Chapter Text
The old mall was crumbling on one side, missing the roof, and had a few cracks in the floor, but it buzzed with activity all over after Earth was freed from the Galran invaders. The humans stuck together in packs, most of them still quite nervous around all the aliens. Nearly four years ago, they only knew their own species as being sentient and space worthy. Then, they learned the hard way about the Galra. Two years after that, more alien ships came, one of them from their own local military training facility.
Pidge didn't care. She didn't even want to be here at first, but the girls had dragged her out. Allura needed a new outfit for her dinner date with Lance and his family later that evening. So, she said to hell with it, sold a few autographs, lost the game she had wanted for ages, and walked back to the Garrison with mixed feelings. Over all, she knew she could get her hands on that game again one day, but Allura meeting the McClains for the first time was only ever going to happen once.
Seeing Allura all dressed up was worth it. No longer was Allura the stuffy princess or the deadly paladin. No. She was an ordinary woman, pretty, nervous, and excited. Just the way Pidge knew she longed to be even before Zarkon attacked Altea. The princess had always longed to be normal. Now, she had it, if only briefly. Pidge was truly glad she could help make it happen.
"Well… got any plans?" Pidge asked Ina as Veronica walked Allura to the front door.
"Yes." Ina started listing off a normal night routine of eating dinner, cleaning up, showering, and going to bed. Pidge was bored.
"Okay, well… you go do that. I'm going to get some air. Too many people." Pidge walked away from the car Ina had "borrowed" to drive them to the McClain residence.
"But, we have had a lot of fresh air already. Aren't you tired?" Ina asked, confused. "Or is it that you intend to spy on them?"
She hadn't thought about doing something like that until Ina said it. She could do it. But there were soany of them that someone was bound to catch her at some point. "What? Were you going to ditch me at the Garrison and come back to spy on them alone?"
Ina frowned. That was a definite no.
"No, Ina, I just need a walk." Pidge waved her off.
"Will you be safe alone?" Ina asked. There were still occasional reports of Galra on Earth that were not Blades, but not so close to the Garrison.
"It's only a mile. I'm fine. Go get your ass to bed."
Ina drove off slowly. Pidge started an easy pace back to the Garrison. Ahead, she saw In a stop just in case. Pidge waved her on.
This area was still alive with people doing late evening yard work, taking in laundry, kids playing basketball or riding their bikes. Normal suburban stuff. If it wasn't for the physical damage a passerby wouldn't know anything had happened here. It was just another day on a planet with people isolated from the rest of the universe, thinking they were the only life out there.
It was refreshing.
It was alien.
For over five, no, six years, Pidge had been fighting for her life, others' lives, or keeping her mind and body in a state of readiness for the next battle. She had longed for a break. Now that she had one, even this short, she wasn't sure what to do with it. Shiro had ordered everyone to take the day off from anything and everything to do with the next morning.
Late morning at that. Shiro and the higher ups expected everyone to assemble around ten o'clock. Pidge slowed to a stop. How many of them were going to come home after tomorrow?
"Hey, beautiful, don't go that! You gotta remember where you are now!"
Pidge whipped her head to the left to locate the voice. A group of guys around her own age were walking around the corner. Based on the ball in the speaker's hands, they had just finished shooting some hoops in the park.
The man saw her blank look and cooed at her. "Awe, honey, were you in the work camps, too? You look like you've seen some shit!"
"I wasn't in a work camp." Pidge didn't feel like elaborating. She didn't like being called beautiful or honey either. Allura was beautiful. Hunk was a honey. Not Pidge. She started walking again.
"Awe, shit, babe, you were on the outside? Lost somebody?" The guys were following her now. And yet another pet name. She really didn't like this. They were annoying
"You could say that." She only answered because it was polite and automatic.
"Where you goin to? Meeting some friends for a drink? Can we tag along? We can pay for you."
"I'm going home. You guys have fun at the bar."
The leader stepped in front of her, stopping everyone. "Won't be no fun without you. Come on back to our place. We got some booze and some green. You smoke?"
"No." Pidge sidestepped him and got moving again.
He dropped the ball and grabbed her wrist.
Pidge went still, her body relaxing, ready. "Let go and move on."
"Hey, no need to get mad, baby, we just want to have some fun. You know how long it's been?"
"I don't care. Let go." Pidge repeated, mentally reminding herself not to hurt more than his ego. After all, she had just saved this guy not too long ago.
His grip tightened. The other guys came in closer.
"If you all don't let go and back off now, you will regret it."
Someone else put a hand on her shoulder. She was contemplating giving them a ten count. Not anymore. Before any of them could say anything else or get another hand on her body, she kicked the first guy's knee, breaking it sideways, and raked the side of her foot down his leg, catching his ankle in the process.
He let go.
The second guy tried to yank her back. She twisted into the motion and gut punched him with one fist. The other fist came straight up under his chin. Blood poured out of his mouth. She bet his tongue didn't like getting bitten by his own teeth too much.
The third guy came at her with his own punch. She blocked it and kicked his crotch, dropping him, too. The other four guys backed off, hands in the air. Pidge backed up, stepping over the screaming first guy, until she had all of them in her sights again.
"Take them and go." Pidge ordered once she was out of arm's reach. She wasn't going to leave until they were out of sight. There were still two more intersections before the quarter mile straight away to the walls around the Garrison. There was no way she was going to let them see which way she went. "And quit harassing people on these streets! I have a sniper buddy in the area. What would have happened if he saw that just now? You'd all be dead! No get out of here!"
They didn't believe her about Lance. She didn't care. The guy with the broken knee kept wailing as his buddies pulled themselves together enough to hoist him up and get moving. Several of them kept looking over their shoulders at her until they disappeared around another block. Pidge still kept watching. Any one of the guys she didn't already hit might decide to loop around and come back to watch where she went.
Pidge sensed the man behind her. His feet in the concrete barely made a sound.
"Touch me, and I'll break you, too." Pidge growled at him.
"Coming out to check up on how Allura is doing?" The familiar voice released some of her tension.
Pidge turned to see Keith smiling down at her. "Hey. How much of that did you see?"
"Right about the time dumb ass number one grabbed your arm." Keith kept his eyes moving, scanning all the possible corners.
"And you didn't do anything?"
"I would have if they overpowered you, but they needed to learn that lesson from you. If I jumped in, they would have still thought you were weak." Keith sighed, then really looked at her.
Pidge was shaking. She didn't want to hurt them. She wanted them to leave her alone, leave everyone alone. When the third guy came at her, something in her mind had nearly snapped. If a fourth tried anything… She was hyperventilating. The world was starting to spin.
Other humans were not supposed to be the enemy. She was supposed to protect them.
"First time?" Keith's voice broke her out of her thoughts, calming her again.
She got her breath under control. She forced herself to stop shaking as much. "Yeah."
"I used to know those guys." Keith kept talking. "I hung out with them a few times after I got kicked from the Garrison. They're bad news. You did good, Pidge. They've had that coming for a long time."
"You used to hang with them?" Pidge was shocked.
"Until I saw how they treated girls." Keith held out his hand to her. "You still want to check up on date night, or should we go back?"
"What is it with you and Ina? I'm not spying on Allura and Lance. I'm just… I just wanted to walk home." She took his hand anyway. "Now I have to fill out a report about getting into a fight with civilians."
"They're not going to tell on you." Keith tried to be supportive. "So skip the paperwork tonight. You've got blood on your shirt, so that might be a problem if we go back to the Garrison. The guard will ask questions."
"I'm fresh out of bull shit stories. Got any I can use?" Pidge asked, a nervous smile crossing her face.
Keith's blush of embarrassment was visible in the dying light. "No, but I do have some old clothes at home that might fit you. Not trying to sound creepy, but we can crash there if you want… I mean… not literally or anything, but…"
"Your place is still standing?" She was amazed. "Isn't that like… five miles on the other side of the Garrison, though? I'm already tired!"
"Good thing I grabbed a hover bike. Come on. It's at the park up ahead."
"Are you planning on driving off a cliff this time?" She teased.
"Maybe." He shrugged. "It is the fastest way, and I'm hungry."
"You have food?" Pidge perked up.
"Instant noodles and some blackberry tea."
"I'm game!" She picked up the pace.
The pair took a left onto the parking lot, finding the hover bike and getting on in a hurry. With less weight, it turned on a dime at low speed as they got back onto the road. Just before the sign for the Galaxy Garrison, Keith took another turn, keeping the Garrison on their right and picked up speed.
Pidge held on tighter as they made their way into the canyon. She could feel his heart racing. He had missed this. Red was fast, far faster than the hover bike could ever go, but feeling the wind, feeling the G-forces, feeling the bike ride and dip along the dessert ground, it was all so different. In the lion's, they had gravity dampeners and generators; they had solid metal all around them to protect from all the elements (or lack of elements most of the time), and the only air currents we're from life support or their own breath. They had body armor and helmets. This was, actually, more dangerous.
The plunge down the cliff into the valley came quick. Pidge scrunched her eyes shut and held her breath until well after they leveled out.
Two more miles and Keith slowed them to a gentle stop by his childhood home. The place seemed untouched.
"Let me turn on the power." Keith helped her off the bike. "It'll take a half hour for the water to heat up."
"Let's eat first then." Pidge responded with the obvious. "Is the kitchen already clean or…?"
"I already took care of most of it. Bathroom, Kitchen, and bedroom are good. The living room needs some help. I was going to deal with that when we came back."
Pidge remained quiet, returning to her thoughts from before she got harassed on her walk. Nobody was invincible. Shiro had proved that. If it wasn't for Black and Allura, Shiro would have been dead for good. Did any of the other Lions have that power? Did the Atlas? What if Allura didn't make it? Would the souls of the people on the ship or in the Lions be trapped forever? Shiro only made it because they had a spare body for him. What-
"We are coming back. Okay?" Keith stood before her again, reaching out to take her shoulders in his hands. "I know what you're thinking, but we can't look at it like that. We've been doing this for years. It's almost over. We will find new things to keep us occupied afterwards. But, we are all coming home. Together this time. Okay?"
