takashi shirogane (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
earthshine) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
apocalypsehowcomm2021-08-05 03:34 pm
earthshine) wrote in apocalypsehowcomm2021-08-05 03:34 pm
Entry tags:
[ closed ]
Who: shiro + keith
When: perm log for these idiots
Where: all over
Summary: say, say o playmate from the august tdm. the butcher's camp from the september tdm. quarter pounder from the september event. keith's birthday. hermy the wormy from the december tdm. in the hive from the december event.new year, new you from the january tdm. end of january, references january event.
Warnings:
say, o say o playmate: hallucination, blood, ritualistic sacrifice, claustrophobia.
the butcher's camp: animal death, animal mutilation, both human and animal butchery, implied cannibalism, stripping ( nsfw ).
quarter pounder: blood, animal attack, consumption of human flesh, violence, gore, body horror, potential for severe injury, including puncture wounds and broken bones, potential for choking, potential for animal death.
keith's birthday: boys being stupid.
hermy the wormy: worms, decay, altered mental states/compulsion, emotional corruption, potential for violence, body mutilation, attempted murder.
in the hive: insects/swarms, bites, vomiting, body horror, death ( npcs ), mental and physical trauma
new year, new you: self-doubt, body dysmorphia trauma, cringe talk about sex safety, hook-up culture, body modification ( steroid and synthol oil use ), mention of drug use
end of january: implied animal death, self-doubt, body image issues, body dysmorphia, self-harm, body mutilation, skin burning, drug use mention ( tren steroid ), implied extreme dieting ( starvation & dehydration ), nsfw ( heavy petting and nudity ). reference to shiro's scars.
When: perm log for these idiots
Where: all over
Summary: say, say o playmate from the august tdm. the butcher's camp from the september tdm. quarter pounder from the september event. keith's birthday. hermy the wormy from the december tdm. in the hive from the december event.new year, new you from the january tdm. end of january, references january event.
Warnings:
say, o say o playmate: hallucination, blood, ritualistic sacrifice, claustrophobia.
the butcher's camp: animal death, animal mutilation, both human and animal butchery, implied cannibalism, stripping ( nsfw ).
quarter pounder: blood, animal attack, consumption of human flesh, violence, gore, body horror, potential for severe injury, including puncture wounds and broken bones, potential for choking, potential for animal death.
keith's birthday: boys being stupid.
hermy the wormy: worms, decay, altered mental states/compulsion, emotional corruption, potential for violence, body mutilation, attempted murder.
in the hive: insects/swarms, bites, vomiting, body horror, death ( npcs ), mental and physical trauma
new year, new you: self-doubt, body dysmorphia trauma, cringe talk about sex safety, hook-up culture, body modification ( steroid and synthol oil use ), mention of drug use
end of january: implied animal death, self-doubt, body image issues, body dysmorphia, self-harm, body mutilation, skin burning, drug use mention ( tren steroid ), implied extreme dieting ( starvation & dehydration ), nsfw ( heavy petting and nudity ). reference to shiro's scars.
no subject
Okay. [ how many times has he said okay in the last minute? grimacing slightly, keith sighs and mentally throws up his hands. ] .... So I think I might be part Galra. [ a beat. ] Yeah, I know I'm not purple or anything and loook completely human, but hear me out, okay?
[ shoulders rounding slightly, keith keeps his eyes on the pumpkin as he speaks. ]
Back on the Balmera, Lance was trying to close the hangars at the base, but nothing was working until I touched it. And you know how their tech is all ... species locked. It just got me thinking is all.
no subject
he doesn’t remove his arm from keith, though his arm has begun to match the tenseness of keith’s shoulders, the fit of it less of that easy drape of before. here, his voice is kept deliberately dry. ]
A possible malfunction in the mainframe of a galra base under attack doesn’t mean you’re galra.
