Just saw a sign: “just remember — someone out there is quarantined with your ex,” &, hear me out: sheith AU. They’re not exes, but they fucked twice - Keith fucked Kuron after he came back & Shiro & Keith fucked, totally wasted, after saving the Universe...& they haven’t talked.

Shiro is Keith’s Best Friend. Keith is Shiro’s Best Friend. And maybe they’re best friends who have sucked each other’s dicks and done a lot of other things that they either don’t remember or are desperately repressing, but nothing is gonna ruin their PLATONIC FRIENDSHIP.

Then they get quarantined together. They don’t consider the implications when it first starts: it just makes sense. Keith’s shack is perfectly isolated, & everyone is worried that Shiro may be at risk bc who knows what’s up with the clone body situation. Keith is happy to help.

For the first couple of weeks, everything is fine. They’re fairly used to sharing close quarters on the Castle of Lions & yeah, this is even closer, but they’re adults, they can handle it, Everything Is Just Fine.

& then Shiro starts remembering things. Things Kuron experienced.

The memories always come at the WORST times.

The first flashback happens when Keith & Shiro are on the couch, watching a very weird movie that involves Nic Cage & a prison transport plane. Keith shifts, knee brushing Shiro’s, & suddenly Shiro is facedown on a bed in a dark room.

#nsfw
But Shiro’s not alone on the bed. He’s also MYSTERIOUSLY LOST HIS PANTS. His shirt is rucked up under his armpits and there’s a gloved hand on his back, holding him down, and a weight over him, behind him, & — something thick & hot inside him, stretching him wide & raw.

“Shiro,” Keith groans above him, & leans down, his breath hot over the nape of Shiro’s neck. “Fuck — missed you, so much — never letting you go — never again —“

Shiro’s voice is gone. All he can do is sob in reply into the pillow & shove back onto Keith’s cock desperately....

Shiro snaps back to the present w a strangled wheeze, in a cold sweat, & Keith’s gaze slides to him in concern. “You good?”

SHIRO IS NOT GOOD. SHIRO CAN STILL FEEL THIS BODY’S MEMORY OF KEITH, HIS BEST FRIEND, FUCKING HIM. NO. NOT GOOD. VERY BAD.

“Yeah,” Shiro croaks.

This goes on. And on. For the next two weeks.

Shiro is in hell. Or heaven. He’s not sure which. All he knows is that Keith fucked Kuron six ways from Sunday & he’s slowly remembering every. Damn. Moment.

Little does he know, Keith is slowly remembering their drunken night.

They’re making pancakes together when Keith suddenly recalls exactly how good Shiro’s dick felt in his mouth.

He burns his pancake. Shiro is concerned and touches his arm & of course then Keith remembers the way Shiro pinned his wrists, the way Keith let him — oh, no.

It’s very hard to avoid each other in a barely 2 bedroom shack in the middle of the desert, but boy do they try.

Shiro enthusiastically volunteers to go on grocery runs. Keith spends hours “foraging” on hoverbike trips through the desert. Both of them are miserable. And horny.

Because it is also very hard to jack off undetected in a 2 bedroom shack in the middle of the desert, & Shiro’s not at the point where he’d risk getting a rattlesnake bite on his dick out in the desert — yet. He’s getting close, & his showers are getting suspiciously long.

Keith passed the point of fearing a rattlesnake bite to the dick a long time ago. He’s a little ashamed of how many times he’s straddled his bike on the canyon ridge he & Shiro used to hang out on, & gasped Shiro’s name to the sunset w sticky fingers & ruined jeans, but, FUCK.

But it was a mistake, right? Shiro is his best friend. Shiro didn’t mean it when he fingered Keith open and called him a good boy and kissed him dirty & openmouthed while his cock filled Keith so completely he felt ruined for anyone else.

Right. A mistake. They’re just friends.

And surely Keith didn’t mean it when he left marks all over Shiro - Kuron - whoever - & fucked him into the mattress until his eyes flashed gold & surely he didn’t mean anything by it when they showered afterwards & Keith held him so tenderly & helped him wash his hair.

NOPE.

