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HEADCANONS
Keegan is in love with a friend but won't admit it.
I will make the friend as a teammate!
iym "won't admit it" like he wouldn't confess and stay like this forver without expressing then hell yeah whatchu talkin' abt
and lastly before i start writing i don't wanna no one typing "Keegan would never be this emotionally gahook!đ¤đ¤" well guess what everyone fall in love and slip into it like a damn failure ballerina
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ęˇęŚď¸śęˇęŚď¸ś ๠࣠âęˇęŚęˇęŚď¸śęˇęŚď¸ś ๠࣠âęˇęŚęˇęŚď¸śęˇęŚď¸ś ๠࣠âęˇęŚęˇęŚď¸śęˇęŚď¸ś ๠࣠âęˇęŚęˇęŚď¸ś
I'm staying with the mask...
Keegan is the kind of person who doesnât easily give in to feelingsâespecially when it comes to anything that might distract him from his duty. It takes a long time for him to realize what heâs feeling, and even longer for him to even consider acknowledging it. Here's how it could play out:
Keeganâs realization about his feelings for you takes a few years, especially because heâs constantly suppressing it.
At first, heâs just focused on the mission, on the job. But over time, as you continue to be a steady part of his lifeâhis teammate, his friend, and the person he trusts mostâthose feelings slowly sneak up on him. Itâs something that builds gradually, like a storm he canât ignore.
but itâs only after 2-3 years that he finally realizes what heâs been feeling.
In the early years, Keegan is too focused on survival, on getting the job done, to think too much about it. The team dynamic is important to him, but his view of relationships is still influenced by his sense of dutyâno attachments.
Over time, though, the small moments between you, the way you laugh, how you handle stress, and the way he feels when heâs around you, start to make him realize that he feels something more than friendship.He doesn't recognize it as "love" right away, though.
At first, itâs just this pullâthis desire to be near you, to protect you, to make sure youâre safe. Itâs subtle but undeniable. By the time the realization fully hits him, itâs more of a feeling heâs tried to bury than something heâs consciously thought about.
Keegan isnât the type to openly flirt or be obvious about his feelings, but itâs the little things that give him away.
You get injured on a mission? Heâs the first one there, eyes scanning over you, jaw clenched.
âItâs just a scratch,â you try to joke, but he doesnât smile. Just hands you a med kit and mutters, âBe more careful.â
When youâre on base, he always sits next to you during briefings. Never says why. Just does.
If someone else makes a joke about you or gets too friendly, thereâs a shift in himâsubtle, but noticeable. His eyes linger, his body tenses. But he wonât say a damn thing.
Keegan doesnât do emotions. At least, not openly. So when he starts feeling something for you, his first instinct is to push it down.
If you ever get too closeâphysically or emotionallyâhe subtly pulls back. Keeps things professional.
âYouâre overthinking it,â he tells himself when his heart races after you brush against him.
If someone teases him about you? He just gives them a deadpan look and changes the subject.
Even when he knows heâs looking at you too long, when he knows heâs thinking about you too muchâhe convinces himself itâs nothing.
Youâre a teammate. A friend. Thatâs it.
He started to think he is so stupid and hating this.
It takes something big to crack through his walls.
Maybe itâs a mission gone wrongâmaybe you get separated, and for a few agonizing hours, he thinks heâs lost you.
When he finds you again, relief crashes into him like a punch to the gut. But instead of saying anything, he just grips your shoulder a little too tightly.
âDonât do that again.â His voice is low, rough.
âI didnât exactly plan on it, Keegan.â Youâre trying to keep things light, but heâs not laughing.
Thatâs when you realizeâhe was scared.
Not because he cared actually, he is caring for everyone is his team, but the times when sees you or anyone else in the team get injured he may lost it inside.
since *cough* ajax'x death *cough*
And that? Thatâs not something Keegan lets himself feel.
Keegan is sitting across from you, eyes trained on somethingâanything but you. The silence between you two is thick.
You try to break it. âSo⌠whatâs been on your mind lately?â
Keeganâs eyes flicker to you for a moment, before he shrugs, clearly unwilling to open up. âNothing. Just⌠tired.â
He doesnât look tired though. He looks distant.
Thereâs a pause, and you both continue to sit there in the quiet, and for a moment, it feels like he wants to say somethingâwants to talkâbut he canât.
"You sure?" you push, but when your eyes meet, Keeganâs gaze softens for just a split second before he pulls back.
âIâm good. worry about yourself.â typical he always talks like that.
But you know itâs more than that. And so does he.
After a particularly tough mission, everyoneâs gathered around, sharing drinks and stories from the field. Keegan, ever the lone wolf, sits in the corner, keeping to himself from talking to the others.
But when you walk past him, you notice something: a fresh pack of bandages sitting on the table next to his gear, alongside some protein bars you hadnât seen before.
âWhatâs all this?â
Keegan looks up from his seat, nonchalantly leaning back. âNothing. Just thought you might need it.â
âNeed what?â
âBandages, snacks... whatever. Youâre always running low on stuff after a mission.â
Itâs a small gesture, but it doesnât escape your notice. Heâs paying attention to you. And somehow, it feels more significant than anything heâs said.
