Blindsided

by avidbeader

Everyone knew it was just a matter of time. Shiro and Keith were too into each other for it not to happen. The constant gazing at one another, even when they were among friends. The serious discussions as they sorted out religion and politics and kids and aspirations. The big romantic gestures. Lord, the big romantic gestures.

Disclaimer: If you recognize the characters, they aren't mine. Just playing in Dreamworks' sandbox.

Note: Thanks to Latart0903 for her beta help and a nod to rosemaryandtime ("Out of the Desert") for inspiring the Shiro and Matt interactions.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Everyone knew it was just a matter of time. Shiro and Keith were too into each other for it not to happen. The constant gazing at one another, even when they were among friends. The serious discussions as they sorted out religion and politics and kids and aspirations. The big romantic gestures.

Lord, the big romantic gestures.

Shiro agonizing for weeks over what to get Keith for his birthday. Finally settling on an expensive GPS that operated on a different network from his phone so Keith could hike more places and not worry about losing signal and getting lost.

Keith finding that poem and seizing on it because the metaphors reminded him of Shiro's eyes. Rendering it on a posterboard and sketching around it, then cutting up the posterboard into jigsaw pieces and putting them all in an envelope for Shiro to assemble.

Buying multiple greeting cards for one another on special occasions and scattering them around the other's apartment to be found.

Sending flowers to one another was A Thing. Dropping in at the other's workplace was A Thing. Sending a daily text for no other reason than to say "I love you" was A Thing.

So when someone came into the bookstore about an hour before Keith's shift ended, carrying a rose and an envelope addressed to him, Lance and Hunk just nodded knowingly and pointed the guy toward Keith. Because Shiro was obviously making their planned dinner date a little more special.

Keith took the rose and sniffed in appreciation, then opened the note and smiled.

Lance asked, "Whatcha got there?"

Keith's cheeks took on a pink hue. "Shiro sent me a poem. No big deal." He laid them on the counter behind him. "Did you finish straightening sci-fi?"

"Yeah. Hunk's almost done with the cooking section."

Keith jerked his chin at a pair of older ladies who had just come into the store. "Check in with them? I need to finish the schedule for next week."

Lance pointed finger-guns at him and moved in to offer his assistance.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

About ten minutes later, another person entered the store carrying a rose and an envelope. Hunk raised his eyebrows at that, but when the person asked, he pointed the guy to Keith, who was working on the schedule behind the customer service counter. Lance drifted over.

"Another one? Is it some kind of anniversary or something?"

Hunk shrugged. "Not that I know of. Maybe Shiro's doing some kind of runup to Valentine's Day?"

"Maybe." They watched as Keith opened and read the note, blushed accordingly, and put the rose and note with the others.

Pidge entered and made a beeline for a reading nook near customer service, dropping her bookbag in one chair and pulling her laptop out to set on the table. She waved at Keith as she plopped into the second chair, distracting him from the scheduling program on the tablet in front of him.

"Any reason you're taking up two chairs?" he asked a little dryly.

"Matt's on the way with our dinner. Saving him a seat."

As the doors opened again, Pidge and Keith both looked up, expecting to see Matt. Instead, another stranger with a rose and an envelope was there, looking around. Keith blinked and headed for the woman.

"Are you looking for Keith?" She nodded and he held out a hand. "That's me. Thank you."

As the woman turned and left the store, Keith meandered back over to Pidge, opening the envelope. He pulled out the note, read it, and smiled.

She looked at him curiously. "What's that?"

"Shiro's doing something. Guess he wants to make our date special."

Pidge raised an eyebrow. "What's in the note?"

Keith went behind the counter to lay the rose and note with the others. "Just a quote from Lao Tzu."

She got up, leaving her laptop on her chair, and came over with her hand out. "Let me see."

"What? No!" Keith snatched up the three notes and backed away.

"Oh, come on, I just want to see what loverboy is doing this time."

Hunk came up with a stack of misplaced books and set them on the counter. "Don't be so nosy. He'll share if he wants to."

Pidge scowled at Hunk, but turned when the door opened. Matt entered with a bag from the Thai place down the street. She abandoned her inquiry and ran at her brother. "Food!"

Matt handed her the bag. "Don't eat all the dumplings." He then stepped over to the customer service counter, getting Keith's attention. "Is it okay if I clock in fifteen minutes early to make up for being late Tuesday?"

Keith nodded. Matt went back and moved Pidge's bookbag to sit, digging out his curry. Lance called over from the register, "Do you guys have to eat there? You're going to stink up the entire store with fish sauce!"

"Chill out, Lance," Hunk replied. "Maybe it'll get people browsing the cookbooks."

Another person entered with a rose and note, looking around, and four fingers pointed at Keith, who was staring at the scheduling program again. Pidge's eyes narrowed at her brother as the fourth round was handed to Keith.

She hissed, "Matt, you just got here. How did you know?"

Matt stilled briefly, his forkful of rice halfway to his mouth.

Hunk noticed and stepped over. "What's going on, Matt?"

