The Silent Kind

Episode 3

Frost dusted the ground outside, glittering in the glare of the motion sensitive spotlight designed to scare deer out of the yard. Four of them grazed placidly in its light. Keith watched them through the bedroom window trying to remember if there was enough room in the freezer. After a while he decided he didn't want to gut the thing in this cold. For the first freeze of the winter this was a bitter one, dropping into the low 20s. Sure it was nothing compared to the cold up north (in Yankeeland) but it came on suddenly and this old house didn't exactly have central heating. Keith could only hope he'd wrapped the pipes enough and that the water pressure would hold a drip till it warmed up. Which would be in about sixteen hours when it was forecast to be in the upper 70s. Because Texas.

For now though it was too cold to go outside so Keith pulled a book off the shelf by the bed and wandered back to the living room, pausing to turn on the little heater on Pidge's nightstand before closing the door behind him. The rabbit followed along the edge of its domain in the foyer but Keith ignored the beast. It was contained. The cat on the kitchen table though.

"Mog," he growled at the thing and she just sauntered toward him, stood prettily at the table's edge and arched her back as if expecting he would pet her. When he narrowed his eyes she just turned a circle with a plaintive little mew. "Get off the table," he grumbled at her. She sat down then reached a paw toward him in a gentle grabbing motion and mewed again. "Spoiled little princess," he muttered as he gave in and stroked a hand down her back then wrapped it under her belly and picked the little gray cat up. She squalled but didn't really fight it as he held her to his shoulder and took the three steps to set her down on the back of the couch next to Pidge.

"Moogle," Pidge cooed when the cat reached out to paw at her shoulder. The cat mewled another kitten sound then daintily climbed down and curled up on Pidge's arms between her and the laptop. The girl arched a brow then experimentally tapped her fingers, found that she could still type, so just shrugged and let the cat stay there.

Keith watched with slight disapproval then rolled his eyes and shook his head as he walked around the couch to sit on the dog. It moved faster this time and slunk to the floor then laid down on top of Keith's feet once he was settled. It was warm so he didn't complain and just opened his book to read.

They sat together in near silence, only the tapping of Pidge's keyboard and occasional scrape of paper as Keith turned a page to break the quiet. It was good being so close to someone like this. Comfortable without trading words. To just enjoy each other's presence. Even when Pidge put her frigid toes into his side it didn't ruin Keith's peace. He just pulled the little fleece blanket off the back of the couch and wrapped her legs in it then idly rubbed her feet through the soft fabric with his free hand as he went back to reading.

After a while Keith glanced up at the clock between chapters and realised they'd been sitting like that a few hours. He tilted his head to look at the girl next to him. Computer glare framed her face in a pale glow that glinted off her glasses. She was doing that thing with her lips curled up at one side and slightly pouty but mostly annoyed that meant she was having trouble with something. Keith knew better than to ask what. It would set her off on a tirade he wouldn't understand a word of and she'd not be any closer to figuring it out for the talking. Maybe Hunk could help her but all Keith was good for with things like this was staying quiet and letting her work.

Sometimes he felt bad about it. Didn't help that all of Pidge's technobabble paid about twice what his twelve hour shifts in the hot sun, driving rain, and bitter cold would never add up to. She didn't have to put in two months advance for time off. She was allowed time off. Not that she really needed it, working from home like she did. And she'd never been shot at. Or pulled a body out of the lake. Keith shook his head with a little frown, pushed the jealousy away. Really, he was proud of her for breaking the glass ceiling. Not many women were information security specialists and even fewer were paid as well as her to do it. She'd worked hard and earned her white hat. Sometimes a little too hard.