This fic has been request by TheLoserWithAKeyboard from AO3. Very excited to continue this story!

"Hang in there Shiro. We're almost there" Keith calmly affirmed despite the heart pounding against his ribcage. He checked the locator a few more times to make sure they were on the right path. As if he hadn't been checking on it every 5 minutes. The path to salvation. After such a bounce-around journey, Keith prayed to wherever this was the last stop. It HAD to be, for Shiro's sake. They promised it would be the right location.

Shiro sat in the back on Keith's spaceship. He had been quiet since their last stop, saving his energy for whenever they finally reached the planet. Keith didn't blame him. The illness Shiro accidentally came into contact with, from what Keith was told, sounded horrible. Keith got a front row seat for the deterioration of Shiro's health. His breathing was shallow and ragged now. He let Keith know he was still conscious by giving one word responses to him. It broke Keith's racing heart. They were almost there.

Those two thoughts drove him forward.

Keith was at a bar on Kronlius having a drink after a long day's work. He had been travelling solo for a few months now, glad he left the Blades of Mamora. That guild of pirates only wanted what was best for themselves and didn't want to share the loot stolen evenly. Keith's contract with them ended and he was able to buy his ship back. Thank Bob for his ship. Keith was attached to The Red Lion as if it was an extension of himself. He had sold it in order to be with the Blades, as he was not permitted his unique vessel. Ah, what a deal they had made. Keith could live with them and find out where he came from. But none of that mattered anymore. They kept delaying the information, empty promises and strung along hopes. Keith just wanted to work solo now, continuing his mission alone. Not that he needed to find his mother to feel whole or anything. He just wanted to know where he came from. The Blades gave him enough information, scarce as it may be, that Keith figured he could find her alone. He changed his plans immediately.

As he was drinking in solitary celebration, a familiar face had stumbled through the crowd to join him. Shiro's hair had grown out. He was pale and clammy. Anyone in the bar seeing Shiro probably thought he was just having a reaction to some of the alien substances. Humans were known for their bodily reactions, sometimes being super negative. Shiro, his mentor at his school on the planet he grew up on. The one he felt a part of. The person who was somehow both a father figure and a brother to him was trying to fight against whatever has stricken him. He sat down in the booth with Keith, looking around panickedly. As if someone was watching him.

Shiro explained briefly his predicament to Keith. He had been at a party months ago because his arm had gotten an upgrade. His space fleet crew were celebrating Shiro being back. They went out to a public intermingling alien strip club. Not necessarily a place Shiro wanted to be, as he was happily married, but the crew was into it and Shiro thought the drinks were good at the location. Shiro had left to get some air and someone from Shiro's past, a cloaked figure, forcibly gave Shiro a drug. Shiro had been missing for months. Experimented on by the main scientist whose name Shiro could not say without launching into an anxiety attack. And, now that the aliens were done, they let him escape. Left him to die. They told Shiro he had months, maybe a year to live. Shiro knew Keith liked to frequent a few bars and was lucky to stumble upon him.

He didn't trust anyone except Keith to try and help. Most of his crew were paid and he hadn't known his new friends long enough to trust them with such a task. He didn't want his husband to drop everything for him. He was making money for them, thinking Shiro was on a long mission. Shiro had arranged a video in case he didn't make it.

"How the hell am I going to help you Shiro?" Keith had asked desperately.

"There's not much I know that could help me," Shiro breathed "but I know of one legend. I know it's mostly fairytail but I don't have much time left..."

Keith fought back tears behind the cracks of his stony expression.

"The Fountain of Youth. Said to bring back anyone from the brink of death, heal any wounds. If one visits enough, the person could essentially become immortal."

Keith knew the story. Rather, he knew the stories of those left behind. Many stories detailed how a harrowing journey they had in an attempt to find it, wasting their years away in pursuit of gaining more. People had left their lives, their families, chasing after an empty promise. And here Shiro was, a man Keith had looked up to. A man Keith loved and was family asking him to try and do the same. And Keith understood now why. Some people ventured to the Fountain for themselves, and those stories ended before they could really start. But those who wanted to for selfless reasons typically got farther. Never actually finding it. Or at least, no one has revealed if they had or not. Only whispers of the survivors. Stories of those on the brink of death disappearing and suddenly reappearing as healthy. Miraculously. No one in existence had been recorded as going multiple times.

