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It had been a hard week for Team Voltron.
Pidge had managed to get her hands on some incredible intel that could have given them an enormous lead on the whereabouts of her brother. They’d run themselves raw trying to follow up on every last tip, fighting the Galra with each encounter, and bringing themselves slowly but surely to exhaustion. Before that could happen, Shiro had called for a team break and everyone had spent the day face-down on their beds, completely unconscious. Allura had tried to do the same for a bit, but she couldn’t seem to quiet her mind long enough for the exhaustion pulling at her to finally lull her to sleep.
Because all she could think of was Pidge.
With every lead that ended up being a dead-end, the more she looked like she’d been punched in the face. The more hopeless she looked. The more Shiro’s murmur of “space is a big place, we’ll find them eventually” felt less reassuring and more like a death sentence for Pidge’s family. Even after Shiro had called for a mandatory break, Pidge had headed the opposite direction of the room and went straight for her workshop in the Green Lion’s hangar. No one had stopped her. Allura wondered in retrospect if maybe one of them should have.
Huffing under her breath, Allura threw her blankets off of her. The mice slumbering on her pillow squeaked indignantly at her before curling up and falling right back asleep. Offering a quiet apology, Allura stood. She’d get no resting done like this. Maybe she was better off getting a snack before bed like she used to do when she was young. That had always helped her sleep.
The walk to the kitchen was silent. Allura’s bare feet chilled under the cold floor as she did her best to not trip over her long nightgown. The quiet was nice and refreshing. A welcome change from the panicked screaming and shouted orders from just a few hours ago. It was no wonder all the Paladins had been practically asleep on their feet during the debriefing. It was their most exhaustive battle yet.
The kitchen was empty when Allura reached it. For some reason, the sight put a sick feeling in her stomach as she thought about Pidge again. Had she even been here for any snacks or anything of the sort as she worked? Was she even taking care of herself?
The lack of a mess on the counter that Pidge usually left was giving Allura answer enough.
She opened the fridge to warm up a few leftovers from lunch and put them on a plate. She had to wait only a moment for it to warm up in the microwave. After which, she went straight for the hangars, intent on getting Pidge something to eat.
The workshop was quiet and dark when Allura entered the hangar. She could see Pidge, though, hunched against the Green Lion’s paw, her laptop illuminating her face. Her eyes were red and puffy and Allura paused, her hand half-raised to turn on the light. Maybe it was best to keep it off, for Pidge’s sake.
Instead, she cleared her throat and called out gently. “Pidge?”
Pidge’s head shot up from where she had been hunched over her laptop. She scrubbed desperately at her eyes, trying to hide the tear tracks stained on her cheeks. Allura righteously pretended not to notice.
“Y-Yeah?” Pidge said, her voice congested and hoarse like she’d been openly sobbing for several hours. Allura’s heart wrenched at the thought. She forced herself to smile and took a few careful steps toward Pidge. She had to approach this carefully. Otherwise, Pidge’s pride just might cause her to freak out and refuse to accept any help. She and Keith were very alike in that regard.
“I was serving myself dinner and, wouldn’t you know it, I accidentally put far too much on my plate!” Allura said, trying her utmost to sound upbeat. “Would you mind helping me with the rest?”
Pidge eyed Allura (in retrospect, she could have been a tad more subtle) but at the very least she did shuffle aside and press herself a little tighter into Green’s paw. Allura put the plate down next to her and sank down on the other side, giving Pidge a smile. She tried not to look at her screen which had several windows open up at once, one of which was the looping footage of Matt escaping out of his cell with rebels escorting him.
Allura’s expression softened. “How goes the search?”
It was the wrong thing to ask, evidently. Pidge’s eyes began to water and she threw down the fork back on the plate with a clatter. She shook her head and buried her face in her knees.
“I see,” Allura whispered.
Pidge’s shoulders jerked with a sob she barely managed to swallow. Awkwardly, Allura reached out, putting her hand down on Pidge’s shoulder and rubbing.
“You’ll find him,” she promised.
“What if I don’t?” Pidge whimpered, voice muffled by her legs. “What if he’s already dead? What if he and Dad have been dead and I’m just chasing their ghosts? What if-”
“Pidge, you know your family better than anyone,” Allura gently reached out to lift Pidge’s chin and tilt to so she could look her Paladin in the eyes. “Would they really succumb so easily?”
Pidge’s lower lip began to tremble. “N-No, but-”
“Then they must still be alive,” Allura cut her off. “Believe in them first and foremost and save your tears for when we find them.”
Pidge sobbed and she turned her head away, covering her mouth to muffle it. Allura didn’t say anything, just kept her hand moving in a soothing back-and-forth motion on Pidge’s tiny back. She waited as Pidge cried, anguish evident in ever jerky motion she made. She kept her gaze fixed on the video of Matt coughing, his hand pressed to his nose and mouth to keep from inhaling smoke.
After several unsteady minutes, Pidge managed to get her breathing under control and she lifted her sleeves to wipe at her dewy eyes.
“Feeling better?” Allura asked.
“A bit,” Pidge murmured, twisting her wet sleeve around her thumb.
“Then you should eat,” Allura encouraged. “Your family would be saddened to see you so haggard and worn-down once you see them again yes? Or…” she tilted her head to the side as Pidge looked down at the plate. “Is it too much food for you, as well?”
“It...might be,” Pidge murmured.
“Then I shall assist in whatever way you deem fit,” Allura said with the biggest smile she could manage. Carefully, she set her hand upon Pidge’s shoulder and made sure she could see her. “And Pidge, do remember that we’re all here for you as well, hm? You are not alone in this.”
Pidge managed a little huff, wiping again at her moist eyes. “I know. I just...I think I forgot, for a little bit.”
Allura didn’t reply and rose to get a new fork to help Pidge clean off the food that had been piled onto her plate. She paused at the door and turned her head to watch as Pidge shut her laptop and sniffle pathetically, picking her own fork back up. When she returned, Pidge had cleaned off near half the plate.
“Is everyone else asleep?” Pidge asked, keeping her eyes on the plate as she picked at some lumpy substance the Paladins kept telling Allura was called ‘mashed potatoes’.
“For the most part, yes,” she said. “You and I are the only ones awake, at present.”
“Oh.”
Allura lifted her fork to her lips and hummed, satisfied at the taste. “Hunk’s cooking really is sublime. I still much prefer Coran’s Altean cuisines, but I can still appreciate good food when I eat it.”
“Maybe...maybe I can try giving them a try sometime,” Pidge offered hesitantly.
“Would you?” Allura blinked, the exciting prospect of sharing something of home with her Paladins swelling like a balloon in her chest. “I can cook rather well myself, you know. Perhaps you can try some of my foods as well.”
“I think I’d like that,” Pidge stabbed a mac ’n cheese noodle. “You could show me a little bit of what home tastes like.”
Allura’s own eyes were starting to feel wet. She wiped them quickly on her sleeve before Pidge could notice.
“I would love to, Pidge.”