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“I’ll go.”
Shiro stood up in the middle of the Ecclesia, the javelin already in his hand.
“You can’t.” Sanda’s voice was steady from the other side of the room. “In your condition, you have no possibilities again that beast.”
“If there someone that has a possibility, that’s Shiro,” Sam defended him. “He already defeated a beast and saved me and my son.”
“And we’re grateful for it. But he isn’t anymore the man he was back then because of that fight. Sending him will mean killing him.”
“Sending someone else, you mean.”
The discussion between Sanda and Sam continued, but Shiro wasn’t listening anymore. Teeth gritted, he could recognize the pity behind the gaze of others Athenians. They could respect him, and they’d envied them once, but now they looked at him and thought about the money they reserved for cripples.
He left.
From his house, he took all the weapons he has: his dagger, the small knife, the hammer, anything he could use with one arm. The sun was still high in the sky when he marched towards the forest, following the path of destruction the beast caused.
From the higher spot, he could see the gigantic hole in the middle of the wheat field, and the olive trees fallen by the fury of the beast. In the far, the white roofs of Athens. Shiro understood it was just a matter of time before the beast would move his attention on it.
In the deep of the woods, the only rumor were Shiro’s steps as he trampled the brushes and leafs. It was dark, only small sunray pierces through the branches.
Then, he became darker, a purple fog glided and swirled around the woods.
Shiro tightened the grip on his dagger in his left hand. He turned around himself, fearing for a surprise assault.
“Where are you? Show yourself!”
“I do not desire to fight against you.”
The voice was deep, rough but warm, it curled around Shiro’s ears and he was unable to understand where it came.
“Are you the beast that’s bringing havoc on the Athens’ lands?”
“I am.”
“Then I have to stop you.”
Shiro’s back was now against a log, the sword in front of him. Brute force wouldn’t work, he knew, and he felt naked without his shield. He didn’t have an arm for it.
“There is no need to fight,” the beast murmured. “I have a deal for you.”
“A deal?”
The beast Shiro’d met in the past, the one sent to kill Sam and his family, had been a cruel, senseless monster; this one sounded almost human, or at least, intelligent enough. It was dangerous.
“I want you,” the beast said.
“Duly noted.” Shiro snorted. “If you want to kill me, I’m right there. But I’m not going down without a fight.”
“I do not want to kill you.”
“Then what do you want?”
“I want you,” the beast repeated, “to become my groom.”
“What?” Shiro’s blinked.
He didn’t expect that.
He definitely did not expect that.
“I won’t haunt Athens anymore if you accept.”
“And if I don’t?” Shiro dared to ask. The grip on the dagger was so tight, his knuckles were almost white now.
The purple fog trembled around him, frantic, before settling again.
“The ruins will continue.”
“Then I’ll have to stop you.”
“I already told you, I won’t fight you.”
Shiro lashed through the purple fog: it turned and twisted around the blade, with no damage.
“Somebody else will come,” he said, even if it was a lie.
“Nobody else can defeat me but you,” the beast replied. “And I won’t fight you.”
“Smart move.”
But Shiro was somehow flattered. After so many people looking at him as he wasn’t able to do anything anymore, having a supernatural, terrible creature admitting a weakness it was somehow refreshing.
“I’ve observe you,” the beast continued. “You’re a good man. You want to do good in this world.”
The thought of a beast studying him was unsettling. “You don’t know me.”
“I don’t,” the beast conceded. “But I can say that you’re not that kind of man that’ll let someone in danger, not if he can avoid it.”
It was true, Shiro admitted. Marrying a beast wasn’t the dream of his life, and it wasn’t what he imagined ending up with. But he could save Athens like that, and what life has remained for him in the city after the accident? Even Adam’d said he wouldn’t be there anymore at his return.
“If I accept, you promise Athens will be safe?”
“You have my word.”
“Fine, then. Looks I will be your hus-beast.”
“Is it a joke?” The purple fog brightened around, the voice sounded amused.
Oh, well. The beast had some sense of humor. Or at least he appreciated Shiro’s, something he couldn’t say of most of the people he knew.
He lowered the dagger and the fog curled around him, brushing his skin. It wasn’t cold as Shiro thought. He let himself be culled by it, his body weighted down. He slowly closed his eyes.
