I'm watching catfish and I can't help thinking... Catfish sheith

Like, maybe Keith makes a fake account one day, all he wanted to do was bolster his best friend's confidence after a/dam dumped him. He didn't mean for it to go that far, but he couldn't stop

He justifies it by telling himself that he's just making Shiro feel better, and if he stops he will just cause him more pain. But he knows it's selfish and he still can't stop.

Shiro fucking blossoms. He's glowing, finally feeling himself in the way he deserves, all because of this guy online. Keith is a flower, twisting to face the sunlight of Shiro's joy however he can, and he has no idea where he lost control.

But he did. He's so, ridiculously, hopelessly in love. He had been for long before ever creating that profile, but now it's impossible to hide from.

It gets harder and harder to avoid Shiro's request for phone calls. Or video chats. His excuses get flimsier all the time. And he knows Shiro is suspicious, because why wouldn't he be?

But Shiro keeps accepting them. He remains steadfast, trusting Keith, /not Keith/, through all of his sidestepping.

Yet Keith, real , in the flesh Keith, has to listen to Shiro worry. Worry that the guy has a secret, or that he is playing with Shiro, or doesn't really love him.

He dies a little more every time.

Finally, at the urging of their other friends, Shiro contacts Nev and Max. He tells them about meeting the Man, about his evasiveness, about how truly, madly, deeply Shiro loves him.

Keith sits next to him in Shiro's modest living room. He can't breathe, grits his teeth through his responses. Shiro notices his nerves and puts his hand on Keith's knee, squeezing gently. His smile is warm, sweet. All for Keith

Nev and Max leave, and Keith approaches them outside, eyes bright. He asks them to meet him in the morning, at his place. They agree.

Keith doesn't sleep at all that night.

He thinks it will be impossible to confess to the camera crew, but it's... Surprisingly easy. Once he starts, it all spills out, a tidal wave of fear and love and mistakes.

"Keith, can I ask you... How do you actually feel about Shiro?"

His eyes sting.

"I-..."

The other two men look at Keith and they /know/. They know the words he's choking on, the ones that only come out when he's someone else.

"I think it's really important that you take this chance to be honest with him, Keith. He deserves that, and you do too."

Keith agrees, and they set up a time to meet with Shiro that afternoon. They meet in a park, one they often jog in together on weekend mornings.

The anticipation is murder, but eventually Shiro is there, surrounded by the crew.

"Keith? What-"

"I'm so sorry Shiro. Please, please don't hate me! Or at least let me explain first, then if you decide to hate me, then I... I understand."

Keith hates the way his voice breaks, the way he breaks, looking at Shiro.

And what a sight Shiro is. Sunlight dances in his white hair, and he's wearing one of Keith's favorite shirts, pale purple that offsets his charcoal eyes.

But Keith can't read Shiro's expression. His normally open face is clouded over.

But Shiro nods. They sit, across a picnic table from each other, yet the distance feels vast.

And Keith tells him. About how he couldn't stand how sad and self loathing Shiro was after a/dam. How it killed him to not be able to save Shiro from it.

How he thought if he could show Shiro he was attractive to people, show him all the things Keith loved about him, maybe he could fix it.

Then how he couldn't stop.

How stopping would break Shiro's heart.

How stopping would break his own heart.

How he was in love with Shiro. How he would have been willing to flay his heart open over and over, if it would mean Shiro was happy.

The silence eats Keith alive. It devours him, leaving nothing behind.

But he waits.

/Patience yields focus./

Shiro has been teaching him patience most of his life. He deserves it from Keith.

Then he hears Shiro sniffle. He rips his eyes away from the table surface and finds Shiro looking at him, unsuccessfully blinking back tears.

"Please..." he whispers, not even know what he's asking for.

Shiro is... Smiling at him? It's watery but it's definitely a smile.

"Keith... I wanted it to be you."

And then there's no distance between them. Shiro's arms are around him, his hand is in Keith's hair. They're kissing and everything feels so /right/, Keith can't remember why he was so scared in the first place.

Anyway they stop being dumb and live happily ever after and when Nev and Max skype call them they're together and their follow up convo is all blushing and smiling and disgustingly cute.

Fin!

I've never written a thread before, I'm sorry if it was dumb