Christmas Lights (KeithxPidge)

Christmas was always a great time of year in Pidge's opinion, and in space, she could have it whenever she wanted. But in space, she didn't have her family. Her Mom, her dad, or Matt. She didn't have the Christmas she was used to.

She had another family though, one the loved and cared for her as much as her biological family did. Keith, Lance, Nicole, Allura, Hunk, Edel, Isabelle, Shiro, Coran and even the space mice. They were all her family.

"So, this 'Christmas' you're talking about, you just give each other presents?" Nicole raised an eyebrow - she still wasn't used to all these new customs the paladins brought with them. "Isn't that what birthdays are for?"

"Well, yes, but on birthdays, the person getting the presents is the birthday boy or girl, depending on their gender. For Christmas, everyone gets presents." Isabelle explains, as she sits down at the dining table.

"But since we're in the middle of space, we won't be able to get each other presents." Lance sighed. "Back on Earth, my family and I had a big feast for dinner since there was a lot of us."

Hunk smiled, "my brothers and I would play in the backyard until Mom called us for Christmas dinner with our grandparents."

"On Argon, Mama and Papa took Jayce and I to the beach for each Christmas after we visited the Queen. The Queen's birthday was on Christmas, so everyone in Argon Capital were invited to the ballroo for the celebration. Then it'd just be me, my Mama, my Papa, Jayce and the Queen for Christmas lunch before we left. Back on Earth was different. Completely. Mom would always cook the best turkey for Dad and I, then Shiro and Keith would come over and the five of us had dinner together." Isabelle smiled to the Red and Black Paladins.

Keith chuckled, remembering the Christmases he spent with Shiro and the Iversons. "Then we'd go up to Elle's room to play video games, watch movies and Elle would tell us stories about Argon. My favourite was when she went to the beach and went swimming with Wavschugars."

"You pronounced it right!" Isabelle cheered happily. The difference of words between her heritage and the other paladins' humane culture got Keith into learning how to pronounce some of the words. "I'm still surprised you learnt how to say Varginausa faster though."

Shiro shook his head with a smile, "it does mean knives, Iz. You know his obsession."

"It's not an obsession." Keith pouted, "it's a passion."

Lance smirked, "what's the difference?" Everyone laughed, all except Pidge. Listening to all her friends' Christmas routines made her miss her family even more than she already did. "Hey, Pidge, you okay?"

"Mm? Yeah. I'm fine." Pidge muttered, barely listening to the others. "You know what, I'm going for walk around the castle. I'm not hungry anymore."

The paladins and friends watched as the littlest paladin walked out of the dining room. Isabelle frowned at the sad aura she sensed from the Green Paladin. It was a talent, not a power. "Something's wrong. Keith, go check on her."

"Why me?" Keith raised an eyebrow at the older paladin.

"Because she's clearly upset and you've been hanging out with her more often. And you guys look like Christmas lights." Isabelle smiled, and the Red Paladin jogged out after the Green one. "I want to see my ship blossom."

Everyone's eyes widened at Isabelle's sudden mood change; she was known amongst the group for her mood switches, but they hadn't seen this mood yet - or most of them anyway. "Elle, we know you're the White Lion's pilot, the Lion in which is the guardian of Love, but this is just creepy." Lance slowly slid down in his seat.

"No, this is just her on a daily basis when none of you guys are looking." Shiro chuckled, setting his spoon on the table. "Trust me, she gets a lot creepier."

"Takashi!" Isabelle growled, as her hair began to flare up. Nicole grabbed the drink of space water - or whatever Alteans drink that's like Earth water - and threw the cold liquid at the older girl. "Thanks, Nicky."

~

When he caught up to his teammate, Keith grasped his hand on Pidge's shoulder. "Pidge, wait. Talk to me."

"I don't want to, Keith."

Due to him being stronger, Keith pulled Pidge around into a hug and he rested his chin on the top of her head. "I know what it's like to miss Christmas with your family. I spent most of my Christmases in an adoption home after my dad died. It was the same until Elle and Shiro got me out of there and into the Garrison. There I spent a couple of Christmases with just Shiro until I met Mrs Iverson and Elle invited me to have dinner every Christmas with them." Keith sighed, as he felt a tear on his shoulder. "Even when Shiro was with Adam and Elle was with Celeste, it was always just the five of us. After she invited me, Elle never asked for anyone else to join us at Christmas because she believed we already had the family that the three for us needed. I bet your parents and brother miss you a lot, but I know they wouldn't want you to be sad on Christmas. Come spend it with me and the others. I promise it'll be fun trying to show Nicole how to undo Elle's impossible ribbon bows without clawing half her present open."

"Is it really that hard?" Pidge asked, as she looked up into the older paladin's violet eyes.

Keith laughed, "definitely. Shiro always brought scissors to dinner so we could open our presents from Elle. Commander Iverson used to just grab a knife and cut the ribbon, but he accidentally cut Elle one year and Mrs Iverson pretty much banned Iverson from knives. God, I still remember all the blood. Argonia blood isn't the same red as ours. It's like, a crimson red or darker. It's weird, more solid than ours as well."

"How did we get on the topic of blood?" Pidge frowned slight smirking. "No matter. I bet we look like Christmas lights."

"Elle said the same thing." Keith smiled softly.

Pidge giggled, "she and Shiro look like Yin and Yang. Black and White, complete opposites."

"Though, they do complete each other quite well." Keith nodded, then the two paladins spoke in unison, "like pieces of a puzzle."