Written for Sheith Positivity Week 2017. Day 7: Free Day

Disclaimer: If you recognize the character, it isn't mine. Just playing in Dreamworks' sandbox. (A few lines of dialogue have been borrowed from the episodes in the tags.)

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More Than a Brother

Something's not right.

The thought almost slips through his mental fingers, overlooked in the maelstrom of pain and exhaustion, but Keith grabs for it. It gives him a focus as Shiro's words flow over him, arguing with him, telling him to give up and hand over the knife to these people.

It's not like Shiro to tell people to give up.

Keith cradles his arm to support his throbbing shoulder, trying to gather himself in expectation of another attack. But the feeling of wrongness persists and he tries to place it.

"We're all the family you need!"

Since when am I family to you, Shiro?

And then he realizes. There's no warmth in Shiro's eyes. Pride, yes—people have always shown pride when Keith has accomplished something—but no caring, no support.

No concern.

Keith gambles.

"Shiro, you're like a brother to me… but I have to do this."

Shiro doesn't even blink at the statement. He plows on with his argument.

And Keith knows. This isn't Shiro. His Shiro would not stand there and watch him tremble from the pain. His Shiro would not try to talk him out of a decision once he made it. His Shiro would not make these accusations in such a cold, biting tone.

His Shiro knows damn well he's more than a brother to Keith.

"Then you've chosen to be alone."

The flat declaration, the lack of hesitation as Shiro walks away from him makes Keith doubt. His fear gets the better of him and he shouts, "Shiro! Wait!"

The next time Keith is the one to walk away. He understands now that he's never going to really know his history, not when he keeps putting the greater good first. He has to respond to the threats outside the cabin walls. He has to help because he can help. He goes through the door.

As he opens his eyes to find himself back in the dark hallway, sprawled on the floor, he hears running footsteps. Suddenly Shiro is there, leaning over him, helping him to stand, trying to hold and shield him as members of the Blade of Marmora pour in.

This is his Shiro. And he's ready to take on every single warrior on this rock to defend Keith, to defend his claim to the knife.

The knife is not worth Shiro's life.

"Wait! Just take the knife! It doesn't matter where I come from. I know who I am. We all need to work together to defeat Zarkon. If that means I give up this knife, fine. Take it."

And in a burst of lavender light, everything changes.

It takes so long.

By the time they fly the treacherous path back to the castle and introduce Kolivan to Allura, by the time Coran has all but shoved Keith into a cryo-pod for hours, by the time a plan has been worked out and tasks assigned, there's no opportunity left for Keith to try and talk to Shiro. He seizes a chance as they prepare for their separate missions, grabbing Shiro's hand and trying to put all his feelings into his expression as everyone says their goodbyes.

Maybe it works, a little. Shiro tugs on his arm and then they are embracing one another, taking a few brief moments to isolate themselves from the rest of the universe.

It's the first chance they've had to hold each other in days. Keith can count the opportunities on one hand since Shiro woke up in Keith's bed after his rescue from the Garrison. They make it last as long as they can.

Then they separate. Keith and Hunk manage to get the scaultrite from the weblum. Shiro and Lance and Pidge break the Blade's resident genius out of prison. They take down the Argus-like robeast a second time at the Balmera.

And then the five of them are together again, looking out at an Olkari sunset, knowing that tomorrow will be the biggest fight of their lives.

Shiro is listening as the others reminisce and speculate. His attention sharpens when Keith says, hesitantly, "I guess I could look for mine."

Shiro had thought Keith was done with that situation. The only thing going through the Trials of Marmora revealed is that Keith has Galra ancestry in some amount, probably on his absent mother's side. He wonders if Allura's continued cold-shoulder treatment is driving this, making Keith feel that he has to leave the minute Voltron is no longer needed. Find a new place to belong.

To hell with that.

As the five paladins begin to migrate toward the rooms set aside for them in the old palace, Shiro snags Keith's wrist and holds him back slightly. Once the others disappear into their quarters, Shiro draws Keith into his room. He shuts the door behind him and activates the privacy signal to prevent interruptions.

Keith raises an eyebrow at him. "What is it?"

Shiro's only excuse is it's been too damn long. He surges forward, plants a hand on either side of Keith's head, and pulls him in.

Keith stiffens in surprise, but only for a few seconds before kissing back enthusiastically. Shiro feels Keith's arms slide around him, hands moving up his back to pull him closer. Keith's lips part and Shiro wastes no time in engaging their tongues in an eager dance.

They break off, almost gasping for air, and Keith's fingers dig in, holding himself upright against Shiro. "What brought that on?"

