Author's Note: Getting back into the fandom after deleting my old stories several years back. This pairing was my original OTP and it still holds a place in my heart.

Fic will be six chapters long and updated roughly once a week.

One: Keith

Being in the Brawlers was an incredible experience, one that Keith would scarcely trade for anything. And, the longer he spent with the Brawlers, the more he learned about them, and the more he realized how wrong his perceptions of them had been when he'd been Spectra.

Dan was far less obnoxious when you weren't battling him, for instance. He was infinitely kinder and sweeter, willing to do things for his friends and play gopher as needed. He also was full of terrible, terrible jokes and bad puns that left Keith alternating between gasping for air and groaning in false pain.

The other Brawlers he was still getting to know. Runo and Julie were quite nice, Marucho was a certifiable genius, and Ace and Baron were almost exactly as he'd expected them. Of course, Mira was always a treat to be around. She was still the sweet, determined sister he'd once known. But she'd also grown into something bigger and better. She was stronger than he was now. Stronger than anyone else. She'd been through so much, but hadn't cracked. It amazed him. It made him proud.

The one Brawler he still didn't understand was Shun. Shun, who'd battled the Vexos by himself long before he met up with the Resistance. Shun, who'd only revealed himself to Mira and the others when Dan was in trouble. Shun, whose entire vocabulary seemed to be made up of sarcastic remarks, witty one-liners, and weirdly philosophical advice.

Shun, who'd realized how Keith felt about Gus – about losing him – in a single look. And cut him to size with a single sentence.

There were few things in this universe Keith Clay couldn't figure out, and Shun Kazami was shaping up to be one of them.

Speaking of which, Keith thought as he walked through Marucho's house, he hadn't seen Shun tonight. Of course, with the enormous house being the size it was, and the fact that it was a little after three in the morning, that made perfect sense.

Still, Keith wondered if Shun was still awake – or if he ever slept. Apparently he was the first to wake and the last to sleep back on New Vestroia. Perhaps that held true here as well.

Keith let his steps carry him toward the kitchen for a late night snack. He was in the mood for something sweet and sugary. Maybe some cookies.

Keith pushed open the door to the kitchen and was immediately greeted with the smell of baking. The thick scent of sugar and cinnamon swirled in the air, with a touch of chocolate resting on his tongue.

He grinned, spotting the late-night baker across the kitchen island.

Shun didn't glance up as Keith walked into the room, and Keith just watched him for a second. Shun was absorbed in rolling out a pie crust. Next to him, cookies with chocolate chips cooled, and the oven betrayed more cookies baking.

"Hey Keith," said Shun, still not sparing him a glance.

Keith's eyebrows shot up. "How did you…"

"Shoes," said Shun. Keith wandered up to the kitchen island and leaned against it.

"Ah," said Keith. He peered over at Shun, still keeping his distance. "What are you making?"

"Snickerdoodles."

Keith glanced at the pie crust Shun was rolling out, then at the chocolatey cookies next to him. He frowned. "Those don't look like snickerdoodles."

"Oven," said Shun, jerking a thumb behind him. He nodded to the pie crust. "Pumpkin pie."

"You know, said Keith, raising an eyebrow. "Conversations work a lot better when you speak full sentences." He moved to stand next to Shun, still out of arm's reach.

Shun glanced sideways at him, then brushed his hands off on his apron. He grabbed the oven mitts and headed for the cookies in the oven. As he turned, Keith caught sight of the words on his apron. "Kiss the Cook at You Own Peril" it read. Keith snorted quietly at the words.

"People keep saying that," said Shun, drily. "And yet they continue to talk to me anyway."

Keith watched Shun take the snickerdoodles out of the oven and place the cookie sheets on a cutting board.

"You're not terribly social, are you?" asked Keith. He snagged one of the chocolate cookies next to him and popped it into his mouth. Immediately, the sweet taste of chocolate mixed with caramel flooded his taste buds. He fought the urge to groan. But, looking at Shun, Keith's expression was apparently betrayal enough.

Smirking slightly, Shun said, "No. What was your first guess?" He changed the temperature on the oven.

