A/N: Hey, everyone! I'm finally back, and with a story that was long in the making. I'm so excited to present this one to you, and I hope you all enjoy! One more thing, there is a trigger warning of sorts for mentions of if not implied child-abuse/neglect. Basically if you're sensitive to any of those topics or certain related ones, there is some of that in the story. Thank you for reading.

It was a partly sunny, just warm enough to be hot, day right in the center of what had once been the Four Corners. (That, plus some of the surrounding land, had become something of a mini-state when a military institution was founded there over 100 years ago) Officially this area was called Nordworth City, but, considering that not a single local actually called it that, it was really just a guise to keep from totally advertising the truth of the city's secrets.

From an outsiders point of view it wasn't much, just a deserted city in a small and secretive state, but to that lucky few who were drawn in by the mystery and a curious mind, it was the home to the nation's top academy for astro-explorers, the Galaxy Garrison. It was also home to a surprisingly well kept amusement park, and, more importantly, two boys named Shiro and Keith.

"We got trapped in her guest closet all night, never finished our projects, and got our buttons handed to us by the Major the next day. Not to mention failing the class. And that's why you never throw unsolicited parties for your friend's grumpy grandmother's birthday."

The man telling the story, Shiro, seemed to find it quite amusing, seeing as he was almost crying from laughing so hard. Keith, the boy next to him, didn't seem to register that Shiro was speaking at all. Instead he was blankly staring out in the direction of the roller coaster that was straight ahead from the bench they were sitting on.

"We've still got… maybe half an hour on our passes? We can nix the ice cream and ride a couple coasters if you want."

Keith didn't even look at Shiro when he gave his absent minded and emotionless answer.

"Yeah… sounds great."

Shiro raised an eyebrow.

"Or… I could buy us a matching pair of hot pink bunny ears and we could prance around in our underpants."

"Sure. Gr- great idea…. You should get on that."

"Keith."

Keith suddenly spun around toward Shiro, as if hearing him for the first time. Shiro had barely opened his mouth to speak when Keith cut across him.

"Before you ask, there's nothing wrong, and yes, I'd tell you if there were. I'm just… thinking."

"Care to share?" Shiro asked, with one eyebrow raised and the ghost of a smile on his face.

Keith was silent for a moment, before taking a breath and putting on a small smile.

"I wanted to ask if you'd tell me the story of how we met."

Knowing what today was, normally Shiro would have just complied, but Keith's suspicious attitude persuaded him to be a little more difficult.

"Why? You were there, weren't you?"

"It's more interesting when you tell the story. Besides, it's a chance to redeem yourself from the gummy bear story."

Shiro lightly elbowed Keith's arm and responded in a mocking tone.

"Excuse me, young man, but that is not how we ask for things."

Keith rolled his eyes, but did correct himself.

"Will you tell the story, please?"

"Since you asked so nicely… I believe it was a day quite like today. In fact, it was exactly one year ago today."

(One Year Ago)

An ever-so-slightly younger looking Shiro stood on a street corner in front of a fairly nice restaurant, staring both ways across the street, over and over again.

About thirty minutes, and a lot of cars, passed before he seemingly gave up and called his sort-of friend, Matt, for the fifth time.

"You've reached Matt. I probably won't get back to you or listen to any messages you leave, but feel free to do it anyway if you're stupid… or Shiro."

"I know you're on the phone, Matt. You set me up, didn't you?"

There was silence from Matt on the other side, but plenty of noise from whatever video game he was playing.

"Okay… So maybe there's no girl coming to meet you for a date, but I didn't make you take a reservation at some fancy restaurant!"

"I'm a gentleman, unlike some people! Do you know how much I'll have to pay to cancel that reservation at the last minute?!"

"Look, man I… krch… what to… krchhhhchch, you're breaking... Krchchchcssss..."

Shiro pulled his phone down from his ear and stared at the big, red, "CALL ENDED" on the screen.

"You've got to be kidding me..."

Shiro pinched the bridge of his nose and, out of habit, looked around again. This time he noticed something, or rather someone, that he had only vaguely registered before. Sitting right on the curb was a slightly skinny boy, with raven black hair, and a haircut Shiro had both imagined and hoped he'd never see again ever since his grandfather tried, and failed, to sport the same look. Surprisingly enough, the mullet actually suited the kid quite well.

Shiro only realized he had been staring when the boy turned to look in his direction and gave him a sharp, death glare. Which was only accentuated by his equally sharp, deep, and almost regal purple eyes. Shiro met the boy's glare head on, and when their eyes met something passed between them, and somehow Shiro knew that this kid wouldn't be like any he'd ever met.

