Disclaimer: I do not own VLD.

It's not very often anyone other than Shiro or Allura stays for an extended visit in PIdge's lair (though that had more to do with the creepy, infected crystal than the distance from the control room or the intense level of focus multiplied by Pidge's constant stream of muttered variables and hypotheses), usually anyone else is there to question what time the smallest Paladin had last slept or eaten.

So, when Lance shuffles through the doorway and refuses to make eye contact all while loudly not making a joke or saying some ridiculous form of 'hello', Pidge braces for probably the most awkward conversation in either of their lives and that maybe, just maybe, she might wind up punching him after all.

Without looking away from the computer screen, fingers clacking out a pattern that seemed to speed up when he comes close to the desk. "We don't have to have this conversation, y'know. We don't have to make it awkward."

He scratches the back of his head and laughs, his voice pitched higher than normal. "I don't know what you're talking about. What awkward? Buddy, you might wanna check the zero g lev- Yeah, okay so, that's exactly what it is and what I'm about to do."

Pidge takes a deep breath and pulls their glasses off to clean away a smudge. "But it doesn't have to be. I didn't tell everyone to make everything awk-"

"No, you're definitely not the awkward, it was never on you. This...is on me. I was the only one that didn't know and, looking back, I've said and done a couple of stupi-"

"A couple?"

"Okay, a lot. And I do feel bad, but I don't know what to feel bad for, actually. Was it assuming you were a dude and just being a complete jerk? Or would it have been suspicious of you not being a dude? Or, as Hunk has recently enlightened me, I'm still a little confused on what all he said, but it was something to the effect that it doesn't really matter and that I should really feel crummy about assigning strict gen-"

"Lance, you're rambling."

"Right, sorry. Okay, look. Shiro gave me an idea of how to go about this, so if this completely blows up in my face, it's definitely his fau-"

"Lance."

He takes a deep breath and thrusts out his hand to Pidge. "Name's Lance, former fighter pilot, former, former cargo pilot from Garrison. Recently went AWOL on a conspiracy and rescue mission to defend the universe, maybe you've heard of me and my team. We're the cool looking Lions takin' over the skies."

A smile tugs at Pidge's mouth as they returns the handshake. "Nice to meet ya, I'm Katie 'Pidge' Holt. Formerly a Galaxy Garrison computer specialist, current inventor and stealth and infiltration specialist. And, yeah, I think I've heard of you guys before."

Lance lets go of their hand and relaxes his shoulders. "So...what now? I mean, you still okay with going by Pidge?"

"Definitely, I'll knock you out the first and only time you call me Katie. Think of the bayard incident."

"Alright, does any of my behavior need to change, Paladin?" Lance puffs out his chest and places his fists on his hips, earning him an amused snort from Pidge.

They hold up their hand, ticking off each finger. "Your table manners could use some work, if you stopped flirting with everyone for like five minutes you could really accomplish something in a calendar year, and-"

Before he can check himself, he's yanking Pidge into a headlock (careful of the glasses haphazardly perched on their nose) and rakes his knuckles over their head. "I think you've made your point, thanks for letting me down easy, bud." But then, Lance violently shakes, jerking away and cringing. "I-I'm sorry, I shouldn't have just yanked you in like that- t-that was-"

"No, that was actually a good start." Pidge brushes down a wild lock of hair and grins.

"Soooo, what else? Are you- no, I mean identify-"

"I'm a female that can run circles around you guys and even give Coran a run for his money with using my 'feeble human synapses' to comprehend advanced alien tech. Except sometimes I'm not, I mean I can kick your butt in three gears: pink shirt with matching headband, skinny jeans, skater shorts or any version of uniform, just not necessarily as a strict gender all of the time, or really any of the time because it's exceedingly ridiculous how they expect you to feel and act a certain way for your entire like and never even deviate or think about other possibilities and-"

Lance winces slightly, for once unsure of interrupting. "Pidge, you're rambling at a rate that's freaky."

A blush rises to their cheeks and Pidge runs a hand through their hair again, laughing nervously. "Guess I am, huh?"

"Uh, don't get me wrong, it's important stuff, but I'm playing catch up here after a serious injuries. I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that this place is a ship."

They swallow. "Y-yeah, I guess it is a lot to learn in one night."

Lance slides a hand in his jacket pocket, smirking down as he uses his other to ruffle Pidge's hair one more time. "Next time definitely. And we both know I'll probably need several sessions to keep up with a braniac like you." He clears his throat and ticks his head up. "Back to our original point, though. You're going to make me admit it, aren't you?"

"Oh, absolutely." Their grin is nothing short of devious.

The blue paladin sits down in a huff, bracing his hands on his knees. "Fine then, you can kick my butt no matter what you're wearing and still run circles around me and at the end of the day you're still Pidge, no matter what. You're crazy smart, it's almost scary, and you're the greatest tech specialist I've seen and Hunk and I would be lost without ya and Keith would probably pretty damn lonely. By the way, you have the worst hair cut I've ever seen - second only to Keith's mullet."

"I heard that!"

Lance startles in his seat, hard. "This is a private conversation! What are you doing?"

Keith yells back, "Shiro sent me on babysitting duty in case you completely screwed this up and Pidge kicked you into an airlock."

He shoots a glare to the empty doorway and twists his mouth. "Anyways, the hair point still stands." He doesn't catch himself this time as his hand finds its way back to the back of his head. "So...What're you comfortable with?"

