lonered | IC Inbox - MaskorMenace

[Keith flashes Shiro a look full of tired gratitude and reaches for the caffeine, fingers curling around the mug, bringing it in closer to breathe it in. Even the smell feels like it helps him wake up a bit.

But then Shiro speaks and Keith looks startled.]

For my... [Huh. He blinks.] I guess that is coming up. I hadn't really thought about it.

[Shiro smiles as he drops into the seat across from Keith and stirs his spoon in his coffee.] We have time to do whatever comes to mind. I made sure to have that day open.

[He takes a sip of his coffee and small sip is enough to wake him the whole way. He doesn't need it as much as Keith does but it is nice to have a pick me up.] Think about it and let me know. It doesn't have to be directly on it if you'd prefer it on another day.

[He'd kicked the caffeine habit in space, since, you know, space. But working at a cafe has gone and gotten him more than a bit used to it. He takes a tentative sip of his own coffee, testing the temperature before taking a more substantial sip.]

That's...

[Oh. A small smile starts over his features, and he tries and fails not to look as pleased as he is by that. Shiro actually cleared the day? Because of him? He looks down into his coffee, smiling.]

No, that day is great.

[And the idea of spending his birthday with Shiro is already the best sort of birthday he could ask for, but,] ...you know, they rent motorcycles at this place nearby.

[Not quite as good as his speeder back home, but...]

[He leans forward with a spark in his grey eyes. Keith has his attention. Not that Keith has to try very hard for that.] I know the place. Shall I call them on my lunch break?

[When was the last time he raced without a care? It’s been too long. His fingers itch to wrap around handle bars. Keith has to be just as itching to be feeling the speed of a good race.]

Anything else? [He watches Keith with a smile spreading across his face. He would prod the others of course and let them come up with a celebration to show Keith how much they all care. But the day itself belongs to Keith however he wants to spend it.]

[A grin splits its way across Keith's face as he nods.] Yeah. Sounds great.

[It'll be fun. To just take off, let the wind whip by and take everything with it. He sets his coffee cup down, fingers still wrapped around it.] No jumping off cliffs this time, old-timer. We'd lose our deposits.

[Keith thinks he's funny sometimes, understated as his humor may be.

He pauses at the anything else though, a momentary hesitation before he shakes his head.] I haven't exactly done anything for my birthday since my dad was around. You're the only one who ever really noticed. [And that's more than he could ask for.]

[Shiro snorts and takes a sip of his coffee.] A normal motorcycle can’t take that kind of jump or redirect the energy of the fall.

Remind me to stress that when Pidge starts learning to drive motor vehicles if she hasn’t already.

[The idea of Pidge who does what she wants and rarely listens to anyone behind the wheel gives him a cold sweat. He puts that aside.] And in this case, I think more than just I noticed, I’m just the one asking you directly.

Motorcycle race it is. Where we eat after is up to you.

...well that's terrifying.

[That's what Keith has to say to that. But there's a thread of amusement running through the words.

He nods though.]

That sounds really great.

I spotted some good places out of town we can race. Good for sparring away from prying eyes too. I need to eventually get used to the shape my Bayard takes.

[He has expected a sword. A throwing weapon covers a gap in his fighting style giving him a long range distraction to let him close the distance. Bayards do take more than one shape over time so, this could be its intial form until his connection evolves.

But who can say in this place.]

Now for the important question. Cake or...something else?

Perfect. And hey, any time you want to go, I'm down.

[Keith informs him with another grin. Sparring with Shiro is still fun, and he'd rather keep his own skills sharp while he's here.]

Cake. [He answers immediately. Cake is the clear answer here, and just in case there's a question, well,] Chocolate?

[It's... nice, having someone remember his birthday. A very warm, squishy feeling. How does he handle this?]

[He nods as he reaches into his pocket and produces his phone. He taps down a couple quick notes and sets it down.]