He glanced at Keith, who was looking at the contents of the latest note with a faraway expression, the rose held to his lips. "I have to make sure the back door's unlocked. Just pay attention when Allura gets here."

Pidge knit her brow, thinking for a moment, then her expression lit up with excitement. "Holy shit, is Shiro—"

"Sh!" Matt glared at her.

She dropped her fork into her carton of pad thai and pressed both hands over her mouth. Her eyes danced with glee.

"Mind sharing?" Hunk asked as he worked on tidying a display of blank journals near them.

Matt's watch chimed and he wiped his mouth and stood. "Gotta clock in and fix the door. Pidge, not one word!"

Hunk turned on her as soon as Matt disappeared into the back room. She shook her head and pointed toward the entrance. "Line. Lance needs backup."

Hunk glanced over at the registers and, sure enough, there were five or six people looking to check out. He grumbled but went to assist.

Matt came back and scarfed a few more mouthfuls of curry before closing the container and putting it back in the bag. "Will you put this in the fridge when you get home?"

"Only if you'll tell me whether I'm right. Is he?"

"Yes, okay?" Matt dropped his voice to a whisper. "I was with him when he picked up the ring. Now finish your dinner. If you miss the 6:15 bus you'll have to wait an hour for the next one and neither of us will have food for lunch tomorrow."

She grabbed the last dumpling and gave him a devilish grin.

Matt moved to finish the journals where Hunk had left them. Someone entered and he looked over to see them looking around, a rose and a note in their hands. He waved and pointed toward Keith.

Pidge watched as Keith opened yet another note, burying his nose in the flower briefly before laying it with the rest. Whatever was in the note must have been serious, because his smile trembled, then faded as an expression of awe took over. He put the note back in the envelope and swiped at his eyes.

Lance circled over, having stuck Hunk with the last of the people checking out. "What's eating you, Mullet?"

"Leave him alone, Lance." Matt's tone was sharp and Lance snapped his head around to look at him.

Matt raised a finger to his lips, but Pidge jumped up and grabbed Lance's hand, pulling him over to the currently deserted biography section. He watched as Pidge explained and Lance's face morphed from irritation to delight. Then Lance ran over to the registers and whispered excitedly in Hunk's ear.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Keith was still shaken by Shiro's note. He laid it aside with the others, resting a hand on the stack of envelopes for a moment.

He had no idea what had prompted this. The rose and the Rossetti poem had felt like something Shiro might do, but then it continued. A quote from The Lord of the Rings about spending one lifetime with someone instead of untold ages alone. The Lao Tzu quote about love, strength, and courage. A photo of Keith that Shiro must have taken on the sly the last time they did karaoke, with an Oscar Wilde quote about singing a song only the other could hear. And now the note, with Shiro spilling out his heart in black ink on the page.

He ran a hand down his face and tried to tackle the schedule once more. He wanted to have it done before leaving so Coran could go over it and make any changes in the morning. But he only had about ten minutes left and couldn't stay late to finish, lest he and Shiro miss their dinner reservation.

It didn't help that Lance and Hunk and Matt all seemed to be hovering around. Lance ought to be on his dinner break and there was always shelf-straightening to do when not helping customers. Pidge had made herself at home, typing away at her laptop.

The door opened, and Keith felt a stab of surprise. Allura was coming in…

...and she held a white rose and a note.

All the other roses had been red.

She walked up and held the note out to him, laying the rose on the counter. "Hi there!"

Keith took the envelope, addressed to him in Shiro's distinctive handwriting. "Hi. Finally, someone I know. What's going on?" He looked at her as he got a finger under the flap and pulled it open.

She beamed and gestured to the paper. "Read it."

Keith looked down to see two words: Turn around.

He turned just in time to see Shiro mounting the two steps up to the elevated space behind the service desk. He was carrying his suit jacket and dropped it on the counter, his other hand clenched around something.

"Shiro? What's going on?"

Shiro grabbed Keith's hand and pulled him along, leading him out from behind the counter. Keith was dimly aware of everyone else's eyes on them. Then Shiro put his hand to Keith's face, cradling his cheek.

"Keith, we've been together for over a year and every day it only gets better. I can't even imagine my life without you in it now, and I don't want to. Ever." He took a step back and sank to one knee.

Keith felt as if all the air in the store had disappeared, leaving him unable to form a coherent thought. He isn't…he's not going to…

Shiro opened his other hand to reveal a small gray velvet box. "Keith, will you marry me?"

He lifted the lid of the box, revealing a narrow tungsten band with an inlay of five tiny rubies. Keith sucked in his breath, trying to get his lungs working again, and swallowed. Words were required. He wasn't sure he would be able to get them out of his throat. Seeing Shiro's anticipation begin to waver jolted him and spurred him into action.

"Yes, Shiro! Of course yes."

They both jumped slightly as the applause and cheers broke out around them. Shiro's eyes were shining as he stood and pulled the ring out of its nest to slide onto Keith's finger. Keith looked at it, watching the light reflect off the black metal and sparkle in the rubies.

"Do you like it?"

"It's perfect. You're perfect." Keith put his hands to either side of Shiro's head and pulled him down to kiss him soundly.

