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ninja-librarian · 6 years

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Commission for @shygreenfox!

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Katie took a deep breath as she sat down at the computer, performing her daily ritual of logging into Defenders of the Universe, the most popular MMORPG that combined sci-fi and fantasy elements in one somehow functional swoop. As her log-in information was processed, she put on the virtual reality goggles. The usual screens flashed as she was connected, advertising of newly released items and monsters to fight, new planets to explore, new ships to buy.

And, of course, the ultimate challenge items: five Lions of Voltron, scattered across the digital universe.

Whoever collected all five Lions would receive a fortune like no other and meet with the game’s owner, whose in-game name was Emperor Zarkon.

But, unlike the other DU players, Katie wasn’t in the search for the money. She was after something much more important: the rights to her father’s work—which, ultimately, included the game—and to get her revenge for what Zarkon did to her father.

They had once been partners, but when DU started to gain popularity, Zarkon stabbed Sam in the back. Not quite literally, but Katie had found evidence that Zarkon had paid a handsome sum to cause the car accident that had crippled her father and left Zarkon to amass a far greater amount of money than Sam Holt did. Then, of course, just as Katie and her brother, Matt, were starting to determine that the accident wasn’t an accident, Zarkon disappeared… and kidnapped Matt as he did so. Now, finding the Lions was the only way to find her brother and force Zarkon to pay for his crimes.

Caught and banned from the game right after discovering the location of the Blue Lion, Katie had to start from scratch. This time, she did so in disguise under the IRL alias of Pidge Gunderson and the in-game moniker of Meklavar, the best ax-fighter in three galaxies.

Katie had spent weeks building back up her levels and in-game coins. She forgot how much it sucked to be the noob, but it was what she had to do to avoid suspicion. But, more importantly, it gave her an opportunity to ensure that no one else had discovered the Blue Lion. Now, she was ready to claim the first Lion.

But first, she needed to find a guild.

As loathe as Pidge was to admit it, she needed help. She had been ambushed by Zarkon’s NPC cronies the last time and she needed someone to watch her back.

Fortunately, she knew just who to look for: the Paladins of Voltron, led by the mysterious player known only as Shiro.

Katie—now officially Pidge as she entered the world—had to hope that they’d take her in.

She guided her avatar into the Universal Space Station, which was part-tavern, part-strip mall, and part-airport from hell that you never wanted to encounter in real life.

It was bright and colorful, with thousands of glittering advertisements and calls to arms.

But Pidge knew better. Pidge knew to find who lurked in the shadows.

She caught a glimmer out of the corner of her eye. Turning, she saw an avatar of an Asian man wearing a cloak over gleaming silver armor, in deep discussion with a pretty dark-skinned, white-haired elf woman, a quiver on her hip.

Valayun, Pidge thought, recognizing her. The unparalleled archer.

There were rumors that Valayun was someone very powerful IRL. There were whispers that she was royalty. Others said that she was a president’s daughter. And still more said that she was she ran her own business and was the world’s youngest CEO.

One way or another, her allegiance was highly sought after. How Shiro of the Paladins of Voltron managed to secure her, no one knew.

Either way, it was good for Pidge.

She approached cautiously and requested to communicate with both of them.

“I’m looking for Shiro,” She said, dropping her voice. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to be mistaken for a preteen boy right now. If she was, her occasionally high-pitched voice would be dismissed. However, it would also be a reason for her to be dismissed. “I’m interested in joining the Paladins of Voltron.”

“Well, you found him,” The Asian man said through her headset. A warmth suddenly flowed through her. It was almost… familiar…

Stop. Stop thinking about him. You have a job to do. You can’t think about him now. He’s the one who left, anyway.

Shiro looked at her avatar. “And who are you?”

“Mekla-” Pidge started.

“Uh, uh, uh,” Valayun said, waving a finger at Pidge. “Your IRL name.”

“What?” Pidge questioned.

“Anyone who wants to join the guild has to be pre-screened. Personally. By me.” Shiro explained. “You still in?”

I’ve come this far…

“Pidge Gunderson.”

Shiro’s avatar nodded. “Give me a few.”

Shiro winked out of the plane of existence, leaving Pidge to be scrutinized by Valayun.

“A lot of people want to join the guild,” She said. “They believe Shiro is the best shot at forming Voltron.”

“He’s kind of a legend, though, isn’t he?” Pidge asked. “One of the very first players of the game?”

“Yeah,” Valayun said, nodding. “And the one who has been searching for the Lions the longest.”

Well, then, he’s going to love the intel I have, Pidge thought.

Shiro’s avatar winked back into the game. “You’re clear. But you’re not a member yet. You’ve got to go through all of us. I’m sending you a link.”

The out-of-game link in her messages surprised Pidge, but she plugged it in. It led to a private chat server where the name ‘PIDGE’ automatically appeared.

“What is this?” She asked out-loud.

“We don’t like to use the in-game chat function,” Shiro explained, her voice in her ear, surprising her and she had to bite back a cry of surprise. “Too many ears and eyes. This site has the best cyber protection you will ever encounter.”

Then, Shiro’s voice boomed: “Roll call!”

The avatar of a tall, stocky teenage boy appeared, dressed in Cleric’s robes and carrying a staff. “Block. IRL name, Hunk.”

The avatar of a tall, skinny boy with cat ears and a tail appeared. “Pike. IRL name, Lance.”

“Valayun. IRL name, Allura.” The archer said as her avatar appeared.

Another female elf appeared, this one with pale hair and skin and wore Healers colors. “Fala. IRL name, Romelle.”

A lean figure dressed in red and black appeared, his gray digital eyes still steely. “Akira.”

The cat boy, Lance, huffed. “And?”

“And what?” Akira demanded.

“IRL name?”

“No. You know I hate to use IRL names.”

Lance rolled his eyes. “Anyways, this is Keith.”

“LANCE!”

“Ha! Made you use an IRL name!” Lance said, pointing at Akira/Keith, who fumed.

“And who might you be?” Romelle asked kindly.

“Er, Meklavar. IRL name, Pidge.” Pidge said awkwardly.

“So. Why do you want to join our guild?” Shiro asked, folding his arms over his chest, appraising Pidge.

“I need a team. To find the Lions of Voltron.” Pidge explained.

“Pass.” Keith growled. “Get out now.”

“Keith,” Shiro said warningly.

“Look, we’re all after the Lions,” Hunk said. “Problem with that is, we’re already splitting the money six ways. I don’t want to sound greedy, but—”

“I’m not in it for the money!”

They all turned to Pidge.

“You know it’s a lot of money, right?” Lance asked. He spread his arms out wide. “Like, a lot a lot.”

“I’m really not searching for the money.” Pidge said.

“Most people who choose a warrior-type do, though,” Romelle pointed out. “So what makes you different?”

“Because I want to meet Zarkon. And get revenge. I have some unfinished business with him.” Pidge explained.

Slowly, the members of the guild turned to Shiro, who frowned and asked, “What did Zarkon do to you?”

“Not me.” Pidge answered. “My father. They were business partners. Then Zarkon betrayed my father and reaped the benefits that come from running this huge game. My father physically can’t work now, and we haven’t seen a penny. And right before my brother and I could expose him, he disappeared, kidnapping my brother in the process. I’m not doing this for the money. I’m doing this to bring Zarkon to his knees and to bring my brother home.”

Shiro studied Pidge for a moment, then said, “If you’re going to join, you’ve got to have something to bring to the table.”

“I’m a warrior-type, and—”

“We’re all either combatants or high-level magic users,” Shiro interrupted. “If that’s all you have to offer, then…”

“I know where the Blue Lion is located!” Pidge yelled, desperate. “I got ambushed last time, on my own. It’s heavily guarded, so only a team can get to it.”

Shiro stared at Pidge for a long moment, then said, “All in favor?”

The rest of the guild agreed, though Keith seemed to stare at Pidge intensely and gave her the distinct feeling that his ‘Aye’ was reluctant.

Shiro nodded. “Then let’s get raiding.”

*****

Despite being ambushed, the Paladins defeated the guards and entered the cave where Pidge’s intel said that the Blue Lion was hidden. Inside the cave, they found an underground river, along with a series of tunnels, filled with traps and riddles and dead ends. But finally—finally—they found the Lion, hidden deep inside a cavern, sitting on a pillar in the middle of a pool of water.

“It’s gorgeous,” Allura breathed as they stared.

It was stunning with an azure body with a white-tipped tail, intricate waves carved into the hindquarters, and gleaming sapphire stones for eyes.

“Let’s grab it and get out of here,” Keith said.

“We should probably check for—” Hunk started, but it was too late. Keith took a step forward.

Zarkon’s faceless robot guards, dressed in purple and black, suddenly dropped out of nowhere, pouring in from hidden gateways in the wall.

“Traps…” Hunk finished lamely, clenching his staff.

“Lance, you’re the fastest and our rogue, so you can take care of any additional traps on your own,” Shiro said, drawing his sword. “You grab the Lion, we’ll hold them off. Just give us a thirty second lead.”