Shiro and the boy held each other's gaze, before he turned away from Shiro, and instinctively gripped his stomach.

Is he… hungry?

Shiro thought he could be reading too much into it, but, when he really tried, he could've sworn the boy had been there since the moment he got here. Most likely much longer. Shiro approached the boy, not even thinking twice about the fact that he was a total stranger to this kid. His heart told him to go, so he did.

"Hey, my name's Shiro, what's your name?"

Rather than responding the kid chose to look the other way and ignore Shiro entirely.

Not taking no for an answer, Shiro continued to speak anyway.

"I've seen you sitting out here by yourself for a while. Is anyone coming for you?"

Realizing that he couldn't ignore Shiro forever, the boy finally turned his head, though only to look at the floor instead of Shiro, and responded.

"Yeah, m-my… I'm waiting on someone. They should be here soon."

If his presence made the boy uncomfortable, Shiro didn't notice

"You're a kid. Why hasn't anyone come for you yet?"

"Uhm, uh… Car trouble, yeah. Uh, pretty bad, but, you know, nothing they can't handle. They actually sent me a message right now saying that they'll be here soon, so-"

The boy accidentally interrupted himself with his growling stomach.

"Hey, my reservation for that restaurant is about to expire, so I could take you for something to eat, if you want."

"Don't bother. I mean, I'm sure you've got some special plans for those reservations, anyway."

Shiro almost snorted at the irony of that.

"Trust me, I don't."

"Well, I don't have any money, so..." The kid stopped his sentence short, clearly meaning to end the conversation there.

Shiro pushed again anyway.

"Money's not an issue. I have to pay to cancel the reservation anyway, so by accompanying me to lunch, you're really saving me money."

The kid bit his lip and looked away in what, Shiro decided, was an attempt to make sense of his logic, which, in Shiro's opinion, was very logical.

At least, it must've been, because the kid finally looked up at Shiro and spoke. "Fine. If you're gonna be so stubborn about it."

Shiro smiled like a kid and reached out his hand. The boy cautiously took his hand, but the moment he was standing on his own he practically threw it aside. Shiro didn't say anything, but the boy must've realized that he did something wrong or rude, because he quickly tried to make up for it.

"Thanks."

Without even looking back the boy speed walked into the restaurant, and, once he caught up, Shiro checked them in.

The beginning of their meal went in an almost deafening silence, so Shiro tried to stir up some small talk.

"I imagine you must be wondering how exactly I got into this mess, huh?"

The boy shrugged his shoulders and kept eating his food.

"Well, the short version is that my friend, Matt, told me that some girl was a big fan of mine, and she wanted to go out with me. I wasn't really interested, but I didn't want to say no, so I said yes. He didn't mean for the whole reservation, money thing to happen, but it does turn out that it was a lie meant to waste my only free Saturday this month. I was able to meet and, hopefully, help you though, so I guess it wasn't really a waste."

The boy scoffed.

"Yeah, right."

He seemed to register what he had said and immediately began apologizing profusely.

"I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to- i-it just slipped out. I-"

"Hey, no worries. I can see how you might be a little skeptical about a random stranger caring about helping you that much. Honestly, if I were in your shoes I probably would've said worse, so in a way you were being nice."

Shiro knew that his string of thoughts was silly, if not completely ridiculous, but they seemed to help the kid anyway. Regardless of that, though, he seemed more withdrawn than ever, and held a look that said that he was internally scolding himself.

Not so casually, Shiro picked up the dessert menu and began reading it over in a very exaggerated manner. After all, everyone liked dessert.

"You look like you could use a dessert."

The kid hesitated a moment before answering, with very little conviction. "... Not really."

Shiro could tell that that wasn't what the kid had intended to say, so he refused to back down.

"Hey, if you're sure… Guess I'll just have to enjoy this five chocolate cake all on my lonesome."

The boy visibly stiffened and waited about three beats before addressing Shiro.

"Are there even five chocolates?"

"Only one way to find out."

Shiro matched the boy's now raised eyebrows and he, in turn, matched Shiro's smile. If only a little.

By the time they were done with their cake, of which they had only been able to eat half collectively (turns out five chocolates might've been one or two too many), both the boy and Shiro were in much better spirits.

"Yeah, so I punched him right in the face. Ever since then we've been best friends, at least when he's not sending me on fake fan dates."

The boy next to him openly laughed for the first time, and was about to respond, when he was interrupted by the loud honk of a very old looking truck.

