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Chapter Text

Keith looks out the door of the helicopter at the island below. Years of watching and submitting audition videos, months of interviews and training, all led to this. A chance to live out his childhood dream of being on Survivor. Something Keith's dreamt about since being a scrawny kid crowded around the TV with Lance, wearing homemade buffs sewed by Lance’s Ma. 

The game was an escape into something greater. Away from secondhand clothes and teasing classmates and the McClain’s loving but overcrowded home that took him in after a few years bouncing around foster care. To Keith, the game was aspirational. He followed the young male contestants religiously, watching them dominate physical challenges and fish in exotic waters. They became his heroes (and, once he was a bit older, the subjects of more than a few of his fantasies). 

And now, at 25, he’s finally doing it. And he is going to win . His competitive nature makes winning an obvious goal, but the million dollar prize doesn’t hurt either. Being a mechanic paid the bills for now, and Keith liked the work, but he was already getting bored being stuck inside the garage for five years. A million dollars could open a lot of doors for him. But that was for later. For now, this game is all that matters. And he’s going to do whatever it takes to win.

Keith looks around at his competitors again. Only half the other contestants are even in this helicopter, but he’s already trying to analyze and predict their gameplay. A big Samoan guy that looks around his own age, a girl with short hair who looks about 16 but must be older to play, a beautiful dark-skinned girl with long white hair, a couple other 20-something women, an eccentric older man with a bright orange mustache, and a frowning middle aged man who already reminds Keith of some of the less pleasant authority figures he’s run into. 

Getting out once they land and heading to the mats on the beach makes this feel even more real. Sand kicks up around them as the second helicopter lands and the others file out. A frail-looking older woman, a girl who looks taller and broader than Keith, a pair that seem like lax-bros, and –

Holy shit.

Keith tries to keep a neutral expression as he takes in the most attractive man he’s ever seen. Well over 6-foot with a shoulder to waist ratio Keith didn’t know was physically possible. A high-tech prosthetic arm just as big as his flesh arm, biceps bulging and big hands that make Keith weak in the knees. He’s already salivating thinking about what all that muscle could do. But his face is what really makes Keith pause - a strong jaw and steely gray eyes, pretty lips, a scar across his nose, all framed by an undercut with a white floof hanging over his forehead. 

Fuck. Get it together, Kogane. Keith is two minutes into this game, and he isn’t about to lose focus just because of some pretty man that looks like he could break Keith in half. 

The rest of the players take their spot on the mat and Keith wonders if the tribes will follow the same division as the helicopter rides. Glancing at Pretty Man again, Keith can’t decide if he even wants to be on the same tribe as him. On one hand, Keith obviously wouldn’t mind being able to see more of him. And he looks like he’d be strong in challenges and camp life. On the other hand, Keith isn’t sure if he could even handle it. 

“Welcome to the Philippines for this season of Survivor! You will be drawing buffs from this bag to determine which of the two tribes you will be on. Do not unwrap it until my go.” Kolivan, the insightful and slightly stoic host of the show, welcomes them and tosses the bag to one of the women in the front of the group. Keith takes a breath, reaches in, and grabs a wrapped bundle.

“Unwrap your buffs and go to either the purple and orange mats. Look around at your new tribemates,” Kolivan continues. Keith quickly unwraps his. Orange. He looks around as he heads to the orange mat. Mustache man - orange. Silver-haired girl - purple. Small short-haired girl - orange. Pretty Man - orange . 

He makes eye contact with Keith as he joins him on the mat, giving him a small grin. Keith does his best to return it normally and not reveal the fact that his heart is going about a thousand beats a minute. 

Kolivan finishes his opening spiel for camera, goes through some technical details about medical emergencies that won’t make it to air, throws them their map to camp, and then they're off. 

They make introductions as they set off down the beach. Mustache man is a Kiwi named Coran, the short girl just introduces herself as Pidge and scurries down the beach. Pretty Man approaches Keith with an open smile and outstretched hand.

“Shiro,” he introduces himself and meets Keith’s hand halfway, closing his massive hand around his own. The prosthetic is more natural feeling than Keith would’ve expected, warm from the sun and sending an involuntary shiver down Keith’s spine. 

“Keith.” First impressions are critical in this game, and Keith’s felt the pressure of every introduction so far. This feels different though. Obviously he’s in awe of Shiro’s looks – who wouldn’t be? But he also feels surprisingly at ease as Shiro releases his hand with another smile. 

“Ex-military.” Shiro says, tipping his head to the right. Keith just stares back, still a little out of it and not really following. 

“The prosthetic. Figured you were going to ask, everyone does. Advanced tech was a bit of a consolation prize so at least it’ll handle the elements out here,” Shiro clarifies. 

“Oh, right. It’s pretty cool, though.” Keith gives a weak smile, feeling awkward. Fuck, he’s already screwing up. He changes the subject. “So what brings you out here?”

He’s here to play, idiot. You sound so dumb. So, so dumb. 

But Shiro’s face blooms into a genuine smile. He looks a little bashful, and if Keith wasn’t charmed before, he definitely is now. 

“I’m a bit of a Survivor nerd,” Shiro gushes. “I mean, I’ve been a superfan since I was a kid. The adventure, the strategy. It’s the greatest game and I’ve always dreamed about playing. It feels so surreal, even just seeing Kolivan and getting the buffs was like a childhood dream come true. And now we’re on this beautiful island and have a tribe and so many of the players seem cool and – I’m rambling. But yeah, it’s just incredible to be here. What about you?”

