get on his face, and Keith couldn't help but soften at how cute he always looked. All his boyfriends were handsome, but Taka-chan's unmarked and unhardened face really gave him a more youthful appearance. His carefree personality also helped on this.
Sven's look of concentration as he blended some boiled vegetables for him made him look even younger in contrast. And it gave Sven a look of maturity and intelligence that made Keith drool more than the food that was already scenting the kitchen.
Keith turned back to keep an eye on the sizzling pans when he heard a small shout, almost muffled completely by the blender Sven was using. When he turned around Taka-chan had a finger on his mouth.
âDid you cut yourself?â Keith asked and Taka-chan answered with a nod and pitiful eyes. âYou should be carefulâ he admonished.
âMy eyes stung because of the onion and I couldn't see wellâ He complained and indeed, his eyes looked glassy. He hold his finger for Keith to see.
It was a very small cut, not really worthy of all this fuss, but Keith guessed it must have stung, and the onion probably didn't help.
Keith took Taka's hand and slowly brought it to his lips, giving his finger a little kiss âBetter?â he asked looking up at him.
Keith would have been embarrassed of doing something so cheesy in any other circumstance, but Taka was far too gentle to ever tease him about it, looking more bashful than smug.
âUm... I think it still hurts...â He kept his hand in front of Keith's face
Keith shoved it away playfully âWell then maybe I should call one of the others to come and help me in your place, so you can go heal.â
Taka-chan immediately shook his head at that.
âDo I have to injure myself to receive a kiss too?â Asked Sven who had stopped blending and was now looking at them.
Keith sighted and went to kiss Sven's cheek sweetly, which seemed to be enough to appease him, as the man wen back to his task.
After that, everything went pretty smoothly.
Except for a little interruption when the others came rushing to the kitchen to ask whether Keith preferred the napkins to we a swan or a lotus, and had taken them 20 minutes to stop arguing with each other, until Keith just told them to make a different fold  for everyone. If only to keep them busy for a while.
But except for that, everything went well. And in only four hours, Keith had everything almost ready. He just had to plate everything and make it look good.
He inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly through his mouth. He could do it, just one last thing.
He pushed Taka and Sven out of the kitchen and ordered them to not let anyone on the table until he was down setting the plates. No explanations given.
He closed the door to the kitchen. He breathed deeply one more time and got into preparing the dishes to look as pretty as possible.
When he was done, he took the first two plates to the table. A couple of Shiros started to stand up from the sofa, but he quickly raised a hand to stop them with a firm âNo.â They immediately sat back confusion painted on their faces.
He took the second pair and the last two. After setting the last plates on the table he took a sit to chair the dinner. He closed his hands on his lap and hold his breath expectantly. The Shiros took that at their cue to also sit.
It was clear where each of them had to sit, all of them recognizing their favorite dish in the table. But it wasn't until all them had sat and took in the dinner that they noticed Keith's second surprise.
Takashi was the first one to take a hand to his mouth, letting out a chocked âKeithâ and reaching towards his food with his free hand.
The rest copied his motion, all of them finding a little golden band placed carefully over their food. They all looked at him with such broken expressions that Keith couldn't help the chuckle that escaped his lips.
âI know we can't all get marriedâ Keith started with a soft smile, that was mirrored albeit shakily by the six faces in front of him âBut I know how important this is to all of you, how you've always wanted this. So... um, yeahâ he chocked on his words. All the Shiros were tearing up and he felt his lungs constricting in reflection to them.
In matter of a second, they had all gotten up and run to hug Keith.
He found himself surrounded on all sides. Two pairs of arms crossing around his shoulders, two on his torso and two bodies sitting at his feet resting their heads on the outside of his thighs. He felt his body being squeezed in all directions, the air around him warm and coated in their smell. A couple of drops -tears assuming by the soft sobs all around him- fell on his forehead and arm. Keith tried to reach all of them at once, but hey were too many and he arms were trembling too much.
It didn't matter. He let himself be hold by them instead.
They remained stuck like that for a long time. Keith surrounded by all the men he loved and all these men whispering I love yous to every inch of his body.
He'd never been happier. None of them had.
Later that night, while they all shared their dishes with him because he had forgotten to cook something for himself, they all promised to buy him a ring in return.