âThanks.â You nod at him, unsure of what to say.
Keegan just gives a short, tight smile. âYeah. No problem.â
But in that moment, you know itâs not just about the bandages. Itâs about the care he doesnât know how to express.
sorry i gave yall some boring missions-moments but guess what be prepared for base moments when the fun would happen
Base moments:
Keegan doesnât mean to always sit next to you. It just happens.
During mission briefings, in the mess hall, even just sitting around waiting for ordersâsomehow, he always gravitates toward you.
At first, itâs subconscious. But then one day, Merrick calls him out on it. âDidnât know you two were attached at the hip.â
Keegan freezes mid-motion, his fork hovering over his plate. His response is as dry as ever. âI sit where thereâs space.â
But the moment he realizes how obvious heâs being, he starts overcorrectingâpurposefully sitting across the room, trying too hard not to make it look like he cares.
It doesnât last long. Eventually, he gives up because avoiding you makes him more irritated than anything else.
Being in the field means getting injuredâa lot. And while Keegan prefers patching himself up, there are times when someone else has to do it.
After a particularly rough mission, youâre the one tending to a cut above his eyebrow. He sits still, jaw clenched, letting you clean the wound.
The problem? Youâre too damn close. He can feel your breath, the warmth of your hands.
His brain tells him to pull away, but his body stays frozen. His heartbeat is a little too fast, and he swears the air feels heavier than it should.
âStop looking at me like that,â he mutters.
You gave a confused look with a smile, not missing a beat. âLike what?â
He doesnât answer. Just stares straight ahead, refusing to meet your eyes. The moment youâre done, he mutters a quick âThanksâ and bolts before he does something stupid.
Thereâs a new guy on base, and heâs been way too friendly with you. Keegan doesnât reactâoutwardly.
But you notice the shift in him. The way his responses are a little more clipped. The way he suddenly has a lot to say whenever this guy is around, mostly in the form of sarcastic comments.
The moment that really gives him away?
One evening, youâre joking around with the new recruit, laughing at something stupid like yall being just some sillies. Keegan, whoâs cleaning his rifle nearby, suddenly snaps the bolt back a little too aggressively.
Itâs not subtle. Everyone notices. Merrick raises an eyebrow.
âProblem, Keegan?â
âNo.â His voice is flat. âJust making sure my rifleâs working.â
He doesnât talk to you for the rest of the night, and you know exactly why.
Keegan doesnât hover. At least, he thinks he doesnât.
But you start noticing how often heâs the first one to check on you after a mission. Even if he doesnât say anything, even if he just passes by while youâre getting patched up, thereâs always a moment where his eyes flicker over to you, assessing.
One night, after a particularly bad op, you find him sitting in the common area, pretending to clean his gear HELP WHY AM I MAKING HIM ONLY DOING THATâbut itâs clear heâs waiting for you to come back from the med bay.
âYou could just ask if Iâm okay, you know.â
He doesnât look up. Just keeps working. âI know youâre fine.â
You shake your head with a small smile. âThen why are you still sitting here?â
He still doesnât look up. âGear needed cleaning.â
âUh-huh.â
âShut up.â
Itâs late, and the base is quiet. You and Keegan are the last ones in the training area, neither of you wanting to sleep yet.
Youâre sitting side by side, backs against the wall, exhaustion settling in after a long day.
âEver think about what comes after this?â you ask, voice softer than usual.
He doesnât answer right away.
When he does, his voice is lower than usual. âNo point.â
âWhy not?â
He hesitates. And for a split second, thereâs something in his expressionâsomething unreadable.
Then, he shifts, standing up abruptly. âToo much to do tomorrow.â
You watch as he walks away, and for the first time, you realize something.
Heâs not avoiding the idea of the future.
Heâs avoiding you in it.
The base was quiet, the hum of distant machinery and the occasional crackle of a radio the only sounds breaking the silence. You and Keegan sat side by side on a supply crate near the vehicle bay, the faint glow of the overhead light casting soft shadows across his sharp features.
It had started as another late-night conversation. The kind that happened when neither of you felt like sleeping, when exhaustion lingered but something unspoken kept you both awake.
You nudged his arm. âYou know, for someone whoâs supposed to be a ghost, you suck at disappearing when I need peace and quiet.â
Keegan huffed a quiet laugh, shaking his head. âYeah? Funny, âcause you keep showing up in all the places I go to be alone.â
You smirked. âAlmost like you donât mind the company.â
He didnât deny it. Just glanced at you from the corner of his eye, his usual deadpan expression softening just a little.
There was a pause. A long, lingering moment where the air seemed different. He wasnât looking away this time. And for some reason, neither were you.
Something about the quiet, the dim light, the sheer familiarity of sitting next to him made everything else fade. His face was closeâcloser than usual.
âYou always do that,â he muttered.
