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It comes slowly, faith.Keith supposes maybe it’s because he’s never really let himself have any before but now he’s learning how to move mountains. Shiro had been the first, the easiest really, but the others were growing on him, the places in his heart he’d given to team Voltron grew larger every day.It didn’t stop him from wanting to strangle Lance over their breakfast though, or from giving Hunk and Pidge icy looks as they egged him on.“Keeeeith you have to tell! We’re literally galaxies away it’s not like we’re going to rat you out! C’mon, I told you about how Cynthia, spill!”Hunk chuckled,
“Oh man and the twins who were in the support program? Whoa.”Keith just huffed and sat back in his chair, intent on trying to finish his meal, to no avail. Lance swipped at the bowl of goo in front of him, holding it away as Keith leapt to his feet.“Ah-ah! Tell us who you had a crush on at the Garrison and I’ll give it back.”Keith struggled to keep his cool, it wasn’t Lance’s fault he was asking the hardest question, but the more he tried to needle it out of Keith the angrier he felt.“Who says it was anyone? I didn’t like anyone then and I certainly don’t like anyone now!”Lance quirked a brow even as Pidge chimed in,
“Liar.”Keith felt his eye ticked even as he glared harder at his friends,
“I’ve never had a crush before okay?”“Really?” Shiro’s voice cut through the teasing and Lance set the bowl back down for Keith to finish his meal, watching the way Shiro entered, steps measured and eyebrows raised.Keith looked suddenly smaller as he answered,
“Really.”“Huh. Alright, well Lance, Pidge, Hunk I need you to check the lions, we have a meeting soon and they need to be in tip-top shape. As soon as Keith finishes his food he and I are off to run some scans on the planet where the meeting is taking place.”There were nods all around and with a lot of clattering the room cleared, leaving just Keith and Shiro.“No crushes huh?”Keith blushed then, his cheeks blooming red as he focused on his goo.“I wouldn’t call it a crush.”“More an inferno then?” Shiro’s tone was light but the weight of his hand on Keith’s shoulder was not and when Keith turned to face him the burning in his cheeks was matched by the fire in Shiro’s gaze.“A blaze.” He affirmed, shifting and pressing his head up, asking without words and Shiro answered, leaning down to kiss him softly, tasting the flavor of Keith’s breakfast and lingering toothpaste.When they parted Keith offered a tiny smile,
“Thank you.”Shiro made a sound, tilting his head a little and Keith clarified,
“For keeping this secret for now.”Shiro grinned, swiping a finger through the green goo and dabbing it on Keith’s nose, laughing at the indignation that flashed in violet eyes.“For you, anything. Now hurry up and finish, work to be doing.”Shiro pushed away from where he’d been leaning down toward Keith and Keith sighed, in love as he was Shiro never let him slack.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Pinky to thumb, thumb to ring finger, thumb to-Keith takes a slow breath, trying to focus on the homework laid on the table before him but the movement of Shiro’s hands keeps drawing his gaze. Pinky to thumb, thumb to ring finger, over and over.He forces his gaze away, the pinch between Shiro’s brow, like his fingers, is just how he concentrates.Metal fingers make a small sound now, pinky to thumb, and Keith startles to realize the pattern is still something Shiro does. The pinch in his face is more pronounced than it used to be and they are just sitting down to dinner he can only assume Shiro is lost in his thoughts around Voltron.
He doesn’t say anything, just reaches over to catch his hand before the pattern can continue, his own fingers winding in the spaces of Shiro’s. There’s a blink and then Shiro smiles at him a little, giving his hand a squeeze before he lets go and starts eating. Keith doesn’t miss the way he leaves his other hand under the table.The other’s haven’t noticed, of course, but it’s impossible for Keith not too. Shiro’s skin is grey and there’s circles under his eyes, he stumbles sometimes, when it’s just the two of them and sparring with him is like fighting a zombie on a diet.
Worse is the way that Shiro smiles at him tightly, after a mission or before bed or any other time, the pull at the corners of his lips a thing meant only to reassure Keith, something it’s not managing.