"That yours?" Shiro asked, a little bit of his own displeasure seeping into his tone. That was certainly the reaction of a caring guardian whose kid had been stuck on the side of the street for a few hours- at least as far as they were concerned.

The boy's face suddenly bore a grim look as the car's horn beckoned him again.

"Unfortunately. But, hey, thanks, I guess. Hope your next date goes better than this one."

The boy had just begun walking when he abruptly stopped and turned his head one last time to Shiro.

"Keith. My name is Keith."

With that he got in the truck and drove off with Shiro tracking him until he was out of sight. The twinkle in Keith's eye stayed prominent in his mind.

"Logically, I didn't think I'd ever see you again… but then you stole my car. "

Beside Shiro, Keith bowed his head away, wincing while a blush rose to his cheeks. Shiro bumped shoulders with him and chuckled.

"So you do feel remorse."

Keith glared at him.

"Contrary to popular belief I do know how to act civilized, Shiro."

"Really? Sometimes I wonder if you were raised by wolves. Or aliens."

When Keith failed to respond Shiro winced internally. He had known Keith for around a year now, but sometimes he still had trouble reading the kid, and, more often than not, he found himself feeling like he had said the wrong thing. Normally, he didn't know why, but this time it seemed sort of obvious.

Mentally berating himself, Shiro made an attempt to lighten the mood and prompt Keith with a joke.

"Why did you ask about the story? You didn't forget, did you?"

Seeming happy in the change of subject (Shiro knew he'd messed up!) Keith put on a smile as he spoke, though it didn't quite seem to reach his eyes.

"No. I just like that story… and I like listening to you talk too..."

Despite his best efforts, Keith's, clearly fake, smile fell as he spoke.

Keith…

Shiro reached his hand out toward Keith, but before he could say anything Keith jumped to his feet, quickly wiping what Shiro assumed was a tear from his cheek with his sleeve, his tone was no less light for it. "You know what? Let's ride that roller coaster afterall."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I mean, it's either that or the bunny ears and underpants, and not even you could make that work."

Shiro smiled and followed after Keith.

"You wanna bet?"

Shiro didn't quite catch what Keith said next, but he was pretty sure it had something to do with not wanting to be traumatized for the rest of his life. Shiro just rolled his eyes and ruffled Keith's hair, much to his complaint. Somehow riding the roller coaster would actually fix his hair, but for now it was a mess.

Shiro found himself laughing at the young teen, too happy to care that he was being given one of Keith's signature death glares. (He had learned that there was no actual anger or wish for death behind them a long time ago)

As he walked, and even through screaming on the coaster, Shiro's eyes never left Keith, and his heart never stopped wishing that things could be like this forever. He wished that nothing would ever change, and they could both be happy forever. In moments like these it was easy for Shiro to forget how naive he could be, and how cruel the world was.

It started a week after the amusement park.

Shiro was well on his way to the park where he was supposed to meet Keith for the day, their usual Sunday meeting had been moved to Monday, a school day, so the zoo would have to wait yet again, when his phone rang.

A quick look at the caller I.D, which told him it was Keith's school, sent worry through his stomach. Ever since they met, Keith, having practiced reigning in his temper, had stopped getting into fights so often, but Shiro had quickly learned it was unavoidable. Keith was just far too small and different from the other kids.

Looking around the mostly empty road, Shiro decided that he could afford the distraction (hands free, of course), and connected the call, silently praying that it wasn't one of those calls.

He hated those calls.

"Hello?" Shiro asked when the call finally connected.

"Ah, Mr. Shirogane, so nice to hear from you. What can I do for you?" At the sound of the caller's voice, Shiro simultaneously: breathed a sigh of relief, let out a small chuckle, and fought the urge to facepalm himself.

Ms. Shalant, Keith's homeroom teacher, was easily the nicest lady Shiro had ever met. From what he'd heard, she treated Keith with kindness and respect (maybe even some favoritism) regardless of his situation, and Shiro was incredibly grateful for that, but… She was also well past her retirement date, and required a lot of Shiro's patience.

"Well, ma'am, you're the one who called me, so I was hoping you could answer that." Shiro managed to reply without laughing, already changing course for Keith's school.

"Oh, did I? Now why would I do that?" Ms. Shalant's voice became more distant as she spoke, but, luckily, she came back before Shiro had time to bang his forehead on the steering wheel. "Ah, yes, it's your boy, Keith. He fell asleep in class, and I didn't want to wake him, so I was hoping you could come get him."

