Do not own Voltron or its plotlines, settings or characters.

"I just don't get it. They're all acting strange and for the life of me I can't figure out what's caused it."

Veronica chuckled at the frustrated look Pidge was giving the bolt that refused to loosen. "Come on Katie, you really don't see it?"

Pidge shook her head and grit her teeth. "If I knew what it was I wouldn't be asking you now would I?"

Veronica sighed. "Wow okay you really don't know. Okay how do I put this? You're an adult right?"

Pidge rolled her eyes. "Yes Veronica being that I am twenty five years old I would classify myself as an adult."

"Exactly. I know you're an adult and you know you're an adult. In fact almost everyone knows you're an adult, except apparently, Lance and Keith."

"They still see me as a kid?"

"You've always been smaller than they are and younger. They've always gone the extra mile to protect you and in the process they've over looked the fact that you are in fact an adult."

"Still doesn't explain why they're being weird."

"Their noses are out of joint because you're getting attention from a guy."

Pidge frowned. "What guy? Who?"

Veronica smacked the palm of her hand to her forehead. "The new guy Eric!"

Pidge tried again to loosen the bolt. "You mean Lieutenant O'Callaghan?"

"Yes Pidge. He's been flirting with you for weeks."

She froze and looked at Veronica with a panicked look and dropped the wrench. "He has?"

Her friend chuckled. "You haven't noticed?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying." Pidge frowned and wiped the sweat from her brow. It was warm today and she was working on the cruisers in the hanger.

Veronica looked at her younger friend very carefully. "Why not give him a shot? Don't you ever get lonely by yourself?"

Pidge sighed and picked up the wrench. "Sometimes but I guess I just never found someone I really clicked with you know? I guess I figure if dating isn't working for me why keep doing it right? Plus I'm not attracted to him."

"But you've had boyfriends before, been on dates. It's not like you're a virgin, I mean Griffin took care of that."

"What?!"

Pidge in her shock at hearing Lances voice unexpectedly yanked on the bolt that little bit harder and ended up getting sprayed in the face and chest with oil. Reaching into her pocket for a rag she wiped her face and whipped around.

"Oh Lance please, don't be so touchy she's a big girl." Veronica grouched.

Pidge was lost for words. Lance started ranting about one thing or another to do with her dating life but her focus was solely on the only other silent person in the room. Keith. He seemed frozen on the spot with shock. She took a step toward them only for Keith to turn around and walk out of the hanger.

"Keith!" Pidge called out at the same time Veronica yelled "Enough!".

Lance stopped his rant, looked to entrance of the hanger then to Pidge and must have realised something because he sighed. When she started forward he put his hand up.

"Pidge before you go apologising to anyone you didn't do anything wrong. We've just been struggling with the idea of you being all grown up. Especially with the new guy sniffing around. I guess we never thought of you actually being an adult. I'm sorry."

"It's okay, I guess I never really made a point of making you guys see me that way either. Should I go after him?"

"Nah, he'll be fine. He probably just needs time to process. I however want to know everything."

Pidge groaned and resigned herself to being the centre of girl talk until Lance was satisfied he knew everything about her dating life. It took over half an hour but they were now in the mess hall getting some food. Lance bid them goodbye as he noticed Keith across the room and said he'd catch up with them later. Pidge looked up in that direction and noticed Keith and James Griffin having what looked like quite a serious conversation. Pidge frowned. Veronica noticed where her attention had landed and raised her brows.

"What do you think is going on over there?"

Lance placed a hand on a clearly agitated Keith's shoulder and Pidge started to put her tray down on the table. "Nothing good, I'm going to-"

Before Pidge could finish her sentence Keith punched James square in the nose. Her tray hit the table with a clang as she ran over to the centre of the scene. Stepping between an angry Keith and an annoyed Griffin she glared at them both.

"What the hell is going on here?"

Keith and James glared at each other before simultaneously responding. "Nothing."

She pinched the bridge of her own nose, ignored the blood trickling from James' nose and looked at Ketih for an explanation. "Keith?"

"It's nothing Pidge."

She growled then turned to James. "James?"

James glared at Keith. "He asked a question, I answered." Keith growled.

