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Altean’s showers are terrible.
Not terrible as their swimming pools, as Keith had time to discover, but bad enough: the water comes off from everywhere, at different, casual moments. Controlling the temperature is impossible, so it happens many times that Keith’s back or neck is hit with a cold jet.
Yet, Keith is tired, and done with everything, so even a bad Altean shower is better than anything to take a breath and relax, away from everyone.
Their war against Zarkon was bad enough before they found out about Keith’s part galra heritage, now it’s been draining. He may not have nightmares about Zarkon luring them out because of him, but being half-galra isn’t any better.
Hunk accepted it in the end, and even tried to defend Keith against Allura, but her glare didn’t change a little bit. Keith is grateful Lance hasn’t commented anything about it, and so did Pidge, yet the tension in the air is there, and Keith can’t help but think that their thoughts aren’t different from Allura’s one. Coran is altean too, so it must be difficult to him too.
And Shiro… Shiro is a different matter.
Despite Shiro’s reassurance that Keith is still the same and that his heritage doesn’t matter, Keith is still way of his presence. Galra took him prisoner. They tortured him. Cut off his arm. And even if Keith looks human, how can Shiro look at him and not thinking about what happened to him?
Their missions put them apart for some time, and Keith is grateful for it. Give Shiro time to cope. Give him time to cope.
A jest of warm water hit sweetly Keith’s back and he shivers, remembering the way Shiro embraced him right the day after the Trial of Marmora. Shiro’s arm against his back, as he hid the face on Shiro’s neck… funny, Keith remembers how his relationship with Shiro has changed and improved since they became Paladins. The year of captivity changed Shiro in some way, Keith is sure of it, yet there is a particular way… the way Shiro touches him, looks at him… Not that Keith hopes for something more than Shiro’s friendship, but they have it strong… and Keith fears him being Galra ruined everything.
Keith turns off the shower and goes back to his room. He’s still naked when someone knocks at his door: he considers for a second to wait, instead he opens it after covering himself a little with a towel, another in his wet hair.
It’s Shiro. He looks flustered after he gives a brief look to Keith’s attire. “Oh, hey… sorry for the bad timing.”
“It’s okay,” Keith shrugs. “Problems?”
“No, not at all. Not any I’m aware off.” There is still a little blush on his face. “I heard you came later from your last mission…”
Keith nods. “Yeah. I report to Allura. You were still in Black for your bonding exercise, so…”
“I’m afraid Zarkon may still have some connection, and I don’t want to lose control on our decisive battle.”
“I know.”
Shiro looks even more flustered. “Anyway… Since you haven’t eaten yet, and I haven’t too… I wondered if you’d like company. The others are done, so…” He smiles. “Like the old time.”
“Uh. Sure.” Keith didn’t plan to eat, to be honest, and the food goo didn’t make for a very good dinner, but he understands Shiro is trying to cheer him up – they used to eat together at Garrison every time Shiro felt Keith was a little upset. And otherwise, of course. Refuse would be rude from his part. “Just give me a second?”
“O-of course,” Shiro stammers. “Twenty minutes?”
Keith nods just a little and Shiro smiles again, before waving a little with his protestic and leaving. Keith watches as Shiro’s back disappeared on the hallway, then he closes the door and, in a hurry, he dries his hair and dresses back.
Twenty minutes later, he finds himself in the dining room: the light are low, except for the part the table is arranged for a meal, in a very curate manner, not usual for their altean, fast meal. Shiro is near the stove, and the smell in the air doesn’t match with the strange, green altean food.
“You’re here,” Shiro notices him and smiles. “Please, take a seat, I’m dishing up right now.”
“You’re cooking?” Keith comments surprised, but he sits down. His surprise doesn’t come because Shiro isn’t good (a couple of times he finds out Shiro asking Hunk advices), but he doesn’t understand what food can be done with goo.
“Yeah,” Shiro answers as he places a big bowl in front of Keith. “I want to make something special for today.”
Keith’s surprise increase as he notices what exactly Shiro made. “You did Ramen? How… How it is possible?”
The grin on Shiro’s face makes clear he’s satisfied of his little surprise. “It’s not real Ramen, just something similar… We had to go to the space market for our mission and there is a small shop for cooking. Hunk wanted to take a look and I noticed there were some ingredients that reminded me of Earth and so…”
It’s natural Shiro misses Earth and Japan. He was missed from more than a year, and when he returned, he had to leave again without any choice on the matter. He may loves being a Paladin, Keith is sure of it, but he still has a family on Earth and a life there.
Something Keith can’t share with him.
