#kylebow

i'm stuck in rare pair hell.

[ID: A digital drawing of Kyle and Bow holding hands. Kyle, on the left side, is looking over and up at Bow with a smile, face shown in profile. He is wearing a shirt with a sash around the waist. He has short hair that doesn't fall into his forehead. Bow, who is taller than Kyle, is smiling crookedly and with closed eyes. His hair is shaved at the sides and tied into a small bun. He is wearing a sleeveless crop top and pants with a broad belt. Both characters are cut off above the knees. The outlines are dark pink, the background is light blue, Bow and Kyle are cloured in with a darker blue. /end ID]

Here’s a cute scene inspired by this amazing art. Kyle has joined the Rebellion and Glimmer and Bow are giving him clothes to try on.

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“Well, Bow, what do you think?”

Bow turned, and his breath hitched. There stood Kyle in the borrowed dress. Deep maroon, matching his cheeks. The sleeves ran down his tender arms, leading to his folded hands. The fabric flowed out around him and barely reached the floor. Bow was awestruck by how...demure the ash-blond was.

“You look-” Bow coughed as he failed to prevent his voice from cracking. “You look great. Really good.” He finished by averting his eyes.

“Thanks.” Kyle blushed.

Glimmer grinned as she took note of the tension between the two boys.

“Come on, Kyle! Give us a twirl!” she shouted.

“A what?”

“It’s tradition to twirl around when trying on a dress, so go on! Twirl!”

“O-Okay.”

Kyle looked at his feet and started making uncertain movements. He positioned his feet awkwardly and tried to spin, but his foot got caught and he stumbled. He braced for impact, but was shocked when it never came. Instead, Kyle opened his eyes and found himself in Bow’s arms. He had broken his fall.

“Here,” Bow said. “Let me help.”

My Take on Their Canon Relationship:

Part of me: Bow was just trying to get Kyle to talk to him. He was being nice so Kyle would be susceptible to Bow’s pleas as to where Glimmer is, if she’s okay, and possibly helping him. We KNOW this because the moment Kyle gives Bow the information Bow was after, Bow starts treating him like a nuisance.

The other part of me: Bow is a genuinely kind, caring, and friendly guy. He’s consumed with worry for Glimmer, which causes everything else to become a secondary priority, but in these brief moments before his concern for Glimmer overwhelms him, we see his heart and his compassion, reaching out to some scared, injured kid his own age, yet their lives are so, so different. Bow knows Adora, knows how bad the Horde is, not just for the people they’re attacking, but for the people they’ve raised and used, too. Bow knows Kyle is very likely just doing this because that’s the only thing he’s ever been taught to do, the only thing he’s ever been told that he can be. And yet, Bow’s voice does not hold pity, just a special sort of openness that Bow, with his heart too big for his chest, embodies. They met only briefly, and in all other situations they have fought, but Bow has never hurt Kyle too badly, largely just removing him from the battle in some capacity, and Kyle holds no hard feelings for him, understanding that they are simply on opposite sides of a war started and controlled by people other than themselves.

Do I Ship Them:

Yes and no

Reasons Why I Do/Don’t Ship Them:

Kyle ABSOLUTELY needs someone who isn’t going to push him around just because they can, and Bow isn’t the kind of person who would ever take advantage of someone he knows won’t/can’t fight back. Kyle obviously thinks Bow is super cool, even goes all star-eyed  hero-worship for a bit there, and while he loves his Horde family deeply, they don’t really give him what he needs emotionally, and they’ve all taken part in shoving him around just to feel a little bit bigger in a hellish society that makes them feel so, so small. Bow loved showing Adora the festival and introducing her to new experiences, and Kyle would likely be no different (though a little more skittish (okay a lot more skittish)). They’ve got that special kind of poetry I like, two hurting boys finding each other when they are someplace dark and cold and lonely, and finding comfort in each other’s presence, however tiny that comfort might be.

But, I also dunno how sustainable this kind of relationship would be. Bow’s secure, he’s got friends who love him, a family to go home to, a mission, a goal, and a confident sense of self. Kyle has... maybe one of those. Bow may have met Kyle when he was scared and alone and hurting, but Bow will not stay that way for long. He’s got a life to return to, that he did return to, and Kyle... well, this is Kyle’s baseline. He doesn’t really have a lot to bring to the table, aside from open willingness. But he lacks competence, and Bow would sort of be wedged into a caretaker role if they were to get together. Not that I think Bow would necessarily mind, since I’m sure Kyle would in fact be very appreciative, but that’s a hard way to START a relationship, yknow? Rogelio consistently watches out for Kyle, patching him up and carrying him away from flaming boats, but there’s also an element of long history between them, that they’re friends, and one friend just needs looking out for more than the other. And Bow, as we know, is deeply, intensely in love with Glimmer, and it colors his interactions with Kyle.

So it’s hard to say! I like the ship, but I dunno if I actively ship it, as a verb. They’re cute, and there’s an ache that burns so sweet when I think of what’s between them, but I also can’t visualize that lasting or going anywhere. I want them to be friends, but I dunno if I want them to be lovers.

Headcanon (If Any):

Out of anyone, Bow is the most vocally appreciative of Kyle’s art, and Kyle, therefore, always wants to show off everything he draws/makes to Bow whenever they hang out.

How Much Do I Ship (%):