Something's been so off about him. You couldn't place exactly what. At points, you'd tried to subtly ask around, wondering if anyone else noticed it; but it had only caused Keith to lash out at you, saying that you weren't grateful to have Shiro back, to stop overthinking it--he'd just been through another traumatic encounter.

Of course, that made sense. Shiro had his fair share of traumas with the Galra, with being captured, with fighting. More so than the average Paladin. He'd just gone missing yet again, stranded on an icy planet, alone. It very well could've been the stress. It could be you, you could be overthinking it, letting it get to you. A space war like this didn't come without it's fair share of paranoia. But, no. Something was just so off.

Every time you looked him in his eyes, a shiver went down your spine. The way he spoke, maybe it was a small change in his inflection. His gait, slightly off, something you couldn't pick up on, something subconscious--maybe he used to lead with his left foot, and now he was using his right. You couldn't place it. It was driving you mad. You couldn't trust him, it was driving a rift between your team because now you seemed crazy. And dangerous, mistrustful of the man who'd held all of you together. But it was unshakable. Something was wrong, and it made your insides flip. It made you sick.

Unable to sleep, be it the lack of actual daylight hours or just insomnia, you just had to lay there. And laying there, your mind circled back to Shiro. How weird it all was. His eyes. He wasn't himself. It wouldn't hurt to talk to him. And it wouldn't hurt to keep yourself occupied.

Out of bed you got, leaving your quarters to wander the halls. It was almost a sixth sense you had, you knew Shiro was awake, and you knew where to find him. Find him you did. A looming shadow on the ship's bridge, not having noticed you yet. But it wasn't him--this solidified it--Shiro, the Shiro you knew as the Black Paladin, wasn't like this. His shadow never brought a sense of doom.