Day 12. And guess what. It's:

Pidge

Keith couldn't sleep.

It has just been so crazy for the last couple of months. Stress and anxiety gnawed on his insides day after day, making him feel sick. Shiro was gone. That whole battle against Zarkon... it was a mistake. The war has ended, but with a cost. Keith turned onto his side and let out a huff of frustration. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw it again. The bayard stuck into the lion, the seat empty. His eyes snapped open. He wasn't gonna rest anytime soon.

He decided that trying wasn't gonna help either, so he pushed himself up and got out of bed. He walked toward the door, not minding to put his boots on. He walked down the echoey hallways, nothing but the sound of his own breath whispering in his ears.

It was lonely in the castle. Tension so thick in the air, Keith felt like he was trying to walk underwater. Breathing was difficult. He stopped his pace and sat down in the middle of the floor. He took deep breaths, chasing away the panic attack.

His breathing became shaky when he closed his eyes. An empty chair. Alone Bayard. No one holding the pedals. No stupid, kind smile. No 'we did it'. No Shiro. His eyes snapped open when he felt the hot tears start to slide down his cheeks. He held his breath before he started crying anymore. He sat in the middle of the hall. Frozen. His knees drawn up to his chest, hands in his hair, holding his breath.

"Keith?" He wasn't sure how long he sat like that but the sound of his name brought him back to reality. "Keith!" He heard footsteps behind him, drawing closer. Keith didn't know why he hasn't moved yet. "Ke- oh no. Keith! Keith, breath!" the voice was next to him now. He turned his attention to the person kneeling next to him. Pidge was there. Her hair was wild and her glasses askew. They glinted a bit in the blue light.

As soon as his eyes found Pidge's honey brown ones, he let out the breath he forgot he was holding. His head was buzzing less and didn't feel as heavy. He coughed a bit, his head throbbing with the pressure. He saw Pidge sit down next to him and felt her rub his back. "What were you doing? Holding a breath holding contest with the wall?" Keith shook his head, still feeling a little dazed, so it probably looked like he nodded. By the annoyed groan Pidge gave, it probably was a nod. "What made you think that was a good idea?"

Keith lowered his hands from his hair and buried his face in his arms. He gritted his teeth, trying to suppress any crying. He couldn't cry in front of Pidge. But he let out a sharp sob and held his breath again, trying to cover it up. But he felt Pidge's hand jerk and knew that she heard him. "Keith?" He heard her skeptical voice. Keith didn't reply. Pidge sighed and sat down next to him. She grabbed him close to her chest and hugged him. Keith tried to jerk away but instead, his hands came around her back and hugged her.

Pidge didn't say anything. She just held on and rubbed his back in soothing circles. They sat in the floor for a while before Pidge broke the hug. She got to her feet and held out her hand for Keith. He accepted her hand and was helped to his feet. He followed her aimlessly around the castle until they got to the lounge. She sat down and gestured for him to sit next to her. "Sit down," she demanded.

Keith listened, sitting down next to her. He didn't like the silence that followed. She simply stared at Keith as he suppressed the tears from falling. "Is this about Shiro?" Keith looked back at her with surprise.

"What?"

She leaned forward, looking up at him curiously. "Is this about Shiro? Sitting in the middle of the floor on the edge of a breakdown?" Keith tore his gaze from her. He simply shrugged. She sighed and played with her shirt. "I know how that feels. When dad and Matt were assumed dead, I - I couldn't get my head clear. I did so many things against the law just to find them. It's…" she trailed off. "It's really hard." Keith nodded. He stared at the floor blankly. He felt Pidge's hand fall on his shoulder. "It gets better after a while. It's hell for the first few days but, then you get something and… Quiznack! It's still hell. But you know that they are alive and it makes everything so much better."

Keith sighed. "I - I know. I know it's hard, I definitely feel it. But I also feel like… we won't get a lead on him. That maybe he's…"

Pidge nodded in understanding. "Yeah... I once felt the same. Thought that maybe they were dead. But I never stopped, despite what anyone said. Despite what I thought. We're gonna find Shiro, Keith. We're gonna find him."

Keith gave a dry laugh, "I guess we're at stage one again, huh? The Kerberos Team is gone, you're looking for Matt and your father. I'm looking for Shiro."

Pidge smiled. "This time... you're not alone."

I love their friendship. Anyone who follows me on Tumblr (yelmor-boots) knows that by now.