There was a time where he was distant with touch but eventually grew more comfortable. Holding your hand in public from time to time, he would keep a firm grip on your hand when in large crowds in fear of losing you.
When it came to revealing his relationship with his members he was a bit nervous because he didn't want you getting weirded out by his members. They could be loud but when he realised you actually enjoyed meeting his hyungs he was so relieved.
During sleep overs he would make sure you were asleep before pulling you closely. He would stay silent, the only thing he could hear (besides his own breathing) was your quiet snores. And he liked it that way, it was white noise for him and helped him sleep.
Later on he realised he couldn't sleep without you being with him
I feel like he's the type of guy to sleep on your stomach maybe.
It might not be completely accurate but I made this at three am because I was bored so
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Itâs one of those hard-ass days where Bruce is strict on his fitness regime. Being Batman isnât just about the ability to land a good punch, or solve cold cases with little to no leadsâitâs about keeping the body in good condition in order to achieve the epitome of vengeance wrapped inside the human body.
Dick practices this in other ways. As Robin, heâs created a legacy of swiftness, flexibility and the ability to be light on his feet. While Bruce lifts weights and runs cardio like Batmanâs life depends on it (because more often than not it does), Dick keeps himself in shape by going through the motions of aerial gymnastics. Itâs fun, keeps him focused, and helps him learn new ways to turn a knock-out kick into something flamboyant.
Bruce prefers to exercise in silence. It helps him think, to focus his mind and tune it perfectly with his body. He likes to be sharp and switched on at all times. Dick is the oppositeâperforming the acts he does lawfully requires music to set the mood. It was a long, drawn out argument that turned into a simple compromise that Bruce gets to choose what music they listen to.
And people look at Bruce Wayne and assume heâs a classical, jazz music type of guy. Theyâd be correct in their assumptions, of course. Bruce loves a good radio station that plays jazz music. But behind closed doors, when Bruce shakes off his Brucie Wayne persona? Heâs pure Batman mode, and the immediate assumption is that heâs all heavy-metal, pure head banging rock music. And that would also be correct.
Dick stands perfectly still on the tightrope, a blindfold covering his eyes. His ears twitch and his mouth moves along to the lyrics of AC/DCâs Thunderstruck. An absolute must have tune on the playlist that Bruce had begrudgingly curated for their workout sessions. If not for the fact that heâs working on his balanceâwhich seriously couldnât be anymore flawless than it already isâhe would have been nodding his head along to the masterful beat of the drums.
The bass vibrates through the walls and floor. Bruce lays on his back, the barbell lowering to his chest before rising again as he pushes the weights away from his body. Heâs on his fourth rep of bench-pressing four-hundred poundsâa much lighter workout than usual due to his recent wound on his ribs. Due to the fact that heâs listening to such a bass-heavy song, he canât help but press the weights in perfect timing to the beat.
The door to the gym creaks open, and in wobbles Charlotte. Socked feet, holding a damp-eared rabbit with fur coated in snot, dribble and a substance that can only be assumed as food. She pauses in the doorway, wide blue eyes taking in the large, monstrous workout equipment and the sight of her dad and older brother both focused in their training. Her little toes wiggle at the funny feeling of the music vibrating through the floor.
Immediately Charlotte beelines for her dad at the bench press, her tiny taps of feet unnoticed due to the booming music. Itâs different to the mellow nursery rhymes and classical music that Alfred plays for her on the radio. It makes her whole body feel fuzzy, like the song itself is seeping through her organs.
Charlotte reaches the bench press in record time and stands by Bruceâs legs, a gooey string of dribble dripping from the corner of her mouth. Her gums have been awful recently, with a molar pushing through and causing a ridiculous amount of misery and grief for everyone involved. Her plush rabbit, the one with a drool-soaked ear and snot crusted stomach (the dreaded toy that Dick cringes at holding, and the toy that Alfred must pry from Charlotteâs sleeping hands in order to wash) is clutched in her offhand, with her other reaching up and gently tapping the bulky, thick calf.
Bruce halts his press instantly at the feeling before hooking the bar onto the indents for safety. He cranes his neck down and suppresses a huff, spotting his red-cheeked toddler looking up at him from beneath her long dark lashes. Her curly hair, sprouting from her previously bald head, is frizzy and untamed, looking wild.
Bruce sits himself up and presses a button on his wrist watch. The music doesnât stop, but the volume lowers a considerable amount. And suddenly the noises of the gym are more amplified than they had ever been.
