[Open]

[spaceforged]

Who: Shiro and you.
Where: Shelter, medical area
When: Hours after rescuing the King.
Rating Pg
What: Shiro comes back battered and wounded from the rescue mission. Keith swears a lot.



He runs his hands over the bandages around his ribs with a wince. He’d gotten so used to being able to shake off bullets and arrows. He has been mostly indestructible. He should have known better. Shiro slips from the small area laid out to treat his injuries as gingerly as he can manage. Cracked ribs are no joke.

He hisses through his teeth as the pain radiates out from his chest and side. He regrets a lot of things. He had charged at a pack of guards confident he would perfectly fine. “Crack goes the Lion.” He mutters as he pulls his duffel bag closer with a foot and fights not to breathe in.

Every breath hurts. They have a surplus of healers this time. The distraction team will all get back on their feet in less time than they would have otherwise. But until then he can just deal with it.

Comments

[spaceforged]

"...yeah, we did." They got used to needing only a little time before they were back up on their feet. He reaches out to steady Keith with a hand on his uninjured side. "And yes, I could use another dose." He's about as he expected, slightly cranky and achy. Shiro covers his own injured side with his Galra hand and drops it back onto the bed.

"You know what this means. I'd like you to stay closer to the Arena. Or not fight at all. There's a lot of tasks to be completed back here." In the past, he'd have urged Keith to help in the infirmary. But he trusts him. "We needed a scout sticking closer to our encampment as it is."

[lonered]

"Yeah, I know. I'm not quite grounded, but I'll stick close." As much as possible anyway. Even Keith has to admit that he's at the limit of how useful he can be at the moment. Circumstances could change, and he could be launching himself back into the fray without a second thought if it comes to it. But for now, Shiro is right. "Last thing I need is to wind up a liability."

And without getting a chance to heal up, he's in danger of being just that if he pushes too hard. He takes a moment to swallow a couple of the pills before passing Shiro a dose as well. They've been in worse shape before, the both of them, more than once, but both of them being injured at the same time is far from ideal. To put it mildly.

"But first... I really need a nap." He's worn out, between the blood loss and the fighting, and the short painful flight back. Shiro is right. He really shouldn't fly when he's injured. The strain of it nearly took him straight out of the air. And now he knows.

[spaceforged]

He grins at him, relief in his grey eyes. All evidence pointed towards Keith not taking more reckless actions but, in the past, he'd have been stubborn about it. He slowly reaches around his back and grips him in a one-armed hug. "Make sure you let the healers work on you when you get up. We need trained scouts right now, Keith. Don't put yourself on the lower priority list."

He'll let them work on him too. Shiro lets him go and swallows his dose of pills. Any later and the old dose will wear off and the edge will come back. "You can crash here, the bed is big enough for both of us." And he can keep a sharp eye on him.

He knows they've been hurt worse before. But that was when they had healing pods and he has been alone for a while. Having Keith close is important to him.

[lonered]

It isn't lost on Keith, that look of relief, and it takes him a moment to figure out what it's for, to realize that Shiro was braced for him putting up a fight about this. And thinking about it, he's sure he might have not all that long ago.

He's still considering this as he leans into Shiro, carefully, because they're both in a state.

"I will. As long as they've got a free hand." He'll see about trying to get himself mended. But that goes for Shiro too. Honestly, that goes for Shiro first if he's being honest. Keith will feel better once Shiro is back on his feet anyway.

For now though, he offers a grateful smile, nodding and moving to settle very very gingerly on the bed. "Thanks. Kick me out if I bother your side, okay?"

[spaceforged]

"Keith. It will be fine." He shifts to make room for him and adjusts the pillow so they can both use part of it. "Take the side closest to the wall," Shiro instructs as he lays back down and pulls the small lamp on the table closer. "..and wake me immediately if I'm bothering your side."

They'll be warm enough to sleep without blankets. Still, he sits back up to snag them from where he'd shoved them down. Keith might want them. "Blankets or no? I don't mind. We'll be fine without." He wants them both to get sleep as soon as possible.

"And don't worry, I'll have them work on me in the morning too. I won't stay down for long."