Finally he’s had enough and the silence between them has grown too thick.“Shiro. Are you alright?”He knows that Shiro understands the depth he’s asking for, the way the man’s muscles tighten, visible since he’s just taken off his shirt, readying for a shower.The sweat from their sparring slicks his hair and he’s breathing hard, Keith is only barely winded but Shiro’s exhausted, it makes his heart ache.“I’m fine Keith, just worn out. You’re getting good.”For some reason the attempt to deflect just twists Keith’s concern into anger and he moves before the thoughts have time to order themselves. Grabbing Shiro’s wrist he tugs the larger man forward, twisting with the movement and catching his shoulder as he passes, using the moment he’s created and Shiro’s surprise to throw their leader to the floor.He doesn’t hesitate then, just straddles him and places his hands on his shoulders, firm but gentle and asks again, biting the words off,
“Are you okay?”Shiro huffs under him but there’s too much pain in his expression,
“I will be.”Keith growls, unable to help it, and Shiro tugs him down so they’re pressed together, the fabric of Keith’s shirt doing little to protect him from the heat of Shiro’s skin.
“I’m worried.” He admits to Shiro’s shoulder, lips brushing it as he speaks and Shiro chuckles.“I know. It’s just fatigue, fatigue and headaches. I’ll be good when we can take a day or two.”Keith grumbles,
“You mean a
Quintant”
and Shiro turns to kiss his hair. He doesn’t push anymore though, Shiro wouldn’t lie to him about this and he’s right in saying he’s stressed, the weight of Voltron on his shoulders.Later, Keith wonders how Shiro kept it so controlled for so long, wonders how he managed to fight, to pilot at all. Now he wants to scream.“I’ve never seen it this far along!” Coran’s surprise spikes around his concern as he looks at the readings they’re getting from Shiro.“What. is. happening.” Keith bites the words out and the noises of the other paladins tell him they need to know just as badly. Shiro, out cold on a medtable, looks so small and Keith feels like cords are tightening around his heart.
Coran turns, the thrill of teaching tempered by the situation,
“Something Allura and I were somewhat worried about. Your planet hasn’t had much contact from others and there are a lot of diseases in space. You’ve all held up remarkably well and it’s a real testament to Earth’s trials that you humans are so strong!”The silence and annoyed gazes that meet the words make him hurry along and Keith is relieved,
“Shiro’s caught one of the most vicious of the outer rim virus’. I don’t know where he picked it up but once he’s right I want to screen all of you. It’s a nasty little bug that wraps itself around the spinal cord of vertebrates and slowly drains all of the energy our bodies produce. It’s amazing he was even standing this morning. It’s encased almost his entire spine!”Keith’s vision blurs and his throat feels tight, foreign diseases are dangerous, he knows that, it’s how millions of people died on Earth when exploration was happening and long afterward. The spinal cord, his education unhelpfully supplies, is one of the most delicate and important pathways in the human body. He takes a breath, ignoring the wet heat of a tear on his cheek, Coran doesn’t seem too grim.“Can you fix him?” Lance sounds horrified but it’s nothing like the feeling in Keith, the hollowed out horror that he might just lose Shiro. The man he
loves. The man he’s kissed under stars and yet never…god he’s never said the words and now Shiro’s…“I think I can. It won’t be fast, but it’ll work! It’ll have too!”Coran shoo’s all of them without pity and Keith only goes because he knows the man is his best chance at getting Shiro back whole. It doesn’t stop him from keeping vigil outside the med rooms door, the image of Shiro falling as they walked to the bridge on a loop in his mind.
Some time later Hunk brings him food, leaving an extra bowl with him for Coran, and Keith is grateful for his friends, the way they know to give him space right now but still check in. He gives Hunk a strained smile and gains a warm one in return.It’s not long after that Coran opens the door, looks down at him and makes a gesture for him to enter. Keith scrambles to his feet, handing the bowl of food over for the man who sets in aside, untouched.“Well?” Keith asks, looking at Shiro, on his side now but no less pale. Coran’s expression doesn’t exactly lend hope.“It might take longer than I thought.”The lack of elaboration makes Keith cold and he curses, the desire to punch something is strong but there’s only Altean medical supplies neatly hovering beside him.