She gave a sharp nod, then pulled him in for a quick hug. Something in the distance caught her eye as she let go. "You expecting company?"
"No." Keith was concerned. The guys knew where he lived. If they were coming here…
A car approached, skidding to a halt beside the hover bike. When the window rolled down, a purple, feminine hand held a bag of take-out out the window.
"Mom!" Keith smiled and rushed over to the car, gratefully taking the bag.
"I figured you, Pidge, and Hunk might be meeting up here tonight." Krolia stepped out of the car, but left the door open. "And I figured Hunk shouldn't have to try to cobble together a meal with whatever expired food stuffs you have in there."
"I picked up some noodles…" Keith looked at his feet, embarrassed for a second time that evening.
"Hi, Pidge! Is Hunk already inside?" Krolia asked.
"He's with Dad going over some things on the Atlas for the night." Pidge told her, gesturing back towards the valley. "It was just going to be us tonight, but I'm glad you came! We need to talk about you and Kolivan!"
"What about me and Kolivan?" Krolia looked genuinely confused. "Do you have a suggestion for a different plan of attack for the Blades?"
Keith busted out laughing. "I told you this morning! They're both oblivious!"
"Yeah, I see that now." Pidge rolled her eyes. "Krolia, how can you not see it? That man is in love with you! I wish I had someone who looked at me like that! Kolivan looks at you like you're a cup of water when he's been walking over a dessert for days."
"That's not true." Krolia looked back at her son for a moment. "There are men who respect and adore you. As for Kolivan and I… well… we had our chance decades ago. He and I have moved on."
"He hasn't." Keith spoke up.
"Well," Krolia gave them both fast hugs and got back in the car, "since I seem to be interrupting your date, I'll get going."
"Mom, I just watched her break a guy's leg for trying to touch her." Keith told her. "This is not a date."
"Wait. What?" Krolia jumped out of the car again, looking over Pidge more carefully. "Is that blood? Did someone hurt you?"
"It's not mine." Pidge told her. She was glad that it was Krolia worrying over her and not her own mother. Colleen would throw a fit and tell Pidge off for walking home.
"Good." Krolia was satisfied with Pidge. "Keith, where were you when this happened?"
"Staying out of her way so I didn't get kicked in the nuts, too." Keith answered honestly.
Krolia spared him an unimpressed look. "What happened?"
Pidge told her about everything starting with dropping odd Allura and Veronica until she and Keith got to the hover bike. She left out the part about worrying about the next day. Krolia probably had plenty of those moments herself. She finished off with asking Krolia not to tell anyone, outside of Kolivan, of course. She didn't need any of her family, the commanders, or the rest of the Paladins to find out. Half of them would repremand her for being careless enough to get into the situation, let alone for striking an unarmed civilian. The other half would try to coddle her for a while, maybe even put a protection detail on her.
"Good. I'm glad you're alright. That's what matters." Krolia proudly smiled at her. "Now, I'm almost late for my dinner meeting with Kolivan and Shiro. You two try and enjoy what's left of your evening. Don't do anything I wouldn't do!"
"That doesn't leave much to not do." Keith smiled at her.
"Need some condoms?" Krolia asked, intentionally embarrassing them.
"No. I've got- Mom, just go! It isn't like that!" Keith pushed her back to the car, bright red under the floodlight on the side of the house.
"Well, son, if you're holding out for Shiro, you'd better get a move on. Someone else has caught his eye already." Krolia got in the car, laughing.
"I love you. Good night. See you tomorrow!" Keith marched inside without a backwards glance.
"That was fun." Krolia winked at Pidge.
Pidge was smiling with her. "How did you do that? I've never seen him get flustered like that before!"
"It's easy to tease a virgin, honey." Krolia winked, then got serious. "We don't know what tomorrow will bring, only what we hope it will. We have tonight at least."
"Yeah, we do." Pidge nodded. "Thank you for the food."
"Oh, wait!" Krolia pulled out a case of dark beer and handed it out the window to her. "You're old enough by your laws, right?"
"Not quite."
"Have you ever had alcohol before?"
"Yes, but don't tell my mom!"
"My mouth is shut. Go relax. Unless he threw it out, I had a collection of old movies and video games in the top drawer of the dresser." Krolia waved her actual goodbye this time. "See you in the morning!"
Pidge shook her head and walked inside to set the beer down on the floor by the couch. The smell of barbecue ribs hit her nose, waking up her apitite. Keith came around the corner with two plates in hand, pilutting then on the coffee table.
"Just a minute. I still have to get the tea from the bike. What's that? Where'd the beer come from?"
"An extra present from Krolia," Pidge opened the box and pulled a couple out. "Got a bottle opener?"
Keith grabbed a set of keys off a side table, brandishing the multi tool on the ring. "Now all we need is a TV show."
"I might have that covered!" Pidge bounced down the hall to the bedroom at the end of the hall. The other bedroom looked like it was an addition, also the cleanest, so it had to be Keith's room. That meant the original one might not have been altered much. She found the drawer full of games and movies just like Krolia had said.
"Hey, don't go in there! It's my-" Keith stopped at the door, surprised at the movie in her hand. "Did you know that was there?"
"Krolia told me she had a stash." Pidge smiled. "Repo Man: The Genetic Opera. Sounds like a musical, but it looks totally goth. Wanna give it a shot?"
"Uh… sure?"
Pidge knew Keith had seen this movie before. He had seen it multiple times. She knew because, after the comic book style opener, he started singing along with the man on screen.
"Out from the night from the mists steps a figure. Noone really knows his name for sure. He stands at six-foot-six, head and ahoulders. Pray he never comes knocking at your door."
Pidge paused the movie and gaped at him. First, she saw him get seriously embarrassed, and now he was singing. Singing! "Who are you, and what have you done with my Keith?"
"Your Keith?" He smiled at her, taking another swing of his beer.
"Yes, MY Keith. My headstrong, badass, double Paladin, Blade super spy, hover bike racing, showoff with a sword, sexy friend. Er… I mean… friend." Pidge had her turn to blush now.
She had a bit of a crush on Shiro when she was younger, but that died off when she met Adam. The first three years away from Earth, she didn't think about any of the guys. Her focus was on her family first, the war second, and nothing else. When she had settled into possibly never coming home again, and puberty really revved up, she had different fantasies about all of the other Paladins, even Allura. She had come to the conclusion that her perfect man would have to be someone with Keith's body and Hunk's personality and mind. Then, just a couple weeks ago, she met Ryan Kinkade. He had become her new obsession in the fantasy department until a couple days ago when she found out that he, like Shiro, wasn't into women. It was weird. She could fantasize about a man forever, but, the attraction just stopped completely if she found out he was never going to be interested. She saw Kinkade and Shiro both as big brothers now.
As for Keith and Hunk? Pidge had figured out she had two things that actually turned her on in men. One was brains. The other was a body. She only needed one or the other part to get her going. Hunk seemed like he wasn't actually interested in sex at all, but he would always be willing to flirt with her. Keith… she never had the guts to say anything to him. Besides, she didn't need him if she had Hunk. Right? Keith was a fighter, not an egg head. Eventually, she would get bored of him. She hadn't yet, but it was probable.
Then he had to go and start singing along to a gothic rock opera with perfect pitch. What else was he hiding?
Behind him, she glanced at the wall of maps, photos of the cave drawings, tentative translations of the writings found in the caves surrounding where Blue had been. He was smart. He really was. He just kept it quiet. Like Jack O'Neill in Stargate SG1, but kinda like Daniel, too.
Damn it.
"I'm just going to play the movie now." Pidge yanked her gaze off of him and back to the television screen.
Keith stopped singing in favor of cleaning off his plate. Pidge caught him smiling in the corner of her eye. She didn't know if it was the food, the movie, or her embarrassment that had him in high spirits. Possibly a combination of all three. She was just glad he didn't comment on her accidental admission. She paused the movie again as Grave Robber bid Shy farewell from the back of a dump truck.
"Are you alright?" Keith asked, worried. "Need Another beer?"
Pidge took a deep breath and finished off her second beer before looking him dead in the eyes. "I… Ugh, I'm terrible at this!"
"Pidge," Keith gave her a gentle smile, more as a comfort than anything, "I already know what's been rolling around in your head. You know I do."
"Yeah, but that makes it even more embarrassing."
She had herself stuck on accidentally calling him sexy the whole time. She had stopped fantasizing about anyone for several days now. Thinking about that had brought up the feelings she thought she had put away, waiting for the next bit of eye or brain candy to come around. If Krolia hadn't said all that earlier, she would have been able to let it go. But, no. She just had to get right back to worrying about whether or not everyone was actually going to be alright at the end of this. She just had to find another attractive quality in Keith. She just had to go and…
"You know I've thought about you like that, too." Keith spoke softly.
"You didn't have as many options to pick from as I did." Pidge shook her head, her eyes suddenly finding the coffee table more interesting than anything else.
Keith scoffed. "I'm pan. I had more options than you."
"Yeah, true."
The room fell silent. The breeze outside was the only sound until a coyote howled in the distance.
Keith stood up and went to his bedroom. Pidge regretted pausing the movie. She really did want to watch it all the way through. It was better than she had anticipated. Just as she figured he was going to stay locked away all night, Keith reemerged with a couple towels and some clothes.
"I've got some stuff that'll take the blood out of your shirt." Keith told her. "I can get on that while you get your shower. You can keep watching the movie while I take mine if you want."
"Thank you." Pidge stood and took the towel and clothes he offered. "And… um… sorry. Again. I know it's not appropriate."
"Hey." Keith's grip on her wrist was gentle, but it was right over the bruises from where she had been grabbed earlier. Pidge jerked her hand away. "Sorry! I didn't mean-!"
"It's just sore." Pidge lied. Yes, it was sore, but she had mixed feelings about having his hand there.
Keith really looked at her wrist now, eyes going wide when he saw the dark marks from a large hand. "Toss your clothes out the door before you get in so I can wash them."
