back on my alien biology bs train but remember the weird wrist pieces in the paladin suits? what if the suits were designed that way cos for some species, galra in particular, wrists are a very sensitive, meaningful spot & it's how the galra claim their mates & show their bonds

i'm thinking something akin to the whole wedding ring tradition for humans, though maybe galra flaunt it less... or it can also be a scenting spot (not necessarily ABO, but that too if that rocks your boat)

also notice how the bom suit also has those lil vambraces

fkjghgjk baby keef kinda leaned towards covering his wrists via gloves/jacket sleeves on instinct, even if he couldn't quite figure out why, and long before he learnt about his heritage :_DDD

galra probably don't hand-hold or go anywhere near that spot unless they're like balls deep in love & shouting it into the wind, and keith avoiding that kind of contact on instinct was half the reason why he seemed so closed off & distant & had so much trouble connecting w people

the blades know that keith is unmated, but then here comes shiro, possibly the most tactile guy in the world & having long since worked his way past all of keith's walls, never shying away from contact, and worse, keith seeks it out too & returns it freely, and they all just?????

one day they're all doing something completely inocuos, it's keith's birthday maybe, and he goes to cut the cake & gets a little cream there. shiro laughs and holds keith's hand, brings it to his mough and licks the spot clean, and kolivan nearly has a damn stroke right there

and like, the blades arent dumb. they KNOW things are different for humans, they understand. but they also know keith IS galra, and even if he dismisses all this as human stuff, his instincts fully kicked in a bit ago so he HAS to be feeling all that shiro's doing down in his gut

keith has mastered the art of poker-facing even if he's high-pitched-screeching inside, but shiro starts to notice a pattern of blades around them making strangled noises and covering their mouths and crying every time keith and him hang out

the garrison has been working on a new altean/terran hybrid fighter, and keith is the best pilot they have to get feedback & make adjustments. keith's hands are on the thrusters and kolivan has to watch in pain how his breath stutters for a split second when shiro wraps

his fingers around keith's wrist as he rambles on about adjusting the sensitivity of the controls.

kolivan, through gritted teeth: "i'm gonna tell him."

krolia: "don't you dare."

the reveal finally comes while on a diplomatic mission.

by now they've seen their fair share of weird, alien customs. they know to be ready and adapt as they're presented with odd requirements and traditions, know the importance of the game they're playing, the high stakes.

diplomacy, in some ways, is harder than war. more complex, less forward. it's a game keith's never been good at--people skills really aren't his forte, but he tries his best and learns and grows into it, manages even if it's never going to be something that comes to him easily.

the atmosphere at dinner that first night is relaxed and enjoyable. the onturians are happy just trading stories and chatting amicably about inconsequential stuff for the time being, sharing tales of their world and asking about earth in turn, but just to satisfy their curiosity,

keeping politics out of it. keith appreciates the opportunity to unwind before they delve into meetings and negotiations. it was a long trip, and they'd barely had the chance to catch a break from their previous mission before they had to leave for this one.

by the time they get to dessert he's having trouble stifling yawns. shiro shoots him a knowing smile.

"let's call it a night," he says. "you've been up for a whole quintant."

it's kind, but it's a gentle scolding too. he knows keith let him sleep through his last shift.

keith smiles at him in turn, a bit sheepish, but doesn't apologize.

"you needed the rest," he counters, and barely keeps from shivering all over when shiro covers his hand with his on the table, and squeezes.

across them, the onturian leader lets out a soft, "Oh."

keith lets shiro do the talking as they bring the evening to a close. he mentions the long trip, and then thanks the edda--a high priest of sorts--when he waves his hand and says, "of course, of course! you must be tired, we'll continue in the morning."

then, the edda asks, "i assume you'll want to share a room? we were unaware that you were a couple."

in retrospect, that really should've clued them in.

but when you've been traveling for the better part of a movement and are running on 3 hours of sleep,

it's easy to just pass that off as one of the weird turns of phrase that are the inevitable result of using a universal translator that can't quite pick up nuance or variant phrasings. it's certainly happened before, and so keith just assumes they were maybe expecting

just one of the black paladins to come for the negotiations, not the both of them.

that, too, has happened before.

shiro must think the same, because he smiles apologetically and says "ah, yes, sorry for the confusion," and then, "sharing would be more than fine."

and really, it is. sharing a room, or even a bed, is more the norm for them than not at this point. from the old days back at the garrison when they'd pass out together after a whole day of studying for finals, to the nightmares kept at bay by the other's warm, solid body

pressed against theirs aboard the Castleship, to the limited availability of rooms on the ships they travel in or some of the planets they visit.

it barely makes keith's pulse race anymore, but the comforting familiarity of it tugs at his heartstrings in a different way.