Ship: Lance/Keithâs father (named Ken in this fic)
Lance and keithâs dad have an affair.
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CONTENT WARNINGS: Anal sex, college aged Lance, age gaps
Lance sat at Ken's lap. He liked the vantage point of this position. Having the man between his legs and forcing him to raise his head slightly to look him in the face made him feel like he had Ken at his mercy. He dragged his eyes over Ken's torso and licked his lips with want, massaging his shoulders slowly, fascinated at the well-maintained muscle under his fingers. Lance raised his eyes to Ken's, reaching to trace Ken's eyebrow's scar with his thumb before leaning down to kiss him.
âDon't play, we only have about half an hour.â Ken said breaking the kiss, but with no actual intention of admonishing Lance.
They did have very little time.
Shortly after this little affair had started, they agreed on getting a schedule. One day, after more than a year being college classmates -and according to Hunk friends, though Lance was reticent of using that word- Keith had invited them to his house. There, Lance had met Keith's dad, in all his tall dilf glory. Lance's initial intention with flirting with him had been just to annoy Keith, not ever dreaming of being taken seriously by the man; but once they had being alone in the kitchen and Ken had responded to his advances, Lance's motivations flipped like a switch. He had to get into that man's pants now. He doesn't remember who kept pursuing the other after their first time -it has been a mutual thing, or at least Lance knows he was very much interested- but they had kept talking and they both wanted more.
There was one thing they didn't need to discuss, though: Keith must under no circumstances know about their little rendezvous.
And thus, they found their schedule: Every Tuesday afternoon, Keith had his advanced master class at university, so every Monday they would text and agree to meet or not.
Lance looked at every Tuesday with anticipation and impatience. So much, that he always sped up over limit to get to Keith's house as soon as possible.
Today hadn't been an exception, and the moment Ken opened the door Lance had thrown himself at the man. He had pulled Ken down to kiss him fervently and had let the other push his coat off, letting it lay on the floor at the door, feeling his hands roam around his body. They had stayed there, making out for several minutes until Ken ushered them to his bedroom.
Lance had pushed him to sit on the bed and then climbed onto his lap, feeling Ken's hands immediately cupping his ass.
âLet me do my thing, man.â Lance snapped with no bite at Ken's urging words and kissed him again, holding his face firmly on his hands.
Lance really liked sitting at Ken's lap. He liked that power, knowing that Ken's movements were restricted by his weight, having to endure Lance's thrusting and humping. All those little exasperated grunts at Lance's teasing movement. When the most he could ever do was pushing Lance's hips down to increase the contact.
Lance rubbed himself against the man shamelessly, his boner already apparent under his jeans, and broke the kiss to move his head to the side, baring his neck in front of Ken's face as an invitation for him to go at it. Ken took the invitation eagerly, scrapping his teeth against Lance's skin and sucking at it, eliciting a moan from Lance. Ken spread his fingers over his buttocks and squeezed and kneaded at them with a little harshness, making Lance ground harder onto him.
Soon enough, Ken was hard too.
Lance liked this position so so much, he could have easily gotten off just by dry humping and having the man biting at his neck, but Ken had other plans in mind as he grabbed his waist and flipped them over to lay on he bed.
Lance wouldn't complain though. Having a very attractive man laying on top of him, showering him with physical attention was just as enjoyable to him if not more.
Ken got up from Lance's body and started to undo his belt, Lance catching the hint and doing the same. Lance threw his pants off quickly, ignoring his shirt, and turned to take the lube and condoms from Ken's bedside table as the other stripped, shoving his pants down quickly and throwing his shirt over his head.
Lance was about to turn back towards Ken when he felt two hands on his hips, keeping him in place on all fours. âOh.â Lance beamed as he let the lube and condom slide clumsily over the sheets towards Ken, who took them swiftly.
Lance looked at the headboard, waiting expectantly, excitement growing as he heard the bottle opening and the squeezing of the lube behind him. His body tensed and his toes curled involuntarily when he finally felt a finger probing at his hole, circling it a couple of times before pushing in. Lance forced himself to relax with a sigh.
Ken waited patiently until Lance had loosen up a bit before adding a second finger, moving them in circles inside him, slowly easing up Lance's pliant body. He pushed the fingers in and out, prodding around inside Lance, in search for that little spot that always made him scream. Lance gasped when Ken finally found his prostate and tried to push back against his fingers, but Ken hardened his hold on Lance's hip to keep him in place. Ken was stretching him so beautifully, but Lance craved more.
