Summary: A canon divergent fic in which The Last never happened and Hinata Hyuga was promised to another.
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Naruto was often called names that attacked his intelligence, especially while growing up. The name calling started fizzling out when he was able to show off his strength and prowess to the village. Of course, some of his close friends still felt comfortable scolding him here and there but honestly he considered that more along the lines of friendly teasing rather than ridiculing. His childhood helped him gain thick skin and he did his best to not let the slights and defamation really get to him. He knew he wasn't dumb. Sure, he didn't know everything and he was raised differently than most people- so of course some things wouldn't come naturally to him.
Today though, if someone came up to him right now and called him an idiot he would wholeheartedly agree.
He doesn't understand how he could be so...so damn clueless. How he could have been so clueless for so long.
And of fucking course he fully realizes the impact of his cluelessness and subsequent life changing, course altering mistake when it's too late.
He stared down at the crisp, white, square card in his hand, a ripped envelope resting on the floor of his apartment. There, in big, elegant letters were words that had him clutching at his chest-
I kind of want to update my Tales of Two Ninjas fic and write another NaruHina AU but... all my 20+ something drafts/ideas were deleted, it’s been a few years since I’ve written, and I have no ideas :( open to prompts!! 🥺
Looking for a NH fic fix? Look no further!! :) :) Here are all of the one-shots I wrote so far. (I figured I should make a post to keep track of them lol)
Fox Demon AU - In a universe where demon hosts were hated and hunted by humans, where people lived in fear, one child found another. Where looks and names, stereotypes and threats didn’t matter. All that did was their growing love for one another, in times of stress and happiness.
Zombie AU - It is a godforsaken world where zombies conquered the Earth and humans fought to survive. They were living in hell, in the world of the dead, but they found their own little slice of heaven in each other.
Asylum AU - What’s to say what’s real and what isn’t? The only thing that’s valid and true in all universes is their love for one another.
Fantasy AU - War brought them together. Will it keep them apart?
Samurai AU (Part ½) - In this age you are born into certain duties. You live the path set out for you. What happens when you want to get away from these responsibilities? You run.
Samurai AU (Part 2/2) - You can run and you can hide. But at what cost? To stay together you have to pay with your life. Impossible.
Gangster AU - This world is an endless cycle of destruction, no matter how hard to stop it and sometimes the innocent get involved in the crossfire.
Master/Servant AU - Some relationships are forbidden but there are no rules when it comes to love.
Spy AU - They were one of the best teams The Agency had ever seen. Until they broke one of their most important rules…don’t fall in love with your partner.
Superhero AU - In which human Hinata likes human Naruto and superhero Naruto likes superhero Hinata. Also mind controlling villain. Sometimes killing is inevitable.
Hogwarts AU - Going to a school of magic only means the growing witches and wizards face the same trouble as growing muggle plus more. They will learn a lot more than magic at this school. They’ll learn to love.
Zombie AU Part 2 - Hell is outside of Konoha’s walls so it’s no surprise that everything goes wrong when they step foot in it.
Dreaming of AUs - Naruto dreams of her. He grows to love her. Dreams are nice. Too bad reality is a nightmare.
Arranged Marriage AU - They would both do their duties. And surprisingly this would be a change they would full heartedly accept.
Caged AU - The only world he remembered were the walls surrounding him. Torture and experimentation. Silence and submission. Until he gained a cell mate.
Coffee Shop AU - We Bean Business was a quaint little café in the large city of Konoha and part of her daily grind. But then he returned into her life and started to take up a latte of her time. Sometimes it’s a struggle to espresso yourself. (Horrible use of puns. They certainly won't brew you away).
Memory Loss AU - I love you.Will I ever hear those words from your lips again?
Summary: I love you. Will I ever hear those words from your lips again?
Rating: K+/T
The leaves looked sad and wilted. Defeated. The petals dull and pale.
He knelt in the grass, ignoring the early morning dew soaking through the fabric of his pants as he tended to the plants. The sunflower, one of Hinata's favorites, was in dire need of help.
Naruto frowned.
Just yesterday it was standing straight and tall, reaching for the suns rays.
Today it wept.
"Daddy, when's mommy coming back?"
"Welcome back, Naruto-kun." Hinata greeted him from the hall, a towel in her hand, and a smile on her face.
Naruto grinned, pulling off his shoes quickly, letting them fall in a messy, muddy heap before barreling down towards his waiting wife. He pulled her into a tight embrace, burying his face into her hair.
"I missed you, Hinata," he said, brushing his lips against the bare skin her short hair revealed to him.
He cherished this moment with her, simple as it was. He briefly wished it could have been longer but in no ways was he upset by the interruption.
He sensed them before he heard the pitter patter of their feet.
They were upstairs when he had taken off his shoes. Their movements stopped when their mother had greeted him. They shifted as he moved towards her. Now they stumbled through the hall, ran down the stairs, shouting in excitement-
"Daddy!"
Naruto pulled away from Hinata, grinned, and gave her a quick, chaste kiss before turning on the spot, arms open wide.
Boruto arrived first, sliding against the wooden floor. He clambered to his feet, smile not once faltering before jumping into the air. Naruto caught him with ease, muscles burning with exhaustion from his mission but his sons weight was nothing but pleasant.