To avoid answering, he takes a sip of the ramen brood. “It’s good,” he says with a little smile. “It’s very good,” he adds after a second spoon. It’s ramen… a sort of space ramen that only Shiro can make.
“I’m glad.” Shiro takes a relieved breath. “I would have been very upset to ruin out evening.”
“You could never,” Keith hurries to say, and he’s happy to see Shiro smiles softly, before lowering his head to his own ramen.
For a while, they eat in silence. It’s a little different from their dinner on Earth, when Shiro talked a lot about everything, trying to put Keith out of his misery. Shiro had changed in some way, and it’s only natural, yet Keith loves him even more. There is a sense of familiarity in the way they stay together even without speaking that Keith appreciates.
“How’s the shoulder?” Shiro asks, when Keith sips the last of his ramen.
Without noticing, Keith lifts it a little. “It’s fine. Altean pod are great, it’s not stiff anymore.”
“It left a scar,” Shiro points out.
Of course he saw it, he found Keith almost naked just half an hour earlier.
Keith shrugs. A scar was nothing – especially after he saw Shiro’s own scars. And he was his choice to face the Trials. He didn’t like much the results, but he had to know, so he got what he wanted.
Shiro’s hand moves and he places it on Keith’s own. “Keith…” he murmurs softly. “I know that was hard for you. It’s okay to be upset.”
A knock is in Keith’s throat. How can Shiro being real? He says it, “how can you being fine with it? Me being Galra-”
“I told you already.” Shiro shakes his head. “You’re still you. Nothing has change. The other will understand that too.”
In that moment, Keith finds out he doesn’t care. Sure, he wants Allura back, and he’s upset she’s upset, but every time Shiro is with him Keith feels he can face everything. Just like during the trial.
“You saw my trial?” he asks.
“I did.” Shiro nods solemnly. “And I want to tell you this: I’m not going to leave. Ever.”
There’s nothing else Keith can answer, so he just nods. I don’t deserve you, he thinks. “I’m not going to leave you too,” he says. If he survived so long on Earth it’s because he was trying to find a way to have Shiro back.
“So, now the big surprise.” Shiro stands up and opens the fridge.
“Another?”
Shiro laughs. “Do you know which day is today on Earth?”
“Do you take notice of the days on Earth?” Keith answers back.
He didn’t notice what Shiro takes off from the fridge, as he explains, “in space, I always have the habit to take noticed of the time passing on Earth. It was a way to keep me grounded, you know? To remind me I have a place to turn back if space get too overwhelming.” He rummages on the kitchen, his back blocks Keith’s vision on the dish. “During my captivity, I lost the sense of time. I tried to count the days, but it was impossible, since…” His voice disappears in a whispers. “And then, when I was freed, my memory was pretty foggy. Still is, in a way. So I tried to anchor me back to Earth and asked Pidge to calculate the day for me. Now I’m keeping notice.”
When he turns back to Keith, he has something that looks like macha tiramisu on a tray in his right hand and a big grin on his face.
“Okay,” Keith laughs a little. “Which day it is? Your birthday?”
“Almost.” Shiro places the dish on the table, in front of Keith. “It’s Saint Valentine’s day.”
Not a holyday Keith considered much. He hasn’t a relationship yet, so no one to be with back on Earth. And, Keith has to admit, he starts to consider his feeling for Earth and his traditions. He never felt Earth has a place for him and considering his discovery about his heritage, maybe it makes sense. But galra aren’t his family too, so he hasn’t a place to return back. And he isn’t so eager to be happy for a day he doesn’t feel anything for.
Yet Shiro seems so happy he ends up smile and looks at the dish he placed in front of Keith.
It is a macha tiramisu. On top of it, in the middle on the green tea dust, there was a writing made with chocolate. Keith blinks two time, to be sure he reads it right.
It says: would you marry me?
He looks at Shiro with his mouth opened.
“I know, I know,” Shiro says as he sits down again. “We haven’t talk about it, like never, and I haven’t been able to find a ring here in space, so you don’t have to take it too seriously. I’m going to make a real proposal once the war is over.” His smile is sad now. “But in a week we’re going to face Zarkon, and If anything will happen to me, well, I want you to know this.”
“Nothing will happen to you!” Keith jumps and stands. “Nothing.”
The sad smile is still there, but softens. “I know. That’s why I love you.”
Keith sits down. No, sitting down isn’t right. His legs give up and he slumps back. Maybe this is a dream. Maybe he’s still in the Trial of Marmora and he haven’t realized yet. His brain can’t process what he just saw and heard. He can’t speak.