Ken pushed a third finger inside and Lance moaned at the pressure, feeling his body burn a the stretch. Lance stood still as best as he could, letting Ken work him open slowly, until he couldn't wait anymore.
âC'mon I'm ready.â Lance drawled desperately, rocking back on Ken's fingers shamelessly.
âEasy there boy. Who's impatient now?â Ken laughed at his eagerness, halting his fingers to elicit an annoyed groan from Lance.
Finally, he took his fingers out to put on the condom. Lance shook his ass slowly in what he hoped look enticing and had to bit his lip to contain his excited grin when he felt two hands holding at his hips again. He shivered with anticipation, his body hair standing in nerves. He'd been waiting the whole week for this and his body was betraying any semblance of composure he may have wanted to maintain.
Ken entered Lance at an agonisingly slow pace. Lance could see the gates of heaven opening with every centimetre going inside him. The stretch so delightful, he could feel every fraction of his cock  filling him. When he finally reached bottom Lance grasped the sheets, letting out a moan that shook his whole body. The pressure burned his insides and the little sting of pain was enough to spike up his heart rate even more. Ken hadn't started moving and Lance was already short of breath, dick leaking with precum.
Ken moved his hands to caress Lance's hips reverently, moving them in soothing circles that got up his back, then moved under his shirt to his sides, and back down again. Ken kept this relieving motion until Lance was squirming under his hands for more friction, trying clumsily to fuck himself on Ken, who took that as a cue to finally star thrusting.
Ken gave a few slow careful thrusts to allow the boy to relax before he picked up his pace to an unrelenting speed. A stark contrast to his previous comforting touches.
Lance panted at every drag of Ken's dick over his prostate, sending shocks of pleasure along his body. He felt so warm, sweat drops rolling down his body, his throat burning at the strain of his rapid breathing. His thighs trembled and his fingers hurt with how hard he was holding the sheets.
Ken's grip to Lance's hips went back to its previous strong hold, gripping at his body with bruising strength. Lance couldn't even feel it, though, his body practically numb to anything but the pleasure of Ken angling himself perfectly against his prostate.
Ken's pace was unmerciful, his thrusts deep and hard and Lance's arms buckled at the force of it, sending him face first into the pillow and making him shout in surprise at the impact. Ken didn't stop for a single second.
Lance let the pillow muffle his high-pitched moans, his ragged breaths dampening the cloth under his mouth. Ken's short groans behind him coming in tandem with the creaking of the mattress at every thrust that hit him perfectly.
âTou-â Lance gasped. âTouch me... please.â He begged, closing his eyes forcefully. He could feel his orgasm nearing, that familiar tingling at his lower stomach, but it was still too far. He needed more.
Ken leaned over Lance, pressing their bodies closer and sneaked a hand under his body to wrap around his dick. It only took the feeling of Ken's hand pressing over his hardness to make Lance come with a scream.
Ken continued his unrelenting pace, making Lance whimper with overstimulation, until he finally came to a stop, hips trembling as he was hit with his own orgasm. He jerked a couple more times and got out of Lance with a groan.
The moment Ken stopped holding him, Lance let his body flop completely into the bed, happily satiated and gasping for air with a huge grin on his face. Ken moved to throw away the condom and clean up while Lance came down from his ecstasy.
It took him some minutes, but finally Lance got up from the bed and stretched gleefully, throwing a wink at Ken who glanced hungrily at his body. Lance's legs felt like jelly, a pleasant numbness on his muscles that made him want to lie down and sleep for the next 9 hours. But he knew he had to get going, the sooner the better, so he dragged himself to the toilet.
When he came out Ken had already dressed up and was waiting for him, sitting at the foot of the bed. Lance wanted to climb into his lap again and never get down, bothered by the though that he would have to wait a whole week for a chance to go at the man. Instead he put on his clothes and leaned to give Ken just a kiss, letting his hands caress over his hair, but both not allowing to escalte.
âSee you next Tuesday?â Asked Ken with a tentative smile.
âYou know it.â Lance answered as he got to the door and left.
Summary:Â Shiro has always wanted to try period sex. Luckily for him, his boyfriend is very eager to indulge him.