[lonered]

"Got it," Keith moves to settle himself against the wall, back to it, facing Shiro. He blinks when his own words get turned right back around on him and heaves a sigh of sighs at that. "It'll be fine, Shiro." He parrots back, with a smile.

His wound aches, but less so as he settles, and honestly, settling in to sleep this close to Shiro is kind of nice, reassuring in a way that he didn't expect it to be.

"I'm good without the blankets," Keith agrees as he sets his head on the pillow. No guarantee he won't gravitate towards the other source of warmth in the bed, but it's a chance to be taken.

"Good. Get some rest, Shiro..." Keith manages to get the words out before he trails off into a yawn.

[spaceforged]

He lays back, leaving the blankets where they were. They won't need them. He rolls onto his side, back to Keith and head on the other side of the pillow. Hearing someone he trusts breathing nearby has become a source of comfort lately. Shiro blows out the lamp and the room is plunged into darkness.

"Sleep well, Keith." Knowing Keith is right here beside him is nice in a way he had never expected it to be. They can shield one another if trouble occurs and he knows exactly where he is. He shoves his thoughts aside and shuts his eyes, letting himself drift and finally, fall back asleep.

[lonered]

Keith is asleep almost immediately. It's one of his talents, honestly. He can drop to sleep in an instant. Staying is sometimes harder. But for now, he's out like a light, especially after the sort of day that he's had, and especially safe and sound and close. At some point as he sleeps, Keith gravitates closer, and then closer.

Shiro is warm and Keith is drawn straight to him, moth to a flame. By the time the older man wakes up, he'll find himself with company closer than before. Keith is tucked up against him, head settled between his shoulders, one arm draped over him.

Honestly it's the best Keith can remember sleeping in a very long time.

[spaceforged]

Sometime during the night, he'd leaned back into the warmth tucked up against him. He hasn't slept so soundly since his days in the Garrison. The hustle and bustle of the Shelter waking up and people moving through the halls doesn't rouse him. He'd have slept past his usual wake up time if he hadn't programmed an alarm into his watch.

The shrill sound cuts through the lull. Shiro opens his eyes and shuts it off. His eyes drift to the water and pills on the table. Had they...not put those away? He puts his hand on the bed and starts to rise only to stop.

Soft breathing, a warm body against his back...Shiro looks over his shoulder and his expression turns warm. He settles back down. He'll let Keith sleep.

[lonered]

Normally the sound of an alarm, or any sound really, would be enough to jerk Keith straight out of whatever sleep he may be in, no matter how deep. But. Maybe he's too warm or too content, or maybe the fact that he can feel the rise and fall of Shiro's chest as he breathes, he only buries his face more securely where he's got it tucked up against the other's back as if in denial of morning.

Except.

He does feel movement and slowly one violet eye cracks open to find himself pressed quite close up against a familiar, strong, broad back and oh. He definitely didn't start out this close last night.

Huh. He half wonders if he ought to move away, play it off, if he should be embarrassed that apparently he got clingy in his sleep. But there isn't a single cell in his body that wants to move at all that right now. So instead he shuts his eyes again and mumbles a sleepy, "'Morning, Shiro..."

[spaceforged]

“Morning...” He yawns and shifts just enough to snag the pills and water. They both need another dose. “Looks like we slept just fine.” He tosses a small smile over his shoulder at Keith. It’s not their usual closeness but he doesn’t mind it. Probably what kept them warm all night. “How’s your side?” His own is starting to twinge. The pain killers are wearing off.

It’s going to suck waiting for the new dose to kick in. He stretches a hair and resettles. He should get up and see what the healers can do. But Keith is really warm and his still sleep fogged mind is content to do nothing. Except maybe fall back asleep.

[lonered]

Keith peeks up just in time to catch that smile, and the embarrassment that he'd been determined not to feel creeps up on him. Damn it. But he still doesn't back off, stubborn as ever. Looks like we slept just fine. Shiro says. And the truth is, Keith is quite sure he's slept better than he probably should have, than he has in as far back as he can remember.