I know a good liquor that could go with the cake if you don’t mind trying something new with it. [And he knew he could turn to everyone for help. Getting tipsy with Keith could be a risk given the strangeness between them. It has only gotten stranger as of late.

And he was becoming slowly consciously aware of the shape of it. The toaster chimes and he gets to his feet. He snags the bagel slices from it and drops them onto the waiting plate.] Preferences on breakfast?

[One thing he definitely knows as he takes the butter and cream cheese from the fridge. He is attracted to Keith. The spar proved it beyond the shadow of a doubt.]

I'll try anything.

[Keith informs him with a nod, though his thoughts follow a similar path. The last time he and Shiro drank together... well actually it was great. Probably more complicated than was safe, but still. Really nice.

He wrenches his thoughts back on track.]

Besides, you've got pretty good taste. I'll trust you.

[He shakes his head at the question about breakfast. He'll eat anything put in front of him. He'd never been picky, but time in space had cemented that.]

[The days pass a little quicker than he thought they would. Then again, they have a lot to do so he shouldn't be that surprised. This reality is unstable and they're racing against a clock none of them can see. How long do they really have?

On the morning of the 23rd, he gets donuts from the bakery not too far from their place for breakfast. They can wolf the leftovers down other days or leave them out for Dick and Tim. Just like on the 18th he sets Keith's coffee down in front of him.] Morning, Keith.

You want to eat these on the way? We got a bit of a way to drive to go pick up the bikes. [They'd ride out beyond town from there. He's eager to get going but today goes at Keith's pace.]

[Coffee and donuts. Keith looks up with a smile, taking the coffee with a thanks.]

Morning.

[He echoes, but he's also quick to nod.] Eating on the way works for me. Ready when you are.

[So Keith is a little excited about the day, and it's showing, just at the edges of his tone and the eagerness in his own expression.]

[It has been a while since he got to race without a care. Darin has said he wants him to enjoy himself again. And he had, but this is different. This is taking back a small piece of the past from when life was simpler.

Keith has wanted this and he realizes so did him. Shiro grabs his keys from the table and downs the rest of his coffee.] Then grab the box and lets go.

[He had seen fit to get a rental car for the long trip out there. They’d drive it back once they got the need for speed out of their system. He heads for the front door with Black moving to settle on a chair by a window. Hidden from the street level, Black is decent security.]

[Keith drinks half his coffee in one go before nodding.]

On it.

[He's on his feet and grabbing up the box. A quick detour to pet the wolf and slip him one of the plain donuts (which Kosmo gobbles up eagerly) before following Shiro out to the rented car.]

It's been a long time since we raced. Think you can still keep up?

[He locks the front door behind Keith and laughs softly. It’s like They’re peeling back the events that led them to where they are now. No war. No arena. Just the open road and the military they need to obey when they return to work.

He checks the hidden key spot then finally looks to Keith with a wide grin on his face.] I think we need to be prepared to shake off your rust and adjust to something that isn’t Black or Red.

Or a hoverbike. [He is still grinning as he walks down the staircase and over to the truck parked in their designated parking spot. He unlocks the doors and slides into the driver seat. Once Keith is belted in he fires up the car and pulls out of the parking spot.] We’ll see who is keeping up with who when we shake that off.

[Keith settles into the passenger seat, donuts in his lap, looking over at Shiro as the other man drives. He puts the window down enough that the brisk autumn air outside rushes in and makes an even more unruly mess of his usual messy hair.]

We'll definitely see.

[For now, he settles back, looking surprisingly content. This is like slipping back to a time before everything got complicated, so very complicated. But complicated or not, they are who they are, and Keith is grateful for that much.]

Thanks, by the way. [He adds, a quiet smile playing over his lips.] For doing this.

[Shiro claims a donut and takes a bite as he steers the truck into early morning traffic. It's still warm and he savors it. He grins at Keith. He just can't seem to stop. Maybe it's the cool autumn morning but more likely it's getting back to activities they love.

Instead of war, planning for fights, and trying to peel apart the weirdness trapping them here.] Of course. I wanted you to have a good birthday and getting to race you?

