this turned into a thread fic, i did not plan this, i am HORRENDOUS at writing threads i am sorry in advance

#sheith cw age gap | cw power imbalance i guess bc keith is a naive high schooler https://twitter.com/lewdcarus/status/1245861959867568129

(( continuing this thread here where it's properly tagged))

At some point Keith finds out that Shiro has been keeping Keith's dad updated about Keith's activities.

Shiro finds out at one of those nights when Keith is going to stay over at night. The two of them sleep in Shiro's bed each time, cuddled up and warm.

Keith is already in bed, in just his briefs and one of Shiro's shirts. They're baggy on Keith's body and reach past his ass to almost his knees. Compared to Shiro, Keith is tiny.

On Shiro's modest bed, Keith is just a lump of blankets and exhaustion. He's also a tad tipsy.

As always, already in his sleep clothes, Shiro goes to the dresser where he keeps his keys and his phone on and where Keith got into the habit of leaving his phone beside Shiro's, too.

Shiro unlocks Keith's phone, pulls up "Dad" in the contacts. Starts typing.

'keith is staying over again. Gonna drop him off tomorrow morning at school.'

When he clicks "Send", a 'pling' comes from the dresser in front of Shiro.

"You thought you were slick."

Keith's voice is groggy and a little slurred, he's clearly ready to fall asleep, but it's loud enough to reach Shiro's ears.

Brat.

As Shiro scrolls up the conversation, he recognises his own texts. Damn kid changed the contact name to trick him.

And not only that, now that Shiro's tired eyes read the contact name over again, he realises he misread. Not Dad.

Daddy.

Shiro's huffs in amusement, thinks how this kid is playing with fire and doesn't even realise it.

But Keith doesn't tell him to stop. He doesn't even seem to care that Shiro has been undermining him like this. He just peeks his head out from under the covrers, gives Shiro an impatient stare.

Shiro looks through the phone until he finds the ACTUAL contact of Keith's dad, cleverly hidden under "Shiro".

Mr. Kogane is glad to hear from his son even if it is through the older punk boyfriend who turned out to be less of a bad boy than he looked.

When Shiro crawls unde the grey covers of his bed, Keith shuffles in close. He doesn't seem upset, just smug, and he wraps an arm over Shiro's waist, clings, sighs into Shiro's neck.

Keith never changes his code to keep Shiro out. Everything stays as it is. More or less.

But, really, Shiro was a fool to think ANYTHING was staying the same the whole time. Things kept shifting into place with a satisfying click until Keith is intertwined in Shiro's life.

"I'm not sure what your problem is here."

Matt is not usually Shiro's first choice when it comes to relationship trouble but he's the only one who's seen Keith remotely the soft way Keith is when with Shiro alone. Matt is the only one of Shiro's friends who Keith met and likes.

He's wary of Allura becaus she's too pretty and Shiro laughs each time he thinks about Keith's amusing jealousy because Shiro is the gayest person he knows.

Keith doesn't like Curtis, loves to forget his name. To be fair, Shiro did, too, for years. But Keith does it on purpose.

"Like, you're already in a relationship, Shiro. I'm not sure how this is new to you."

But Matt doesn't understand. Because none of this is not new. All of this is new and it snuck up on Shiro.

(( is this turning into angst? I don't know, we'll see bc I am winging all of this.))

Keith is 18, he's crazy and uses a fucking dagger to cut vegetables, all with his fingerless leathergloves on, because he thinks he looks edgy.

Keith went out to find the worst boyfriend he could find to piss off his dad and found Shiro with his black shirt ripped in a-

fashionable way, with combat boots, ears pierced all the way to the top, a septum at his nose, another piercing to his eyebrow. Glass of whiskey in one hand, a cigarette in the other.

Shiro knows what Keith wants from him.

Shiro knows it's just a phase, knows Keith isn't in love with him.

God, Shiro feels like a fucking idiot. Because, as always, he waits it out.

Shiro has a track record of not lasting in relationships. Most dont get further than a few dates. His last relationship ended in a nuclear fallout.

So, Shiro expects Keith to grow bored soon. To realise that this facade of acting out under Shiro's supervision is childish.

Still, it drags on and Shiro drinks up every minute he has with Keith like he's a man in the desert. Even if it's just that, his company.