"Dibs on maid of honor!" Pidge shouted, causing the rest of their friends and a few customers to laugh.

"Oh no, you don't!" Allura called back, triggering an avalanche of comments from the others.

Keith ended the kiss, and they leaned into one another, chuckling a little at the antics of their friends. They circled around the newly-engaged couple. Hunk was already mentioning caterers and cake flavors as Lance began arguing with Pidge about the best month for scheduling the wedding.

Then Matt crowed. "Ha! Five likes already!"

Shiro's head whipped around. "Matt! What did you do?"

Matt turned his phone around, showing the video post. "And your granddad says you both better meet him for breakfast because he wants to hear everything."

Shiro mock-growled and grabbed Matt, pulling him into a headlock and tickling him mercilessly for a moment.

Keith slipped into the stockroom, retrieving his messenger bag and leather jacket from his locker and punching his time-card. He came out to find things had calmed down other than Allura and Pidge bickering over colors for dresses. He pushed Hunk and Matt back into work mode, sent Lance on his dinner break, and went behind the counter. He took the notes and tucked them into his bag, then gathered the roses. He realized Shiro was watching him and smiled, holding the flowers to his face and breathing in their scent.

Shiro paused in pulling on his suit coat. His eyes shone just a little brighter and he held out a hand. "Better get a move on if we're going to make our reservation."

Keith took Shiro's hand and squeezed, noting the unfamiliar sensation of the ring on his finger. "How long have you been planning this?" He let go to lay the roses down and close the scheduling program on the tablet, then began looking for a pen to leave a note for Coran.

Shiro pulled his phone out, summoning a ride with an app. He turned to Keith and leaned in for a quick kiss. "Since last fall, actually. I was thinking about a Christmas or New Year's proposal, but Allura talked me out of it. She said I needed to pick a perfectly ordinary day and make it a special one. I worked with a jeweler to design your ring; Matt went with me last week to pick it up."

Keith examined the dark band on his finger once more. "Should I get you a ring?"

Shiro smiled at that. "If you want to. I went with a thin band so we could maybe stack it with a wedding ring, so that would be my only suggestion. Everything else is up to you."

"And do I surprise you with an outrageous public proposal as well?"

"Outrageous? You weren't enjoying it?"

Keith gave him an incredulous sidelong glance. "I was enjoying the notes and flowers, yes. But I had no idea you were leading up to something!"

Shiro paused, looking dumbfounded. "Seriously? You didn't realize?"

"Shiro, we do these things all the time. We've mock-proposed to each other a dozen times. I figured one day we'd just sit down and start planning the wedding. No, I wasn't expecting you to storm in with a ring and get down on one knee in front of all our friends."

He paused and took a deep breath, seeing the uncertainty in Shiro's eyes from before.

Keith drew him close. "But I'm so glad you did." He moved a hand inside Shiro's jacket. His fiancé (his fiancé!) inhaled sharply at the move. Keith couldn't keep the mischief off his face as he plucked a pen from Shiro's inner pocket and stepped away to grab a notepad and scribble a note of apology to Coran.

I'm sorry I didn't finish the schedule. I'll come in early tomorrow and do it. I got a bit distracted when my boyfriend proposed to me.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Appendix: What was in the notes:

Rose 1 -

I loved you first: but afterwards your love

Outsoaring mine, sang such a loftier song

As drowned the friendly cooings of my dove.

Which owes the other most? my love was long,

And yours one moment seemed to wax more strong;

I loved and guessed at you, you construed me

And loved me for what might or might not be –

Nay, weights and measures do us both a wrong.

For verily love knows not 'mine' or 'thine;'

With separate 'I' and 'thou' free love has done,

For one is both and both are one in love:

Rich love knows nought of 'thine that is not mine;'

Both have the strength and both the length thereof,

Both of us, of the love which makes us one.

―Christina Rossetti

Rose 2 -

"I would rather spend one lifetime with you, than face all the ages of this world alone." ― J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings

Rose 3 -

"Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives you courage." ― Lao Tzu

Rose 4 -

"You don't love someone for their looks, or their clothes, or for their fancy car, but because they sing a song only you can hear." — Oscar Wilde

Rose 5 -

Keith,

I've tried and tried to find a clever way to write this and nothing's coming. It's impossible to sum up how I feel about you with a few quips and quotes—although as you have seen over the last hour I did make the attempt.

So, I'll just get to the point.

I count the day I met you as one of the most important events in my life. I will be eternally grateful to Matt for introducing us and to Allura for being the one to browbeat me into asking you out. And every day since then has been brighter and more fulfilling because of you.

I love your eyes and your smile. I love your passion for books and how you can kick my ass in the gym even though I think two of you wouldn't outweigh me. I love how you look up at the night sky and know all the constellations. I love how you feel your emotions so intensely but keep them inside, only letting them out when you feel safe doing so.

I love that you've let them out for me, that you've let me in.

I love you, Keith. Thank you for being the other half of my heart.

Shiro

Rose 6 -

"Turn around."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Thanks as always for reading!