***
He opened his eyes in a queen size bed, white silk sheet, a room with marble floor and green and pink florae decorations around the walls, blue sky with stars on the ceiling.
And the gaze of a definitely not human girl upon him, with her pointed ears and the marks on her cheeks.
“You woke up finally!” she exclaimed, and her voice pierced Shiro’s ears. “It’s almost midday.”
Midday meant it had already passed a day. At least a day. Shiro groaned, recalling from the fog of his mind the last events he recalls. With relief, he noticed he still had his clothes on.
“I’m Romelle, nice to meet you.” She shook his hand vigorously. “Come on, sleepy head, let’s get up.”
She headed for the door and Shiro hurried behind her. At least, one of them seemed to know where they were. As he followed her outside, he paid less attention to her blabbering and more about the vines on her pink dress and hair, that moved around as they had their own life.
Their destination was the terrace, which gave Shiro a better idea of the place they were. The two floors palace stood at the top of a hill, big, thick white marble walls. The entrance was traditional of temples, with the porticate with columns and sculptures in the tympanum, who depicted the born of the Goddess of love and lust.
The hill climbed down sweetly in terrace and flowers bed, vineyards and olives and fruit trees, in a multitude and colors in the bright green. It looked like there wasn’t only one season in the park. In the far, Shiro caught the sight of a stadium.
“There isn’t anybody else here?” he asked.
“Who else should it be?” Romelle replied.
Maybe the beast that apparently was Shiro’s husband now. Instead, he said, “I don’t know, farmers, servants…”
She sucked a finger stained with juice. “The human world needs human to live on. Here, things just happen naturally.”
“And where is here?”
“Like… nowhere and anywhere?” Romelle looked puzzled. “It doesn’t have a concrete place, it just exists.”
The explanation was as confused as Romelle’s expression, but one thing was clear. “So you can’t escape from here.”
“Escape?” If possible, Romelle became even more confused.
“Yeah, like, turning back in the human world. Meeting some old friends, things like that.”
“Oh, that!” She brightened, finally understanding. “Keith said you can take Black.”
“Keith?”
The puzzled expression came back. “Your… husband?”
“Oh. Sure. My bad.” Shiro didn’t know beasts had such mundane names. “Where is it now?”
“Around, I guess.” She returned at her grapes. “He doesn’t spend much time at home during the day.”
That was an interesting information Shiro had to keep in mind.
“So… about this method to return to the human world?”
It turned out Black is a young black stallion with intelligent bright yellow eyes. Shiro hadn’t ever own horses, even if he was able to ride, and he became charmed by Black. A smile surfaced on his face when Black pressed his muzzle against his palm and let Shiro caressed it.
“It can bring you everywhere you want,” Romelle explained, as she sat down on the wooden gate. “Just come back before sunset.”
“What happens if I don’t come back?”
Romelle tilted his head. “Why shouldn’t you?”
“Just asking.”
He freed Black from his stable and used his left hand as leverage to jump on it. Black let him without even flinch.
“I just have to think about where I want to go?”
“Yep. Pretty nice, eh?” She smiled.
“Yeah, it is.” Shiro rubbed Black’s neck. “Let’s go, bring me to Athens.”
Black neighed and stomped his front hoofs on the dusty ground, before galloping forwards.
“See you later!” Romelle greeted him from behind.
They climbed down the hill, between the flowers and the fruit tree before drowning in the dark of the woods. When the forest opened again in the open fields, Shiro found himself in the ground around Athens.
Of all the destruction the beast – Keith - had brought, no traces remained. The golden wheat bright in the sun and the olive leaf branches are up towards the sun. So Keith did respect his part of the deal.
He wondered what decision the Ecclesia had taken, and what they had thought of his disappearance. He would have found out a day later, for today better returning to the beast's home.
It was dark when Shiro arrived, and Romelle wasn’t around. Black could see enough to return to his own stable, while Shiro had some problems to find the stairs to climb back in the palace, and he had no idea to find back his room. The complete obscurity didn’t help either.
“Here.”
A deep voice pierced the dark and a soft grip curled around Shiro’s arm, guiding him in the hallway.
“Thanks.”
The touch was delicate, the pad smaller than Shiro imagined. It was a concrete figure, unlike the purple fog in the woods, but Shiro couldn’t distinguish anything, not even a blurred silhouette.