He's pathetic

It's how Keith blindsides Shiro when he kisses him out of nowhere.

It's clumsy, overeager and inexperienced. Much like you'd expect an inexperienced high schooler to kiss. Much like Shiro kissed when he was Keith's age.

It's clear that Keith isn't going for a chaste kiss like the one Shiro gave him the other only time they kissed.

This isn't a kiss on the cheek to scare off bullies and keep up the scary boyfriend charade.

This isn't a kiss for Keith to prove to himself that he's brave.

For a moment Shiro freezes up. But Keith's hands are tightly gripping Shiro's shirt. They're shaking. Shiro takes a hold of them, smothes his palms over them, soothes the trembling.

Keith sighes out shakily against Shiro's mouth.

One of Shiro's hands are on Keith's which are flat against Shiro's chest, the other reaches up to cup the back of Keith's neck.

Keith melts into him.

Skillfully, Shiro recaptures Keith's mouth with his, smoothes it down until Keith's passion and eagerness melts into submission under Shiro's movements.

Keith's lips are so relaxed against Shiro's that it's all too easy to part them. A gaspnall too sweet escapes Keith.

Suddenly, Shiro feels all too hot under his shirt. He can feel the heat of Keith's body against his, realises that somehow Keith managed to climb on top of him. Shiro can feel himself press into Keith's thigh.

It's been so long for Shiro now.

So he pulls back.

He pecks Keith on the mouth one last time before he gently rolls out from under Keith and off the couch. Leaves to do whatever it was he had been meaning to do before Keith kissed him.

Shiro thinks he got away.

Keith doesn't attempt to kiss him again for now. Shiro can feel tension between them but he can't quite tell if it's caused by himself or if he's imagining it.

A few days pass, things go on as normal, until one evening Keith winds up rain-soaked at his door.

It's not unusual for Keith to come over unplanned but usually he likes calling Shiro to pick him, do the work to come to him.

Shiro thinks it makes Keith feel wanted so he goes along with it. He likes the feeling of Keith clinging to his back as they drive his bike anyway.

"Did the rain surprise you?", Shiro teases.

But Keith looks cute like this. His hair clings to his cheeks. His lips are red like he was biting them. He's trembling so Shiro pulls him inside and into a hug despite Keith being wet head to toe.

"Get in the shower and warm up. I'll lend you something while your clothes dry." Shiro cares. Without a second look at Keith, he leads him to the bathroom, tells him to just leave the clothes in the sink for now. Keith seems reluctant but nods.

He's up to something. Or something is nagging him. But Shiro decides there's time to find out when Keith is dry and comfortable. And once Keith is, Shiro sends him off to the kitchen to get a bite of food while he deals with the wet clothes.

Keith usually wears tight tshirts, tight skinny jeans that he ripped holes into to look tough. Dark coloured socks, sometimes he'll wear a hoodie. His jackets are faux leather that's already starting to crumble.

But in on Shiro's sink are not those clothes.

Instead, on Shiro's sink are

an old pilot jacket that would be almost a bit big on Shiro.
A black tshirt.

And black thigh-high socks.

And to top it all off a red skirt.

For a moment Shiro thinks he's going crazy. Those are definitely not Keith's. But they're not Shiro's either.

Shiro touches the clothes to make sure they're really there. The fabric of the skirt is soft but wet and sticky from it.

The jacket is still warm on the-

inside and still unmistakingly smells of Keith alongside a vintage-y old smell that thrift clothes tend to have.

Shiro's brain cant yet grasp the situation but on auto-pilot he takes the clothes to the living room and puts them on the drying rack in there.

Keith is already on the couch in soft pj pants and a shirt. He looks cozy, the tv is on. There's a peach in his hand.

Shiro let's his ass fall to the couch beside Keith, arm coming around small shoulders instinctively. Keith leans in, Shiro listened to the sounds of him biting into the peach and slurping the juices until Keith is done, put's the rest away on a nearby coffee table.

"You didn't call."

"I just wanted to see you."

Shiro snorts. "I could have not been home. You'd be standing in the rain still."