"Will do."
Keith waited by the door until her clothes were put out, then gathered them up to go back to the kitchen where the washer was. He pulled down a bottle of liquid he had used many times in the past to get out the toughest stains, including his own blood, and paused. He needed Shiro.
He quickly sprayed some of the cleaner on her shirt and let it sit as he grabbed his phone. Shiro answered quickly.
"I don't have a lot of time, but…. I have to talk to you." Keith told him.
"Okay. What is it? How can I help?" Shiro asked, sounding more awake than Keith would have thought him to be at this hour.
"So, there's somebody I like."
"Okay. Not sure where this is going…"
"No, as in I really, really like." Keith set the phone down on the counter and started scrubbing at the bloodstains. "She got harassed by some guys earlier. I brought her home. Turns out, she thinks I'm sexy."
"I'm following."
"I tried to take her hand earlier, but I touched the same wrist the other guys bruised up. I think I pissed her off."
"Where is she right now?"
"In the shower. I'm cleaning blood out of her shirt."
"Should she be in the hospital instead?"
"It's not her blood. But… we only have tonight, right? I'm tired of pretending we're just friends. I wanted to tell her the truth, but I don't know if I can because she tore those guys up earlier. But, she was shaking afterwards, like she was actually scared. I don't know how to do this."
"To do what? Clean up some blood, or ask a girl to fuck you just once?"
"Shiro, that's not helping!" Keith yelled at him, then winced when he realized Pidge might have heard him.
Shiro could be heard laughing on the other end. "Alright. Alright, Keith. The best thing I can say is to either stop all advances and be guaranteed to suffer or just be honest with her. Tell her you need to get it out of your system. If she says no, drop it and take care of yourself. You need to keep her trust and respect while we're gone."
"Gah… if you only knew who this woman is…"
"Keith, I do know who it is. You've got a shot. Take it or leave it."
The line went dead. Keith froze. Shit. That was right. Krolia had a meeting with Kolivan AND Shiro. She would have told them she saw Pidge there. And no Hunk. Of course Shiro would know who it was in his shower right now.
He threw the clothes into the washer, but waited to start it until he got himself changed, too. Besides, it wouldn't work while the shower was being used anyway.
He had the left overs put up and plates in the sink when Pidge cam out and called "all yours!"
Pidge contemplated continuing the movieas he showered, but her mind kept going back to Keith taking hold of her bruised wrist. She didn't mean to pull away like that. Her body just moved on instinct. Now she had hurt his feelings. He probably thought she didn't trust him. She was ruining the team dynamics. Again.
Barely thinking about it, she pulled her phone out of the pile of stuff she had pulled from her pockets and called Shiro.
"Do you have a minute?" She asked when he answered her call.
"Are you okay?" Shiro asked instead. "I overheard Krolia telling Kolivan what happened earlier."
"Just a couple bruises. I'm fine." Pidge told him. "It's… I have a different problem. Personal."
"Shoot."
"I… so, I'm actually at a guy's house right now. Keith took me there. Thing is, I think I… We don't know when we're coming home again, and this guy is really hot. I keep trying to get my nerves up to ask him for… more tonight. But, then I keep screwing it up. He touched one of my bruises, and I jerked away like his hand burned me or something. I didn't even know ai did it until after, and I don't want him to think he can't touch me at all, but… shit. He's my friend, and I don't want to mess that up. You know?"
"Pidge…" Shiro was exasperated now. "If it's just sex that you want, let him know what's going on and ask anyway. If you want to be more than friends with benefits, tell him that, too. Just make sure he knows you probably won't have another opportunity for a while. What we are heading out to do will be tough. If this will help you feel better, and if he actually cares about you as a person, he will understand. But, if he says no, don't get pushy. And don't apologize over and over. Neither of you need to feel guilty about it. And, if he says no, just take the hover bike and come back to base to sleep it off. We can have breakfast together and talk about it."
Pidge smiled. Shiro made awesome omletts even if the presentation itself was terrible according to Hunk's standards. "Thank you."
"Any time." Shiro ended the call.
Keith came out of the shower with a bit of shaving cream still on his jaw, causing Pidge to laugh. She got up and used a napkin to wipe it away quickly. "You took that one so fast you didn't get rinsed off all the way!"
"I thought I heard someone else in here." Keith looked around, finding no one.
"I was just telling Shiro where I am in case he wants to have breakfast and can't find me." Pidge told a half truth. If Keith heard anything that was said, maybe he had only heard the offer for food in the morning.
He went a bit pale. Did Shiro say anything to her about their earlier conversation? He hoped not. Shaking himself out of the moment of panic, he took his clothes and the towels and put them in the washer, starting the machine. "I don't have a dryer, but I've got a rack and a couple of fans. They should be dry enough when we leave."
"Cool."
Neither of them moved. They stood there looking at one another, both wondering what to say next. How to say it and make it come out natural. Through the bond, they could feel the nerves building in on another.
Pidge broke first. "So? Movie?"
"Yes." Keith jerked into motion, headed back for the couch.
They say as far away from one another as possible, drinking another beer slowly this time. Pidge nearly jumped out of her seat when Blind Mag gouged out her eyes. She actually did stand up when Rotti cut the rope. Just before the end, during the last song between father and daughter, she was crying and sniffling.
"Why didn't you tell me it was this sad!" Pidge smacked Keith in the chest, grabbing another napkin to blow her nose.
"I kinda did." Keith rubbed the spot she hit, trying to ease the sting. "I told you there was murder."
"I figured Mag, but not him!"
Keith laughed. "Okay, but what do you think over all?"
"That!" Pidge pointed at the credits on the screen, "was amazing! I haven't felt so connected to the characters in forever! It's heart breaking! I love that it hurt me! Is that even a thing?"
"It is." Keith agreed, standing up and stretching. "It's after eleven. We need to go to bed. If we leave here by eight, we can have breakfast with Shiro and have everything ready to go on time."
"Yeah, that works."
Keith suddenly realized that the washer had stopped half an hour ago. "Shit. The clothes! Help?"
"Got it!" Pidge went into the kitchen and checked the washer as Keith pulled out his drying rack. She groaned. "It didn't drain."
"Again?" Keith moaned in frustration. "Okay. Well… let's wrung them out and hope for the best. I did that yesterday."
"And?"
"And the ride to the Garrison almost got them dry."
"Awe shit." Pidge dropped her head.
"I know. Look, there's a space heater in the pantry on the floor. Let's hope it still works. I used it in the winter for this. The drain froze solid all the time."
"I can't believe you lived like this." Pidge got out the heater and tried to set things up for maximum effect.
Keith got to work wringing the clothes out. He got each piece out and twisted them as best as he could before handing it over to her to hang up.
"Put those muscles to good use for a change!" Pidge teased, spreading his t-shirt over one of the wires.
"Hey, I'm not a beef cake like Shiro!" Keith retorted, smacking her with her own shorts.
"You're going to be if you don't watch it."
"You're not exactly a twig anymore either."
"Yeah, it's called growing boobs." Pidge smacked her own chest. "I hate these things. They get in the way."
"Nah, they look nice." Keith clamped his mouth shut on that one. Damn beer.
"Nice? Just nice? Then what's the point of them?" Pidge acted grumpy, but wasn't really. "Very few other species grow breasts like we do. They only fill out to nurse, and then they go away again. These damned things are not nice."
Keith kept his mouth shut, but the bond told her all. He didn't just think they were nice.
"Oh, really?" Pidge put her hands on her hips, not taking another piece of clothing. "You said you had those thoughts. As in, they were in the past!"
"Hey, if you get to call me sexy, I can at least think about your boobs, okay?" Keith countered.
"Well, them don't get mad about me commenting on your muscles!" Pidge got in front of him, looking up at his face defiantly.
"Tiny little gremlin." Keith called her the name Hunk used to use. He couldn't come up with anything else right at the moment. "These muscles could bend you over the counter and pin you there before you could say stop."
"I'd like to see you try!"
He saw the challenge and the play in her eyes. He lunges for her waist. She moved out of his reach and ran out of the kitchen into the living room. He gave chase. She ran outside, activating the floodlight in the driveway as she ran around the side. He had her now. She could dodge all she wanted, but his legs were longer. He caught up to her in a handful of strides, picking her up around the middle and tickling her sides.
Pidge yelled out in laughter, squirming against him in a feble attempt to escape. She knew how to get out of this. Lance had done something similar once, and her elbow to his temple put a quick stop to it.
She didn't kick or throw her arms this time. Keith rather enjoyed the feeling of her ass on his lower stomach. He went still again, feeling something he wished he hadn't. If he put her down now, she would know. She would see the bulge in his thin shorts. She would be mortified at the thought of turning him on. He had to breathe and will himself to calm down. While he was in the shower, he made the decision not to try. She didn't need that. The team didn't need another complication.
Of course, he didn't need to set her down for her to know. She felt the wave of arousal through the bond. He felt a small one in return. He expected that, though. She had made comments twice already.
A part of his soul was hurting now. He really wanted to enjoy the night with her, sleep be damned. The possible reprecuasions weren't worth it.
The reprecuasions of this moment, though, were rough all on their own. Pidge went still and relaxed against him, letting her head fall back on his shoulder to look at him. Keith looked away. He didn't need her to see the feelings as well as she already felt them.
"It's alright." Pidge gave his cheek a chaste kiss.
"No. It's not." He whispered, that empty space in his chest suddenly growing tight. "I should have better control of myself by now."
"I started it."
"That's no excuse for me. I don't want to be like those guys."
"If you were, you'd be bleeding out into the dirt right now."
"That just means you have a soft spot for me."
"Some of my soft spots get tight, too."
"Pidge… don't." Keith growled in warning.
"Or what?"
He let go of her, backing off to get some air.
"No matter what, this is different now." Pidge motioned between them. "It's going to be an issue tomorrow, too. We can't go back."
"I know."
Pidge wasn't sure if the guilt, sadness, longing, and aching were from herself or from him through the bond. "What do you want to do about it?"
