Waiting For You (A Sheith Story)

Blast Off! (Chapter 6)

Hi, I'm back! Sorry this is kinda short too... Anyway, thanks for reading, please leave a comment, and hope you enjoy!

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That night the two didn't go up to the roof like they had many nights after that first night. No, Shiro wanted to have plenty of sleep before the mission, and Keith respected his reasoning.

Little did Keith know, but that would be the last night they spent together for over a year.

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It was rather earlier than Keith had gotten used to, but he and the rest of the Garrison had awoken earlier to wish the Kerberos pilots farewell.

Well, the Garrison and most of the country.

The Holts: Matt and Sam, were shaking hands with many in the crowd, and gave long hugs to who Keith assumed was the wife and younger sister in the family.

Shiro too shook hands with many of the Garrison onlookers, but despite his bright smile, his eyes searched for the small black haired, pale teen.

Keith too pushed through the crowd, trying to get to his only friend at the Garrison. But could he even call him that anymore?

They were still friends, yet Keith felt that there was something more to their friendship, but he didn't know what. For the moment, Keith pursued the term of 'brotherhood' rather than just 'friendship'. Yet that didn't seem right either.

Keith shoved his way to the front before the two locked gazes. Shiro jogged up and wrapped Keith in a tight hug, knowing he wouldn't feel the teen's soft black hair or see his beautiful purple eyes for months.

"I'm going to miss you, Shiro," Keith whispered to where only Shiro had heard him.

"I'll miss you too, but Keith?" He asked quietly. The teen started to pull back to look him in the eyes, but the older pulled him deeper into the hug instead. "Wait for me."

"I will," Keith replied with certainty.

Shiro then reluctantly released the boy, and Keith stepped away and was drowned in the crowd as they were all ushered from the launch pad.

Keith watched alone as the ship Shiro piloted blasted off the pad and shot high into the sky. Soon, the ship was too far away to be seen.

Keith's fingers instinctively touched the gloves Shiro had given him. "See you soon, Shiro."

"Alright, cadets!" Iverson boomed. "Back to classes! A launch is no reason for a break!"

"It's a perfect reason for a day off," Keith growled.

"Who said that?!" Iverson demanded angrily. His glare shot through the crowd at Keith's retort, but Iverson had missed Keith, and no one around him dared to call him out.

Except one.

"Commander, sir!" Lance called, giving Keith a cocky sideways grin. "It was Cadet Kogane!"

Iverson's sharp glare was promptly trained on the emo, whose glare directed at Lance would've cut through steel. Keith could see Hunk trembling on the other side of him.

"Cadet Kogane!" Iverson's boomed. Keith automatically snapped to attention, but made sure not to hide the huge yawn that had appeared. "Explain yourself!"

"I assumed that those close to the men on the Kerberos mission would be given leave to celebrate their launch, sir." Keith spat the last word, and finished his response with a cold stare.

Everyone in the crowd, even the other families that had started to leave, could all feel the tension in the air between the cadet and instructor. Eyes shifted between the two to see how far the conflict would escalate.

"To. Your. Class. Kogane," Iverson hissed.

"Yes, sir," Keith spat back before stomping through the crowd that hurriedly parted for him.