Keith just huffs, cuddles against him further. He's still warm from the shower, he smells like Shiro's shampoo and soap but close like this-

Keith's natural scent is strong, too. Keith had always had a strong scent but it had always been pleasant to Shiro.

"You're always home."

It's not actually true. Shiro is out plenty, he works and has classes and goes out with friends. But by now Keith and Shiro's lives have synched and Shiro IS always home when Keith comes over.

"Brat."

Keith chuckles, voice low, and they fall into comfortable silence. Shiro leans his chin on Keith's head, inhales.

Then his eyes land on the clothes hanging up to try. Like that, it's unmistakeable that it's indeed a skirt. A short one at that.

The socks are really thigh-highs, probably go even over Keith's knees and Shiro feels hot and embarrassed when he tries to imagine Keith in them.

Had it not rained, Shiro would not have to IMAGINE it.

"Keith," Shiro speaks before he can think. "Did you come in wearing a skirt?"

Keith tenses under his touch. It's a drastic difference to how sweet and pliant and cozy he had felt against Shiro before. Shiro almost regrets it but he needs to know.

"So what?"

Of course Keith would respond like that but Shiro feels how tense he still is.

"Okay. Why?"

Keith doesn't answer but it's clear that Shiro isn't judging. If Keith said he just wanted to and meant it, Shiro would let the topic be, probablt tell him the skirt suited him.

Shiro thinks, it certainly wouldnt be a lie.

"Matt said it would work."

Now THAT pulls Shiro out of whatever trance he was in. It makes him pull away just enough that he can look at Keith.

Keith isn't looking at him, though. He's looking down, clearly embarrassed, face red, fingers pressing together, still sticky-

from the peach.

"Exactly why are you wearing a skirt for /Matt/?" Shiro was gonna murder him.

Keith frowns then, like he feels insulted. A pout forms and he licks his sticky fingers like he's annoyed but it's still infuriatingly sexy to Shiro.

"Not for Matt. For you."

Shiro's brain feels like it shuts down, he can only stare.

"Why."

But his reactions seem to make Keith even angrier.

"So you'll fucking notice me already, you dingus!"

Shiro frowns. Keith has never called him that. But Matt on the other hand does it all the time.

"I'm noticing you." Shiro notices A LOT about Keith.

Keith seems to think overwise because he groans out in annoyance, kneels up on the couch, glaring at Shiro. "Then how did you not notice I was wearing a skirt when I got here?"

Keith has a point. But Shiro opens and closes his mouth a few times, refusing to give him the victory.

"I was more concerned with getting you out of the rain!"

"Well, I'm out of the rain now, so what are you going to do about the skirt?"

Shiro backed himself into a corner, he knows. Keith is looming over him a little and Shiro feels caged but he doesn't know how to escape.

"What about it."

Keith sighs, shoulders slumping. The anger seems to leave him all at once to leave space for disappointment.

"Do you... /like/ the skirt?" The way Keith says it, it sounds like it's important to him. Really important.

But Shiro doesn't know how to tell him that he LOVES the skirt. A little too much.

"I haven't actually seen you in it."

Shiro regrets his words when Keith gets up.

Shiro is sure the skirt is still wet, at the very least it's gonna be moist, but Keith nearly rips it off the drying rack before he storms out of the room.

He comes back a fee minutes later. The shirt Shiro lent him is tied up on the front to keep it out of the way but-

what it does is expose a bit of Keith's tummy now and his sides and probably his back.

Keith's cheeks are a lovely red and he's clearly shy but defiant enough to stand there.

Shiro can't say if he likes it better with the socks off bc Keith's legs are shaved and so long.

And the skirt is so short.

"So?" Keith asks, voice cracking.

Shiro's mouth feels dry and he gestures Keith to come over. Keith does all too willingly and up close Shiro feels weaker.

His hands come to rest on Keith's knees, slide up to Keith's thighs and a shudder escapes him.

"It suits you."

Keith's shoulders sag once more, like the words physically pain him.

"What?" Shiro doesn't know what Keith wants him to say.

Except maybe he knows. And maybe he's just afraid to cross the line.

Keith seems to look right through him. Maybe the worry or panic is written plain and big on Shiro's face because Keith gives him a look that seems almost like pity.

"Shiro," he says the name so softly, gentle. It almost feels like their roles are reversed.