Sheith kitten

Takashi Shirogane: Don't be mad at me.
Keith Kogane: I'm not, bud.
Takashi Shirogane: You're sure? Mistakes have been made.
Keith Kogane: .... what kind of mistakes?
Takashi Shirogane: ... It.
Takashi Shirogane: It wasn't supposed to be like this.
Takashi Shirogane: I never meant for this to happen.
Keith Kogane: Shiro...
Takashi Shirogane: I just... It started out innocent enough, alright?
Takashi Shirogane: All I wanted to do was go to the swap moon since I never had the chance to go with the rest of you, get in, get some things, get out.
Takashi Shirogane: But then...
Takashi Shirogane: I don't know what else I was supposed to do.
Keith Kogane: Babe I have no idea what you are talking about.
Takashi Shirogane: I think it's better if I just show you.
Takashi Shirogane: I'm en route to the castle now.
Keith Kogane: Okaaaay
Keith Kogane: I'll be in your room when you get back. Unless it's an emergency?
Takashi Shirogane: [Incoming transmission from the Black Lion's cockpit: help.rgl
A shaky clip of camera footage obviously taken in the middle of flight. With a scuffle from some tricky one-handed movement, the camera focuses in on a small box caught between Shiro's thighs, the interior dark enough to obscure the contents. One paw flashes out to bat at the lens, and there comes a small meow that prompts a chuckle offscreen before the video abruptly cuts off.]
Takashi Shirogane: Dangerous to text while flying.
Takashi Shirogane: Safety first.
Keith Kogane: Babe.
Keith Kogane: Shiro
Keith Kogane: Did you get a cat??
Takashi Shirogane: ........
Takashi Shirogane: I didn't. NOT get a cat.
Takashi Shirogane: ... Are you mad at me after all?
Keith Kogane: Oh my god. Don't text and fly just get back here.
Takashi Shirogane: Yes, sir.
Takashi Shirogane: Five dobashes and I'm yours.
Keith Kogane: Hurry I want to see it!
Takashi Shirogane: Okay, so maybe it was closer to 3, but he gets there eventually and only receives minor grumbling from Black, resenting the attention he's given to their newest addition to the ship. He's got the box nestled carefully in one arm as he makes his way out of the hangar, still in his Paladin armor without even bothering to take off his helmet until he reaches the castle's residential wing. Despite all his cautious handling, the box's contents are not impressed with the arrangement and want to see and smell all the new experiences just outside its confines, so the second the doors to his room whirr open and closed, he pops the cardboard flaps open and out springs a fearless kitten, black but for the socks on its feet and the patch of white on its chest. "All I'm saying is, if Lance can bring home a cow, how was I supposed to resist this little guy making eyes at me?" He was helpless. Held captive by the misery of a poor animal that didn't deserve to be alone. It was calling to him!
Keith Kogane: Keith's eyes went wide as soon as he saw the kitten. Painfully slowly, he started to moved toward it, and then in and instant he had it scooped up into his arms, holding it against his chest as he stared down at it in awe. "I love him." He said, his voice quiet and fierce.
Takashi Shirogane: If nothing else, the look on Keith's face assured Shiro he had made the right choice after all. This was the middle of war and they couldn't afford another distraction when they were already stretched so thin fighting the Galra, but something about that little cat told Shiro he'd be a fighter. "He needs a name, you know," he offered, reaching one hand out to rub between the kitten's ears and the other one traveling upward to stroke Keith's hair. "I'm not even sure the Unilu knew what a cat was; they kept calling this little guy a 'kihyun.' He deserves to be called something better."
Keith Kogane: Keith leaned into Shiro's side as he peered at the little kitten. He held it up to his face, and the kitten batted at his hair, making Keith laugh. "He's a lil fighter..." He mused. "What about... Apollo?"