“I’m glad you’re back,” Keith said, as it didn’t believe it. “Have you eaten?”
“Yes, I do.” Shiro lies.
“Oh.” Keith stopped and Shiro almost stumbled in it.
“My friends offered me.”
“Sure. It’s fine.” It sounded disappointed. “Shall I accompany you to the bedroom? Don’t worry,” he hastily added, “I won’t touch you. Not until you’ll let me.”
“I appreciate that.”
Shiro didn’t really understand its intention. He couldn’t forget it is a beast that bring destruction around, but he had been nothing but kind to Shiro. It was angry about the all marriage deal, but, giving the beast’s behaviors, it looked more a clumsy attempt to know Shiro better than a real, forced marriage.
Maybe it was just because beasts didn’t know how to flirt.
To be honest, from Shiro’s side, totally relatable.
“Have you?”
“Have I what?”
“Eating.”
“No, not yet.”
“I can make you company. If you’d like.”
Keith’s tone brightened. “This will be very kind of you.”
Its grip was still on Shiro’s arm, so Keith guided him into a large room. Shiro couldn’t see the dishes on the table, but the smell of cooked meat fills his nostril. Keith moved a chair for Shiro and then sat down on the opposite side of the table.
“Where’s Romelle?” Shiro asked.
“Sleeping somewhere,” Keith answered. “She’s a sunflower nymph, she’s only awake when the sun is up.”
“She’s your friend?”
“I guess? She likes living here, and I don’t mind her presence.” Rumors of chewing. “I hope she doesn’t bother you.”
“Oh, no, she’s been nice. Thank you for Black, by the way.”
“I imagine you want to come back. Sometimes,” he added, as a remember that it couldn’t be a definitive return. “Do you like in here?”
“It’s a beautiful place.”
“If you need something, anything, just ask,” Keith said. “I’d like you to be comfortable here.”
“Well, a couple of lamps may be nice. Unlike it’s a preference of you seeing be smashing my face against every wall.”
Shiro chuckled, but Keith didn’t appreciate his humor this time.
“I can provide you lamps,” Keith said, “but you can’t use them when you’re with me.”
“That’s fine, but why?” Shiro asked, with sincere interest.
“Shiro.” Keith’s tone was serious. “This is part of our deal. You can’t, under any circumstances, look at me.”
***
Like the day before, Shiro woke up in a big but empty bed, covered with silk sheet. Keith was nowhere to be seen, just like Romelle. Shiro found the table laden in the terrace, but ignored it in order to go out with Black.
He enjoyed a simple breakfast with fruits as he rode back to Athens. The Ecclesia was already gathered when he arrived, but everyone went still as he entered. Shiro ignored the gazes on himself and, after a brief nod towards Sam, he wandered to take his seat.
“Shiro,” Iverson called him. “Come here.”
Unwilling, Shiro reached the center of the assembly. Iverson seemed happy to see him, at least from the light in his eyes.
“Sam told us what happened, but since you’re here, we’d like to hear the story from you.”
So Shiro told them again, told them about the beast and their agreement. His eyes passed on the audience, meeting shocked and worried faces. When he crossed his gaze with Adam, Adam turned his eyes away.
“That is it?” Sanda asked, once Shiro finished his tale. She remained sitting down in her chair.
“That’s it,” Shiro confirmed.
“So how come you’re here, now?” Sanda continued. “Didn’t the beast bring you into his lair?”
“It did.” Even if lair didn’t apply much to Keith’s residence. “But you missed out the part where I’m its husband, not its prisoner.”
“Oh, yes, husband. I wonder why the beast took this decision…”
“Beasts don’t think like humans.”
“Surely don’t,” Sanda agreed graciously. “How does it is?”
“I can’t say. I can’t look at it, it’s one of the rules.”
She snorted. “Convenient.”
“Are you insinuating I’m lying?”
A frown appeared on Shiro’s face. He could admit he wouldn’t have believed himself for that kind of conclusion, but the disappearance of all the destruction the beast’d caused should be proof enough of Shiro’s success. If Shiro could call that a success.
“Of course no,” Iverson said, anticipating whatever Sanda wanted to add. “We are worried about you. You sacrificed a lot for our town. We wish to understand if we can help you.”
