Your Lion
Title: Your Lion
Fandom: Voltron: Legendary Defenders
Pairing: Keith/Shiro
Summary: He slowly raised his hand and … dropped it. He closed his eyes. He could do this. Just because they’d been friends for years didn’t mean they couldn’t be something more, right?
Author's Note: For kokirane who asked for Sheith, getting the nerve to ask the other out. Just a quick fun little ficlet. Hope you enjoy! Also, this is my first time writing Sheith! Be gentle with me :P
It’s ridiculous really. Keith has seen more shit in his lifetime than anyone should ever have to. For years he blamed himself, believed that it was something inherent in his being that made people leave him, made them hurt him, made them see him as less than. Now he knew different. It wasn’t him. It was human nature to take apart what you don’t know, what you don’t understand, what you fear.
Keith had held himself aloof and apart because he feared getting too close, but everything changed with one mission with the Blade. Everything changed when he found his mother and spent two amazing years with her, stranded and stressed about the team, but unable to do anything but wait out the ride.
He’d learned that she’d left Earth because she loved him, because she needed to protect the family that she held dearer than life.
She loved so much, that her own desire to be with them had been put aside.
Keith had never realized he got that trait from her.
So they were back on Earth and there was so much talk about what to do and how to do it. There were talks about sending the Paladins out to talk to various groups to get the support they needed to build a new castle.
It wouldn’t be long before they were all off on the farthest corners of the Earth. Not that it was that far for them with the lions, but Keith had gotten used to his team, his family. He didn’t like to be separated from them again.
And he really didn’t like being separated from Shiro, who was now regarded as much of a hero as a medical wonder (enforced by the Black Lion who had roared so loud outside when someone mentioned that Shiro could be working for the enemy that all the windows had shattered in the building.).
If he didn’t do something, soon, he would miss this opportunity. As Krolia has said as she pushed him out the door today, the opportunity might not come again soon.
He took a deep breath. He wasn’t scared. He wasn’t. He wasn’t terrified out of his mind to talk to his best friend. Not at all. No reason to be. Not when he’d faced off against Zarkon and Lotor and Sendak and come out on the other side.
Shiro was nothing to be afraid of.
And yet, his heart beat faster than he could ever remember before. His palms were sweaty under his fingerless gloves, and he felt like he was about to throw up.
He slowly raised his hand and … dropped it. He closed his eyes. He could do this. Just because they’d been friends for years didn’t mean they couldn’t be something more, right?
Just because he’d once looked up to Shiro as a mentor didn’t mean things couldn’t change over time, right?
He raised his hand and knocked harder than he intended. But it was done. He was here. Standing in front of Shiro’s door. To ask him … out. On a date. On Earth. With him.
God, this was the stupidest thing he’d ever done. Shiro had never seen him like that. Shiro was a great friend and Keith had no business trying to ruin that by confessing.
He waited a minute longer and sighed in relief. Shiro wasn’t home. The mistake he’d almost made would be a safe little secret once again.
And then he felt a sense of sadness because Shiro wasn’t home. The chance he’d convinced himself to take have been lost.
Because as much as Keith feared Shiro’s rejection, he couldn’t help but feel that they would be really good for each other. To believe that he would be really good for Shiro.
His shoulders drooped and he put his hands in his pockets to cover the fact that they were shaking now in…what…grief?
He turned to walk quickly back to his room when he ran straight into someone. He hadn’t even looked up. He’d been so focused on Shiro and his quest to ask him for a date that he’d dropped his guard enough that he hadn’t heard anyone coming.
He was so far off kilter that he almost fell, but a strong hand gripped his upper arm and pulled him tight against his chest before he could fall.
“Sh-Shiro?” He blinked up in surprise.
“Sorry,” his cheeks were the cute pink they turned whenever he got embarrassed. “Without my other hand, I was off-balanced and this seemed the best way to keep us both upright.”
“No, this is good. I mean, that was good. That was a good save. I mean, thanks for keeping me from falling on my face.”
Although at this point Keith wished he had, because then at least he wouldn’t be so flabbergasted at the feel of Shiro’s chest under his hands. He dropped his chin to try to hide his face, but he was too close to Shiro and he ended up with his forehead resting on Shiro’s shoulder. This really wasn’t any better.
“Yeah. Anytime. I mean, obviously not the tripping part,” Shiro stammered. “It’s not like I want you to fall into me or… like you need me to catch you or anything. I would, obviously, if you needed me to.”
“I know,” Keith finally looked up when he thought his own red cheeks were probably back to normal, but Shiro was watching him so closely and Keith couldn’t help himself because Shiro’s hand tightened on his hip where he’d grabbed his earlier and he licked his lips and Keith’s eyes were drawn to the movement.
And before Keith could think, he felt himself backed into the wall and Shiro’s mouth was on his and Keith was running his fingers through the hair at the nape of Shiro’s neck and god, nothing had ever felt this good in his life.
Shiro’s hand moved away from his hip and across his back, pulling him away from the wall and against him and Keith was more than happy to follow. He felt them stumble across the hallway but he didn’t care where they were going.
The door opened and closed and suddenly Keith was against it with Shiro pinning him there. Shiro began to pull away but Keith chased his lips until Shiro’s hand was in his hair, pulling him back enough that Shiro could kiss a path along Keith’s jaw.
“Went looking for you,” Shiro said against his skin, “but Krolia said you weren’t home.”
“I was looking for you.”
“What do you need, Keith?” Shiro asked.
Keith pulled back to look at Shiro and Shiro watched with heavily-lidded eyes.
“You,” Keith confessed. “I came to…”
“Have dinner with me,” Shiro interrupted.
“Yeah. That.”
“What?”
“I came to ask you to dinner.”
“No, Keith. I’m asking you to dinner. That’s why I was looking for you.”
“You’re… what?”
“Keith, will you go on a date with me?” Shiro was smiling at him and Keith realized he’d been an idiot. Yeah, things had changed for him over the years, but obviously he wasn’t the only one whose feelings could change.
“If I say yes, will you kiss me again?”
Shiro laughed as he brought his hand up and traced Keith’s jaw with the back of his knuckles. “Yeah.”
Keith wrapped his arms around Shiro’s neck and smiled. “Hell yeah.”
***
The black lion roared around them and Krolia looked at the Paladins around her as the windows in the barracks exploded. None of the other lions had taken up the call but they all seemed to give some sort of playful acknowledgement in some way. Although the red lion flew up into the air, did a couple loops before he landed next to the black one.
Allura and Pidge, Lance and Hunk all seemed lost as to their behavior. Krolia smiled. It was about time.
***
Keith looked up at Shiro with wide eyes when he heard the lion’s roar followed by shattered glass.
“Oops.”
“He’s your lion when he does that.”