#still the funniest one was when i was blocked on both tumblr and ao3 like damn What did i even do to you to get blocked on ao3 ????

[br1ghtestlight]

i always think it's a little bit funny when someone has me blocked on twitter AND tumblr like this wasn't being passively annoyed by me one time they have Active beef w/ me. they searched me out just to block me. i dont really mind but im always curious when its someone who i don't even recognize

[my-one-love-is-music]

Be My Player 2? Ch. 31

(Not sure how long my fic updates will be able to keep getting put on tumblr but I’ll keep trying until I can’t anymore.)

Also on AO3!

Keith huffed and ran a hand through his hair as he stared at his full closet. His empty suitcase was sitting on his bed and even though he’d had his packing list prepared for over a month, he still felt overwhelmed by everything that he needed to take.

“Hey, Shiro?” he asked.

“Yeah, what’s up?” Shiro asked, voice coming from his computer where it was sitting on his dresser with Skype pulled up.

“I literally have no idea how I’m going to get packed tonight.”

“Where’s your packing list?” Shiro asked. “Don’t you have it?”

“Yeah, but I literally just said I needed shirts. What kind of shirts do I need to bring? Which shirts do I want to bring?”

“Short sleeves and then you’re going to want a jacket because it can still get chilly early in the morning and at night,” Shiro said. “And if it’s windy during the day, a jacket will help cut through the chill too.”

“Okay,” Keith said, not sounding entirely convinced. He shoved his hangers to the side, looking at the shirts he had. Most of what he had was black or navy since they held up the best against constant wear and tear. He tossed several shirts over his shoulder to his bed until he had enough that would get him through the week.

“I just want to say that seeing random shirts fly across the screen with no explanation was the funniest thing ever,” Shiro said.

Keith rolled his eyes. “Shut up, Shiro,” he said, shooting a look at him as he stepped back into view to fold the shirts and stuff them into his suitcase.

“It’d be a crime if I did. I’m far too entertaining.”

Keith chuckled. “I think you’ve been spending too much time with Lance. His ego is starting to rub off on you.”

“Maybe so, but it keeps things interesting.”

Keith hummed, eyes focused on the fabric in his hands.

“You ready for your flight tomorrow?”

Keith smiled and turned away from the camera to walk back to his closet. “Yeah, I think it’ll be alright. First time on a plane and all that. I’m more excited than nervous right now since it means I’ll finally see you again tomorrow.”

“Me too, baby,” Shiro agreed.

Keith grabbed several pairs of jeans and draped them over his arms. He paused and furrowed his brow. “Is it warm enough for shorts down there yet?”

Shiro hummed. “Some days it is. You might want to be prepared for both though.”

Keith nodded and remembered that Shiro couldn’t see him. “Okay.” He grabbed a couple pairs of shorts and tossed the pile onto his bed before he folded them and added them to his suitcase.

Shiro smiled at him as he walked over to the dresser and Keith rolled his eyes but smiled back.

“I think I’m brain-dead after mid-terms this week,” Shiro said, leaning back against the pillows on his bed. “I’m surprised I’m even functioning right now.”

“I think it’s adrenaline more than anything. But if you need to pass out, go ahead.”

“Are you kidding?” Shiro scoffed. “And miss you pack for your trip tomorrow? Never.”

Keith grinned and pulled several pairs of boxers and socks from his top drawer. “Good to know you’re so dedicated.”

“I’m always dedicated when it comes to you,” Shiro said, cheesy grin pulling at his lips.

Keith hummed and hurried back to his suitcase to drop the pile of underwear and socks inside. He picked up his list and marked off everything he had packed and went back to his dresser to get a spare change of pajamas.

He tossed them over to the bed and lifted the computer from his dresser. “I think that’s about all I can pack for now. The rest is toiletries and I can’t pack those until after I wake up tomorrow and get ready to leave.”

“You take out your trash yet?” Shiro asked.

Keith paused and frowned. “I think so, but I’m going to check. I don’t need to get a complaint when I’m not even here that something smells like it died.”

He carried his laptop with him to the kitchen and found the trashcan satisfyingly empty. He double-checked he didn’t have any perishables that would go back while he was gone before he returned to his bedroom and moved his suitcase to the floor.

He slipped under his covers and positioned his computer on his stomach. “Now we match.”

Shiro chuckled and wormed his way deeper under his covers. “You should get some sleep.”

Keith shrugged. “Yeah, but I can talk a little longer. Unless you want to get rid of me?”

“I only want to get rid of you now because it means you’ll get here sooner. This wait is killing me.”

“I know. Before now I had work and mid-terms to keep me busy but now there’s nothing but the ticking clock that’s mocking me with each slow second that has to pass before I can see you again.”

“Then turn off your computer and lay in bed. You’ll get to sleep quicker,” Shiro argued.

“Then why don’t you log off first?” Keith challenged. “If you leave then I’ll be forced to go to bed and can’t stay up talking to you until midnight.”

“Maybe I will,” Shiro teased.

Keith smirked and waited, raising an eyebrow for each second longer that Shiro stayed on Skype.