Pidge folds their arms back behind their head, leaning back and smirking up at Lance. "Well, obviously, brilliant Paladin with the most metal bayard will do for everyday. But if we're talkin' special occasions-"

"Pidge."

"I thought you came to make sure he didn't screw this up!"

Keiths sighs, popping his head around the corner. "I'm also here to make sure you don't fry his brain or take advantage of him or sell him off for a corn chip or something."

"Fine." Pidge crosses their arms, a lopsided grin splitting their face. "It varies, y'know? I can't say pronouns are a big deal to me, this is just as new for me as it is for you. I never really thought about it before I had to go under. I know I'm Pidge and Katie, but I'll let you know as I get more acquainted with not having to be either or. We're cool now, right?"

Lance's grin falls from his face so quickly they can feel it drop in their stomach and a fear crests its way with the threat of overtaking them. "Not quite." He clears his throat and looks away to meets the other paladin's eye. "I got it from here, Keith."

Keith nods his head once and disappears from the doorway once more, but the soft pad of footsteps echoing farther and farther away is all the answer that's needed. Lance clears his throat and his shoulders are slumping forward and the brief, illogical thought of everything changing for the worst lodges itself uncomfortably in their throat.

Pidge swallows thickly. "L-Lance?"

Suddenly, Lance is looking at them with the most grave expression and speaks almost too quietly. "I- Your last name. That picture wasn't you and a girlfriend, it was taken with your brother, right?"

Pidge responds equally quiet, "The day he left, yeah."

"Your father, Sam, and older brother, Matt, were Shiro's mission partners on Kerberos." He doesn't think on it for long, otherwise his bravado will disperse (though it wasn't so much a bravado as it was the glaring question of 'What would Shiro do?'). He goes with it and it's awkward and embarrassing as he tries to find the right placement for his lanky arms around Pidge's much smaller shoulders. "That's why- for everything. I teased you about being obsessed with the mission and it never occurred to me that it could be something so important or even ask why. You've done everything to find them and I was-"

"Woah, woah, woah, Lance. The bone-crushing bear hug isn't needed." Pidge fidgets in his hold, they had never been particularly physically affectionate with each other and in a lot of ways their friendship is unstable in comparison to what they have individually with Hunk. (Though that was more of a solely-Hunk thing than anything else.) They try once more to wriggle their way out of his hold, but there's a definitive set in his wrists up to his elbows that's too inviting to fight against for long.

"Sorry, big brother code overrides all."

Each of his words juts his chin into their head.

Sourly, there's one more attempt to get away from his hold by jabbing their fingers into his side. It's what had worked with Matt and the similarity between those memories that felt too distant to feel again, slumps Pidge's head into his chest. They huff irritably, mumbling into his t-shirt. "I can take care of myself, you know, and you're not exactly captain responsible or remotely level-headed or anything."

"One of my younger brothers that's two inches shorter than me can bench press my weight and more, it's not about not thinkin' you can't take care of yourself. I'm not trying to replace him or anything, it's just a very strong pact that we're talking about here. We're going to find them and that, even though Shiro's much better suited for the job, I'm actually a legit Big Brother by birth and I'm lookin' out for ya, Pidge."

Their throat works around an emotion that had successfully been tamped down - until Shiro revealed he knew and now. The words hitch and pitch Pidge's voice. "Y-you're really weird and this hug is incredibly awkward and bony."

Lance snorts and moves away enough to catch Pidge's eye - immediately dropping his jaw and going pale when they don't scrub a tear away fast enough. His long limbs scrambling to snap away with enough force to knock them over. "Oh, wait. You're crying. This is bad. Oh man, Shiro's going to quiz my na-KEITH, COME BACK, I MESSED UP. A LITTLE HELP? MAYDA- UFF!"

Pidge surges forward, clutching the back of Lance's t-shirt in their fists. "No, It's okay, Lance. I miss him and that was a really nice thing you said."

A rugged sigh of relief deflates him enough that he lowers to the floor, laying on his back with his hands over his eyes. After a moment, he scrubs his hand over his face before finding purchase in his hair. "I literally saw my life flash before my eyes. Geez, give a guy a little warning, Pidge."

He stays quiet for a beat, focused on evening out his breathing and just generally trying to absorb everything. It catches Pidge off guard enough to topple over when he suddenly rockets forward to sit back up. Lance wildly gestured his hands out in front of him. "But don't things need to be different?! Like laundry day? Or we share a bathroom down our hallway, doesn't that, like, gross you out?"

"You're asking the person that's spent extended periods of time locked in simulators with you and Hunk?" Pidge sits back up, adjusting their glasses and leveling an unimpressed look on Lance.

He opens his mouth to rebut - finger raised and all - but his jaw makes an audible sound when it clicks shut. "Fair point, but still."

"I don't think anyone would pass up the chance to have a bathroom to themselves, thought it's not a deal breaker...Obviously. And if this is your way to get out of your shift on laundry day, it's not working." Pidge brought a hand to their chin in thought, throwing a conniving smirk at Lance. "But if it would make you feel better, I can train in my clothes and then, soak them in food goo so they'd smell like yours."

"Har, har, har."

a/n: I got this out more to figure out Pidge's voice in my fics and because, while it was just comedic relief in the show, Lance would have more than one reaction and definitely make sure Pidge knew he had their back no matter what.