The battle ensued; Allura bounced around pillars, taking aim at the guards that got close to Lance. Romelle and Hunk unleashed spells of epic proportion. Keith was a whirlwind, taking on one guard after the other.

And Pidge and Shiro fought back to back, side-by-side.

It felt natural.

It felt unexplainably right.

Then, suddenly, the guards all stopped and winked out of existence. The Paladins turned to where Lance stood with the Lion in his hands.

“One down!” He crowed.

“Four to go!” Romelle said, grinning widely.

There was much celebrating over their hard-won prize. Pidge couldn’t stop grinning. After all the hard work, it was finally paying off.

They had the first Lion. They had a chance. She had a chance. And Zarkon was—

A private message request appeared in Pidge’s field of vision. She frowned, seeing it was from Shiro, but opened it.

Her blood ran cold as his voice whispered in her ear, “Good job. Katie.”

Shiro knew who she was.

But how?

*****

She confronted Shiro as soon as the others parted ways, all exhausted from the raid and having pressing IRL matters.

It was just her and Shiro, staring at each other.

“Who are you?” Pidge demanded. “And how did you find my name? I covered all my tracks. I never use the same signal location twice. How?”

“Admittedly, you are good,” Shiro said. “I found nothing about who you are in my background check before you joined, other than what you obviously planted. But you told me your identity. You said that you wanted revenge for your father, Sam Holt, and you wanted your brother back. Sam Holt only has one son. And one daughter.”

“You still haven’t answered my question,” She snapped, feeling on edge.

Shiro stared long and hard at her. “You don’t recognize me? Not even by my voice?”

His voice. His familiar voice…

Wait. He knew her. He knew her father. He knew Matt…

“Takashi?” She breathed.

No. It couldn’t be him.

“In the flesh,” He confirmed. “Well, not really in the flesh, obviously, but in the pixels sounds weird.”

Oh, God, it was him.

Takashi Shirogane.

Her father’s protégé. The frequent dinner guest at her house. Matt’s close friend.

And her…

He wasn’t her boyfriend.

He was just the guy who made her heart flutter with a single smile. He was just the guy who once walked into a glass wall with a scarlet face because she had waved at him. He was just the guy who held her hand in the waiting room outside of the operating theater her broken father was in. He was just the guy who kissed her under the lamplight in the hospital parking lot, with cicadas buzzing in the background.

He was just the guy who left without a word the following morning, leaving her brokenhearted and furious.

“You left,” She growled.

“I did.” Shiro confirmed with a nod. “I’m… I’m sorry. I made a coward’s choice.”

“You left,” Pidge said again, voice louder. “You abandoned me when I needed you the most!”

The IRL Katie had tears streaking down her face under her goggles. She wished Shiro could see that reflected of Meklavar’s face, see what he had done.

Shiro hung his head. “I’m sorry. I just… I didn’t want to say good-bye.”

“So leaving without saying anything was better? How was that possibly better, Takashi?” She demanded.

Shiro lifted his head. “I’m sorry,” He said again. “I was… I shouldn’t have… Not after your dad…” He sighed. “Let me explain. Please.”

“It better be good,” Pidge snapped.

“I left half on my own accord, and half because of Zarkon,” Shiro explained. “He fired me without even bothering to make up an excuse. He knew I was close to your dad. He knew I’d carry on his work, would make sure Sam got the credit—and money—he deserved for Defenders of the Universe. But I was going to leave anyway. I was… sick.”

Pidge frowned. “Sick? What do you mean?”

Shiro’s digital image rubbed his right wrist with his left hand. “It was cancer.”

Pidge was shocked. “So you, you left for treatment?”

He nodded. “I went back to Japan. I wasn’t sure how the treatment was going to go. The doctors in America who diagnosed me weren’t very optimistic, and neither were the ones in Japan. And, after your dad’s accident, I didn’t want to pull you two ways. Especially when neither of us were looking like we were going to pull through. I had already planned to leave, before your dad got hurt. I just… I didn’t want you to see me sick, and I thought leaving was the best way to protect you and your heart. And I was wrong. And I’m sorry.”

“But you said ‘was’,” Pidge pointed out. “Are you in remission? Did you beat it?”

“Yes. And no,” Shiro said. “The cancer was predominately in the bones and ligaments of my right wrist. The chemo wasn’t working, and it had taken over most of my right arm. The doctors had to amputate, right above the elbow.”

Her heart ached more. “Oh, Takashi…”

“It’s okay,” He said, nonchalantly shrugging. “I’m cancer-free now. Back in the States, too. Staying with Keith and his mom, actually. Long story. But now I can focus on taking down Zarkon.” He looked up at her. “So we can focus on taking down Zarkon.”

Pidge was quiet for a moment, staring and Shiro nodded slightly. “I’m sorry,” He continued. “I assumed… If you don’t want to be in the guild anymore, we’ll turn over the Blue Lion into your custody and—”

“What? No. I still want to be a Paladin!” Pidge exclaimed. “And I… I want to fight Zarkon. I want to get my brother back. I want to bring Zarkon and his empire down, and make things right. And I want to do it with you.”

Pidge closed the distance between her and Shiro, taking his hand.

“I’ve wanted you by my side since the beginning. I’ve always wanted you by my side.” She told him. “If we’re going to do this, we’re going to do it together.”

He stared at her, a bit stunned. “You… Even after the crap I pulled, you still…?”

Pidge nodded. “I do. I… I loved you. I think I still do.”

Shiro smiled at her. “I know I still love you.”

“Then let’s find those other four Lions, so we can do this relationship thing right.”

“Another wonderful incentive,” Shiro said. He offered his arm to her. “Shall we proceed to kick butt?”

Pidge grinned, accepting his arm. “We shall, indeed.”

#Voltron: Legendary Defender #Shidge #Voltron AU #Voltron #Commission #Writing Commission #ShiroxPidge #Takatie

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infinity-shidge · 6 years

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Sleepy times

Headcannon

Pidge can't sleep cos her head is too full of formulas and numbers and plans so she just curled up in Shiros lap and he strokes her hair untill she relaxes and calms down and falls asleep.

Then it's a difficult situation of, does Shiro move to get a blanket and pillow for pidge and risk waking her up, or wait till morning and deal with dead legs

#shidge #piro #shiropidge #pidgeshiro #vld shidge #headcannon #i may be slightly influenced as i write this cos im unable to sleep.#shiroxpidge #pidgexshiro #shiro pidge #seriously soft #pidge is like a cat here. once shes on your lap you cant move or tisk her wrath

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alycatcos · 6 years

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Fall is coming and I LOVE this cozy sweatshirt from @nineteensixtythreeclothing ❤️🍂 use code “alycatcos” for 10% off your purchase 👍🏻 . . . Pc: @antonio_dejeus . . . . #pidge #pidgecosplay #pidgevoltronlegendarydefenders #voltron #voltronlegendarydefender #voltroncosplay #voltronpaladins #voltronpidge #pidgexshiro #pidgexlance #pidgexhunk #pidgexkeith #katievoltron #shiroxpidge #hunkxpidge #katieholtvoltron #pidgeholt #cosplay #cosplayer #alycatcos https://www.instagram.com/p/BnwOHdGhFIy/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=160c1tdxwbrpa

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hadobaloo · 6 years

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For the first, I went for a style clothes change, adapted to each. And combat clothes have so many pockets, it would be easy to stock them with tech or tools ;D

#shidge #shiropidge #takatie #shiro x pidge #shiroxpidge #pidge holt #takashi shirogane #art tag

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potentiala · 6 years

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Don’t Let Go (Of Me)

@shidgevalentinesexchange for @adeerli !

Nice to meet you! This was really challenging for me to write, but I hope you enjoy all the work I’ve put into this and help spread some of that quality Shidge all around.

As you might be able to tell, this fic was heavily inspired by James Arthur’s song ‘Say You Won’t Let Go’

I will also cross-post this on my AO3, so make sure to check it out over there! <3

“I met you in the dark, you lit me up”

They met on orientation day.

Not her orientation day, mind you, but her brother’s. And freshly graduated Garrison Officer Takashi Shirogane couldn’t help but notice them.

He introduced himself to Matt first.

Immediately taking a liking to the bright young man with the mischievous eyes. He answered his questions and helped quell some of his parents’ worries.

Then he saw her.

“You made me feel as though I was enough”

A quiet, small little thing with long hair and a brand-new dress. Looking half in envy and half in worry at the state-of-the-art facilities all around them. Then she caught his eyes looking her way.

Her’s were gold.

Bright and burning and not unlike a punch to the gut. Somehow, Shiro managed to send a smile her way before he was whisked away by their father, a Commander Shiro had nothing but respect for.

But the look of her and those intense eyes never left him.

===

He was here.

Of course Katie knew him, Matt never shut up about him in his letters. The Garrison golden boy that everyone seemed half in love with, Takashi Shirogane. And Katie definitely couldn’t understand the allure. Absolutely. No way. Not at all. Pffft!