"Baking at three in the morning," said Keith.

Shun's eyebrows went up. "Really, it took you that long? And here I thought you were smart."

Keith shook his head. "I don't know why people think you're nothing but serious and stoical."

"Widespread misconception," said Shun. "I'm actually serious and sarcastic."

Keith grinned. "I noticed." Then, changing the subject, "So why are you making snickerdoodles at three a.m.?"

"Dan likes them." Shun shrugged. "Chocolate cookies are for everyone else. Pie is for Julie – her boyfriend's going to break up with her."

"He told you that?" asked Keith.

"No." Shun looked up. "I just know."

Keith suppressed the urge to shudder. He'd faced down genocidal maniacs, spoiled trigger-happy princes, and Shadow Prove's pranks. He could handle Shun's thousand-yard-stare. Or maybe not. But he wasn't about to tell Shun that.

"Can I ask you something?" asked Keith, both trying to change the subject and remembering an earlier thought.

"Sure," said Shun. He set to work on spreading the pie crust into the pie plate, taking the time to pinch the little edges into the crust.

"How are you and Dan even friends?" asked Keith.

"Hmm?"

Keith hopped up onto the kitchen island, letting his long legs dangle toward the ground. "You're completely different people. He's cocky, loud, and excitable. You're quiet, introspective, intelligent…"

"Dan's not an idiot," said Shun.

"Not saying he is," said Keith, easily. "But you're just so different. The Vexos were a team because we had to be, and trust me, we got along as well as cats and dogs. Though I'm sure you noticed."

"Not at all," said Shun, drily.

Keith rolled his eyes. "Right, my mistake. My point, Shun, is that you and Dan are as different as night and day, and yet as thick as thieves. How do you put up with him?"

Shun frowned at his pie crust, then up at Keith. There was a mask of confusion in his eyes, clouding the usual dry wit and introspection that made up his expression.

"There's… nothing to put up with," said Shun slowly. "Dan's my best friend, I wouldn't be friends with him if I didn't like him." He dusted his hands off on the apron again before combing one hand through his hair. Even so, flour dusted his hair when he lowered his hand.

"Why do people find it so hard to believe that I genuinely like the guy? He's funny; he's brave; he's selfless; he's always willing to do what's right, even if it could get him seriously hurt; he never has a bad thing to say about anyone. He always believes that people can redeem themselves, even when they've done nothing but hurt him. He was the first one to welcome you to this team, the first one to suggest we go looking for your dead boyfriend-" Shun's voice grew louder and more impassioned with every word until Keith had to scramble off the other side of the island to get some distance.

"Woah, woah, stop," said Keith, his eyes wide. "I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean any offense. I like Dan. But you two are just so different that it didn't make sense to me." He swallowed hard. "I'm sorry," he said again.

Shun stared at him with barely masked annoyance, but behind that, Keith could see the pain in his eyes.
"People believe what they want to believe," Shun said after a moment. "No use changing that. I know where we stand, at the end of the day, that's all that matters."

Keith saw Shun's eyes go soft as he spoke. Saw the lines around his mouth that had nothing to do with stress. And… "You really care about him."

Shun smiled, but not at Keith, he was smiling at something only he could see. "More than anything."

"Oh."

Shun's eyes narrowed, all softness abruptly gone. "There's no 'oh'."

"But," said Keith. "You love him."

Shun gritted his teeth. "And?"

"You're in love with him," said Keith slowly, a great deal of disbelief and wonder in his voice and on his face.

"And?" asked Shun again, his voice tight.

"Aren't you going to tell him?" asked Keith.

Shun scowled. "No, and neither are you."

"But-"

"Shouldn't you be getting your 'beauty rest'?" said Shun. The mocking in his tone filled the room with sudden heat.

Keith swallowed and nodded. "Yeah, sorry. I'll leave you alone."

As he left the room, he heard Shun one last time. Just a soft request that Keith couldn't bear to refuse.

"Please, don't tell anyone," said Shun. His voice impossibly small in the large room.

Keith rested a hand on the door jab. "I won't," he said. And then he headed back to bed.