"Of course, Ms. Shalant, no problem." Shiro really meant that. Afterall, sleeping in class was better than fighting, and this way Keith wouldn't have to walk to the park on his own either.

They exchanged quick goodbyes, with promises to see one another in a moment, and Shiro made it to the school before he knew it.

Navigating the hallways was easy enough, (Shiro had been here plenty of times for parent-teacher conferences) and when he arrived at Keith's classroom, Ms. Shalant was already waiting at the door.

"I was right about to wake him when it occurred to me that perhaps your face would be the one he'd like to see when he woke up." She said, wasting no time, but not rushing him in the slightest.

"I'll take good care of him from here, ma'am. Don't you worry." Shiro said, extending a hand out to her, which she didn't take, instead opting to swat his chest with a playful smile.

"I'll have none of that, Takashi; not as long as you're there for that poor boy." Ms. Shalant's smile fell slightly as her gaze shifted far to the other room. "I taught that boy's father long before he passed; what a tragedy it was, but if he has someone like you in his life, then… well, I'll think he'll be alright." With a final pat of Shiro's arm, Ms. Shalant turned out of the room, shutting the door behind her.

With a slight smile across his face, Shiro walked over to the desk where Keith slept. Keith always looked so much more peaceful when he slept, which was saying quite a lot since even then he was always on edge. Shiro wasn't totally convinced he'd ever seen Keith relax before, and it said more than he cared to think about.

"Falling asleep in class again, huh?" Shiro said, ruffling Keith's hair in a familiar way. He didn't so much as stir. "Keith, buddy, come on. Don't you wanna get out of here?" Shiro tried again, shaking Keith lightly, but eliciting no reaction.

"Keith? Keith!" Shiro raised his voice, shaking him as hard as he dared. The only warning Shiro was given was a small groan before Keith lurched forward. Shiro barely managed to catch him in time.

Keith mumbled something incoherent, and slowly opened his eyes. "Shiro…?" He mumbled quietly, moving to support his own weight.

"Hey, bud. It's time to go."

Keith nodded his head numbly- Shiro wasn't sure he was totally aware of what was happening- and got up to go. Shiro took the liberty of carrying his bag, Keith didn't even object like he normally did.

Shiro made a move to start a conversation as they both got into the car, but Keith seemed to have fallen asleep the moment he hit the seat. WIth a slight smile, Shiro started the car and began driving to their destination.

He hadn't been driving long when Keith, tucked haphazardly in the passenger side, seemed to start coming-to before suddenly jerking awake in the seat. His eyes were blown wide and he was breathing far too fast and he seemed more afraid than Shiro had ever seen him.

"Hey, Keith? Keith it's Shiro," Shiro tried calling out to him without getting too distracted. He had to find a good place to pull over so he could get a good look at Keith.

"No! No more doctors!" Keith yelled out. His eyes were still half-closed, but he was putting all his strength into fighting against his seat belt buckle. Thankfully he never got anywhere with it. "Let me go! It hurts! Make it stop, please!"

"Keith, it's just a nightmare. You're okay." Shiro said, trying his most soothing voice possible, but unsure if Keith could even hear him.

Just as he managed to pull to the side of the road, Keith threw his seatbelt off and tackled him with more strength than any fourteen year old boy should have been able to.

"Whoa, hey, it's alright. I'm here." Shiro whispered to the boy, enveloping him in a hug of his own. Shiro had a lot of questions: wondering if this was some one-off dream or if a more serious experience was influencing Keith's fear; whether being this tired made any sense, even for someone who had trouble sleeping, and what could possibly keep Keith up so consistently and for so long that he would even get to this point? If this was even a natural state of exhaustion at all. Above all, who could've been hurting this boy so much that it even affected his dreams?

Shiro had seen odd things, Keith abruptly canceling meetings or seeming extra skittish- Shiro remembered that he'd always had a distaste for medical professionals in general- but he'd never seen any signs or injury- natural or otherwise.

With a resigned sigh, and a look at the boy next to him, Shiro decided that he had a lot of questions- he always seemed to when it came to Keith- but that the questions could wait. And wait they did.

Before Shiro even knew what was happening, Keith had fallen completely silent, staring determinedly away from Shiro and, by extension, all his questions. Shiro was sure he would crack at some point, but Keith was eerily good at keeping silent, and Shiro was far too scared to press. He was far too scared, so when Keith insisted that he was fine and should just be taken home, Shiro complied, and when Keith left the car without another word, Shiro didn't resist following him out. And so they stayed there, door hanging open, but neither of them said goodbye.