"If we win…if you do decide to leave and find your family…I'm coming with you."

"I… Don't you want to go home?"

Shiro runs his thumbs down Keith's face, tracing the curves of his cheekbones. "At some point, yes. But there's no schedule to follow."

Keith's eyes start to shine in a telltale way. "I don't even know where to start. I mean, the Blade might give me more information if we succeed, but they might not have it. If I thought I could track my dad down, it might be faster to start on Earth after all."

"Put Pidge on the case. She'd probably find him in a couple of hours."

Keith smiles a little at that. "She probably would. Good suggestion."

"Now, can we pick up where we left off a moment ago?" Shiro leans in again. "I need to remind you that you are more than a brother to me."

Keith pulls back and stares at him for a moment. "How did you know that? That wasn't you. That's how I knew it wasn't you."

Pride rises in Shiro when he realizes what Keith is saying. His adorable, clever Keith, even after being pushed to the brink by the Blade's trials, had still fought back. Had thrown his own counter-test at the test.

He moves in for another kiss, but Keith retreats again, looking at him intently. "How did you know?"

Shiro moves one hand, brushing Keith's bangs back from his face. He wants to keep this from Keith; hide the fact that Keith's mind, his soul, was laid bare for an audience; preserve a few shreds of his privacy.

But they built their friendship and then their relationship on always being honest with one another. Shiro is not going to hide this from Keith now in retaliation for Keith not telling him when he first made the Galra connection.

"They made me watch."

Keith closes his eyes. At first Shiro thinks he's about to erupt but then that crinkle forms between his eyebrows. He's concentrating on something. And Shiro realizes that Keith is going through his memories, tallying everything that Shiro was witness to. He opens his eyes again, looking up at Shiro.

"So you saw...the fights."

Shiro nods. "Wish you'd thought of that escape trick five or six rounds sooner."

Keith smiles ruefully. "Me, too." The smile fades. "And you saw the…conversation…with the other Shiro."

Shiro shifts his hands a little, cradling Keith's face. "You know I would never say those things to you, right?"

Keith puts his hands on Shiro's wrists and squeezes. "I figured it out. And yes, my brain knows that. But that test…wasn't about my brain. It was about… feelings. Beliefs. Memories. The next thing I saw was my dad."

Shiro had been about to congratulate him on the insight, but Keith's last statement stops him cold. Keith has rarely spoken of his parents. All Shiro knows is that Keith has almost no memories of his mother and that his father disappeared when Keith was six, leaving him at the mercy of the child welfare system for too long.

"I…I didn't see that part. After…the encounter with…the other Shiro, you collapsed. It looked like you were in tremendous pain. I tried to go to you and they held me back. I couldn't get loose until Red started attacking."

Keith smiles a little at that, remembering waking up to his lion's rampage. "I had to decide. I had to decide whether to stay and wait for my mother to come and explain about the knife or to leave and fight the Galra that were invading Earth. I left. I think some part of me suspected that my dad wasn't real, especially after arguing with y—the other Shiro. But I couldn't risk the planet just to learn some potentially unimportant information."

Shiro frowns a little, not liking that last part. "Unimportant?"

Keith shrugs. "Does it really matter if I'm part alien? Other than practical things like knowing if there's stuff I should or shouldn't be eating or drinking, what does it change?" His expression changes from serious to flirty with a speed that takes Shiro's breath away. "I mean, if there were any other…issues, we would have discovered them ages ago, right?"

Shiro throws his head back with the force of his laughter and catches Keith in a tight embrace, lifting him until his feet are dangling. Keith's arms slide around Shiro's neck to hold on as he laughs as well, dropping his head on Shiro's shoulder.

Shiro nuzzles for Keith's skin around the collar of his jacket and his hair. He finds Keith's pulse with his lips and moves down, nipping gently. Keith twitches and kicks, signaling that he wants to be put down. "Don't you dare leave a mark!"

"We'll be in our armor first thing…" The objection dies on his lips and Shiro's mood sinks as he remembers what they plan to do tomorrow. He lowers Keith to the floor, supporting him until his legs are steady once more.

Shiro knows what he wants and knows he has to be the one to ask. Keith learned not to ask, growing up. He accepts things when they are offered to him, but he doesn't ask.

Shiro lowers his hands, sliding them down Keith's arms. He grasps his hands and Keith shifts to interlock their fingers.

"Stay tonight?"

Keith nods. "Of course."

It may be their last chance for a while and they need to make the most of it.

Thank you for reading!