“What can I do?”Coran gives him a thoughtful look and Keith hopes there’s something, he can’t sit by idle anymore.“Well there is a medicine that’s suppose to help, but it’s rare and about eight galaxies behind us, it might be-”“I’ll go. Give me the info you have on how to get it and I’ll go.”Coran smiles,
“Excellent, I’ll get the files, you grab Allura!”Coran wasn’t wrong when he said getting the medicine would be hard. Keith was exhausted and he need a shower and maybe a hair cut and definitely a night in the cryotubes but he’d managed.The populace had been wary of the man who had crashed out of their maze, built to keep them safe from all intruders, but when he’d gasped out the reason he was there they’d hurried to give him what he came for. They’d tried to offer him rest but he’d asked only for a guide back to his lion.The vibrant blue liquid he presented Coran was worth the way that moving his right leg made his head swim and the churning in his stop with every breath. That maze had not been fucking around.Coran was delighted but he didn’t administer it right away, choosing instead to force Keith into a cryotube with a stern,
“No dying for Shiro!”Keith couldn’t argue that and as the pod activated he could hazily see Coran bending over the other man.Cryosleep left a terrible taste in the back of the throat, but it didn’t stop Keith from grabbing the man who woke him and kissing him hard.“Shiro, Shiro.” He mumbles against the taller man’s lips, aware of the wolf whistles from the other paladins, until Shiro, beaming and looking significantly better, pulls
him away.“Coran said you got pretty beat up saving me.” He smiles and Keith feels the thought pressing at him again.“Yeah. We uh, we thought we might lose you without it.”Something flicks through Shiro’s eyes but then he’s smiling again and reaching to tangle their fingers together, squeezing. Keith decides the other words can wait, after all they’re all whole again.Late that night, or what he assumes is night, Shiro walks him to his room, kissing his knuckles and stepping back. Keith is having none of it though.“I…Shiro. Please stay?”Shiro’s eyes widen but he nods and Keith is relieved as he pulls the taller man into his room, undressing for bed silently. They curl together easily and Keith relaxes into the warmth of another, wondering why he’s never asked for this before.Shiro must be thinking the same thing because he gives Keith a squeeze and then,
“How come we’ve not done this before?”Keith shrugs and closes his eyes.“Takashi?”Shiro’s tiny gasp tells him he’s listening.“I love you.”
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Keith could feel it, the slow numbness in his fingers spreading up his arms, his heart racing too hard for his ribs to contain, the poor hummingbird organ streaking toward its own end. His failing eyesight turned the red spread from him into a swirl of color, red, purple, streaks of blue. He was bleeding the stars onto the smooth metal floor of the ship.Shiro’s still fingers were in reach, but he couldn’t move anymore, turning his head to face the man had been near impossible, the pain in his side had faded to nothing when the cold had come.He could hear a little, the rattling of his own breath as his torn lungs tried to function, the clatter of running feet. He had never prayed, he wasn’t about to start, but he sent a wish out to the universe that maybe Shiro would make it.
Keith could feel it, his death.The exploding star behind his eyes was the first thing he knew. The bright swirl of colors when he opened them the second. Then there was a face, a much loved face, coming into focus. He could hear his breath, much stronger, and the cold was chased away by the press of a hand in his own, squeezing almost too hard.“Keith?” His name was a breath from somewhere too his left and then there was shouting,
“Keith’s awake!”The face above him moved away and Keith could feel a hot trail of warmth on his cheek. He couldn’t move, so potent was his surprise, at having lived, at Shiro’s tear on his face.He must’ve lain too still, stared too long because there was a sad sound near him,
“I don’t think he’s with us. His eyes are just open again.”That wasn’t right. Something about the way Pidge said it was all wrong. Keith wanted to correct her, too say he was awake but his body didn’t seem to agree with him.There was another warm squeeze in his hand and Shiro’s hopeful but clouded gaze hovered over him again. Shiro.He took a long breath, determined. There was no way his own body was going to stop him.“Hi.”It wasn’t much, but it was enough if the breaking smile on Shiro’s face was enough, his eyes filling with tears even as the others volume shot up and there was a great deal of shuffling as they crowded around him.“Hi.” Shiro answered, a little laugh of amazement at the end and Keith figured the explanations could wait. He took another breath with his miraculously repaired lungs and spoke again.“Kiss?”The
“Ugh” and
“oh he’s
fine”
from the other paladins didn’t stop Shiro from giving in and Keith sighed happily.The warmth around him, the scent of Shiro’s cologne, the press of his lips, had brought Keith back from the edge, he was sure of it.“Thanks for leading the way.” He rasped as Shiro pulled back, his guide even when he’d bled a galaxy.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