You raised an eyebrow. âDo what?â
His eyes flickered downward for a second, barely noticeable, before he let out a slow exhale. âMake things... complicated.â
You tilted your head slightly, searching his face. His voice wasnât irritated, wasnât accusatory. If anything, he almost sounded... unsure. Like he wasnât sure if he should be saying this at all.
You swallowed. âIs that what I do?â
Keeganâs fingers twitched where they rested against his knee. âYeah.â
But he didnât move away. He didnât shift back into his usual guarded distance. If anything, he leaned in just a fractionâsubtle, almost imperceptible.
And you mirrored him.
It wasnât conscious. It wasnât something either of you planned. It was just happening.
His breath was steady, controlled, but you could see the tightness in his jaw, the way his body tensed like he was warring with himself.
âKeeganâŚâ you murmured.
His gaze droppedâto your lips, just for a second. His shoulders rose with a slow inhale, his hand flexing like he was fighting every instinct in his body.
The space between you was gone now, barely an inch left. Your nose almost brushed his, and he didnât pull back.
Didnât move.
Didnât breathe.
And for a moment, you thought he was going to close that last bit of distance.
But thenâhe stopped.
His entire body tensed, his breath hitching like heâd suddenly realized exactly what he was doing.
Like heâd been caught off guard by himself.
His eyes flickered with somethingâpanic, hesitation, restraintâbefore he pulled away.
Not fast. Not dramatic. Just slow enough that it felt deliberate. Like he was forcing himself to retreat before he did something he couldnât take back.
He cleared his throat, looking away. âIââ He shook his head. âForget it.â
Your brows furrowed. âForget what?â
He pushed off the crate, running a hand over his face, avoiding your gaze completely. âI gotta go.â
And just like that, he walked off, leaving you sitting there, your heart still racing, the warmth of his breath still lingering against your skin.
And wondering if heâd ever let himself stop running from whatever this was.
Keegan had already turned to leave, but you werenât going to let him walk away again.
Not this time.
Before he could disappear into the dark hallways of the base, you reached out, grabbing his wrist. His body tensed immediately, like he expected you to let go, but you didnât.
âKeegan.â Your voice was firm, unwavering.
He exhaled through his nose, not turning to face you. âLet it go.â
You scoffed. âThatâs it? Youâre just gonna walk off like nothing happened?â
Finally, he turned his head slightly, just enough for you to see his expressionâcalm, unreadable, but there was something underneath it. Something forced.
âBecause nothing did,â he said flatly.
You let out a humorless laugh. âRight. So you justâwhat? Lean in like that for fun? Just a casual thing between teammates?â
His jaw tightened at that word. Teammates.
You stepped in front of him now, forcing him to actually look at you. His expression didnât change. Not irritated, not angryâjust cold.
âI donât know what you think this is,â he said, voice steady, âbut you need to stop.â
The sheer calmness in his tone pissed you off more than if he had just yelled at you.
âStop what?â You folded your arms. âWant to spell it out for me? Since apparently, Iâm the only one here acknowledging the fact that somethingâs changed.â
Keegan didnât blink. âThatâs exactly the problem.â
You stared at him, heartbeat loud in your ears. âWhat does that even mean?â
He exhaled sharply, shaking his head. âWe were fine before. You, meâthis team. Things were simple.â
Simple. The word hit deeper than it should have.
You swallowed, voice quieter now. âAnd what? Youâre afraid that if we cross some invisible line, everything falls apart?â
He didnât answer immediately. Just stared at you, expression unreadable, but you could see the battle happening in his head.
Finally, he sighed. âIâm saying I donât want to do this with you.â
It was calm. Unshaken. Almost like he was convincing himself more than you.
Your chest tightened, but you didnât back down. âLiar.â
Keeganâs gaze darkened slightly, but his voice remained steady. âI donât care what you think you saw back there. I wasnât thinking. And I wonât make that mistake again.â
You let out a breath, something heavy settling in your chest. âThatâs what this is to you? A mistake?â
His fingers curled into a loose fist at his side, but he gave you nothing. No reaction.
âGo back to how things were,â he finally said. âBecause this? This isnât happening not with this kind of damn half apocalypse world.â
It was final. A solid wall thrown between you, built up in seconds.
You stared at him, searching his face for any crack, any sign that he was feeling what you were. But Keegan was a master at locking everything away.
And yetâŚ
There was something in his eyes. The way he looked at you, the way his shoulders were too tense, his jaw clenched a fraction too tight.
He was lying.
You knew it.
But you also knew that no matter what you said, he wasnât going to admit it. Not now.
Not yet.
So you stepped back. Swallowed the lump in your throat. âYou're a piece of shit keegan.â
Keegan didnât say anything. Just gave you one last look before turning and walking away.
And this time, you let him.
But deep down, you both knewâthis wasnât over.
angst
Ajax: Alrighty man, I didn't actually dodge your knife but see when i get to these motherfuckers and show them.
Keegan in front of ajax's grave died due to federation soldier's knife
Keegan: And you still fucking missed.