#and i imagine hunk and keith are just kind of relatively chill with each other most of the time

[pidges-lost-robot]

I think Hunk and Keith love to just stand there as Lance and Pidge fucking roast the everloving shit out of each other and wonder whether people can just be nice and get along instead

(They are both hypocrites)

[my-one-love-is-music]

Be My Player 2? Ch. 27

Happy season 7 y'all!! My emotions were pulled in about 10 million different directions over the course of 13 episodes and if any of y'all need some emotional healing, hopefully this can help haha.

I'd also like to take a minute to say that earlier this week, this fic celebrated it's second birthday and it's unbelievable to me that this fic is two years old and has come so far. The response to this has been absolutely incredible and I'd like to thank each and every one of you for taking the time to read it and here's to many more chapters as I continue this story!

Also on AO3!

Keith breathed a sigh of relief when he walked out onto the floor of the restaurant and spotted George behind the bar. He’d spent all morning working on homework and he was practically braindead, knowing he’d have no energy to deal with persistent coworkers if he’d been stuck with Kayla on his shift.

George looked up as he approached and smiled. “I was starting to think you weren’t going to show.”

Keith stifled a yawn and swung around behind the counter. “Sorry. I’m not trying to be lazy on purpose. Getting back into the swing of school has just been tougher than usual so I’m really glad you’re the one I’m working with tonight.”

“Thanks, I guess?” he said with a chuckle as he set a drink on one of the available trays and picked up a new ticket. “I feel like I should be insulted by that.”

“You shouldn’t be,” Keith said. “I could use a friend around while at work.”

George paused, his eyebrows furrowing. “Everything’s okay with you and Shiro, right?” he asked.

Keith blinked and grinned. “Yeah, of course! We’re doing really great actually and are probably going to watch a movie after I get off tonight. Although with how I’m feeling I might fall asleep before we even get started.”

George relaxed. “Good. I’d hate for the two of you to be having relationship troubles on top of all the other stress you’ve got going on.”

“Nah,” Keith said fondly as his brain sifted through memories of his boyfriend. “We’re really good. I’m just waiting for Spring Break to get here so I can see him again.”

“How are you handling being separated?”

Keith let out a breath and readied the bottles for the drink he was making. “The first few days were rough. It’s gotten a little easier since we both have things we have to do, but I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t rather have him around.”

George nodded. “I can imagine. Vacation will be here before you know it and you’ll be back together again.”

“Yeah…” Keith said, more than a little wistfully. He glanced over at George and saw his knowing smirk, snapping him out of his thoughts. “School and work will make it feel like time flies by. I won’t have a second to spare to sit around and miss Shiro.”

George chuckled. “Yeah, hold onto that. Don’t let yourself lose that spunk. You’re going to need it.”

“Don’t I know it,” Keith grumbled.

George grinned, and they continued working in silence. Keith was glad to give his brain a little bit of a break from any form of mental strain. He could pretty much make every drink in a daze at this point. He didn’t need to focus on his work as much as he did when he got started as a bartender since the craft was second nature to him now.

Maybe he could convince Hunk and Pidge to buy a ton of booze and he could mix drinks for them. It probably wouldn’t get them drunk as quickly as straight shots of vodka and tequila, but he knew it would be fun nonetheless.

The night and the orders coming in were slow for a Saturday, but Keith wasn’t complaining. It was better than a rush they couldn’t control, and he hoped it would last for the rest of the night.

George passed him a glass as he pulled bottles of alcohol from under the counter, mixing the drink before setting it next to the ticket on the tray. George took his dirty mixers and dumped them into the sink, sticking his hands into the soapy water to start washing as Keith hung to the side and waited for the next drink to come in.

He sighed and crossed his arms, eyes roving over the few tables of patrons he could see from his place behind the bar. He let his mind start to wander now that he didn’t have anything to focus on.

