What we think, We become (Shallurklance)

9/10- Memories

Memories were always a fickle thing.

Admittedly, Shiro didn't have many of them. The ones from before Kerberos were either naturally faded with age or had been forcibly removed by the druids, and many of those gained from after the ordeal he would prefer not to remember at all. His time in the arena had warped and erased many of the memories that he still had, and the experiences that he hadn't already repressed had come to light in many an equally down-hearted mind meld session.
If Shiro was honest, he would get rid of them all tomorrow. The nightmares that plagued him due to the Galra wouldn't be there anymore, and the eternal worry of what life was like back on Earth wouldn't dog his mind like a shadow the daytime.
He would do this, in exchange for keeping the memories of two things; his lovers, and his family.

His lovers were easy to remember. Their presence was hard to avoid; Lance clings to him like a limpet at every chance he can get, grounding him by nattering about whatever had occurred on a mission that day whilst forgetting that Shiro was steadily on the comms and had the drones primed to attack should any of them call distress, and Allura somehow always knew what room he was in, appearing in doorways magically to make sure he wasn't alone with his thoughts, and if he was, sitting close enough for her calming presence to be felt. Keith wasn't as tactile as the others, still working up to that level of comfort where he could cuddle into the others at anytime, but could notice better than anyone when Shiro's eyes gained that glassy look that indicated he wasn't quite okay, or calming him down with just the right tones and words to ground him.
He could never forget his family either; it wasn't quite as big as Lance's, but two mothers, an older brother, and a younger sister lead to a loud childhood. Shiro was always the quietest of the three, but he could never forget Ryou would joke about the Garrison and ruffle his hair, laced with protectiveness, or how Ayano would always find him in school to eat lunch together since she was afraid of the girls in her year. His Mom would smile widely and ask him about his day, and his Mama would rush in from work around dinner time and plant a big kiss on top of their heads.

He missed them.

But he wouldn't forget them.

~

"So, I'm sat there right," Lance explained animatedly, hands flying everywhere, "just chilling, minding my own bis', when this absolutely huge guy appears out of nowhere shouting about crow-knows-what, and I think he's gonna punch me until my sister appears behind my back-"
"Which sister?" Allura asked; she was rather deep into the story, and Shiro loved to see her interest in the rest of their lives. In response, Lance stopped dead, staring into the middle distance trying to remember her name, and Shiro felt ice in his throat.
"The short one," he eventually said, calm voice masking the slight panic in his eyes, "stocky, but like, half my hight. Dark eyes and really, really thick hair like Mamá."
"Sophia?" Keith prompted, and Lance grinned in gratitude.
"Sophia! Yeah, her." He leant over and gave Keith a quick peck on the cheek. "Thanks babe. Wait, how do you know my sister's names better than anyone else?"
"I just remember things," the other paladin said with a shrug, "you've mentioned them so many times I just learned their names, like, your brother-" he turned to Shiro- "is called Ryou, and your sister is Ayano."
Shiro laughed, impressed. "I keep forgetting you met them."
As Keith opened his mouth to reply, Allura gasped. "You have siblings too, Black?"
"Yeah," he responded, shifting his sat position slightly, "one older, one younger."
"Are they nice?" Lance asked curiously.
"Ryou was the textbook definition of an asshole, but a good brother," Shiro mused, "and Ayano always saw the goodness in everyone, for the better or for worse, so yeah, they were nice."
"Is."
Frowning, Shiro looked up at Keith. "What do you mean?"
"Present tense," he replied, "they're still alive, you know."

That seemed to kill the nostalgic atmosphere of the room, Lance grimacing before shuffling over and resting his head on Shiro's lap, letting him dance one hand in his hair. Keith reached over and gently linked his and Shiro's hands, pressing flush to his side whilst Allura wrapped a strong arm around his waist and put her head on his shoulder.