Shiro had always liked to stay fit. He would gym everyday, long before the incident that caused him to lose his arm and be covered nearly head to toe in scars.
But after the incident he had acquired a few basic pieces of home gym equipment, namely a weight set and bench, and a pull up bar. So everyday at the same time Shiro would use his home gym for weight training while his boyfriends went out to the actual gym. Lance had aerial silk classes and yoga, while Keith participated in any self defence or martial arts class being offered.
At first his boyfriends were a bit sceptical, leaving him home alone while he lifted weights. Especially with the fact that if anything fell on him lifting it off would be more difficult one handed, as he didn't workout with his prosthetic on most of the time. But he assured them he wouldn't lift more than he knew he could and that he would stop as soon as his stump started having phantom pains.
And today was one of those days where his phantom pains had cut his workout nearly in half, so he decided to grab a quick shower and maybe catch up on some of his favourite Netflix series his boyfriends couldn't stand to watch. But as he made his way into their shared bedroom, toweling himself dry, he noticed clothes fucking everywhere. Specifically Lance and Keith's clothes.
He sighed deeply and began picking up the mess, throwing it into the woven laundry basket. "Those boys are lucky they're so cute." Shiro said, speaking to a pair of Lance's high waisted shorts and Keith's homemade (ex-Shiro shirt) crop top. Keith was surprisingly good with a sewing machine, and he had a habit of not really letting things go to waste. So every time their friends were cleaning out their closets they'd drop it off at the apartment, for Keith. The boy would choose his favourite pieces and keep them for future projects, the rest would all go to whatever new clothes drive initiative was happening at their local supermarket.
Shiro was just about done, picking up the final crop top (an ex-Hunk shirt this time) and Lance's favourite black skater skirt, when he paused and turned towards their full length mirror. It was something Lance really enjoyed during sex, watching how his cock split Shiro open or watching Keith's facial expressions as Shiro blew him.
He glanced at the clothes in his hands, and then once again at the mirror. Shiro used to love muscle tee's (even if Matt said it made him look like a fuck boy) before he started having body issues, and now he was just scared to show too much skin outside of the bedroom.
But he had always wanted to try wearing skirts, he had almost ordered some once but he would just be plain embarrassed if his boyfriends ever saw him like that. Sometimes he felt pressured to be the "man" of the relationship, and according to his dad men didn't wear skirts.
Now he was home alone, with nobody to judge him and see his shame. What would it hurt to try on a skirt or two?
He gently slid on the black skater skirt, being careful not to break it with his thick muscled thighs.
Oh gosh, he thought, I look ridiculous.
"Well, at least I know skirts would never work for me," he sighed.
It was a little tight on him, due to Lance being super skinny, which made him feel even worse. How could he have ever thought this would be a good idea? It would be better to take off the skirt and forget this ever happened.
"Takashi?" He heard Keith's voice call out from the passageway. Fuck.
He scrambled to pull the skirt down before Keith could make it to the door.
"Just give me a sec!" He shouted, nervously.
The skirt was down to mid-thigh, but of course nothing was ever in Shiro's favour because as he was manoeuvring it further down he fucking tripped. He fell flat on his face, skirt around his knees and the bedroom door opening.
"What was that noise?" Keith asked, referring to the thump of Shiro falling.
Keith was in the room and Shiro felt like crying. Or dying. Mostly dying.
"Takashi? Is that…?" Keith trailed off, not really believing what he was seeing.
"Please, don't tell Lance! Just forget about this!" Shiro pleaded, desperately.
Keith was confused, but he knew when his boyfriend was in distress. So he walked over to Shiro and gently picked him up from the floor. Shiro was sobbing.
"Shh, Takashi, calm down. You're okay, it's okay," the younger man soothed, holding his boyfriend close to his chest.
"Keith? Takashi? Is that crying?" Lance asked, from the lounge.
Before Keith could even think to answer, Lance was in the bedroom looking at his boyfriends standing in the middle of the room while one of them cried with a skirt around his calves.
"Takashi! What happened? Is it your arm? Does it hurt?"
Shiro's sobbing only increased at the sound of his voice. "No, no, no!" He shouted, pressing his face further into Keith's chest.
"Baby, calm down. Let's get the skirt off and get you into bed, okay?" Keith cooed.
Shiro nodded and allowed himself to step out of the skirt while Keith held him up.
Lance had walked closer by now, being very cautious as not to spook Shiro. He put his hand on Takashi's back and rubbed his hand in soothing circles. Keith and Lance both escorted him to their bed and got in on either side of Shiro, wrapping their arms around him.
"Takashi? What happened? Please tell us. We just want to help you," Lance said, tightening his grip on Shiro's waist.
"The skirt," he whispered.
"The skirt?" Keith asked, furrowing his brows.
"I shouldn't be wearing skirts. My body is disgusting. I'm disgusting for even wanting to try them on," Shiro sobbed.
Lance was disturbed by the fact that they had allowed Shiro's insecurities to fester like this. "Where did you get that idea? You're beautiful. Your body is beautiful. You look gorgeous no matter what you wear, and I won't hear any arguments about it. Do you think I'm disgusting for wearing skirts?"
"No! You're beautiful, but-"
"Then there you go," Lance cut him off, "You're beautiful too."
Lance kissed the top of Shiro's head, prompting Keith to do the same.
"Now sleep, sweet Prince. We'll get you a whole closet full of skirts in the morning," Keith said.
And for the first time since the incident Shiro fell asleep with a genuine smile on his face and slept peacefully through the night.