Another Lost Pilot | Shiro x Reader

Falling

Keith's POV

(Name) has been on the ship with us for about 4 months by now, and though she isn't a paladin, she took on her own role in the castle-ship. She's a caretaker. Mentally and physically. When we all get back from a mission, she'll be the first one there in the hangar with us. Looking over all of us and tending to our injuries. One time Lance had a break down in the lounge, and she was the fastest to act, sitting with him and letting Lance cry on her shoulder. Turns out he was missing home more than usual. After a short time alone, Lance was back to his usual self. Pidge had came running to (name) when she started thinking about her brother and father, hoping to find comfort in (name)'s tender embrace. Hunk and her sit alone in the lions hangar, mindlessly talking to keep the silence away. And with Shiro, (name) will sit next to him whenever we were in the lounge after a mission resting up. She'll tell stories about life before she was shipped off, about her family, and strangely mutated cat Roxy. A Bengal, and they usually have an extra toe on each foot, but from what (name) said about Roxy, the cat had six toes on each front paw, and only four on the back two. But the second extra toes on both of Roxy's paws both had extra joints, and she used them as thumbs. I swear that cat of hers did some strange shit. Opening doors, using the toilet. I remember another story (name) told us of Roxy. She was in the back yard digging around the perimeter of the yard, and she found a worm. She slurped it up like a piece of spaghetti, and at this part of the story (name) was rolling on the couch with laughter, but what we all gathered from her joy filled story was that Roxy zipped around the yard afterwards, still feeling the worm in her stomach.  

Shiro asked how many animals she had, since she seemed to like them a ton. But she just said she had two. Roxy and Zeus. We had figured Zeus was another cat, but when she put on the head band, a screen of her current thought popped up, showing Zeus was indeed, a pygmy goat. (Name) had a lot of strange stories, and each day she tells us some, I can't help but notice the look on Shiro's features when he saw her laugh. It was the kind of smile that you'd think this man won the lottery. But no. The black paladin was falling, and falling hard. 

As of right now though, I let my mind focus back on the girl in front of me. (Name) has been looking over my bloodied knuckles. We haven't said a single word to each other, but at the same time, A thousand have been spoken. We never met each others gaze, but I know she knew what happened. I was in the training room and when I had finished my level, I had just blown up. I started yelling at the top of my lungs and punching one of the pillars to hell and back. I only stopped because (name) rushed in and grabbed my wrists, holding them tightly until I calmed down enough. And now we're in the lounge, and she's cleaning my knuckles up and bandaging them. I looked up at her, our eyes meeting for the first time since the training room. "I'm sorry.." She smiled softly and held my hands gently with one of her own, and the other hand made its way to my cheek soothingly. "It's okay Keith, there's nothing to apologize about." I only nodded and hesitantly leaned into her comforting hand, and silence filled the room again. That is until she broke it again with her soft voice. "You were forced into this at a young age.. And knowing you the way I do, you just couldn't bottle anything up any more and this was the way you learned to relieve yourself. I know you didn't have a family to help teach you how to talk, or how to live in general. And not just survive. There's a difference from surviving and living. So far, you've got the being alive part down. But you really need to loosen up.. I know it's a shitty thing to say, and you've heard it all before. But it'll really help you. If you ever need to talk, and no one will listen, come find me." 

I nod and I feel myself being pulled into (name)'s embrace, but for once, I don't hesitate. My arms wrap around her smaller form, and I feel her arms around my waist. I know what she's doing. I saw it in the scanner, we all did. Comparing Pidge's normal female body to (name)'s, she didn't have the key part to making a family of her own. The opportunity was ripped from her by the hands of the Galra, so she's making up for the family she can't have by subconsciously adopting Lance, Pidge, Hunk, and I. She's only 5-6 years older than most of us, but to her, we were going through the same thing she went through when she was shipped out. (Name)'s just trying to help us through something she got no help with. And honestly? I couldn't be more grateful. I've never really had a mom, and she's never been one, so this is a new experience for the both of us. 

(Name) looked up at me when we pulled away, letting go of my bandaged hands. "Alright, you're going to take a break from training for now, okay? Let this heal and you can go right back in." I smile softly and nod, but my eyes shift to the figure standing behind (name) in the doorway. Shiro was leaning against the frame of the door, smiling at the two of us. "Oh look, you two are finally getting along." Sarcasm laced his voice as he walked over to us, standing across from me. (Name) grinned wide, eyes alight with wonder. "Oh not even, you weren't here a few seconds ago. We were beating the shit out of each other. I was just talking sense into him that I'm obviously the better fighter." My jaw fell open and I placed a hand to my chest, gasping and feigning hurt. "How could you even say that! You'll never land a punch like I can." (Name) just laughed, running her hand through her hair. Shiro shook his head and looked over at me, offering a hand to (name) to help her off the couch. "Alright, you two can 'argue' later. I need to talk to (name) in private." I raised an eyebrow but shrugged, leaning back on the couch. "Okay, don't kill each other. I'll be here if I'm needed."

(Name)'s POV

I turned around and waved back at Keith as Shiro led me out of the lounge before turning around again, chewing on the inside of my cheek. "So, what's up?" It was only when Shiro's hand left mine that I realized we were even connected for the short time we were. I slipped my hands in my pockets, trying to mimic the warmth Shiro's hand left there before our hands separated. I'm not a liar, over the months I've been here, a lot of things have shocked me about myself. I took the younger paladins in without realizing it, and I feel bad about it. They have families back at home, at least three of them do. Shiro might, he doesn't talk about Earth a lot. But Keith doesn't. So I have an excuse to take care of him without guilt. With the others I feel like I'm taking over. With Keith, I'm not ruining anything. But the most shocking feeling is that flutter in my stomach that ripples through my body whenever Shiro's around. I remember it being called butterflies from when I was back on Earth, but it never happened to me before. And now I know what they meant. But over the course of a few months, those 'butterflies' just kept getting bigger. And Shiro's an affectionate man, one for a lot of physical comfort. And when he holds my hand to guide me, or puts his hand on my waist, traces my scars like constellations when I'm staying the night with him, those butterflies become dragons.

I was knocked from my thoughts by a chuckle from behind me. I turned around to see Shiro standing by the lions hangar entrance, and I was a good 10 steps away. I was so caught up in my thoughts I hadn't heard him stop walking, or even listen to his answer from my question I asked before. I smiled and walked back like it was no big deal, letting him guide me into the lions hangar. "I said I wanted to show you something." I could only nod before I felt his hands cover my eyes. He was behind me, slowly guiding me forward. I could tell by the echos that we were passing by the lions to the glass protecting the hangar. We stopped walking right in front of the glass, at least I was pretty sure that's where we stopped. The echos of our footsteps were behind us now, reflecting off of the glass wall. Shiro's hands left my eyes, and the view before me left me stunned.

The ship was in the middle of a gas cloud, new stars sparking to life in every direction around us. I placed my hand to the glass, stepping closer to the barrier as if it would bring me closer to the stars. "There aren't many glass panels on the ship, and I figured you'd want to see." I just nodded, and when I felt Shiro's hands wrap around my waist, I let myself sink back against him. He was looking in my eyes, the way the star's light bounced off of my (e/c) orbs. When I turned to look at him, something broke. A barrier, the one holding everything back. It must have happened with Shiro too because one moment I was facing him, both of us smiling and relishing the others presence. My hands were on his shoulders, his on my hips, and our bodies pressed flush together. And the next moment, we were kissing.