Then there’s a monsoon and neither of them can leave the shack for three days, give or take. The rain just won’t stop. Shiro tries to avoid Keith & Keith tries to avoid Shiro & both of them are on edge.

Shiro is making dinner when the most vivid of the flashbacks yet hits.

He’d caught glimpses of it before, but none of the memories had included how the hell the whole mess actually started. Now, though...he’s back in the dark bed, & Keith is sitting on the edge, looking down at him, his eyes brimming, overflowing w fondness. “Takashi,” he whispers.

He feels himself reach up, fingertips stopping just short of Keith’s jaw. It was unscarred then. “Keith,” he whispers back.

“I never stopped looking for you,” Keith tells him. “I was never going to give up on you.”

“Keith,” Shiro hears himself, hears Kuron, say, “I love you.”

Keith’s face crumples. “I - I love you too, Shiro.”

“No,” Shiro says, hearing his own voice as if from underwater, “I mean, I LOVE you.”

He kisses Keith first. Keith folds down to meet him with a tiny, helpless sound.

Shiro, back in the present, burns his hand on the pan.

Keith hears his hiss of pain from the couch & his head pops up. “Shiro? What’s wrong?”

Shiro clutches his reddened hand, staring at it numbly. Kuron said “I love you.” Keith said “I love you.”

But Shiro has never said it because he didn’t think Keith ever meant it — like THAT.

“Oh my god,” Shiro whispers in horror, still staring at his hand.

Keith’s eyes widen. “Shiro?!” He scrambles off the couch & into the kitchen. “Are you hurt?”

Shiro swallows & slumps against the counter. “Do you think - that Kuron loved you, but I don’t?”

Keith goes ashen.

Then Keith composes himself hastily. He lets out a nervous bark of laughter. “What? Shiro, that’s — you’re my best friend. We love each other, don’t we?”

“Not like that,” Shiro croaks. “I remember, Keith. You & Kuron, I have his memories, & he —“

“What,” Keith stammers. “WHAT?”

Shiro looks at him miserably. “I know he told you he loved you, & I know you fucked him. And it was really great. I mean — for him, it felt, great. And after, you, and him —“

Keith stares at him. “I thought,” he starts, & stops, breath hitching, “I thought it was YOU, Shiro.”

Shiro doesn’t know what to say, but Keith is already rambling. “And - and I know it wasn’t you now, I know that, & that’s okay, Shiro, it’s okay, I mean, I love that you’re my best friend, & it’s fine, that you don’t, that we’re just - friends.”

“Then it’s fine that we had sex?”

Keith’s face twitches. “..Yes,” he manages. “We were both - out of it. I don’t even remember it. Do you remember it?”

Shiro peers at him in the small kitchen. He knows Keith - and he knows when Keith is lying. “No,” Shiro hedges, “but say we DID remember it. Would that be okay?”

Keith’s nervousness is now impossible to miss. “Why wouldn’t it be?” he mumbles, gaze darting away. “We didn’t — we didn’t do anything wrong.”

He thinks of Shiro’s Altean hand curling around his throat, & shudders.

“Of course not,” Shiro says. His voice is low, secretive.

“Your hand,” Keith says weakly. “Did you burn yourself?”

Distracted, Shiro glances down. “Guess so. But it’s fine -“

Keith takes hold of his wrist and brings it to the sink, turning it on until the cool water runs over reddened skin. He doesn’t say anything. His hand is sweaty.

“You really don’t remember any of it?” Shiro asks him.

Keith turns off the water with more force than necessary. “What? No. Can we just - forget it, Shiro?”

Shiro’s gut twists. Keith’s brow is furrowed & he’s looking away again. “Is that what you want?” Shiro asks.

Keith clears his throat. “Of course that’s what I want,” he mutters.

He’s lying again.

Shiro takes a deep breath. “What if I told you I didn’t want to forget it - either time?”

Keith’s gaze darts up. “Why...”

“Keith,” Shiro murmurs, “you know why.”

KEITH DOES NOT KNOW WHY.

Keith opens his mouth. Closes it. He fumbles for words, for meaning in the way Shiro is looking at him so beseechingly. “Because,” he starts, uncertain, “because you want to be best friends who fuck?”