[ despite his stubborn efforts, the rationale doesn’t stick for him. one moment after and he’s picking that apart too, just as he needled away at everything keith said. he’s indecisive. he’s uncertain. mostly, he’s hesitant to admit that he also has a tid bit of information that would back up keith’s claim. however, the moment drags into two and he knows there’s no way around this other than meeting it head on. he did say he and keith would work it out together, right?
he exhales heavily and gives his head a little shake, biting the bullet with a reluctant: ]
… But your knife might be another story.
[ had it all his life, yeah. got it from his dad for protection, okay. every tiny bit of information he’s gleaned from keith over the months post voltron’s first forming have been sound and predictable and so far removed from anything that would give rise to suspicion. but. ]
Remember what I told you about the Blade of Marmora? [ he frowns, not even trying to catch keith’s gaze as he also stares down at keith’s pumpkin. ] Ulaz said every member has a ceremonial blade. I saw his. [ he tightens his fingers, more so for his own benefit. ] It had an insignia on it just like yours does.
no subject
So....
[ so there it is. some confirmation that his dad was definitely in contact with the galra at some point for some fucking reason. if keith weren't already sitting down, he'd have surely dropped onto his ass at this point. leaning a little heavier into shiro's side, keith takes a deep breath trying to stave off the need to yell out of sheer frustration. ]
I know my dad kept a lot of secrets. [ understatement of the century, really. the moment keith had learned the word 'mom' at pre-k he'd seen an entirely different side of his dad. the guy that'd shared all sorts of nuggets of wisdom about the world had suddenly gone very quiet indeed. and after that, it's as though keith's third eye had been opened to all the ways his house wasn't as normal as he thought it was. no pictures of his mom, no pictures of other family members -- just some horribly confused feeling about the half completed family tree he had to draw for a first grade assignment.
but that's neither here nor there. or maybe it's everywhere. after all, it's all linked, isn't it? his dad's secrets, his missing mother, the knife, being even more of a fucking alien than he thought --
keith takes a deep breath, closing his eyes briefly to try and get his thoughts to quit spiraling. shoulders more tense than ever, keith hangs his head waiting for shiro to take that arm off his shoulders and move back. ]
I never knew what that insignia was. He didn't tell me. After he passed away, I tried to figure out if it meant anything. Couldn't find shit so I thought it was just some decorative piece, but... [ he swallows, taking another deep breath. slowly he reaches for the knife at his back, unsheathing it to frown at the glowing symbol. ] ... but I don't understand how or why he could have gotten a ceremonial knife from the Blade of Marmora. I mean -- why would they even be on Earth? It just doesn't make any sense.
[ one deep breath, then keith's expression crumples with disappointment. ]
I hate this. I keep thinking maybe it doesn't matter that I don't know anything about where I come from, but.... it just keeps mattering. The worst part is that I don't think I'll ever find out. Even just the basics of what I am.
no subject
keith was pretty young when his father died, that could account for why he never explained anything in detail. perhaps he was waiting until keith was older? that in itself would suggest that his father did know something and the knife wasn’t a by-chance find in the desert, lost by its owner by mistake or possibly by death. here he is theorizing on points that he can’t provide answers to, other than further assumptions on what makes the most sense. hard to rationalize through something like this when it involves an alien species on earth. which makes him wonder -- did galaxy garrison know? shiro was privy to many more behind the scenes access points than most of the officers, even some of his same rank, but he was still low on the grid; way below the paygrade to truly know the kind of intel the big brass had at their disposal.
if so, if galaxy garrison knew aliens existed, perhaps even knew hostile ones existed, then this adds a whole nother sucker-punch to the pilot error fiasco.
this isn’t about you. one sharp pain below his sternum and a sourness in the back of his throat as that first dousing of bitterness floods his system… and then he forces himself back to rights. later. he’ll dwell on the misfortune of his past later. right now he has a far more important job and that comes with him steadying his hand, hugging keith right back in to encourage the way he’s tucked into his side. he tips his face down, voice taking on that more confident tilt he’s better known for. ]
When this is all over, we’re going to make contact with the Blade of Marmora. And not only as potential allies. [ he can’t see keith’s expression in its entirety, not when keith seems so reluctant to look up at him, but still, shiro hesitates to take his gaze off of him. he does though, glancing briefly to keith’s unsheathed knife. ]
If you want, we’ll show them your knife -- tell them what we know. Someone there has to know something. Maybe they had an outpost on Earth. Maybe they were protecting the Blue Lion for a time.