To say the war had taken a lot from them would be to reiterate a point long since made. It was more important now to look on the things that war had given them.The gift of themselves, grown into roles of leaders and diplomats, of fighters and of men worthy of each other. The scars that made up who they were might have come at a high cost but for each other they’d have paid more.Shiro was terrified sometimes, thinking how much Keith had given in the end. The other man, kneeling on the mat, was strong as ever but Shiro would never forget the blood paid.Keith sat up straighter at the sound of Shiro’s footsteps, turning with a smile and Shiro felt his chest loosen after a long day teaching. Earth had joined the galactic alliance with little issue, it’s leaders preening under the importance of being the homeworld of the paladins who had freed the others. Shiro had thought it would be difficult to return to life there, among the changes in both the planet and themselves.He was pleased to be wrong as he fell into teaching negotiators at the Garrison and Keith had found a home teaching diversified fighting styles in the intergalactic branch. His husband fit in well with the mixed species instructors, many of whom had been part of the war. Shiro knew that every student he trained was a tribute to their fallen friends, to Kolivan, to Ryner, to Dr. Holt.For as many as they had lost, there were many left. Allura was due for a visit anytime if Lance’s sister was to be believed (and she always was), Matt and Pidge were the head of the technology and science department and Hunk had full rule of the engineers. The paladins had become quieter, older.Keith’s head tilted and Shiro shook himself, coming to kneel beside his husband, hand on his shoulder guiding him into an easy kiss. They parted, Keith’s sightless eyes half-lidded.Shiro cradled his cheek, thumb tracing the old scar, the one he’d left.
“Don’t you have a class to teach?”Shiro chuckled,
“They earned a free day. I was coming to check if you were up for it.”Keith grinned,
“If they want to watch you get beat so bad, better let them in.”Shiro touched his forehead to Keith’s and rose to allow his class in. They were always eager to watch Keith and him spar and just as eager when Keith put them through paces. He just hoped one day they would chose something else for their free days, it was getting embarrassing how often he lost.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Looking at his own face is strange, though Keith supposes it’s more the lack of recognition than the similarity. The Alteans’ lack the same impairment that humans do when it comes to seeing themselves and Allura simply shrugs at the sight of her clone, it’s like a flipped mirror to her and Keith’s disconnect is strange to her.Shiro is the only one that doesn’t have a copy and Keith falters when they start discussing the why.Each of them has been duplicated perfectly, a vessel created for their consciousness to be transported into in the event they die. They are the Universe’s greatest hope and being fragile mortal beings ever precaution must be taken to protect that hope. The mind cannot withstand a continuous chain of death and resurrection however and for now it is limited to once. One jump from a dying body to a whole one.Shiro has already used his. Not that any of them knew it, not that they could’ve known. The backups were created
after
Kuron, after Keith’s new scar and Shiro’s white hair. The Olkari don’t think he’ll hold together for another. They all have another chance if they fall, everyone but Shiro.
“There is one more item to be addressed. I know that the duplicates will take most of you some time to adjust too, but we have little time to allow the thought to settle before moving on. Something else came to light as we copied over each of your DNA.”Ryner’s tone was firm but light, so Keith didn’t tense even though he could feel the tension in Shiro’s body. Their loose circle closed in as each of them stepped away from the cryotubes holding their clones, focus solely on Ryner.“After extensive comparisons, we came to the conclusion that Keith’s Galran heritage is from the royal line.”Lance jumped on that,
“Oh, so that’s why he’s a
royal
pain in the ass!”“Lance, please, let Ryner finish.” Allura’s tone was cautious.Keith frowned, Shiro’s hand finding his and tangling their fingers together as they listened.“His mother is Zarkon’s distant cousin, but with most the blood contenders for the throne dead at Zarkon’s command, he is the closest blood heir following Lotor.”Ah, right Lotor’s succumbing to Quintessence needed to be shared as well, but Keith couldn’t see why it mattered much, or what it had to do with their clones.“Great. I’m even closer to that monster…why does it matter?”Shiro was the one to answer him, the only one whose expression had not turned either heavily confused or darkly hopeful,
“Because if we remove Zarkon, the Galra Throne will be empty, only those with military power or blood claim have the right to try for it. If you win the Kral Zera
you
could take power and we could peacefully free the rest of the empire and give the Galra the stability the Blade of Marmora is fighting for.”There was no joy in Shiro’s voice, just flat explanation and the sorrow he saw there was the only thing keeping him from tearing his hand out of Shiro’s and running. His lover at least knew what that was asking.Allura stepped forward,
“It’s a lot to ask. All of this has been so much to ask of all of you, but if there is a chance for peace, it is our duty to try.”Hunk gave him a thumbs up and even Pidge shrugged with a little hopeful smile, Coran grinning,
“Even if you don’t make it through the Kral Zera you have a backup body now! So there’s not really much risk!”They were converging on him, the start of strategies for removing Zarkon, and Zarkon alone, sparking. Keith stepped back from them all, the plans they were starting hinged on him but they hadn’t even waited for his response.
