Written for Kidge Week - Day 3: Adore.
"Oh, that would be because of my boyfriend." Pidge said off-handedly.
Her brother stopped abruptly, nearly bumping into her. "What?" he asked, eyes wide.
Pidge laughed, although she could admit his surprise was probably a fair reaction. She glanced around, confirming where they were in the Castle, then tugged Matt down the corridor and into the observation room above the training deck. She tipped her head towards the window illustratively.
Matt raised his eyebrows, then moved over to the window and looked down.
As expected, Keith was there - and he was shredding a fleet of the little shooting drill drones as they circled in quick, unpredictable patterns and fired upon him. Pidge hummed, watching appreciatively for a minute - he must have been at it for a while, his hair was beginning to stick to his face where it wasn't tied back and his jacket was long gone, making it easy to admire the movements of his lean, powerful body.
She should see if she could update the drones again, he didn't have much trouble with them really any more. Allura had been surprised and then thrilled with the idea when Keith proposed adapting a dodging drill for hand-to-hand practise against shooters - it was what he and Shiro, and Allura for that matter, were most often faced with in actual combat situations. They all fought primarily up close.
"Keith? Shiro's Keith?" Matt asked, still looking a little shocked. Maybe a little more shocked now than he had before. Pidge raised her eyebrows.
"Well I mean, he's my Keith I think, if you want to put it that way." Pidge said wryly, and Matt frowned at her, lips twitching. "But yeah, Shiro's Keith." she agreed, glancing back down at Keith. He was, Pidge knew, in a way; Shiro was his best friend and Pidge still didn't . . . quite understand their relationship, other than that it was just as deeply important to both of them as her own with her brother.
"I just- Keith." Matt said, shaking his head. "Are you screwing with me?" he asked sharply, eyes narrowing, and Pidge laughed, startled.
"Not screwing with you. Today." Pidge said, scrunching her nose playfully. "He really is my boyfriend. Thanks for that look on your face, by the way." she added dryly.
Matt seemed to realise he must be making one hell of an expression and shook his head, clearing it. "It's not that you have- Okay, it is that you have a boyfriend, you're my baby sister and you're still a stunningly brilliant, tiny six year old." he informed her.
Pidge preened. "Well, stunningly genius, obviously." And tiny looked to be a permanent situation as well, honestly, although Pidge couldn't be too surprised, given her stature was very similar to her dad and brother.
"And . . . Keith?" Matt repeated dubiously. Pidge only rolled her eyes as she led the way back out of the small observation room.
"Yes," Pidge said patiently, "Keith. He's. . ." She felt a silly smile tugging at her lips and coughed, rubbing at her mouth and forcing it away.
"You're happy?" Matt asked, resting a hand on her shoulder, and Pidge smiled at him, slipping under his arm to press into a hug.
"I'm happy." Pidge promised warmly. "Here on the Castle, to be a Paladin, being with Keith. . . There are some changes I would make," she stuck out her tongue, "but . . . I like my life, I promise."
Matt hugged her tight. "Okay Pigeon. Good, then." He kissed the top of her head and she closed her eyes, resting her cheek against his shoulder with a soft sigh as she returned the embrace.
Matt bumped his shoulder against Shiro's as they stepped through into the lounge and then winced at the impact. "Ow. You are so much more solid than you used to be." he grumbled, and Shiro snorted. "Too many muscles. There's a point where it's too many, Shiro, I hate to tell you this." Matt said with a serious expression.
"You don't think maybe it's this?" Shiro asked dryly, tapping his fingertips against his metal arm and giving Matt a pointed look.
Matt eyed him. "No, the rest of you is ridiculous too." he said after a moment, flicking Shiro's shoulder. Shiro blinked, then laughed, almost a giggle, his expression softening, and Matt grinned at his friend.
A soft thump caught his attention before Shiro could reply and Matt looked around. Just in time to see Keith flinging his legs up onto the couch he'd evidently just dropped onto, stretching out and nudging his head into Pidge's lap. Matt's eyebrows rose when Pidge lifted the tablet she was working on, but didn't shove Keith out of her way, and kept rising when she freed one hand to push her fingers through Keith's shaggy hair.
"I'm working." Pidge said almost absently, her tone hardly rancorous. She ruffled Keith's hair between her fingers and he closed his eyes and leaned into her as Matt watched. The interaction between them looked not only affectionate but . . . comfortable. Almost sweet.
"You're always working." Keith said, not sounding particularly bothered. Pidge made a thoughtful sound which probably meant she wasn't actually listening to anything outside her own brain and rested her screen on his shoulder so she had an easier time typing.
"They're really. . ." Matt gestured at them and looked up at Shiro. He was smiling faintly at them, his eyes warm.
Matt looked back at the couch himself, finding Pidge now poking Keith insistently. He wasn't moving, giving the impression of fallen lax into deadweight, and Pidge wasn't having much luck forcing it. Unsurprisingly.