Shiro stares at him. “Keith.”

“I think - that would be okay,” Keith starts.

Shiro makes a strangled noise.

“I know some friends do that,” Keith says bravely, trying to stop his voice from trembling, bc he’ll have Shiro any way Shiro lets him. “We could do it, I think, it wouldn’t be weird, probably -“

“KEITH.” Shiro says, louder.

“It would be fine-“

Shiro makes an exasperated noise & steps forward, & Keith steps back, startled, & Shiro backs him right up against the counter. Keith blinks up at him in confusion. “Oh,” he says, “are we - right now? I didn’t know you wanted -“

Shiro covers his mouth. Keith goes cross-eyed.

“Are you going to choke me again?” Keith says, muffled, against his palm.

Shiro raises an eyebrow. “So you DO remember.”

Keith’s face grows hot under his hand. His gaze lowers. Of course I remember, he thinks. It was with you.

“Keith. Look at me.”

Reluctantly, he does.

“I don’t want to be best friends who fuck,” Shiro says, lifting his hand away.

The rejection stings more than Keith thought it would. He swallows. “Right,” he says. “Right, yeah, sorry, I was just - being stupid.”

“You’re not stupid, Keith.” Shiro’s eyes are so damn soft.

Shiro lifted his hand away from Keith’s mouth, but not away from him. His palm settles instead on Keith’s cheek, cups it lightly, thumb rubbing gently, so gently, over the scar there.

Keith fights the urge to lean into it, to close his eyes. “I’m sorry,” Keith whispers.

“Why?”

“I’m sorry I thought he was you,” Keith whispers. “I’m sorry I thought it was you saying it, when he -“

“Wasn’t it?”

Keith’s heart skips a beat. “Wh-what?”

Shiro tilts his head. “He loved you,” Shiro murmurs, “but I loved you first, Keith.”

Keith whimpers. He doesn’t mean to, but it’s the sound that comes out. He almost does it again as Shiro’s thumb brushes his bottom lip, still so gentle, eyes still so soft, but dark now, expectant.

“There’s a word for best friends who love each other & fuck each other, Keith.”

Keith still looks so nervous & confused, but he isn’t moving away, isn’t saying a single word, & Shiro prays he’s not about to fuck everything up when he leans in & kisses Keith.

Shiro kisses him & Keith gasps, grabs at him instinctively & Shiro lets him, kisses him harder.

Then Keith falls back on the counter, yanks Shiro down with him & promptly bangs Shiro’s head against the cabinets.

Shiro grunts in pain, pulling away w a rueful look & rubbing the bruise blooming on his temple. “Ow.”

Keith wants to die. He scrambles away. “I - I’m gonna - go-“

He’s not prepared for Shiro to grab him by the waist & haul him back before he can even get within arms’ reach of the front door.

“No,” Shiro says, firm, “you’re not.”

Keith stares at him frantically. “I’m not?”

“Nope. I love you. Okay?” Shiro squeezes his waist. “It’s okay.”

“It’s okay,” Keith repeats. “I - did you hurt your head, I -“

“My head is fine, Keith.”

Keith licks his lips. “Oh,” he says. “That’s...good.”

Shiro’s laughing at him with his eyes. “Yeah. Know what’s even better?”

Keith shakes his head & Shiro slings him over his shoulder.

“SHIRO?” Keith squawks.

Shiro marches down the hallway, forearm braced tight over the backs of Keith’s thighs. “Yes?”

“What, um. What are you doing?” Keith manages, even though he’s well aware where the master bedroom in his own house is located.

“You, hopefully.”

“Oh,” Keith says, and then when Shiro tosses him onto the bed, “wait, what?”

“Keith, repeat after me,” Shiro says, standing over the bed with arms folded & a fond but exasperated expression, “we are not just friends with benefits.”

Keith’s brow furrows, but he repeats it.

“Good,” Shiro says, & crawls on the bed over him, lips quirked. “Just to make it clear - I, Takashi Shirogane, am really fucking in love w you. So, if it’s okay with you, I would rather be fucking you as my boyfriend, & not while drunk & in denial. Sound good?”

Keith kisses him.

