#sheith

When Keith got the request, he didn't see himself agreeing.

But Shiro looked at him with a bright smile & said, "It'll be fun!" and, well. Keith always had a hard time saying no to him.

Which is how Keith finds himself back at his old school, helping with recruitment.

Keith's dressed in his Blades' uniform, Shiro's old jacket draped over his shoulders, and he's watching Shiro explain the controls to a very familiar simulator, answering all questions with a patient smile.

All the kids seem eager to try it out.

All except for one.

There's a kid hanging out on the outskirts of the group, arms crossed while he stares at the ground. No one else pays him any mind. Not even the teacher, who's watching the bigger group instead.

Keith starts making his way over.

"Hey," he says once he's near, leaning against the wall beside the kid. Keith waits until the kid looks up at him, offering the tiniest smile. "What's your name?"

The kid stares at him with wide eyes, and then he looks away. "M-Mako," he says, finally.

"Mako," Keith repeats. He knows the kid's not going to look at him again—he seems painfully shy. "You're not gonna give the simulator a try?"

"Maybe," Mako says quietly. "I don't know if I'll be good enough."

Keith.... understands. "You'll never know until you try," he says.

"They'll laugh at me if I get it wrong," Mako says glumly.

"If they laugh at you, then I'll get them in trouble," Keith promises. He probably shouldn't say that but, well. Mako seems like a good kid.

"I still have to wait my turn," Mako points out.

"I happen to know the guy running this," Keith replies, glancing over at Shiro—he's already looking at Keith, & he waves. "He'll make sure you get a chance on that thing."

Mako finally looks at him again, all wide-eyed and hopeful. "Really?" he asks, like he can't believe it.

"Really," Keith says, pushing himself off the wall. "Let's go get you a turn."

Shiro seems pleased to see them, introducing Keith to the rest of the group (again) while Mako hides behind him. Keith ushers the kid to the simulator, explaining how it works, & stands back to watch.

"Not bad," Shiro says beside him.

Mako's (literally) flying through the levels, his initial shyness replaced with focus. The other kids have flocked around him, peering at the screen in awe (and, in some cases, envy).

"A natural," Keith comments.

Keith just met the kid today, and already he feels a rush of pride over seeing how well he's doing with the simulator. He sneaks a peek at Shiro, who's still watching on with a smile, and wonders if this is how he felt so many years ago, when he first met Keith.

Mako doesn't make it as far as Keith did, the first time around, but he makes it farther than all the other kids.

He'd do good at the Garrison (or even on the Atlas!), and Keith says as much to the teacher when he requests Mako's information to add to the recruitment list.

"I don't think you'd want him there," the teacher says. "Mako's not really the sociable type, doesn't get alone with anybody. He's a bit of a—"

"Problem child?" Keith finishes dryly. "So was I."

The teacher's cheeks turn red, and she stammers, but Keith ignores her.

He gets what he needs and stands beside Shiro while they say their goodbyes. Shiro does his cute little speech about the Garrison (though he mostly talks about the Atlas, his bias is obvious), and then he looks over at Keith.

"Keith," he says. "Have anything to add?"

"I guess," Keith grumbles, and clears his throat. "The Garrison offers many things for future cadets, and it can help you discover who you are with its connections to the Galactic Coalition." He smiles. "It even helped me."

"How?" one kid asks.

"I met Admiral Shirogane through an event just like this," Keith says, gesturing to the area around them. "And he helped me see that I could do something great with my life, I just had to take that chance. So, I did. And now here I am today, talking to you all."

It's probably a little over the top, but the kids look excited. More importantly, Mako looks hopeful again, and Keith considers that a win.

Shiro closes the event with a few more goodbyes, and then they're driving back to the Garrison... but they stop for lunch, first.

"You think the Garrison will get new cadets next year?" Shiro asks while they're waiting for their food. "These kids seemed pretty interested in flying."

"Not many had the talent," Keith comments, laughing when Shiro gasps. "You know I'm right!"

"I'm not going to say it out loud!" Shiro says, but there's mirth in his eyes. "Anyone has what it takes to be a pilot."

"You wouldn't say that if Slav was there," Keith mutters under his breath, biting back his laughter at the indignant look that Shiro shoots him

"That's not fair," Shiro says petulantly. "You can't use that against me."

"Who said?"

"Our marriage vows! Right after the 'I'll love you beyond death' part."

"I must have forgotten," Keith says with a smile, shaking his head. "My bad."

"It is your bad. I need a kiss for my troubles."

Keith leans over the booth and promptly kisses Shiro, slipping him some tongue before pulling back. "There, you baby."

"I think I need another," Shiro says. "My feelings are still hurt."

So Keith gives him another. And another.

He's still giving him kisses when their drinks arrive, and the besotted look on Shiro's face makes him smile.

"Drink your lemonade," Keith orders, pushing it closer to his husband. "Our food will be here soon."

"Yes, sir," Shiro replies with a sloppy salute.

