Chapter One: Pidge does not do third wheel
Pidge could never say she's a cautious person, because, well, she definitely isn't. However, she wouldn't really consider herself reckless, either. In her own words she would say she's a measured level of impulsive.
Even if her roommate Keith would disagree.
Probably throw in the fact that about ten years ago, when Pidge was seven, she decided to explode a toaster, just to see what it would look like.
In her defense, she was seven and it was fucking awesome. Also, being ten at the time, Keith should have stopped her.
In his defense, even at seven, Pidge never listened to protest.
Still, though, impulsive or not she isn't stupid. Which is why when her new(ish) friend of about a year, Lance, came up with quite possibly the dumbest idea she has ever heard of, she didn't jump to say yes.
Instead she made sure she got something out of it as well.
"You...want us to go...ghost hunting?" Pidge had asked the excited teen standing next to the couch her and Hunk were sitting on, wondering if maybe the idiot had finally lost all of his brain cells.
He kept telling her he's intelligent, and Hunk kept swearing it was true, but Pidge had yet to see it.
"Yes! Ghost hunting!" Lance exclaimed, his entire body practically vibrating with excitement. It was a sight to see that she honestly wish she'd missed. "It's been a dream of Hunk's and mine since we were kids!" He added, pointing to his poor unsuspecting roommate who shrugged and offered her a smile.
"It's true. We've always been into ghosts."
"That's so...stupid." Pidge said, looking to Hunk, "I know you're smart. I've seen your work. How can you believe something so unscientific?"
"Says the girl who is low-key looking for aliens." Lance teased, staring her down with a smirk as if he'd won something.
He hadn't.
"Aliens have some logic to them, there is a far greater chance those exist than fucking ghosts." She spit right back and Hunk sighed.
"Come on, you guys." He looked over to Lance curiously, "What exactly do you have in mind for this?"
"Well, you see…" Lance began, climbing over her to plot down between the two and turn off the TV, "You know how we always dreamed of going to haunted places and seeing it ourselves?" He asked Hunk, who nodded as a nostalgic smile came to his face.
"Yeah, we used to break into cemeteries at night just to try and talk to ghosts." Hunk said, laughing a little at the memory and Pidge inwardly groaned. Great, even Hunk wanted to do it. She could piss on Lance's parade no problem, but it would take a cold blooded bastard to shoot down Hunk's dreams.
Not even she could do it.
"Exactly!" Lance grinned, "Well, as you both know, with my new job I have acquired a vehicle that can actually make it out of town without falling part! So, with this wonderous new car I propose we save up and once a month we go to a new haunted place!" He looked extremely proud of his idea, and Pidge bit her tongue on the cost of something like this, "We'll record it and put it on Youtube, too. Paranormal stuff is pretty in these days, I think we could get ourselves a following. Who knows? Maybe we'll get popular enough to sell hoodies and coffee mugs and shit."
"You can't possibly think you will get popular enough for merchandising!" Pidge laughed in spite of herself, because, come on, "Ghost hunting is such a niche crowd, man. No one wants to see two scaredy cats calling every little thing a ghost. I mean your credibility will already be shot."
"Which is why we have you, my dear Pidge." Lance smirked and she could just feel the fact she was going to hate whatever he said next, "You can be our skeptic!"
As always, she was right.
"Hell no, McClain. I'm not third-wheeling your childhood bro-hunting dream."
"Aw, come on! You're not a third wheel! You're our best friend! We're a trio! The three musketeers!"
Pidge glared, unmoved, "Not. Gonna. Happen."
Lance sighed dramatically, "Well, that's your decision to make...I guess you just don't want to play with all the cool ghost gadgets that come with the job."
She hated herself for it, but damnit she was intrigued, "What kinda gadgets are we talking about?"
"You'll neeveerr knoowww," Lance teased, "Because you won't be coming." The smirk on his face let her know she played right into his goddamn hands.
"Well...I suppose...I can go to the first one." Pidge muttered, "I do like spooky places, although I don't believe in ghosts. But I'm absolutely not third-wheeling this shit so if you want me to come then I get to bring someone of my own choice as well."
"Sure, you can bring Matt." Lance offered and Pidge scoffed.
"Like hell I'm bringing my brother. First of all, he lives three fucking hours away, and secondly he's busy with work and the domestic life with his should-be-fucking-husband-already Shiro." She then frowned for a moment when she realized she only had one choice on who to bring, "My only real option is Keith…"
"Isn't he that guy you're roommates with?" Hunk asked, visibly excited, "You talk about him all the time, but refuse to let us meet him." He frowned and she felt slightly guilty, "Even though we're all your best friends."
"Not to mention only friends."
Pidge groaned, "The only reason I haven't introduced you guys is because Keith is painfully shy and keeps saying no."
"Then don't bring him." Lance shot her a mocking grin, "Just bring one of your other friends."
"Oh, no, I'm bringing him," Pidge smirked, "And you'll have one more person in the room smarter than you are, Lance."
"Ok, ok, guys, let's just...move on, here." Hunk interjected, "Lance, do you have any ideas where we can visit? We don't exactly have a lot of money at the moment."
"Why yes, Hunk, I do!" Lance smiled at him, "There's an old abandoned factory in the next town over. We'll start there and save up to go cooler places!"
"An abandoned factory..? Are we...gonna be breaking in?" Hunk asked nervously, "Because I really don't think that's a good idea. We can go to plenty of-!"
"Don't worry, I got permission." Lance pat him on the shoulder, "I wouldn't get you into trouble, bro."
"That's complete bullshit, Lance." Hunk huffed and Lance laughed.
"Okay, fair enough, but everything we do for this endeavor will be legal. Promise."