He dared himself to look at her. "What I want to do, and what I should do, are two very different things."
She walked to him. This time, he was the one who flinched when she reached out a hand to lay on his chest. His heartbeat was rapid fire again, like it was on the ride here. "Why? Why are they different? Lance and Allura are making it work."
"Neither of them are the Black Paladin. I'm responsible for all of you."
"None of the Lions seem to be opposed to any of us being closer. You aren't technically part of the Garrison anymore. Nobody can technically say anything. The one person who could would be a hypocrite if she did."
"This could break our friendship."
"That's already toast." Pidge reminded him. "Keith, I would rather have this one night with you than none at all in the future. There is no guarantee either of us will make it back again. I… I've wanted you for a while now. I think I've loved you for years. I was too scared to say anything, but now I'm too scared not to. Please, of you are going to say no one more time, at least tell me why."
He didn't even realize that he was holding her hand over his heart now. "How will this affect Hunk?"
"He will probably win his bet with Griffin." Pidge shrugged.
"There's a bet?"
"About when you'll finally get laid."
"That happened years ago." Keith gave a nervous laugh.
"Your mom doesn't seem to think so."
"That's good. She would probably be pissed."
"Why?"
"Galra don't have recreational sex. That's all it was. She was another mixed breed like me. We were bored. Mom thinks I should show more Galra social traits since I look human."
"Who you are matters more than what people think you should be."
Her words meant everything to him right at that moment. He couldn't stop himself from giving her a gentle kiss. "Thanks."
"I mean it, though. We have to figure things out tonight. Whether that means we fuck all night long, or I leave, it's up to you."
If she left, Keith would never be able to be in the same room with her again without thinking about this moment. He knew he would regret all the possibilities. He knew his lips still tingled from hers. He knew the spot where her hand was on his chest felt so very warm.
This was a far cry from when he and Acxa were friends with benefits. Hormones and stretches of boredom on long missions had facilitated their need to have sex. The last time they were together was almost a year ago. He didn't miss Acxa as a lover. He just missed the feeling of being inside a woman. His heart didn't ache for anyone the way it was now for the small woman before him. This was new. This was terrifying. Yet, he could go for it. They could do this tonight and figure out if they wanted to continue later. This was just one night. If they didn't both feel the pull to keep it going, he could settle into a close friendship with Pidge, similar to the one he shared with Acxa now, but still more intimate thanks to the bond. He could do this. He had to know why the thought of not having her hurt so much.
He was silent for too long. Pidge wrapped her free arm around him, pulling their bodies closer for a warm embrace. She tilted her head up to kiss the underside of his jaw lightly.
He angled his head down and caught her lips with his. If he was going to hell, he was going to enjoy the trip.
Something snapped in the bond. Tension, hurt, longing, it all gave way to a flood of anticipation, excitement, and joy. This was right. This was the only correct outcome.
He crouched down a little and lifted her up by her ass. Her legs arapped around his waist as he started walking back inside, still kissing. He stumbled a bit on the steps, but regained his balance long enough to lean her back against the wall. The kisses were far from innocent now.
The floodlight turned off as he pulled her against his chest again, taking them inside and into his room. He turned and sat down on the bed, keeping her in his lap as he stripped off her tank top, mouth quickly going to a breast.
She arched back with a sharp intake of breath, moaning at the sensation. He felt her crotch grind over his erection, sending a shockwave of sensation to his balls, his gut, and out from there. Doing this had never felt so good. At least, it had never affected his whole body before. It could have been the bond. He could have been getting some of her arousal as well. She clearly seemed to like what he was doing with his tongue on her hard nipple.
Her hands were under his shirt, fingernails raking over his back. Her hips moved over him, out of conscious control. He pulled away and threw his shirt across the room. He had to get skin to skin contact fast. He couldn't wait to feel her breasts drag across his chest. Soft. So unlike the toned muscles of her arms and legs.
Pidge wanted for him to let her up so they could both get out of their shorts and grind against one another for real, but the tease of sensation was driving her mad. She didn't just want to pop him in and be done with it. It had to wait a bit. Just a bit.
She wished she could see him, but he hadn't turned on the light. The darkness took away some of her certainty that he was actually enjoying things. The hard rod of his erection jutting into her crotch assured her she had nothing to worry about. His dick was twitching as they made out on the edge of the bed. She didn't know that was a thing until now, and she wondered how that would feel inside. From what she could tell, he wasn't considered big, but he was definitely bigger than her first. She hoped it didn't hurt. Getting a too big toy one time had hurt like hell. She threw that one out pretty quickly.
But this was Keith. If he hurt her, he would stop. He would find a way to fit them together comfortably or not at all. She couldn't wait to feel his weight on top of her, whether from the front or from behind didn't matter. The very fact that he could pin her in place was a turn on. She hoped he would.
"Oh, it's like that, huh?" Keith broke away from her breast and shoved her off of his lap.
She was confused until he stripped his shorts off and yanked hers down, too. Her eyes went straight to his crotch, curious if he looked human there, too. He did, for the most part. His balls were more purple, though that could have been due to the extra blood flow at the moment.
"Do I pass visual inspection?" He teased her.
"What?" She napped her eyes up to his. "Oh, I was just curious."
"It's all pretty much the same." He told her, then reached out and grabbed her by the waist again, throwing her into the mattress sideways and rolling on top of her, pinning her arms over her head, locking her legs open with his own. "This what you wanted?"
Her heart flutered fast in excitement as she squirmed a bit, testing his hold. If she really wanted to get out of this, she could, but not easily. It was perfect. She felt the tip of his dick twitching against her clit, every bit of exposed skin possible against her own. So good. She gave her hips a test roll. His weight held her in place. Her motion came across as more of a muscle spasm than anything with how firmly he held her down.
He gathered her hands together to be held by one of his, angling up a little to reach his free hand between them, rubbing a couple circles on her clit, dipping into her opening to test her wetness, to see if she could take him. "Nice and wet. Maybe this is what you really wanted?"
He took only half a tick to guide his tip inside her. He went still, waiting for any sign of pain as he slowly, slowly pushed in the rest of the way.
If he hadn't been holding her down, she would have arched backwards off the bed and into him. That cold, hot, tight, throbbing, electrifying connection took a toll on both their bodies, knocking the breath out of both of them. Bottomed out, he held still and caught his breath, gaining some form of control just before she did.
"Okay?" Keith asked. She was so tight. If this was painful at all for her, he would have to do his best to keep things slow. He wanted to hammer away, but he couldn't just yet. What was the use in pleasuring himself if it hurt her?
"Fuck, mmh…" Pidge tried again to roll her hips against him. Feeling her muscles coil around him and brush against his balls was another gut punch. She focused more of the fact that his earlier twitches we're now strong pulses inside her body.
He lowered his head, kissing her throat and upper chest gently until one or both of them could form a more complete sentence. That didn't seem possible at the moment.
Every pulse through his dick made her feel even tighter around him, driving home crazy. Every pulse through his dick sent a wave of sensation through her core, getting her higher. The bond sent both of their feelings to the other, heightening the sensations even more than either of them had ever previously experienced.
If they stayed like that, Pidge feared they would get off without moving, without really testing how the bond could really make them feel. She wanted to feel it. She wanted to ride her own high and his as well. She wanted to ride it as high as she could.
"Please…" she didn't have to explain what she wanted.
He knew. He pulled out, almost all the way, then plunged back in fast before going still again. His body coiled over hers, she slipped a hand free and wrapped it around him, hanging on for dear life as her nails dug into his skin.
"Fuck… I won't stop." Keith's voice was low and gravely as he forced the words through his teeth. The vibration of his voice rumbled against her chest, causing her to relax a bit. His voice had always been soothing, but this felt like almost total surrender.
"Go." Piss exhaled, bringing her legs up higher around his sides, giving him the most access she could from this position.
"Yeess…" his voice alone could have been her undoing at this point.
Then, he started moving. He tried to keep a basic, steady pace, but it slowly built and built. Each thrust a little faster, harder than the last. Neither of them could hardly breathe, facing their own sensations and the other's as he worked faster and faster.
His balls tightened in just under a minute, mind blanking as his body locked ridged, jerky, involuntary thrusts finishing him off. Pidge felt his orgasm hit through the bond just before she felt something hot fill up the tiniest space inside of her, between them. His following thrusts pushed some of it back out, but she didn't know that yet. Feeling him cum both physically and through the bond sent her over the edge as well. She tightened around him, soaking his balls with her own cum as she stopped breathing, stopped being able to think, to… pure bliss.
Though he had reached his own end for the moment, he could feel her orgasm twice over, so he kept thrusting with his over sensitive dick and balls as he went flaccid inside of her. Any bit of sensation he could provide was hers to use.
He stopped when he felt her coming back to reality, rolling them over so that she was on top, still connected slightly. Her body still twinged around him every few seconds, after shocks still hitting. Too many more, and he would be hard again, so he shifted to slide out of her. Once was enough for now. The bond had driven them both over the edge far faster, and way harder than either of them had ever thought possible.
The night air hit their naked bodies, cooling them off. Pidge felt the excess cum between her thighs and groaned. That was going to be a sticky mess soon.
"Need to rinse off," she mumbled.
"Not sure I can stand yet." He kissed the top of her head. "Can we do it in the morning?"
"You want to wake up sore AND crusty?"
"No." Keith sighed. "We good now?"
"For now." Pidge nodded against his chest.
Neither of them moved anyway, except after Pidge fell asleep and Keith pulled a blanket over the both of them.
The next thing Keith knew, Pidge was shouting at him. He opened his eyes and blinked a few times. The sun was up. His phone was ringing in the kitchen. "Ungh, slow down. What time is it?"
"It's already nine! Our clothes are still soaking wet! We have to go!" Pidge grabbed his hands and tried pulling him up.
"Okay, okay, calm down. How wet are out clothes?"
"Soaking! The water finally drained out of the washer, but we never finished hanging them up, and-!"