Shiro’s voice cut through it all,
“It’s not that simple. We shouldn’t act like asking someone to die is easy because they have another body. Nothing about it is easy…” He trailed off and the chatter died as they were all brought back to themselves, remembering that Shiro had already lived through what Keith might have too, the way it had scarred him.It wouldn’t be the same, exactly, but close enough.Surprisingly enough Lance spoke up next, his usual smile pulled into a frown as he looked at Keith,
“We should’ve asked. Are you willing to do this?”Keith looked between all of them, the anger at them faded, they had been excited, ready to hold onto any hope and he couldn’t blame them for it. Was he willing?His eyes meet Shiro’s and the sad, quiet pride there and the sea of love that meet him steeled his resolve. Shiro knew his answer before he did and even if he had to wake up in a new body, even if he didn’t succeed, that love would still be there, waiting for him. Always.“It might be cool to be an emperor.” Keith offered, a quick smile tugging at his lips and he saw it in all of them, the hope burning and the worry.“Awesome! Operation Royal Mullet is go!” Hunk and Lance high fived. Keith meets his mother’s eyes where she was leaning against a far wall and dipped his chin even as she nodded, jaw tight.Shiro took his hand again,
“Let’s get out of here for a while, we can plan later.”Keith was grateful for the man as he leads him away, Shiro wouldn’t let him fall, even as he took the biggest leap of all.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
The warmth against Keith’s skin felt good. It was a slow thing, creeping up his legs and slowly wrapping around his arms until it settled over his entire self, the black of his hair absorbing it. He sighed, unable to place where he was that it was so pleasant.He hummed aloud, a hand slowly reaching out, searching for the body that usually lay beside his. There was nothing but the skittering of a rock under his palm, small and jagged it pressed into his flesh. He frowned but the sluggish warmth kept him from opening his eyes.
It wasn’t a bed, the hardness under his back affirmed as much, and he wondered if he’d been knocked out recently. The flicker of memory confirmed that, yes, he’d been fighting. His blade glowing and singing as he’d cut through his enemies, Kolivan’s voice ordering they abort the mission.Keith had been so close, he sighed, it sucked that they hadn’t planted the bomb. Except…he had. He’d heard Kolivan giving the order to take off in his earpiece even as he’d set the timer. He remembered racing toward their craft, his jetpack engaging as he’d launched out the airlock after it.
A jolt had thrown him off course and then the blinding light and strange quiet of a bomb in space and then just-nothing.Huh. Well, the warmth was still nice, even as it grew until he was sweating a little. Maybe he could just rest, after all, it wasn’t every day an explosion threw him…somewhere.Actually, where was he? There was no way the Blade had come back for him and he hadn’t been close enough to the transport when the blast had caught him for them to risk dragging him aboard.
Keith’s eyes snapped open and he felt confusion, then dread. The strange complacency draining out of his rapidly with his vision clear. A barren, flat plane of white spread around him, streaked with yellow and bronze it reminded him of pictures of the salt flats of Earth. He stood, wincing at the ache and feeling a sharp pain in his ribs. He took care then, pressing a hand to them and praying walking wouldn’t puncture a lung.
The flat ground felt hard but when he drug his foot in a step a fine powder rose and he paused, scuffing the ground, watching it crumble a little. A few small shards of rock lay around him, tiny pieces that had been knocked free. In some places, the ground was pockmarked with tiny round divots and he raised an eyebrow, looking around. Nothing. Not even a rise in the ground, no life, just the endless flat ground disappearing into a shimmer on the horizon. He frowned.The horizon where the top of an orb was visible, rising slowly. The warmth was less on his face but not much and was starting to become uncomfortable. Keith didn’t dare take his helmet off for fear of the atmosphere but even with the tinted shield on he had to squint against the growing western light.