"Shiro, really, you didn't have to follow me to the door. No one was gonna kidnap me out here." Keith said- though mumbled was more accurate- still refusing to meet Shiro's eyes.

It was true, Keith's foster parents lived far in one of the most secluded places within city limits, but he had been far too hesitant to say where they lived for Shiro to ignore it. Perhaps no one was going to kidnap him, but that doesn't mean there wasn't damage to be done.

"Didn't think they were." He responded curtly. "Go in and I'll leave."

He wasn't mad at Keith, he really wasn't. He was scared and frustrated with himself, and tired of being in the dark. He had taken to ignoring it, to giving Keith his space, but in times like these Shiro was made bluntly aware just how little he really knew about Keith, how little the boy trusted him. For all intents and purposes, Keith trusted him more than anyone, he knew that; but it was still so little, and it still wasn't enough.

Keith looked at him numbly, but, biting his lip, turned toward the door.

"You've been standing out there for ages; get the hell inside!" There was an unspoken threat in the harsh voice that rang out, making Keith flinch even from where he stood. Shiro deduced that that must have been Mark, Keith's foster father. Shiro had rarely seen or heard of the man, but he already didn't like him.

Keith turned back to Shiro hesitantly- fearfully- head still downturned. "He probably just doesn't want flies to get in and ruin Marianne's delicious cooking." He said, with no certainty in his shaking voice. Keith was good at covering his emotions and staying silent, but he couldn't lie to save his life.

Keith was a foster kid, and so much more, but still a foster kid. He had lost his parents and spent years of his life drifting through the streets like an unwanted plastic bag. Shiro didn't have firsthand experience, but he knew it was hard, and that some days were harder than others. So that's what Shiro told himself. Today was just a harder day, he didn't need to push Keith or make things harder. Keith was more open with him than anyone else, but he wasn't an open book, and it wasn't easy to get him to spill his secrets. Either way, whether he did or not,, it would pass, and Shiro was sure he could live with the not knowing.

He was sure… and then Keith turned to leave. Keith turned to leave, and the delicate balance, the one that had kept Shiro silent and compliant for so long, shifted for the first time since he had met Keith.

Shiro reached out and grabbed his arm and the world stopped. "Are you sure you're alright?"

Keith began without hesitation, not even considering the question. "Shiro, I-"

"No more lies, Keith!" Shiro paused when Keith flinched in front of him, collecting himself as best as possible. "Tell me the truth, or say nothing at all… but I can't take any more lies. Please."

At that, Keith snatched his hand away, cradling it to his chest, and finally met Shiro's eyes. There was a tense silence between them, but the crack of something impossible to see rang loud and clear through Shiro's heart. There was an odd expression on Keith's face, but it disappeared in a second, replaced by a weak, quivering smile.

"I'm always okay, Shiro."

Try as he might, Shiro couldn't stop his whole body from falling, shoulders slumping in a dulled disappointment that was no doubt reflected in his eyes.

Just as quickly as it had tilted once, the balance between them shifted again, and Shiro walked away without another word.

It had been two weeks since that day and Shiro had only seen Keith once since then. He almost hadn't expected him to show up at their meeting- they'd never had a fight like that one- but he did. The relief that flooded him in that moment was more than he had ever felt in his life. The moment he saw Keith, the moment their eyes met and that bright purple spark had ignited within them, he gave in, pushing every worry to the side if only so they could both enjoy that moment. He knew he shouldn't have, knew that it was wrong, but if Keith was okay, if he could still stand in front of Shiro, smiling as if nothing had ever happened, whole, healthy, and complete, then that was enough for him. It had to be.

It was with that thought that they went about their day as normal. Talking and laughing, pretending that they were the only two people in the world, at least until it was time for Keith to go. Even as Keith trekked off toward his foster father's beat up old vehicle, looking back at Shiro for as long as he dared, Shiro allowed himself to feel at peace. The day they spent together had been just what he needed to feel relaxed and refreshed. It had been blissful, perfect in a way little else ever had been between them. Too perfect, and yet he convinced himself to believe. To believe that everything was okay, that maybe things really could get back to normal, that their "normal" was something worth getting back to at all. He managed to convince himself, but even cracks covered in gold would only grow the longer he ignored them; and the following week, they would grow enough to shatter his whole world.

Shiro and Keith were supposed to be going to the zoo that week, and Keith, as far as Shiro was concerned, had been incredibly excited about it. Everytime Shiro had mentioned it during one of his two allotted calls per week, it was all Keith would talk about. Shiro also knew for a fact that Keith had been researching all sorts of animals just to impress him. (Though Keith would never admit to that.)

