InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "SENORA PSYCHO IS DEAD!"

WHO: Shiro & Keith
WHAT: Surprise snowstorm out in the forest near their cabin
WHEN: A week or so ago?
WARNINGS: Pretty tame just having fun with the stuck in a cave trope
STATUS: Complete

There was no warning. One minute the day was cold but tranquil. Kipp was having a weekend sleepover with Yrsa and Shiro was chasing Keith across the snow-dusted landscape not far from their cabin with an arm full of snowballs. The next - dark clouds were rushing in and icy wind howled through the clearing. The snow that started to fall was heavier than they'd seen it all winter. They headed for the cabin, but visibility dropped to zero so quick, it made Shiro's normally unshakeable sense of direction go haywire.

He realized a few seconds later that it was because his connection to Black was muffled. He could still sense him and there was nothing worrying there, but any attempt to reach out seemed to disappear into the mounting storm. Their phones were just as useless and had been shoved back in their pockets ten minutes ago.

At least they were dressed warmly. And they had a backpack with a few snacks and some water left in it. It wasn't much, but anything was better than nothing as Shiro pulled Keith along by a gloved hand, shielding his eyes with the other.

Shiro shouted over the howling wind. "There's a cave in this direction, I know there is."

If they were heading in the direction he thought they were.

"We can hole up long enough for this to pass over. It must be a small storm or we'd have had some warning from the weather app." He wasn't sure which of them he was trying to convince.

Keith kept his head down, his face shielded by his collar and the bulk of his husband's body, but his mind was sharp, focused. The storm was unforgiving, the wind biting at his skin, but he didn’t feel panic. He trusted Shiro to steer them true.

The older man was ahead of him, pulling them both through the blizzard with unrelenting determination. Keith could hear the confidence in his voice when he shouted about the cave, even though the storm made everything feel distorted, unreal. He didn’t argue. He trusted Shiro. He’d follow him anywhere. To the ends of the universe and through a freak blizzard, apparently.

"Yeah," Keith shouted back, his voice strong and steady despite the wind trying to take it. "I’m with you." The reassuring squeeze of his hand in Shiro's hopefully conveyed how much he meant that.

Keith's simple words soothed some of Shiro's anxiety instantly. There was so much faith there that it made him ache. In no universe would Shiro let Keith down ever again. Not if he still had his own mind.

He squeezed Keith's hand in return and kept his hold tight as he shoved forward for a while until they finally broke through a line of trees. The wind was a little less terrible here, and that meant their line of sight was too. His dark eyes tracked across the forest until finally he shot out his metal hand, pointing at a mangled tree the size of a small house.

"There! That tree is near the caves." Shiro turned to face Keith and pressed in close. "How are you holding up?" He let go of Keith's hand so he could press a gloved hand to Keith's cheek, hoping to warm him a little. Better than the frigid cold of his metal hand right now. "Do you need some water?"

Keith's breath came out in visible puffs, mixing with the snow and ice that bit at his face, but his gaze remained steady, focused on Shiro. He knew he was awful at self regulating his own internal thermostat, but he could put his whining aside until they were both safe.

“I’m good,” Keith replied, his voice muffled by the layers of his scarf. His lips quirked into a faint smile and his eyes fluttered close, as he pressed into the hand on his face, almost able to feel the warmth he knew was just beyond the glove. Eyes opening again, he glanced up at Shiro. “Just a little cold, but I can manage. Come on, Fearless Leader. Let's get to that cave.”

Shiro smiled tightly and leaned in to press a hard kiss to Keith's mouth before he swiveled like the soldier he once was and marched across the snow with Keith's hand back in his. The cold was getting even sharper, which baffled him. If it dropped this much in late afternoon, what was it going to be like when the sun set? He quickened his pace as well as he could when the snow on the ground was getting deeper by the second.

The caves came into view eventually and he searched the area for signs of wildlife. "Do you see any bear signs? Sense anything off?" Keith's half-Galra senses were sharper than his and they needed every edge they could get.