âCharlotte,â Bruce mutters, reaching out and placing his daughter onto his lap. He looks over to the door, half expecting to see Alfred lingering nearby, but heâs surprised when he doesnât see the butler anywhere. Itâs not like Alfred to leave the baby unattended, especially since itâs his rule that Charlotte has to be supervised at all times. âWhereâs Alfred?â
Charlotte blinks up at him and lifts her hand to his cheek, offering a gentle pat. Bruce is thankful she isnât being handsy and insisting on slapping him again.
âFee,â Charlotte repeats, her words drenched in dribble. âFee.â
âYes, Alfred,â Bruce confirms with a firm nod, as if this is a conversation with another grownup and not a fourteen month old child. âIs Alfred not watching after you, Charlotte?â
Charlotte blinks a few times, then puffs out her cheeks and blows a very wet raspberry in Bruceâs face. Bruce doesnât flinch as dribble splashes across his face, but he does wait until sheâs finished before wiping his hand down his forehead, cheeks, and chin.
Across the room, Dick has finally crossed the tightrope and is skilfully swinging down from the high bars. He pushed into a front flip and lands clean on the mats, not looking winded at all. He runs his fingers through his hair, pushing the dark locks from his forehead as he crosses the room to approach Bruce and Charlotte.
Charlotte swings her gaze around to look at him, her entire face brightening at the sight of one of her absolute favourite people in existence. Her legs start to bend and straighten in a repetitive bouncing motion, with her little heels digging into Bruceâs thick thighs. Bruce steadies his hold on her chunky body, ensuring she doesnât fall off with how unsteady she is.
âKee!â She squeals before blowing another raspberry, this time aimed at Dick. Luckily heâs standing a safe distance away to avoid the splash zone.
Dick casts his gaze briefly around the room and frowns. âWhereâs Alfred?â
Bruce grunts. âThatâs what I want to know. She wandered in here by herself.â He stands from the bench and adjusts Charlotte against his chest with one arm. Charlotte instantly snuggles into his neck, her hand reaching up and providing an approving pat to his cheek.
Dick follows as they exit the gym, curious and worried for the state theyâll find the loyal butler in.
It doesnât take more than a few minutes for them to arrive in the kitchen, where Alfred can usually be found at this time. But what theyâre met with is an empty kitchen, impeccably clean and void of life. Bruce crosses the threshold in a couple of long strides and pokes his head into the pantry door, only for his frown to deepen when he finds that empty too.
Then rapid footsteps approach from somewhere down the hall. Dick and Bruce turn in sync as Alfred enters the room, looking unflappable, but undeniably stressed about something. The older man pauses in the doorway and instantly straightens, breathing a sigh of relief at the sight of Charlotte perched happily in her fatherâs arms. A string of dribble drops from her chin, threatening to plop onto Bruceâs compression shirt.
âAh, there you are, young Miss,â Alfred begins with a sigh.
Bruce quirks a brow upwards. âI thought it was your rule for Charlotte to not be left unsupervised?â He asks, though thereâs nothing scolding about his tone.
Alfred tilts his head into a nod. âIndeed it is sir, and it seems that rule must extend to during Miss Charlotteâs nap times. I had assumed the rails of her cot were high enough to prevent unnecessary stunts, but itâs now evident to me that she has inherited more than just your looks, sir.â
Dicks brows fly upwards in surprise. Then his mouth twitches, and suddenly he leans forward, hands bracing on his knees as he barks out a humoured laugh. Bruce watches in amusement, and he adjusts Charlotte in his arms so he can look down at her with a faux stern expression.
âAre you telling me my daughter climbed out her cot?â Bruce asks, glancing between the fourteen month old and his friend.
Alfred nods his head. âYes, sir. She is far more agile than I had originally anticipated.â
Dick continues to wheeze his amusement from his lungs. âOh, sheâs an escape artist in training,â he shakily breathes out. Tears pool in the corners of his eyes, his entire stare glassy from how hilarious heâs finding the situation.
Charlotte, whether she understands that the conversation is about her or not, beams rather proudly up at Bruce. She leans her cheek against his, and Bruce chooses to ignore the fact that her skin against his is questionably sticky.
âBa-ba,â she coos.