~~

Keith dug his hands into his jacket pockets as he slipped out of the back door of the restaurant. The sky was dark, and the kitchen staff were doing their last rounds of cleaning before they got to leave for the night. Keith didn’t envy that kind of work when he got to leave so much sooner than they did. He also didn’t have to come in as early since they had kitchen prep, too.

The snow and salt that was still left on the sidewalks crunched under his feet as he walked back to his place. For once, he wasn’t in much of a hurry and the cold wasn’t bothering him too much despite being in the throes of winter.

Keith’s head tilted back, and he looked up between the buildings. He couldn’t make out any of the stars and the moon’s light was muted behind the clouds that hung over the city. It was supposed to snow again that night and he hoped it wouldn’t be too deep when he had to leave for work the next day.

His breath puffed out between his lips and he turned his gaze back to the sidewalk. He walked past a few strangers who were out, but they all kept to themselves, eyes focused on the walk in front of them. Keith didn’t mind. Interacting with strangers was one of his least favorite things to do.

Keith pulled his keys from his pocket as he jogged up the steps to his apartment building. He unlocked the door and pushed inside, the warmth of the building enveloping him like a hug. He hurried up the stairs to his floor, knocking the lingering salt and snow off his shoes before he walked into his place.

He threw his coat over the back of the couch and started stripping out of his work clothes as he walked into his bedroom. He changed into a pair of broken-in sweats and threw on a hoodie. The cold hadn’t been so bad when he was outside, but a chill still managed to linger in his bones now that he was in the confines of his home.

He pulled the sleeves of his hoodie down so they were almost over his hands and grabbed his computer, climbing into bed. He pulled his blanket around him as he started up his laptop and snuggled down inside the fabric. It was slow to start, and he drummed his fingers on the casing as he waited for the different programs to load.

Keith’s phone vibrated next to him and he picked it up, smiling when he saw it was Shiro texting him.

Shiro: You home?

Keith: Yup. I’m getting my computer set up now.

Shiro: Great! I’ll get rabbit set up and you can join my room when you get on there.

Keith: Sure

He leaned forward and adjusted the pillows behind him before he slouched down, trying to get more comfortable. His computer felt so slow and he wanted everything to load so he could get to Shiro.

Finally, after too long, he was able to open his web browser and pull up rabbit. There was already a notification waiting from Shiro and he clicked on it, taking him to Shiro’s room where Netflix was up on the screen.

He clicked on the mic, impatient as it took a couple seconds to calibrate and connect properly.

“Hey,” he said, probably a little too gruffly.

“Hey, baby,” Shiro said. “How are you?”

“Tired,” he sighed.

“Busy night?”

“Not really, actually. It was pretty slow. At least for me and George. But the amount of homework I had this morning and then work was a strain and I’m exhausted.”

“I’m sure it’ll get better.”

“Yeah,” Keith sighed. “I’m just ready to spend a nice night with you and watch a movie. I’ll warn you now though that I might fall asleep.”

Shiro chuckled and it made something warm curl in Keith’s chest.

“I think I can forgive you this time,” he said. “Are you going to be busy tomorrow?” he asked.

“I’ve got work tomorrow night, but my morning should be free. What’s up?”

“Well…” he said, and Keith could hear the grin in his voice and thinly veiled excitement. “I figured since we’re getting close we should book your plane tickets.”

“Close being a relative term?” Keith asked with a chuckle.

“Close in terms of needing to make travel planes,” he said.

“Okay,” Keith said. “It’s a date.”

“Not a very romantic date,” Shiro grumbled.

Keith shrugged even though he couldn’t see him. “It’s the best we can do right now. But if you really want something romantic, we can watch a rom-com tonight.”

“Eugh,” Shiro said and Keith could almost see his grimace. “No thanks. I think I’ll be the nerd I am and watch some sci-fi.”

“Took the words right out of my mouth, babe,” Keith said, letting himself sink back into his mattress. The cold was starting to recede, replaced by a strong warmth that spread from his chest.

