[ no surprise there. craig hadn’t run any classes or had much of any hands on with the cadets. actually, by the time keith showed up on the garrison grounds – ]

He transferred divisions. He wasn’t stationed at Galaxy Garrison.

[ unimportant detail in the grand scheme of things. truthfully, shiro hasn’t thought much at all of craig in the past seven, eight years now? nine? god, has it really been that long? dismissing the question without a solid answer, shiro watches keith place down the belt and then lifts one shoulder, his smile just as lopsided as that shrug. ]

Finding out that I could make someone feel really good? [ a beat, one that’s spent turning his face forward. ] Finding out that I could feel really good too.

[ despite not having it all together. despite being impatient and hasty. despite having a certain wristband monitor on his right. it was nice because it had been impulsive and freeing, like he’d been defying all the built up expectations he, as well as others, had placed on him. the perfect cadet. the sick patient. no, no titles. he’d only been shiro when he’d stripped down with craig. ]