Thread by @HPhoenix8

#Sheith post s7 angst with happy ending | Allura’s alive | It’s after the war | Curtis is in this | Injured Keith.

Panic was bubbling in the pit of Shiro’s stomach, making him feel nauseous as he made his way to the med-bay. He got word that Keith had been injured, only he can’t

imagine how. Thinking back, Shiro can’t remember seeing Keith much lately. He’s been so busy with his work on the Atlas and getting to know his new boyfriend Curtis that he’s become rather isolated from the Paladins.

Guilt started to gnaw at him just as he was entering the waiting room.

The Paladins were already there, looking worried and upset. Shiro looked to them all in turn, hoping someone would finally explain what had happened to Keith. But they all just kept avoiding Shiro’s gaze.

“Will one of you tell me what happened?” Shiro asked in frustration.

Pidge jumped in her seat, and Hunk just looked down. It was Allura who stepped up to him and told him that Keith had been beaten up.

“He was cornered by a few Garrison men, they... ganged up on him.”

“What?” Shiro felt his blood run cold. Why would Garrison soldiers hurt Keith?

“Apparently there are still many who hate the Galra, and this group chose to take their prejudice out on Keith.”

Shiro couldn’t understand this, not after everything they’d been through.

“But Keith’s the leader of Voltron. How could anyone hate /him/?”

Hunk spoke up then and said, “we’ve been hearing about anti-Galra movements all over. It’s just lucky that not many Galra are on Earth right now.”

“Yeah, people here haven’t had the chance to see the other side yet,” Pidge added. “On other planets, they got to see the Blades at work. Some even got to see Galra defectors fight against Zarkon’s regime.”

“People here can’t imagine a good Galra,” Lance explained.

“We got here and caught them off, and only few people got to see the Blades at work.”

Shiro shook his head, feeling as if his body was suddenly too heavy to stay upright. He walked over to a waiting chair and dropped down heavily.

“How’s Keith?” he asked weakly.

Allura sat next him and placed a gently hand on his back.

“He’s going to be alright. He’s badly bruised and has a few cuts here and there. Thank the stars the MFE pilots saved him.”

“They did?” Shiro asked, surprised.

“Yeah, man, they were awesome! They even managed to catch all the guys involved and take them into custody,” Hunk said.

“That’s what I was saying. Few people got to see the Blades helping us. The MFE pilots get that not all Galra are bad,” Pidge said, sounding solemn.

Then Shiro shook his head. This still didn’t make any sense. How many guys could it have been for Keith to be overpowered? With his Galra strength, it’s not exactly easy to bring him down.

“How did they do it?” Shiro asked. “I mean, how did they get the upper hand on Keith?”

Lance looked at him sympathetically. “C’mon, Shiro, buddy! This is Keith we’re talking about. He didn’t fight back.”

The look of confusion on Shiro’s face prompted Pidge to say, “you know Keith. Always the martyr. He knew he’d kick their butts, so he didn’t fight back.”

Then Lance gave voice to the thought everyone had. “He also probably felt he deserved it.”

It was like someone had splashed ice cold water on Shiro, and suddenly he was raging mad. At the group of men who attacked Keith. At himself for not being there to protect him.

And most of all at Keith for always willing to sacrifice himself.

Why is Keith always doing this? Why can’t he understand that he matters and has value without having to sacrifice himself for others?

Shiro rubbed his face with both hands and grunted, “it’s my fault. I should’ve been there.”

Allura rubbed his back some more and said, “Shiro, that’s not fair. None of us were there.”

“Yeah bud, Keith wasn’t even doing anything dangerous. He was just on his way home!” Lance exclaimed.

He was stunned. Shiro never thought that anyone at the Garrison was capable of such violence, especially when Leith had done nothing wrong. He felt awful, helpless.

He desperately wished he could’ve been there.

“You want to see him?” Allura asked. “Because you can. He’s asleep, but you can sit with him.”

Shiro nodded, his mouth feeling too dry to say anything.

—————

Once alone with Keith in the room, Shiro took stock of Keith’s visible injuries. His complexion was pale and sickly, with scrapes and cuts littering his pretty face.