Shiro knew all this for sure, and yet…

"Keith never showed up."

"Hold up. You waited five hours and he didn't even show? What kind of chump are you?" Matt's eyebrows shot up in disbelief as he blatantly insulted Shiro. (or rather they shot down, seeing as he was hanging upside down from the top bunk of Shiro's bed)

"What? I'm not- that's not the point." There was no harm or ill intent to Matt's words; that's just how their friendship worked, but Shiro often found himself wondering why. "The point is that I'm worried. It's not just how he acts around me, even his teachers say that he always seems to be absent from class or sleeping through them and that if he was their son, then they'd be extremely worried."

If. It was always "if" for them. If Keith showed up to class, if he spoke up about the bullying, if he was their son, then maybe they would care; but he didn't and he wasn't, so neither did they. It was always excuses with them, and Keith always ended up caught in the middle.

"Earth to Shiro- you wanna run that by me one more time? You know, the part where you insinuated that they think he's your son?" Matt said, cutting through Shiro's thoughts.

"I may or may not have impersonated Keith's dad once or twice. But only for the ones that believed me." Shiro tacked that part on to the end as if it somehow made it better.

"Shiro." Matt said with a pointed look he'd no doubt learned from his mother. Colleen was a scary woman, Shiro knew that from experience. Matt didn't reach quite the same level, but it worked just the same.

"There's something wrong happening here; and I'm going to find out what it is," Shiro said, surprising even himself a little bit. It was odd for Shiro to approach any mystery with such conviction. Sure, he always had a fascination with space and the world above his head, but Shiro never really considered himself a particularly curious person and didn't often bother with the things underneath it. He could live with not knowing most things and he never bothered asking why things were done the way they were. Maybe it was because of how his grandparents had raised him up in countless traditions, teaching him to accept them mostly without question, or maybe it was just part of who he was. Either way, Shiro was more than willingly to break those rules and patterns he had learned now.

"Maybe you should just go talk to the authorities, or the social worker, or something. There's gotta be something or someone that could help." Matt said with half-confidence, knowing full well that he wouldn't be able to dissuade Shiro.

"I'm sure I could try, but if he won't talk to me about it, then he won't talk to anyone. I've never even seen a bruise on him or anything. It's just a feeling and that won't be enough- not once they know his history." Shiro argued back. He still remembered the day that Keith tried the portable simulators, how no one would give him a second glance just because of his background. If they did the same thing here and chalked his odd behavior up to his past, then Shiro would really have nothing to go on- and even that could take ages. "I'm afraid that if I don't do something now, then it'll be too late."

"Stop being impulsive and rushing headlong into action, stop trying to save everyone on your own. You're not some action hero from a movie, Shiro; you're twenty one!" Matt fired back with just enough heat to give Shiro pause. Shiro knew the story, knew how Matt's own mother had burnt herself out and fallen into despair after pursuing that goal- after trying to save the world on her own and seeing just how much hurt it was filled with. Shrio had never thought of himself like that before, much less thought that it bothered those around him, but he had to admit Matt had a point

Sure he'd been called a pushover more than once and maybe he'd pull the shirt off his back if a guy with a jacket complained that he was cold, but… this was different, wasn't it? Simply being raised a gentleman or some candy coated dream of saving the world didn't make Shiro care about Keith, nor was it what compelled him so strongly now.

"I can't imagine how you must feel, but this isn't like that. I'm not trying to save everyone, Matt, just… just him. It's always just him." All those people he'd helped in the past, all those times he gave into somebody else's wishes without a second thought, he'd always been able to do it with an easy going smile and a light heart; this wasn't like that. He'd done a lot of good, there was no denying that, but Shiro had never even come close to saving anyone- not like this, and he knew he couldn't do it alone either. "Besides… I didn't think I was on my own." Shiro added silently, turning his gaze away from his friend slightly. Matt gave a resigned sigh.

"Look, I'm sorry, Shiro. I just… I just don't want you to get hurt. You might be right, but that's what scares me more." Matt rubbed the back of his neck, a rare level of sincerity on his face. "I know you care about this kid, but are you really sure you want to know? Because once you do, you can't forget it- you're in this for good."

In all honesty, the question caught Shiro by surprise. He had often returned to the conclusion that he had to know, but did he care what "it" was? If he found out, was there anything he could do about it? He cared about Keith, more than he thought possible, but it was no news to anyone that he had lived a somewhat sheltered life. Even the smallest details of Keith's short life had astounded Shiro when he first met the boy. Sure he had gone through his own struggles in his life, but he'd still maintained a naive level of optimism that caught most people who met him off guard.