[ so shiro can see how it could make sense for the blades to be on earth… that does little to explain how keith came into being though. of course, this assumes that keith’s suspicions about being part galra are true. the control panel, the eyes, the fangs…
he frowns, holds it and then forces a smile to smooth out that grimace, once again trying to get a good look at keith’s face. ] The point is… not all is lost. We’re going to get to the bottom of this.
[ ulaz spoke as a collective we: our gamble on you paid off better than we could have ever imagined. shiro’s assuming it’s a closely monitored organization, with every decision needing to be backed with meticulous planning. it’s not like someone would go to earth on a whim, without the blade of marmora knowing, right? ]
no subject
he holds that position, still guarded and slightly folded in on himself for an extended beat before finally turning his face to rest his cheek against shiro's chest, one arm looping low to wrap around shiro's hip. ]
Thanks. [ it's one word, but it's whispered in a voice that threatens to fracture. keith clears his throat, trying again. ] Really, thanks. I know this isn't important and there are bigger things at stake here with the Blades. Part of me feels stupid for even wanting to know. [ after all, why should he care about someone who obviously never cared enough to be there for him? ] .... cuz no matter what I find out, it'll still be you that's family to me.
[ other arm wrapping loose around shiro's front this time, keith clasps his two hands together to lock shiro into a brief squeeze of a hug. ]
And I -- [ i love you? the words catch in his throat, inexplicably heavy and too true for the moment, like it'd be sharing too much of himself. there's only so much vulnerability keith can put out there before it becomes a burden -- pathetic to listen to. choking back words, keith slowly starts to loosen up the embrace. ]-- that's all that matters, right?
no subject
ah. not quite that far.
he comes back to, feeling keith’s grip loosen. is he about to pull away? maybe, maybe not, but shiro moves without thinking beyond no please stay, free hand coming down to grasp keith’s laced fingers there at his hip. he tightens his own wrap of the arm to compensate, encouraging the tight squeeze of their bodies. ]
What matters is that you’re okay with yourself. [ calling himself stupid for being curious -- concerned? the balmera, that was a long time ago; so all this time, keith has been wrestling with this possibility? keith ‘s curiosity for ulaz’s sword makes sense now, he supposes. so no, it may not be important in the grand scheme of saving the universe, but it’s important to keith and important in settling whatever torment he’s been twisting up in his mind. ulaz was surprisingly talkative when asked direct questions, so surely the rest of the organization won't have any qualms about discussing keith’s knife if they ask.
right?
but before that, before they start down a road that for better or for worse, they can’t backtrack out of, shiro needs to nip this in the bud. ]
Even if you’re part Galra… it doesn’t change anything. Not about you and nothing between us. I know exactly who you are… [ he squeezes at keith’s hands and dips his head down, laying his cheek to the crown of his head. ] And I hope you come to figure that out too.
[ shiro will continue to be keith’s biggest fan and keep pointing out all the worthy, good things about him until keith feels more secure with himself. it doesn’t bother shiro one bit. and as universal good timing goes, shiro’s only just finished when there’s a loud, rapid knock. startling slightly but not enough to budge from the embrace, shiro looks to his door and -- ]
Ah. That must be the pizza. Lemme get that.
[ later, he’ll blame the closeness. he’s already right there and shiro is vehement and sweetened on all the good qualities about keith floating around in his head. so of course it feels natural to tip his head and bump his lips to keith’s hairline, leaving a… kiss that’s damning in the firmness of it. awareness comes a tick too late and then all he can do is pull back with a hard blink. oh. uh. is that weird? it’s probably weird. shit.
does he address it? nah. because there is another series of knocks and saved with the excuse to get moving, shiro abruptly untangles himself from keith and climbs to his feet. ]
… Be right back.