More cuts and bruises covered his hands, indicating that Keith must’ve tried to protect him face

with his hands and arms.

Shiro rubbed a hand down his face, balling both hands into fists after dropping them to his side.

He should’ve been there. If he hadn’t been so distant, so busy, then everyone would’ve known that Keith was untouchable.

He wanted to go see the men who did this and punish them himself, but more than that, he hated himself for dropping the ball.

How could he have gotten too busy for his best friend? He promised to never give up on Keith, yet it feels like that’s exactly what he did.

Shiro sat down heavily in the one chair in the room, leaning his head back and sighing. He’s made so many mistakes since Allura put him in this body.

Sure it was hard having to adjust to being alive again. He had to learn to use a new arm and find a new role to play in the war.

Bring Keith’s best friend was his one constant, yet he’d forgotten that and drifted away from him.

“I’m sorry, Keith,” he whispered, leaning forward in his seat. “I’ll do better, I promise.”

————————

It wasn’t long before Keith woke up, and he looked surprised to find Shiro there. That was a little painful, if Shiro was honest, but he pushed through it.

“H-how are you feeling?” Shiro asked softly.

Keith sat up slowly, adjusting the bed and rearranging his pillows. “Ok I guess,” he replied in a scratchy voice.

Shiro winced but nodded. “Good. Not too much pain?”

Keith only shook his head.

“The doctor says you’ll be ok. Just some deep bruising and a few cuts all over. You’re lucky the James and Ryan found you when they did.”

“Yeah, I’ll thank them when I see them.”

It was awkward and Shiro didn’t know what to say. This was awful! Keith is his best friend, yet he didn’t know what to say? This was all wrong, and it was all his fault.

They both shifted awkwardly for a bit, then Keith said, “you don’t have to stay. I know you’re busy.”

Shiro’s eyes widened, feeling the tips of his ears go red. “No, it’s ok. I’m nev-“ but he stopped himself. He was about to say he’s never too busy to make time for his best friend.

But that’s not true, it is? Hasn’t been for some time now. Guilt squeezed at Shiro’s heart,

leaving him feeling cold. He swelled thickly and shook his head.

“It’s ok. I made time.”

Keith gave him a timid smile, as tho afraid that Shiro would leave in minute now. But he wasn’t going anywhere, not yet.

They spent some time quietly together, but eventually the other

Paladins joined them and they made it easier. They got Keith talking, Allura trying to get Keith and Shiro more comfortable with each other.

Shiro nodded a silent thanks to her and she smiled at him, his eyes twinkling with a secret knowledge that he couldn’t figure out.

Come nightfall, Keith was tired and everyone was ready to leave. Shiro promised to be back in the morning after getting through a meeting.

“You don’t have to if you’ve got work to do,” Keith said, a hopeful edge to his voice.

“I’ll be here right after my meeting,” Shiro reassured him. He might not be able to be here all the time, but he was determined to spend some time with Keith everyday until he’s better.

——————-

True to his promise, Shiro made sure to spend some time with Keith at med-bay, and he even made time for the other Paladins through the week. Shiro realized it was nice, reconnecting with his found family.

It made the constant pressures of work easier to bear,

somehow not suffocating.

But Curtis was being weird about this. He was sulking and pouting about not getting enough time with Shiro.

They weren’t even that serious, but Shiro remembered what Adam was like. He wanted more of Shiro’s time too, and Shiro wondered if maybe he was

wrong for thinking he can have a relationship and still keep his friends.

Or was Curtis asking for too much? It was only natural that Shiro have friends, but it also made sense that his boyfriend would want more alone time.

He felt torn. He wanted to be happy so badly, but

things never ended up the way he wanted them to. Even with Adam he had to choose between his boyfriend and his dreams. Why was it always either or for him?!

“You’ve been too busy with work to even hang out with me,” Keith had said to him a couple days ago.

The unspoken “But you have time for your new boyfriend” left him feeling deeply ashamed.

“I’m sorry, you’re right.”