Keith researched right away. He found the names of two people who were suddenly cured after going on a vacation. Coincidentally, both claimed that they did not know how their illnesses were cured, just that their vacation was relaxing. Taking a pseudoscience approach to their cures, blaming a new diet change, magic, and lifestyle changes. They all had someone go with them too, an alibi who confirmed their claims. But Keith didn't buy it. He would track down these people and make them confess.

So here they were. On the Red Lion, flying towards the first planet with the hopes of finding the Fountain of Youth. The first witness, the first suspect. Keith and Shiro did not know what was to come. Shiro with nothing to lose, and Keith with everything.

Keith's first contact was some guy named Hunk. Keith researched while The Red Lion sailed across the stars and Shiro slept in the back compartment. This Hunk guy had to have been near Keith's age. According to what Keith found on the internet, Hunk had a rare form of cancer. An illness that somehow stayed when their ancestors started exploring the stars. Many alien colonies knew of it, and had cures, but none that worked on humans yet. Trials were still in the process of curing them. Sure, alien tech helped extend the lives of those diagnosed and improve the quality of life. Some forms if caught early were able to be extracted using alien tech. Hunk's form, according to the deep medical research Keith did, was caught late and was too rare. Little research was done due to the lack of patients.

Hunk lived with his girlfriend Shay now, a girl he met when his cooking talents somehow put him in a place to free and enslavement camp on another planet. Keith was too deep into searching about the fountain to even try to go down that wormhole. They fell in love and have been living together ever since. Hunk and Shay had gone on vacation when Hunk was close to hospitalization, and came back healthier than he had ever been. Keith knew that Hunk had been pestered before. Him and his girlfriend had many people come to them; Keith's case was nothing new for them. Hunk had restraining orders on people. They had to move to a planet that had specific visitation laws in order for him not to be pestered.

He parked the ship in a garage he rented for a few hours. He checked on Shiro, making sure he was comfortable and had everything he needed. Shiro wanted to come with but Keith pointed out that someone had to stay with the ship. Shiro reluctantly agreed.

The house was on a nice planet, called Phelgon by the locals. It was fairly multicultural, where the first inter-species relationships were allowed to just be. A suitable place for Hunk and Shay. Keith traded his usual dark t-shirt and black jeans for blue jeans and a red sweater. He would fit in better with the locals. Bright colors were associated with citizens. Dark clothing was believed to hide weapons and other harmful things. What Keith was hiding had no physical traces. Keith knew there were many humans on this planet so he didn't have to worry about fitting in. He covered his scar on his cheek with makeup as to not give away his identity. Keith was known well enough that people might recognize him from that scar. The first human/galra hybrid.

Keith knocked on the door a few times, adrenaline coursing through him. Would Hunk recognize him? Would he shut Keith out? Was Hunk going to talk about the Fountain of Youth?

The guy who opened the door was exactly who Keith was expecting. He had seen Hunk's online profile. A sweet aroma wafted from the house and Keith put together that Hunk was baking. He had an apron on. Little bit of powder on his face and hands. Hunk looked at Keith unexpectedly, taking in his outfit and being total.

"Hunk? Who's there?" A feminine voice came from inside the house.

"A visitor, I don't know." Hunk called back. "Who are you?"

"Uh, Hi…" Keith awkwardly said. He twiddled his thumbs, tapping his foot. Hunk looked at him expectantly.

"I was wondering if I could talk to you about.. Something."

Hunk looked at him suspiciously. Keith knew he was not doing well. Keith cleared his throat and tried to start over.

"I'm Keith. I came looking for you because I have a friend who is dying from someone poisoning him. He's… like a brother to me, and I was hoping you could help."

There. That wasn't as hard as Keith thought. Hunk's expression faltered and then settled on empathy. He had a knowing gleam in his eyes that Keith caught; perhaps that meant Hunk would tell him? He invited Keith inside.