He stopped in his tracks, the rising sun, the growing heat, the flat, baked ground. His stomach dropped. This planet wasn’t made of pale hard earth, it was bleached and burned, baked hard like ceramic by its sun. There was no cover and Keith did the only thing he could think of, the fear of the rising sun pulsing through him, he turned away from the light and ran.
His strides carried him fast and he realized that gravity was a little lower than on earth, just enough to give him a boost without making him bounce. He twisted to look back, grateful that the scorching sun was rising so slowly, and desperately searched the horizon he was racing toward for
anything
he might use to shield himself. He’d heard of places like this from Shiro, a warning to never get stranded on them.The planet’s who were either too close too sustain life, or who had held life until their suns had started going supernova, holding out as the star expanded until it exploded. They were dangerous, especially without cover, the temperatures so extreme no suit could withstand them.
Keith knew as he ran that he was fucked. He couldn’t run to the dark side of a planet, not with the sunrise behind him. As soon as enough of the star crested he’d be dead. Already sweat was pouring off of him and his suit was working to lower his core temperature. Already he could feel his lips chapping as he lost moisture.
He cried out, seeing a few scraggly clouds, maybe the shade of them would give him a second of respite from the full heat. Maybe. He ran harder, seeing the telltale signs of rain. Before he threw himself fully into though he noted the steam rising from the ground and despair gripped him again.
The pockmarks in the stone. Acid drops of rain burning through the ground as they fell, evaporating almost immediately after touching the ground. Hundreds of storms had to pass for there to be a mark in the heat.
He had another thing to avoid then. His legs burned, both from exertion and the still rising heat. Keith put his head down, pushing himself harder, he swore on the faint line before him a new shape was there, a place to maybe be safe.
He looked back and his eyes were wild with fear, there was no way he was going to make it.
He had to try. Shiro’s face wavered before him, a smile and the brown eyes that made his chest feel light. He couldn’t leave Shiro. Shiro had already lost so much and Keith wouldn’t be another death hanging over his head. He had promised to come back, from this mission and any others, he swore.The light was painful on his back and he wondered if his suit would melt to him or if he’d just be cooked alive inside of it. The shape wasn’t getting any closer and the clouds from the acid storm were moving closer. His breath was loud, his heartbeat thundering.“Shiro!” He screamed, legs pumping harder,
“Please!”He couldn’t finish the thought, the
save me
dying on his lips as he choked, the sweat in his eyes and the blurring landscape telling him he couldn’t push anymore. He whispered
“Takashi” once before his body gave out under him.
He screamed when the first drops of the rain ate through his skin, burning his hand, the heat making him delirious enough to start taking off layers with the little strength he had left, his shoes and gloves were gone and the light was cleansing.
He closed his eyes, the same peace from the first moments stealing over him and he sighed, the light was insidious as well.Keith Kogane resigned himself to a final flash burn of existence and reached to remove his helmet as acid rain ate through his fingers on a planet razed by its own star.
He ignored the odd shaking under his useless legs and the way that breathing hurt, his broken rib protesting the effort he’d put into surviving.
He tugged the helmet off and opened his eyes, shock leaving him still. Instead of the burning of the rain, cool air breezed against his face and he choked on a sob as he realized he had been swallowed by the black lion at the last second.
Shiro’s voice was muffled and then Keith felt the lion move, likely getting them off planet as fast as it could. He shuddered, the blast of cool air no longer felt like relief, it was too cold after the burning. His skin
hurt.Keith moaned pathetically and the last thing he saw before finally fully giving into the dark was Shiro coming through the door to Black’s cabin, eyes full of fear.Shiro’s laugh was cut short. Allura and him turning quickly as Coran accepted an incoming message from Kolivan. Shiro’s chest was tight, needing to see Keith whole and safe again and he focused utterly as the screen flickered to life. Lance, the only other paladin present, leaned over his shoulder, quip-ready as Kolivan appeared on the screen. Alone.Alarm bells went off in Shiro’s head and he tried to tamp the fear down. Kolivan had called plenty of times without Keith. Usually, he’d arrange another time for them to talk.