[ and acting as though nothing abnormal just happened, he heads out, head held high. ]
no subject
but of course that's not what shiro means. it's funny in some ways. how is it that the guy whose car he stole is also the guy who relentlessly sees the best in keith, anyway? always forgiving, always understanding, always nudging keith back onto his feet. ...heh. literally carrying him when he can't get up.
smooshed tighter against shiro's chest, keith closes his eyes and smiles a little helplessly. being a paladin of voltron has armed him with a sense of purpose. it's given him a team, an objective and a place to focus all of his physical and mental energy. it's easy to feel like you have a place in the universe when the universe is counting on you for its liberation, but here and now keith's realizing just how much of that's been a distraction from how to actually be okay with himself.
arms tightening around shiro, keith takes in a deep breath and snuggles in closer. in the end, he doesn't know what fully embracing himself would look like, but for now embracing shiro who accepts and loves him is so soothing and cozy that he loses all sense of time and space.
the knocking at the door is therefore disproportionately jarring. keith blinks open his eyes, sluggish on comprehension. mercifully, shiro remembers his order of chicago style pizza which leaves keith in the perfect position to -- what? remain confused through the peck on his forehead? mouth dropping open in surprise, keith only manages another owlish blink as shiro quickly recalibrates, disentangles and gets to his feet to answer the door. ]
Shiro....
[ the name is whisper soft, in tones that lend themselves all too easily to feign selective deafness. despite having the option to repeat himself louder to make himself heard, keith falls silent again, heart suddenly thudding far too loud and fast behind his sternum. did he imagine it? was it a mistake? reaching absentmindedly up to his forehead, keith touches gingerly, like touching the site of contact might actually clarify something, but needless to say it does not. cheeks warming fast, keith lowers his hands to cover his face and takes one deep breath. it doesn't do much to quell some need to yell silently into his hands or to stop the flutterbeat of his heart, but it at least gets him to stop staring after shiro like a lost pupper.
fuck. what were the doing again?
eyes landing back on his pumpkin, keith shoots one last curious, longing look at shiro's back before patting his pockets to fish out a ten dollar bill. get it together, and say one legitimate thing to shiro instead of sitting around looking foolish. ]
I've got a ten if you need more cash?
[ because apparently talking about schrodinger's kiss isn't "legitimate." ]
no subject
You’re the birthday boy.
[ translation: shiro foots the bill today, keith’s only requirement is to enjoy himself. with that, he steps out of the room completely and rounds out of sight. it’s a short walk down the hall and to the main door, most of which he spends pulling out his previously set aside wad of bills. the delivery boy is kind, even though shiro opened the door to a rising hand, clearly on the way for a third knock. bill and tip properly dispensed, soon shiro has the apartment locked up and an extra large pizza box in his hands, backtracking to his bedroom.
plates, utensils and napkins are a consideration, but ultimately, shiro breezes by the kitchen. they already have the garbage bags on the floor and pumpkin guts splattered around, what’s a little pizza? except this isn’t a little pizza. shiro’s stomach surges just thinking about it and by the time he turns into his room and nudges the door closed with a tap of his foot, the smile is far more excitable this time. ]
I hope you’re ready for this.
[ thick crust, generous layers of tomato sauce, pepperoni and meat, and practically oozing melted cheese: once keith experiences pizza this way, he’ll never settle for the pathetic, cardboard thin slices that are, weirdly, more popularly sought. he sets the pizza box down and untucks the corners of the lid, pausing for dramatic effect while peeking at keith. ]
You’re about to have your world rocked. In three, two, one -- [ and lift. behold. the room was already filling with the delicious scent of pizza, but it’s stronger in a second, further distracting shiro from his awkward blunder not three minutes ago and pushing him to beam wider. ] Gorgeous, isn’t it?
no subject
taking a deep breath, he manages to relax enough to pluck up the scraper and pop the lid off his pumpkin, but it doesn't stop feeling like he's going through the motions of normalcy. ... which is a good thing in theory -- the less he gets worked up about a misunderstanding the better.
but that feeling gets exaggerated tenfold by the time shiro walks back into the room with the pizza box in hand and a broad smile on his face. of course keith is curious about this deep dish pizza that shiro's been talking up. of cours it smells delicious. but the pizza just isn't where keith is looking when he mumbles quietly. ]
Yeah Gorgeous.