"Yeah," Shiro said quietly, "they seem really happy together."
"That's good." Matt said, though it was a little rough, thinking of his baby sister having a boyfriend at all. Also he'd always thought Keith was faintly insane, although he'd never really brought that up with Shiro, who had taken to him immediately back at the Garrison. Possibly Matt didn't really deserve to bring up that point at all, honestly, especially now in consideration of the kind of work he'd done with the rebel alliance.
Keith folded his legs and rolled forwards and up, twisting fluidly and stealing a kiss as Pidge scolded him. Pidge was scowling when he drew back, but Matt knew her well enough to see the playful edge to it and the pleased light in her eyes. He relaxed a little more. Not that he didn't like Keith, possible craziness and all - as much as he had ever known Keith anyway; Matt had been Shiro's friend and Keith had been Shiro's friend but it had always felt like Keith accepted Matt's occasional presence solely on that score - but . . . it was Pidge.
Matt thought it was fair that his concerns were more pronounced over his baby sister.
Keith continued his movement and somehow contrived to steal Pidge's spot, pushing her aside and leaving her almost on his lap as he leaned into the corner of the couch. She elbowed him and then climbed into his lap properly, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and kissing him with rather more intent focus, her tablet laid aside with startling disregard.
Matt cleared his throat and looked at the ceiling, not really wanting to watch as Pidge settled closer and Keith's arms wrapped around her.
"Come on." Shiro said, his voice lilting with amusement, and nudged Matt to actually proceed into the room even as he resisted.
After a few moments Pidge and Keith stopped kissing, at least, though Pidge didn't abandon Keith's lap so much as fold herself up against him. Keith curled around her comfortably, letting himself be used as a support as she got back to work. He tipped his head back against the arm of the couch and closed his eyes, fingertips sneaking up just under the hem of Pidge's shirt to settle on her stomach. Matt winced. Pidge squirmed a little as Keith stroked there but her attention didn't waver again.
"What are you working on?" Matt asked as he reached the couch, and Pidge startled a bit, head snapping up. Keith didn't so much as twitch in reaction.
Pidge grinned and beckoned to him. "Come here, I'll show you." Matt raised his eyebrows questioningly, but Pidge was already nudging at Keith with her elbow. He tucked his legs further up out of the way without protest.
Matt settled beside his sister, gingerly avoiding bumping into Keith's shins, and Pidge held out the little tablet to him as she started explaining.
Pidge slipped quietly through the door and put her bag on the floor, careful not to let it clank too much as she dropped it. She used to think she'd hate it, living with someone else in her space, trying to be quiet and dealing with their own noise and relative mess or neatness. Really though, it wasn't as bad as she'd thought.
It wasn't like she was naturally a noisy person, and while Keith rose earlier than she did most days - if they weren't rousted by an alert calling them to battle stations - he was so light-footed he generally ghosted out of their room in the morning without waking her at all. If Pidge was not naturally noisy, Keith was by nature silent as a hunting cat.
On the occasions he did unintentionally rouse her, Pidge was sometimes grumpy about it, but Keith would usually just kiss her cheek or brow, draw the blankets over her, and leave without expecting anything but for her to go back to sleep. Without any continued disturbance it usually worked.
"Did you have a good time working with your brother?"
"Gah!" Pidge jumped. "You startled me." She frowned at Keith, seeing he was now sitting up in bed. She'd definitely thought he was asleep; it was deep into the Castle's night cycle. "How are you even still awake, you got up ridiculously early."
Keith stretched languidly. "Maybe I need less sleep." he suggested, eyes flicking to his knife, sheath hanging on the wall at the end of the bed.
"Maybe you're just insane." Pidge countered, and he snorted, lips curling. He did look tired, at least, his dark eyes heavy-lidded, though as sharp as ever.
"Also I wasn't actually awake." Keith told her as she put her laptop down and began changing for bed. "I woke up when you came in and I was curious."
Pidge hummed, though the sound might have gotten lost in the shirt she was pulling over her head. "You're still insane." she told Keith as she crawled into bed. She yawned and flopped down against his shoulder. "Yes, it was fun working with Matt." she added, smiling fondly. She snuggled against Keith's side. "It's so good to have him back." she said softly, her throat tightening a little. She swallowed hard against the feeling.
Keith hugged her almost painfully tight for a moment, then gentled his hold. It was . . . comforting, and didn't need words that would likely only feel awkward anyway.
Pidge pushed herself up on her elbows and kissed her boyfriend softly, nuzzling his cheek before settling at his side again. Keith relaxed a little more as she did, sliding back down in bed and turning onto his side facing her.
Pidge smiled and closed her eyes, and soon fell asleep to the tiny sounds of his breathing and the warm weight of his hand curled over her hip.