Halfway through their meal, Shiro suddenly says, "You're good with them, you know?"

Keith swallows his bite and frowns, puzzled. "Good with who?"

"Kids," Shiro answers. "You're good with kids, Keith." He tosses a fry into his mouth. "That kid, Mako? He liked you."

"I guess," Keith says uncertainly. "That doesn't necessarily mean that I'm good with them."

"Lance's nieces and nephews like you," Shiro points out. "And Hunk's cousins do, too. You're good with kids, Keith."

"Okay, where are you going with this?"

"Do you want to adopt?"

"Um." Keith stares at him. "Where did that come from?"

Shiro shrugs. "I've just been thinking about it for a while," he says, all casual. There's a hint of pink to his cheeks, though. "I just—I love you, Keith. You know that, right?"

Keith reaches out for his hand. "I do."

"We've been through a lot together, and we've been to so many different places together." Now, the tips of Shiro's ears are red. "I know we'll still be going out there, still doing things for the Coalition and New Daibazaal, but... I want a family with you."

"You do?" Keith asks, surprised. Something in him softens at seeing Shiro's earnest look.

"Of course I do," Shiro says. "You're my family, Keith, and I want to make our family a little bigger." His blush deepens. "Only if you want."

Keith averts his gaze, and now he's blushing. "I've given it some thought, actually. But I'm not sure..."

"About?" Shiro prompts.

"I'm not sure I'll be a good parent," Keith admits. "Keeping Lance's family busy is one thing, but raising a kid? I don't know anything about that."

"I don't either, but we'll get through it together." Shiro smiles, all boyish & sweet. "We don't have to do it right away, or at all, but it's just a thought."

"I'm not saying no," Keith says carefully. "Thinking about it is one thing, going through with it is another."

"I know," Shiro says kindly.

They finish up their meal and get ready to head back to the Garrison to drop off the simulator. They're scheduled to head back to New Daibazaal that night, so they need to load their ship with supplies.

While Keith's waiting by the truck for Shiro (who wanted to get something for Kosmo), he hears someone call for him.

Well, they call him, "Mr. Keith," but it's close enough.

Keith looks over, surprised to see Mako running over to him. "Hey," he says, bemused.

Mako gasps for breath, cheeks flushed from his run. "Mr. Keith!" he says again. "I found you!"

"You sure did," Keith says. "How?"

"Um..." Mako seems shy, all of a sudden. "Someone posted a picture of you and the Admiral online.... and I recognized this place."

"Really? Wow." Keith looks around. "And you ran all the way here?"

"Yeah!" Mako nods. "It's fine, though. No one's going to miss me, and I can make my way back just fine." He looks away. "I like to come here because they give me free shakes."

Ah. That's why Keith liked coming here, once upon a time.

"Me too," he ends up saying. "When I was younger, I mean."

Mako lights up. "Cool," he says.

"Did you need me for something?" Keith asks, wondering why Mako came all this way. "Any questions about the Garrison?"

"Not about the Garrison!" Mako says. He kicks his heel against the ground. "I... I made you something, and I wanted to give it to you." He pulls an envelop out of his pocket, a little crinkled, and hands it over.

"Thanks, Mako." Keith takes it and smiles at him.

"Y-You're welcome!" Mako replies. "I hope you like it!"

Before he can take off (likely to get one of those shakes), Keith pulls a 20 out of his pocket and hands it over.

"Just in case you want to get more than a shake," Keith tells him.

"T-Thanks," Mako says, taking the bill. He fidgets, and then blurts out, "Do you think I can make it to the Garrison?"

"Of course you can," Keith answers honestly. "You can do anything, Mako."

"And they'd take a kid like me?" Mako asks next, more subdued.

"Yes," Keith says firmly.

"How do you know?"

"They took me," he says, almost smiling when Mako's eyes go wide.

"Really?" Mako asks.

"Really."

Shiro steps out of the diner, bag of food in hand. He glances over at Mako, puzzled, and then looks at Keith.

"Ready to go?" he asks.

"Need anything else?" Keith asks Mako first, only moving to the truck when he shakes his head. "Alright. I'll see you around, kid."

"Bye, Mr. Keith!" Mako says with a smile. "I'll see you at the Garrison, I promise!"

Keith opens the envelope once they start driving away from the Garrison and pulls out a piece of paper, folded three times. He opens it up & stares down at its contents, heart aching.

It's a drawing of himself, Shiro, and Mako, with the words THANK YOU written above them.

"See? You are good with them."

"I guess you're right," Keith says, smiling down at the drawing. He tips his head back against the seat and stares out the window, taking in the desert landscape.

"Hey," he says. "New Daibazaal doesn't need us now, right?"

"Not really. We're just going to visit your mom." Shiro glances over at him. "Why?"

"There's a place I want to go to," Keith tells him. "I haven't been there in years, but I want to check it out. See what's changed."

It's the one place he sword he'd never go back to—

—the one place that made him miserable for a good chunk of his life. He never thought he'd willingly want to go back, but here he is.