He hesitates at the question, before well, giving an answer that Shiro and his sense of humor ought to be proud of, "My side's great. So long as I don't move. Or breathe. Or stay still."

But fussing aside he adds. "It's not bad. I'm fine. What about you? How bad is the pain? You're breathing all right." The last part Keith knows because he's spent the night lulled to sleep by the sound of it. He's made no attempt to move either, to put any distance between them. Part of it is that he meant what he said. Moving hurts. But the majority is more due to how warm and comfortable he is. And the chance to actually keep Shiro in bed and resting is one that Keith doesn't think he can pass up.

[spaceforged]

Keith hasn’t moved away and finally his own embarrassment is creeping in. He shoves it down. “My side is fine. Twinges every time I even think about moving.” He takes a swig of water and downs his dose of painkillers. He offers the bottle of water over his shoulder. “I’ll see the healers later and see what they can do to put me back on my feet.” He isn’t a fan of medical areas or being prodded by doctors. But this is the fighting ring and he knows its halls as a base.

That always makes it easier. Like being warm and comfortable makes it very easy to lay around in bed when he normally would be up by now. Moving would hurt Keith so he has even less desire to get up. For now. He passes back the pills once Keith takes the water. Despite his injuries he feels pretty good. The sleep had done him wonders. “We should get breakfast in a little bit.” He hasn’t said it out loud but the invitation to go back to sleep is there.

[lonered]

"Yeah, I bet. But hopefully we can get you mended up today." A frown, but he seems at least mildly soothed by Shiro mentioning the healers. Good. That's a start. The sooner the other man is back on his feet, the better. By far. This time Keith reaches for the pills without argument and with a quiet murmured thanks, swallowing a dose and passing both water and the closed container back to Shiro to set aside once more before flopping his head back down on the pillow.

An eyebrow lifts at the phrasing of that. A little bit, huh? If Shiro's willing to take even a little more rest, isn't that a victory? It feels like a victory, and if it happens to come with lingering here, warm and comfortable, a short while longer, then Keith finds it increasingly hard to find any argument against it.

"In a little bit."

[spaceforged]

The bottles are returned to the table. "Get both of us mended today." He corrects him lightly. Keith always focuses on everyone else. It's better than it has been if he's willing to rest. He takes pride in that as his head returns to the pillow and he stretches back out.

It vaguely occurs to him the weight on his side is Keith's arm. He realizes he has no desire to move away. If he backed off now it would hurt his best friend and he's not willing to cause that pain. Besides...is it really so bad?

Shiro lifts his arm up close to his chest and programs in a second alarm. "We'll get up when the watch goes off again." He permits them an extra hour. "Sound good?"

[lonered]

"Right. Both of us," he agrees, as sheepish as he can really manage to be. Shiro's called him out fairly gently, but that's still what it is. Shiro knows him too well, a thought that is and always has been quite comforting, even if it means he can get away with a great deal less around his friend.

Though he's getting away with lingering as close as he is -- and Keith is still stubbornly refusing to be embarrassed about it. His arm is still slung over Shiro, but he's pretty sure moving it would just draw more attention to it. Is he willful enough that he can out-stubborn himself? Probably. However that works. It likely helps that it's far more comfortable than it has any right to be.

Thinking too much about it is just going to give him a headache. He'll think later.

"Yes sir," is the genuinely sleepy little response. Hit the snooze button, Shiro. He's on board with this plan.

[spaceforged]

"That's just Shiro to you." He says, in jest. Partly. He meant what he said about them being equals in rank. He yawns again. Going back to sleep is a good idea he can barely keep his eyes open. He'll wonder over how comfortable sleeping beside Keith is later.

His eyes slide shut and he moves his left arm to a more comfortable position trapping Keith's arm up against his side. Better.

"Just another hour." He says and lets his mind drift. They do need the sleep.

[lonered]

Keith cracks an eye open at that, not bothering to fight the smile that finds its way over his features. "Shiro," he mumbles sleepily in agreement before shutting his eyes again.

He's half asleep when he realizes that he likes this way too much, and that he wonders if he can come up with another excuse in the future. It's the last coherent thought he has before he drifts off again. Another hour. He'll take it.