"About what?" she asked somehow knowing before James looked down at her exactly what their topic of conversation had been. Pidge sighed. "Fine, Kincade? Take Griffin to medical, his nose needs to get looked at."

When they had turned and walked away she turned towards Keith and Lance. Lance rubbed the back of his neck. "You know I forgot I had to go see Hunk about something, see you guys later." Before either could say anything Lance was gone.

Keith turned to walk away. "Nope, you're coming with me."

Keith's brow arched. "Excuse me?"

She glared at him. "Outside. Now."

Once they were outside and in a less crowded area Pidge whirled on him. "What the hell is wrong with you?" Keith scowled but stayed silent. "Seriously you can't go around punching people."

"I had good reason."

"What reason?!" he looked at her then the ground. "Me?" His shoulders stiffened and she sighed. "Keith you can't go around attacking the guys I've slept with."

He winced and looked away with anger in his eyes. "I didn't like what he had to say."

"I'm an adult!"

"I am well aware." He growled.

She stopped then and looked at him noticing the slight pink tinge to his cheeks. "Keith, are you acting like this because you're being an over protective big brother? Or is it something else?"

His eyes bounced up to hers and she could clearly see the panic there. Bingo. She tried to still the now rapid beating of her own heart. Keep a lid on the overwhelming happiness that wanted to break free at the fact that he may actually want her.

"Keith? Talk to me."

He sighed. "I can't. If I do it'll change everything forever and I don't know if I'm ready for that."

She took a deep breath and decided now was the moment, all or nothing. She took a few steps closer and sat on the bench he stood in front of. Leaning forward she placed her elbows on her knees and looked up at him.

"You know I already told Lance earlier but you should know too." He frowned slightly and looked down at her eyes. "When I was nineteen, you and Hunk were off world. Lance was with his family. I'd been trying to reach out more with others and I wanted to connect with someone so I started spending more time with James."

"Pidge you don't have to."

"Yes I do so shut up and listen." When he effectively did as she told him to she continued. "We were friends and I decided I had had enough with being a little girl in everyone's eyes and I know people didn't really think it but having that label hanging over you can be daunting. So we talked about it and I asked James if he could help me out. He was someone I trusted and cared for, who I knew trusted and cared for me in return. There was never any romantic feelings. He knew he wasn't what I really wanted and I knew I wasn't what he really wanted either."

Keith's hands fisted by his sides. "He used you."

She stood up sighing. "We used each other for a means to an end. I helped him build his confidence talking to women and he helped me become one."

"Pidge."

She shook her head. "Do you know why I chose him? Out of everyone?" When Keith's brow just furrowed in confusion she smiled sadly. "I chose him because he reminded me of you."

Keith's eyes widened. "What?"

"So now you know."

Keith's heart started to race. "Pidge." She shrugged and kept her gaze on the ground. Slowly, so as not to scare her he reached out and lifted her chin so he could see her eyes before resting his hand on the side of her cheek. "Katie."

She smiled at him with wet eyes and leaned into his palm. Taking a deep shaky breath she closed her eyes. Keith took the opportunity to lean in and press a soft chaste kiss to her lips. When he pulled away and opened his eyes he noted her lips slightly puckered forward as though she were chasing his. When her eyes opened they were clear with no tears.

Pressing his forehead to hers he smiled. "You know if you had come to me back then-"

"If I had known back then."

Keith sighed pressing a kiss to her forehead. "So many years."

She rolled her eyes. "Don't be such a downer."

"I just, Griffin? Really?"

She chuckled and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Keith?"

"Yeah?"

"You gonna keep thinking about Griffin? Or are you gonna kiss me again?"

Keith's free hand lifted and settled on her waist, gently pulling her to him. His thumb softly traced back and forth over her cheek. She sighed in contentment and lifted her face as he leaned in.

"You know, you're going to have to tell Lieutenant kiss ass to back off right?"

Pidge laughed and leaned into him resting her head on his shoulder. "He was never even in the picture."

"Could've fooled me." He grumbled.

She grinned and lifted her head, giving him a peck on the lips. "Never pegged you for the jealous type."

He rolled his eyes. "I'm not."

"Sure."

Keith sighed. "We should get back."

"You're probably right. If Lance presses his face any tighter against that window he'll go right through it."

He chuckled and led her back inside where, unsurprisingly, many people jumped away from the window.