In a way, he liked being a little naive. He liked that it meant he could still believe in people with his whole heart, that he could still be a little too trustworthy- even when it came back to bite him- and that it meant he was able to walk straight up to Keith the day that they had met.

Back when it was just him, Shiro could be as naive as he wanted without any problems, but things were different now: he had Keith. If he waited too long, waited for a sign or hoped that things would fix themselves, then he'd be no better than the people who rejected him from the Garrison, no better than any of the bad people Keith had no doubt met in his life. His simple, optimistic attitude had hurt Keith before, even if the boy wouldn't let Shiro feel guilty for it, and he never wanted to let that happen again.

"If it's anything like what we're thinking, then yeah, I'm sure." Shiro replied, a weight to his tone that he could never fully understand. He hated that he had to change, that the circumstances in Keith's life were the things that made it that way; but if it was for him, if it was for Keith, Shiro would gladly make the change. For the boy he cared so much about, he would face even the darkest places of the world; but, at least for Keith's sake, he hoped he wouldn't have to.

"Okay. Tell me what you need." Matt said, sitting up and digging his laptop out from the pile of sheets.

"An address would be a good start. I took Keith home the other day, but his foster parents live way too far for me to remember how to get there and I didn't think about memorizing the address either."

They weren't very friendly either, but Shiro was sure he could make up some excuse. He only hoped that Keith wouldn't get into trouble because of him. He wished he'd done something so much sooner. That he just pushed a little harder back when he had the chance.

"Stop beating yourself up. It's not your fault and you're already enough of an anime protagonist as it is. You might be the only person in the world doing something for this kid, so you can't stop or feel sorry for yourself right now." Matt said, reading Shiro in a way only he could.

Shiro didn't respond to Matt, appreciating the words, but not really believing them. Matt was right about one thing, however, Shiro didn't have time to stop; not now. One more talk. He would finally, fully confront Keith for one last talk at their next meeting. If that didn't work, then there would be no other choice than to use that address, maybe even involve local authorities- whatever they could, or would, do for the boy.

"Hey, could you do one more not-totally-legal thing for me?"

"Do you need to ask? Those are my favorite kinds of things." Matt said with a devious smile that managed to elicit a smile from Shiro as well despite the circumstances.

"I need you to do some of that hacking work you do and find anything you can about Keith. His official files, school records, anything that might help us down the road." Unlike Matt, Shiro really didn't prefer breaking the law, but the situation called for it, and he had a bad hunch about this too.

"You got it; shouldn't be too hard for me anyway. You, on the other hand, need to prepare yourself. Be careful, okay, Shiro?" Matt said.

"You know me. Always."

Today was the day. It marked two weeks since Shiro had resolved to confront Keith. They hadn't planned anything for the week before- Keith had said he'd be busy all week- but he still felt restless not being able to see him then. So, when he saw him, standing awkwardly in front of the zoo gates, Shiro cracked the biggest smile, feeling relief and fear all at once. Today was the day.

"Did you have a good day?" Shiro said as he walked beside Keith. It was still light after the zoo, so Shiro had suggested that they go to a nearby park- it was a much nicer, neutral, and private place for Shiro to talk to Keith anyway.

"Yeah, it was great. I liked all the baby ones- but don't tell anyone I said that," Keith said, a distant look in his eye.

"Yeah, well, I liked them too, so you don't have to worry," Shiro said, feeling increasingly awkward and anxious. He'd been so sure about this a couple weeks ago, but now his mind was racing a mile a minute. "Keith… There's no easy way to say this, but I have to ask, is your foster family hurting you in any way?"

Next to Shiro Keith closed his eyes and took a breath, seemingly calming himself before responding. "Shiro… I don't want to talk about it."

"Well, it's important, Keith. And I'm not gonna wait around for something bad to happen to do something about it."

Keith scoffed, finally turning his face toward Shiro, eyes filled with something he's never seen in the boy's face, something he couldn't even recognize. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that whether you like it or not, I can tell that things aren't right with you, that you're hiding something from me. And depending on what you said today is what I planned on doing about it."

"You don't need to do anything, Shiro!" Keith said, stopping in his tracks and making Shiro do the same. "Nothing bad is going to happen to me, so can we please just enjoy the rest of the day? You're the only person left that cares about me… I don't want to fight with you." Keith spoke that last part so quietly Shiro almost didn't hear him. Keith had never been one for soft words and sappy emotions, and it tempted Shiro to just drop the conversation altogether; but, there was something about those words, about the sudden confession that only made him want to push. Why say those things now- as if it was his last chance to say them?