[ damningly, he's looking shiro dead in the eye as he says it, heart still racing too fast to be comfortable. swallowing then, keith looks at the contents of the box to look at ... okay a truly ridiculous pie of a pizza with layers and layers of cheese and toppings piled on thick. ]
.... that's deep. [ deep? ] Thick. [ ??? ] ... how is this a pizza? [ there, much better. ]
no subject
how is this pizza? how is this pizza? sacrilege. how dare he question this culinary perfection. offended? yes, but he’s laughing, still a wide smile and dimpling cheeks. ]
It’s better than a pizza. [ a beat; again with the dramatic effect. this one he fills with leaning into keith’s space and dropping his voice, as though sharing some monumental secret. ]
It’s a deep dish pizza. [ and he can’t maintain. he starts laughing, delighted but embarrassingly sputtered as he gives keith’s shoulder a playful shove, straightening up from his lean. ]
Just try it, would ya? If you don’t like it -- which is impossible and I won’t believe you anyway… then you can nitpick it. [ in hindsight, he probably should have grabbed a knife. it’s pre-sliced but those cuts never seem to tear right, especially when so much cheese is involved. is there a clean carving knife around? ]
no subject
Deep dish, uh-huh. [ incredulity aside, there's a pinch of lightness that's betraying keith's growing amusement here. ] Looks more like something you'd make if you wanted pie and a pizza at the same time.
[ ... which come to thik of it, probably explains a lot about shiro's fondness for this, huh. after all, it wouldn't look too out of place alongside shiro's other kitchen mishaps. brow wrinkling as keith bites his lip to contain a bubble of laughter, he glances back up to look shiro in the eye again. ]
Except y'know. This isn't burnt.
[ teasing properly dispensed, keith finally does as suggested and tries to pull one of the slices free. it doesn't detach very well and could probably use an actual pie server. he pulls and ends up dragging several long strings of mozarella and sauce with him. admittedly, it's kind of funny, but it doesnt fully distract him from that surreal feeling lodged deep in his belly. he ought to get up and get a knife here, but instead he tears the mozarella strands with his fingers to free up his pizza slice. ]
Still pretty hot. [ is his very poignant commentary here as he licks his fingers clean. but before taking an actual bite out of his slice, he looks up again, uncertain. ]
But uh... hey, can I ask you a question?
no subject
Hey.
[ he’s laughing though, very tempted to give keith another shove and have him ripping that slice free in a mess of stringy cheese. for the record, shiro has had zero incidents in this apartment’s kitchen. practically zero. there was that teeny tiny fiasco with a sweet potato in the microwave. other than that, shiro is entirely capable of producing edible meals… on most occasions.
… good thing the cupcake is already down and gone. don’t need that damning evidence staring him in the face right now. as punishment for this very rude, very uncalled for slight against the person who has been spoiling keith rotten all day, shiro will not be sharing his -- now thoroughly wiped down -- pumpkin knife. keith can figure out how to get that goodness in him on his own.