That’s ridiculous!

“We danced the night away…”

Who was she kidding? Katie has faced a lot of problems in her 14 years of life, but this was, by far, the worst one. Katherine Annalise Holt had a crush.

And she had it bad.

“We drank too much.”

So bad that the young girl couldn’t help but wring the hem of her dress in her hands. The Holt family had traveled back to the Garrison after an entire year to celebrate Matt graduating from Cadet to Cadet Corporal at the youngest age of 17. Pride warming away every one of Katie’s frazzled nerves at the sight of her brother standing at attention in a brand new uniform.

Iverson continuing to drone on.

“…as acting Drill Sergeant of this year’s class I have had, not only the honor of watching these young men and women mature and grow, but to collaborate with one of the Garrison’s brightest alumni, Takashi Shirogone.” Iverson’s constantly shrill voice paused to allow the room to fill with applause.

For him.

Katie’s stomach flip-flopped as she clapped along with the crowd. Everyone’s eyes on Takashi. Who looked illegally handsome in his Officer’s uniform. Fit to his figure, it showed off a great deal of his excellent build.

Much to Katie’s destress.

“A few words Shirogone?” Iverson called out, Shiro clearly caught off-guard but accepting the offer graciously nonetheless. Flashing a smile so bright, Katie’s brain had to reboot for a solid minute. He turned toward the graduating cadets, Matt being one of the smallest among them. Dark grey eyes alit with warmth and pride.

“As my first year teaching, I must say that it’s been an eventful one.” Laughter titered amongst her brother’s class, in inside jokes Katie longed to know. The young girl wishing, not for the first time, that the age requirements for apply to the Garrison weren’t so high.

“But I wouldn’t have it any other way.” At this, he looked back to the crowd. That warm gaze sweeping over everyone like dawn’s first rays of sunlight. Katie barely fought back a blush as Shiro’s eyes seemed to settle in her direction. But, to her surprise, Shiro suddenly seemed so nervous.

Those warm eyes lowering.

“I-um…I’m really humbled by this experience. Teaching the next generation like this…has been amazing a-and a tremendous honor. So, thank you all for sticking with me for so long.” There was something incredibly endearing about the way Shiro seemed so bashful in that moment. Something so sweet that Katie could help the bright, brilliant smile gracing her young features.

“I held your hair back when you were throwing up.”

Then his eyes were on her.

Not on the crowd. Not on her brother’s class. But on her. Katie knew it, she felt it. That soft gaze nearly gave her a heart attack, sure, but she did her best to smile encouragingly at him.

And, to Katie’s surprise, it seemed to work.

“Then you smiled over your shoulder…”

“I look forward to seeing all the boundaries you all willbreak. And I know that each and every one of you are capable of incredible greatness. But I must admit…” Her heart leapt to her throat. But what? What did he-Shiro’s gaze on her warmed, a bright smile tugging at his lips as he looked at her.

“And for a minute…”

“I eagerly await the conquests of the newest generation of graduates, I…have a feeling they’re going to do so some pretty amazing things. Thank you.” Katie couldn’t even hear the applause, she was still glued to her seat. Heart slamming against her windpipe. The image of Shiro’s encouraging half-smile and soft eyes imprinting onto her mind. Cementing itself amongst all the other theories and equations that made way more sense to her than her own feelings for Shiro.

“I was stone-cold sober.”

===

Don’t think of her.

Don’t picture her. Don’t try to remember her voice. Don’t try to remember how her eyes shone. Don’t bring her visage to place like this. Don’t say her name.

Don’t you dare bring her memory here.

“I pulled you closer to my chest.”

Who knows how long Shiro had been in this place. Purple fluorescent lights and alien, animal faces blurred together in his mind. Or in what little cognitive function he had left. Everything seemed to be an endless cycle of blood and bone and screaming.

Lunge. Cut. Fight. Kill. Lunge. Cut. Fight. Kill. Lunge. Cut. Fight. Kill. Lunge. Cut. Fight. Kill. Lunge. Cut. Fight. Kill. Lunge. Cut. Fight. Kill. Lunge. Cut. Fight. Kill. Lunge. Cut. Fight. Kill. Lunge. Cut. Fight. Kill. Lunge. Cut. Fight. Kill. Lunge. Cut. Fight. Kill. Lunge. Cut. Fight. Kill.

Katie.

“And you asked me to stay over…”

God, but then there were moments, too many for Shiro to count, where he’d think back to all the people he’s failed. Matt, who was God knows where. Commander Holt, who Shiro hoped and prayed was still alive, despite all the horror of their situation. And…no, he wouldn’t do that. He couldn’t do that. Shiro can’t think of-

Katie.

“I said, ‘I already told ya-‘ ”

Out of everyone, Shiro had failed her the most. He remembered how proud she looked on launch day. How those golden eyes turned molten with joy as she and her mother sent the three of them off. How she jokingly made him promise to keep her family safe.

So lovely he couldn’t breathe.

He still couldn’t breathe as he, guiltily remembered memories of the brilliant younger Holt in a place like this. A place so messed up and violent that it should never tarnish her memory, no matter how secondhand it was.

But Shiro didn’t have long to think.

Two more purplish aliens cornered him in his cell. Shiro couldn’t even muster the spirit to fight them. The former pilot roughly shoved into the wall and muzzled. Bound in strange, glowing chains until it was time to release him.

Out of the fire and into the frying pan in the worst way.

But even as Shiro was pushed and shoved towards the slaughter fest that was the Arena.

His thoughts were of her.

“ ‘I think that you should get some rest…’ ”

===

She saw him again.

Part of her knew she would, eventually. But this time the sight of him did nothing to her. Gone we’re the blushing cheeks and fluttering heart. She wasn’t that crushing young girl anymore.

She wasn’t Katie anymore either.

Nothing like love twisted her heart at the sight of him, seemingly deranged and pleading on that hospital cot. Katie, now Pidge, only felt one thing as she looked at him. Felt something ugly and hideous coil in her stomach.

How dare he?

How dare he be here instead of Matt and her father? How dare he be the only one who came back? How dare…how dare he just show up?

Crashing back, quite literally, into her life.

“I knew I loved you then.”

She had spent so long killing whatever she had felt for him. Exhausting herself with the search to find her family to avoid thinking about him. But it never worked.

Not really.

And now here he was, screaming, pleading for anyone to stop and listen to him. That they were all going to die. That there were Galra just outside-

Pidge couldn’t take it.

She had had enough. Enough with the lies. Enough with the hurt. Enough with the constant dull ache in her chest. She had to end this the only way she knew how.

She had to save him.

“But you’d never know…”

===

She can’t leave, was his first thought.

But Shiro looked at her face, at those burning gold eyes and that furious glare, and couldn’t find it within himself to stop her.

He failed her.

“'Cause I played it cool when I was scared of letting go.”

Shiro a had failed to protect her family, of course she wanted to leave them and find them herself. Of course she’d want nothing more to do with him. Shiro knew all that.

But it still hurt.

“I know I needed you…”

It still hurt seeing how little she seemed to care about him. How much she wanted to get away from him. It cut him worse than the Galra ever had.

But he’d let her go.

“But I never showed.”

It��d kill him, but he owed her so much. So, for the rest of the night, Shiro kept outside. So no one could see how much he was hurting. He liked her.

He really liked her.

Which was horrible because she was only 15. Which was awful because he had left Matt and her father in the hands of the Galra. Which was just wrong because-

“But I wanna stay with you until we’re grey and old…”

“Shiro? Can we talk?” Trying to tell himself that his heart didn’t skip a beat at her voice would’ve just added insult to his many injuries. Shiro took a few moments to school his expression before turning to her.

And how much she’d changed.

“Just say you won’t let go…”

The last time he saw her everything was different. Everything was simpler. Her cheeks were flushed with cold, but Katie’s smile was so electric that she seemed completely immune to it. She was so small then, so delicate.

Not anymore.

“Just say you won’t let go…”

Seemingly everything about Katie had hardened, sharped to a deadly point. She was force to be reckoned with. A young girl becoming a woman in war. And Shiro couldn’t help but morn the fact. Especially like this, when she was standing just to his left in her armor. All its sharp angles and thick plating doing nothing to help Shiro’s guilt.

Doing nothing to stop his heart breaking.

===

“I’ll wake you up with some breakfast in bed.”

He’d get nightmares sometimes.

After the first couple instances and the deep, dark bags under his eyes, Pidge had decided enough was enough. She, despite her best efforts, had begun feeling something for the Black Paladin again. Something gentle and flickering in her chest that warmed her when this war chilled her.

Thus began their unique sleeping arrangement.

“I’ll bring you coffee with a kiss on your head…”

They’d head for his room at about the Earth equivalent of 10 o’clock, and, while Shiro would usually knock right out, Pidge would just slip in beside him and continue working until she was either done with her project or passed out from exhaustion.

But it was usually the latter.