Bruce canât help but chuckle. He rests a large hand against her small back. âI never thought weâd have to baby proof her own bedroom,â he murmurs thoughtfully, âor set up cameras, apparently.â
Alfred sighs. He sounds defeated for an old man. âI shall contact Mr Fox to arrange for surveillance instalments in Miss Charlottes bedroom.â
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
I get most of my inspiration for my stories when I drive. I am one of those drivers who sings as loudly as I can - even though I cannot carry a tune - ha! Sometimes a song comes on the radio or my playlist when inspiration suddenly strikes and I can envision a whole story around it. This was one of those songs, I could picture each line of the song.
It was also supposed to be a short 1,000 word drabble that ballooned into a full story with over 10,000 words.
Hiii if youâre taking requests can you do something like Harry and y/n playing hide and seek with their cousins or friends and someone hits him in the groin somehow and y/n takes care of him like a baby đ„șđ„șđ„șđ„ș
Hiiiii! Thanks for the request :) - i felt kind of weird writing about her babying him about his groin so i made them like friends but also implied that they sometimes/have casually hooked up in the past. So she treats him well, but maybe not as baby as you may have wanted (Sorry if itâs not exactly what you wanted :)
--
It was really nice out today. Your whole family had met up at your parentâs house for the birthday of your niece.
You were much younger than your other siblings, both married with toddlers, making you the âCool Auntâ. A duty of the Cool Aunt was to bring around some random cool person on your arm to family occasions such as this. It was always a different guy or gal, you never specified your relationship, always citing, âoh theyâre a friend.â Youâd sneak off with them in the middle of the event to snog but get back before anyone ever got suspicious.
On this occasion you had completely slipped up, failing to line up a date beforehand. Luckily you had a backup plan, you called your friend Harry to accompany you, last minute. He had come with you before and he had told you he loved these quaint family gatherings. He was more than happy to attend.
When you arrived, your mother eyed Harry up and down, noting his great amount of tattoos and mop of curls on his head. âIâve met you before?â she says, carefully. âYes, Harry, Iâm a -â âFriend,â your mother finished, meeting your gaze knowingly. She walked off and Harry chuckled, âDo you seriously do this every time?â
You grabbed two glasses and began to pour some white wine into them. âOf course! Itâs my job to be the cool aunt with the mysterious date.â You both laughed and clinked glasses.
The two of you then journeyed into the backyard where the rest of your family lounged and chatted away. One of your brotherâs older children, she was around six, ran up and jumped on you. Harry quickly grabbed the wine glass from your hand, keeping it from spilling, as you worked to bring the little girl from your legs into your arms.
âHi, Little Gremlin!â You greeted one of your nieces. She squealed in response to your nickname, âHi Auntie Y/N!â Then she leaned up into your ear and whispered, âWho is he?â while very unsubtly pointing in Harryâs direction. Harry took a sip of his wine and smiled at the sight of your niece motioning to him.
You let her down, and took her tiny arm to reach out to Harry, âWhy donât you ask him yourself?â Harry handed back your glass and then crouched down to your nieceâs eye level, extending his much larger hand.
âEllo, âM âarry,â he said and you could tell he was putting on a thicker accent just for your niece. The little girlâs face lit up at his voice and her tiny hand shook his hand vigorously. Her eyes widened, having an idea, âWant to come play tag with us!â motioning to the rest of your siblingâs children running around on the lawn.
Harry looked up at you with a faint smirk, his eyes filled with amusement. You raised your brows and shrugged your shoulders in response. âI donât see why not,â Harry said, returning his attention to the mini human in front of him. âBut could Aunt Y/N join us, maybe?â He wiggled his brows at the girl and smiled.
She began to giggle and squeal, even more, running off ahead of you and Harry. âThat was a yes,â you translated while Harry stood back up and brushed off his pants. âHavenât played tag in a million years,â was Harryâs only response. You clinked your glass against his and nodded, then you both finished off the remnants of your wine, before joining the children on the grass.
The game started tame, your nieces and nephews all no older than seven, the super young ones sitting with their parents. Harry would always let them catch him and become âitâ and then heâd take his time, slowly running after the kids. His smile never left his face, enjoying being silly with all of them. You enjoyed watching more than playing, but sometimes one of your nephews would remember you were playing and tag you out of spite for not running. You never cared and simply tagged Harry.
