[ not the most reassuring grab in the history of their one-two, bro hugs, but it’s better than nothing. a tug brings keith up and close, and it works to settle shiro’s unease for the briefest of moments. but then he lets go and his mind starts picking apart all the differences here: weak grasp, kept distance, no smile on the step back. they certainly aren’t out of the woods yet, not by a long shot. shiro tries not to frown too intensely and ends up somewhere in the vicinity of pity, concern and apprehension, which really leaves him looking sad.
he doesn’t interrupt; he lets keith say his piece. some trawling through the network archives has shiro caught up on the whole lighthouse debacle. some days, he thinks he should talk to lance about it, but has never actually gotten beyond a general how are you holding up. probably for the best. reopening wounds of the past doesn’t always lead to better healing, shiro knows that well enough. he'll figure that out later. see, lance isn’t the priority here – true as it is, he feels guilty thinking it – keith is. and it’s funny, almost, how they’re of similar mind, yet so completely opposite at the same time. ]
I can’t take you getting punished again either.
[ in any capacity, whether it’s shiro’s fault, keith’s fault, whoever’s fault. still standing close, he places a hand on his shoulder. well, his shoulder guard. it feels weird under his palm, like he’s barred from actually offering keith his specific brand of comfort. still, his hand stays and he frowns. ]
It was hard seeing you when those things went rogue. [ it’s reluctant at first, like saying the words breathes life back into the terror felt when communal went to hell. they start coming faster after the first few though. ] It was like before. I dunno how much you even remember, you were shaking and out of it and…
[ and then they cut off completely. he sighs and shakes his head, dismissing wherever he’d been going with that. the point he’s trying to make, is: ]
I don’t like you hurting, Keith. [ a beat, voice strengthening with certainty. ] And you will, a lot, if you try to shoulder everything. I have your back, always. You just gotta talk me through the things you’ve got going on, so we can do what's best for everyone.
no subject
he doesn’t interrupt; he lets keith say his piece. some trawling through the network archives has shiro caught up on the whole lighthouse debacle. some days, he thinks he should talk to lance about it, but has never actually gotten beyond a general how are you holding up. probably for the best. reopening wounds of the past doesn’t always lead to better healing, shiro knows that well enough. he'll figure that out later. see, lance isn’t the priority here – true as it is, he feels guilty thinking it – keith is. and it’s funny, almost, how they’re of similar mind, yet so completely opposite at the same time. ]
I can’t take you getting punished again either.
[ in any capacity, whether it’s shiro’s fault, keith’s fault, whoever’s fault. still standing close, he places a hand on his shoulder. well, his shoulder guard. it feels weird under his palm, like he’s barred from actually offering keith his specific brand of comfort. still, his hand stays and he frowns. ]
It was hard seeing you when those things went rogue. [ it’s reluctant at first, like saying the words breathes life back into the terror felt when communal went to hell. they start coming faster after the first few though. ] It was like before. I dunno how much you even remember, you were shaking and out of it and…
[ and then they cut off completely. he sighs and shakes his head, dismissing wherever he’d been going with that. the point he’s trying to make, is: ]
I don’t like you hurting, Keith. [ a beat, voice strengthening with certainty. ] And you will, a lot, if you try to shoulder everything. I have your back, always. You just gotta talk me through the things you’ve got going on, so we can do what's best for everyone.
[ kind of rich coming from him, huh? ]