“And I’ll take the kids to school…”

Still, for reasons Pidge refused to think about, Shiro seemed to sleep better with her there. Even when she wasn’t under the blanket with him, Shiro would still rest surprisingly peacefully. And for that, Pidge was immensely thankful.

Even if mornings were a little awkward.

“Wave them goodbye.”

Shiro, for the most part, would wake up before her. But the 6-foot-something guy had no chance of leaving the small, twin sized bed without disturbing her awake in some way. Neither would really talk about it, seeing it was a habit the two just sort of…picked up.

Shiro would leave.

Leave Pidge alone in a suddenly too-big bed in a room that smelled just like him. The young girl having to tell herself over and over that this was bigger than her resurfacing feelings for Shiro. This was for his sake and sanity.

She couldn’t take advantage of that.

So every morning Pidge had to stumble back to her own room, alone. Then go to breakfast and act like the whole arrangement never even existed. Like Pidge never knew how much younger Shiro looked when he slept. Or that sometimes his hand would fall to her waist and sleep would suddenly be the furthest thing from her mind. Yeah.

It’s sucked.

“And I’ll thank my lucky stars for that night…”

But there were bigger things than the aching hurt in her chest to deal with, so Pidge just fought it down and threw herself into everything she did even more. Hoping that, one day, things could be normal again.

That she could be honest with Shiro.

===

Years passed.

Everyone grew harder, tougher. The war still raged on, but now they were fighting fire with fire. The Coalition was growing everyday and people were shedding their fear of the Empire like a second skin. Everything was looking up.

But Shiro didn’t feel that way.

“When you looked over your shoulder-“

They found Matt. And for the first time, in a long, long time, he saw Pidge truly and purely happy. Pidge, now 17, had finally gotten a piece of her family back. Not as battle scarred or traumatized as him, Matt fit in right away with their crew.

Falling back in place with Shiro.

The two rekindling their friendship and trust. But one thing, one very important thing was different now.

Katie.

Pidge.

Before the younger Holt had been a witty, brilliant young girl who Shiro liked to joke with. Now? Now things were different.

Now she was different.

“For a minute, I forget that I’m older.”

She was still as burning and brilliant as those gold eyes, but there was so much more to her now. She was a woman on the war front. Battle-scarred and formidable in every sense. Pidge was someone he’d trust his life with. The only problem?

He wanted her to have his heart to.

“I wanna dance with you right now…”

Pidge had indeed grown lovelier over the years and to say that Shiro had never imagined the two as couple would be false in every sense. As beautiful as she was smart, those golden eyes seemed to spell ruin for suitors who weren’t careful.

And Shiro was one of them.

“Oh! And you look as beautiful as ever!”

Matt had found out embarrassingly easily. But the older Holt never ridiculed Shiro. No. Matt did something much worse.

He encouraged it.

“And I swear that everyday you’ll get better.”

Saying that the two were perfect for each other and that she definitely thought of him the same way. Which, naturally, Shiro knew better to believe.

But a part of him hoped.

Hoped that Matt was right every time her smile seemed to linger on him. Everytime he’d find himself lulled to rest by her focused face illuminated by her computer within his room. Everytime she’d pull him back from the nightmares and visions and into her brilliance. A dear, dangerous part of him hoped for such things.

And maybe, one day, he’d tell her all that.

“You make me feel this way somehow…”

But war was never kind to such sentiments. Such sentiments already begged to be proven wrong.

And they were.

===

Oh God.

Oh God. Oh God. Oh God. This couldn’t be happening. No. No! This wasn’t real! This is just a dream.

Just a nightmare.

“I’m so in love with you…”

“SHIRO!” Her throat hurt, but Pidge couldn’t care. All she cared about was getting down this damn hill and rush to his side. What was he even thinking?

Taking that bullet for her.

Oh God, there was blood everywhere. A usually orthodox sight made horrifically new when she saw who caused it.

Shiro.

Was he even breathing? Oh God please be breathing. Don’t stop breathing. Don’t leave me again. Don’t go until I-

“K-Katie?”

“And I hope you know.”

“I’m here, I’m right here Shiro. Stay with me. Stay with me please.” When did she start sobbing? When had her tears began to choke her?

She grabbed his hand.

Slick with blood, the metal was cooling in her hands. Hunk quickly rushed in, med kit in tow while Pidge tried to keep Shiro awake.

Alive.

“Darling, your love is more than worth its weight in…”

“Shiro! Shiro, look at me! Eyes on me, c’mon. Please!” Dark, blood soaked lashes fluttered up to her. Shiro’s bloodied head in her lap as Hunk tried to stanch the massive amount of blood leaving his body. But his eyes, warm and gray and heartbreaking, still cling to her so dearly.

So preciously.

“Gold…” He murmured weakly as she gazed up at her. Pidge’s tears falling onto his soiled face. Creating clear tracts in the dirt and gore. But, despite all that, the sight of such a soft look on Shiro face made Pidge smile.

And tears fall harder.

“We’ve come so far my dear…”

“Stay with me ok big guy? Well get you patched up s-”

Shiro coughed.

Blood splattering against his lips as the man sounded as if he was trying to retch out his lungs. Pidge cupped his face, trying to bring him back to her. Trying her best to ignore the warmth of his blood against her palms.

“Shiro? Shiro please stay with me…” She hated the whine in her voice, but the tears just wouldn’t stop. The pain in her chest damn near killing her. No…No, I couldn’t end like this.

Not like this.

“Look how we’ve grown.”

Not after everything they’ve been through. Not after how long she’s loved him. He can’t die. She wouldn’t let him.

She couldn’t let him.

“And I wanna stay with you until we’re grey and old.”

“Katie…Katie I-” Pidge saw it then. Saw it in the way he looked at her, halfway dead and broken beyond measure, but still gazing up at her like he’d do it all again for her. She saw it in those gray eyes and how they shone with unsaid words and unshed tears. She saw it in the way his bloody, bruised hands held onto her arms so reverently. Pidge saw it then.

And cursed herself for not seeing it sooner.

“Just say you won’t let go…”

“I know…I know…” She soothed, gazing back at him. Pidge’s face a near mirror of his own. Vision blurring with tears as she leaned down.

And kissed him.

“Just say you won’t let go…”

===

Kissing her was all Shiro wanted to do.

Pidge made a soft noise in the back of her throat as she pulled him closer and out of his thoughts. The air between them, in his room suddenly too hot. Too stifling unless every inch of her was pressed against every inch of him.

“I wanna live with you…”

Shiro’s mechanical hand slid under her shirt. Reveling in the smooth curve of her hips and waist. Against his throat, Pidge sighed contently and sent Shiro’s heart fluttering.

He kissed her again.

“Even when we’re ghosts.”

Kissing Pidge was like nothing he’d ever imagine it to be. Kissing Pidge was all bursting citrus and warmth and freckles against his hands. Kissing Pidge was the best thing in the world, and Shiro didn’t know if he could ever give it up.

Her arms wrapped around his neck.

Pulling him even closer, if that was possible, as Shiro rubbed his hand along the gentle curve of her bare back. He parted away from her, if only slightly. Just to look at her.

And those gold eyes.

Made a little darker from their kissing, but shining in the lowlight of his room nonetheless. Pidge was older now, her features more prominent, and fondness sang so loudly in Shiro’s heart, he couldn’t help but feel weak.

“'Cause you were always there for me…”

“I love you.” He breathed, the declaration coming out half scared and half infatuated. Watching the spark in Pidge’s eyes light up and a bright smile stretch along her face.

“When I needed you most.”

Her palm on either side of his head.

Seeming to memorize all his features with her calloused, thin fingers. Trailing along his jaw and over his temple. Across his eyebrows.

Fluttering over his scars.

“I love you to.”

===

“I’m gonna love you till my lungs give out.”

The war was over.

The greater evil had been defeated. The universe could finally breathe a breath of freedom after so long a time spent suffering.

Especially for the Paladins.

“I promise till death we part…”

Hunk chose to stay with Shay and help her fellow Balmerans discover what it meant to be free. Though, judging by their entwined hands as they waved the Castle off, that wasn’t exactly the only reason.

Allura and Matt had a lot of work ahead of them.

The rebel fighter and the Princess had grown close over the course of the war. Matt every bit a gushing, loving boyfriend that never failed to make Allura laugh. Coran watching the two carefully all the while. Allura’s diplomacy plus Matt’s strategy proving to be an incredible combination for the Coalition.

And, naturally, Lance and Keith went back to Earth.

“Like in our vows.”

Lance, apparently, having promised the Red Paladin an introduction to the entirety of Lance’s family. The sight of their entwined hands and bright red cheeks never failing to bring a smile to Pidge’s face.

Which left only two.

“So I wrote this song for you…”

What was next for her? For Shiro? Well, with the Empire out of the way, someone need to take charge of the noncombatant Galra and establish the Blades of Marmora as pillars of stability. And who better to do it?

Than the Champion himself.

“Now everybody knows!”

He was hesitant about it. She could see it in his eyes and the way his human hand wrapped around his metal one. Pidge knew that the thought of overseeing the entire race of creatures that harmed him would be painful.