But then all of a sudden, you heard louder screams and laughs than normal. Your mind had wandered for a moment and when your eyes snapped back into focus on the scene in front of you, you couldnât help but laugh. The children had ganged up on Harry and toppled him to the ground. They had surrounded him and were hitting him. Harry was strong enough to get up if he wanted to, so he had obviously allowed it to happen. The smile still on his face even if he pretended to plead for mercy. Until there was a loud âOofâ and your eyes widened. You rushed over to the dogpile on Harry, where one of your nephews had just pounced on Harry in the worst place for a guy to be hit. Harry was no longer smiling and his lips were now a tight line as he tried to hold back any more audible notifications of his pain.
âAlright, alright, I think Mr. Harry has had enough of this! You munchkins are evil!â You quickly pushed them all off of Harry and got him standing. His eyes bugged out of his head as he looked at you and he bit his lip. You ushered him inside, practically running him to your old room in the back of the house. You sat him down and ran to the kitchen for an ice pack.
âJesus,â he sighed when he heard you reenter the room. His eyes were hidden behind the inside of his elbow as he laid back on the bed, trying to breathe through his pain. You placed the ice pack in his hand and he blindly placed it where he hurt. âShove over,â you said so that you could perch on the side of your childhood bed - your parents had converted it to a guest bedroom, but it still felt like your room. Then you took his arm off from his face and ran a hand over his face looking for any more injuries. âYour siblings created little monsters,â Harry peered over at you, face still tilted back. You hit his stomach softly and he whined, your hit too close to his pain. âI didnât know they could get so violent,â you said shifting to lay beside Harry, stroking a flyaway from his hair and smoothing his rumpled button-down. âI think they were excited by you,â you started as you continued to fiddle with a button on his shirt, âNo one that I bring, besides you, ever wants to play with them. They like adults who actually enjoy spending time with them.â You finished with a smile and patted Harry on his sternum, directly above his butterfly tattoo. He nodded his head before lifting it to look at you, then, smiling, he said, âI can honestly say this has never happened to me after a game of tag, before.â
âNow you have a new story to tell, the time I got hit in the groin playing tag with a bunch of childrenâŠâ âAnd then ended up in their auntâs childhood bed with an icepack on my manhood.â He wiggled his brows and made a face at you. You rolled your eyes, âYouâre gross.â
âCan you kiss my ouchie and make it better, Doc?â Harry responds with a pout.
You sit up with a gasp, âOk, now youâre sick,â but you couldnât contain your laughter. Harry always made you laugh.
âCâmon just one kiss?â
He reached his free hand behind your neck and pulled your lips almost against his. âI suppose that can be arrangedâŠâ
Summary: basically u guys get drunk, and youâre exes, but you guys have a rly healthy good relationship even tho youâre exes, but anyways youâre like really drunk and Pennâs being the caring familiar teddy bear he is like âletâs get u homeâ and then you go âiâm already homeâ
y/n got the job. She got her dream job as a lawyer in New York. She did what sheâd wanted to do since she was 12, she went to law school, she passed law school, she passed the bar, and she was starting at a firm in New York City just next week, all with her ex turned best friend by her side.
Sure y/n was still in love with him, but he didnât need to know that. The two of them had become a package deal over the past two years after theyâd broken up. In fact, she broke up with him. y/n moved to New York. y/n wanted to pursue y/nâs dreams. She couldnât let anything hold you back.
Little did she know heâd follow you all the way there, not in a creepy way, in a sort of lost puppy way.
Her phone rang, Pennâs name lit the screen. She answered it.
âI got the job! I got the job!â y/n squealed, she wanted to jump up and down, but she was in heels and that would result in at least a twisted ankle.
ây/n thatâs amazing! We need to celebrate! Come to mine at 7, I have a surprise or two in store,â Penn said, she could hear his smile.
âSounds great, Iâll stop by mine on the way, tell me if you need me to pick anything up,â y/n offered, with that, she turned the key in the lock to the door of her loft.
âOkay, see you then,â with that Penn ended the call and she placed her things down on the island. y/n took a deep breath as she tied her hair up out of her face, y/nâd straightened it for the big day, but sheâs never been used to having hair in her face.
It was too quiet for her, âHey Google, play music,â It played Sofia by Clairo as you went upstairs to the tornado sheâd left from the morning before.
There were clothes everywhere, on the rack, on the floor, the bed and her desk. Her make up splayed around the mirror on the floor, the straightener still plugged in in the bathroom and hanging off the counter, she groaned at the mess, knowing sheâd have to clean it up soon.