Keith followed Hunk up into the house and to, what Keith guessed was, a living room. He gingerly sat on the couch. The home was… Quaint. A mix of alien and a stereotypical 50's American house. Carpet floors, antique wooden furniture, floral patterns, wallpaper in every room, each room containing a different pattern. Hunk excused himself to get the cookies out of the oven. He returned with some on a plate, setting them down on the floral-carved table between them. Keith hesitantly took a cookie. Hunk sat down and smiled at Keith.

"So…" Hunk started, trailing off. "Your friend is in really bad shape?"

Keith took a long breath.

"My friend Shiro got attacked and was poisoned. He is one of the best people you could ever meet. Maybe, if you can help us, you could meet him."

There was a pause.

"You have felt similarly." Keith continued. "You were dying. You went on a glorious vacation to an unknown, uncharted, and not well-documented solar system. You found the Fountain of Youth, healed yourself, and returned home."

There was silence. Keith saw the calculations being done in Hunk's eyes. Was Keith trustworthy enough? Did he deserve the location? Was he a part of the Galra clan, a race hell-bent on finding the Fountain of Youth and using it for their own people, hogging it from the world? Sure, Keith was part Galran. But he had no connection above biological to that race. Hunk probably couldn't tell he was part Galran, so why did that thought pop up? Hunk's gaze softened.

"You said your name was Keith?" Hunk asked.

Uh oh. Did Hunk know who he was?

"Yes. My friend's name is Shiro." Keith offered. Maybe humanizing the case would help? Keith was grasping for straws at this point. Also maybe Shiro's name-drop would take the attention off of him.

Hunk sighed, rubbing his palms into his face.

"Ok… So Shay and I typically do not tell anyone about this but you seem desperate."

Keith tried not to take offense to him seeming desperate. Sure, he definitely WAS desperate, but Hunk shouldn't be able to see that.

"We went and found the Fountain. I can't tell you much about it, as my brain was very tired and I was sick. The memories are foggy."

Hunk went on and explained his story. He was soon to be hospital-bound and the universe decided to allow him one last trip. Shay supposedly went with him, but in actuality she did not. She covered the trails while Hunk, someone named Pidge, and Pidge's brother went out seeking the fountain. Pidge was dying as well, but was able to get them both there and knows the ritual.

"Ritual?" Keith muttered. He was typing out notes on his tablet. Hunk told him that apparently there was a ritual in order for the Fountain to heal you. Hunk remembered something about runes and a kiss. Keith wasn't sure how comfortable that made him feel. Hunk apparently was not allowed to give more detail or information, telling Keith that the rest would be revealed to him. Keith asked if Hunk knew Pidge's current location to get info from them and, thankfully, he did.

"Pidge and I became friends on the journey. With their older brother piloting our vessel, we made it to the… fountain just in time." Hunk gave Keith another look over, this time his expression was more empathetic than cautionary. "Despite your tough demeanor I can see a good guy there. I have one more contact to give you. After you find Pidge and Matt to get the location, you can go get the ritual from my other contact."

Hunk paused, unnecessarily in Keith's opinion. Keith waited for him to continue. Hunk looked expectantly at Keith.

"Sooooo…?" Hunk asked.

"What?" Keith bluntly replied.

"Do you want the name or-"

"Of course I want the name!" Keith exclaimed in frustration. He took a few breaths to calm down.

"Sorry. I thought that you were telling me you were giving it to me and not asking if I wanted it."

Hunk said he would go fetch the information from his room. Keith groaned, placing his head in his hands. His eyes scrolled across the room lazily, landing on the barely touched stack of cookies. Keith snuck a cookie while Hunk was gone. He walked over to the window of the house and looked out at the neighborhood.

Many of the surrounding neighbors had children out playing in the yards. Some older-looking aliens eyed Keith suspiciously; he was in complete view of the neighbors due to the windows.

"Don't mind the stares," a gentle voice said from the doorway. Keith looked at Shay. "They think that Hunk and I are a weird pairing and get nosy when we have company. The fact that you're human makes it more interesting to them, since Hunk's family doesn't visit as often as other people's family's."

Keith smiled awkwardly at the attempt to calm his nerves. He looked back at the other inhabitants and wondered what their lives were like. Settled down, a place to call home. Keith's only home was Shiro, who was a brotherly figure, and his ship. Keith never really knew what having a home was like.

