One More Night || kidge au

Just a Word

Pidge, with Keith, watched as the shadow retreated from view. She waited with bated breath for them to come back, but there was nothing but silence that waited for them. Along with the intruder, it sounded like even Allura had left the house when there nothing else to be heard. Just to be safe, they waited another few minutes before she even dared to speak.

"I think he's gone," she croaked in a strangled whisper.

While Keith didn't respond, she followed his lead out of the closet when he pushed the doors open. After the coast was clear, he offered a hand. Taking it, he tugged her to her feet and she fumbled. Her legs felt like jelly; relieved she had someone be there with her when she had a close call with something (or someone) so dangerous and that it had passed. The feeling only grew since she knew that Keith had been safe despite his search for her through the house.

She wrapped her arms around his torso when it felt as though her relief with the situation had taken away her ability to walk.

"Thanks, Keith," she murmured against his skin, her face pressed against his chest.

She didn't know she was shaking until Keith's voice was a quiet whisper. "Pidge? Pidge, hey." He tugged her arms from around him to hold them in his hands. "Hey, he's gone so we're..." His voice trailed off and he frowned, "... Pidge?"

"They could've got you."

The moment the words came out, she realized how true it was... how terrifying it was. Her heart ached at the idea of Keith getting hurt because of her. He had ventured through the house looking for her, without knowing where the intruders were and when they could've attacked Keith. The very thought sent cold chills through her; a fear that something could have happened and yet, the rational side of her believed he could've handled himself just well enough until she stopped being a chicken or when the others came back.

His hands squeezed hers and her gaze shot up to his blue-grey ones that were warm with an emotion that she couldn't stop the strange but delightful feeling of warmth spreading from her chest.

"But he didn't," he said, his voice sounding softer than she had ever heard him before. A hand came to her cheek that she felt the back of his fingers caress it. She sighed, leaning slightly into his touch that his hand stilled.

"I know you could've probably handled yourself if you were to, you know, engage the person that was here, but..." She bit her lower lip. "Our friends were on the beach and it's only me here and I was hiding in a stupid closet." The feeling of sudden frustration welled up inside her. The chilling trepidation of being watched, of her place of stay being invaded when she should've prepared herself to fight, and being uselessly hiding in a closet when she could've not made Keith or anyone else worry about what was happening.

"So if something happened to you, I wouldn't have found out until I finally came out of the closet or..." she trailed off, her eyes dropping to her hands that were enveloped in Keith's.

She felt exposed and was being forced to be rubbed raw of emotions that came from the danger that was slowly leaving her system. But she needed to talk about this, to let Keith know how important he was to her.

There was a moment that passed between them before he finally spoke.

"Pidge."

His voice was low and firm that she almost winced. When she didn't look up, she felt his hand move from her cheek to her chin, angling her head up to face him.

"Hey, you were scared; that's okay," he said. But he gave a small reassuring smile. "Knowing you, I think you would've figured something out. You're resourceful and a force to be reckoned with that I almost feel sorry for anyone who gets in your way."