*Shiro's POV*

"So, is everything ready for tomorrow?"

Keith asked as he sits on Shiro's bed, taking a sip of his cup of coffee

"Yeah, if everything goes according to plan I'll be on my mission for a year"

Shiro said sighting and sitting next to his best friend. They didn't have any other family than the one they have chosen, who consisted of each other so far. Shiro was scared of leaving the boy he have taken care off for a few years now, but he couldn't deny that he was excited to explore space, that have been his dream since he could remember after all.

That didn't make him less nervous about letting Keith alone for a year. His logic side told him that Keith was resourceful and that he would still be at the Garrison and in there it was safe, but he still hated the idea of being away from him.

Some of his friends insisted that they should just get together, but he just didn't feel like that towards Keith, doesn't matter how gorgeous he have grown up to be, how sweet his voice sounds, how right he feels when Keith hugged him, he was still the same boy he meet at the orphanage, with his attitude and his trust issues. And yes, Shiro was incredibly attracted towards him, but he know that Keith needed a good friend over anything else, a support, family; he couldn't just risk their relationship over some lust that Keith probably didn't even reciprocate.

They keep talking and watching old movies and just sending the last time they have together for now until he feels Keith falling asleep. He takes him to hims bed and just holds him, feeling him close to him, knowing how much he'll miss the closeness and warm of his boy. He looks at the gorgeous sleeping face, so calm and beautiful, and he feels an overwhelming urge to kiss his pretty lips. His heart is beating like never have before and he realizes suddenly that this isn't just lust, that he have fallen deeply in love with his best friend, a best friend who he's not gonna see in a year.

Shiro feels tears stream down his face and he kisses Keith's forehead, holding him closer, not wanting to let go of him, falling asleep by his side while wishing for the morning to never arrive.

But sooner than later it does, waking up to the ring of the alarm, letting him know that they need to get ready for the launching. Keith wakes up too, showing him those gorgeous purple eyes, brighter than any sun, more beautiful than any planet.

"Hi, big day today"

Says the younger boy with a soft smile. Shiro smiles back, getting off the bed.

"Yeah, I'm gonna go take a shower, can you fix up breakfast?"

Keith just smiles and go towards the small kitchen in Shiro's bedroom, being a postgraduate make his accommodations way more comfortable than Keith's first year's ones.

Shiro takes his last shower on Earth for a long time, enjoying the warm. He goes out to the delicious smell of eggs and bacon, Keith was certainly a better cook that himself, that's for sure.

"One day you'll make a guy very lucky" Said Shiro as he walk into the kitchen in just his towel. He may be sad that he can't be that guy but he knows that one day Keith is probably gonna end up happily with someone else, and he's gonna have to watch him and pretend to be happy for him as his heart breaks.

In a way he was glad that he was gonna spend a year away from Keith, maybe then he'll manage to get rid of those non brotherly feelings he have gotten for the boy.

They have breakfast and get ready, getting to the launch site a bit later than the Holts, but still early enough for Shiro to get Keith a close view of the ship.

Right before is time to get inside and go, Shiro have the impulse to just confess to his best friend, but he just can't get himself to betray Keith's trust like that, so he just pulls the boy into a tight hug before getting in the ship, with tears in his eyes as he feels like his heart stays with Keith.

*Keith's PO*

Keith smiled while drinking his coffee, trying his best to act supportive even if it was hard to let his best friend go, even if it was just for a year, it wasn't like if he was never going to come back.

Shiro was all he have left and he was terrified of losing him, but he know that Shiro have a dream and he should be happy that he was getting to fulfill it.

They just keep talking about meaningless things while watching a movie, well, Shiro watched the movie, Keith just didn't wanted to take his eyes off his friend, he wanted to remember this moments with him before he lose him for a year.

His eyes wandered off Shiro's gorgeous body. His best friend was objectively an example of the perfect body, the kind of guy girls and guys drooled over and it wasn't like if Keith was blind, he just grew up with Shiro and objectively appreciate his beauty. Well, maybe he was a bit attracted towards him, but who wouldn't be. It wasn't like if he have any deeper feelings, it was just lust.

Keith feels like he's falling asleep and let himself fall into Shiro's chest, knowing that the older boy would caught him.

He feel how Shiro moves him to the bed and when he hugs him, Keith can't help but to sniff Shiro's masculine smell, he always feel safe in Shiro's arms.

He wakes up in a few hours, feeling a small sunshine touch his face and almost grunting, containing himself to not wake Shiro up, today was a big day and he should rest as much as he could.

Keith stared at Shiro's beautiful features, memorizing his face and that warm feeling of being on his arms, keeping it in his heart so he could think about it when he was away.

He can't help but to fall asleep again, waking up with the alarm. He open his eyes and Shiro's face is the first thing he sees, and then it hits him, he's in love with his best friend.

He tries to pretend nothing is wrong towards the morning, but he almost melts when he see Shiro came out of the bathroom with just a tiny towel covering him.

"One day you'll make a guy very lucky" Said Shiro, and he feels his heart drop to the floor.

Some guy, not him. Shiro didn't wanted him like that, Shiro thought of him like a brother and would never love him in the way he wanted.

They eat the breakfast Keith prepared and finish getting ready before going to the launch.

There Shiro gets to show him the ship he's going to travel with and from far he sees the Holts saying goodbye.

They hug before Shiro leaves, and Keith almost breaks down and begs him not to leave, to stay with him, to love him. But he just smile and wish Shiro a nice time, hoping that in a year, his heart have healed enough and maybe he wouldn't feel like this.

As the ship goes up and away from him, Keith begins to feel as his heart leave with Shiro and he realize that he's never going to be over him.