Keith always felt a little lightheaded after a kiss from Shiro, but he came back to himself quickly this time as they kept moving. When asked, he scanned the area carefully, his sharp eyes flicking over the cave's entrance and the surrounding area. The increasing intensity of the storm was obscuring most of his view, but those weren't the only senses he had. He felt the familiar tug of his Galra senses, reaching out through the howl of the storm, but there was nothing immediate. No sign of anything nearby, no unnatural sounds or smells that screamed danger. Just the overwhelming cold and the steady beating of the wind against his skin.

Keith took a cautious step forward, narrowing his gaze as he tilted his head slightly to the side. "No bears," he said, his voice steady, though it carried a slight edge of frustration because his sight wasn't in full play and the wind beating against his eyes was irritating. "I can't see everything with this storm, but I don't feel anything off. Just... the usual animals probably hunkered down for the storm. I'd kill for Atreus’ senses right now."

"Funny. I was just thinking how grateful I am to have you right now," Shiro teased, threading his fingers through Keith's again. "Come on. Let's get inside before visibility gets even worse."

He only peeked inside the first cave; it was too small with too wide of a mouth. The next one looked more promising. When they ducked inside, they found the cave curled around behind a corner, perfect for shielding them from the wind rushing in. Shiro lowered the backpack to the ground and looked more closely around the alcove. There was a chute in the ceiling, and signs of where a fire had been before. Someone had used this spot recently, probably for a very similar purpose.

"This should work. I'll get us some wood before the sun sets if we're still not able to get through to anyone." On that note, he pulled out his phone and frowned at the lack of bars. "We're going to have to start bringing a magical message stone or something," he sighed.

Keith nodded as he settled against the cool stone of the cave, his shoulders still tense from the cold. Shiro's words about the magical message stone made him chuckle despite the harsh conditions. "See, now I really do wish I had Atreus' abilities. I bet he could get that going for us the next time we see him."

Which Keith hoped would be soon. The idea of being away from Kipp longer than the sleepover period was a terrible thought and one he didn't want to entertain. "Let me come with you to get that wood though. We'll get it done quicker."

Shiro smiled and tucked his useless phone away. "I'm glad Atreus is with Kipp. And Lance, obviously. Knowing they have him is…well. It takes the edge off the worry."

There was no getting rid of the worry, after all. Shiro was a bit of a helicopter dad, as much as he tried not to be. He convinced himself that as Kipp grew, he'd grow with him. But for now, that was his little boy. And he needed to know he was safe above all else. With that thought in mind, he crowded closer to the other person he needed to know was safe above all else.

"Let's just stay here and warm up first. We've been out there too long." Shiro started rubbing up and down Keith's arms and then took his gloves hands between his own to rub them warmer too. "Any numbness? Pain?"

"No, I'm good," Keith murmured, his voice slightly amused at Shiro's overprotectiveness, softer as he leaned into Shiro’s touch. The rhythmic rubbing against his arms was a welcome sensation, even if it couldn’t completely chase away the chill that had seeped into his bones. "A little cold, but no numbness or anything. I think I just need a minute to thaw out."

He reached for Shiro's hands, still them as he slipped his scarf off. "Give me a minute, but then let's get back out there for that wood. It'll be useless to us if we wait too long." He knew that Shiro's priority had always extended to him over most anything else outside of their son, even common sense, but he wasn't a damsel and the cold was only slightly distressing now. It would become an actual problem if they didn't get a fire going eventually.

"So bossy," Shiro smiled. His anxiety was starting to ebb, thank god. They'd found somewhere to huddle away from the worst of the weather and they were together. They were whole and they had a plan. He just needed a minute.

"We could probably keep each other warm enough back here," he said, sliding down the wall furthest from the corner that led to the cave mouth. "But a bear might try to join." His snow boots were unfortunately not the best. He'd so rarely ever needed them for more than a few hours that he hadn't bothered to get new ones in a few years. Shiro toed off one of the boots and rubbed at his cold feet, feeling the pins and needles of warmth slowly seep back into them. "Remind me to break in a pair of warmer boots when we get out of this."