“Pretty similar actually. Never missed an episode, used to create fake challenges and play tribal council growing up, everyone would get super into it. But I was always the one most serious about actually playing.”

“Big family?” Shiro asks with a smile. 

“Uh, kind of. Adopted into one, I guess. I think we’re at our new home.” Keith nods towards where the others are putting their bags down towards the jungle. He’s a little caught off guard. He likes Shiro already, and trusts him. Maybe a little too much. He already opened up more to Shiro than he has to people he’s worked with for years at the garage. He needs to be a little more guarded and keep his head in this game. 

Their tribe – Olkari – is mostly younger players – Keith, Shiro, Pidge, two of the girls named Leif and Ezor, the Somoan guy from the helicopter named Hunk, and one of the lax bros named James. Their older players are just Coran, a quick-talking and offbeat man called Slav, and the authoritarian man who Keith learns is named Iverson. He’s immediately drawn toward Shiro, Hunk, Pidge, and Coran, but he isn’t opposed to working with some of the others. James, Ezor, and Iverson are the ones he feels most skeptical about. But it’s only day 1, so he tries to keep an open mind. 

They get to work on their shelter and, as Keith hoped, Shiro’s strength and work ethic are already assets to the tribe. He makes himself useful as well, proving his worth and putting into practice everything he’s learned from watching countless episodes and reading blog posts by former castaways. They all work well together, for the most part. Iverson is a little controlling for Keith, but he’s always biased against people like that. He tries to keep calm and just work. No way he’s letting his temper impact his tribemates’ opinions of him. 

Shiro is a welcome distraction to Iverson’s commands. Muscles hard at work cutting bamboo and carrying shoots, sweat running down in tempting rivulets and disappearing down his tank. He’s fun to work with too, listening to everyone’s ideas for the shelter and making pleasant jokes along the way. The strategic part of Keith’s brain knows this level of likability makes Shiro a huge threat to his game. But the rest of Keith’s brain is just thinking about how much he also likes Shiro. They have 39 days out here, Keith can afford to work with him early on and worry about the impact on his game later on.

“Alright! Let’s try this again.” Shiro’s endless optimism is contagious enough to keep Keith’s spirits relatively high, but he’s getting frustrated. He knows he can make fire. He’s practiced it hundreds of times. It always takes a while without flint, but this is the time for Keith’s practice to finally pay off. If this stupid bamboo saw would just give him an ember to work with.

He goes again, dragging the two pieces of bamboo against each other, faster and faster to get enough friction to spark the tinder. Shiro's crouched next to him with more kindling ready for when he gets it lit. 

“Patience yields focus, Keith. You can do this.” Shiro has been nothing but supportive for the almost hour they’d been working on the fire. He’s encouraging without being condescending, and Keith is more than a little surprised by how good he feels hearing those little motivational phrases from Shiro when he’d normally be tempted to roll his eyes. 

He speeds up a little more, sweat dripping off him, and grunting a little from the effort. And finally, finally starts seeing smoke. He lifts the bamboo and starts blowing onto the tinder. Deep inhales, long exhales. 

“Yes! Come on, Keith, you’re close!” Shiro’s voice is so excited, Keith fights through a smile as he keeps blowing. Almost, almost, just a little more…

Shiro lets out a small whoop! as the tinder bursts into flames. They quickly work to transfer the flame into the kindling and spend the next few minutes just focusing on making sure the fire won’t burn itself out. Once they’re satisfied, they stand up with matching smiles. 

“Way to go, Spitfire,” Shiro brings his massive hand down on Keith’s shoulder and gives it a quick squeeze. If Keith wasn’t already lightheaded from the fire, that would’ve done it. 

“Spitfire?”

Shiro shrugs. “You made us fire. And it suits you,” he gives his shoulder another squeeze, “Spitfire.” He drops his hand and gives him a devastating smile, looking just a little smug, before walking away to get more firewood.

Keith is so fucked.  

Morale is pretty high for night 1. They have fire, the shelter has a decent start, they each had some rice, and all shared a little about their lives. Keith knows enough about the game to take everything with a grain of salt, but he feels good. And he’s just excited to finally play Survivor.

But now he’s facing one of his main concerns of the game; sleep. Keith’s had trouble sleeping ever since his Pop died and he was bouncing around different houses. It’s just better to be aware at all times. So he sleeps lightly and is ready to go whenever. 

He’s camped enough to know that the noise and discomfort of the wilderness is one thing, but being surrounded by 9 strangers is another. Logically, he knows no one is going to physically attack him or whatever. No one gets on the show without a background check and there’s cameras around. But he can’t help but feel uneasy thinking about sleeping so close to all these people.

Fortunately, it doesn’t look like it will rain tonight. Keith feels relatively confident that the fire will keep away most of the pests and wildlife, making sleeping on the sand a reasonable option. It’ll at least be more comfortable than crowding on the bamboo with everyone else. He throws a little more wood on the fire and sits down in the sand. 

“Keith? You don’t have to tend to the fire all night,” Shiro calls over from where he was getting ready to find a place under the shelter. 

“Think I’m going to sleep here tonight. Take advantage of it being dry for now, you know?” Keith gives him a smile, glancing to where most of the tribe is settling down in the shelter. Leif and Ezor are already cozied up together. Keith notes the connection and thinks about a potential alliance there. If they join up and get James in then –

“Mind if I join you, Spitfire?” Shiro asks. Keith was running through game scenarios so rapidly that he didn’t even notice Shiro walking over. 