Takashi Shirogane: "Apollo, huh?" He tried Keith's suggestion to see how it felt, rolling the name around a few times before scratching just under the kitten's chin. "How 'bout it, little guy? What do you think of Apollo?" As if in response, he wriggled in Keith's grasp, tiny stump of a tail lashing as he let out what was supposed to be a fierce cry but ended up more of a squeak. "I think we've got a consensus," Shiro said, last few syllables turning into a laugh. "You picked a good one."
Keith Kogane: Keith grinned and cradled the kitten in his arms, letting it curl up there as he sat down on the bed. "He's so tiny..." He said in a small voice. "Was... was he alone?"
Takashi Shirogane: "As far as I know." His brows knitted together in concern as he considered this, never really giving too much thought to how young little Apollo was. "He can't be more than a few weeks old, so maybe his mother was already sold... It seemed like he was the last of his littermates." Though with the Unilu's business practices, it's likely these cats were treated as freebies for anyone interested in buying an Earth-exclusive fingernail clipper or something.
Keith Kogane: He frowned as he ran his fingers over Apollo's soft fur. "Last one picked huh? Probably the runt of the litter..." He cooed sadly. "It's okay bud." He told the kitten, who was now trying to nibble at his fingers. "You're perfect for us..."
Takashi Shirogane: "I'd say he was meant for us," he corrected, watching them interact with a smile that was the picture of fondness. "It's probably a good thing that he was the last one, otherwise I wouldn't put it past you to have taken the lot and threaten the shopkeep at knifepoint if that's what it took." Though he feigned horror at the idea, it was Keith's strong sense of justice that had drawn Shiro to him in the first place, so he couldn't begrudge the thought. "I think we'd better go ask Hunk about what we could feed him; somehow I don't know if food goo is going to do the trick."
Keith Kogane: "Yeah, probably..." He hummed as he started to pet the kitten again. He froze when at the sound of a soft rumbling, and the hand that wasn't petting Apollo clutched Shiro's arm in a death grip. "/Shiro/" He hissed desperately.
Keith Kogane: (you there?)
Takashi Shirogane: (( Hi, sorry for the wait!! I'm actually going through this exact scenario right now since my roommate just brought home a puppy, sorry for going quiet!! ))
Keith Kogane: (no problem!! And yay puppy!!!!)
Takashi Shirogane: It took effort to suppress the barely-imperceptible flinch at Keith's sudden grab, but he managed it with only a small pause as all of his senses went on high alert. "What, what is it?" Years of always being prepared for the worst possible outcome had him searching for some unseen threat; much longer and he'd have his Galra arm at the ready to slash any opponent to ribbons that wanted to do their small, fragile family unit harm--... up until the moment he realized it was just Apollo's purr and not the warning of a Robeast on the offensive. "Keith," he sighed in exasperation, "Don't do that so suddenly, you just about gave me a heart attack."
Keith Kogane: Keith ignored him. He normally would have felt bad for scaring Shiro, but he was too focused on the tiny ball of fur in his lap. "He's /purring/ Shiro." He said quietly. "He- he's comfortable with me..."
Takashi Shirogane: And just like that, every negative emotion melted away as he bumped Keith's hip with his own. "Well, why wouldn't he? You're two of a kind, you know."
Keith Kogane: Keith stared down at Apollo as the kitten played with his fingers. And then suddenly he was crying, sniffling and wiping at his eyes to try and hide the tears.
Takashi Shirogane: Oh, oh god, oh no, oh jesus christ. With his hands raised in helpless confusion, Shiro didn't know what to do with himself now that Keith was crying out of nowhere. The times he'd seen this were so rare in and of itself that he was artless when it came to instinctively knowing how to comfort. Shiro settled for wrapping an arm around his shoulder, giving a brief squeeze as his other arm reached to close around Keith's middle, careful not to squish the cat in his arms. "Hey, it's okay," he said, voice soft. "It's gonna be okay, I promise. What's wrong? Talk to me, co-pilot."