"Okay," Shiro says. "We can go tomorrow after breakfast."

"We might have to fill out some forms while we're there," Keith adds.

He can see Shiro fighting a smile. "Sounds great," Shiro says, grabbing one of Keith's hands. He brings it up to his face, brushing a kiss across his knuckles.

Keith's heart flutters. "Yeah," he says softly, leaning over to kiss Shiro's cheek.

The orphanage is just as he remembered. Old and dreary, bringing a wave of misery just at the sight of it. It's not as bad as it used to be, though. Especially because he has Shiro by his side.

"I always hated this place," Keith comments when he hops out of the truck.

"I remember," Shiro says. "I hated this place, too. It always made you... sad? I hated that." He shakes his head, frowning.

"It's all in the past now," Keith says, taking a breath. "We're here to make a difference now." He jerks his head to the trunk. "I'll get the donations."

When their friends heard where they were going, they thought they shouldn't stop by empty handed. Keith thought it was weird for a moment, but then he remembered when someone did that while he was there. They brought a big bag of toys, and Keith picked out a small stuffed hippo.

It's long gone by now, tossed away by one of his foster parents, but he remembered the feeling he got when he had something of his own— slightly worn, but not tainted by the memories of his lost father or faceless mother, all his.

So, the Paladins rounded up stuffed animals, freely given by various cadets, ready to give up their childhood, and even some donated from a local toystore.

"You think he'll be here?" Shiro asks.

Keith pointedly doesn't look at him. "Who?"

"You know who."

"Maybe," Keith admits. "Do you think it's dumb?"

"Not at all." Shiro comes around the truck and wraps an arm around him, kissing the side of his head. "I think your Quintessence senses are trying to tell you something, baby. Clearly, you see something good in this kid."

Keith rolls his eyes and nudges him away, grabbing the bag of toys from the car. "All of you make such a big deal about my supposed Quintessence senses. It's really not much."

"But you trust it anyways." Shiro smiles. "You got better instincts, baby."

"Yeah, yeah...."

The ones in charge are pleasantly surprised to see them, happy with the toy donations that Keith hands over. All of the kids peek at them from afar; wide-eyed, confused, awed, and wary. Keith smiles at all of them, sweeping his gaze over the crowd, trying to find Mako.

"Mr. Keith! Admiral Shirogane!"

Keith smiles and waves. Maybe it's a little awkward, but Mako beams regardless.

The bag of toys is passed around, everyone picking out one (starting from the youngest), and Mako comes up to Keith, all bright-eyed and happy.

"I can't believe you're here!" Mako says. "What made you want to come?"

"I used to live here too," Keith says quietly, like it's a secret just between the two of them. "And I had a feeling I'd run into you here."

Mako's smile somehow gets brighter. "You wanted to see me?"

"'Course I did." Keith almost reaches out to ruffle his hair. Almost. "And I also wanted to thank you for the drawing."

Mako flushes, embarrassed. "It's no big deal...." he murmurs.

"It is, Mako. You're talented." Keith smiles again. "I put it up on our fridge."

Mako fidgets, looking away. "You liked it that much?"

"Yes, I did."

Mako's next smile is small and shy, surprise on his face — like he didn't expect the truth that Keith gave. "Thanks, Mr. Keith," he says softly.

"You can just call me Keith," he says.

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"I'll try," Mako says with a nod.

"Hey, you ready?"

Keith turns to look at Shiro, who's standing beside one of the guardians. "I'll be right there," Keith says, and then looks back at Mako. "I have to go do something, but can I talk to you after?"

"Yes!" Mako says, and then quickly adds, "Only if you want!"

"Of course I do."

The paperwork is easy fill out; the guardians seem eager to please, ready to speed things along for them. Normally, Keith hates this kind of treatment, but he doesn't mind it today.

If it means being able to adopt sooner, then he's willing to let his 'fame' speed things along (and he's certain that Shiro feels the same way).

"We understand that your work takes you far beyond Earth," one of them says, looking concerned.

"Are you sure you'll be able to care for a child in those circumstances?"

"Our work takes us to different parts of the galaxy, yes, but we do have a home on the Atlas. And we have the resources to make sure they have everything they need," Shiro explains.

"The Atlas is as safe as any home on Earth, and she can alert Shiro to our child's needs," Keith adds.

"Your work in particular can be rather dangerous, Mr. Kogane."

"It's Commander Shirogane, actually," Keith absently corrects, twisting the ring on his finger. "But, yes."

"It can be dangerous, but I can step back from those missions and let my team handle the hard stuff." He smiles blandly. "Being a Senior Member of my group allows me a few perks, after all."

After a few more questions, their forms are filed away and they're allowed to leave.

Shiro stays behind to talk to them some more while Keith steps out of the room, letting out a breath. He always hated sitting in that office, always blamed for things even when he didn't start it.

"Mr. Keith?"

Keith smiles, looking over at Mako. "Keith, remember?"