“No, of course not. Here,” Keith moves his makeshift pillow of his bundled up spare clothes a little closer so Shiro has some room near the fire. They settle in, heads near each other and feet stretched out in opposite directions to maximize the length of their bodies that can soak in heat from the fire. 

“Grab your torches, head back to camp. Good night,” Shiro says in a serious tone. 

Keith snorts. “Seriously? A Kolivan impression to say good night?” 

“It’s in theme!” They can’t see each other’s faces, but Keith can hear the smile in his voice.

“It doesn’t even make sense right now.” But Keith can’t help but chuckle, both of them dissolving into soft laughter. Shiro is proving himself to be a total dork and, once again, Keith reminds himself to keep how much he likes Shiro under control. 

Keith decides to just get up for good at first light. He flitted in and out of sleep for a few hours, and he knows he needs his energy to survive out here, but at this point he just feels restless. 

Night was just as uncomfortable and unsettling as Keith expected. Maybe a little colder than he was anticipating. But it’s a well known fact of the game that most contestants are lucky to get just a few hours each night. Honestly, it might be an advantage to Keith. He’s used to running on very little sleep, so it won’t affect him as much as his competitors. 

He gets up quietly and begins his walk to the well. In spite of the discomfort, Keith still wouldn’t trade this for anything. Walking through the jungle fills him with energy, and it doesn’t matter that he’s hardly slept. He’s playing Survivor. This is an amazing, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. 

He hears footsteps behind him once he gets to the well. He turns, expecting a cameraman. And there is one, but Shiro is there too. 

“Sorry, didn’t mean to follow you. Need water,” Shiro looks sheepish and holds up the slings with empty bottles. Keith waves off his apology and makes room for him at the well.

“Sleep well?” Keith asks, knowing the answer but not really having anything else to say. He starts drawing water up and fills the bottles Shiro hands him. 

Shiro laughs, “No, but wasn’t really expecting to. Hopefully it’ll get easier. Didn’t sleep much when I was overseas, so it’s fine. I’m used to it.”

“I’m sure we’ll adjust. I usually don’t sleep much either,” Keith says, hoping he doesn’t sound stupid comparing his sleep issues to Shiro’s time in the military. The bottles are all filled up, but instead of slinging them over his shoulder, Shiro sets them all down.

“Might as well clean up while we’re here,” Shiro says. It takes Keith’s brain a second to process what’s happening as Shiro reaches back to take his shirt off. Once the realization hits him, he starts taking off his own shirt to distract himself from the show Shiro is unintentionally putting on. Besides, he should wash anyway. This is fine. 

His shirt blocks his vision, but only for a moment. Once it’s over his head, there’s nowhere to hide and nothing in the way of a shirtless Shiro. Keith’s eyes dart around from plush pecs, defined abs, and the V of his hips disappearing into his shorts. He has quite a few scars too, and he wears them well. 

Honestly, it’s a miracle Keith hasn’t seen him shirtless until now. Contestants are in swimsuits or underwear for ninety-percent of the show. Keith’s comfortable with his body and with other people’s bodies, it’s not a big deal. It’s not . But something about both of them being shirtless for the first time around each other in the middle of the jungle with no one else around, with the soft morning light coming through the trees, feels… different. Well, not really no one else around. The cameraman is off somewhere. Keith didn’t see exactly where he went.

Shiro makes a small noise in his throat. Keith’s eyes snap up, convinced he’s been caught staring like some creep. But Shiro’s eyes are trained on Keith’s own body, his gaze almost like a physical touch on his torso. 

Keith turns towards the well, feeling his face heat up. Probably just sizing Keith up to see if he’ll be good in challenges.

Shiro quickly joins him, both of them drawing water up from the well and cleaning themselves with it. Keith can’t help but sneak glances out of the corner of his eye. He nearly passes out seeing the way the cold water makes Shiro’s muscles tighten and dusky pink nipples peak. What he wouldn’t give to get his mouth on those…

He splashes his face with water again and gets the thought out of his mind. The absolute last thing he needs is to sport a semi. He finishes up, throws his shirt over his shoulder and waits for Shiro to do the same before they head back to camp.

Chapter Text

Day 2 is free for camp work. They spend the morning reinforcing the shelter. By the afternoon, it really only needs more weaved palm fronds for the roof. But they’ve worked hard, and the heat is intense, so they all decide to break for a swim.

Keith does another mental review of his tribemates as he wades into the ocean. Pidge seems scary smart, definitely someone Keith wants to work with instead of against. Hunk is incredibly nice, probably to the point where he won’t be able to play to win but would be trustworthy in an alliance. Unless he’s just putting on an act, but Keith’s pretty sure he’s genuine. Slav is still a complete enigma, rambling on about thousands of impossible scenarios when it’s only day 2. Coran seemed odd at first, but seems to have a solid head on his shoulders. As expected, Ezor and Leif seem to be getting along well and Keith hasn’t spoken much to either of them. James seems to be spending time with them too, when he isn’t jumping to follow Iverson’s every command. He reminds Keith of every goody two-shoes kid who gets in a good with authority, kicks Keith once their back is turned, and never gets in trouble for it.

