[ a little big is such a mild way of putting the awkwardness of the situation that it actually makes keith huff with tense amusement. with shiro halfway dangling off the edge of the couch, keith instinctively attempts to flatten himself to the back of the couch, but it doesn't take a genius to figure out that a) he isn't going to become any more two-dimensional for the effort and that b) there's a simple solution to their geometric quandary. shiro gets there first, and then with a twist and a flop, there's a warm arm draped over his bare chest. before he can deny that he's cold, a whole-body shiver knocks the wind out of his brilliant protest. instead, something else comes out of his mouth. ]

I don't wanna use you.

[ it's said in a quietly fierce voice. evidently, someone didn't get the memo that a joke was made. however, keith does tentatively roll onto his side, albeit still careful not to align skin-to-skin. for what reason, he couldn't fully say.in fact, the longer he dwells on it, the more keith feels like some fucking deviant for even thinking any of this is intimate at all when this whole mess was a product of his own near-lethal idiocy.

expression faltering,keith drops eye contact, looking now where the blanket is pulled up high to shiro's neck. one deep breath, and keith closes his eyes, finally letting entropy roll his body forward to lightly bump against shiro's. ]

...I'm sorry. I'm being stubborn for no good reason.

[ a beat, then he lifts his arm to loosely drape low around shiro's waist. ]

And I don't know why. You saved me and you keep saving me, even though I... you know, even though ... [ we might be strangers from different realities. unsurprisingly, cowardice prevails over honesty and keith falls silent before adjusting pathetically. ] ... you don't have to.

[ another beat, then keith inches closer, tentatively pressing his nose to shiro's neck. ]

But I guess you wouldn't be you if you didn't save people from their worst instincts, old-timer.