… which in hindsight, may have been a mistake. greasy fingers, both red and cheesy, are lifted to keith’s mouth and then there’s a swipe of his tongue. shiro pauses mid slice, currently cutting through his own piece of pizza and there, he watches, for some undiscernible reason, keith lick, before he lifts his gaze to meet his.
huh? oh. ]
Yeah, of course. [ and then he’ll redirect his attention once more to his resumed cutting. ]
no subject
Before you left to answer the door. You did this ... thing. [ thing. fuck him, he really ought to be far more specific than this, but it's bad enough that his cheeks are threatening to warm again. eyes on his pizza, keith mumbles through the rest. [ Did you mean to do the thing?
no subject
the thing. so that’s what they’re calling it?
what thing is on the tip of his tongue, if only to buy him an extra few moments to conjure up how to answer this but mercifully, he doesn’t act the fool. keith knows, shiro knows, they both know what the thing means; everyone is on the same page, even right down to the same awkward air and vaguely warm faces.
when the stall inevitably breaks and he braves an answer, it’s entirely unhelpful. ]
Yes and no?
no subject
[ the question's out and blurted before keith's done a proper accounting of how to respond to that. when his brain catches up a moment later, he can't think of a proper addendum. what indeed. how is he meant to interpret an answer that's perfectly split down the middle like this?
pizza still suspended in his hand, he pulls ... some kind of expression that probably won't help the situation much. yes and no. no and yes. the more he thinks the three words to himself, the more he thinks he's never heard anything he's disliked more.]
What's that even supposed to mean?
no subject
… he does go right back to stalling though. the following beats are silent and shiro wrestles the words around in his head, trying to put them in some sort of working order. how is he meant to explain an action he doesn’t fully understand himself?
it was a reflex? yes
entirely accidental? kind of.
him cherishing this best friend and wanting him to feel that affection? ah.
he fills his lungs on a deep breath and then on the exhale, briefly lets his eyes fall shut. one, two, and then his breathing evens out, his eyes open, and he looks at keith properly for the first time. ]
It means… [ don’t fidget. don’t be the coward. he frowns, faintly. ] I did it without thought. It just -- happened.
[ that’s the no. as for the yes? if he did it without thought, there had to be a driving impulse. a want. so. ]
But it felt natural to do so? [ again, he’s back to wondering if this is too weird. true, he and keith have been very tactile in the last, couple of years of their friendship but there’s a big difference between a shoulder clasp, a hug and an unasked for kiss on the forehead. don’t be the coward? shiro wavers on that here. ] I don’t know. I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable or weird.
no subject
once again, there's another question that could be asked here. what does it even mean that it felt natural? a lot of things in the world are natural: sneezing, blinking, burping -- purely biological without much cognition involved, no deeper meaning. but natural also gets thrown around to describe a bunch of unnatural phenomena like the way in which piloting the lions feels pretty intuitive and comfortable. keith doesn't know what shiro's getting at here, and between the two parallek thoughts of shiro thinks nothing at all about kissing him on the forehead and shiro thinks kissing keith on the forehead was unnatural but comfortable, keith genuinely doesn't know if he likes either.
brow furrowing, he quits biting the inside of his lip, stubbornly still holding eye conntact. does he feel uncomfortable or weird? yes. hell yes, right now he absolutely feels both of those things. in the moment though....? ]
Do it again.
no subject
but shiro stares a little too long at the hard set of keith’s features. little by little, the urge to escape withers away and soon, he’s ensnared, heartbeat upticking on a rush of -- nervousness? excitement? curiosity? one of shiro’s most hopeless traits is his inability to resist a challenge and here, right here, is one plain as day. he kissed keith once. does shiro have the guts to do it a second time? with keith watching, with keith knowing?
it’s a weird, little game, and shiro is rising to the bait. god, that should be embarrassing, even infuriating, but instead, he presses his lips in a flat line, mentally psyching up his determination, not quite having the sense to say no. wordless, he nudges the pizza box out of the way and scoots closer. he’s frowning by the time he pauses there in front of keith and even as he leans in, his expression doesn’t clear. he’s concentrating. he’s debating. should he say something beforehand? should he brush his bangs out of the way? how long should he hold the kiss?
why is he so tangled up about this already?
