[ keith’s going to make him do it, isn’t he? explain it. shiro pulls his hand free and then he’s got it to his face, eyes closed as he knocks his face down into the cupping of his hand. thumb to one temple, fingers to the other, he massages the tension, groaning pitifully. ]

Yeah. Sorry. This is a really bad time to bring this up.

[ he doesn’t come up. he’s still got his eyes closed, part hiding into his hand. ]

I thought you were bringing it up but – I guess not? [ stop shoving the blame onto keith; it isn’t his fault shiro heard what he heard and jumped right into it.

and he doesn’t know why his brain immediately went there. maybe it’s the whole thing with the ghost. that keith is in danger and still thinking he should go at it alone, like shiro wouldn’t be completely devastated if something were to happen to him. same with the punishment of solitary confinement. yes, the tablet burned and maybe there wasn’t any time to send him a message anyway, but the point remains that, sometimes, shiro feels like he’s only kind of privy to what’s going on in keith’s life. and he’d like to change that. to be more involved and more aware, to better take care of him.

not that they need to be boyfriends for that to happen, but it’s a course of action that, oddly, makes sense to shiro, despite their surroundings. they’re fighting inevitability here. shiro likes keith and keith likes shiro; more than that, they desire each other, don’t they? yes, he thinks with certainty. it got muddled along the way due, largely, to shiro, and now, he’d like to correct that, so that they can lean into each other more fully. ]

Just…

[ he draws a breath and releases it on a sigh, one that punctuates the dropping of his hand and the opening of his eyes. he looks down at him then, cupping behind his shoulder. ]

I don’t want to kind of be together or sort of go steady. My feelings for you are a lot more… all in than that.