Shiro groaned and scrubbed his hands down his face. He huffed a sigh and sank back into his mattress. “Okay,” he finally admitted. “I’m going to go away and sleep and curse everything in the universe that is keeping you away from me.”

“Goodnight Shiro,” Keith whispered.

“Goodnight Keith,” he huffed, pulling his hands away from his eyes. “I can’t wait to see you tomorrow.”

Keith let out a long breath, letting the tension go from his shoulders. “Me too. I love you.”

Shiro grinned. “I love you, too.”

He waited another second before he reached forward and ended the call. Keith closed his eyes, pressing his head back into his pillow. He needed to sleep. He knew he needed to sleep, or he was going to be exhausted when he woke up and he wouldn’t want to get out of bed and get moving.

But he was also wide awake and knowing he was going to see Shiro again in less than twenty-four hours had his heart beating just a little bit faster.

Keith opened his eyes and shut his computer. He rolled onto his side and set it on top of his bedside table and shut off the light, rolling back over to settle into bed and get some sleep.

A moment passed, and he worked to even out his breathing. He heard the distant sound of a car horn outside and a siren several blocks away. Something creaked in the building as the walls and wood settled.

Keith sighed and pulled his comforter a little tighter around him. He turned onto his back, sliding a hand under his pillow to give him something firmer to sleep on.

He huffed and rolled onto his opposite side, pulling his knees up to his chest as he let out another heavy breath.

Keith growled and forced his eyes open. He snatched his phone from the bedside table and pressed the power button, finding only a minute had passed.

“Fucking hell,” he muttered. He snatched his computer from the table and forced the lid open, glad he hadn’t shut it down. He pulled up Netflix and searched for Bob Ross’s painting specials, starting the first episode.

He smiled as Bob Ross’s kind face filled the screen and his calm voice emanated from the speakers as he introduced the painting he was going to be doing that day.

Bob Ross was calming and as one episode turned into the next, he found himself getting drowsy, but he was still awake enough that he wouldn’t be able to sleep if he shut his computer down.

Keith yawned and covered his mouth. He shifted in bed and moved his computer onto his comforter so he could curl up on his side. His eyes got heavier and heavier and he had to fight to focus on the image on the screen as his vision blurred from exhaustion.

Finally, Keith managed to fall asleep during one of the episodes as Bob Ross pulled the shaping paper from his forest landscape.

~~

Keith jolted when his alarm sounded, sending his heart pounding in his chest. He jolted upright and snatched his phone from the bedside table to shut off the alarm, panicking for a moment that he’d forgotten his flight and was going to miss seeing Shiro.

He relaxed when he checked the time and was comforted that he still had plenty of time before he’d need to get to the bus stop for the shuttle. He scrubbed at his eyes, trying to clear the sleep from them as he yawned.

He was exhausted and his limbs were heavy from his lack of sleep. But he knew he could sleep later and getting up and out of his apartment was the most important thing.

He pushed himself from his bed and grabbed the pile of clothes he’d left out to change into in the morning. He shuffled into the bathroom and squinted against the harsh light when he turned it on.

Keith changed slowly, movements lethargic due to his sleepiness. He brushed his teeth, eyes nearly falling shut multiple times before he tossed his pajamas into the hamper and carried his toothbrush and deodorant into his bedroom, shoving them into his backpack.

He pulled his computer towards him and properly shut it down before adding that to his backpack with his chargers. He double checked his headphones were in the front pocket and shoved his wallet into his jacket with his phone.

He grabbed his luggage and gave one last look around his bedroom before he left it behind. He stopped to change the temperature on his thermostat, leaving it cooler than what he needed but not cold enough that any of his pipes would freeze in case the temperature took an unexpected dip.

Keith paused at the front door and shoved his feet into his boots, lacing them up quickly. He bit his lip, fighting down the excited smile that pulled at his lips. He was starting to wake up now that he was reminded of what he was awake for.

He glanced around his apartment one last time and grabbed his keys, opening his door to step out into the hallway. He locked and double-checked his door once outside and made for the stairs, hurrying for the first floor as his suitcase banged against the side of his leg.

He braced for a blast of cold air that he wasn’t quite used to not being around anymore now that spring was approaching. There was still a chill in the early morning air but nothing as brutal as the middle of winter. He turned left and walked the few blocks to the bus stop that would pick up the airport shuttle and set his suitcase at his side, stuffing his hands into his pockets as he waited.

Keith pulled out his wallet while he waited and counted out his fare, squeezing it tightly in his hand. Headlights shone across him as a large vehicle turned down the street and he recognized the lumbering form of the city bus.

It rolled to a stop in front of him and Keith stepped inside when the doors pulled open. He put his money into the tower and pulled his suitcase to one of the many open seats, shoving it in next to him as they started forward.

Keith’s leg jiggled up and down as they wove through the streets. He was impatient and ready to be at the airport. The day was going to be a long one and he couldn’t wait until he was reunited with Shiro again.