“If you need any help at all,” Sanda mused. “It doesn’t look you’re doing bad. How’s the beast in bed?”
Sam stood out from the crowd. “That’s enough!”
“It doesn’t touch me,” Shiro answered, calmly.
“Like I said.”
“There is something wrong with it?” Shiro replied. “The beast stopped. Isn’t it the important thing?”
“So you like being married to a beast?”
“I haven’t said that. I did what was right.”
Slowly, Sanda stood up. She turned to the audience. “Can we really trust this? We didn’t know anything about this beast and its motive. It could change its mind.” She walked towards Shiro. “We need the beast dead.”
People whispered around and Shiro caught just some words, enough to understand they agreed with Sanda. She was now in front of him and she drew out an iron knife and waited for Shiro to take it.
“Do you want me to kill it?”
“You’re its husband,” Sanda replied. “You’re the only one that can catch it off guard.”
“I made a promise.”
“A promise to marry it, not to not kill it, right?”
Shiro didn’t have to look around to know that everyone was waiting for him to take the knife. Refusing it would have proved that he was something against Athens. Sanda was still there, still waiting.
Shiro took the knife.
“Very well,” he said.
Sanda seemed satisfied by it and Iverson took his change to move the attention to the audience to the next argument. Shiro took his seat next to Sam and tried to ignore the weight of the knife as the meeting continued.
“I may not like Sanda, but maybe she’s right this time,” Matt told him once the meeting is over. “The beast did force you into marrying it, right? It isn’t fair!”
“Yes,” Shiro admitted. “But I still accepted the deal. I don’t know if this is right.”
The urge of answers brought Shiro asking Pidge’s advices. She worked at the temple in the island property of Athens, and even if her role and the God she served weren’t tied up to Shiro’s situation she was still the only one with a bigger knowledge about curses and about the word of the Gods. She would know the consequence of Shiro’s decision.
Black took very little time to bring Shiro there.
Pidge did expect him. Not in the way she’d predicted his arrival, but voices about his marriage with a beast had travelled fast and far, so she guessed he could ask her for help, being the smart girl she was. She didn’t know about Sanda’s request, though, and she frowned hearing that.
“What do you think?” Shiro ended his explanation.
“What do you want to do?” Pidge replied.
“I don’t know,” Shiro admitted. “Killing Keith doesn’t feel right, but at the same time… It is a beast. It could turn in any moment, or wanting more. I had to stop it, whatever the cost is.”
“Looks like you already took your choice.”
“I’d like to know if I may cause more distress for Athens.”
“I d0n’t have an answer for this.” Pidge sighs. “But I can tell you why this is happening.”
“What do you mean?”
“The beast that you defeated was send by Honerva, to kill my family.”
“I know this.”
“But you don’t know that after you killed her beast, Honerva turned her anger at you,” Pidge continued. “You saved my family, and I’m very grateful for it. But you paid a great price, and you’re still paying it.”
“The beast attacked Athens because of me?”
“The beast attacked Athens so it could marry you,” Pidge corrected him. “Honerva saw you defeated one of her beast, so she wanted to punish you by fell in love with another beast.”
“But I’m not in love,” Shiro pointed out.
“No, you’re not.” Pidge nodded. “But you’re married to the beast now, so does it make any difference?”
“It does. It means I still have a choice over it.”
Pidge understood. “If you kill it, you’re defeating Honerva a second time. Who knows how she’s going to react.”
“But I don’t like to lose.”
Shiro left Pidge with a little more resolution that he had before. Sanda put him in a bad mood, but she wasn’t wrong about Keith being a possible danger. The fact that he hadn’t treat Shiro badly didn’t mean he couldn’t do it in the future, or being a danger to other people. Especially if it was under Honerva’s orders.
Before returning to the palace he returned to Athens to take back cheese and beef jerky for dinner. Romelle wasn’t around as expected, but this time there were lamps around to show Shiro the way to the staircase and the hallway until the dinner room.
Shiro knew the dinner is served from the smell before even reached it. Half of the room was completely in the dark: Shiro guessed Keith was there, and he wasn’t wrong.
“Welcome back.”
“Thanks.” Shiro sat down and placed his package on the table. “I brought my food.”
Keith hesitated. “You didn’t like anything here?”
“It’s not that.” It was very hard to not like a dinner when he served the same amount of food that it was usually too expensive for anyone and it was used only during festival.
