Late Night Terrors

Sleep Deprivation

For the next few weeks after that night, Lance found Pidge more often than not knocking on his door after she woke from a nightmare. The blue paladin would welcome her in with a soft smile, helping her calm before leading her back to her own room. He stayed with her until she was back to sleep, before heading back to his own bed.

Sleep deprivation was nothing new to him, he was always awake at those hours anyways. While he wished his friend didn't have to dream such startling things, he was genuinely grateful to be of help. After all, there wasn't much else the boy felt he could do.

So when Pidge's dreams became far less frequent, her visits nearly non existent, Lance was left alone again. The closeness he felt growing with her on those silent nights seemed nowhere to be found, as they acted as if nothing had happen during he days.

All five of the paladins, as well as Allura and Coran, were sat at the table for dinner. Hunk had made something this time, but unfortunately for Lance's taste buds -which felt eager to taste something besides green goop- his stomach didn't feel welcoming of any of it. This wasn't a rare occurrence for him, the other's easily convinced that he had eaten too much throughout the day to be hungry.

As he pushed his plate away, his appetite filled with repetitive thoughts, Pidge was the first to say something. "Aren't you hungry, Lance? We were in the lions all day." She pointed out, surely hinting that it was unlikely he had eaten much.

Naturally, Lance pulled on a grin. "What, are you worried, Pidge? Awe. Nah, I'm too tired to be hungry." He stood up. "I'm gonna go hit the sack, thanks for the meal, Hunk." With a wink, the dark brown haired boy left to his room, leaving the six to finish in peace. They were probably better off without his dumb jokes, anyways.

***

A soft knock is what pulled Lance from his thoughts, for the first time in days now, and he looked up to his door. He was sat on his bed, his covers practically untouched and his knees pulled to his chest. After a pause, and another more eager knock, the boy got up and let Pidge in.

She had her blanket wrapped around herself, her body trembling noticeably. When she saw Lance, tears she had been holding back began to fall. The sliding door shut obediently behind her as she stepped in, letting the blanket fall. "Lance.." Was all she murmured, before his arms were wrapped protectively around her.

Of the many nights Lance has opened his door to her, this was one of the few that she had still been crying when she arrived -even if he had said many times she could come immediately. "Hey, hey. It's alright, I've got you. We're all here." He spoke to her in a soft voice, his hand stroking her hair as he recalled his mother doing the same to him when he was still a child.

Pidge's arms were tightly around his waist, a surprising strength from such a small person nearly knocking the breath out of him. Neither teen was sure of just how long they stood there, the only sound an occasional comforting whisper from Lance or a soft whimper from Pidge, before she finally spoke up in a shaky tone.

"Are you okay, Lance?" She looked up at him, her big brown eyes glistening with a mix of her finally stopped tears and worry.

This question took Lance by surprised, but he answered with a smile. "Of course. Although that's a pretty silly question, you're the one with watery eyes." He let out a soft chuckle and lead the girl to his bed, letting her to sit down beside him. "Was it the same dream as before? Do you want to talk about it?" He inquired, wiping her cheeks with soft thumbs.

She gave a slight shake of her head. "It was different. It.." Pidge leaned against him, looking at the wall of the dark room. "When you didn't answer the first time I knocked, I thought that maybe it wasn't just a dream. I thought you left." She sniffled and wiped her nose on her sleeve.

"Left?" Lance frowned at that. Why would that make her cry? So long as he left behind his lion, they could find someone else to help them form Voltron. They didn't need him, he was just a filler. "You thought the blue lion was gone, you mean?"

Pidge shook her head. "No, you. I thought that maybe you got in a shuttle and left. You miss your family, and you're sick of space goo, a-and-"

"Hey, hey. Slow down, Pidgey. I mean, who doesn't miss their family and Earth food?" He grinned playfully down at her. "And besides, it's not like I'm the only one who can pilot the blue lion. I'm sure that Allura or Coran could if-"

"That isn't what I mean!" The girl huffed and looked at him, her face formed into a scowl that pulled the grin from his lips. "I'm not talking about the blue lion, I'm talking about you, Lance. This has nothing to do with Voltron."

Lance blinked slowly, his eyebrows furrowing. "I don't get it. What exactly does this have to do with your dream? I don't see why me leaving would make you cry." He said honestly, realizing that perhaps he should take a more serious tone with the conversation. Pidge seemed more upset than usual, and he didn't want to make it worse. He didn't want her to stop coming to him.

"How can you be so stupid sometimes?" Pidge sighed and turned, wrapping her arms around his neck and meeting his startled eyes. "Isn't it obvious? I dreamed that you left, Lance. Not only did you leave, but the Galra got you. Not the lion, just you. This team needs you. Not just because you're a paladin, but because you're our friend, our family. We need your stupid jokes and idiotic friendliness."

"P-Pidge.." His eyes were slightly wide, his cheeks flushed with a blush. "Pidge, I-I get it, I get it. Back up already, you're so close.." He wasn't sure he fully understood her words, if he was honest. Surely Pidge was tired, just startled from her dream. But.. Part of him felt a ping of happiness hearing what she had said. It was the first time since he had become the blue paladin that anyone had expressed wanting him to stay here. 

At his comment, the tired eyed girl blushed as well when she realized their closeness. Instead of pulling away, though, she gave his warm cheek a kiss before pressing her face into his neck. "Can I just sleep here? So that I know you'll still be in the castle when I wake up?" She asked a bit shyly, hugging him a bit more tightly.

Lance let a small smile crawl onto his lips, a genuine one. "Of course, Pidge. Whatever helps you sleep." He murmured in response.

It wasn't long before both paladins were fast asleep, the covers pulled lazily over them. Pidge was pressed comfortably against Lance's chest, his arms securely around her. While it would only be a few hours before they had to wake up and untangle themselves from each other, it would be the best sleep lance had gotten since home.

#I scrolled through the fukin Langst tag today and so I needed a lil in my life. But also LANCE DESERVES TO BE HAPPY AND SO DOES PIDGE SO yeah have some Langst but also Pidgance cuz y not.#