1 More Than You Know
Shiro crosses the room towards her without tripping over his feet in any way and kneels in front of her.
«God» he gives her the height advantage over him, enough that she's looking at him. So close he can see how dark her eyes are. He can see the small tremor in her hand as he lifts it and touches her face, with his fingertips lightly against his cheek Shiro leans against the touch, however delicate, and Keyla's smile slightly dampens her mouth.
«So I guess it's okay?»
«So ok...» Shiro puts a hand on his knee, warm under the palm of his hand, and she shudders.
«God, you are beautiful.» She gets embarrassed and turns red.
«Shiro-»
«Can I kiss you?» He hates to interrupt her, but it is better to do it than to listen to her protest for the compliment. (One day he will make her accept a compliment without discussing it first, but it probably won't be today.)
The diversion works; Keyla runs her tongue over her lips, moistening them.
«Yes. You can kiss me.»
Shiro leans over and she bends over and their mouths touch, they touch, practically chaste. Even so, that simple touch sparkles and passes through Shiro.
Then Keyla leans forward and presses her mouth against his, clumsy until Shiro tilts his head to adapt adequately to her.
This is a revelation.
Shiro looks at his eyes wide open and then with heavy eyelids that come together and break and come together again, and he is sure she is looking at him in return.
It is she who separates her lips and sucks his lower lip; the sudden pressure makes him moan and stretches to insert his fingers in the free fall of his hair. Keyla hums and bends over him, his tongue flirts against his lower lip, against his tongue when he opens it, initially only uncertain.
As their kisses become deeper, more moist, she becomes more daring, she slides her tongue into her mouth as she takes her face in her hands. Shiro would never have imagined anything as surprising as his mouth moving against his, the consistency of his hair flowing between his fingers, or the warm skin of his knee under the palm of his hand. He could spend the rest of his life kissing Keyla and dying happy and satisfied.
-
It breaks Shiro's heart just watch her sleep so peacefully. She is so beautiful.
While Shiro caress her bare skin on her hip, he think of that night, the first time they made love together. In fact, that night it looked a lot like the night before, the last time they could be together before the launch.
He would never have believed that this wonderful girl would come forward, confessing the great desire to be with him after all they had passed together.
After breaking up with Adam, Shiro felt sick. Hopeless. He felt that no one was there to support him for that mission.
But then he noticed this presence, this constant presence that supported him in everything and for everything.
Keyla.
He owes a lot to that girl. Without her, perhaps she would have given up on Kerberos for fear of being completely alone.
But he wasn't alone. He had Keyla. And she would always be by his side, forever.
«Mmmh... Takashi...?»
Shiro looked at her, smiling at her. «Hey baby» he greeted her with a kiss on the forehead «how did you sleep?» the churches.
«Very well, thank you» Keyla blushed for the nickname (that she adored, but she would never admit it) and gave Shiro a slight kiss, which in the meantime had stretched face up, with the girl resting on his chest.
-
«Shiro...»
Shiro stops, something about it is not right. No, not something, he knows what's wrong.
«You could call me Takashi, if you wanted to.» The offer distracts Keyla from trying to approach him.
«...really?» Her eyes are wide open, amazed, and he knows she is remembering the moment when he explained why he calls with a shortened form of his surname instead of his name, his compromise with his family culture and the more relaxed culture of Garrison.
Shiro kisses her again, sweet.
«Yes, if you want.» It seems the same as the way it feels normal to call her "baby", the way their mouths fit together, the way he feels in hers company. She takes a breath.
«Takashi.» Sounds good. Shiro kisses her again, breathless for his accuracy.
«Yes, that's fine. It's perfect.»
-
«I will miss you so much 'Kashi ...»
Here they are. At the launch pad, while Keyla holds back the cascades of tears that could fall at any moment.
It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining high and the light autumn breeze made the girl's hair move, while holding Shiro with all her strength. Her mentor. Her best friend. The person she loved.
Shiro shook her harder in turn, never wanting to leave her again. So, he bent down, putting his mouth to his ear if he whispered «I'll be back before you know it. Wait for me here, okay?»
Keyla smiled. «Of course I will. I promised, didn't I?»
Shiro got a little laugh «Yes, it's true»
When the last call for Kerberos arrived, Keyla had to let him go.
«Keyla...»
The girl stared at him and smiled curiously.
«I love you» he wanted to say much more, but he was speechless.
«I love you» she replied without hesitation, although it seemed different from the other times they said it.
He smiled back at her. Then, making sure no one was staring at them, he kissed her. It was quick, but profound and significant, and made both feel better.
«Promise me you'll come back safe and sound to me»
«I will. I promise.»
-
He'll miss the way Keyla looks at him, like he's the most beautiful thing she's ever seen in his life.
«And I'm thinking you won't change your mind either. Not like meeting some sexy alien princess, right?»
«Even Commander Holt is not hoping for something bigger than microbes so yes, probably not.» Shiro squeezes his lips. «I guess there's always Matt, though...» Keyla snorts, and laughs. «Yes, no, I guess not.»
He touches the curve of his cheek. «I suppose I'll just have to hope you don't meet someone else that makes your head spin while I'm leaving, eh? »
«You don't have to hope for that.» Keyla brushes her lips against his fingers. «I'm not going to change my mind, no matter what happens.»
«Then I won't do it either,» says Shiro and kiss her to seal the promise.
-
Six months later the announcement arrived.
"KERBEROS MISSION FAILED"
Keyla left the Garrison.
-
It was a quiet night. Just like all the other peaceful nights that Keyla had spent alone in the desert in the last year.
She had discovered many things about herself in that time frame.
She had discovered more about his powers, and perhaps, perhaps she had learned to control them.
Right now Keyla was sitting on the roof of the shack, looking at the stars.
She remembered the old days when she and Shiro gathered on the roofs of the Garrison to look at the stars.
She misses the way the major could have listed every star in the sky, and how he would explain how to find her.
She would take her hand, and with his forefinger would show her any connection between the various stars.
And just as those beautiful days came to mind, he saw a shooting star.
'I wish he were here again'
And the wish came true.
-
It didn't take her long to take the hoverbike, place and blow up explosives, reach the base and lay the scientists down.
It had taken her a long time not to let the sight of fainted Shiro collapse.
«Shiro?»
And then those three entered.
-
«We'll stay here for now. I know... That's not much, but we'll do it enough» said Keyla to the boys.
«How do we know we can trust you?» asked the annoying dark boy.
«You don't know» she replied simply.
When a few hours later Keyla heard a rustling coming from the sofa, he rushed there and got on his knees.
«Shiro?»
Shiro opened his eyes and Keyla smiled.
«W-who are you?»