He exhales and dives into the ocean. When he resurfaces, Hunk, Pidge, and Shiro have all joined him. They all spoke loosely about aligning yesterday, but now is the time to make a concrete commitment.
By the time they leave the ocean, they have a tight four alliance and are confident Coran will join them. Slav is still a loose cannon, but he gets along with Coran and can be added as a sixth. That gives them the majority within Olkari, and Keith feels confident in his position within the tribe. For now at least.

Even though he has his alliance in place, Keith knows it’s important to form connections with everyone on the tribe. So when James follows Keith to go collect coconuts, he stays friendly and makes small talk. He learns James is a grad student and he manages not to roll his eyes when James reveals he does, in fact, play lacrosse.

Keith stops in front of a relatively short palm and eyes it. James starts looking through the undergrowth to find fallen coconuts, but Keith knows the best chance of getting ripe fruit is to harvest it directly. The coconuts are 30, 40 feet up, but the palm leans which will make it easier. He starts shimmying his way up the tree.

“Woah! You really think you can get those?” James sounds surprised and skeptical from below. Keith can admit it lights a bit of a fire in him to show that James shouldn’t underestimate him. Determined, he keeps working to get to the top.

Keith reaches the coconuts and looks down to make sure James won’t get hit by any once he starts twisting them off. Looking down, he sees Shiro has joined James and gives him a little wave.

“Keith! Keep your hands on the tree!” Shiro is smiling but looks concerned about Keith being so high up. Keith feels a little swell of pride at being able to show off.

“Don’t worry, just step back so you don’t get hit,” he shouts down. He begins twisting the fruits off, letting them drop onto the sand below. He gets ten or so and makes his way back down.

“Damn, that was pretty incredible. We’ll have to keep you around,” James says, approaching him and giving him a slap on the back. When Keith looks at Shiro, he has an indiscernible look on his face. It quickly disappears, and he breaks into a smile.

“Nice work, I can’t believe you got that high! Fire and coconuts. You’re really setting us up to be strong going into tomorrow.”

Shiro’s praise washes over him, filling him with warmth. It doesn’t sound fake or like he has any ulterior motive. Keith’s pretty sure Shiro really is just that encouraging, and he’s seen the effect it has on other people at camp too. It’ll hopefully keep morale high and lead to some challenge wins.

Keith wakes up on day 3 buzzing with energy. Shiro and him slept near the fire again, joined by Hunk this time. Today should be their first immunity challenge, and Keith spent most the night thinking about every challenge he’s ever watched. The team challenges this early are always multistep, usually a few athletic-based stages and ending with some kind of puzzle.

He looks over at Hunk, who’s still asleep. When he looks over at Shiro, he’s already looking back at him from where he’s laying down. They exchange smiles as Shiro sits up and stretches his arms above his head. His muscles flex and the pose makes him look even broader. Keith grabs a stick and pokes at the fire just to have something to do besides look at Shiro. If out-thirst was one of the tenets of the game, Keith would definitely win at this rate.

“Olkari wins immunity!” Kolivan shouts after Pidge and Leif slot the final puzzle piece into place. Their tribe erupts, rushing forward into a group hug. When they all separate, Shiro wraps his arms around Keith again.

“Great work out there, Keith!” Keith returns the sentiment with his own praise, indulging the moment and wrapping his own arms around Shiro’s strong waist. They pull away with matching smiles, heading to their mat so the camera can get the shot of the whole tribe.

Keith feels alive. He’s proud of his physical performance, and his tribemates were all competent and worked well together. It's the best case scenario.

“In addition to winning immunity, you also win fire in the form of flint.” Kolivan says, tossing it to their tribe.

“Already have fire thanks to Keith,” James lets out a small whoop and throws an arm around Keith’s shoulder. Kolivan looks impressed, which makes Keith feel even happier, which he didn’t think was possible. They all head back to camp in high spirits, knowing the Arus tribe has to deal with tribal council tonight.

On day 4, the work of maintaining camp still has its novelty. Keith’s sure that it’ll feel more like work later in the game, but right now he’s happy to tend to the fire and forage for food. He’s walking along the beach with Shiro, Hunk, and Pidge collecting firewood. Hunk has started to, once again, wax poetic about all the cuisine he misses and the dishes he could make if they had more ingredients.

“Stop! You’re just going to make us hungrier,” Pidge groans, but she’s laughing. The four of them get along so well, and Keith’s sure their tribemates are aware of their alliance. But it’s early enough that it shouldn’t put a target on their backs.

“I’d do anything for mac and cheese right now,” Shiro says. Keith lets out a small snort.

“What’s wrong with mac and cheese?” Shiro sounds a little hurt, staring at him with puppy dog eyes. He’s so ridiculous, and Keith is so charmed.

“Nothing, nothing. Just didn’t realize you were 8 years old,” Keith smirks back at him.

“Actually, I’m 7.” Shiro looks smug, as if this was a genuine argument and he won. “Leap day baby.”

“Oh, so you’re what, 28?” Pidge says.

Shiro lets out a small groan. “29. Basically 30. Just put me in the grave.”

“Don’t be dramatic. 29 isn’t old,” Keith nudges him with his shoulder.

“How old are you?” Shiro asks, giving him a quizzical look from the corner of his eye.

“25. Old timer.” Shiro lets out a mock-offended gasp. Keith just smiles.

“If anyone should be defensive about their age, it’s me,” Pidge huffs, breaking Keith and Shiro out of their little moment. Pidge had been drilled on her age on day 1, all of them skeptical that she was really 21 when she looked so young. Their conversation carries through until they return to camp, and Keith goes to sleep by the fire that night feeling happier than he has in a long time.