“Then what is it?” Keith pressed.
Shiro decided to give an honest answer. “I don’t want to eat anything here because I don’t want to be trapped like it happened to the Goddess of Spring.”
“Oh.” Keith sounded truly surprised by Shiro’s statement. Then, a small chuckles erupted from its throat.
“What?”
“I’m sorry,” Keith said. “I was just thinking… If Lotor would have pull a stunt like that, Allura would have kick his ass in no time.”
“Do you mean… it’s not true?”
“It’s not.” Shiro felt Keith is was smiling. “They married out of love. But of course mortals can’t be aware of everything that happens in our realm, so it’s understandable. I apologize for not thinking about it. I thought to be nice with all this, but of course you’re free to keep eating your food if it makes you at ease.” A small pause. “I won’t mind eating something brought by you,” he added, shy.
Shiro hesitated. The knife hidden in his tunic gave a burning sensation on his skin. He cut a slice of cheese and passed it through the table. He couldn’t see the paw that took it, but the small hum of appreciation.
“It’s pretty good,” Keith said. “You made it?”
“Yeah, I have a small farm outside Athens,” Shiro explains. “A family is taking care of it for me when I’m nor around. We also produced oil and honey. I can bring it next time.”
“That would be nice.”
It was hard to understand lies when it was impossible to look at the person, but Keith’s tone sounded nothing but sincere.
“Can I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
“All this… Are you doing it because of Goddess Honerva’s orders?”
Silence followed the question and Shiro tried to imagine Keith’s expression behind the dark could. Surprise, anger, annoyance?
“Partially,” Keith answered at last. It sounded regretful.
“She wanted me to fall in love with you,” Shiro pressed.
“To fall in love with a beast, yes,” Keith corrected him. “But being married to one satisfied Honerva the same. She feels it’s enough punishment.”
“She isn’t wrong,” Shiro snorted, and he regretted it a second later because Keith shifted uncomfortably.
“It’s not ideal,” it admitted. “But I didn’t lie to you. I like you, Shiro. I didn’t want your free will to be strip from you by a love arrow.”
“So… you saved me?”
“I’m being selfish. Like I said, I like you,” Keith answered, honest. “But if you’re asking me if it’s a better arrangement that what Honerva planned at first, then yes, I think it is.”
Shiro thought the same. Stories about people and their craziness caused by a love arrow didn’t end well. Love could be such a powerful but destructive force, and Shiro guessed he wouldn’t have kept his mind like he did now.
“I should thank you then.”
“Don’t. This is not ideal for you, so I can understand your pain.”
He shouldn’t trust a beast, yet Keith hadn’t been anything but kind with him. “Aren’t you afraid of my free will?” he asked. “I can try to kill you. You said I can.”
“You can,” Keith confirmed. “But I trust you. You’re a good man. That’s one of the reason I like you.”
“Thank you for having been honest with me.”
Keith didn’t answer to that statement.
They went to bed soon after, and Keith placed itself on one side of it, very far so Shiro wouldn’t touch him, not even by mistake. Shiro undressed in the dark of the room, and the knife remained abandoned with the clothes on the ground.
***
Since their honest talk, Shiro settled better in his life as a married man.
His people, with the lucky exception of the Holt family, didn’t take his decision to stay faithful to Keith in a positive way. The better ones were people that suspected Shiro having secret motives behind his marriage, or they doubted this marriage had happened at all. While Shiro despised the pitied look others threw at him as he walked the streets of Athens.
He wouldn’t even imagine it would arrive the day he would prefer Sanda’s attitude over some of his own friends.
For this reason, he started spending less and less time in Athens. He still participated in the Ecclesia, but he didn’t stop to chat with the others. His habit changed in a way he slept more in the morning so he could stay more with Keith at evening, talking in the dark. In the afternoon, he took care of his land, or went hunting, so Keith could eat something brought by Shiro.
Keith had his secrets by being a beast from a world Shiro wouldn’t understand, but his company was nice, respectful. Shiro found himself showing him more than he did with anyone else, even Adam.
It was a simple life. Happy, even.
Still, Shiro was restless.
He wasn’t used to a simple life.
He was a soldier before Athens reached peace with the neighbors. And one of the main reasons Shiro had found involved with the Holt family was because of the adventures and the thrilled they brought. Shiro wanted that life, the feeling of making something important out of his own life.