But that’s why she was there.

“ ‘Cuase now its just you and me…”

Whatever the challenge, whatever the curse. Pidge would help him bear it. So, come the day Kolivan and the Blade came to take them away to rebuild their enemies, they just held each other.

Steadied each other.

“Till we’re grey and old.”

Shiro looked to her then, concern pinching the worn planes of his face in such a way that he seemed to ask her, “are you sure?”, all over again. He looked older now. Older in ways Pidge couldn’t even describe. But he was hers.

And she was his.

“Just say you won’t let go…”

So while she knew this new adventure would test them, as long as they had each other, Pidge knew that they’d be fine. They’ve gone through too much to just back down now. Squeezing his hand in hers, Pidge took the first step toward leading a new legion of Galra. With her hand in his, Shiro walked right beside her.

“Just say you won’t let go…”

Side by side.

Toward a new future, together.

“Just say you won’t let go…”

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galacticlee · 6 years

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It Is Saturday

So I did it.

I succumbed to that shidge writing itch that you guys threw poison ivy on because this is something we all want and need apparently

Original post

The hardest thing that Takashi Shirogane had to do was get out of bed.

Not to say that he was sinking into depression and couldn't arise, no, it was the exact opposite. His bed, their bed, was one of the safest and most comforting places he'd ever known, thanks most in part to his tiny female partner, and it was a daily struggle to convince himself to depart from it. He and Pidge had owned their cozy apartment nearing a year now, and the slab of mattress and tangled sheets that they rested on had become the most intoxicating setting in his home. There were days were they opted to stay in place for hours, only leaving to make food or bathroom runs and returning to collapse in the other's arms and the sea of blankets. It was hard to leave because she was there, because they had comforted each other from the memories of the war there, because every good day, shit day, and night of love always ended in each other's arms, on the bed.

But some days were harder than the rest.

The setting was always the same, posing the exact challenge it had for a while now; dark grey sheets that lay crinkled up between them, olive comforter sprawled around the two in uneven heaps of worn fabric. Her sleeping form was bundled up next to him, clinging at the arms that encircled her torso, head turned to the one that used it as a pillow. The rest of the bed seemed freezing in comparison to her, though with the pair's legs tangled together and huddled figures smashed together, her presence chased off any remaining cold of the perimeter around him. Blinding sunlight poured from the gaps in the blinds, sloshing golden light inside the room in bouncing parallel strips.

Blinking into the realm of reality, Shiro instinctively tightened his grip on the woman in his arms, burying his nose in her curled, unruly hair with slow, fatigued movements. The sleeping Pidge made not a move besides the rising and falling of her sides, comfortably conforming to the ‘big spoon’ behind her. His senses were then filled with bright brown hair, blinding sunlight, and the scent of vanilla and burnt carbon as he was once again tempted by the thought of staying where he was for the remainder of the day.

Sighing, he blew her caramel curls away from his mouth, fingers knotting at his t-shirt that draped over her lithe frame. ‘Is showing up at a Garrison meeting really worth getting up from this? What day even is it?’

After a minute or two of contemplation, Shiro groaned and shifted away from the woman he loved, lifting the covers and throwing his legs over the bedframe, running a hand through his white-stained forelock. His muscles stung, the ache the familiar, momentary one that only existed because he had moved. Though the apartment's heater tried its best, he shivered-everything was like ice compared to her. With a final shake, he made a move to heave himself up-

-until dull nails tickled one of the scars on his back.

As soon as his head spun, he met the soft, squinted gaze of Pidge's honey eyes. Her arm extended out to him, hand blindly groping at any clutchable surface that he retained, eventually finding his prosthetic and then latching onto the metallic limb. She peeled her lips apart, blinking tiredly; her dreams must've been somewhat peaceful, then, as she wasn't automatically running at full speed.

"..ome back to bed," She offered, eyebrows kneading together and gentle smile painting itself on her soft, freckled features. She squeezed the bridge between his neck and shoulder, her other hand finding the parallel spot within a matter of seconds. The plea scratched at his resolve, itching and tugging at his head because damn just staying home today sounded really good.

He exhaled a quiet, desperate laugh and leaned over, pecking her nose. "I have to go."

"..iot."

"Hmm?"

Her freckled arms flung out and grabbed his shoulders, yanking him down over her lanky form and forcing him to catch himself out of instinct, the pair close enough to where their noses brushed together. Tangled hair guarded the tops of her half-lidded eyes, bottom lip jutting out and completing her pouty appearance. Pidge maneuvered her hands to press against the sides of his face, shaking it gently with every word.

"It. Is. Saturday."

"Oh."

Shiro's elbows gave way, the fatigued super-soldier of a man succumbing to her earlier plea and falling onto the lanky, warm form of his partner, forcing his arms around her through the mass of sheets and digging his nose against her neck. She laughed softly, the sound tickling his chest as the past Green Paladin roamed Shiro's shoulders, the two now glued together by method of awkward cuddling. The cold was now longer felt, and the soft heartbeat in the chest under his own was loud enough to become a lullaby and lure him back to the realm of sleep, clinging onto the woman beneath him all the while.

#shidge #shiropidge #shiroxpidge #takakatie #takashi shirogane #pidge gunderson #katie holt #shidge fanfic #shidge fluff #are you guys proud of me #its days late but you know

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nyobeedraws · 7 years

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Ride with me, Pidge. "I can show you the world!" Awww the lack of Shiro in season 3 got me going through withdrawal.

171 notes · View notes

diamondheart31 · 7 years

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Black, Green and Everything in Between Ch.9

Shiro likes Pidge, Pidge likes Shiro. Sounds like it should be simple but it never is. To make things more complicated, Pidge has caught the eye of a hot alien prince who is doing whatever he can to win her affections. How will Shiro handle the competition and his jealousy? Co-written by FantasyMagicGirl

Hunk had gone looking for Lance, not too surprised to find him talking to a pretty girl. Hunk wondered if Lance had a thing for tall girls. Or maybe it was just girls in general.

Hunk wondering for a moment if he would on hit on Pidge when they first met if she had long hair like her picture did. Lance would probably not answer that question, since it could lead to a fight either way. If he said no, Pidge might be offended. If he said yes, Pidge might think she’s only pretty if she has long hair. Hunk was more interested in all the amazing fruits and veggies that he could wait to try and make a new recipe with. “Hey buddy, what’s up,” Lance asked when he saw his friend, going up to him since he was striking out with the girl. “Hey Lance, not much, just looking around while we can” Hunk replied. “This planet does have some nice sights,” Lance agreed, smiling and looking up at some girls who were flying overhead, giving them finger guns. “Yeah, it’s really cool how high up we are it’s like walking around in tall sky scrapers all the time,” Hunk agreed. “I’m surprised that you haven’t thrown up or gotten a nose bleed yet,” Lance teased, knowing he had a thing about heights. “Yeah, I know, maybe because even though it’s high up everyone doesn’t act like it high, or something like that” Hunk shrugged. “Paladins!” Hunk and Lance looked up and saw Buteo flying, landing in front of them. “Umm, hey your majesty, did you need something,” Hunk asked, trying to be polite. “I was hoping I could talk to you two about something…personal,” the prince asked, blushing a bit. “You two have known Lady Pidge the longest correct?” “Yep, been friends before we became paladins,” Hunk told him. “Would you two mind telling me what she likes,” he asked, figuring he should ask the people she knew best. “Well Pidge like tech stuff, puzzles, and competitive games,” Lance explained.

“Pidge also really loves creamy salty foods,” Hunk added. Buteo pulled a notebook out of nowhere and started writing it all down, wondering if he should have his chefs prepare something she would like. He already showed her robots, so maybe some puzzle games? “She also has a dog right,” Lance questioned.

“Oh yeah, she does back home, Rover was also kind of a dog’s name for a robot so she probably likes small animals as well” Hunk agreed. Buteo wasn’t sure what a dog was, so he just put down pets. She was also the guardian of the forest, so maybe some kind of living plant? “She also likes flying both as a pilot and in zero gravity,” Hunk said. Buteo seemed to recall that she was enjoying herself when he flew her around. Maybe he could do that again. “Are you going to take Pidge on another date,” Lance asked. “A what,” Buteo questioned, giving him a puzzled look. “Umm you know take her out spend time with her…” Lance glanced at Hunk for a better way to explain it.

“It’s like a step-in courting someone that isn’t with anyone yet” Hunk tried to explain, hoping it was helpful. “Ah, I see. Then yes, I would like to take her out on a date,” Buteo said, hoping to win her over. He had never really been interested in courting, and her having different courting rituals made it more difficult. “If it helps, Pidge seemed to enjoy her last date with you” Hunk said.

“Though she kept insisting it wasn’t, so she might not know you’re interested in her” Lance pointed out. “So I should do something to show that I’m interested in her,” Buteo asked. “How should I go about that?” Should he just tell her or would that not be as romantic? “Probably being straight forward is your best option she’s kind of dense about this kind of thing,” Lance explained.

