Shiro believes that the paladins care for each other. But sometimes, they need to take some time out.

00000000000000000000000000000000

Training was never an activity that the young paladins enjoyed. Except Keith. And Shiro. Those bastards.

"I'm dying..." Pidge moaned from her position, body sore and aching from the training. Her bayard was discarded uselessly beside her, not that she paid any attention since the coolness of the training floor seeping through her armour felt like heaven to her hot and sweaty body.

"I agree with Pidge." Hunk wheezed not far from her, already giving up on trying to turn around so he could lay on his back. Instead, he just pressed his cheek against the cool surface, relishing at the feel.

The sound of a fight going on elicited a groan from the Green Paladin. "Jesus! When will they stop and die from exhaustion like me already?" Pidge asked as she moved her head a little to see Lance, Keith and Shiro still attacking the training robot.

Hunk gave out a groan. "Probably by getting themselves killed," he answered.

Pidge let out a sound of agreement to him before they both fell in a comfortable silence, not minding the fight still going on not far from them.

Allura, meanwhile, just looked at them in disgust. "Why humans sweat this much is beyond me," she said, not approaching the two paladins currently on the floor, sweating and most probably dying.

"Buzz off, Allura," Pidge mumbled, already feeling too sleepy to even give the princess a sassy comeback. Before she could even slip into Lala Land, the sound of someone shouting in pain followed by a curse and Shiro's shout of "Language!" had forced her to spring into a sitting position, even though her muscles screamed in protest, her eyes wide and alert, Hunk also doing the same.

Being a paladin really did wonders to them.

"What was that for!?" Keith hissed as he rubbed his shoulder that was hit by Lance's plasma blaster. "Are you trying to kill me?!"

"It was an accident!" Lance shouted indignantly.

Before they could get into a fight, Shiro stepped between them, breaking their line of sight on each other. "Alright, that's enough. It was an accident so there's no need to put blame on anyone." Shiro told them. Both paladins grumbled but gave a nod.

Shiro smiled at that. "Ok, if that's settled, let's continue," he said with a good-natured smile and continued the training.

Everything was going really well. Until Keith tripped Lance. On purpose.

"Called it~!" both Hunk and Pidge said from the sidelines, sipping on their water pouches they got from somewhere as they watched the Red and Blue paladins descended on each other while letting out a string of curses.

Shiro sighed loudly before he stepped up and physically pulled themselves away from each other. "Enough." Shiro said with what Pidge dubbed as his Space Dad tone.

Both paladins immediately stopped, eyes still glaring heatingly at each other.

Shiro let out another sigh. "Alright, I've had enough. You guys clearly need to cool down so I'm giving you a time out. Now."

Everyone was silent.

Both Pidge and Hunk stared at Shiro in surprise.

Both Keith and Lance gaped at Shiro in disbelief.

Both Allura and Coran (who was there when the fight started) looked at Shiro in confusion.

When neither moved, Shiro pointedly looked at them. Getting the message, they both closed their jaws with an audible click and each sullenly made their way to a corner where they are far away from each other.

For a few ticks, no one said a thing. Until Pidge burst into a hysterical giggle.

"Oh my god!! Shiro! Shiro!! That was a fucking Space Dad move!!" Pidge gasped through her giggles, clutching her stomach while wiping away some tears that had formed at the corners of her eyes.

Hunk was chuckling beside the Green Paladin, patting the girl's back when she began to choke on her own spit from laughing too much.

Keith and Lance couldn't hide the grins starting to form on their lips before they too burst into laughter.

Both the Alteans stared at the paladins in confusion, not understanding what's going on while Shiro buried his face into his hands out of embarrassment, trying desperately to hide his blushing face.