Y/n stripped down to her bra and underwear and looked through her wardrobe. After pouring over almost every article of clothing she owned she decided on a dark mauve romper with roses embroidered on the front and some blush toned sandals. y/n pretty much covered her face in highlighter and blush and completed it all with some gloss.
She ran down the stairs to the kitchen to get a drink of water, put her phone in her pocket, the biggest reason she bought this romper and locked the door behind her. Pennâs place was only a 10-minute subway ride away and before she knew it she was turning her spare key in the lock to Pennâs door.
âPenn! Iâm here!â
No answer, âPenn?â she questioned, slowly walking out of the entryway and into the living room where she found Penn having a mental breakdown while trying to make a fort. She began to have a laughing fit.
âYou werenât supposed to be here til 7! It was supposed to be a surprise!â Penn faltered, his eyebrows furrowed.
âWell, I got bored, and it doesnât take me long to get ready, you know me. Youâre making a fort?â
âYes, yes I am.â
âOh, Penn,â
y/n grabbed a corner of the sheet he was holding and secured it to the chair heâd be struggling to do when sheâd come inside. âYou look like you need help,â she chuckled. âOnly a little,â he pouted.
About an hour later theyâd successfully pitched the fort in his living room. Penn was so determined to make tonight special that heâd gone and gotten string lights and champagne and even made y/nâs favorite, eggplant parmesan (y/n was vegetarian). âYou know you really outdid yourself this time,â
âI know, but you deserve it, especially after everything,â
The âeverythingâ Penn had been referring to was moving to New York, moving on from him just to get her heart broken yet again, and losing her sister, all within the span of a year. Sheâd been through a lot, but she was resilient. Y/n was laying on the floor cushions that Penn had laid out earlier to act as something to sit on in the fort and staring at the string lights heâd arranged to look like stars. A smile drew across her face, as Penn crawled into the fort with the bottle of champagne and two wine glasses.
âSo I didnât really have any glasses, of any kind, so hopefully these will do,â Penn placed two large water bottles on the coffee table that also held two plates of eggplant parmesan.
âPump me full of alcohol and feed me my favorite meal that may or may not be laced with something? How Joe-like of you!â y/n teased him about his latest role, thatâd blown up over the internet and now pretty much everyone had some level of thirst for the man that was currently pouring the entire contents of a bottle of champagne into two water bottles.
Penn smirked at her comment. He hated his character, but at the same time, he was⊠unique enough for him to want to play. They spent the night talking about the future. By the time y/n had finished a fourth of her bottle she had become intoxicated, she was a bit of a lightweight. âOk you should probably stop soon, you do need to get home eventually, and Iâd feel much better if you werenât stumbling around on the subway,â Penn divulged.
âBut Iâm already home,â
Sheâs just drunk Penn thought to himself, âYou can have the bed, Iâll sleep on the couch,â
âWhatâre you talking about, I love you,â
Sheâs drunk Penn, she doesnât know what sheâs saying, he tried to convince himself, until she went in for a kiss, and it was as if they had never broken up all that time ago. That everything was back to normal. He pulled away, ây/n, youâre drunk. You donât know what youâre doing,â
âBut I do. I love you. I love you, Penn. Iâve loved you this entire time, but I was too stubborn to say anything. I love you,â
With that, he cupped her face in his hands the way he used to, and pulled her closer, âYouâre mine you hear.â
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An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Mai/Zuko (Avatar)
Characters: Mai (Avatar), Zuko (Avatar)
Additional Tags: Fall Maiko Week 2020, Day Three - prompt AU, artist!AU, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Mai likes drawing, Zuko like sitting in the corner of his uncle's massive Pai Sho game tournaments, somehow she figures drawing him is a good idea, This is all very cute, and soft, Fluff, little bit of handholding, a lot of zuko appreciation, Mai (Avatar)-Centric
Summary:
[Aunt Muraâs taken to dragging Mai along to her weekly Pai Sho games.
Three weeks in, and thatâs when she sees him.]
.
.
.
Or: Mai likes drawing. Then she meets Zuko.
SOME OF THE BEXIE MOMENTS IN THE LATEST ANDI MACK EPISODE WERE SO CUTE THAT IÂ DIED... I MEAN, DID YâALL SEE ALL THOSE SOFT LOOKS THOSE TWO GAVE EACH OTHER? I -
THIS IS PURE, UNADULTERATED FLUFF that I wrote because I TOO HAD A SNOW DAY and thus had some extra free time to write!  ALSO I got inspired because on the way to work, I saw one of the firemen building a snowman outside of the fire station, so.  This happened. It is a sequel/second chapter to COLD SNAP! Anyway, enjoy!