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CONTENT WARNING: Â Trans male Keith, Vaginal sex, Period sex, afab language
âAre you sure about this?â Shiro asks for the third time since they got into the room.
Keith had agreed almost instantly when Shiro suggested it and hasn't expressed any doubts so far, but Shiro doesn't ever want to do something that could upset his boyfriend, specially not when he is supposed to be making him feel good.
âYes, Shiro.â Keith sounds a bit irritated by having to answer again âI want this as much as you do.â Keith can see Shiro's sceptical look even in the dim light of the bedside lamp. He clarifies in what he hopes it's the last time: âHonestly, the reason I never brought up period sex is because I thought you might be disgusted.â
It really took Keith by surprise when Shiro brought all this up last month. Keith had just been happily declaring that he had finished menstruating, singing his goodbyes to the cramping, when Shiro shyly suggested that if he ever wanted to have sex to ease the pain he would be up to it. His low tone of voice and the way he nervously bit his lip while evading all eye contact told Keith he was hiding something. Shiro is so transparent to him nowadays.
It only took Keith a little of probing for Shiro to confess that he actually liked blood play and really wanted to try period sex. But only if Keith was completely okay with it, he emphasised between every sentence.
âI could never be disgusted by anything about you.â Shiro says easily and with total sincerity, running his hands reverently down Keith's body as proof.
Keith doesn't want to wait, he's never been good at it, so he climbs on Shiro's lap to straddle his thighs, taking his own shirt off on the way and throwing it somewhere. He goes to unzip Shiro's vest next, but he is interrupted by Shiro leaping onto his now exposed collarbones to kiss at them hungrily, hands roaming over his front and back.
Shiro's soft bites and kisses moving along his shoulders are too distracting and Keith forgets his stripping goal, holding Shiro's head against his body instead. He cards Shiro's hair around his fingers and tugs on it -softly, just like Shiro likes it- making him moan against his skin. Shiro continues his ministrations, leaving a trail of kisses from one shoulder to the other, stopping to pay special attention to Keith's responsive neck.
Keith is becoming a squirming mess under Shiro's arms and he stars rubbing himself on his lap, groaning softly at the contact. When he can feel Shiro getting hard under him, he grinds against him harder until Shiro gasps, finally freeing his neck.
Keith takes this opportunity to finally get on with undressing Shiro. This time, the other man catches his intentions and helps him with the task, taking his vest and shirt off, and then letting Keith off his lap to get rid of his pants and underwear as well. He crawls to sit in the middle of the bed, and Keith follows him immediately.
Keith has to do a double take at Shiro's dick, standing big and beautiful against his stomach -no matter how many times Keith's seen it, it's always impressive. He wants to feel it in his mouth, but that's not what they have in mind for today, so instead he climbs back over Shiro to capture his mouth on a deep kiss and wraps a hand around his dick, pumping it a few times to make sure it's fully hard.
Shiro doesn't take long in pushing him back gently -Keith's impatience apparently contagious. His hands roam to Keith's pants, undoing the zipper and helping Keith shimmy out of his pants, using the opportunity to run his hands up Keith soft unclothed thighs. Shiro stops to look at him excitedly, hands at the hem of his boxers.
Shiro is the pure image of nervous anticipation, but he doesn't seem to be able to continue. Just looking at Keith's crotch intently, like it's about to jump at him and attack him somehow. His throat bobs as he swallows hard and he looks up at Keith, waiting for some signal.
Keith laughs at his boyfriend's sudden immobility. He can feel Shiro's hands trembling slightly at his hips, so he picks one and slowly takes it to the bottom of his boxers so Shiro can fell the wetness there -a mixture of blood and slick from arousal. Shiro's jaw drops and his breath stutters. He presses his fingers against Keith, rubbing the cloth against his folds and making him moan loudly. He holds Shiro's wrist with force forcing his hand in place. Unnecessarily so, as Shiro doesn't want to leave anytime soon, instead groping Keith with his whole hand, practically trying to tear his way through his underwear with his fingers. Shiro's eager smile grows with the dampness under his touch.
To Shiro's disappointment though, Keith yanks his hand away and moves back to sit between his legs. Shiro is about to follow him with his hands, when Keith shakes his head no and he stops to let Keith do whatever he had in mind. Keith leans back and opens his legs with a sly smile on his face -he knows Shiro wants to watch- and he starts taking off his underwear. Slowly, tantalizingly. His fingers hook at the hem of his boxers and little by little, dragging one side and then the other, he takes off the garment.