Back on Earth, he grew up in the foster care system when his dad died. He never knew his mother. When he ventured into space after meeting Shiro and graduating from the Garrison, he received his Galra mark. Went on a mission to find his mom. Never ended up finding her. His credentials meant almost nothing out in outer space, so he joined a few gangs just to get by. Dated people for show, for alliances. Never for love, not while in space. Keith dreamed of having a partner, specifically a boyfriend/husband, to roam the galaxy with. At the Garrison, he imagined it with his first and only love, James. Sure, James was younger than Keith but neither of them minded. The age gap wasn't a big deal. But James moved on after his own graduation and Keith never saw him again. When Keith felt alone, or a special kind of frustrated, he would think about James and reflect on the memories. The foster homes beat him down to a deep dark place and Keith had to crawl back from that. He didn't tell James much but James seemed to help him out even though he didn't know the specifics. Keith learned to fight in the homes and in the Garrison, but James taught him to love and to be loved. Something Keith only had experienced with Shiro, but that was different.

Now that Shiro was ill and possibly dying, it made Keith realize while looking at the families that this life was probably not for Keith. He was unemployed, had to travel a lot. He was socially awkward and had very little experience with actual love. He knew what to say to make people feel loved but he didn't know how to express love when it was true.

"Sorry that took so long. Pidge contacted me, coincidentally, and said they have moved. So I told them your story and they agreed to meet you." Hunk said as he came down the stairs, yanking Keith from inside his head. Hunk planted a soft kiss on Shay's cheek as he passed. Keith thanked him heartily. He grabbed two cookies for the trip and left, suddenly feeling an urge to escape the neighborhood.

Keith told Shiro a summary of his experience with Hunk as he drove the Red Lion off of Hunk's planet. Shiro was responding and asking questions, good signs of health. Maybe resting did him some good. Maybe Keith was finding hope in all the little things that may mean nothing.

Keith put in the coordinates for Pidge's location, finally looking at the paper Hunk gave him. He sat down next to Shiro. The older boy rested his head on Keith's shoulder, eyes on the paper in the younger's hand.

"Who's Allura and Coran?" Shiro asked through a mouthful of cookie.

"They apparently know the ritual for the Fountain. Hunk said it has runes and apparently a kiss." Keith probably should have saved that info for when Shiro did not have food in his mouth. Shiro coughed, choking on his cookie for a few seconds. Keith's mind screamed about how Shiro was choking and that his life might end and other alarming thoughts. Even after Shiro assured him he was fine Keith had the horrible "what if" thoughts.

"Who am I kissing exactly?" Shiro asked, a smirk on his face.

"Hopefully not me," Keith huffed.

"Yeah, I don't want to kiss you either. You have stinky breath."

"Do not!" Keith exclaimed. "It smells like cookies right now thanks to Hunk."

Shiro chuckled. It was good to see him smile.

"You know Keith, we have to have the conversation at some point."

Keith raised a questioning brow at him.

"What happens if this fountain thing doesn't work out-"

"I'm gonna stop you right there." Keith interrupted. "It is going to work. And in the small chance it doesn't, I will deal with that if we get there."

Shiro was used to this behavior from Keith. He sighed, coughing a little.

"Alright… but you should know that you and Curtis are both my next of kin."

Keith choked back tears. The mere thought that the man who help him raise himself out from such a dark place, supported him on his path towards healing from the trauma and abuse-

Keith got up off the bench, turning away from Shiro and towards the console of the ship so that Shiro couldn't see the tears. He checked how long it would take to get to Pidge's place. It would be hours. The ship was smooth sailing. No attacks detected. Keith set the system to also scan for any signs of danger. Cleared his face of the tears. He helped Shiro get to his bunk. Keith ordered Shiro to get his rest, putting on the life-tracking system Shiro brought with him from the alien medical center he had visited before finding Keith. He told Shiro to get some rest, and he would do the same. Keith didn't bother changing into pajamas, suddenly exhausted. Mentally more so than physically. He collapsed in his bunk, finding himself asleep instantly.