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After becoming paladins, the five humans rarely had time to relax within the Castle of Lions. But when they did, they usually spent their time doing the one thing that didn’t make them even more tired than they already were: complain. Whether it was the space goo, training, or the latest Galra bad guy they had fought, when the paladins had time off, the topic was thoroughly complained about. Sometimes they complained together, all five of them, and sometimes they paired or grouped off for friendly commiseration. If the person was desperate, and frustrated at all the other paladins, they just yelled at the castle walls. It was more therapeutic than one might think.
(Why didn’t they complain to the sentient lions they piloted every day? Let’s just say that robotic cat problems and human paladin problems don’t always translate well. And the “10,000 years completely alone after my paladin died/betrayed me” complaint versus the “my space goo was burnt this morning” complaint sort of kills the mood.)
One day of complaints from one certain paladin ended up being particularly interesting, however. It ended with Hunk and Lance on their knees scrubbing the kitchen, Coran and Allura in need of a new Altean oven, Shiro and Pidge opening up, and Keith and Pidge finding out exactly how much of a threat they could be when they teamed up. It started, like most things the paladins complained about, with the Galra.
The day in question involved a mission that called for infiltration and destruction of a Galra warship. It had been going well, Pidge and Shiro had gotten inside the ship easily enough, with cover fire from Keith, Lance, and Hunk. The trio dealt enough damage that the Galrans inside the ship were too busy to pay close enough attention and catch the two stowaways. Unfortunately, the ship’s commander wasn’t as distracted as his crew. He caught Pidge and Shiro red-handed (purple-handed, if you asked Lance) stealing data from right under his nose. Before the two could react, he had started the ship’s self-destruct sequence and ordered his men to the escape pods.
The paladins outside the ship and the Alteans on the castle urged them to make a hasty escape. But Pidge had found a prison log, and believed that if they stayed for just a few ticks more, they might find out where their brother was. They were being adamant about wanting to stay and complete the data download despite the worries of the other four paladins. Finally, Shiro, knowing that they’d be blown to bits if they waited any longer, simply hoisted them over his shoulder and carried them back to the Green Lion. By the time the two arrived, there was no more room for argument, and Pidge piloted them back to the castle. But every tick closer to the Castle of Lions was a tick closer to Pidge blowing their top off.
Shiro, recognizing the anger they were displaying, as well as their need to cool off, fled to train as soon as they landed. Hunk bowed out to the kitchen for some lunch, and after some puppy eyes, Lance was offered the job of taste-testing. The three were good friends, but with Pidge as angry as they were, Hunk and Lance didn’t want to risk staying with Pidge to hear out their complaints. Lance still had Taser marks from the last time he stayed alone with Pidge when they complained. Never. Again. Allura and Coran didn’t even come down from where they were piloting the ship, not wanting to get caught in the crossfire. This, of course, left Pidge with Keith, alone in the team bonding room.
Pidge didn’t seem to care that they were gearing up to complain about Shiro to the person in the castle who knew and liked Shiro the best, and got right down to it. Keith, who knew enough not to argue, just flopped down on the couch, and settled in to listen to their complaints.
Something about the way Pidge was complaining was bothering him, though. They talked as if they were the only one who wanted to find Matt, like Shiro didn’t care. That could only mean one thing.
“You know he was fucking your brother, right,” Keith interrupted.
“What?!” Pidge shouted turning on him, “That’s not-“
“Possible? True?” Keith asked, rolling his eyes. He wasn’t surprised Pidge didn’t know, he could see Shiro was trying to distance himself, lead the team and bottle up his worries about Matt, only to then avoid and deter Pidge when they expressed the same worries. He sighed, “They definitely were. Not many people at the Garrison knew they were together, but I shared a room with Shiro. I cleaned those sheets. I woke up to them and sometimes, I walked in on them. Trust me, they were fucking.”
Pidge was stunned, there wasn’t a lot they didn’t know about their older brother, and for it to be something as big as this…. They could barely believe it.
“There was more to it though! I think they really loved each other”, Keith backtracked, realizing that blurting out about their sex life might not have been the best introduction to Matt and Shiro’s relationship.
“Why wouldn’t Matt tell me?” Pidge asked in shock, trying to process what they had just heard.
“And if they really were…,” Pidge paused, wrinkling their nose, “together, then why wouldn’t Shiro let me complete the download? There could have been information about where Matt is being held!”
“If they had told anyone about their relationship, then there was no way that they would have been sent to Kerberos together. And you know that communications from the Garrison to Earth were monitored, so no matter how much he wanted to, he couldn’t have told you. As for Shiro not letting you complete the download,” Keith got up from where he was lying on the couch to look Pidge in their eyes, “his relationship with Matt was probably his reason for getting you out of there. Whether you like it or not, that ship was going to blow, long before that download completed. I didn’t know Matt as well as you or Shiro, but it was obvious Matt loved you more than anything. More than Shiro, more than space, more than his technology...
“I think that protecting you, the person that Matt loves most, is Shiro’s way of coping with his absence. No matter how much he wants to find Matt, he won’t lose you in the process, he won’t let Matt down like that.” With his piece finished, Keith got up from the couch.
“Wait”, Pidge’s hand stopped him from walking away, “does that mean I have to… apologize to Shiro?”
“I think you owe each other an apology.” Then he paused, considering. Smirking, he continued, “But it doesn’t have to be right now. We can go spar if you’re still feeling a little pissed.”
“Nah, you’d kick my ass… Wanna go play a prank on Lance and Hunk?” Pidge asked, glasses gleaming in the castle lights.
“Hell yeah.”
One eventual apology and kitchen deep scrub (courtesy of Hunk and Lance after “the castle attacked us”) plus remodeling (Hunk’s skills at engineering came into play and barely a day later, they had a new, improved, and nearly indestructible oven) later, it was apparent to any observer that two important things had begun. First, a deeper understanding between Pidge and Shiro based on their shared love for and extensive blackmail on Matt, and second, the destructive duo of Keith and Pidge coming together for the first time to wreak absolute havoc on whoever and whatever they laid their eyes on.