He is completely right about Shiro wanting to watch, his gaze so deep and attentive. Keith doesn't know how he looks right now, but he knows he feels really wet for two different reasons and going by Shiro's pleasured groan -muffled lightly by the way he is painfully biting his lip- and wide eyed stare, he must really like what he sees. He is looking completely awed and, out of the corner of his eye, Keith sees his cock twitch. He has to cover his mouth to refrain from laughing at his boyfriend stunned reaction and ruining the mood.
(Keith takes advantage of Shiro's distraction to look warily at his boxers, laying now on the floor, for damage. They are not as dirty as he was fearing -he's taken his cup off like five minutes ago- but he still makes a mental note to wash them first thing after they finish.)
Keith's attention is brought back to Shiro when he feels a hand at his thigh and Shiro leaning over him. Shiro's complete focus is at his crotch, taking in the view while liking his lips. For a moment Keith thinks he is going to dive in and start eating him out, but instead Shiro moves one of his hands closer and looks up at Keith like asking for permission. The moment Keith nods, he reaches to rub at him gently, thumb rolling around his clit while he circles his entrance with other two fingers coating them in the blood that is slipping out of him.
The light stretch of the cup combined with his arousal and the added wetness of the blood makes it easy for Shiro to shove two fingers inside him in one single push. Keith screams at the sudden move and Shiro looks at him in concern. But the moment Shiro sees Keith's face and sees nothing but pleasure in it he relaxes.
He waits a few seconds for Keith to compose himself and then starts moving his fingers slowly in and out. His fingers come out coated in blood. A few small very dark clots stick to his them and Shiro wants to cry of joy. He is making a mess out of Keith and he looks so beautiful like that. Shiro shoves his fingers as deep at he can, relishing in the view of the blood flowing out with the movement. It's too much and Shiro has to close his eyes for a moment to take it all in.
Keith does nothing but moan helplessly, grabbing the sheets with force when Shiro adds a third finger and starts circling them around. He can think of nothing but Shiro's angelic fingers so perfect inside of him when suddenly, they are not there anymore. He shots a protesting look at Shiro, but it loses it's bite when he sees Shiro's mischievous expression.
Actively maintaining eye contact, Shiro brings his fingers to his face, completely covered in blood, and licks at them slowly making sure to clean every side and that Keith sees it all. Keith just lays there, open-mouthed in shock.
âYou taste so good, baby.â Shiro hasn't even finished his sentence when Keith is jumping onto his lap, taking Shiro's lips in his. He can taste the blood there and Keith is surprised by how little unpleasant it is, the metallic taste actually giving him goosebumps in a very pleasurable way. It's not the first time he has blood in his mouth, but it's never tasted so rousing. He kind of gets Shiro's excitement now.
Shiro kisses him back eagerly and holds Keith close to him, circling his waist with his arms. When they finally break the kiss, Keith pulls back and carefully positions himself over Shiro's dick, sliding down on it slowly while Shiro holds his hips to help him out. They both moan when Keith finally bottoms out and he holds onto Shiro's shoulders.
Keith wiggles a little for comfort before sliding up and down on Shiro, shallowly at first but increasing the pace as the seconds pass. Shiro grabs onto his hips like a lifeline, moaning every time Keith sinks down all the way. âFuck...â he drawls âYou are so wet, Keith.â
âYou like it?â Keith asks with feigned innocence, like he doesn't already know the answer.
âMmhmâ is Shiro answer, unable to form words. He is so close already -he was just from fingering Keith- and Keith is moving so perfectly around him, his back curving beautifully and his moans the most alluring sound to Shiro's ears. Keith holds his shoulders tightly and rubs against his whole body with every bounce, and it only takes him two more jerks for Shiro is to come inside him with a groan.
Keith doesn't stop, in fact he speeds up and sneaks a hand between their bodies to rub at his clit. Shiro -always attentive- would usually do that for him, but the strength of his orgasm seems to have rendered him useless, just holding onto Keith and hiding at the crook of his neck while he tries to regain his breath.