"It's alright." He pulled her to him on the bed.
"How is this alright?" She pulled back, standing back up.
"Hunk is at the Garrison, right? Let's call him to bring us some spare clothes from our bags in the Lions. We can take our wet clothes and dry them when we get on base before we leave. Problem solved. Who is blowing up my phone?"
"I don't know. I'll call Hunk. You see who is calling you. We can take a quick shower after that."
"See," he smiled, slowly standing up. "It is alright."
He fell back down. His legs weren't working right. They felt like jello.
"How are you standing right now?" Keith asked, pulling himself back up on the edge of the bed. He used the nightstand to slowly ease himself upright again. Then, he felt her panic. It was higher than she'd let on. "Never mind. Go call Hunk."
"On it." Pidge dashed for the living room. Keith took his time getting to the kitchen and finding his phone by the washer. Eight missed calls from Shiro. Great.
Reluctantly, he picked it up and called Shiro back.
"Keith, it's about damn time!" Shiro was grumpy. Not good. "I was about to come out there myself!"
"Sorry, kinda passed out and forgot to set an alarm." Keith told the truth. "Pidge and I will be a bit late. My washer is messing up again. She's calling Hunk to get him to bring us some more clothes."
"Have you heard from Lance and Allura? They're late, too. Never mind, they just got here with Veronica. How did things go last night?"
Keith couldn't help the smile on his face as he peeked around the corner at Pidge. She stood in his living room, naked, saying a million thanks to Hunk. "That's why I was totally passed out."
"Meaning?"
"The bond makes it so much more intense!"
Pidge heard that and yelled at him, "Are you talking about last night to someone?"
"Yeah." Keith laughed a little. "It's Shiro. We're fine."
Shiro spoke again. "Hunk just asked me to get your clothes. He's bringing breakfast. Hell with it, we might as well all be late. Can you two be decent when we get there?"
"Yes, somewhat." Keith assured him. "Can you give us enough time for a shower?"
"Probably not, but take one anyway." Shiro hung up.
"What did he say?" Pidge asked, nervous.
"To get a shower and wear something before we get out of the bathroom. They're going to let themselves in." Keith put his phone down and wrapped her up in his arms. He could feel her uncertainty, her worry. He had enough of it himself. "Hey, we are going to be okay. I promise. This thing between us, it's not over, but we have to be content with last night for a while. If we do that again, while we're out there, it could leave us unable to do anything. It's dangerous."
"I know." Pidge held back her tears. She didn't know why, but she felt like crying just then. "If Lance and Allura have been making it work, so can we."
"Exactly. Now, come on. We need to get cleaned up fast. Where are the pajamas?"
"In your room."
"Grab them, and I'll get the shower going."
Pidge sprinted to the bedroom and hunted down their clothes. It struck her, as she was getting their shorts, that neither of them were at all uncomfortable around one another without any clothes. On the contrary, they were both unbothered in any way now. She felt… comfortable, as if it was normal to be naked with him.
Shaking off the thought, she went to the bathroom and dropped the clothes on the floor before stepping into the slightly too hot water. Keith handed her the 3-in-1 bottle once he was done with it and ready to shave. The only thing obviously Galra about him was the speed his facial hair grew, causing him to need to shave twice as often as the average Human man.
"I don't know why you bother." Pidge commented, rinsing out her hair. "You might look cute with a beard."
"It's super fine. I hate it." Keith told her, rinsing the razor off and going for another couple swipes. "It's constant peach fuzz."
"Oh. Nevermind. Hey, when you're done, is it okay if I shave my pits?"
He looked at the razor, then back at her. "It's an old one. Might catch."
"I don't care right now."
He quickly finished up and handed it to her before rinsing his face off. And stepping out to dry off. He had just got his clothes on and started running a comb through his hair when she stepped out. He helped her towel out her hair and get her shorts and tank top right side out again when he heard the front door open.
"They're here." Keith warned her.
"Okay. Hey, one thing real quick." Pidge reached up and grabbed him by the neck, pulling him down into a kiss that was more than quick, but less than provocative.
Keith felt some of his stress melt away. Kissing Pidge was like the moments between being awake and falling into a deep sleep. Surreal. Gentle. Safe. Happy. He could get used to that.
She pulled away with a contented look. "Okay. I'm ready. You?"
"Let's go." He opened the door, leading the way to the kitchen where he could already smell pancakes and bacon.
"Well, well well!" Hunk greeted them. "Looks like Lancy Lance isn't the only lover boy in town now!"
Keith fixed a false glare on Shiro. "You told him?"
Shiro put his hands up. Hunk looked positively pleased. "Actually, Shiro told me about Pidge getting into a fight and you trying to wash blood out of her clothes. He said your washer is half broken. I could have fixed that, you know? You just told on yourself!"
Keith blushed. "Is there coffee?"
"There will be!" Hunk pulled a mini coffee maker out of his bag along with a baggy of beans and a grinder. "Pidge, lovely to see you as always!"
"Hey Hunk. Shiro." Pidge waved in embarrassment as she sat down at the small kitchen table. "Thanks for doing this for us."
"Seriously, though," Hunk continued as he got the coffee brewing, "next time we are home, I'm coming over to fix that thing. The commanders are going to be totally pissy when we all show up super late. That includes your Dad, by the way, Pidge."
"Where are Lance and Allura?" Pidge ignored the reminder about her father. She didn't want to deal with that at the moment.
"On their way here." Shiro told her. "Lance finally called me back after I got off the phone with Keith. Oh, here. I have your clothes."
Keith took his bag and went to the bedroom to change. Pidge looked a bit surprised in the bag Shiro handed her. He had actually remembered to grab a bra. Not only that, but it was a neutral color that wouldn't show under her uniform. She flashed him a grateful smile and went after Keith.
Pidge knocked on the door and let him know it was only her. She stepped in to find him staring at the complicated mess of a zipper, two buttons, and a second belt all on the outer top. "Still having trouble with it?"
"It looks cool, but it's so unnecessary." Keith gestured to the top. "Whose idea was this again?"
"Allura's." Pidge said, stripping her clothes off and pulling out her underwear.
Keith stared at her. The bruise on her wrist was slightly paler than yesterday. She had a couple hickeys on the tops of her shoulders and lower neck. At least the top would cover those. He kinda wished it wouldn't. Part of him wanted the world to see his marks on her. That way, maybe guys like the ones he used to hang out with would leave her alone. They didn't like to mess with another guy's lady. Too risky. Then again, Pidge could handle herself for the most part. She had already proven that over and over again. Especially yesterday. That didn't mean he couldn't leave a few marks higher up next time, just to help her avoid any more unwanted attention from dumb asses and mysogenists.
"You going to finish getting dressed or keep staring all morning?" Pidge asked sarcastically.
Keith shook himself out of it. "It's already too hot out for the outer shirt. I'll put it on when we get there."
Pidge remembered that he always ran a bit warmer than the rest of them. Considering that she felt like it would be too warm herself, she didn't fault him. Besides, if breakfast got messy again, they'd be in more trouble for technically being out of uniform if there was even one spot of syrup on the outer wear.
Pidge nodded and got her pants and shirt on quickly, turning to leave the bedroom.
"Wait." Keith lightly took her by the shoulder, turning her around to face him. "One more thing."
She didn't even get the chance to ask what it was before he laid a more intense kiss on her. Despite their understanding, it was still hard to keep their hands to themselves. Physical touch was so very reassuring. It said more than words ever could, and she ate it up.
A muffled voice came through the door. Lance. ""You two done with round fifteen in there yet? Breakfast is getting cold!"
They broke apart, nervous smiles on both their faces. Keith opened the door and stuck his nose right in front of Lance's. "What's the matter? Didn't even make it to round two yourself last night?"
Lance backed off, laughing. "Like you would know!"
"Just move." Keith playfully shoved him aside, making room to gesture for Pidge to precede him out of the door. "Food?"
"Yes!" Pidge skipped through the door, patting Lance on the shoulder as she went. She suddenly had a newfound respect for him and Allura. If they really were having sex all this time, then going out in the Lions or on foot into hand to hand battle, they were made of sterner stuff than she and Keith were, that was for sure.
Lance caught Keith before he could get into the living room. "You okay?"
"Hmm?" Keith wasn't sure what he was asking about.
"I get the feeling you two got it on last night." Lance suggested. "The first few times are the most intense."
Keith didn't bother lying. "It gets less intense?"
"Not really, but you get used to it " He shrugged. "You learn to cope."
"Good to know." Keith tried to pass by, but Lance stayed put.
"I wish you two had done this sooner."
"You knew?"
"Yeah. But, with everything going on, we figured you two workaholics wouldn't ever act on it. I'm glad you finally did. Allura felt the tension break between you two last night."
"From this far?" Keith was both impressed and a little violated.
"She can sense all the Lions and us. It's like background noise for her." Lance informed him. "The closer we are to her, the louder our part is. She can still tune it out, but she felt a lot of tension from you guys last night. She said it felt like it got bad, then really good. I knew what she meant. Damn it, man, plan your sex for better times. She was so horny all of a sudden! It was almost like the first time again."
Keith felt embarrassed all over again. "You're welcome, I guess."
"Not cool, man! We were staying with my parents!"
"Come eat!" Allura called down the hall to them. "We need to get moving before they send people to search for us!"
Chapter 2
Summary:
I wasn't planning on continuing this, but here you go anyway.
This was supposed to go one way, then went another way entirely.
Trying to keep Save Our Last Goodbye at an M rating is hard.
Chapter Text
S8E3 Prisoner's Dilema
Pidge is seen using a Galra comand console without a connection point. Earlier, she used tech in her suit to override it, but was later seen going hands on. Supposedly, only Galra could do that. Keith's ability to use Galra tech without a medium was noted as an early sign he was at least part Galra. Pidge had always used a medium like Shiro's hand.
“So... your theory was right.”
