Diligence

Universe: Canon

It had been a long night for Keith in the training room, his legs weighed as he walked to the showers to get rid of somehow, the bad taste in his mouth that he had been having several months ago.

They hadn't heard from Lotor for a long time, which left him a little anxious that he was planning somewhere in the galaxy. Fighting against Zarcon had been simple in part, everyone knew what their targets were and knew where to attack at their weak points to defeat him. With Lotor, it was a mystery.

He grunted defeated as he let his knife, watching it for a moment and rest it on the table to undress. He hadn't heard from Kolivan in the last week either. Not that it would really bother him, Kolivan recognized his strengths and had been really interested in Keith helping him in the last missions with the blades, so he just needed a little patience to feel useful again in this war.

Before removing his jacket, he could see a basket full of clothes where the green color predominated, noticing at the end that one of the showers was heard activated in the interior area. Keith frowned in bewilderment, it was too late for someone to be awake in the castle, even for Pidge.

Had she been having some complications with the latest ship updates?

''Pidge, do you have much to finish?'' He shouted from the other side to alert his partner that he was there, without receiving any response. Maybe the water didn't allow her to hear him from outside the room. ''Pidge!''

Again nothing. Surely, she had gone to the showers in the far corner, Keith knew well that it was very difficult to hear something from outside in that place. So, the tactic changed to a word that would surely make her react.

''Hey, Shorty! Get out now!''

Keith smiled playfully as soon as he said it out loud. He knew that Pidge wasn't really happy when he bothered her with his height, but it was the easiest thing for him to get an immediate response, he was completely dirty with the perspiration of the training and didn't want to wait forever her thirty-minute showers.

Keith huffed tiredly when he realized she wasn't going to answer.

''Pidge, I need to bathe, could you hurry, please? Or at least answer that you hear me?''

The silence began to worry him, only the water of the shower could be heard to run without any indication that someone was inside. Maybe she had left leaving her clothes in the basket? He dismissed that possibility immediately, she wasn't a very open person to her personal space, even with Shiro and he used to have a pretty clear boundary and seeing between the pants part of her underwear gave him to understand that she was still inside.

Shame went around Keith's face when he thought about going in to see if everything was fine. Part of him was worried that she wouldn't answer his calls, but if it had only been an oversight on his part, it wasn't uncommon in Pidge, and Keith wouldn't leave the room without some bruising and the hatred of his current left arm for several days before his decision to interrupt her midnight bath.

While the minutes passed waiting for the door to open at some point, the restlessness increased inside. He could earn her hatred for the whole month if it was what she wanted, but he needed to know if she was okay. It wasn't normal for Pidge to be silent for long.

He entered with his arm over his eyes, in case he turned around and everything was in order and it had only been an oversight of his partner, Pidge wouldn't think that he was spying on her in the first instance. Of none of his teammates, even if Lance was sometimes a bit daring with his games. When the steam from the shower came out through the doors, Keith insisted.

''Pidge, I've been calling you for many minutes, are you okay?'' He waited for some negative reaction on his part before the intrusion of his privacy, but again there was only silence. ''Pidge?''

When he lowered his arm at the thought that the girl wasn't in the shower, the anguish hit him hard when he saw a body often unconscious on the tiles of the shower, and a trail of blood near her head slipped over the drain.

Keith ran to her leaving aside any trace of shame, replaced by worry and fright.

''Oh quiznak!''

''It's just a fever.'' Lance had placed a wet cloth on her forehead once he had discovered the cause of her fainting, causing a sigh of relief from all the members of the room. Keith, however, was still worried.

''Are you sure? And what if the blow to the head caused some trauma? You have to take it to the medical bay chamber as a precaution.''

''Keith, calm down.'' Shiro supported his arm on his shoulder to stop him. ''Coran and I already reviewed the blow on her head, it was only a shallow cut surely when she fell unconscious. No need to worry.''

He turned his gaze to his mate, who made it difficult to breathe notoriously while being caressed by Lance to calm her discomfort, probably being a habit inherited by the care of his nephews. He nodded after a few seconds; it wasn't the first time someone got sick in the castle anyway.