Day 5 is their first reward challenge. His alliance and him were speculating about what it’ll be last night around the fire. This early in the game, there’s really only two options; a tarp and comfort items, or fishing gear. Keith wants to try his hand at fishing, and knows the tribe could use the protein. But Shiro thinks their luck of having no rainy nights is going to run out soon, and then they’ll need that tarp for any chance of sleep. Either way, all of Olkari just wants to win.

When they arrive at the challenge, Keith recognizes it instantly from past seasons. It’s a classic duel challenge; two players, one from each tribe, face off in an arena while balancing little statues on hand-held platforms. First statue to hit the ground loses, and the match-ups continue until one tribe has scored X amount of points. Keith knows his speed and agility should be a huge benefit here.

The Arus tribe arrives, revealing they voted out one of the girls, Nadia. Keith isn’t too surprised, it’s a normal pattern to vote out a smaller girl first under the guise of making the tribe stronger in challenges. It’s an easy vote and avoids too much disharmony. This early on, Keith doesn’t care too much what the other tribe does. He’s just focused on his game.

Kolivan introduces the challenge and explains they’ll play to 5 points. He also reveals the reward; a tarp, hammock, blankets, and a few pillows. Comfort would definitely help morale and energy levels around camp.

Keith watches anxiously as the first face-off starts; Leif versus Haggar, one of the older women on the Arus tribe. They’re pretty evenly matched despite Haggar’s age, but eventually Haggar gets a strike in and they watch as Leif’s statue hits the dirt.

No big deal, Keith’s next. He really wants to even the score for his tribe, and he feels the pressure as he eyes his opponent. Rolo, a tall guy with lean muscle who’s a little broader than Keith. He looks a little skeevy, like he’s used to getting in and out of trouble.

They get set in the arena, and begin to circle each other at Kolivan’s go. Keith doesn’t want to draw this out, and Rolo apparently doesn’t either. He lunges towards Keith, long arm outstretched. Keith side steps easily, but instead of backing away he rushes forward. In the same fluid movement, he reaches and tips the statue off Rolo’s platform.

“Keith scores for Olkari!” Kolivan shouts from the side.

“Not bad, pretty boy,” Rolo says, giving him a once-over and heading back to his side.

When Keith rejoins his tribe, he receives a flurry of cheers and fist bumps. James knocks his shoulder with a grin. “Yeah, nice job, pretty boy.”
Keith knows James means well and is just mocking Rolo’s use of the nickname, so he lets it slide. He gives him a grin, only slightly strained, and turns to watch Ezor face off against Allura.

Ezor wins, followed by another win by Coran. Hunk isn’t quite agile enough to score, but James manages to outmatch Curtis. They’re leading 4-2, and Shiro steps up for what could be the final round.

The Arus tribe sends out Sendak, a man even bigger than Shiro. Keith can’t help but notice how mean he looks, and figures he was casted, in part, because of it. Keith knows the show, and Survivor loves a villain.

Immediately after Kolivan’s go, Sendak rushes forward and bodychecks Shiro. Everyone, on both tribes, lets out a small noise of surprise. There’d been a bit of arm slapping and elbowing, but no one had been so physically aggressive right out the gate. It’s a nasty way to play, but Shiro absorbs the impact and keeps his arm steady enough to prevent the statue from falling.

“Come on, Shiro!” Keith yells, his tribemates shouting their own encouragement.

Sendak and Shiro are staring each other down, tension high. For as kind and generous and encouraging Shiro is, this is a different side of him. He looks pissed, but in control enough to make it effective. Lethal. Keith is in a total awe.

Shiro strikes forward, and Sendak swings with his arm. Both of their statues wobble and stabilize, but Shiro is faster and doesn’t hesitate to strike again. Sendak’s statue falls, and Olkari bursts into cheers.

“Shiro wins reward for Olkari!” Kolivan shouts. Sendak looks livid, heading back to his tribe without a word. Olkari pulls Shiro into their celebration, and Keith looks up to him with a smile. Shiro looks happy and at ease, but Keith can still see some of that tension from Sendak’s actions under the surface. It looks like Shiro’s coming down on his own, but Keith wishes he could give Sendak some kind of payback for his aggression. Instead, he takes a deep breath and tries to focus on his tribe’s victory.

“You were amazing today, Spitfire,” Shiro praises him as they make their way back to camp. They’re walking a little behind everyone else, and something feels private about the compliment. Keith blushes, and immediately feels stupid for blushing.

“Please, I just scored one point. It was nothing special. You did that too. I mean, you did great. You were, you know, also amazing,” Keith realizes he’s rambling and shuts his mouth.

“I don’t know, looked pretty special to me,” Shiro looks amused but genuine. Keith’s insides squirm a little at the continued praise.

“Sendak seems like a total dick,” Keith says, trying to change the subject.

Shiro lets out a startled laugh at his bluntness.

“Yeah. Yeah, he does.” Any tension that was in Shiro from the situation is definitely gone now, but that doesn’t mean it won’t return next time they face off. Keith just wants to protect Shiro. Because he’s in his alliance. Obviously.

Chapter Text

Keith swears it’s getting colder on this beach. Even though they won a few blankets, it felt selfish to take one instead of letting multiple people share it under the shelter. So his sleeping situation, along with Hunk’s and Shiro’s, stayed the same last night. And it’s fine, but he’ll have to build a bigger fire tonight or something to stay warm. 