Keith chuckled inelegantly at Shiro’s remark, watching as his husband rubbed his cold feet. “You like it when I'm bossy.” Keith's hands joined his, the gesture intimate in a way that partners who had been together for awhile were comfortable with. "The only bear I'd let get in the middle of warming us up is Atreus," he joked, his own annoyance at the cold simmering down now that they were out of the winds. "At least you're making it easy for me to figure out what to get you for Christmas now.”

"Wrong. I love it when you're bossy," Shiro replied, letting out a quiet little groan when Keith's hands started working the cold ache out of his feet. The mention of Atreus sobered him a bit. No doubt Atreus had noticed something was wrong by now. Texts not going through or calls, even. They were a close knit group that kept in touch even while on dates. Especially when the other set had their kids.

"Let's hope that particular bear isn't worrying too much right now." Shiro reached out and pulled Keith into his lap, pressing a kiss to his temple. "We're supposed to be warming up. Not just me." He dipped his hands to start rubbing along Keith's legs and up over his hips.

Keith leaned back into Shiro’s embrace, feeling the heat of his husband's hands working across his body. Shiro’s touch, slow and deliberate, was already working to fight against the way his muscles had stiffened with cold. Even in the midst of the harsh storm outside, Shiro was trying to take care of him. It leaned into the feeling he had when he was with Shiro - like nothing could go wrong, that he was the safest he could be at his side.

The deep rumble of the wind outside was muffled by the shelter of the cave, but still the howling of the wind reached the warm cocoon they were creating. It caused Keith’s mind to wander back to their son and the friends they had left him with, prompted by Shiro's voiced concern. He hadn’t been worried at first, trusting in Lance and Atreus to look after him, but that never stopped the more irrational part of him from worrying about something happening while they weren't around.

"They'll be okay, right?" He asked, knowing Shiro would get it, that this wasn't a judgement on the protection that the Sanctuary and its owners provided. He looped his arms around Shiro's shoulders, pressing his forehead to his husband's to look him in the eyes to see similar worry reflecting back at him.

Shiro cradled Keith against his body instantly, wrapping his strong arms around him. He rested his forehead against Keith's, letting their breathing align before he spoke. It was nearly instantaneous, and that too was a comfort in this uncomfortable situation.

"There is no safer place for Kipp to be right now than in Atreus and Lance's care. And there's no safer place for Lance and Atreus to be than in each other's care. They'll be okay." He pressed a sweet little kiss to Keith's mouth. "And so will we," he added with conviction. They'd survived much worse. And that was before they were a fully united pair. He pressed in for another kiss, this one far more heated than sweet. "I wouldn't want to be stranded in this stinky cave with anyone else," he joked. "And not just because your body heat is insane, I promise."

Keith let out a slow breath, feeling the tension in his shoulders ease with each motion of Shiro's hands. His mind briefly flickered back to Kipp, but Shiro's words about their son being safe with Atreus and Lance eased some of the lingering worry. "Yeah, I know," he said quietly, eyes softening. "I just can't help but feel a little irrational. I guess it's hard not to think about him when we're separated against our wills."

He lifted his head slightly, meeting Shiro’s eyes. "But you’re right. He’s safe. They're safe. And we’ll get through this too." He gave Shiro a small, determined smile, the one that always came out when he was trying to reassure himself as much as anyone else. "Let’s get that wood, get these wet clothes off when we get a fire going, and maybe I'll let you leech more of my body heat in a more fun way.” He added a ridiculous eyebrow wiggle to lighten the mood.

Shiro leaned forward to kiss that little smile. He knew what it meant and he wanted to reassure as much as he needed to be reassured himself.

"You're a very good father and very good man, Keith. I don't think I tell you that enough." He swiped Keith's hair off his temple and kissed him there too, letting his mouth drift closer to Keith's ear.

"And you're a very good negotiator," he whispered as he pushed forward and stood, holding Keith right where he was. As much as he wanted to keep carrying Keith around, he wouldn't be able to cart much wood like this. He sighed and set Keith down on his feet. His boots were just as uncomfortable when he tugged them back on.

"Back into the fray, paladin. I'll follow you this time."