Snow Day
It was supposed to be spring.
And yet.
And yet, it was snowing. Not even a full day into the official start of spring, and it was snowing. Keith supposed he couldnât be too upset, though, since the last snow day had resulted in a bare-chested Shiro in his apartment (and he still couldnât get over how unfairly attractive Shiro was) and a subsequent coffee date (which had resulted in more dates). Just, everything up until that point had been catastrophically awful.
But it hadnât been the snowâs fault, and today hadnât started with a series of unfortunate events. He had a mostly-full cannister of coffee in his kitchen, and next to it a brand new bag of Shiroâs favorite flavored coffee, just in case. So heâd been able to follow his routineâcoffee, quick workout, showerâat his usual time, only to see heâd missed a call from Kolivan telling him they were closing shop because of the weather. Which, despite the missed opportunity for a lie-in, was hardly bad news.
It would be nice, to have an extra day off, to spend it wrapped in his blanket on the couch, with Red purring beside him, or if she was feeling affectionate, in his lap. The day was full of opportunityâbinge-watching TV, gaming, reading, eatingâthere was literally nothing to complain about.
Except, there was.
There was no one to snuggle up to. Keith had, until recently, been comfortable with that fact. Heâd never really felt the need to seek out a relationship, and the thing with Shiro had beenâŠan accident, really, in all sense of the word. Keith had expected maybe a quick hook-up, some mutual satisfaction before they parted ways, but then, he hadnât counted on Shiro. Shiro, who was as silly and sweet as he was sexy. Shiro, who slipped under Keithâs defenses without Keith realizing it, until sitting on the couch alone felt strange, when he was beginning to get used to having Shiro warm next to him.
Unfortunately, Shiro was at work.
Fortunately, Shiroâs work was the fire station only a few blocks down, and the thought spurred Keith up, an idea already forming in his mind as he made a beeline to his kitchen.
Behind the coffees was Keithâs stash of hot chocolate suppliesâreal hot chocolateâand a half-used bag of marshmallows held closed with a chip clip. Because maybe Shiro had access to a full range of hot beverages at the station, but he didnât have Keithâs hot chocolate, which was a necessity for a day like this. Snow, hot chocolateâthey went hand-in hand. Especially when it was supposed to be spring.
Keith bent over the stove with the hot chocolate, his face heating up as he imagined Shiroâs reaction when he brought it over, topped off with a thick layer of marshmallows just the way he liked it. It was a little terrifying, how quickly Shiro had become a fixture in his life, how much Keith wanted to see his smileâbut Shiro was just as earnest to do the same. It was a consolation. No, not a consolation, because that would imply heâd lost something. It was more likeâŠa revelation. Something like that.
In any case, Keith wasnât used to feeling quite so giddy over anything, not without a modicum of apprehension. And Shiro was so good at easing Keithâs apprehension, without even trying, soâŠthat was that. Keith figured he at least deserved a surprise visit with hot chocolate for it.
Keithâs only travel mug probably shouldâve been embarrassing. But Kolivan had been straight-faced when heâd given Keith the Hello Kitty mug, and really, it was cute, and reminded him a little bit of Red. And it was practical, so he had no second thoughts about pouring Shiroâs hot chocolate into it before topping it off with marshmallows, before bundling up and heading out, holding the mug protectively against his chest.
Despite the late snow, it wasnât terribly cold out when Keith closed his door behind him. It was, however, snowy enough that he had to pick his way across un-shoveled walks, and by the time he was within sight of Shiroâs station, he was already covered in a fine layer of white, wet and cold where it found bare skin. But the mug was mostly unaccosted, and that was the important part.
Keith realized, abruptly, that there was a flaw to his plan. Although he knew Shiro worked at the station, he hadnât visited him there before, and didnât know the protocol for said visits. Or even if he would be allowed in, or where to find Shiro. Just as he was starting to worry over that fact, he caught sight of movement in from of the building, a dark shape, low to the ground, moving against the backdrop of white. And, a moment later, the familiar timbre of Shiroâs voice, and Keith paused, taking in the scene before him.