"How'd you get the okay for it?" Pidge asked, genuinely curious. She remembered the factory he's talking about. It was...well, it was so old none of them knew exactly what is had been. Probably a paper mill. Still, with all the broken windows and horror stories it had been sealed off for a long time, no one allowed in. At all.
"I pulled some strings. Flirted my way in." Lance explained, wiggling his eyebrows.
"...He bribed them." Pidge decided and Hunk groaned.
"Lance, come on! We don't have the money for you to be bribing people!"
"Also, might I just add, a place that is creepy and old isn't necessarily haunted."
Lance glared at the two, clearly tired of having to defend himself already, "I know that, Pidge. I know what I'm doing. I did a background check on it's history at the town's museum. First of all, it's an old paper mill from the 1920's, and had just about all the safety precautions one would in the 20's, so many people died working there. It eventually got shut down in the early 50's and then some time in the 60's some kids broke in and used it for satanic shit. So, you know, we could see a demon! Can you imagine? First time out and we see a demon?" He asked excitedly and Hunk looked nervous, but kind of exhilarated at the idea as well.
"Hey, yeah," Pidge began, her voice dripping with sarcasm, "And maybe he'll be having tea with santa and the easter bunny."
"Okay, first of all...to insinuate that citizens as upstanding as the easter bunny or santa would hang out with a demon is just insulting. That joke is bad and you should feel bad." Lance pointed out, "And nobody asked for your snide remarks."
"Expect them in stereo when Keith comes," Pidge smirked, "I'm bringing a hard core skeptic as back up."
Lance huffed and crossed his arms indignantly, "Fine, whatever, just make sure he's not a total dick while we film."
Pidge just shrugged, although she knew damn well she had no control over that with Keith and honestly knowing him he would totally be a dick, "Whatever you say, boss. On that note, I'm heading home. Gonna break the news to our new fourth wheel."
Hunk smiled at her, "I can't wait to meet him."
"He's pretty great," Pidge admitted and Lance scoffed.
"Can't be if he's friends with you."
"Wow pot, don't get too overwhelmed when you meet kettle." She countered before getting off the couch, "Just text me when you dorks wanna play in the abandoned factory. I'll be there." With that, the guys waved her goodbye and she headed to her own apartment building a few miles down.
Which is where she is now. Currently standing behind her own couch where her oblivious roommate is watching TV.
Blissfully unaware of the horrible thing she's about to make him do.
"Hey...so...Keith."
"What's up?" Keith replies automatically, but she can tell by the fact his eyes are glued to the TV he's not fully focused on her.
"Um...remember last month? When you broke your laptop and I fixed it up for you no questions asked?"
"I remember a lot of questions, actually." He points out, still watching his show, "Lots of pointing fingers and claims I was looking at porn. Which I wasn't."
"Right, yeah. Um, well, anyways...what I'm getting at here is that friends do things for friends, don't they?" She asks and he slowly turns his head towards her, an inquisitive brow raised.
"...Sometimes…"
"Yeah, so, um...how would you feel about going on a little trip to Olansbay to check out that old abandoned factory?"
Keith stares at her for a long moment, "I'm not...necessarily against it. Not like it would be our first break in. However, I feel like there's something you're not telling me...something that might make me change my mind." He says, staring her down.
"We're going with my friends Hunk and Lance." She adds and can see the guy visibly flinch.
"We're breaking into a building with your new friends?" He asks, "You know, when most people introduce their friend groups to each other, they do it over normal things like a movie night or dinner. ...Probably."
First of all, you do not qualify as a 'group'. You are one person. Second of all, it's not...exactly to introduce you…" Pidge hesitates and Keith's eyes narrow.
"Quit dancing around the point, Pidge. Spit it out already."
"Lance and Hunk want to go looking for ghosts and I don't wanna be a third wheel, but at the same time they plan on saving to go to some cool places and while neither of us believes in ghosts we do both enjoy a creepy ambiance." She explains, quickly and without taking any breaths, "So anyways I wanna go around and check these places out but I'm not third-wheeling and I also need another person with a brain so I need you to come with us on our little adventures." Finally done she takes in some air and dares to look at Keith.
His face is blank.
Not a great sign.
"Ghost hunting?" Keith asks, not giving her time to respond, "Ghost... ghost hunting ? Hunting. For ghosts." He gives her a look of pure disgust, "...Why...?"
"Oh come on, it'll be fun!" Pidge urges and Keith does not look convinced. At all.
"Pidge-"
"Please, Keith. Just one time. We go to this place, try it out, record it and put it on youtube so the world can see how stupid Lance is and we can call it quits if you don't like it." She pouts, making sure to give her best kicked puppy face.
She can see in his eyes the exact moment he caves.
"Fine. Fine . Let's give it a try, I guess." Keith groans, turning back to the TV and sinking into the couch as if he's willing it to swallow him whole. Which, to be fair, he probably is.
"Great! You're gonna love Hunk!" Pidge beams, plopping down beside him. "He's like the sweetest person on earth. Also, he's the kind soul who keeps sending me home with homemade goodies."
"Well, he can't be all bad, I guess. Not if he's the one continuously feeding us." Keith looks at her curiously, "What about the other guy? ...Um….Dan?"
"Lance. Dude. I said it like a minute ago."
"Oh, so sorry. I'll make sure to remember the ghost hunter's name for when we meet to do some ghost hunting ." He has a smug smirk on his face and Pidge rolls her eyes.
"Lance is an acquired taste." She admits, "But he's pretty easy on the eyes, if that helps."
Keith gives her a look, clearly saying it does not.
A/N: I've been in Voltron hell for a while, and now Buzzfeed Unsolved...so...I mean, why not combine them?
Reformatted this chapter because I was waayyy too rusty when I wrote it originally. Gonna be doing this for the first 4 or 5 chapters.