Pidge looked up from the video Allura had sent her of the mice and their latest attempt at a high wire circus show. The little spot of light in the otherwise gloomy reality they had found themselves in these past few weeks had taken away some of her worry for Kosmo. The wolf had sustained injuries in their fight against the beast Ranveg had created. Nobody was really sure how long it was going to take for him to heal.
“Hunk commented on it off hand to Shiro earlier.” Keith told her, peeking at the paused video with a smile. He had already watched it.
“Commented on what?” Pidge had no idea what he was talking about.
“He saw you go hands on with the console on the ship.” Keith explained. “He said he figured you had programed something into your gauntlets to let you have access and that he was jealous you didn't share.”
“Oh, I...” She didn't remember doing that. “When did I do that?”
“When you set the self destruct. It responded to you. Hunk tried to get some data when you weren't looking, and nothing worked for him.”
“I could have still been running my interface. Are you sure?”
“He seemed sure.”
“Neat.” Pidge smiled. That made three of the team that could access Galra tech without a medium now. “I'm so going to have to get Doctor Diaz to run a full analysis on my blood draws later! We might be able to make something that works for everyone!”
“Uh... aren't some blood types incompatible with others?” Keith didn't know much about biology, but he did know that. “It might be dangerous.”
Pidge kicked off her shoes and hopped into her bunk, scooting back against the wall and patting the bed beside her. He didn't have to be invited twice.
“They have found some compatable crosses between different species,” Pidge explained as Keith took of his shoes and outer uniform top before laying down beside her. “We might not be able to get everyone, but we could get enough people that no team goes without at least one person able to quickly access Galra systems.”
Keith snorted. “Well, the current method is not something I see a lot of Humans and Galra agreeing to. Most of them don't find the others... pleasing... in that way.”
She rolled her eyes and was about to say something else, but he already had her trapped to the mattress, hand in her hair, lips pressed hard against hers. The feeling of his lips against hers and the weight of his body pinning her down melted away anything Pidge had been thinking. In the team, she had as much say as anyone else, took over as often as the others did when Keith was at a loss, comanded just as much respect. In the Garrison's ranks, she was regarded as one of the highest ranking officers; if she gave an order, it was followed, even by her own father unless he knew something she didn't. She commanded respect, presented authority, and only ever followed orders that made sense. If it wasn't for her experience, brains, and success rate, she would have been officially repremanded many times over, but nobody dared to it. Besides, she could just hack in and delete anything she wanted on a whim.
But here, in these stolen moments, she gave in almost completely.
There were moments, like when they first got back to Lahn's base, when she had to take over during their intimacy. Sometimes, Keith needed to be handled roughly just so he could feel anything at all. His worry over Kosmo and the memory of how he and Krolia had first met weighed heavy on him. His anger at Lahn for going to Ranveg's base like that struggled against his need to make Lahn an ally. He went quiet, defirring completely to Shiro's suggestions and orders. He wasn't himself.
Pidge found him in his bunk, staring blankly at the wall. He didn't protest when she climbed on top of him and started grinding her body on his, not until he felt himself begin to respond. She wasn't having it when he tried to push her off. She could feel his mixed emotions and knew he needed to escape all the tension the situation had brought on. So, she put a hand around his throat, shoved him back down, and kept moving. If he didn't want this, if he really did not want her, he could toss her off with ease. Instead, he lay back and let her move against him until he felt her wetness soak through his shorts and into his skin. He was the one who decided when to lift her up and get them both undressed. He was the one who pulled out the small length of rope and let her tie his hands over his head. He was the one who laid there, begging her to ride him faster and harder while she kept a slow, even pace, scratching her nails down his chest and belly, leaving small scrape marks, until he came inside of her twice. He was the one who then used his hands exactly as she instructed until she flooded his mattress with her cum that they both slept in after.
That had been the third time she had taken control of things. When they left the room later, Keith seemed to be back to his normal self, in control, ready to take the fight to the next target on the list.
Iverson commented out loud that he was glad to see Keith was back to his rightful self. He asked what the secret was. Keith simply answered “I needed a fucking nap, Sir.” Lance, Hunk, Allura, Shiro, and Pidge were all blushing. Pidge was even giggling. Iverson didn't get it. He didn't need to. Shiro told Iverson to just let it go.
But, Kosmo was still healing, and tracking the beasts after they sucked the quintessence out of planets was not working out too well. They were always two or three steps behind Honerva. It was wearing on everyone. Pidge felt like she was failing in every way possible.
Feeling Keith on top of her, his strength held back as he slowly, gently dominated her much smaller body, was reassuring. She knew it was safe to let go with him, to let him take over everything. He was there to protect her from everyone and everything, even her self doubt. As long as they could touch, she was loved, cared for, safe to be small and needy. She didn't have to put forth the stereotypical “short angry person” persona. She could just be vulnerable little Katie, not Pidge, Green Paladin of Voltron, sister of the Rebel legion, daughter of Commander Samuel Holt and Doctor Colleen Holt. Just Katie, small, Human, scared, desparate...
Keith propped himself up a bit, breaking the kiss. As much as he knew she liked to be smothered by his body, he was still worried he was too much for her. Even though he looked Human, his body was more dense than a Human's, and thus, heavier than he looked. Before leaving Earth, doctors had wondered how he could possibly weigh as much as he did for his size, and why running a slight fever seemed to be his normal. Sure, teenage boys ate a lot, but he consumed more than the others without ever seeming to gain any fat or hit a significant growth spurt. He didn't really start to fill out or get tall until after he met his mother. When he came back, Lance had definitely made a point to comment on the change.
Pidge pulled him back down, craving his warmth in the cool air of the Atlas. “Please, don't stop.”
Humming, Keith lowered his lips to trail light kisses allong her jaw and down her throat, stopping only when he reached the low neckline of her tanktop. He sighed and put his head down, listening to her quickened heartbeat.
Pidge nearly melted at the feeling of his voice rumbling through his body, vibrating into her belly and crotch. “You know I love you so much, Katie...”
“Don't.” Her tone was low in warning. “Don't you dare do that right now.”
They had talked about this more than once. Until the war was over, they weren't allowed to say things like that, at least, not in ways they wouldn't say it to the rest of the team. These moments were supposed to be about lust, about being what the other needed in the moment when nothing else could help. They weren't going to be like Lance and Allura. They would be stronger for the team than they were for their personal relationship. Everyone else needed them more than they needed to be together like that. Intimate relationships came with intimate problems. The team was already closer to one another than anyone else in the Garrison was, and they had paid the price for it more than once with in-fighting. It would be so much worse if they got close romantically and had a fight. Voltron would not form if the team weren't of one mind when they needed it.
“Not saying it doesn't change the facts,” Keith looked her in the eyes again. “It hurts to keep it quiet. Nobody can hear us in here. I want to say it. I want to get on the ship's PA and yell it to everyone. Can't I just tell you here for now? Just between us.”
“Us and Shiro, and Hunk, and Lance, and Allura...” Pidge scoffed, looking up at the storage compartment over the bed. “I think Iverson, Coran, Slav, Curtis, Veronica, and my Dad are all tapped in a little bit now, too thanks to the Atlas.”
“Half of them already know, and I think the other half are starting to figure it out.” Keith rolled off of her, stretching out on his back. “Did you see how Rizavi was looking at us when she brought that camera around for interviews yesterday morning?”
“Doesn't she look at everybody like that?” Pidge retorted, rolling on her side so she wasn't squished between him and the wall. “Wild mischief in her eyes...”
“Yeah. Maybe I'm just being paranoid.”
“If anybody squeeled about us, my family would hear about it and be beating down the door right now.” Pidge guessed.
“Unless they're banging on my door instead.” Keith looked at her, brow raised. “How do we deal with that anyway? It's going to happen eventually.”
“Does your mom or Kolivan know?” Deflection was her friend right now.
“Yeah. They know.”
“How?” She was shocked. “You told them?”
He shook his head, “No, but I wasn't fast enough at getting a shower a couple days ago. I was late meeting them for dinner. They could smell you on me.”
“How did it go? Did they say anything?”
“Yeah... Mom congratulated me on becoming a man. I didn't tell her it wasn't our first time.”
“And Kolivan?”
“Started a lecture on letting emotions outweigh responsibilities.” Keith laughed ruefully, shifting to get his arm under her head. “I know he's right, but... So much of what we do as Paladins relies on us being emotionally invested in one another. I feel closer to Lance and Allura now that you and I figured things out. I've always loved Shiro. Hunk is pretty much my hero now. You... there aren't enough words for that in any language I've ever heard...”
“Sappy, cheesy, romantic,” Pidge giggled, laying her head in the crook of his shoulder. “That's so out of character, and I love it. Why couldn't I have met this Keith sooner?”
“I've always been in here.” He brought his arm aound to hold her close. “Just haven't had a reason to show it.”
“Not even to pick on Lance?”
“You and Hunk did that enough without me. But, you didn't answer my question. What do we do when your family finds out about us? Or, should we tell them ourselves? Which way will make them less angry?”
“They have no right to be angry.” Pidge absolutely would not have it. “We are adults, and I've lived without them for years. I get to make my own decisions on who I date.”
Keith hummed. He liked the sound of that. Dating. “When we go home again, will you date me? Will you be my girlfriend?”
She laughed. He was being serious, and she was full on belly laughing at him.
“What? I mean it!”
“We are doing this so out of order, it's rediculous!” She snorted, then planted a kiss on his cheek. “Yes, Keith, I will go on regular dates with you when all this is over. But, you're already my boyfriend, okay?”
“Yeah?”
The hope in his eyes was too precious. “I don't go around fucking my friends for fun, Keith. You're more than that to me.”
“So, when do we tell your family?” Keith insisted, not letting her evade the issue at hand.
Someone was knocking at the door. A muffled voice called for Pidge. She paled and told Keith to hide, recognizing Matt's voice. He looked around the small room in a panic. Finding nowhere in her mess, he settled for pulling the sheet over himself and hoping Matt would mistake it as part of her clutter. She didn't see him fail and opened the door.
“Yeah, Matt, what?” She tried to sound annoyed and sleepy. Her hair was already a mess and her clothing rumpled, so it should have made her look like she had been napping.