Shiro was bent low, packing snow into a sizable ball, presumably the base of a snowman. Much like Keithâs first meeting with Shiro, he wasnât dressed for the weather, the light ATFD jacket hardly more protection than a sweatshirt, and Keith couldnât help the smile that was tugging at his lips at that alone. Andâit was so like Shiro to be building a snowman in front of the fire station, and Keith just stood and took the sight in, for a long moment. Shiro was so wrapped up in his project, calling back to the tall woman hovering closer to the door who had an even larger snowball, that he didnât notice Keith.
The woman did, though, and called out to him. âDid you want to help? We still need to form the head.â
âI said Iâd do that,â Shiro protested, tone petulant, but then his gaze swung to Keith, and his face lit up with a wide grin. âKeith!â He straightened, and before Keith could do anything stupid, he thrust the travel mug in Shiroâs direction.
âI brought you something.â Keith felt his face heating up, which was a feat considering the chill in the air, but at least he could pretend his flush was due to the weather. He managed to meet Shiro halfway, and elaborated, âItâs hot chocolate.â
Shiro beamed and leaned down to kiss him on the cheek, one arm wrapping around Keith in a hug as he accepted the mug. âThank you.â His voice was warm, enough to chase off some of the cold seeping into Keithâs skin, and Keith muttered a Youâre welcome into his scarf. He started when Shiro pulled out of the hug, just enough to bring his hand up to tilt Keithâs chin for a proper kiss, stealing his breath.
It was brief, and when they parted, Keith complained, âYour hand is cold.â
Shiro chuckled, lifting his shoulders in a shrug. âWell, if my hands were warm, Snowtron would melt!â
Keith sputtered. âSnowtron?â
âYes!â Shiro gestured at the half-finished snowman, eyes bright. âSnowtron the snowman.â
The woman who had been in the background stepped forward now, something like a smirk on her face. âYes, and Shiro insists he be the one to make the head.â
âItâs an important duty,â Shiro said, mock-serious. âBut if it was Keith, I wouldnât mind as much. By the way, Keith, this is Allura. Allura, Keith.â
Allura raised one perfectly-shaped eyebrow. âI never wouldâve guessed,â she deadpanned, she and Shiro exchanged a look. Her face softened after a moment, and she turned a smile onto Keith. âItâs lovely to meet you, Keith. Shiro has spoken very highly of you.â She glanced at the Hello Kitty mug in Shiroâs hand. âWhat an interesting choice of design.â
Keith shrugged. âIt reminds me of my cat.â
Shiroâs smiles were going to be the death of him, Keith decided an instant later. âRed is pretty cute.â Or the winks, because it was devastating, being on the receiving end of that, and just like the first time, Keith didnât think Shiro meant his cat.
âSo are you,â Keith blurted, and then immediately burrowed deeper into his scarf to hide his mortification. And then straightened, thinking better of it, because it was true. Who the fuck builds a snowman and named it Snowtron? Freakishly cute firemen who acted like earnest schoolboys, apparently.
Alluraâs gaze darted between them. âYou know,â she said slowly, âI think Iâm going back inside to warm up some.â She rolled the large snowball over and stopped it next to Shiroâs smaller one. âWhy donât you guys finish this up without me?â
Shiro waved absently to her retreating form. He was still smiling at Keith, and Keith wondered what heâd ever done to earn such an adoring look from Shiro. Maybe the hot chocolate helped, but Shiro had barely taken a sip of it.
âCome on, Keith,â he said at last. âWhy donât you do the honors and make Snowtronâs head?â He set the mug one a clear patch of sidewalk long enough assemble the two parts of the snowman already set out, and Keith admired his strength as he lifted up the middle section. He figured, the sooner they finished Snowtron, the sooner he could have Shiroâs undivided attention, so he did so without complaint.
And, in truth, it was a little fun, a little silly, enough to have him laughing with Shiro. Enough to make him forget about the cold making his fingers stiff and clumsyâand that made it all the better, a few minutes later, when Shiro shared the hot chocolate with him to warm up (despite Keithâs protests).
Shiro dragged him inside, saying, âWhy donât I give you a tour? Iâll introduce you to everyone,â and Keith didnât have any reason to protest. Didnât even want to, but Shiro still added, âItâll give you a chance to warm up before you go back out.â
âYeah, Iâd like that.â It felt significant, somehow, too, and Keith couldnât help the way his heart swelled in his chest, thumping wildly.