Shiro's skin is hot against him and his ragged breaths tickle his neck. He can feel Shiro's dick still twitching inside him. Shiro hugs him tighter leaving a little drool over his neck and finally Keith is coming, dragging another moan out of Shiro with his own.
They stay like that for a while trying to breath normally again, until Keith slips off his lap and falls onto the bed, Shiro following him immediately and lying down beside him and hugging his side. It doesn't take long for Keith to start feeling gross and he shoves Shiro away -not without protests- to go clean himself up. He asks Shiro to do the same, but the man seems to feel rather content laying on his dirty sheets and covered in blood.
Before he disappears into the bathroom though, Keith hears Shiro calling his name. When he turns back, Shiro points his finger at him and, with a serious expression, he promises: âNext time, I'm eating you out.â
The day of the announcement of the choice for the pilot to the Kerbers mission has come and Shiro is nervous. Keith is there for him.
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Coming out of his class, Keith finds Shiro exactly where he knew he was going to be. Sitting in a bench in front of the big bulletin screen of the research branch main hall.
It is funny how nervous Shiro looks, one of his legs bouncing rapidly, his eyes focused intently in front of him. He doesn't seem know what to do with his hands: rubbing them together one moment and running them through his hair the next, or just putting them under his chin, resting his elbows on his legs and making his whole body bounce with them. Keith feels the need to run to him and grab his hands to make him stop, because just watching Shiro twitch is unnerving him as well.
Keith reaches the bench, making Shiro start, but when Shiro sees it's him, his panicked expression immediately turns into a smile. A slightly shaky smile, but still genuine. Keith can feels his cheeks heat and he coughs into his fist, trying to compose himself and not look just as nervous as Shiro, for both their sakes. Keith decides to put a hand on Shiro shoulder in what he hopes is a reassuring gesture.
âRelax, Shiro. I could feel your tension from the other side of the school.â It is not even an understatement, Keith knew that Shiro would be in the verge of panicking. He's made it obvious to Keith in the past few days, reminding him every five minutes that the day they revealed the chosen pilot for the Kerberos mission was nearing. Every time he hanged out with Shiro it was a constant stream of:
oh my god, Keith, what if I get chosen and
I don't wanna get my hopes up but what if and
the training is going to be so strenuous I don't know if I could take it and
but Keith, what am I gonna do if I don't get it
Keith has had to listen to that tirade and reassure him so many times, he is starting to sound like a broken record. He doesn't even know how he managed not to snap and just kick Shiro out of his room every time he started ranting, but he guesses it probably has to do with the way his heart goes racing whenever Shiro looks at him with fondness and how warm and welcoming his touches feel. Shiro makes him feels weak and nervous and warm. He makes him feel so many things, it should scare him. But Shiro is always so kind, there is no way he could be afraid of loving him.
Shiro looks a little embarrassed at his agitation being so obvious, biting his lip and slapping a hand to his leg to make it stop. To his defence, Keith thinks, none of the other few cadets that are also waiting around look any better.
âI really don't know why you are so worried, Shiro. You are going to be the chosen pilot.â
âYou don't know that.â Shiro snappsquickly at Keith's sure tone. âThere are so many good pilots trying for Kerberos, Keith. Who knows what's going to happen? You don't know.â
âI do know.â Keith reiterates, with more conviction than the first time. âThe outcome is only uncertain to those who disbelieve. And I know you are the best.â
They have had this conversation before and Keith really tries not to look annoyed, but his brows furrow and his tone sounds more angry then he wants, and Shiro bites his lip in embarrassment.
âYou really think I'm getting the job.â Shiro states, but it sounds more like a question.
âYou are the best pilot in the academy, Shiro. You know that, I know that, everybody knows that. If the announce comes in that screen and your name is not in it, then there has been a computer malfunction because there is no way they don't chose you.â
That makes Shiro laugh. Keith's confidence in his abilities really helps him calm his nerves a little bit, even if it doesn't seem like it. He is used to receiving praise, but Keith's words go beyond that; they show trust.
They spend the next minutes waiting in silence. Shiro playing nervously with Keith's hand, massaging it and being far more gently to it than to his own hands, which look kind of painful with how short and wrecked his nails are.
The screen suddenly flickers to white, all previous announcements disappearing for a moment, and big letters announce that the pilot for the mission to Kerberos has been decided. Shiro jumps from his seat, holds his breath. All other students look expectant as well.