Matt's eyes swept the room carefully. “I'm looking for Keith, and... Really?”
“Have you tried the gym?” Pidge asked, not understanding what had caught his eye.
“Shirt. Shoes. Man in your bed trying to look like a body pillow...” Matt glared at her. “I know you Paladins do cuddle puddles sometimes, so why are you hiding so badly, Keith? What's the big deal?”
“Um... well... It's just the two of us in here, so...” Pidge tried to find a work around, backing up as Matt advanced into the room, shutting the door on his way in.
“Why don't you ever cuddle with me or Mom anymore, anyway, Pidge? Just them and Dad. I'm jealous!”
Keith gave up and poked his head out from under the sheet, “Wait... you still cuddle with your dad, but not your mom or brother?”
“Do you cuddle with your mom or Kolivan?” Pidge was glad for the side tracked conversation now.
“Mom, yes, but Kolivan isn't really a cuddly kind of guy,” Keith answered, scooting into a half seated position in her bed. “What did you need me for, Matt?”
Matt started to speak, but he fixed his eyes on Keith's throat instead, an area normally covered by the outer shirt of Keith's uniform. “What is that?”
Keith squinted at Matt, then looked down at himself, lost. Pidge saw it, though. The large hickey she had left at the base of his throat was healing, but still very visible like this, as were a couple of scratches.
“Jeeze, dude, they make stuff to help that heal faster. Did you hit a bulkhead on the way out of that Galra ship?” Matt asked. Keith and Pidge both relaxed. He thought the marks were old wounds from escaping Ranveg's beast. Good.
“No sense in using it on something like this,” Keith shrugged. “What did you want?”
“Oh, right,” Matt shook himself, his expression becoming more blank now. He was holding something back, they knew it. “MacNell thinks we can take the cast off Kosmo's leg today, but she wants you there to hold him if he gets freaked out by the saw. She's just waiting on you.”
“Got it. Thank you!” Keith's mood brightened instantly. He grabbed his shoes and tied them in a flash, grabbing his outer shirt and throwing it over his shoulder on his way out the door. Having a veteranarian on board was really paying off. Keith stopped to give Pidge a quick hug before walking out the door. He was careful not to let his eyes or his hands linger on her too long.
“Okay, well... see you later, I guess,” Pidge shrugged.
Matt stayed in the room and stared her down for a moment. His face certainly wasn't blank anymore. He definitely didn't seem too happy, either. “Be careful, sis.”
Pidge played stupid. “With what?”
“You know damn well what,” Matt turned around and jogged away, catching up to Keith before Pidge could get her shoes on and follow.
Matt hadn't lied about Kosmo and Dr. MacNell, so he knew Keith would head straight to the wolf from Pidge's room. He caught sight of Keith turning around a corner, putting on his outer shirt as he walked, not fast enough to be considered jogging, but definitely fast enough to show he was in a hurry. Matt sprinted the few yards between them, catching him off guard and shoving him into a wall, yanking up his undershirt to see more healing love marks from nails, small hands, and a mouth.
“The fuck?” Keith shoved him back roughly. “Matt, what are you doing?”
“If you hurt her, or even fail to protect her in the slightest,” Matt threatened, “the Black Lion will need a new Paladin. Do you understand me, Kogane?”
“Can we not do this in the middle of the hall?” Keith looked around, seeing a few sets of eyes watching them now.
“We can do this right here.” Matt stepped up to him, ready for a fight, but was suddenly knocked to the side by a smaller body. He wasn't as fast as he had hoped. Pidge had caught up, and she wasn't going to let this happen.
“I had it, Pidge,” Keith was mortified now.
“Oh, like you would have actually hit him,” Pidge rolled her eyes at him, then turned on her brother again. “Matt, this doesn't have to happen. You don't need to threaten my boyfriend. I can do that myself!”
“Damn it, Katie, it is my job to protect my baby sister!” Matt got himself off the floor. “From anything and anyone.”
“I'm telling you, she is very capable of doing that herself,” Keith thought back to their last night on Earth. She scared off seven guys by taking out three of them in under ten seconds. Sure, she was shaking after that, but he figured it was more because she had morals about hurting Humans than what they had intended to do to her.
“Was that bruise on your wrist when we left home from him?” Matt pointed out, mentioning the very thing Keith had been thinking about.
“That was from a guy whose leg I broke.” Pidge told him point blank. “Matt, we were just talking about telling you. But just you, Mom, and Dad. Not the whole damn ship! Thanks for fucking that up for us! Come on, Keith. Let's see if he was telling the truth about Kosmo.”
Keith couldn't get out of there fast enough. He let her grab his wrist and drag him through the halls past several onlookers. He could feel their eyes burning into he back of his head, but he was sure there were just as many staring at Matt now.
“Well, that sucked,” Pidge commented once they were far enough away from the scene that the people in the halls hadn't heard anything yet. “Mom and Dad will probably meet us in the infirmary now.”
“Are they going to shove me against a wall, too?” Keith asked, worried. Matt had come out of nowhere, and Keith was glad he had recognized him before his shirt got yanked up, otherwise Matt would have gotten himself stabbed at the very least. He wouldn't attack the Holts, but he wouldn't just let them slap him around either.
Pidge thought about it for a moment. “Mom might. I dunno about Dad. They still see me as a little girl.”
They made their way as quickly as reasonably possible to the infirmary where beings of all kinds were treated by doctors and veteranarians of many species, finding Kosmo near the end of the row. Krolia was there, loving on the wolf with a gentle smile. She was talking to someone behind the curtain. Probably Dr. MacNell.
“Ah, here they are,” Krolia's smile did not reach her eyes as she announced their arrival.
Keith recognized the warning and stopped all forward momentum. Pidge kept walking, her hand still on his wrist. His sudden stop jerked her to a halt as well. She was going to ask him what was going on, but the curtain pulling back the rest of the way told her everything she needed to know. Sam and Colleen were ahead of them, Bebe on the bed with Kosmo happy as could be.
“We heard you two and Matt got into a bit of a shoving match in the halls,” Colleen skipped the greetings, crossing her arms to stare them down. “Something about Keith being your boyfriend, was it?”
Pidge squared her shoulders, facing her mother head on. “Yes. Matt didn't like me having a boyfriend.”
“He is right,” Colleen huffed. “The middle of a war is not the time to be worried about boys! You have much bigger things to think about, young lady, and I-”
“Mrs. Holt.” Keith interrupted. “All due respect, but she is not a little kid anymore. She hasn't been since she first sat in Green. She knows what is at stake better than you do. I know you want your little girl back, but it's just not possible. You have to wake up to the reality that your daughter is a very capable woman now, a strong, inteligent, war veteran. If it wasn't for her, you wouldn't have your family at all, and Earth would be obliterated. Yes, she will always be your daughter, but she deserves more respect than what you've been giving her. You aren't her commanding officer. Shiro is, and, while you're on this ship, he is your commanding officer, too, ranks be damned.”
“Technically, you are her direct superior,” Colleen corrected. “Sleeping with my daughter goes against all the rules and regulations of the Garrison.”
“Good thing I dropped out years ago, huh?” Keith informed her. “There are no such rules in Voltron. If there were, people would be trying to separate Lance and Allura.”
“Oh!” Colleen stomped and turned to her husband. “Tell them they can't do this!”
Sam looked at her, wondering exactly what she expected him to say that she and Matt hadn't already. He didn't approve of their timing one bit, but he didn't disapprove of Pidge choosing Keith. It was a shock, seeing as he figured she would have gotten with Hunk instead, but not a bad thing over all. If this didn't work out, he still might be able to pursuede her to get with his first pick. “Are you really going to talk to them like your parents talked to us? Or, are you going to give them a chance like my parents gave you?”
“You agree with Krolia?” Colleen was shocked. “You said she had a good chance with the other boy-”
“Well, she chose differently,” Sam cut her off. “You know what it's like to have your parents try to dictate your life choices. Do you really want to be them? I don't.”
“What happened?” Keith whispered to Pidge.
“No idea,” she whispered back. “I'll find out later.”
Krolia took Colleen's silence as an answer and decided to say her piece, “Their team opperates very differently from anything we have ever known in our own careers. Their relations have not adversely affected our mission in any way thus far other than making the whole team late one single time for something that, while time sensitive, didn't have to be exactly when planned.”
Sam seemed to understand the refference before the others. “Wait... is that why the launch was delayed on our last day on Earth? What were you two doing?”
“I got into a fight,” Pidge spoke up quickly. “Keith found me and offered to wash the blood off my clothes. His washer broke and didn't drain. We were going to hang dry everything, but... we fell asleep first. Shiro and Hunk brought us breakfast and dry clothes.”
“Is that all that happened?” Colleen asked, suspicious.
“Um...” Keith grasped for anything innocent, “we watched a movie out of Mom's old stack, took turns in the shower, ate dinner, called Shiro, went to bed.”
Krolia didn't hold back her snort.
Pidge snapped at her, “You were trying to set us up before I was even out of my dirty clothes!”
“Pidge, Keith... Shiro told me what happened.” Krolia came out with it. “That was your first time together. Since then, you have had several battles and been professional every time. Colleen, that has to count in their favor. Does it not?”
Colleen glared at all of them before focusing on Keith, “I swear, if you hurt my baby girl or get her pregnant before this war is over, I will cut off your balls myself and feed them to the nearest wild predator on whatever planet we are closest to. Katie, I had better not find out you have ever done anything to harm Keith. I may not like the two of you together, but I do love you both. But, just remember, Keith, my love for Katie and Matt are deeper than any emotion I feel for anyone else. Break my trust, and I will break you.”
Keith swallowed the lump in his throat. That threat was far worse than the one Matt had made. He almost regretted standing up for Pidge against her. Almost. “Understood, ma'am. If I ever hurt her, I won't even try to run from you.”
“Now that that is settled, can we please focus on Kosmo?” Sam suggested in the following silence. “I'm sure he is ready to get rid of that cast. Oh, and where is Matt?”