“I’ll take that as a yes?” Shiro gasps as Keith lets him go, which is only for a moment before hauling him back down again now that they’re out of range of any cabinets.

“Stop talking,” Keith groans, trying to wrap a leg around Shiro’s waist while fumbling w his shirt. “Please-“

Thunder rumbles outside & lightning illuminates the dim room in a moment of silver brilliance as Shiro pulls away again, only to look down at Keith, still smiling, his hair already a mess, his mouth red.

Keith reaches up to touch his lips & Shiro nips playfully at his fingers.

“Y’know,” Shiro muses, “I feel a little cheated, Keith. See, it sounds like YOU remember everything we did the night of the victory party, but I can’t remember a thing.”

Keith swallows. “Do - you want me to tell you?”

Shiro hums. “Yeah. Help me remember, baby.”

Keith shivers.

Keith has to close his eyes, & Shiro lets him, toying with the hem of Keith’s shirt. “We were — happy. You said you wanted to show me smth, & we went on the roof of the Garrison & I was afraid you were gonna fall off & —“

Shiro pets his hip. It’s soothing. Keith takes a breath.

“And you told me you weren’t gonna fall off because you had me looking out for you & then — I don’t know how it happened but then we were kissing,” Keith whispers, flushing hot as Shiro’s hand slides slow & sweet under his shirt. “It didn’t feel real,” Keith admits.

“It’s real,” Shiro promises. “Go on.”

Keith struggles to focus w Shiro’s hand low on his belly, fingers splayed wide, something possessive in the weight of it. “Then we snuck back to our quarters -“ He freezes, swallows. “I - I mean, your quarters. We didn’t make it to the bed.”

Shiro can’t tear his gaze away from Keith under him. He’s hard, they both are, but there’s no hiding the thick line of Keith’s cock trapped in his jeans, an inch from Shiro’s thumb -

Focus, Shirogane.

“No?” Shiro prompts. “You just couldn’t be patient, huh?”

Keith doesn’t open his eyes but his throat bobs as he gulps. “No,” he whispers. “YOU were the one who couldn’t wait. You shoved me up against the door bc you were so - so desperate to touch me.”

Shiro’s mouth curls. Keith’s nervous, but there’s a challenge in his voice. “Oh?”

“Yeah,” Keith pants, squeezing his eyes shut tighter. “You - you could barely wait before the door was locked. Anyone could’ve walked in, could’ve seen the Admiral - ah!”

Shiro squeezes Keith’s dick casually thru his jeans, resting his chin in his free hand. “I’m listening.”

Keith scowls, but he can’t hold the expression; his mouth falls open on little stuttered breaths as Shiro applies more pressure, rubbing the heel of his hand slow &, well, patient.

“You stuck your hand down my jeans & jerked me off right there,” Keith groans. “It was - filthy.”

“Interesting,” Shiro says, & shoves his hand into Keith’s jeans accordingly.

Keith smacks a hand over his own mouth to smother the sound he makes, but Shiro sees the way his eyes fly open & roll back as Shiro surrounds his cock in a firm fist, each stroke sloppy, fast.

“Shiro!” Keith gasps, panic flickering in his eyes & face burning as he tries to squirm away & buck further into Shiro’s grip at the same time. “I - I can’t - I’m not going to last -“

Shiro doesn’t stop. He leans over Keith & coos, “But you said I made you come, right? So come.”

Keith didn’t actually say that, but he’s not about to tell Shiro that, & when he blinks up at Shiro he can’t help but groan again at the look in his eyes & at the sight of the bulge in his jeans which Shiro is valiantly ignoring.

“You - you also talked, during it,” Keith gasps.

“Did I?” Shiro leans closer, his thumb swiping over the head of Keith’s cock. Keith moans, toes curling. “What kind of things did I say?”

Keith bites back a whimper. “You said I was - pretty,” he whispers. “That you’d been thinking of doing that to me for - a long time.”

Shiro hums. “You are,” he murmurs, “and I have been. What else?”

Keith has to close his eyes again. “You said you bet I’d look real good on your cock,” he pants.

Shiro’s face burns with sudden embarrassment. “Uh,” he says. “I -“

“And then I came,” Keith admits breathlessly.