He shakes off his thoughts and finishes getting ready for their challenge today. His alliance has already talked a little about who they’d vote for if they have to go to tribal, but Keith is really hoping to continue their Olkari winning streak and avoid it all together. 

Sweat drips down Keith’s face as he tosses another sandbag. It hits the dirt. They’ve been neck and neck with Arus this whole challenge, and he stepped up for the final portion. He has to land five sandbags, and he has three on the platforms. He tosses another one, and exhales as it lands on a platform. One more.

“Right now, it’s 4 bags Olkari, 3 bags Arus!” Kolivan shouts. He exhales a little more and grabs another bag, he didn’t know he had a lead. But he’s seen dozens of challenges where people come from behind. He focuses and throws, holding his breath until it lands on the final platform.

“Olkari wins immunity!” Kolivan shouts. Keith’s tribe flocks around him, celebrating and hugging. Keith never really thought of himself as a “teamwork makes the dream work,” “we’re all in this together” type of guy. But at a high point in the game like this, in the midst of a 3 challenge winning streak, he definitely sees the appeal.

“Shit.” Keith eyes the clouds in the distance from his spot sitting around the fire with the others. They ate dinner in high spirits and since then have been killing time by speculating about who Arus will vote off. 

“Definitely going to rain tonight, man. Guess we’ll have to squeeze into the shelter this time,” Hunk says. Keith doesn’t want to, but Hunk is right. It’ll be a long night.

They finish their nighttime chores and routines, spending extra time tying down the tarp and making the shelter as waterproof as possible. Eventually though, there isn’t anything left to do to stall. Keith feels the tension in himself as he stands next to the shelter and debates where to sleep. 

“Spot open next to me, Keith,” James says, shifting a little from where he’s propped up on his elbows next to Leif and Ezor. Keith’s caught off guard by the offer, not responding. 

“C’mon, Spitfire. Just don’t want you to freeze,” James continues, tone on the edge of flirty. Now Keith really bristles. Only Shiro calls him Spitfire. The thought enters his mind before he can stop it. It’s not something he was conscious of before, but now he’s forced to admit to himself that he only likes hearing the nickname from Shiro. 

Before he can think of a response to James that won’t mark him as a hothead, he hears a throat clearing to his right. When he looks over, Shiro’s right next to him. Keith doesn’t know how long he’s been there, but based on his demeanor, he heard at least some of what James said. 

“I’m taking the edge near Pidge. If you want, y’know, some more space,” Shiro says. His smile is a little strained, and Keith is filled with warmth at how cared for he feels. Shiro must’ve noticed Keith’s body language and wanted to give him an out. And just because they met a week ago and decided to be an alliance together. Shiro really is one of kindest people he’s ever met.

Keith nods his head and mutters in agreement, heading to the edge of the shelter. He positions himself on the very edge of the shelter. Pidge, Hunk, and Coran are all lined up near each other to the left. The space between them and Keith is enough for a normal person, but Shiro’s so broad that it’ll be a tight fit. Keith tries to make himself as small as possible. 

“Scoot over, Spitfire.” Shiro’s standing over him, honestly looking ethereal with a soft smile and the glow of the fire on his face. 

“No, uh, it’s fine. I’ll stay here. If that’s okay,” Keith sits up and trips over his words. He doesn’t know how to say hey I really can’t sleep right next to all these other people because I don’t trust other people without revealing too much and sounding like a freak. 

“But what if you get wet.” Shiro’s almost pouting, which should look ridiculous on someone his size but instead looks frustratingly cute. Keith’s mind is scrambling, the last thing he wants is to make Shiro feel bad. 

“Don’t worry, I can handle it. Someone has to sleep on the edge, and I don’t mind. Seriously, better me than you, old timer,” Keith reassures him as much as possible. Shiro huffs a little, both at Keith’s insistence and the nickname. But he gives in and doesn’t seem bitter, which Keith appreciates. Shiro cares for others, but he doesn’t coddle too much.

“You’re pretty stubborn,” Shiro whispers, crawling into the shelter and positioning himself between Keith and the others. He sounds amused, and Keith lets out a quiet laugh. He is so used to hearing that in a negative light, but Shiro recognizes it as something positive. 

Silence settles between them, the rest of the tribe drifting off. After a few minutes, Shiro breaks the silence with a whisper. 

“Hey Keith?”

“Yeah?”

“It’s going to get cold when the storm hits. Do you want to –  do you want some of the blanket?” Shiro says, already pulling it over to him. Keith sucks in a small breath as Shiro’s hand brushes his hip in the process. 

“Thanks, Shiro. Good night,” Keith’s voice comes out softer than he means it to. He tries not to think about it too much, body facing the outside and eyes watching the approaching clouds.

“Keith…” Keith wakes up to the sound of his name and a hand on his shoulder. Well, wakes up isn’t the best term since he wasn’t really sleeping to begin with. More like shivering with his eyes closed as he tries to disassociate and ignore the freezing wind and rain. Despite the tarp overhead, the open side of the shelter is really not waterproof. 

He turns from where he was curled up on his side. Shiro’s propped up on one elbow, looking down at Keith with a concerned look. Keith raises an eyebrow at him.

“Sorry to wake you, you just… you’re shivering so much, Keith,” Shiro sounds distressed. “Please let me switch with you.” 

“Then you’re just going to get wet,” Keith whispers back. “It’s one night, I’ll be fine.”