“Though just to warn you she’s probably not going to be interested in a relationship since we need to leave soon,” Hunk warned, not wanting the princes feeling to get hurt. “I understand,” Buteo said, wondering if there was a way to have them stay longer. Through he could give her a communicator to keep in contact with her when she’s gone. “Either way good luck with pidge” Lance encouraged. “Thank you, blue paladin,” Buteo smiled, flying back up to find a gift for Pidge. “You sure you should be encouraging that,” Hunk whispered to Lance thinking Pidge might get mad. “Just trying to help a bro out,” Lance shrugged, “Who knows, Pidge might actually like spending time with him.” “She did seem happy after the last time she spent time with him,” Hunk admitted. “And Buteo seems like a nice guy, he might not take it so hard if she rejects him,” Lance added. “I guess your right” Hunk agreed with a nod, Buteo did seem like a nice guy, and couldn’t imagine him trying to hurt Pidge. “Should we head back to the ship,” Lance asked, having spent most of the day looking around and checking out girls. He had a lot of angel pick-up lines, but none of them knew what an angel was. “Yeah, we probably should before Allura comes looking for us,” Hunk agreed.

Pidge had curled up in a ball near the head of Shiro’s bed as she slept, still loosely holding onto Shiro’s hand. Shiro slept better with Pidge near, their fingers managing to stay intertwine. Kuro seemed calm, not bothering Shiro in his dreams. Pidge stirred awake gently letting go of Shiro’s hand to stretch a little. Once he couldn’t feel Pidge’s hand, Shiro woke up as well, looking around to see what was going on. He looked more well rested than before. “Hey,” Pidge greeted sitting up stretching her back, “How did you sleep,” Pidge questioned glancing down at Shiro, happy to see he looked more refreshed then before. “Much better,” Shiro told her with a smile, “I think having you with me really helped.” He blushed a bit, not sure how she wanted her to take that, but felt like he should say it. Pidge smiled hearing that “happy to help, if you ever need a nap buddy again, I’m usually free during the days” Pidge offered knowing what it was like… there was a reason she often slept against other people during the day. It made her feel more comfortable to be around others and she had a lot of trouble turning off her mind at night. “I might take you up on that,” Shiro said, blushing a bit. He imagined sleeping while holding her in his arms, wondering how she would feel pressed against him as they slept. Pidge saw the blush and misinterpreted it as embarrassment “I promise I won’t tell anyone it will just be our secret” Pidge said putting a single finger to her lips in a shh motion. Shiro nodded, thinking it might be best to keep it a secret for a while, not wanting anyone on the team to think the wrong idea. “I’m going check up on your scans results, I’ll be in the Lab if you need me” Pidge said giving Shiro a smile before heading out of his room. Shiro smiled back at her, deciding he should do some training to kill time now that he was well rested and Kuro was leaving him alone. He went to the training room and wasn’t too surprised to see Keith was there, “Hey Keith, mind if I join you?” “Sure” Keith nodded “you look a lot better than before” Keith added looking a little relieved. “Yeah, getting some sleep really helped,” Shiro smiled, getting ready to fight as some of the training bots activated. Keith getting into position as well. “What level are you at,” Shiro asked, having his arm get ready for attack. “Six right now,” Keith replied getting ready for an attack. The bots came charging at them, Shiro using his arm to attack and defend himself. Keith doing the same with his sword and shield. Pidge humming softly as she looked over the scans results. Shiro wasn’t sure what it was but he felt like he was really on the ball now. He seemed to move easier and more fluidly. His mind and body felt like they were in sync with each other. But when pidge was laying by his side holding his hand. Those nightmares and now Kuro left him be. Getting the sleep, he so desperately needed. He wondered how weird it would be to ask Pidge to sleep with him again. She didn’t seem to mind and it shouldn’t be to awkward if they just held hands, right? Even though a part of him wanted to have Pidge in his arms, holding her close… but that would be pushing it, and would probably be too couple like for Pidge’s liking. Shiro decided to focus on the training for the moment, watching Keith’s back and correcting his form when he needed to. “You’re a great fighter Keith,” Shiro praised once they took a break. “Thanks Shiro” Keith replied handing Shiro a juice box “How’s your arm feeling?” Keith asked wondering how it was after using it for fighting. “Fine, hasn’t acted up on its own in a while,” Shiro said, figuring that was a good thing. It only seemed to happen when he was upset, or Kuro was, which ever. “Looks like getting a little rest helped a lot" Keith commented. The black paladin nodded his head in agreement, through knew a lot of it had to do with Pidge being with him. “Until we find a permanent fix maybe you should just rest when your arms acting up, if that’s possible” Keith suggested. “Probably a good idea,” Shiro agreed, through thought he might have to tell them about Kuro if he wanted the problem to go away. Maybe he should tell Pidge first since Kuro’s Focus seemed to be on her. While Kuro had made it clear he had no intention of hurting Pidge, Shiro couldn’t help but not trust him. Especially with all the lewd suggestions Kuro kept making about Pidge. “I’m going to see if the others came back yet,” Shiro said getting up, wanting to make sure they didn’t cause any trouble. He trusted Hunk and Lance, but it was hard to know what would set people off. Luckily Lance and hunk were already back eating a snack Hunk made up in the kitchen. “Hey you two, have fun looking around,” Shiro asked, taking some of the food when Hunk offered it to him. “Yeah it’s a really pretty planet and culture” Hunk said “I’m kind of disappointed we don’t get to see more.” “We might need to get supplies again sometime,” Lance reminded, “There aren’t that many friendly planets we can go to.” "True” Hunk agreed “it would be nice having a steady set of food that isn’t the green jelly stuff.” “I’ve kind of gotten used to it,” Shiro admitted, thinking it was better than the food he got while captured by the galra. “Well, either way I’m sure as long as Pidge is the one asking we shouldn’t have too many problems getting supplies,” Lance said. “I’m sure they’d be happy to help us since we’re all working to defeat Zarkon,” Shiro told him, not wanting to think about the princes crush on Pidge. “Yeah, it’s nice to have more allies especially ones with higher tech” Hunk said, as much as he was thankful for every ally they had, it sometimes felt overwhelming thinking about how they were one of the few with a means to battle the galra especially in space. There was only so much Voltron could do, so Shiro thought it was good that there were others fighting against Zarkon. He has been building his empire for ten thousand year…in Altean years at least, he wasn’t sure how they compared to Earth years. “By the way Shiro, how is your arm doing, ” Hunk asked. “I think it’s doing better,” Shiro answered, “I felt better after getting some sleep.” “A good rest can do a lot” Lance agreed. Shiro also thought he’d do better once they were off this planet and Pidge was away from Buteo. “I wonder if Allura’s back yet, she was talking to a lot to some nobles or something.” Lance said. “Diplomacy is important in times of war,” Shiro told him, “She should probably take her time talking to them.” “You’re probably right,” Lance sighed, “Abd she does seem to enjoy it.” “I’m going to check on Pidge,” Shiro said getting up, wondering if she was still working. “I’ll go see Buteo later,” Pidge sighed trying to focus on her work as Allura tried to talk to her.

“Make sure you do, he is a valuable ally and we do not want to be rude to him” Allura sighed “Plus, I think he has quite a liking for you” she lightly teased.