The whole announcement finally appears.
Shiro drops back down onto the bench when he sees his name in it.
He is shocked, doesn't seem to be able to breath. Not even a second pass and Keith is hugging him from the side screaming âI told you! I told you!â into his ear. But Shiro doesn't even respond, eyes completely frozen to his name flashing in front of him.
It takes a couple of strong shakes from Keith to bring him back into reality.
âI did it. I can't believe I did it.â Well, almost bring him back. Shiro looks completely dazed and his eyes are unfocused until Keith grabs his face and forces him to look directly at him.
âYes, you did it!â Keith feels his face hurts with how wide he is smiling and tears dampen his eyes but he doesn't care one bit. Shiro has worked so hard for this and he is so proud of him.
âI did it Keith! I'm going to Kerberos!â Shiro finally snaps from his trance and then almost snaps Keith in half by hugging him with too much force.
Keith doesn't choke though, since Shiro releases him to talk to a couple of the other students who have come to congratulate him in good sportsmanship fashion and give him their best wishes. They were likely classmates and have prepared for this together, so it doesn't come as a surprise.
âI told you, you are the best.â Keith tells him softly when Shiro turns back to him.
âFor nowâ Shiro answers. When Keith looks at him questioningly, he clarifies âI know you'll be greater than me one day.â
Keith blushes and bits his lip, taken aback by Shiro's soft gaze. Shiro is always praising him and Keith doesn't really believe in his words, but he doesn't like to argue with him, because it just feels so good to receive positive attention form him.
âWe'll see...â Still, Keith wants to shift the conversation again, because this is not his moment. It's Shiro's and Shiro's alone. âBut now it's your time to be great, so let's go celebrate it!â Keith gets up from the bench and offers Shiro his hand. When Shiro gets up, instead of letting go of his hand, he uses it to pull Keith into his arms, hoisting him up and using the momentum to throw them into a spinning hug. Keith holds onto his shoulders in surprise, but only half a spin later he is laughing unabashedly with Shiro.
Shiro doesnât like his hair and Keith doesnât like when Shiro feels bad about it.
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âOkay Keith, be honest,â Shiro exists his en suite bathroom and looks at Keith with nervousness  "should I dye my hair?â He passes a hand through the white tuff of hair falling over his forehead, biting his lip and waiting for Keithâs answer.
âWhat?â Keith rises from the bed and sits to look at Shiro, dumbfounded âYou are joking, right?â
Thatâs not an answer Shiro thinks. He lets out a frustrated huff and lets his hands fall from his hair to the hem of his shirt, where he plays with it to avoid looking at Keith âDoesnât it make me look⊠old?â
It wasnât looking old what actually concerned Shiro; it was looking different -worse.
His white hairs yet another testimony of how much he had changed. Of how much pain heâd gone through.
Shiro knew he couldnât erase his scars and he couldnât regrow a hand, as much as he wished for it. Ironically, he couldnât even think of taking his prosthetic off -even if having something made by galras permanently attached to his body turned his stomach- and having to see nothing where his hand -his dominant hand- used to be. He hates it, but he hates the thought of being rendered useless without it even more. Specially now that so many people depended on him.
His hair, however, he could change that. It should have been easy, surely alteans must have invented a product to change hair colour at some point. He could dye it black, like it used to be, and regain a small sense of normalcy. He could pretend he had some control on the effects his imprisonment had on his body.
He wanted things to go back to how they were, but he didnât want to admit to Keith how sick he felt sometimes when he looked at the mirror. There was too big of a dissonance between the last memory he had of himself and what he was now. His memory was full of lapses and for some reason he felt not knowing how he ended like this was more painful than any memory he had of his imprisonment. But Keith worries so much about him already, and always trusts him to be strong, so Shiro canât bring himself to dump all his insecurities on him. So he puts it as a simple aesthetic problem.
âNo it doesnâtâ Keith answered flatly. When Shiro gives him a disbelieving look, Keith lets out a frustrated sight and admits, âOkay, it does make you look a little older, but itâs not like it makes you look decrepit.â
âWow thank you, Keith.â
âWhy are you so worried about how your hair looks? I think it looks fine, I like it.â Keithâs tone sounds overly defensive, like Shiro thinking himself ugly is a personal attack to him. His eyes are fierce and demand an answer from Shiro.
