Thread by @lasersheith

Shiro realizes Keith has a crush on him a few months after he starts at the Garrison. It's honestly really flattering and he thinks Keith is a sweet kid and absolutely considers them friends, but he has Adam and Keith is a teenager and it's just baby's first crush

Except Keith keeps growing up, getting taller, more in control of himself, really growing into a man and of course they're still friends but he doesn't have Adam anymore so Shiro's starting to wonder, especially since Keith's crush doesn't show any signs of letting up.

But it's silly. They're just friends. Keith's even said Shiro's like an older brother to him, a mentor as well as a friend. And that's how Shiro feels too... Probably... At any rate, he decides to worry about it when he gets back from Kerberos.

And he does get back from Kerberos, but not how he expected to and several months later. And... Keith is there. Keith saves him and maybe just saves the human race by doing so, as good as the Garrison's intentions were. But he's so grown up and his hair is longer and his voice...

His eyes are the same, though, and they've always looked at Shiro that same way. It used to make him smile but now it makes his stomach flutter. There's so much they should be worrying about but Keith's hand on his shoulder is the only thing on Shiro's mind

There isn't much time for reflection before they're jetting off into space and fighting aliens and forming Voltron, but there's enough time at night, when the castle is quiet, that Shiro thinks about that last summer he'd spent with Keith

No Adam to guilt him into coming home from their long desert rides early, no classes to keep them drowning in books all weekend. Just the two of them, flying and stargazing and being best friends...
Because that's what they are, right? Best friends?

Shiro's head is throbbing, but it's always throbbing lately. He thinks back to that summer and wonders if his admiration was as innocent and platonic as he'd thought at the time. It certainly isn't now.
Keith's room is just across the hall but it feels like another planet.

(this is gonna get nsfw most likely but a bitch be Tired so I'll finish it tomorrow)

He's dissected it from every angle imaginable, but Shiro makes himself remember it again. All the late nights laying on the same blanket and staring up at the sky, catching all of Keith's fond looks when he thought Shiro couldn't see him.

It should be easy to get up and walk across the hall and knock on Keith's door, but it seems more terrifying than any battle he faced in the arena. He doesn't want to ruin what they have but he can't keep ruminating, can't keep relying on cold showers after every training session

The way Keith looked at him then, still looks at him sometimes... He doesn't know what to do with it. He knows what he /wants/ to do with it, but everything is too confusing. It feels beyond stupid to be worrying about it when the fate of the universe is in his hands.

Without Keith, that summer would have been miserable. He would have spent the entire thing brooding over Adam and fixating on the mission and Keith saved him from doing that to himself. Let him enjoy the last summer he'd have before his life changed forever.

And leave it to Keith to save him again, this time with a soft knock on his door when they should both be sleeping. Shiro answers right away.

It's awkward, the forced exchanges of "I couldn't sleep" with the "because I was thinking about you" that they both leave out

Keith is too careful around him now. It's been far too long since they didn't know where they stood with each other. They try to talk about what happened, what's /happening/, but it feels like small talk and Shiro can't figure out how to steer things where he needs them to go

Shiro's exhausted but he knows he'll never fall asleep if he asks Keith to leave, so instead he asks him to stay. It's not elegant or romantic, there's too much desperation in his voice and "stay with me?" is too ambiguous for what he's really asking.

He isn't even sure what he is asking, but Keith doesn't seem to mind. He settles into the other half of Shiro's tiny bed like he belongs there and Shiro realizes all at once that he does.

Their first kiss isn't elegant or romantic, either. They almost miss each other's mouths and they're holding each other hard enough to bruise. It's still the best Shiro has ever had in his life. He's overwhelmed just from the feeling of Keith pressed against him.

He doesn't know if Keith's ever done this before and a tiny voice in the back of his mind hopes he hasn't. It wouldn't matter either way, but the thought gives him a thrill.
Keith's just as worked up as he is, panting into Shiro's mouth and wrapping his legs around Shiro's waist

Shiro wishes he could slow them down, take his time and take Keith apart inch by inch, but their hips have found a rhythm against each other that's making Shiro see stars and he can't bring himself to move away from Keith for even a second.

The only skin contact they make is resting their foreheads together while they pant and groan each other's names in hushed whispers. Time seems to speed up and slow down all at once and all Shiro can see or think or feel is Keith.

They shudder in each other's arms and leave twin sets of teeth marks in the sweaty crooks of their necks to keep from shouting. Shiro knows he should let go when Keith's breathing evens out, but he holds on even tighter.

Keith's fingers are still tangled in his shirt and he buries his head in Shiro's shoulder. His head feels fuzzy and he's still exhausted to do anything but let his mind go blank. Keith's fingers uncurl after a while and he settles more comfortably against Shiro's chest.

Shiro loosens his own grip but not enough to leave room for Keith to think he should leave. They mumble about a shower back and forth but end up settling for taking off their soiled pajamas without getting out of bed.

He knows they need to talk about it, about everything, but that can wait until the morning. For now Shiro is more than happy to fall asleep with Keith right to him. Where they both belong.

I outed myself as being outrageously horny for desperate, fully clothed dry humping a long time ago and it was Time For More. Hope y'all enjoyed!