After their meeting with the beast Shiro’d killed, the Holts tuned down their adventures, and even if Black could bring Shiro everywhere, there’s nothing to do for real.
Keith understood it even if Shiro haven’t said it loudly.
“I think you should participate.”
“What?”
“The Olympics.”
Shiro had been Athens’ champion four year before, but he didn’t expect they choosing him again. In the history of the Olympics, only the youngest and healthies men of Greek participated. Beautiful inside and outside, it was said about them.
Something Shiro wasn’t anymore.
“They probably already chose someone else,” he minimized it with a wave of his hand. “I’ve heard about a James who’s younger than me…”
“You could go as independent participant,” Keith pointed out. “You don’t have to be your city’s champion.”
He didn’t add anything about it, and Shiro was grateful for it, but he could sense Keith’s disapproval of Athens’ citizens about Shiro’s treatment.
“I’m out of shape.”
“I can help you train.”
“You won’t let it go, will you?” Shiro smiled, and he was playful.
Keith wasn’t. “Only if you tell me you don’t want to go.”
But Shiro wanted to go, and Keith knew it.
They trained, and Shiro realized how much he missed it. How much he missed doing something active, something with a purpose. He also realized that in the past he’d done a lot of things to not think about his disability and at the same time he avoided things that actually forced him out of his safe zone. He faked himself he was used to have only an arm.
Now he faced a situation where being without an arm, surpassing the problem of being without an arm is the difference between win or lose.
Running and long jumping were the easier one. With javelin and discus, Shiro learned how to throw it with his left hand, and having worked with it a long helped.
Wrestling was the hardest one. It was hard both because he had a side of his body completely exposed to any attack and because he lost half of his power to pin the opponent on the ground. He needed to stone his body enough to pin himself on the ground and the pushed and lifted his opponent with only one arm.
Training with Keith was hard, since they did it in the dark, with Shiro unable to see Keith clearly, but it helped him to improve.
And when finally, Shiro managed to pin Keith on the ground, there was a big, satisfied smile on his face.
He was going to the Olympics, and he was going to triumph.
And even he couldn’t see it, Shiro was sure Keith was smiling too.
Having someone so trusting helped Shiro through the days before the actual competitions, days when he had to endure the look of his fellow citizens (entirely unhappy he’d decided to participate without their permission), of other participant (mostly amused) and the audience (pity and laughs).
Everyone except the Holts, of course. Sam’d told him he’d fought for Shiro to be chosen as Athens’ champion again. Matt was even more direct: “I bet all my money on your victory, so don’t let me down.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t.”
And he didn’t.
His winning at the stadion run was brushed off like pure luck. Someone even hinted he was faster because he had less weight than the others without an arm.
After the javelin and the discus throw, people started to realize the mistake they’d made, and the whispering around Shiro increased but changed in admiration and surprised more than pity.
When Shiro won the long jump match too, half of the audience was sure he would be the Olympic Champion. Again.
The other half still bet on his opponent, Sendak from Sparta, the one Shiro’d defeated four years before. They were sure being without an arm was too much for winning a wrestling competition.
They were right, in a way. But Shiro was ready, and he trained for it. And to be honest his advantages was everyone underestimating him. Even Sendak himself.
“You fought well, I give you that,” he said Shiro. “For this reason, I want to be merciful. I give you the opportunity to retire now.”
“Are you afraid to lose against a one-arm man?” Shiro replied, with an amused smile.
Sendak bared his teeth. “Just be sure to not lose your other arm here.”
As Keith predicted, Sendak went after Shiro’s right side, the side Shiro couldn’t defend. But Shiro trained for it, trained to resist to the hits and trained to resist to being lifted and then smashed on the ground.
And what he learned during is training was that, if the opponent was too focused on one particular action, he often forgot to protect others part of his own body.
Like the legs.
Shiro let Sendak landed some hit, then he bent a little on one side, one of his knees bowed. It gave Sendak the wrong idea that Shiro was losing; instead, Shiro put himself in that position so it was easier for him to hit Sendak on his legs.
Sendak tripped back, losing his balance. Shiro sprung in action immediately and body slammed him on the chest: Sendak fell on the ground and even if he managed at first to avoid touching the ground with his back, it was a weak position that allowed Shiro easily to land his final blow and pinned him on the ground.