Keith Kogane: Keith hid his face in Shiro's chest, his shoulders shaking with quiet, hiccuping sobs. "H-he's just a baby-" He managed to get out. "He's so small and he didn't have a-anyone and he shouldn't- he shouldn't have had to be alone-" He cried. At this point he couldn't tell if he was talking about the kitten or himself, but he held it closer, and the kitten snuggled into his arms.
Takashi Shirogane: "Oh, Keith," he began, and those two syllables were full of so much emotion they could scarcely contain. His hands did some wandering upward, coming to bury themselves in the locks of hair that Shiro loved so much as he leaned down to press a kiss to the crown of Keith's head. "You're right, it isn't fair. But now he's got us, doesn't he?" And you've got me; Shiro left that unsaid, but it was evident in the way he pressed close. "We're going to make sure that he gets to grow up a fighter, and he'll know he's the most loved cat in the whole galaxy, yeah? How about it?"
Keith Kogane: "Yeah," Keith breathed out, his voice only shaking slightly. "We're his family now. And we're gonna take care of him." He vowed, eyes narrowing in determination. Apollo nuzzled against Keith's hand happily, his eyes closing as he gave him a tiny lick.
Takashi Shirogane: "See? He knows." With one final kiss planted on Keith's temple, he drew away for all that the urge to stay just like this almost overwhelmed him. "Duty calls. I'm going to ask around the castle and see if I can't improvise some food and water, maybe some toys, definitely a litterbox--" Counting on his fingers, it seemed that a lot more went into keeping a pet than he realized. "Did you want to come with and let the little guy sleep or stay with him? Your choice," he offered.
Keith Kogane: Keith kissed Shiro on the cheek, before looking down at Apollo again. "I think we'll hang out here. Maybe take a nap." He hummed. "Besides, my face is all red and stupid from crying. I don't want anyone to see that." He joked.
Takashi Shirogane: "Mm, sounds like a plan. I might join you once I've got everything settled." The image of Keith curled up with a kitten in his arms was too much to bear; Shiro wasn't going to miss that for the world. "But I like your stupid face," he said with a grin before he reached to wipe away the tracks that tears had made on his cheeks. "I just don't know if I'd want anybody but me to see it, either." It was nice, in a way, having these moments of private expressions all to himself.
Keith Kogane: Keith smiled at him and nuzzled against his palm. "That's a weird thing to be selfish over." He told him, laughing wetly. "But still sweet, I guess."
Takashi Shirogane: "I was hoping you'd say that," came his response. After a pause, he gently prised Apollo from Keith's grasp, holding him up with both hands wrapped around his middle as he regarded that tiny feline face with the utmost gravity. "Now, listen here," Shiro started in his very best Leader Voice. "You make sure to take care of Keith, okay? Don't let him get into any trouble." Apollo placed one bitty paw on Shiro's nose, prompting a grave nod as he took that as an affirmative. "Good to know we understand each other," he said, handing him back.
Keith Kogane: Keith giggled at Shiro's antics, curling on his side on the bed as he stared up at his dorky boyfriend. "You're so fucking adorable." He said, shaking his head as he took Apollo back, letting the kitten curl up against his chest again.
Takashi Shirogane: "Hey, nothing wrong with making sure my baby is keeping an eye out for my other baby while I'm gone, is there?" he asked with a touch of defensiveness to his tone. "I'll try and make it quick so I know you'll be fine, I just-- Nothing bad comes out of being too careful." As he made his way over to the door, he paused to look back at Keith. "I'm glad we did this. I think he's gonna fit in just fine."
Keith Kogane: Keith looked up at Shiro with a soft smile. "Yeah. I think so too." He said quietly as he pet Apollo's soft fur. "Love you."
Takashi Shirogane: "Love you, too," he said, unutterably fond. "Till then." And as he had a thousand times before, Shiro turned to allow the doors to open, hearing them shut behind them with an air of finality he knew was just a matter of his imagination playing tricks on him, but now, he had one extra reason to hurry back as fast as he could.