Keith had looked so shocked at Shiro’s apology, holding his knees against his chest and tears filling his eyes.

Shiro hated himself for doing this to him. For hurting Keith in a way he had promised not to. He was supposed to be there for Keith, no matter what. But the second life got busy, Shiro forgot all about Keith as if he didn’t need him.

“I’ll do better, bud, I promise,” he had said, sitting on the edge of Keith’s bed, hand holding Keith’s leg.

Keith just nodded quietly.

——————-

Keith’s recovery wasn’t so bad. It was certainly easier than his last time in a hospital bed. It was a little weird tho, Shiro hovering over him, Allura fussing, and Lance not teasing him.

Last time they had all been injured, so there was no reason for anyone to take on

caretaking responsibility. Pidge insisted it was ok, normal even.

“It’s what family does!” she kept saying.

It made Keith feel soft and warm inside. Family. They really were his family. Even Shiro seemed to be coming back into the fold. It was nice having him back, even if

not in the way Keith wanted.

Keith hated himself for wanting more than Shiro was clearly willing to give. He hated himself for feeling this way. He wanted Shiro to be happy, truly, but did it have to come at the expense of his own happiness?

He was off in his own head when there was a knock on his door late one night.

“Come in,” he called out.

It was a bit of a shock when he saw Shiro’s boyfriend walk in with a scowl on his face, leaving the door cracked open a bit.

“So what’s wrong with you?” he asked rather aggressively.

Keith frowned and said in his most disgusted voice, “what?”

Curtis crossed his arms and huffed. “Shiro’s been spending so much time with you and keeps saying it’s cuz you need him. So what’s wrong with you?” he asked.

Keith was getting uncomfortable, feeling his anger bubbling up.

“I mean you look fine to me,” Curtis added.

“Shiro’s my best friend. He doesn’t really need a reason to hang out with him,” Keith said defiantly. “Plus, if you haven’t noticed, I’m in a /hospital/ bed.”

Curtis rolled his eyes, making Keith angrier by the second. What’s wrong with this guy? It’s not like Keith’s taking up all of Shiro’s free time. Shiro’s only here a couple hours a day, and has lunch with Keith occasionally.

Then again, shouldn’t Shiro be having meals with the

man he loves? That’s certainly not Keith. His anger was subsiding thanks to his doubts. He was starting to fidget uncomfortably, wanting Curtis to just leave already.

————

Shiro couldn’t believe he’d forgotten that he promised to bring Keith some chocolate when he visited today. Better late than never, he thought as he made his way to Keith’s room for a second visit today.

Honestly, he was glad for an excuse to see Keith again.

Spending just a couple hours a day with him wasn’t enough, tho he knew it wasn’t fair to Curtis to give Keith more of his time.

He couldn’t help it tho. Being with Keith felt so natural, so easy. It cleared his worries and made him relax. It almost felt like it did when they

first met, and Shiro missed that. Rounding the corner he saw that Keith’s door was slightly open, which was strange because Keith likes it closed. As he approached, Shiro could hear someone talking to Keith.

It was Curtis. But why would he be here? Shiro wasn’t even aware that Curtis and Keith knew each other.

And that’s when Shiro heard Curtis say, “Hospital bed or not, I want you to stay away from my boyfriend. We’re getting serious, you see.”

Shiro frowned. He wasn’t aware they were getting serious at all. It was a new relationship and they were still getting to know each other.

Then Curtis said something that made Shiro’s heart stop. “I know you’re in love with him.”

What? Keith in love with /him/? No, that can’t be true. If it were true, why had it never come up before? How come they never talked about this?

“But he doesn’t feel the same way about you,” Curtis added contemptuously.

“You have to back off and /get over/ it. You can’t make someone love you.”

Shiro’s couldn’t breathe. Why was Curtis saying this? And how could Shiro have missed just how cruel this man is?

“Especially when you’re so unbelievably unloveable.”

And that was all Shiro could take. The cruelty and poison in that last sentence moved him from his spot and made him barge in, eyebrows knotted in barely contained rage.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Shiro asked in between clenched teeth.