“Does this mean I get to pick the movie?” Shiro asked.

“Sure,” Keith said, grinning. “But you better make it good.”

He watched as Shiro scrolled through Netflix, going through the shows and films suggested for him. He clicked on one and read the description.

“This sound good?” he asked.

“Sure,” Keith said, unable to stifle a yawn.

Shiro chuckled and hit play. “Don’t fall asleep on me.”

“No promises,” Keith said, lazy grin pulling at his lips. “You’d physically have to be here to stop me.”

Shiro hummed as the intro to the movie started to play. Keith was more focused on the sound of Shiro’s voice than what was happening on the screen in front of him. “If I was there with you then I wouldn’t mind letting you sleep.”

Keith huffed a laugh. “And why’s that?” he asked.

“Because,” Shiro said. “I’d be able to hold you and watch you sleep. I’d know you’re getting the rest you need and not working yourself to death.”

The warmth in Keith’s chest spread. “Well, you’re just going to have to trust me for now.”

“I know,” Shiro sighed. “And I do, but…”

“But?” Keith prompted.

“But that doesn’t mean I wouldn’t much rather have you here with me.”

“And I’d much rather be there with you,” Keith agreed. “But we still have another month and a half before that’s going to happen.”

“Keith?”

“Yeah?”

There was a pause, the only sound between them coming from the movie on the screen.

“I love you.”

Keith smiled and snuggled further under his blanket. “I love you, too.”

Shiro’s laugh was soft and sounded giddy. Keith was feeling the same.

“If you get too tired, let me know and I can shut off the movie and let you sleep.”

“Okay,” Keith said.

He looked at the screen but wasn’t really seeing what was going on. Not that it mattered all that much.

~~

Keith grumbled when his alarm went off. He reached for it, swatting his hand on the bedside table until he found his phone and was able to pick it up to shut it off. He yawned and rubbed at his eyes, trying to fight through the lingering sleep that wanted to pull him back to his dreams.

He forced himself to sit up and sat there, looking around his room as he tried to get his thoughts in order. There was a chill to the air that he’d been able to ignore under the blanket and he wrapped his arms around himself, wanting to fall back into bed go to sleep.

He grabbed his hoodie he’d discarded the night before and tugged it on, crossing his arms over his chest as another violent chill moved through his body.

“What the hell,” he grumbled, climbing out of bed. He flinched when his feet hit the wood floor and cold seeped into the bottoms of his feet.

He tiptoed over to his dresser and pulled out a pair of socks, awkwardly balancing to shove them onto his feet. He hurried into his living room and checked the thermostat, gaping when he saw the temperature was under forty degrees.

He rushed back into his bedroom, snatching his phone from the bedside table before dialing the number for the superintendent.

“Hello?” he asked, voice obviously tired.

“Hey, it’s Keith and the heat-“

“Say no more,” he sighed, interrupting. “The heat’s out in the whole building. I’ve put in a call to have the maintenance crew come in and they’re going to get here as soon as they can. The snow’s pretty bad outside and they have to come across town so sorry to say that it might be a few hours.”

Keith blinked. “Oh,” he said. “Okay. Thanks.”

“Of course,” he said. “Is there anything else you need?”

“Nope, that’s it.”

“All right,” he said. “Call if you need anything else.”

“Sure,” Keith said, ending the call. “This is going to be fun,” he grumbled to his empty apartment and sighed. He could at least be grateful that he still had electricity.

He shuffled into the kitchen and started rummaging through the cabinets, searching for something to keep him warm. He found a can of instant hot chocolate mix and set a pot of water on the stove to boil. As he waited, he retrieved his computer and several blankets and set them up around the couch to have somewhere warm to retreat.

His phone buzzed as he was mixing the boiling water with the hot chocolate mix into a large mug. He absentmindedly stirred the mixture with a spoon, picking up his phone to find a message from Shiro waiting for him.