“And I think you’re reading too much into this,” Pidge muttered back organizing her files and comparing them. Shiro happened to over hear them, wondering why Allura seemed to be pushing Pidge towards Buteo. Pidge didn’t seem aware that Buteo was interested in her, despite what the others said. Shiro wasn’t sure if that was good or bad. “Did you find anything Pidge,” Shiro asked walking into the room, acting like he didn’t hear anything. “Umm, yes and no, I think I’ve found what’s causing the issue but how to fix it not so much,” she sighed, her eyes not leaving her work. “Can you tell if it has anything to do with my mind,” Shiro questioned, looking over her shoulder to see what she was working on. “Umm, partly. Your body has a sort of chemical imbalance that’s causes your arm to activate but I have no idea what’s causing it biology has never been my forte” Pidge admitted, looking guilty because she couldn’t help more. “You don’t need to feel bad Pidge, you’ve already done a lot,” Shiro told her, noticing she seemed guilty, “Maybe it’s lack of sleep, I felt better after I got some rest.” He knew it was a long shot, but didn’t want her to think she didn’t help. “Or maybe my wound from Haggar got infected.” “I guess that could be it,” Pidge agreed, but really wasn’t sure. “So will we be able to leave tomorrow,” Shiro asked Allura. “Yes, tomorrow morning we will be able to leave,” Allura explained. Shiro sighed in relief, both wanting Pidge away from the prince and not wanting to risk a galra fleet showing up here. “Which reminds me, if you’re done your work Pidge you should go see Prince Buteo” Allura encouraged. “I guess I should while I have time” Pidge muttered, though still felt bad she couldn’t help Shiro as much as she wanted too. “Wait, why does Pidge need to go see the prince,” Shiro questioned. “Buteo requested to see Pidge sometime this evening,” Allura explained. “it’s alright Shiro I don’t mind, he probably just what’s to show me more stuff like last time” Pidge explained. Shiro tried to stay calm, he knew Buteo probably didn’t want to show her anything, but also trusted that Pidge could take care of herself, “Okay…just don’t stay out too late.” “I won’t” Pidge assured taking her leave before Allura tried to dress her up. Shiro could feel Kuro raving in the back of his mind, angry that he was letting Pidge go alone to see Buteo. Pidge seeing a servant waiting outside of the ship, the women leading her to meet up with Buteo. Buteo waited eagerly for Pidge, hoping she would like the gift he got her. What if she didn’t like it and just took it to be polite? “Prince Buteo, Lady Pidge is here to see you” a servant said opening the door letting Pidge in. “Hey Prince Buteo, you wised to see me?” Pidge asked walking in. “Yes, thanks for agreeing to meet with me,” Buteo said straightening up, “I really enjoyed the time we spent together, so I wanted to give you a gift.” “Oh you didn’t need to do that, hanging out and letting me see so much of your robotics and other tech, was more than enough” Pidge assured, not having anything to give to the prince in return. Buteo was glad she enjoyed spending time with him, but still wanted to give her the gift, “At least see if it’s something you want,” he said, leaning down and picking up a cute cat like creature that seemed to be part plant. Pidge’s eyes lit up as soon as she saw the creature “awe aren’t you a cutie” Pidge cooed, petting the little plant creature “What’s their name?” she asked. “It’s called a planta-gato, but you can name it whatever you please,” Buteo told her, feeling a little nervous. She seemed to like it. “I’ll have to ask Allura if it’s okay to keep her on the ship” Pidge said, gently petting the cat like creature as it purred “hmmm how do you like the name Midori?” Pidge cooed at the small creature. “It sounds lovely,” Buteo said, hoping the princess would be okay with it, wanting Pidge to have something to make her think of him while she was gone. “What made you think about giving me her,” Pidge asked curiously. She didn’t really remember talking to Buteo about animals. Buteo blushed a little, “I may have asked your friends what you would like as a gift,” he confessed, hoping it wasn’t weird. Pidge though it was sweet he went to so much trouble to find a gift she would really like starting to wonder if the others were right about the prince’s feelings towards her. “Sorry I don’t have anything to give to you” Pidge apologized. “It’s fine, all I ask in return is that you try to visit if you can,” Buteo told her, hoping it wasn’t asking too much since they were in the middle of a war. But he really didn’t want to have to wait too long to see her again. Pidge smiled kindly up at him “I’ll try my best” she replied “Can I hold Midori?” Pidge asked. Midori purred and jumped into Pidge’s arms, rubbing its head under her chin, smelling like a flower. Pidge smiling nuzzling the little creature “How do I take care of her?” Pidge asked curiously, hoping she was low maintenance considering how busy the ship could be sometimes. “They’re pretty easy to care for, they mostly just need water,” Buteo informed her, “They can eat but they don’t really need to.” “Will she be okay on a ship, we don’t really get any sunlight inside” Pidge explained cuddling the gato in her arms. “Yes, they can feed of any type of light,” Buteo explained, “They also like warm places. She is still a seedling so she’ll get bigger, but they don’t grow very large.” “She sounds great” Pidge said, really hoping Allura would let her keep her, nuzzling the little kitten. Allura was eagerly waiting for Pidge to get back to see what happened, Shiro anxiously waiting as well. He told himself that he shouldn’t worry. Pidge walked back to the ship with Buteo as her escort, Pidge talking with Buteo as she held the kitten in her arms. Allura meeting them at the entrance of the ship Pidge rushing up to her with a big smile on her face “Allura can I please keep this cute gato Buteo gave me” Pidge quickly asked looking very excited. Allura gasped excitedly, “A planta-gato, I haven’t seen one of these forever! …Ooh, but you don’t think they’ll bother the mice do you,” Allura questioned. “She shouldn’t,” Buteo said “They are not really hunters, they are known to defend their owners but they don’t hunt other animals unless trained to do so” Buteo explained, really want Pidge to keep the pet he gave her. “In that case, I don’t see the harm in keeping them,” Allura beamed petting the planta-gator, “Have you named it yet?” “Yeah, I’m going to call her Midori,” Pidge replied looking down at the kitten with a big smile. “What a lovely name,” Allura said, petting Midori, “She seems very sweet.” “And cuddly” Pidge added, both girls loving the little kitten “thanks so much for her prince Buteo” Pidge said, thanking Buteo again now that she knew she could keep Midori. “I’m sure you’ll take good care of her,” Buteo smiled, glad she’d have something to remember him by when she was gone, hoping she’d come by again soon. “I promise I’ll take good care of her,” Pidge replied looking the happiest Buteo had ever seen her while holding the kitten. Buteo loved how happy she looked, his heart speeding up as he thought about kissing her pink lips, wondering how they’d feel against his. “I’m going to show the others Midori” Pidge said excitedly “good night Prince Buteo” Pidge said figuring she would see him again in the morning when they left. “Good night lady Pidge,” Buteo smiled, noticing the big sly grin Allura was giving him, “Is something wrong?” Allura waiting till Pidge was out of the room and out of ear shot before replying. “It’s clear that you are trying to court the green paladin” she replied with that same big grin on her face. Buteo blushed, “I hope that’s okay, I know this probably isn’t the best timing to court someone,” he responded. “Do you know if she’s interested or not?” “Everyone needs a little happiness especially during the hardest times” Allura replied, “I think Pidge might be interested if she really believed you were interested in her” Allura sighed “She’s so intelligent but very unobservant about people at times.” The prince nodded in understanding, “What would be the best way to show I’m interested in her that wouldn’t seem too sudden,” he questioned. He didn’t want to freak Pidge out since he didn’t know much about Earth’s ways of courting. "The gato was great, but may I advise you just tell her you are interested in her, Pidge seems to respond best to straight forward replies,” Allura explained “otherwise she may not believe in your feelings towards her.” “So I should just be honest with my intentions towards her,” Buteo questioned, thinking maybe he could do it tomorrow at breakfast. Should he talk to her alone or would she be more comfortable around her friends? “Yes though I would advise telling her when you’re alone with her, the other paladins are… quite protective of her” Allura explained. “Thank you Princess Allura,” Buteo said, grateful for her help and support. It would be easier to court Pidge if her friends approved of him. “You are welcome prince Buteo, and I wish you luck in courting Pidge,” Allura said thinking that maybe Buteo could help make Pidge a little happier in these hard times. Buteo smiled, “Be sure to tell her and the fellow paladins they are welcome to have breakfast before you take off tomorrow.” “I will” Allura assured. While Pidge was in the kitchen excitedly showing Lance and Hunk Midori. “Aw, she’s so cute,” Hunk cooed, eyes lighting up. “Seems like you’ve got two green cats now,” Lance joked. “Yeah, though I can cuddle this one” Pidge said smiling, letting the two guys pet her cat. “I wonder if there’s water cats since there’s a plant one,” Lance pondered, thinking it would be cool. “Or one made out of rocks or fire,” Hunk added. “Or maybe one with wings, ” Pidge suggested, thinking Shiro could use a cat as well. “Huh, I wonder why they don’t have animals with wings,” Lance thought out loud, “…Aside from birds I mean.” Lance shrugged, “Either way, Midori seems pretty cool. Hopefully she gets along with the mice. And that no one has allergies.” “Yeah, I would hate to give her up, she’s sweet and cuddly,” Pidge said. “It’s not like she has fur,” Hunk commented. “People can be allergic to plants too Hunk,” Lance reminded. “Yeah, hopefully she doesn’t bloom,” Pidge said, having bad hay fever. Keith suddenly walked in, raising a brow at Midori, “What…is that?” “It’s Pidge’s new pet! Buteo gave it to her, isn’t she cute,” Lance beamed. “You can’t be serious about keep it?” Keith questioned “Don’t worry I got Allura’s permission” Pidge assured.