That's a good day for me too.

Good.

[Keith nods before leaning his head back against the headrest and for just a moment shutting his eyes, enjoying the slight breeze, the motion of the car, Shiro's presence. It's... it's just a good, quiet moment.

By now he's learned how precious and rare those can be. He won't take it for granted. His eyes are open again a moment later and he's grabbing a donut for himself.

He reaches out for the radio then, turning it on and seeking to a station until he hears some music. The first notes are familiar, and Keith is about to leave the dial there until it registers just what song it is. Sweater Weather. Shiro should probably recognize it too, given they wound up compelled to duet with it in the very recent past.

Keith had looked up the rest of the song after that, and it's that knowledge that has him flushing and spinning the dial hard, radio landing on on static.]

[He almost chokes on the rest of his donut as the song flows through the cabin. Like Keith, he'd looked the song up. The lyrics had burned into his mind and he'd sat and wondered if maybe he needed to do a lot of thinking about what Keith means to him. It doesn't seem like something that he should put off.

Not when he has time to mull it over and figure out where he stands. In space he hadn't had any time to think about anything except making sure they made it out alive. No, he internally corrects himself as he reaches over and slides the dial over to a classic rock station.

He hadn't wanted to think about anything. He hadn't thought he would make it back to Earth. And thoughts of home would turn yet again to wondering Adam waited or followed through and found someone else.

Shiro turns onto the highway and speeds up to match the vehicles around him.] Recognize it? This is the same station they play at the gym.

It's this or traffic news in the morning when I'm heading to work.

[Oh thank god they're both just going to pretend that song didn't just happen. That's the much safer option. Keith relaxes back into his eat, trying to rein his thoughts back in before they go running down paths that are well-worn and well-known but ultimately end in the same conclusion: he can't.

Keith knows his own feelings, and he knows his friendship with Shiro is too important to risk. He's lost the other man one too many times already. So it's fine. It'll be fine. He tells himself this again and again. If no more musical performances try to sabotage him anyway.

He only looks back over at Shiro when he speaks again, nodding.]

Yeah. I do. This is great. [He relaxes again.] Way better than traffic reports.

You listen to anything on the way to work? [Shiro checks his speedometer at a glance. They’re one fourth of the way there. He keeps their speed steady and relaxes his shoulders. Keith won’t talk about the song but he clearly knows the lyrics.

Curious. It adds to the puzzle he’s been building of small things Keith does that are different from his own memories of him. It’s not that different when he looks at it objectively. It’s more like Keith is slipping and he can see through the cracks.]

And I thought you might like this one. All they do is play music. No commentary or anything like that. [He claims another donut.] I asked the fitness trainers at the gym. They gave me a list of radio stations like that.

Not really. I guess I got used to being in my own head, all that time in the Quantum Abyss.

[He grew very accustomed to the silence, since it was only him and his mother and the wolf.]

Might be nice to start listening to music though. I could pick up some head phones.

[Something to take him out of his head, even just a bit. Sometimes, after all, he spends too much time in it.]

Try it and see. I got in the habit as a cadet. It made it easier to focus on morning runs.

[He could think or just lose himself in the task. He tended to prefer the later and let his own awareness of himself judge when to stop.

After a moment he adds,] Once we drive back we can stop by an electronic store and I’ll show you which headphones I use.

[He turns into the exit to take them into the small section of town that is their destination.] ...I did notice you’re in your head a lot. Your stance shifts, you kind of curl in on yourself a bit.

Okay. [A nod. That sounds like a plan.] I'll give it a try.

[It really might be nice, and at the very least it can't hurt. His eyebrows lift when Shiro continues though, wondering a little at the way his heart goes and stutters at the thought of Shiro actually paying that much attention.

It's a dumb thought and he brushes it aside.]

Yeah? Well... my head's a dangerous place. I need to be on the defensive. [It's an understated joke, self-deprecating, but also entirely true in its own way.]

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