Shiro looks up, weary, from his desk to see Steve standing at his door. Who had let him in. It's the end of the day and way past the end of the working day. Shiro's shirt and jacket collar have come into a disarray, and so has his hair from the number of times he's run his hand through it. He does it again, self conscious in Steve's company, in an attempt to neaten it, but of course, it probably just worsens the situation.
He and Steve had called it quits on their relationship and gone their separate ways a long time ago. Maybe they could have found a way to stay together but with the world in shambles they'd never been able to give each other the proper focus they needed to in order to fix what they had between them. Because what they had hadn't been easy. It was uncertain and built on rocky foundations, and neither of them had been capable of the tender, loving care it needed to truly grow. So instead of letting the fights consume them, they called it off.
Once Sam, with the help of Allura, unlocked Voltron's elemental ability to move through realities, Shiro assumed Steve would return home --- his real home --- and never come back. He didn't know what to feel about the fact that Steve became a continued presence around the base. The Garrison loved it, of course, could always make use of Captain America on their turf. Bumping into him was unavoidable, to Shiro's mortification, but he had enough pull to make sure their paths crossed as little as possible . . . but even he couldn't prevent an interaction when Steve actively sought him out.
He knows what Steve waiting by his door means. He'd used to do it when they'd first started seeing each other --- an invitation to the Garrison's greenhouses, an excuse to see him without having to venture off base and make it look deliberate, but private enough and dare he say, romantic enough for the two of them to be themselves.
Shiro hesitates, looking back to the multiple tabs of screens open on his holo screen, and the papers that scattered the top of the desk below. He's also aware of how dishevelled he looks, and there's a small mustard stain on his shirt from lunch that he hadn't been able to clean properly. Does he really want Steve to see him like this? The alternative is to say no, and maybe put Steve off forever, which . . . now that Shiro thinks about it, is not something he wants. Maybe he should just hear the guy out.
' Sure. ' With a swipe of his hand, his screens power down. He gets to his feet and quickly buttons up his jacket, covering up any stains that may be present on his shirt. ' Haven't been down to the greenhouses in a while. '