Shiro ends up caving to Keithâs gaze -heâs always been weak for it- but not after a few tense minutes of hesitation.
âItâs not just the hair, Keith. Itâs- Itâs everything!â Shiro sighs and tries to swallow the lump of his throat but his next words still come out choked âJust look at me! Iâm covered in scars, my hand is a piece of metal and I canât even train without having a fucking panic attack most days. Itâs just- Iâm just wrong, Keith! I canât look at myself in the mirror without feeling despair. I donât even know what happened to me to get any of this,â Shiro gestures at his body âand I just feel.. broken, you know? Like Iâm not how I used to be -how I should be.â
Shiro wants to say more, say it louder, but his voice catches on his throat and refuses to come out.
âShiro⊠Come here.â Sadness is pouring from Keithâs expression in waves as he takes Shiroâs hand and gently guides him to the bed to sit beside him. He takes Shiroâs human hand between his two hands and caresses it softly, his gaze cast down to it, and speaks to Shiro in the softest tone he can manage. âMany bad things happened to you when you were trapped. Things that I, maybe even you, will never know the full extent of. And that left a mark on you. In more ways than physicalâ He squeezes Shiroâs hand to bring his attention and looks him in the eyes. âI can tell, Shiro. I can tell youâve changed. And not by your scars or your hair. Itâs-â Keith chokes on his own words, trying to contain his emotions âYou donât smile that often. You writhe in your sleep. When you even manage to sleep. And⊠And when you kiss me now itâs- itâs like you are trying to absorb me. Like Iâm somehow going to disappear from your grasp if you let up.â
Shiro cast his eyes down with guilt, tear threatening to spill from them. âI already lost you once.â
âNo, Shiro, I lost you!â Keith hadnât intended for the words to come with that force and he flinches when Shiro looks at him with shocked hurt in his eyes, like if Keith had just punched in the stomach âI lost youâ Keith repeats in a much softer ton, âAnd I donât think Iâve fully got you back.â
Shiro looks down again, hunched as if trying to fold on himself, and Keith sees one tear finally escape his eye. Keith hugs him to himself, both amazed and pained at the image of such a big and physically strong man looking so small and fragile on his arms. He feels guilty for not only taking the focus from Shiroâs pain, but also for hurting him more in the process. Shiro has gone through so much and for once he is letting out his insecurities, and Keith should be there for him. He figures itâs not to late for that.
Keith brings a hand to Shiroâs cheek and softly lifts his head to look him in the eyes.
âShiro, you are not the same boy that left for Kerberos. So much has happened since then. But that doesnât make youâŠworse. Bad things happened to you, but they didnât make you bad. Or ugly. Or broken.â Keith brushes Shiroâs white lock of hair to place a kiss to his forehead. He feels Shiro nod lightly under his lips and kisses him again, stroking Shiroâs back in a soothing circle.
âThere are many things that havenât changed, though.â Keith adds after a while. âFor instance, I love you just the same.â
Shiro starts quietly sobbing, hiding on Keithâs shoulder, wrapping his arms around him tightly almost climbing into his lap and mumbles and tiny âI love you too.â
After a while Shiro stops crying but Keith never stops running his hand up and down his back reassuringly.
âSo.. I should keep my white hair, then?â Shiro is joking now, any feeling of shame gone. He will probably still feel uneasy about his hair for some time, but Shiro knows that with Keithâs support he can start accepting what happened to him and work on healing.
Keith huffs a laugh and runs his fingers through Shiroâs hair âI actually like how it looks on you.â When Shiro gives him a weak smile he adds âThough your undercut needs some trimming, itâs starting to look a little long and running my fingers through it doesnât feel as good any moreâ
âOh no, that canât be.â Shiro gets up from the bed suddenly, surprising Keith. He worries for a moment, but any concerns disappears the moment he sees Shiroâs smile.âI have a razor in the bathroom, would you cut it for me?â
Keith smiles softly and takes the hand Shiro offers him âOf courseâ
Trimming Shiroâs hair takes a lot more than it should and his undercut ends up looking a little crooked, and Keith sneaking kisses into his nape every ten seconds is totally to blame, but Shiro does not complain at any moment. In fact, he feels happier than he has been in a very long time. Keithâs affections are something he definitely doesnât want to change.