“You’re not fine, you’re in the worst spot of the shelter. At least scoot closer, away from the edge.”

They’re both on their sides facing each other right now, and they look down at the almost comically small space between them. There is no room to scoot unless they want to be on top of each other. 

“Look, we’re both cold. It doesn’t help any of us for you to sit here in the rain and get sick -”

“I’m not sitting in the rain , Shiro, don’t be dramatic,” Keith tries to justify himself.

“Please, just, come here,” Shiro is basically pleading with him now, positioning himself with an arm extended. Keith’s heartbeat quickens as he realizes Shiro wants him to nestle into him. 

It’s not unreasonable. It would keep them both out of the rain, and they can share body heat. Cuddling among tribemates is extremely common in the game - almost everyone in the shelter is cozied up with someone else. But Keith has about two brain cells right now and Shiro killed them both with his offer.

He almost feels like he’s in a trance as he shuffles forward, hesitating once he’s not sure how close he should get. Shiro makes the decision for him, wrapping his arm around Keith’s back and pulling him against his chest. 

“This okay?” Shiro whispers into his hair. Keith mumbles a yes and nods his head. If he’s honest, he’s more than okay with being held in Shiro’s massive arms. Having his face between Shiro’s pecs is a bit of a dream come true. 

Shiro rubs his hand up and down Keith’s arms. “Jesus Christ, Keith, you’re freezing.”

Keith won’t admit it out loud, but Shiro feels incredible. He must run hot, because he feels like a furnace despite his claim that they’re both cold. Keith can’t stop a soft sigh from escaping him as he takes in the warmth. 

They lay like that, Shiro’s hands trying to chase the goosebumps off Keith’s arms. Keith finds himself matching Shiro’s breaths, deep inhales and exhales lulling him into a sense of calm. 

Keith spends the rest of the night floating in and out of sleep. It’s an odd juxtaposition - the cold from the wind and leaking water versus the warmth of Shiro. It’s not perfect, but it’s a hell of a lot better than before they started cuddling. There really is no other word for it, even if calling it that in his head makes Keith squirm. 

By the time the sun is rising, Keith fully gains awareness. They’ve shifted slightly so Shiro is on his back, prosthetic wrapped around Keith and keeping him close. And he is close , half on top of Shiro with his head on his chest and his entire side pressed against him. From what Keith can see and hear, no one else is up yet. It’s stopped raining, but the air still has a chill. It’d be so nice to just stay like this.  He closes his eyes and indulges himself for a moment. Then he counts to ten and makes himself get up, taking care to not disturb anyone. 

“Where do you think Iverson’s been?” Keith asks, sitting by the water with Pidge. 

“I think we both know he’s looking for an idol. He’s a sleazebag,” Pidge responds. Now that their shelter is more established, there’s only so much camp work to do on non-challenge days. It opens up more time for strategy and game play, which is equally exciting and terrifying. 

“Have you looked at all?” Keith says. The conversation is a trust exercise more than anything, Keith’s sure that she’s looked at least some. 

“Have you ?” Pidge definitely has an edge to her, which Keith respects. He thinks they’d get along well in their real lives too. 

“Yeah, some. Hasn’t been a ton of time or privacy, I haven’t found anything.” He’s being honest, and hopefully Pidge doesn’t doubt that. 

“You think they’re already in play this season?” Pidge muses. Their conversation devolves into speculations about types of idols might be in play, where they might be hidden, and how Iverson is putting a target on his back by spending so much time looking. 

Keith does notice that Pidge never explicitly said she didn’t find it. Whether it's intentional or means anything, he doesn’t know. But it’s worth noting, and he wouldn’t totally blame Pidge for keeping it private for now if she did know something. Hopefully, if the time comes, their trust will reach the point that Pidge shares it with him if she has it. For now, he’ll keep looking when he has the time.  

“If you look at Orion’s knee, that brightest star there, Rigel, is a blue supergiant. But the reddish one in his shoulder is actually brighter if we could see infrared light.” Shiro’s providing the entertainment tonight, teaching them about constellations. Keith’s always loved space, but Shiro’s knowledge and enthusiasm exceeds even his own. Like everything else about Shiro, it’s impressive.

Originally everyone was listening, but as the hours passed people left one by one until it’s just Keith, Shiro, Pidge, and Hunk sitting by the ocean. 

“We don’t have stars like this at home,” Hunk says. Most things these days remind Hunk of his homesickness. It makes sense for a guy with such a big heart and close family. Keith has the McClain’s, but it’s not quite the same and being out here makes Keith introspective.

“Alright, big guy, time for bed before we start moping for real,” Pidge says, standing up and brushing the sand off her legs. Hunk gets up and follows, bidding them good night. Keith will join them in a bit, but stays looking up at the stars for now.  

“Sorry for rambling about the stars, but figured I’d just talk since entertainment options are limited out here,” Shiro breaks the silence between them. He sounds a little bashful, and it surprises Keith.

“Are you kidding? I’d listen to that back home too, it was really cool,” Keith says.

“Really?” Shiro perks up.

“Yeah. Yeah, Shiro, space is cool and you know a lot and I really like listening to you,” Somehow, Keith finds himself rambling.

Shiro has his million-watt smile on now, looking entirely too pleased with the praise. “Okay well, when this is all over, we’ll have to meet up in the desert and look at the stars at home. You been near Picketpost Mountain? It’s amazing out there.”

