Title: Burning with the Embers
Author: commodorecliche
Rating: Explicit
Word Count: ~6,000
Summary: The war rages and the distance between Shiro and Keith has grown with every passing day. Shiro has become distant and withdrawn - and Keith wants nothing more than to remind him that he doesnât have to face this all alone. The reality of their situation is a heavy burden to bear; in the privacy of Keithâs bedroom, they will reconnect. They will work to reconcile the distance that has grown between them and reignite the love they both still feel.
aka: the âShiroâs galra prosthetic heats upâ fic that Iâve been dying to writeÂ
Shiroâs been stressed lately. More so than usual.
Trauma does that to a person, Keith supposes. War does that to a person.
Shiro, of course, never breaks his outward illusion of calm: always the stoic soldier, determined to carry on, come hell or high water. And the others certainly donât seem to notice that anything is amiss â Shiroâs made sure of that â but Keith would have to be blind not to see the change.
There are bags under Shiroâs eyes most mornings â heâs sleeping less and less. His brow furrows more often now, a silent sign of a worried mind. His hands are balled into fists at his sides more often than not, his teeth clenched like steel traps just to keep himself calm, so desperate to hold on, desperate to stay grounded. Keith can tell itâs getting harder and harder for him with each passing day. He wants to reach out to him, to take those hands into his own, to sooth away the twitching tightness in them.
Keith wants nothing more than to close the distance between them again. Because even when Shiro is present, he feels so very far away.
They havenât been intimate since they left earth. Theyâve kissed only a handful of times, only when spurred by desperation or fear for their lives: always a frantic reminder that no matter what, theyâre still in this together. But they sleep in separate rooms, and spend little private time together anymore.
Keithâs used to sleeping alone â he supposes Shiro is used to it now as well after spending so long in captivity â but that doesnât mean he has to like it.