“Kolivan! How did the mission go?” Allura’s tone was polite, her curiosity genuine.The blade didn’t answer her, gaze boring into Shiro where he sat, speared in place by the words Kolivan spoke,
“I am sorry Black Paladin. He broke protocol and was unable to rejoin us in time.”“Where.” Shiro didn’t recognize the tone of Lance’s voice as he spoke the word Shiro needed and Kolivan gave them all a long look, one that made Shiro want to yell, and he never wanted to yell.“Near the Rasa Moon.”Shiro didn’t hear a word as he threw himself from his chair, snarling
“Allura, wormhole.” and racing for Black.The Rasa moon had once been a mineral moon with ethereal plants blooming out of its smooth unbroken surface, circling a planet full of life until the star had begun to die. Now it was one of the most dangerous bodies in space and Shiro knew that Keith’s suit was programmed to bring him to the nearest stable landing area. He refused to think about Keith caught in the rising of the exploding sun.
Allura had listened to him and he piloted through the wormhole, pushing Black to go as fast as they could, shooting toward the surface of the perfect white moon, the streaks of bronze mineral turning it into a marble, smoothing and devoid of shelter. Black scanned the surface and Shiro felt his breathing stutter when a single fading life sign appeared. He reached it in time to watch Keith accept his death, hands pulling his helmet off in the burning of the moon’s rain. He didn’t know if he or black made the choice but they scooped him up and rocketed away from the place.Shiro slammed into the console with how fast he tried to stand, causing Black to growl quietly in his mind and stumbled through the door to watch Keith sway and collapse.
The bones of his left hand were visible through the gapes in his skin, there was no blood from the cauterized wounds but that was hardly reassuring. Shiro touched him and hissed, he was so hot. Immediately Shiro started stripping him, ignoring the way the suit burning his palms as he bared Keith to the room and hoping that Black knew to do whatever was needed to get them back to the castle.Keith woke shivering, laying across Shiro’s lap, he felt like he’d been dunked in ice but the feeling was easing.
“Shiro?”The older man smiled, pressing a kiss to Keith’s palm, his hand bandaged but feeling whole. Keith blinked and pushed himself to sit up with Shiro’s help, looking around. He was in the healing room on the castle. He was safe. He shuddered and Shiro wrapped him up in a hug, pressing kisses to his shoulder and
oh.Keith was naked.
“Keith. Keith…I thought we’d lost you. I barely made it in time.”Keith mumbled an apology, feeling hazy and euphoric that he was
safe
here in their rebuilt home with Shiro wrapped around him.“Thanks for saving me.”Shiro looked down at him, eyes soft, even as he opened his mouth the answer. Keith didn’t feel like having a talk yet, but he did feel like affirming that he had survived and there was one really good way to do that.He cut Shiro off with his lips, sliding his tongue into Shiro’s mouth and kissing him hard and sloppy. He sucked at Shiro’s lip with a little sigh and Shiro’s hands were warm, holding him tightly, one flesh and one Olkari construct. He hummed and Shiro smiled into their kiss, gently laying him down on the cool floor, kissing him still as he shifted to kneel over Keith.Keith paused for breath, tugging at Shiro’s shirt. He’d almost died damnit, he was going to do what he wanted right now. He had just about gotten Shiro naked, shirt thrown to the side and hands working at his pants when a loud knock distracted him.“Shiro! Hey, are you okay?”Keith frowned and looked in question at his lover who just shrugged,
“I told them I wanted to be alone with you when you woke. I guess I’ve used up all my time.”Right as he finished Lance, Hunk, and Pidge spilled into the room, Coran and Allura standing back amused.“Ugh, guys!”“That’s more of Keith than I needed!”“Wow. Uh, so…who wants a celebratory milkshake?”Keith groaned as Shiro sat back, pulling him up so they were both sitting and tossed his discarded shirt to Keith to cover up with.“I was trying to give him one,” Shiro said it conversationally but Lance’s eyes bugged out and he looked like a fish even as Pidge’s nose wrinkled and Hunk blushed.Allura, ever the lady, hid her smile as Coran walked forward.“Well Keith did just wake up, so I’d say no solids in him until we do a test.”Keith made an exaggerated pouting face,
“No solids at all?”“Nothing hard you’d say?” Hunk picked up and Lance yelped, glaring at his best friend in betrayal. Yeah, Keith was glad he’d made it. He’d been afraid of never seeing them again, of giving them another death to carry, even if they were all massive cockblocks.Shiro pressed a kiss into his hair and whispered,
“Soon.”
That was good enough for him. If he was going to burn to death, he’d rather it be under the heat of Shiro’s hands.