[ shiro’s got bragging rights for quite a few monumental feats: top of his class, youngest pilot to fly a deep space mission, champion, leader of voltron. he’s accomplished and he’s proud; he’s done a lot more than a pubescent diagnosis initially prescribed for his future. right up there with all of that though? he counts stubborning his way past keith’s spiky, no entry, back the fuck off walls as a pretty impressive victory as well. right here, right now, he feels blessed... lucky. he isn’t so narcissistic to believe he’s the only one who ever gets to see keith open and vulnerable, but there is something rare about keith stripped down to the soft aspects of himself, completely unapologetic in his happiness as he grins and laughs and –
blurts out unfiltered questions.
shiro has just begun retucking the loosened edges of the blanket back underneath keith’s shoulders when the question comes. he pauses mid tuck and glances to keith’s face, curiosity furrowing his brow. it’s keith’s reaction that does him in. shiro feeds off of it immediately. keith’s all wide eyes, choked sounds and stammering words, and it’s impossible for shiro to not have his own heart kick up in its beats, face growing warm with every added explanation.
it should be working the opposite way, shouldn’t it? obviously keith hadn’t meant it that way, so why is everyone flustering here? because, the fact that it needs to be explained at all is telling in its own way. against all rhyme and reason, shiro’s mind drifts to the more perverse interpretation and – no. nope. that’s what got them into the whole mess from earlier. ]
I…
[ it’s a mistake. he should never start talking before he’s thought it through. he catches himself, but the one word hangs heavy between them, accompanied by shiro’s surprised, wide eyes and pinker cheeks. at least keith is too busy trying to hide to analyze whatever the hell it is shiro’s face is doing. though, keith hiding sobers him slightly and then he’s thinking, no, he doesn’t want keith’s happiness swallowed up by this. he misses that grin and that laugh already.
so, he holds the stare a beat longer and then exhales. ] Heh. [ he finally withdraws his hands, though one stays behind to playfully flick at keith’s ear. ] After all my hard work too. I think you just want an excuse to be de-encaladaed.
[ perhaps he’s trying too hard to smooth this over with a joke. but it’s the best he can manage in the immediate aftermath. he needs another fill of his lungs to gather himself – and to commit himself to the decision – but then he’s softening his voice and bleeding it dry of the teasing notes. ]
no subject
champion, leader of voltron. he’s accomplished and he’s proud; he’s done a lot more than a pubescent diagnosis initially prescribed for his future. right up there with all of that though? he counts stubborning his way past keith’s spiky, no entry, back the fuck off walls as a pretty impressive victory as well. right here, right now, he feelsblessed... lucky. he isn’t so narcissistic to believe he’s the only one who ever gets to see keith open and vulnerable, but there is something rare about keith stripped down to the soft aspects of himself, completely unapologetic in his happiness as he grins and laughs and –blurts out unfiltered questions.
shiro has just begun retucking the loosened edges of the blanket back underneath keith’s shoulders when the question comes. he pauses mid tuck and glances to keith’s face, curiosity furrowing his brow. it’s keith’s reaction that does him in. shiro feeds off of it immediately. keith’s all wide eyes, choked sounds and stammering words, and it’s impossible for shiro to not have his own heart kick up in its beats, face growing warm with every added explanation.
it should be working the opposite way, shouldn’t it? obviously keith hadn’t meant it that way, so why is everyone flustering here? because, the fact that it needs to be explained at all is telling in its own way. against all rhyme and reason, shiro’s mind drifts to the more perverse interpretation and – no. nope. that’s what got them into the whole mess from earlier. ]
I…
[ it’s a mistake. he should never start talking before he’s thought it through. he catches himself, but the one word hangs heavy between them, accompanied by shiro’s surprised, wide eyes and pinker cheeks. at least keith is too busy trying to hide to analyze whatever the hell it is shiro’s face is doing. though, keith hiding sobers him slightly and then he’s thinking, no, he doesn’t want keith’s happiness swallowed up by this. he misses that grin and that laugh already.
so, he holds the stare a beat longer and then exhales. ] Heh. [ he finally withdraws his hands, though one stays behind to playfully flick at keith’s ear. ] After all my hard work too. I think you just want an excuse to be de-encaladaed.
[ perhaps he’s trying too hard to smooth this over with a joke. but it’s the best he can manage in the immediate aftermath. he needs another fill of his lungs to gather himself – and to commit himself to the decision – but then he’s softening his voice and bleeding it dry of the teasing notes. ]
But okay. I can stay… if that’s what you want.