But to see her so frail and weak, moaning in an unconscious state didn't give him heart any peace.

''I don't understand, what is it that makes this human fever? Pidge looks too agitated to be something so simple.'' Allura approached to touch the contour of her cheek, worried about her condition. Lance got up from the bed to give her space, smiling kindly.

''It is a defense mechanism of the human body, it increases its temperature to attack a possible virus, but that generates a lot of discomfort. Pidge has been somewhat agitated since she has had more information about her brother, she probably tried harder and ended up sick.''

''Oh, I understand, it's like klamüirl in a state of hibernation.'' Everyone nodded when they heard Coran, not understanding much what he was trying to say.

''Well, we'd better let her rest if we want her to recover soon, everyone goes back to their rooms.'' Shiro directed them to the exit with his hand so that they left quickly, being stopped by Lance.

''Wouldn't it be better if someone stayed with her? She still has too much fever and may suffer some nosebleed while sleeping.''

''Don't worry, I'll stay with her.''

Lance nodded, somewhat unsure of Pidge's condition, but Shiro was the best choice for her care, so made his way to his room as soon as Shiro closed the door. He stopped on the road when he saw that Keith wasn't moving, staring at Pidge's door, as if he could see through it.

He approached carefully, trying not to scare him.

''Hey mullet, it's everything all right?''

''Can she suffer a nosebleed?'' The fear in Keith's voice didn't go unnoticed. Lance just smiled sympathetically.

''Only if the fever keeps rising, but if Shiro is taking care of her, she'll probably be better tomorrow before breakfast.'' Keith folded his arms doubtfully at his words.

''When I found her ... I had already had a good time outside the showers waiting for her to respond. Maybe if I had been faster in realizing that something was wrong ...''

''Hey, hey. Where does that worry come from suddenly? Come on my man, it's Pidge! What could happen to her?'' Lance tried to cheer him up as soon as he saw where Keith's thoughts were going. He was trying to blame himself for not helping her before she lost consciousness. ''Maybe seeing her faint on the floor surprised you a little, I would have been in shock considering that she wasn't wearing anything when you took her out of the showers ...''

Lance looked at him out of the corner of his eye, seeing how Keith's face reddened slightly, Lance laughed internally to relax him, at least he had been considerate enough to put a towel on her before running to the control room with the poor girl in his arms.

Besides, he understood in part that Keith's concern wasn't just about having his sick partner. It was the castle's worst kept secret that both Keith and Pidge had been having a secret relationship in the first few months they had known each other, but that for some reason, they broke up when Shiro disappeared and Keith took over the black lion.

Now, seeing him with so much diligence about her condition made Lance feel that part of those feelings had only been buried by responsibilities. He could understand that.

''Nothing is going happen to her Keith; you only have to take care of her for a couple of days and see that she doesn't go back to overstressing herself. Sometimes she is usually excessively stubborn. Like you.''

''I think she has already beaten me.'' Both smiled more calmly than minutes ago. They were worried about their younger partner, and they could understand that it affected them. Lance circled his shoulders with his arm to guide him to their rooms. ''You're right, she'll be fine in the morning.''

''That's my buddy.'' While the environment went to one more relieved. Lance asked. ''Do you think when she knows you saw her naked, she could see you in the face?''

''Lance!''

Her chest burned painfully when she tried to breathe great puffs of air through her mouth, her nose was constipated, which generated an extra discomfort in her entire trembling body. Slowly, the light made its way through her eyes, blinding her momentarily. The last thing she remembered, was the water running on her body, to remove the discomfort she was suffering for many days ago, but before turning off the tap everything darkened around her, and she felt a strong blow to her head that had made her lose consciousness almost immediately.

Now, Pidge was in her room, with the green pajamas and a cloth around her forehead surely to lower the temperature of her body. It felt good about her skin, although it had already warmed slightly.

With difficulty, she tried to stand up and reach the glass of water half empty in the table, to realize that by her side of the bed, Keith was sitting, sleeping soundly.

Pidge was in shock for a few moments before taking the glass in need, her throat felt dry. After a swallow, she left it in the place and looked back at her sleepy leader.