“Thankfully not here to try and continue the fight he started and Pidge stopped,” Keith answered.
Krolia got the veteranarian to come over with the cast saw and sat on one side of the wolf. Keith sat on the other side. Pidge kept herself in front of Kosmo, rubbing his head and scratching his ears the way he liked. The three of them kept their hands on the wolf as the saw spun to life, ready to stop him from turning to snap at the doctor when he started to cut the plaster away. Colleen and Sam watched as the trio worked to keep the animal calm. Krolia's attention was split evenly between holding Kosmo and watching the cast come away. Keith and Pidge, though, seemed to move on autopilot when it came to the wolf. They were staring at one another, seeming to have some sort of silent conversation. Sam had seen the Paladins do this more than once, so it didn't surprise him. Colleen, however, noticed that the two moved in perfect sync to stop Kosmo from trying to flash away.
“NO! Stay!” Keith and Pidge ordered together, same tone, same inflection, same pitch. “Be still. It's almost done.”
Dr. MacNell finished the first long cut and started on a second one. Despite the Paladins' orders, Kosmo had had enough. The wolf flashed away on his own, leaving Keith, Pidge, Krolia, and the cast all on the bed. He reappeared a second later on the floor near where Bebe hopped down to earlier, testing his weakened leg with some weight, sniffing and licking at it.
“Well, nevermind then,” MacNell shrugged, turning off the saw. “Just make him take it slow for a few days. Work him up to normal again, but don't let him start running around right away. If he seems to be in pain still, let me know.”
“Rascal,” Pidge accused, tapping Kosmo on the snout.
“Brat.” Keith added, kneeling down to put his hands on the previously injured leg. “Too smart for your own good. Too good to be smart.”
Kosmo licked his hands and turned, taking away Keith's access. He was clearly still protective of the injury even if he was supposedly healed.
Keith leaned into him anyway, hiding his face in the wolf's fur. He really didn't want to look at anybody right now. “Ready for dinner, buddy?”
After their long trek home, words like food, breakfast, lunch, and dinner had become trigger words for Kosmo. Keith forgot about that when he asked his question. The next thing he knew, Kosmo had him, Pidge, Krolia, Lance, Allura, Hunk, Coran, Romelle, and Acxa all at their preferred table in one of the dining areas. He did cute tippy taps, proud of himself and looking for treats.
“Um... I would really like to go back to the showers now.” Romelle commented, holding a towel tight around her otherwise naked and wet body.
“Oh, dear!” Hunk stripped off his outer shirt and quickly put it over her head, allowing her to move the small towel to cover her lower half better. “Kosmo! What the hell?”
“Keith said one of the magic words you taught him,” Krolia laughed. “I believe he thought Keith meant to gather us all for food.”
“I... I'm sorry,” Keith shielded his eyes, trying not to look at Romelle who was right in front of him. “I didn't mean to. Kosmo, put them all back, please! I didn't mean everyone.”
Kosmo whined, confused, but did as he was told anyway, taking everyone back to where he picked them up. Everyone except Keith whom he returned to.
“Well, that was interesting,” Griffin commented as he walked up to Keith. “Half an hour ago I hear you're getting into a fight with Matt Holt in the hall, and now your wolf friend is dragging a naked Altean into the mess hall.”
Keith closed his eyes and rubbed at his forehead. This day was going to end in such a head ache. Breathing out through his nose harshly, Keith reopened his eyes and stared down his old rival. “Where is Matt?”
“Uh... no.” Griffin shook his head. “I may not totally hate you anymore, but I do like him.”
Keith sat down on the bench and leaned on the table. “Then tell him things are good with our parents.”
“What things?” Griffin sat down across from him. “I've heard a few rumors already about what you two were fighting over. I think you should tell me the truth.”
“Why do you need to know?” Keith glared at him.
“So I know whether I should punch you, punch Katie Holt, or or defend you guys to Matt.”
Keith grunted out a laugh. “I'm a lot faster and stronger now. I didn't want to hurt Matt, but I still feel like I owe you a few hits. Good luck.”
“Keith, just tell me what's up, please?” Griffin insisted. “One guy was saying you're all bruised up from Katie. Another guy said Matt attacked you. Someone else said Matt found you two fucking. Another person said you were getting pegged by Matt and Katie walked in on you guys. Matt isn't talking. He's so mad, he's trying to tear apart a punching bag in the gym.”
Keith chuckled softly. “Shiro must have taught him that like he taught me.”
“Keith... come on man. Don't you want anybody on your side? Some of these rumors are serious accusations.”
Keith really studied Griffin now. The man seemed honest with his intentions. With their current situation, the Paladins and the MFE pilots really did need to have each other's backs at all times. That didn't mean turning them against Matt, though. “Matt found me and Pidge hanging out in her room. He saw some marks on me and figured out what we've been up to. Standard older brother threats followed. No, he didn't catch us actually doing anything. He almost did, but he didn't. Pidge caught up and shoved him away from me before I had to defend myself.”
“So... just to be clear.... what are you and Miss Holt doing?” Griffin wanted to be absolutely sure, not just guess. “Did he catch you teaching her some close quarters combat stuff or something?”
Keith pulled at the collar of his shirt, showing off the two highest hickeys. “Eachother. We're doing eachother.”
“Oh... kinda like McClain and Allura?” Griffin gave him a sly smile.
Keith nodded, finally putting his outer top on correctly for the first time that day.
“You just gotta fuck up every rule you can at least once, don't you.” Griffin shook his head, still smiling. “At least you're not banging a Galra. I know they're not all bad, but... I don't think I could handle that one.”
“What if Pidge was the one sleeping with a Galra?” Keith had to ask. Everyone knew Keith had joined up with the Blades, but it wasn't common knowledge that Krolia was his mother yet. That wasn't important information meant to be shared in the briefings.
“I'd be really disappointed in her.” Griffin admitted. “You guys have spent twice as many years fighting against the Galra as we have. It would kinda be a betrayal, you know? Even if it was with one of your Blade friends.”
“James...” Keith set his knife on the table between them. “Why do you think I'm the only Paladin with one of these and all the other Blade opperatives are Galra?”
Griffin shrugged, looking the knife over. “A symbol of friendship between you guys? Wait... you've had this since we were kids. I remember you getting this taken from you one day. You fought tooth and nail to get it back and got detention for a week over it. How did you get it?”
“It was my mother's,” Keith told him, waiting for the information to fall into place. “James, you have to be Galra in order to activate it. Each one is coded to it's user's quintessence when it is forged.”
Griffin stared at him hard now. “So... that mark on your cheek isn't some weird scar?
“I'm half Galra,” Keith spat it out. “Krolia is my mother.”
Keith could see the confliction on Griffin's face. “Why did you tell me this now?”
“My team has one rule we're never allowed to break. No secrets from eachother. Considering what you said a moment ago, I figured you should know what I am. Your team should know that they're taking orders from a Galra when they take orders from me.”
“Do the Holts know?”
“Yes.”
Griffin took a few breaths, then handed the knife back. He looked Keith over, assessing. “You grew up on Earth with the rest of us. I listened to your guys's speech when we left. Leifsdottir said you helped write that, so I think you meant it. Galra or not, you're still a Human from Earth. I still want to hate you sometimes, now more than ever, but we have to trust one another out there. We both want to end this and keep Earth safe, right? So, thanks for the honesty. I'll be sure to shut down any bad rumors about you and the Holts when I hear them. We're still not friends, though.”
Keith watched Griffin stand up and start to leave and stopped him, “What will it take for us to be friends?”
“Exactly that,” Griffin reached out a hand, making a real peace offering for the first time.
Keith took his hand. He wasn't sure what Griffin meant, but he would go with it. Griffin smirked at him again, making Keith nervous.
“Just one more thing, though.”
“What?” Keith tried to pull away, but Griffin held on tighter.
“Last time we saw each other before you took off for the stars, you beat the everloving fuck out of me. I get to have a little payback. Right now.” Griffin turned to the room, noting that a good twenty to thirty people were present. “Hey, everybody! Listen up!”
Most of the room gave him their attention, curious. Keith tried to pull away again, “What are you doing?”
“Clearing up those rumors about you and the Holts and the ones about you sleeping with the enemy all in one go.” Griffin gave him a wink before raising his voice to the others again. “Yeah, we all know the Blade of Marmora are a bunch of Galra and half-Galra, but they really are on our side in this. Well I just got it from the horse's mouth that Keith Kogane is half-Galra himself and fucking Katie Holt. If you're going to be a dick to my friends, at least do it with the truth. Got it? Good.”
Great, now the rumor mill was going to go wild again. Keith turned bright red as several people started staring at him, then looking away quickly. “That was not helpful.”
“At least the rumors will be true now,” Griffin finally let go of his hand. “I publicly called you my friend, too. They should stop fucking with your reputation with made up shit now.”
Pidge stomped into the room now, finding Keith instantly. She didn't read the room at all and just started rambling to him. “I swear to all the gods of all the pantheons I will scream if my mother says one more word about you and me like she has any control over either of us! Krolia told her she gave us beer that night, and Mom went ballistic on her. I've never heard Dad cuss at Mom before, but he just did. Repeatedly, in six different languages from Earth, Altean, and Galran. Where is Matt? I'm going to kick his ass for this! Oh... Griffin... You're... sitting with Keith? When did that happen?”
“Just now,” Griffin smiled at her.
“Right before he decided to out me as Galra and our relationship to the whole room,” Keith corrected.
“You did what?” Pidge glared at the pilot.
“Saved your brother and your boyfriend,” Griffin responded, “from the rumors that they're lovers and you got mad about it.”
“Oh... Matt doesn't swing that way, though. Everybody knows that.”
“Keith does?”
“Oh, fuck off, James,” Keith got away from the table, grabbed Pidge and went to the food line. “We need to eat somewhere else for a while until this dies down.”
BlueDemon1995 on Chapter 1 Mon 18 Jul 2022 05:11AM UTC
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