Captured: Pidge -- (VLD)

Comfort

Pidge seemed to be awakening, and subsequently falling asleep more often than usual these days. Yet even as she lay there pondering this, she wanted to go back to sleep. Sleep was blissful, and dreams were sweet. Reality was harsh and guilt threatened to crush her under its enormous weight. Yet awaken she did, coming around and finding herself in her own room, where a glass of water sat next to a gently snoring Lance.

Pidge smiled, she was pretty sure that Lance had intended to be there when she woke up. She wondered how long he had been sitting there if he had managed to fall asleep. The answer caused her to frown. She must have been out for a while.

Silently, Pidge slipped from the bed, being careful to not disturb the blue paladin as she opened the door and stepped out into the hall.

It was silent, the castle plunged in darkness due to the late hour. Pidge hurried forward, making her way to the light of the kitchen, where nourishing food goo waited for her. It had been so long since she had eaten.

Pidge rushed into the kitchen, already midway to the goo machine when she noticed the room's other occupant. She turned to look at him and blushed at the intensity of his gaze.

"Lance fell asleep, didn't he?" Keith deadpanned, causing Pidge to smile again. Keith felt his lips twitch upwards at the gesture. It had been so long since he had seen that last.

"...Yeah." She whispered hoarsely, and Keith nudged the untouched glass of water in front of him towards her. She eyed it, remembering the glass by her bedside from Lance. She had ignored it in favour of food, but she was parched nonetheless.

Pidge sat down beside him, greedily gulping down the glass, savouring the taste of the liquid in her dry mouth. As soon as she set it down, Keith grabbed the now empty glass and refilled it for her. Pidge tried to protest, but grabbed it from his hands and downed the contents once more.

"Are you okay?" Keith asked when she had slowed down her drinking enough to hold a conversation.

"I've... been better." she supplied, dropping her head into folded arms on the table.

"Shiro says not to ask you anything about the other day;" Keith said, staring at Pidge's long tousled hair. He watched as Pidge reached up to tug it out of the way before continuing. "But I don't think keeping secrets helps anyone."

"It's not really something I want to talk about." Pidge replied hesitantly, turning to stare at the cabinet. She didnt want to see the pity that she knew was in Keith's eyes.

"No one blames you for killing someone. We'd all have done the same."  Keith said slowly, unsure of himself.

"I rescued you from the camp. I know more than the others about what you went through. And I--" he paused, reaching into the cabinet to pull out a second glass. He filled this with water in silence, before taking a long sip, trying to put his thoughts into words.

"I just want you to know that we're here. If you want- if you need to talk." Keith had never been a people person, but if Pidge needed his support he would try, because that's what friends- no, family was for.

Keith barely registered Pidge moving before he found himself wrapped in a tight hug from the tiny green paladin.

"Thank you." She whispered, and Keith tightened his hold. He decided that having Pidge in his arms assured him that she was still there- alive in the Castle of Lions. Pidge, too, found the embrace to be comforting, and tucked her chin into his chest.

"You're welcome." He replied quietly, rubbing her back in soothing circles.

When they had both finished embracing, they pulled apart, Pidge tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear with an annoyed grimace.

"You should take a shower." Keith said awkwardly, staring at her tangled hair again.

"Why? Do I smell like nunville?" Pidge asked playfully. Keith nodded seriously, and she felt her cheeks darkening.

"Oh..." She whispered, nodding in agreement. She turned on her heel and was about to leave the room when she remembered that Lance was currently asleep in her room.

"I don't wanna disturb Lance," Pidge mumbled. "I'd prefer if he stayed asleep right now..."

"You can use mine, then." Keith said, and Pidge nodded again, letting Keith lead her from the kitchen and into his quarters.

When she had finished, Keith presented her with her clothes and a promise that it had been Allura that had changed her.

The ship's night cycle had finished and she felt emotionally ready to face the other paladins and her family. Except for one thing.

"Do you want me to cut it for you?" Keith offered as she tugged at her now knot free hair. Now that it wasn't tangled like a rat's nest, it reached its complete length- past her shoulders.

"Please" she whined, already sick of the long hair that her younger self had favoured. It just wasn't practical in space, and she had grown accustomed to the short hair that allowed her to attend the Garrison under Iverson's watchful eye.

Keith sat her down on his bed and began to cut, running his knife gently through the locks to thin them and cut them. It made Pidge feel more like herself, yet the guilt that comes with murder still rested on her shoulders, causing her to sigh.

"What is it?" Keith asked, not pausing in his hairdressing.

"I just... don't want anyone to think differently of me." She confessed, slouching a little as the words came out.

"They won't." Keith assured. Pidge was surprised by his answer. It sounded so confident. Firm. Certain.

Keith announced her hair done and she turned to face him, crossing her legs in front of her.

"How are you so sure?" She asked, staring at Keith in confusion with owlish eyes. He noticed she wasn't wearing her glasses. In fact, she hadn't worn them at all for a while.

"They won't see a murderer when they look at you Pidge, because you're not. They'll just see Pidge" Keith said, struggling to find the words he needed to say to get her to understand. "I mean- that's all I see, so I know they will too."

Pidge said nothing, her face skeptical. Keith sighed, standing from his position and leading her to the Bridge.

He asked Coran to patch a message through and called for the other paladins and the Princess, Pidge protesting in the background all the while. Keith was never good with words, but the rest of the team could help him. He knew they would, just as they had done in the past.

Because Pidge needed help, and everybody aboard this ship would enter hell for her.