"Keith… You don't have to suffer alone. You know I'm in your corner, and whatever you might be afraid of, I'll keep you safe. You don't even have to go back there if you don't want to." Shiro said it with as much confidence as he could muster. Without any proof of harm, taking Keith now would likely make things worse- more dangerous and serious if nothing else- but it was worth the risk, if only he could convince Keith of the same thing. "Please, Keith. Just be honest with me."

Keith looked away for a moment, almost debating, chewing habitually on his lip and shaking his head softly all the while. He took another calming breath, and spoke, still not looking at Shiro. "I'm sorry, Shiro, but you wouldn't understand. You wouldn't look at me the same way," Keith said, voice unstable and thick with emotion. It was like a whisper or a light breeze, and there was a dark humor to laugh Keith gave after that only made Shiro more confused. The air was as tense as it had ever been between them, stretched so thin that it was like glass- ready to break at any moment.

Shiro had no response. How could he- he wasn't even sure what was happening anymore. Still, he tried. "Keith-" Shiro had barely gotten the word out before Keith interrupted him.

"I hate you! I wish I'd never met you…" Keith trailed off for a moment, looking more tortured than Shiro had seen anyone before. "I'm sorry. I… I shouldn't come today. I'm so sorry."

With that, Keith took off. Shiro ran after him, but he could barely keep up. The kid was fast, faster than anyone Shiro had ever met- maybe faster than anyone really could be- but that wasn't the reason he was left winded, with his head spinning.

Shiro knew that Keith's foster father was waiting for him nearby, he'd be back at his house before too long and things would be harder then, but Shiro was determined not to give up. He refused to be left behind again, left trailing after Keith putting the pieces together far too late. Shiro had the sinking feeling in his stomach that if he didn't do something now, he might never see Keith again.

Shiro jumped in his car and pulled his phone out of his pocket, dialing a number. "Matt, I'm gonna need your help."

Shiro rode through the desert at speeds that he wouldn't condone from any one else. He had to get there, he couldn't be late. This time, he wouldn't sit around. This time, he wouldn't be told no. He was going to save Keith, and he was going to get him a spot in the Garrison. "Delinquent records" be damned.

Shiro made it to Keith's house and practically jumped out of the car. He'd long since prepared himself for a fight- though police and medical services should have already been on their way thanks to Matt- but there was no one home. Shiro's heart skipped a beat. What if Keith's foster family had taken him and ran?

No. Shiro thought to himself. He took a calming breath- just like he had taught Keith- he couldn't lose himself, not now. Praying for a miracle, Shiro made his way to the door and tried the handle. Someone in the sky must've been listening, because the door opened with an eerie creak, breaking through the unnatural silence of the house.

The house was surprisingly big, bigger than it looked on the outside anyway, but it was also unsurprisingly dingy. There was paint chipping off the walls, the furniture was ripped up, and a dewy, humid smell permeated the whole place. The only thing that shocked Shiro were the appliances. A fancy, top of the line mini fridge- filled to the brim with the most expensive beer brand- a host of games and gaming systems that looked like they hadn't been used in years, and- to top it all off- at least three seventy inch flat screens making up an almost profession looking entertainment section of the living room. Shiro couldn't wrap his head around it. How could the same man that drove a truck and lived in a house that was falling apart at the seams possibly afford all this stuff? To Shiro's knowledge, Mark didn't even have a job- he'd mysteriously quite quite some time ago.

The worst of it came when Shiro moved to the kitchen. There was an odd crack in the wall that seemed to be more from excessive force than shifting foundations and the dining table furniture was strewn about the room. Shiro was no expert, but they looked like signs of a struggle.

Almost as if on cue, a loud thunk came from the upstairs area. Shiro jumped, racing up the rickety stairs as fast as he could. "Keith! Keith!" He called out as he entered and exited room after room, but there was no reply. Finally, he got to the room he should have known was Keith's. It was furthest to the back of the hall, farthest from the rest of the house, and it locked from the , it was open now.

Shiro held his breath as he slowly turned the handle, hoping that Keith would be there but afraid of what he might find.

As he finally pushed the door wide open, it wasn't the dust or the mess that caught Shiro's attention, it was Keith- lying on the floor, eyes shut, completely still.

The faint sound of sirens roared in the distance.

A/N: What an ending, huh?