“If I think back at our relationship on Earth, I’m surprised we arrive at this point, and yet I am not,” Shiro says then, to not stretch the silence anymore. “We’ve always been similar. We got along. My time with you was one of the best before Kerberos. And when you found me back… I guess I have no choice, right?” He laughs a little. “Our relationship isn’t a conventional one, but it’s one of the best thing that happen to me and I’m glad we have it while we had to face Zarkon and his evil empire.”
“Our relationship?” Keith manages to exhale.
“Yeah, I mean… We haven’t the chance to date conventionally, going out, looking a movie… well, if you didn’t consider us stranding in that desert planet a date. I had appreciated the fire, though.” He laughs. “But I’d like to have a normal date in the future, one when I won’t be on verge of death.”
“Date…”
“And we haven’t kissing yet, so I’m really, really rushing thing here but… I’m not ready yet. I’m sorry.” The smile is sad again. “But at least we have this… intimacy, you know. I’m not exactly subtle with my touch, I’m afraid the others will get embarrassed soon or later.”
Keith isn’t able to whisper anymore, and just sits here, trying to elaborate the fact that Shiro thought they were dating for all this time, and Keith.
Just.
Didn’t.
Know.
“Listen, you don’t have to say yes if you not ready,” Shiro says in the end. His voice tries to be cheerful, but Keith doesn’t miss the note of urgency and distress. “It’s a big deal. I just want you to know. And to eat this strange space macha tiramisu.”
Shiro isn’t going to be sad and afraid. Not in Keith’s watch. “It’s not that,” he says at last, embracing all his courage. “It’s just… I didn’t realize we were…a thing. I didn’t realize you saw us like that. It’s…” He stops, as he sees Shiro’s expression, his mouth opened and his eyes wide.
Then, he lowers his head and drowns it in his hands. “I can’t believe I just ask you to marry me before we date for real.”
“It’s not your fault…” Keith tries to point out.
“I’ve been always told I’m pretty bad a romance, even with Adam… but this is a new low,” Shiro murmurs on himself. This is so embarrassing…” He jumps and rushes for the tiramisu. “Just forget it.”
Keith stops Shiro before he manages to take back the cake and destroy it. Keith looks at him right in the eyes, and Shiro blushes and looks like a puppy.
“Yes.”
“Yes… what?”
“Yes, I want to marry you.”
It’s time to Shiro to slump back on his chair. “You just told me you didn’t know we were dating.”
“So?”
“So… Keith… You don’t marry someone you haven’t date yet!”
“I don’t need to date you.” Keith shakes his head and smiles. “I love you. I’ve loved you for such a long time… I loved you back when you were with Adam. I felt I loved you since you jumped off that cliff with the hoverbike. Of course I’m going to answer yes at the question if I want to spend my life with you.”
“Oh. Oh.” Shiro blinks. “You’re… telling me that you love me, so I didn’t take your behavior… well, yes, I did, but not as wrong as it seems.”
“I didn’t act as we were dating,” Keith says. “But I was acting like that because I love you.”
“Okay. It’s a little less embarrassing in this way. Just a little.” He looks at Keith. “Please, tell me we’re not going to tell this to our wedding.”
“You promised me to give me a proper proposal after we defeat Zarkon, remember?”
“Oh, right. Well, I’ll be sure we have a proper date before it. A date I’ll be sure it’ll be a disaster, but at least one you’ll be aware of.”
Keith sits back and smiles. “You don’t have to take all the blame. I’m the one who haven’t notice we were dating all this time.”
“I’m the one who think the fire on the stranded planet was a romantic gesture.”
“I’m the one who didn’t notice the sexual tension in your shoulder blade.”
“I’m the one that proposed without being sure of your feelings.”
“I’m the one that accepted.”
“Okay, we’re both bad at this.” Shiro laughs. “But it’s too late for you now, you accepted.”
“And I’m not going to regret it,” Keith affirms. “We’re going to eat your cake now?”
“Of course! We have to destroy all the proofs!”
Keith looks in awe as Shiro cut of the tiramisu and places it in the plates.
They’re engaged. They’re going to get married. Not even in his craziest dreams Keith imagined it.
It has never been happier.
And, in that moment, he realizes the biggest truth of his life. Earth doesn’t have to me his home, or a place to return. He’ll be back there if Shiro will, because his home is where Shiro is.
The tiramisu is great too, but it’s only the second best thing of the evening.
“Now that I think about it, do you think we should put some Galra traditions in our wedding or…?”
“Don’t.”
But Keith is smiling about his heritage now.
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