Shiro: Morning, babyyyyyy

Keith smiled and carried his phone and hot chocolate into the living room, getting comfortable among the blankets before he replied.

Keith: Cold morning

Shiro: Awww, need someone to come warm you up?

Keith: Yeah, actually. The heat’s out in my building

Shiro: Shit

Keith: Yeah, it’ll hopefully be fixed by the afternoon, but the snow we got was bad and I don’t even want to think about what the roads look like

Shiro: You got anything to keep you warm?

Keith: Lots of blankets and hot chocolate, but that’s about it. I’m kind of wishing I had a space heater, but I don’t even know where I could go buy one or if I’d even want to go outside when I don’t have to.

Shiro: Sorry

Keith shrugged even though Shiro couldn’t see him.

Keith: Can’t be helped. The best I can do is deal with it. I’ve got work later so that’ll give me somewhere warm to go if the heat’s not on soon.

Shiro: You at least ready to book your plane tickets?

Warmth bloomed in Keith’s stomach that had nothing to do with the hot chocolate he was drinking. He bit his lip, excitement spreading through him.

Keith: Definitely.

He reached for his computer and nestled it over his blanket covered legs, clutching the warm mug close to his chest. His phone started to ring, and he answered it quickly, cradling it between his shoulder and his ear as he typed in his password with one hand.

“Hey,” he said, keeping his attention on his computer that was booting up.

“Morning, babe,” Shiro said. “Have you looked at any prices yet?”

“Nope. I’m just getting my computer powered up now, so it could be a minute or two before I can get on the internet. The one good thing about this morning is that electric is still working. I really don’t know what’s up with the heat.”

Shiro hummed. “Yeah, that is kind of strange… Maybe there’s a short or a connection slipped.”

Keith sighed. “I guess we’ll find out,” he said, taking a sip of his drink. He opened his web browser. “Okay, what airport am I flying into?”

“Melbourne International Airport,” Shiro answered.

Keith hummed, typing in the airport and the flights there from Chicago. “These aren’t bad,” he said, scrolling down through the list of flights that was only a couple hundred bucks for round trip tickets.

“What time do you think you could get in?”

“Well, I can finish up my classes on Friday and pack that night and leave Saturday morning. I’d get there in the middle of the afternoon, but I could stay until the next Sunday if you’re okay with me staying a little over a week?”

Shiro chuckled. “Do you even have to ask?”

“I just want to make sure,” he grumbled.

“I’m perfectly fine with you staying that long. Hell, I’d welcome it. I’ve missed you so much that I want to spend as much time with you as I can.”

Keith bit his lip and felt his chest warm despite the cold that permeated everything around him. “I’d have to get a noon flight back,” he continued after Shiro’s words had hung in the air too long.

“That’s fine. I’m good to take you there and pick you up whenever you need it. My schedule’s a lot more flexible than yours was.”

Keith smiled. “Okay, give me one second. I need to grab my wallet so I can pay for these.”

Warm butterflies exploded in his stomach. He hadn’t even thought about it much before now that this was actually happening, but now there was no mistaking the face he was going to fly down to Florida to see his boyfriend. It was something he never would’ve expected to happen in his life.

“I’m going to put you on speaker, okay?” Keith asked.

“Sure.”

He hit the speaker button and set the phone to the side as he started booking the tickets. He typed in his personal information, grin getting wider as he reached the bottom of the page and put his payment information in.

“Okay,” he said softly before clicking the payment button. “It’s done,” he said when the confirmation flashed. “I’m officially coming to visit you over spring break.”

“Make sure to send your flight numbers and info to me,” Shiro said.

“Don’t worry,” Keith said, picking up his phone. He took it off speaker and leaned back against the cushions, eyes still locked on his computer. “I’ll get all of that to you later.”

“Hey, Keith?” Shiro asked.

“Yeah?”

“You’re coming to visit me.”

He breathed a laugh, chest ready to explode. “Yeah. Yeah, I am.”

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