The stadium exploded with cheering while Shiro placed his left hand on his heart. “I’m rich!” Matt yelled from somewhere in the audience. Sanda’s incredulous look was a plus of Shiro’s victory.
He didn’t remain for the ending party, letting Black bringing him back before evening.
Romelle welcomed him with all the honor and with her usual cherish attitude. Shiro realized there was a part of him that considered that place home, a place he was happy to return.
Night was too slow to come, the night when he could meet Keith again after his victory. And Keith appeared in the dark of their bedroom a second later the sunset, showing he was eager to see Shiro as much as Shiro was eager to see him.
“You were wonderful,” he murmured, and meant it.
“Did you see me?”
“Well, I couldn’t be in the audience but yes, I saw you.”
There was an unease silence between them, as Shiro realized why Keith couldn’t be there, and how Shiro would like Keith to be there. He didn’t care about any of the look they could throw him, Keith did for him more than any of them.
“I have a present for you.”
The lamp turned the light on and in the dim light Shiro saw a metal arm placed on the sheet. It was incredibly well done, with a metal Shiro recognized as iron, rare and expensive. With his point finger he brushed the arm, touching the metal palm and the fingers.
“Put it on,” Keith said.
With a frown, Shiro lifted up the arm – it was unexpectedly light. Feeling strange, he put it next to his right shoulder. By itself, the arm attached to the remaining of Shiro’s arm. A small shock passed through his body, startling him.
And then he realized he could move the metal arm as it was his own. With awe, he watched the iron fingers moving as he wanted.
“I asked the God of craftsman to make it, then Allura gave it life,” Keith explained. “Do you like it?” And there was a little hesitation on his question.
“It… it feels great,” Shiro exhaled.
Keith took a relieved breath. “I’m glad.”
“Why were you afraid?” Shiro asked.
“Because… I don’t want you to think you’re somehow wrong,” Keith answered. “You don’t need an arm to be awesome. But I feel you deserve it.”
And that was it. The essence of why Keith was good, better than people.
Shiro reached for him with the metal arm. Even if he could move it, he couldn’t feel anything with it, not the fur or the scales that Keith might have. But he could touch him more without fearing to reveal his form, and he drew him nearer, not enough to see him at the dim light, but enough to actually feel his presence, his breath.
“Thank you.”
There was a small moment in where Shiro thought – hoped – Keith would kissed him.
“You should be tired,” Keith said instead, and pulled off. “Better sleep now.”
Shiro found himself disappointed when he lied down on the bed next to Keith, something he couldn’t ignore anymore.
Sleeping was hard that night, and Shiro got nightmares, dreams about beasts eating him alive, while the right arm weighted him down so he couldn’t escape.
It was a while since he had the last one, at a point Shiro almost forgot how it was.
He woke up in cold sweat, breath and heart fast and out of control. Frantic, Shiro searched for a lamp and grabbed it. The lamp lightened up and Shiro kept it near his hear. The small light gave him a chance to see he was still in his bedroom, safe. A sense of warm and security.
Slowly, his breath and heart stabilized.
He was about to put back the lamp, when by accident his gaze fell off on the figure lied down next to him.
Shiro froze.
Saying he hadn’t tried to imagine Keith’s appearance would be a lie from his side. But in those fantasies Keith was a giant beast, sometimes covered in fur, with a big mouth with sharp fangs, yellow eyes and pointy ears. With a tail sometimes.
But the one next to Shiro… was actually the most beautiful man Shiro’s even saw. Small and slender, but not thin, with delicate features. Long and soft raven hair framed a delicate feminine face, with long eyelash and a small, red mouth.
Without noticed and with his mouth widen opened, Shiro leaned forward to look better.
The only thing that betrayed Keith’s not mortal nature were the two white feather wings on his back.
Shiro hesitated one second more, looking at the beautiful man as he slept peacefully, his head placed on the soft pillow. That second costed Shiro a small drop of wax that fell from the lamp to Keith’s shoulder.
Keith’s eyes opened, just the time for Shiro to noticed their color, a strange and wonderful violet, before Keith disappeared in the thin air, as he hasn’t been there at all.
The promise was broken, and Shiro lost what he just gained.
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