in the end, he doesn’t say anything, neither does he push back his fringe. and the kiss? it’s four seconds exactly, in the pocket of space between his hair, an inch shy above his right eyebrow. the hand to keith’s nape, pulling him in and holding him there is a new addition this time around, one which shiro keeps even as he pulls back to look at keith, frown gone and replaced with a softer, more subdued expression. still, not a word; just a look that begs a reaction.
well -- how was that? ]
no subject
testing shiro's words shouldn't be the reflex here, but actions always speak so much louder than words which is why keith gives them so much more weight. even so, it doesn't take a genius to look at the steeled look on his best friend's face to know in advance that he isn't going to back down. keith's heart skips a beat then, but his own expression stays guarded. why? he couldn't say other than some vague need to brace himself.
shiro moves the box aside, then pulls him in close before pressing a kiss to his forehead. lower down this time, all intentional, no chance of misinterpreting the whats and whys of the situation. the contact isn't exactly brief either. four long ticks drag on and keith forgets to breathe for all of them. whatever he was trying to prove here suddenly sublimates into nothingness, his head an empty chasm of reverating silence.
sexy ghost. you're my family, i love you. jimmy and the steak mission. brothers. i know exactly who you are. honeydew. you're perfect.
jesus fuck, he lets out the breath he'd been holding, then draws in a quick inhale as shiro pulls away and shoots him that expectant look. where he'd felt disconnected from his body before a split second earlier, suddenly he can't turn down the volume on his heart pounding in his chest or settle the swooping butterflies in his stomach. does this even mean anything when he practically goaded shiro into doing that? his own expression softens, eyes round as he looks at his best friend. ]
...did that still feel natural to you?
[ it's a ridiculous question. of course, it couldn't have. not when it was prompted in the way that it was. flustering, but still refusing to give up on eye contact, keith swallows. ]
edit time vs post time. ah interesting, you tabbed back in.
Yeah.
[ that bravado only lasts through that one word. it’s out and then shiro buckles under the sudden weight pressing heavy in the moment. he straightens his spine and sits up from his forward lean, hand moving from keith's neck. even that is toeing at boundaries, because he doesn’t lift his hand. he drags it free along his neck and smoothes his palm along the curve of his shoulder before finally settling on the meat of it, grasping firm. arguably, the whole thing is a heavy-handed caress, only to end on a move that is far more familiar to them.
it helps steady shiro. it reinforces the notion that he and keith don’t fit within the normal constraints of friends. they’ve been through so much together, both in their formative years and in these life-changing past few. they trust each other beyond explanation and are as close as two best friends can be -- aren’t they? touch comes freely between them, so why can’t that extend to an affectionate kiss on the forehead? he loves keith. keith is his family.
no. they’re family. keith thinks so too.
another beat to that pause and then a smile quirks, the look of it encouraging, yet voice tentatively shy in its honesty. ]
Most things do with you. [ that’s why they get along so great, right? they seem to fall together and fit, no matter what it is they’re doing, saying, or thinking. either way, it’s accompanied with a one-shoulder shrug of his free arm, trying to soften some of that with nonchalance. ]
silence :|
one breath. forget the script, maybe he's completely lost the fucking plot if swapping kisses has somehow crossed over into "natural" territory while he wasn't looking. hell, maybe it feels natural for shiro, but keith swears his forehead is still tingling from where shiro's lips touched. is that natural? probably not -- no definitely not. but it doesn't feel wrong either, in much the same way that the hand moving down the line of his shoulder doesn't feel out of place.
with the feeling like he might be losing an unspoken stand still fading fast, keith breaks eye contact to look down at his shoulder, head ducked to try and keep the tiny, helpless smile to himself for a brief moment while his thoughts settle. ]
I like that it does.
[ whether he means the kisses or the fact that most things feel natural together is a bit vague, but there's only so much topping a deep dish pizza crust can hold up without starting to sag. another tick and the pizza slice flops, dripping cheese and tomato sauce on keith's shirt and pants. ]
Oh.
[ anticlimactic. ]
:x
Damn. [ soft, almost awed in its disbelief. ] I really should’ve grabbed us some plates.