Curtis was clearly shocked to see Shiro standing there. Perhaps he was hoping that Shiro would never find out about this. Did he truly think that Keith wouldn’t tell Shiro when he saw him tomorrow?

Or maybe the distance Shiro had put between them had made it easy to believe

that Keith wouldn’t confide in him. Shame washed over Shiro again, tempering his rage somewhat.

“Sh-Shiro, I... I just came to see how Keith was doing,” Curtis stammered.

Shiro balled his hands into firsts, trying to control himself.

“Get out,” he commanded.

Curtis’s eyes went wide, his mouth slack in confusion. “But-“

“I said get out! We are /done/,” Shiro declared.

Curtis shook his head, his eyes filling with tears. “You don’t mean that.”

“Yes, I do. I don’t even know what I saw in you. Anyone who’s willing to treat my best friend like this isn’t worth my time.”

Curtis huffed and looked back at a dumbfounded Keith, then stomped and stormed out of the room.

Shiro’s face instantly softened as he looked at Keith.

He rushed over to his side and sat next to him.

“You ok, Keith?” he asked softly.

Keith nodded, his cheeks flushing. “How much did you hear?”

“Everything after... Curtis said you loved me,” Shiro admitted, his cheeks getting hot too now.

Keith looked away and said nothing, till Shiro prompted, “do you? Love me, I mean?”

Keith pulled his knees to his chest, a new habit he seems to have picked up lately.

Shiro placed his hand gently on Keith knee. “Keith, please?”

Tears spilled down Keith’s cheeks as he kept his eyes fixed to the window. He was beginning to tremble now, and it was freaking Shiro out. But he wasn’t backing off now. He needs to know.

“I... I already told you, once,” Keith whispered.

Shiro couldn’t remember. He was sure he would’ve remembered a love confession. If he was being honest with himself, Keith being in love with him was a fantasy of his.

He always wished Keith would love and want him the way Shiro did, but he never dared think it might be true.

He always assumed Keith’s devotion was just a way to pay Shiro back for being there for him when no one else was.

Could it be something more? Could it really be true?

“Keith, I’m sorry. I don’t remember,” Shiro confessed.

Keith pressed his face against his arm, as if trying to hide his vulnerability. “It was at the cloning facility. I told you I love you then.”

That’s when fragments of the memory hit Shiro, all disjointed and jarring. He was trying to kill Keith, and Keith fought

back but not really.

There was so much noise all around them, Shiro’s mind and body fighting against each other. This is all he could remember for the longest time, only now he knows what Keith’s taking about.

He really did tell Shiro he loved him, it’s what brought him out of the darkness of the Black Lion and helped him save Keith and the clone body.

How could he have forgotten such an important thing? Shiro shook his head, his eyes filling with tears too.

“Keith, I remember now,” he said in awe. “I can’t believe I couldn’t remember.”

Keith finally looked at him, as if trying to figure out if Shiro was being honest or not. Shiro shook his head.

“All I remembered from that day was me trying to kill you,” Shiro said, getting chocked up at the memory. “It was the worst day of my life. I avoided thinking about it because it only brought me pain.”

The hurt and sad look in Keith’s beautiful eyes was unbearable. Shiro cupped

his cheek tenderly and said, “I remember now. I’m sorry it took so long to come back to me.”

“And now that it has, what do you think?” Keith asked in a tight, almost frightened voice. Shiro could see he was holding his breath hopefully.

He leaned in and kissed Keith on the forehead. “I’ve loved you... for a long time, Keith. I was just too much of a coward to say anything about it.”

Keith’s eyes widened and he let out a shaky breath. “Really?”

Shiro nodded, smiling now. “Yes, I mean it. Do you still love me?”

Keith nodded enthusiastically, coaxing a laugh from deep in Shiro’s belly.

“Well then, I find myself recently single.” Shiro said playfully. “Think you’d like to go on a date with me?”

Keith flashed him a bright, heart stopping smile and said, “You’re on, old timer.”

And with that, Keith pulled Shiro in for a searing kiss, filled with all his ancient longing. It was perfect.

————

The End.

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