A few other passengers climbed onto the bus and took their seats, staring out the windows at the buildings outside. They made it to the airport without issue and Keith nearly raced off the bus and through the main doors, impatient to get checked in and get to his gate.

He walked past the range of airlines until he found his own and got behind a couple at the front of the line. There was only one attendant working at the early hour, but she seemed friendly and awake for being alone.

The people in front of him were checked in rather quickly and Keith fumbled with his wallet as he approached the desk.

“Good morning,” she greeted. “May I have your license please?”

Keith nodded and handed her his ID she checked it over and hummed under her breath as she maneuvered through the steps on the computer screen.

“Are you checking a bag today?”

“Uh, yes,” he said, gesturing to the suitcase at his side.

“Go ahead and place that up here for me.”

Keith lifted it onto the scale and watched as she nodded and printed off a bag tag to wrap through the handle. She stuck it together and lifted it easily from the scale, placing it on the conveyor belt behind her.

“Here are your tickets,” she said, placing them in an envelope, “and your gate is C23,” she said brightly, handing it over to him with his license.

“Thank you,” he said with a nod and hurried away from the counter and towards the stairs that would take him to security.

He ignored the restaurants and shops that were in the main entryway. He knew he’d need to grab something to eat once he was inside, but he didn’t want to get stuck outside of security even though he still had two hours before his flight was set to board.

Keith tapped his fingers nervously against his thigh as he waited in the single security line. The attendant looked bored as he scanned tickets and checked licenses. Keith fumbled with his ticket and license when he made to hand them over and got a sigh in return that made his cheeks flush.

The woman directing people to put their belongings on the belt and step through the scanner was friendlier and he was glad to have her help as he put his things in the correct bins. She waved him through and he had no issue collecting his belongings.

Keith relaxed once he had his shoes on and his backpack resting on his shoulders, his ticket securely in the front pocket. He stopped at the first coffee stand he found and got a large coffee and a muffin, taking a long sip from his steaming cup.

He strolled past the other shops, stopping every now and then to browse if something caught his eye while other travelers hurried past to get to their gates. He picked up a cheap paperback that probably wouldn’t offer much of a quality story but would keep him busy if he got bored.

Once he made it to his gate, he settled into one of the available seats. It wasn’t overly crowded, but the nicest chairs and the charging stations had already been taken by college students and a few people who were obviously on business trips if their briefcases and the laptops glued to their hands were anything to go by.

Keith pulled out his phone as he finished the last of his coffee and started to pull his muffin from the paper bag. He scrolled to Shiro’s contact, hoping he was awake, and hit the call button.

He fiddled with the paper wrapping on his food as he waited, butterflies swarming his stomach at being reminded once again how close he was to seeing Shiro again.

The line clicked. “Hey babe,” Shiro said, voice soft and warm and filled with so much more than Keith ever thought was possible.

“Hey,” he murmured, slouching in his chair to rest his head back.

“How’s it going? You’re not calling to tell me that you’re not actually coming, or you missed your plane or something, are you?”

Keith breathed a low chuckle. “No, nothing like that. I’m in the airport. I’m at my gate and I’ve got a muffin in my lap and you on the phone. I’m doing great.”

“I’d be doing better if you were here already,” Shiro murmured.

He closed his eyes and let out a long breath. “I’m almost there. Just a few more hours and we’ll be together and get over a week to spend together.”

“I wish it wasn’t just a week,” Shiro whispered.

“Me either but it’s better than nothing. And to be fair if I didn’t have to come back for school, we wouldn’t be able to get any schoolwork done together. We’d probably both fail out during our last few weeks.”

Shiro chuckled. “Yeah, you’re probably right. Did you manage to get to sleep last night?”

“Eventually,” Keith said, lifting the muffin to take a bite. “I don’t think I managed to get to sleep until two in the morning. I had to put on one of Bob Ross’s specials on Netflix to try and fall asleep.”

“But you managed to get out of bed and get to the airport this morning.”

“Yeah. I panicked when my alarm went off and thought I’d slept through my flight, but everything was fine and I’m here and I’m probably going to pass out on the plane because I’m so exhausted. Unless the caffeine kicks in soon. Then I’ll be okay.”

“You can get more coffee on the flight if you need it,” Shiro said with a laugh.

“I might pass while I’m on the plane but don’t be surprised if I try to bully you into going to a coffeeshop when I get there.”

“You don’t have to bully me, I’ll willingly take you,” Shiro agreed.

Keith smiled, his stomach flipping happily.

“Attention, we’ll be boarding for flight 2634A to Melbourne, Florida soon. Please have your boarding passes ready and standby for boarding instructions.”

“Well, they’re calling my flight,” Keith said, sucking in a breath.

“I guess I’ll be seeing you soon,” Shiro said, his grin audible.

“I guess I will. I love you, Shiro,” Keith murmured.

“I love you, too, Keith.”

Keith lowered his phone and ended the call, biting his lip to keep from looking like too big of an idiot as he prepared himself to see Shiro in just a few more hours.

If you enjoy my work, please reblog or consider buying me a ko-fi!