It was so unusual to see him sitting next to her what for a moment she thought that the fever was making her delirious.

It isn't as if she had a bad relationship with Keith, much of the time could be coordinated with him almost without verbal language, and cause of certain intimate encounters between them before the disappearance of Shiro had formed a strange relationship of dancing around the other without anything formal.

When Keith took command of the black lion, all that they got ended at a moment and they did prefer don't talk about it. Thanks to that Pidge could bet that her closest relationship on the ship was with Shiro, or Hunk at least. Even Lance sometimes came to show some kindness to her when he wasn't busy acting like a jerk.

Keith was simply distant since he became the leader of Voltron and subsequently performed missions with BOM. They almost didn't talk while they had free time in the castle. She didn't take it personally, basically, it was the same as the entire crew. Except with Shiro ...

Now she could understand his care a little.

She watched when Keith jumped on the chair to awaken reluctantly, Pidge waited a few seconds with a smile on her lips when he stretched lazily. In moments like this, the Galra nature in his veins came to light, acting like a real domestic cat.

Keith smiled when he saw her straight on her bed, without excessive sweating and nightly fears. Pidge finally looks healthier.

''Good morning, Kitty rose.''

''Hey ...'' Keith made a face at the nickname she had given him since they found the red lion, taking the cloth he found on her lap to wet it again. ''Do you feel better?''

''Much better, thanks to you.''

''That is great. Hungry?''

''Not really, I'm just kind thirsty. My mouth feels dry yet.''

''Okay, I'll go get you some water.''

''You?'' Pidge commented funny. ''You don't have to do. How much time are you taking care of me?''

''Since ... That you fainted? Why?'' She looked surprised, didn't expect Keith was really confused by his words. ''Is it so strange that I worry about my partners?'' His voice had sounded more defensive than Pidge would have liked, had pissed him off a bit without meaning to.

''I didn't mean it, it's just strange that you worry about me now. You know?'' Pidge said honestly, avoiding generating a misunderstanding, the last thing she needed after waking up was an unnecessary discussion. ''You can tell Hunk or Lance to help me a little, you don't need to follow the orders from Shiro. I'm awake now.''

''Shiro didn't give me the order to take care of you, Pidge. I've done it voluntarily since I found you in the shower.''

The words were stuck in Pidge's mouth after that statement, which surely Keith didn't want to say aloud either since the red color on his cheeks could easily rival her own, at least Pidge could excuse herself that she still had some fever.

Keith had found her, naked, in the showers.

Keith had seen her.

A sharp pang came to her head as thoughts began to overwhelm her, worrying Keith and slightly pulling them out of the embarrassing situation. She still felt sick, so, with a wave of Keith's hand, she lay back on her bed again.

''You better keep resting, I'll tell Lance to come to take care of you so you feel more comfortable.''

She was silent for a few seconds, trying to resist growing pain in her body. Although she felt better, she was still sick. She looked at Keith again when he placed the cloth on her forehead, much colder before removing it.

''Thank you ... '' She whispered, with a weak smile on her lips, Keith mimicked the gesture. ''You know, for everything.''

''You don't need to thank me. And for your information, I really care for you Pidge, you're part of my family.''

Pidge snuggled sweetly into Keith's palm as a gesture of thanks, his touch felt good on her warm skin. And his words had touched her inside, for a long time she hadn't seen Keith's tender side. After a few seconds in comfortable silence, he spoke.

''Don't ever demand in that way again, I know you're worried about your brother, but you worried all of us when I found you unconscious.''

''How much time has passed?''

''About two days.'' Pidge moaned loudly, had lost two days of research. Keith perhaps guessed his thoughts when he laughed at her reaction. ''I'll go find you something to eat.'' She nodded softly, but before Keith closed the door, she caught his attention.

''Come back with more water, I'm still not fine, you know? I might need you to keep watching me.''

Pidge didn't know if seeing him laughing while he closed the door or the slight flush in his ears had made her feel, strangely, much better health.

Or maybe, it had been the thought that he would take care of her again.

Continue in Day 9: Stripped.