“That’s not what I’m taking about” Keith replied “What if the ship gets taken over again, do you want what happen to Rover happen to this… cat” Keith questioned, Pidge freezing while Hunk and Lance froze shocked Keith went there. “That’s not going to happen again, any way the mice have survived just fine” Pidge defending looking clearly upset “That’s because they’re linked to Allura, and we don’t have the luxury for you to try a train this pet, Rover was a Galra drone and still didn’t survive,” Keith countered not realizing how much he upset pidge till he saw tears pooling in her eyes. “That’s never going to happen again!” Pidge snapped at him before grabbing Midori and rushing out of the room. “Keith! What the hell is your problem,” Lance shouted at him, angry that he would upset Pidge like that. “You should have known better than to bring that up!” “I was just telling her the truth,” Keith defended “I rather see her give up that cat thing then watch her go through loosing another pet.” “You’re a real jerk Keith, you know that,” Lance snapped, leaving to go check on Pidge. Pidge having found a quiet place near the two seat pods hanger sitting in the corner sniffling, hugging Midori close to her. Lance managed to find her, sitting down next to her, “Don’t listen to Keith alright. He’s just being a jerk again.” Pidge only nodded a little looking down at Midori and petting her, trying not to cry in front of Lance. “Don’t worry, we’ll all help to take care of Midori,” Lance promised, not wanting her to be upset, “Do you know if she’ll get any bigger?” "Buteo says she’ll get a little bigger” Pidge replied gently scratching under Midori’s chin. “Think she’ll get big enough for you to ride,” Lance teased, petting Midori’s back. Pidge laughed a little at that “No, nothing like that, anyways I already have a big green cat to ride in,” Pidge replied. “Yeah, don’t want Green to get jealous,” Lance joked, “Don’t want her to get green with envy.” “Urg, Lance that’s so bad, even for you” Pidge groaned. “Trust me, out of the others I had, that was the least painful,” he grinned. “Oh wow,” Pidge said almost amazed by that sad fact, “Somedays you really worry me,” she jokingly sighed. Lance looked offended, “I’ll have you know my younger siblings and cousins find my jokes funny,” he defended. “Are they under five years old,” Pidge questioned dryly. “…I don’t see what difference that makes,” Lance said. Pidge giggled a little “Well I have to admit you are pretty good at cheering people up” she admitted. Lance smiled, glad he was able to help, “Comes with the territory having siblings, you always got to look out for one another.” “I only ever had Matt, but we were there for each other as often as we would fight” Pidge explained with a fond smile but a sad look in her eyes. “Hey, don’t worry Pidge, we’ll find him,” Lance assured her, putting a hand on her shoulder. “Thanks for that Lance, I know we will,” Pidge said holding Midori a little closer. Midori let out a mewling sound, rubbing against Pidge, her leaves ruffling a bit. Pidge smiling gently petting her “Will Midori really be okay with us,” she asked. “Of course she will,” Lance assured, “Maybe we can train her to hide if there’s trouble.” “True, maybe even the mice could help they seemed to be good at hiding when there’s danger�� Pidge thought. “Whatever happens, we’ll figure it out,” Lance promised, petting Midori. Pidge smiled “Yeah, we can do this” she nodded. “That’s the spirit,” Lance beamed, “Now let’s go show this cutie to Shiro.” “Sure” Pidge nodded, standing up with Midori in her arms. They started looking around for Shiro, Lance cracking some jokes as they walked. Pidge hesitating when she saw Shiro worried he might have the same reaction as Keith. Shiro smiled slightly when he saw her, “Hey Pidge, who’s this little guy?” “I named her Midori, Allura says it’s okay for me to keep her” Pidge explained, the kitten looking up at Shiro curiously. “I guess you can keep it if Allura’s okay with it,” Shiro said, “Where did you find her?” “Prince Buteo gave her to me,” Pidge replied gently petting her. Shiro’s smile dropped, “…Oh. Are you sure accepting her is a good idea?” “Yes” Pidge replied tensing up, Lance noticing a putting a hand on her shoulder to calm her. “Midori can be like a team pet and we can all help train and take care of her” Lance encouraged not wanting to seeing Pidge upset again. “It’s not that I don’t think you can take care of her, I’m just worried what Prince Buteo was intending when he gave her to you,” Shiro said, not wanting her to be upset either. “He gave Midori as a gift to me because he liked spending time with me, and he wants me to come visit again when ever it’s possible” Pidge explained. Shiro honestly had no idea of Pidge couldn’t see that Buteo liked her or if she was just playing innocent. Then again Pidge probably wasn’t someone who’d lead someone on. Pidge saw the unbelieving look in Shiro’s eyes “What? is it so surprising that Buteo likes to spend time with me,” she asked dryly. “What? No, of course not,” Shiro told her, “It’s just that…” “Maybe he worried Buteo doesn’t want to spend time as just friends,” Lance added. "You think Buteo likes me, in more than a friend way?” Pidge clarified. “Yeah…it’s pretty obvious,” Lance said rubbing his head, wondering if she’d be upset if he admitted to helping him. “That isn’t so bad,” Pidge shrugged blushing a little, mostly from Lance obvious comment, “He isn’t being forceful about it so I don’t mind him having feelings for me,” Pidge said looking down at Midori, Pidge really didn’t know how to feel about Buteo, but he was a nice guy so saw no harm in him having feelings towards her. “And who knows, he might lose interest after you’re gone for a while,” Lance added, thinking it would make her feel better. Shiro remained silent, not sure how to feel, but could feel Kuro raging in the back of his mind. “I guess that’s true, and we can still stay as friends” Pidge nodded, figuring Buteo’s interest in her was just because she was human or something like that and he would move on soon after she left. Shiro wondered if that was possible, and when would be a good time to confess to Pidge. Or if he even should at all. Kuro wanted to tell her right now, but was keeping him from taking control. He couldn’t risk ruining the team while they were still fighting. “We don’t leave till after breakfast tomorrow, maybe I can talk to Buteo about it before we leave,” Pidge thought aloud. “That might be a good idea,” Lance said, not sure how much Buteo liked Pidge. They only knew each other for a few days and he was pretty sure they didn’t kiss or anything. “But for now, let’s get Midori some water,” Pidge said petting the kitten. Shiro decided to let her keep the animal…plant…thing, since it seemed to make her happy. Pidge looked up at Shiro hesitantly “So you want to try petting her,” Pidge offered. “Sure,” Shiro said moving to pet her, using his flesh arm, worried the metal one would scare her. The little leaf kitten purring and nuzzling Shiro’s hand. Shiro smiled, glad that Pidge’s new pet seemed to like him okay. He just hoped it wouldn’t make her think of the prince too much. Kuro swearing in the back of Shiro’s head telling him he better tell Pidge about his feelings soon or he was going to take control and show her how they felt. ‘I can’t even begin to tell you why that’s a horrible idea,’ Shiro told Kuro, not planning on risking anything that could cause problems for the team. Problems for the team meant having a hard time forming Voltron, and a hard time forming Voltron meant fights going badly. ‘Then tell her how you fucking feel already,’ he snapped back. ‘We can’t risk hurting the team,’ Shiro argued. The whole universe was at state, that was more important than his feelings. 'Ever thought it might make us way closer to Katie,’ Kuro questioned. ‘I’m not going to risk it,’ Shiro mentally shouted, not wanting to have this conversation any more. Pidge gently grabbing Shiro’s hand after seeing him tense up “Shiro, are… are you all right?” Pidge asked. “Don’t worry, I’m fine,” Shiro said with a small smile, though she and Lance still looked at him concerned. “Come on, let’s get Midori some water” Pidge said changing the subject, still holding onto Shiro’s hand with Midori in her other arm as she led them to the kitchen to get some water. Shiro relaxed a little now that he was in contact with Pidge, following her to the kitchen, not letting go of her hand. “Just put some in a bowl and let her drink what she wants,” Lance shrugged. When Pidge put the bowl down, instead of drinking it, Midori just stood in the bowl. Pidge giggled a little picking up a little water in one hand and pouring it down Midori’s back to see if she liked that. Midori let out a happy purr, her leaves opening a bit to let in the water. “That is super cute,” Lance said, face lighting up. “She is adorable,” Pidge agreed, pouring a little more water on Midori. “So is she supposed to drink like a plant,” Shiro asked, but guessed it kind of made sense since it was part plant. “I think so, Buteo said she just needed to be water, not drink water,” Pidge said. “She seems to be enjoying herself at least,” Shiro commented, Midori mewling happily. “Yeah, maybe this could be our daily thing,” Pidge said scratching Midori behind the ear. Midori mewled and got out of the water once she absorbed most of it, looking greener and happier. “Well, looks like we’ve figured out how to water you,” Pidge said scratching under Midori’s chin. Midori purred, the leaves around its neck standing up, looking like a lion’s mane. “Aw, you’re like a little loin,” Pidge cooed gently touching her fluffed up leaves. “She seems pretty comfortable,” Shiro said, “Are you going to keep her in your room or let her wander around the castle?” “Until she’s better trained I was just going to keep her around me as much as possible,” Pidge explained. “She could be the team pet,” Lance offered, “Except for Keith since he was being a jerk to Midori before.” “What did Keith do?” Shiro asked curiously. “He told Pidge she couldn’t keep a pet and brought up Rover,” Lance told him. Pidge tensing up a little and picking up Midori holding her close to her body “He was being a jerk” Pidge muttered. Shiro sighed, “I’ll have a talk with Keith. I’m sure he didn’t mean to upset you, he’s just not good at showing his feelings.” ‘You’re one to talk,’ Kuro sneered. “Well, I’m going to go try and find some stuff to make Midori a bed” Pidge said hugging Midori. Lance left with Pidge, talking about knitting Midori a sweater, Shiro deciding he should talk to Keith about what happened.

#katie holt #pidge #shidge #shiroxpidge #shiro #voltron #voltron legendary defender

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