“No, I usually just ride out to a random spot. Get outside the light pollution,” Keith says. They’ve all talked about after the game in vague terms, but Shiro suggesting more concrete plans to see each other outside the game makes Keith’s stomach do a little flip. It’s not unreasonable, Keith’s been in Arizona his whole life and Shiro’s been in So-Cal the last few years. 

Shiro’s apparently fixated on another detail of the conversation. “ You ride? ” Shiro's voice comes out a little more high-pitched than normal. 

“Yeah, a Suzuki V-Strom. Building up a couple in my spare time when I can get the parts, too.” Keith smirks a little, his pride in his bikes coming through. “You got a bike?”

Shiro looks a little dazed but shakes his head. “No, no. Used to have a bike before I went overseas though, a Yamaha.”

Keith takes a minute to appreciate the mental image of Shiro straddling a motorcycle, the bike purring under him. He has to stop himself from dwelling on that too much because, wow, that’d be a sight. 

“Nice. Suits you.”

“Maybe I’ll get another one,” Shiro pauses, “with my prize money.”

Keith lets out a startled laugh. Even jokes or off-handed comments about winning are risky in this game, and Shiro’s not dumb. Shiro knows that the paranoia can make people overreact to comments like that, but he trusts that Keith won’t. Keith likes it. A lot. 

“Yeah, 100 grand should be enough for a hell of a bike. I’ll have to get another one, too, with my million,” Keith gives it right back to him. 

Shiro lets out a snort and gives him a little shove. “We’ll see about that, Spitfire.” 

He stands up, and Keith does the same. He looks back towards the shelter where the others are sleeping. 

Shiro tilts his head towards the shelter, “Wanna sleep under there again?”

It’s not going to rain, but if Keith’s honest he wants to sleep with Shiro again. Next to. Sleep next to Shiro. 

Not trusting his lizard brain, he just shakes his head no. He hates himself a little for it, but he’d hate himself for saying yes too.

As they walk back to the fire, Keith tells himself not to read into whatever expression crossed Shiro’s face when he said no. 

“Want to know what you’re playing for?”

Keith smiles and makes a noise of agreement alongside the other castaways. It’s still surreal to hear all of Kolivan’s catchphrases in real life instead of through a TV.

It turns out they’re playing for fishing gear, and Olkari once again wins. Arus’s attempts to strengthen their challenge performances by voting out two “weaker” players – Nadia and then Haggar – is clearly not working for them. Keith is thrilled, but part of him knows cockiness won’t help them.

Everyone splits up when they return to Olkari’s camp, with Keith and Shiro both immediately getting into the fishing gear. They’ve talked about how fishing is on both their Survivor bucket lists. 

Shiro’s digging through the basket with masks when his movements stutter just slightly and he looks up at Keith. Keith clocks it and raises an eyebrow. Shiro subtly looks up and down the beach before moving closer to Keith.

“Look,” Shiro flashes him the scroll of paper in his hand. They smile at each other in semi-shock, and Keith’s mind automatically begins speculating - an idol clue?

“Wait, James is coming,” Keith sees him approaching and schools his face into a neutral expression. Shiro does the same, casually scratching at his waistband to tuck the scroll inside. 

“Hey, guys,” James smiles wide at them, picking up one of the Hawaiian slings and fidgeting with it. “Keith, you should show me how to use this thing.”

“We haven’t gotten a chance to try it yet,” Shiro says. It’s not openly hostile, but there’s a definite edge in his voice. Keith gets it. He’s also annoyed James interrupted them before they could actually read whatever’s on that paper. And while he trusts Shiro – as much as you can trust anyone in this game after 8 days – a small part of him is worried Shiro will open up the clue alone later and not share it with him.  

Even though he’s irritated, Keith doesn’t want James to suspect something’s up or get a grudge against Shiro. So he gives James a small smile and invites him to come down to the water with him. Shiro’s shoulders seem a little more slumped than usual as Keith and James head down the beach, but Keith’s sure reading the clue will bring his spirits back up later.

They fish for a couple hours and have mediocre success. Shiro and Keith each catch two fish and James manages to get one before they call it. In truth, they both know they’re doing the bare minimum to avoid raising suspicion. They can fish any day – the note is more urgent. Hunk and Coran volunteer to skin and cook the fish, so Shiro shoots Keith a look and they head into the jungle under the guise of going to the well. They dart off the path and crouch down, Shiro already pulling the scroll out. 

“Congratulations, you have found a clue to a hidden immunity idol; 100 yards from camp near something steep, the rare fruit of your labor could save your game. Dig at the base of a tree but not too deep, and find an idol to protect your flame.” Shiro reads out, nearly vibrating with excitement. 

“Oh my god, Shiro! We gotta find it!” Keith can’t fight the smile on his face. Shiro looks equally thrilled, and they spend a few moments just smiling at each other and the clue like idiots. Keith tries to get back to reality and the game.

“Thank you, for sharing it with me. If I find it, this idol is for us. I mean, our whole alliance. Whoever needs it,” Keith says. Shiro nods and reminds them both that they need to hurry back to camp before things seem off. They quickly agree it’s likely at the base of some fruit tree near a cliff or something, but it’ll be best to wait until early tomorrow morning to actually look.

They try to spend the rest of the night acting as normal as possible, but their good moods blend into the rest of the tribes’. With another challenge win, a fresh (but meager) fish dinner, and good weather on the horizon  – spirits are high all around. As they lay down by the fire that night, Keith can’t wait until first light so he can head out and look for the idol.