[ or more astutely, he should have backed off quicker, rather than continually inserting himself in keith’s space while the poor boy was in the midst of trying to eat. either way, as far as shiro is concerned, the blame lands on him. the grimace hasn’t quite left him and so, his expression is very much still wrinkled and forlorn, apology filling his gaze as he finally lifts it from the mess. ]
Sorry about that. [ and then, without another damning pause of uselessness, he eases further out of keith’s space and pushes himself to his feet. ] I’ll get you a towel.
[ the apartment is small to begin with. jamming three bedrooms, each with their own bathroom, into this square footage means the bedrooms are pretty cramped. shiro simply has to turn, take a few steps and he’s already at the door to his restroom.
… two steps before that though, he sees his dresser and without thinking, a different offer presents itself. ] Or a shirt – how about a shirt? [ there’s no real reason for it. they’re carving pumpkins. mess is everywhere, even without plateless pizza. nonetheless, there’s a big, blotch of red on keith’s shirt and… maybe shiro doesn’t like seeing red stains anywhere near keith’s ribs. ] You can ball yours up and toss it in the hamper.
[ shiro will just be stepping over to his dresser in the meantime. ]
GOOD.
there's no getting around it. it's a greasy, cheesy, tomato saucey mess. resentful at the cosmos, keith picks gingerly at a large piece of pepperoni and plops it in his mouth. questionable table manners or not, it's too much of a waste of food. visibly deflated, keith looks up again just in tine to hear a sorry, and watches shiro get to his feet.
what's he even apologizing for? the confusion barely has time to set in before there are two offers made. despite it being a pretty zero effort task to get up and walk back to his own room for a change of clothes, keith simply just nods at the offer as he gets to his feet. ]
Okay. Gotta get this stuff off first.
[ hem still pulled as far from him as possible, keith picks at another piece of cheesy sausage and plops that into his mouth as well. ]
Wanna help?
[ there is zero consideration given for the fact that this is ... potentially a gross thing to ask for help with. ]
... you edited just to add a comment here.
any thought of finding a smaller shirt — does he actually have anything that much smaller? – is gone and past before shiro can act on it. he turns his head toward keith, humming faint and brief to the question and – oh. one long moment to take in keith standing there, shirt pulled far enough out that he can see a sliver of his belly and then shiro looks to the mess itself. ]
You don’t have to do that.
[ the glob of cheese is the worst of it, although there is another pepperoni left and bits of meat too. he turns back to the dresser to push the drawer shut and then he’s walking over to keith, stopping a few steps short in front of him.
he has that odd pinch to his face, not quite a frown, more of a grimaced smile, like he’s trying to be encouraging rather than judgmental. ]
There’s plenty of pizza. You know, without cotton fibers. [ and dirt. and sweat. and whatever else they likely picked up while tromping all over that pumpkin patch. listen, it’s very important that keith’s deep dish tasting experience isn’t hampered more than it already has been. ] Just scoop it off and toss it in the garbage.
AND TO CHANGE MY ICN ACTUALLY.
Mm.
[ he turns then to go stand in front of shiro's trash can. admittedly it's still not keith's instinct to just scrape off that last bit of pepperoni and sausage, but like hell is he going to eat it off his shirt now with shiro standing there. one quick swipe of his fingers and most of the remaining mess comes off, which means next to come off is keith's shirt. it comes up over head and keith drapes it over an arm.
still not quite facing shiro, he starts heading into the bathroom to give his hands a wash. in part because yeah, his hands aren't clean, but also to make some other point about his general state of hygiene now that he feels put on the spot about it. brow furowed as he washes, he looks across: ]
Where do you keep your hamper again?
OH. ok that is less reason for me to judge.
stop judging me ;;
but idk how to stop
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
shiro's 'oh shit i'm massively gay' icon
it's a cute look on him!
i like how this icon and your last one kind of go together.
(no subject)
i feel like i've been left on read. it hurts.
shush now
/leaves this on read
WOW,
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)