Himawari came next, moving as fast as her little legs could take her.
He heard Hinata giggle behind him, mimicking their daughter. Her sock covered feet were a liability and both parents surged forward as she tumbled to the floor. But their brave little daughter just laughed and joined her brother in her father's arms. A soothing weight he'd gladly carry.
"You're back!"
"I'm back."
The eggs were charred.
Naruto cursed quietly to himself as he scraped away the inedible parts of the meal. He quickly cracked a few more into the pan, determined to give his children a proper breakfast. He didn't understand. He was doing fine these past few weeks. But today something just felt wrong. He couldn't place a finger on it but his heart felt heavy and his mind didn't stay still.
"What'cha making?"
Naruto glanced down as Boruto stood at his side on tiptoes, scrunching up his nose at the mess in the frying pan.
"Scrambled eggs," Naruto said, bumping him with his hip. "Get your sister. It's time for breakfast."
The ghost of a smile on the older blondes lip vanished as the smell of something burning filled the room.
Naruto crawled into bed, utterly spent from that days training. His head sunk into the pillow and he pulled the soft blankets up to his chest as he watched Hinata roam the room. It was late and they kids were sound asleep in bed. She stripped off her outfit for the day and slipped on a comfortable pair of pajamas before flicking off the light and crawling into bed to join him. She pressed herself against his side, her hand resting on the solid plane of his chest, fingers wandering innocently before speaking.
"I have a mission."
It was one of her first real missions since Himawari was born. Of course she had been on plenty low ranked ones but those would be nothing compared to this one.
"It's an A rank," she had explained. She ran her fingers down his chest, silently placating him with her touch.
"An A rank can become in S rank in seconds," Naruto spoke lowly, knowing- understanding the situation himself.
"I already accepted."
He had his arm wrapped around her and unknowingly tightened his grip.
"Okay," was all he could say.
"Are you mad?" she asked quietly, tilting her head to look up at him. She noticed the way his jaw tensed and how stiff he felt in her grip.
"No," he said truthfully. "I understand. I'm just…worried."
"I'll be careful," she said quickly.
"I know you will," he said, finally looking down to meet her eyes. "It's the rest of the world that's unpredictable."
"Take care of the kids, okay?"
Naruto nodded. "Of course."
"I leave in three days." Naruto waited. There was more. "I can't give you details but the mission can range from a week to a month."
"A month, Hinata?" Naruto asked, finally allowing his emotion to come through. He sounded exhausted, tired, and sad.
"Or sooner. I don't know yet."
Naruto huffed, his blue eyes staring into her pale ones unwavering.
"Come here," he said, pulling her atop of him. Their lips met and his kiss seared through her. His emotions, his feelings- his fear was hot on her skin. He showed her how he felt with every touch and caress. He burned himself onto her skin.
He knew something was wrong when he got a message to go the hospital.
He quickly dropped off his confused kids at their Grandpa Hiashi and Aunt Hanabi's home before rushing towards the place he knew Hinata would be.
He had a feeling but he wished he had been wrong.
"Where is she?" he asked as soon as he saw Sakura's familiar pink hair.
His friend only had to point before he burst through the door. He ignored the beeps from the machines and the strange wires connected to her as he approached her gingerly, quite unlike his previous behavior.
Naruto, broad shouldered, strong, capable of destroying mountains, cutting the moon in half, savior of the world-
She brought him to his knees.
"Hinata-" he croaked.
His chakra flared and he absorbed every minute detail he could about her but he sensed nothing perilous.
Then why?
"Physically she's healthy," Sakura's voice answered his unspoken question. "Do you know who else was on the mission with her?"
Naruto shook his head, mute. His eyes were still glued to Hinata's immobile body. He watched her chest rise and fall steadily. She was alive.
"Who did this to her?" he asked, anger leaking into his words.
Sakura felt the pressure he exuded and almost took a step back.
"Ino," she answered.
His reaction was immediate. Surprise, confusion, fury-
"What?"
"Their mission went wrong," Sakura said. "It was either this or be captured."
"I don't understand."
"The enemies…I can't name," his friend said. "But they wanted information at any cost. Ino and Hinata would not allow it. So…they had a failsafe prepared."
"Just tell me," he snapped.
"Their memories…Ino invented a jutsu that wiped their memory. Wiped them of the things those people wanted to know just in case."
Naruto took Hinata's hand into his own, rubbing his thumb against her skin. "Okay, so they didn't get the information. And the two are back. Everything is okay?"
He knew things were never that easy.
"Ino is in a coma," Sakura said. "The strain was too much for her. Hinata brought her home. Chakra exhaustion is all this is."
Naruto felt his heart drop at the news, thinking of Sai and Inojin. And then he felt a little guilty feeling relief after hearing about Hinata's own prognosis.
"I'm sorry."
For some reason he remembered the wilted sunflowers and could still smell the burning breakfast.
The world was a blur when she first opened her eyes.
She saw pink.
"Sa-kura-"
Her throat felt hoarse and dry and she strained to sit up. Comforting hands held her by the shoulder, helping her upright.
"I'm so glad you're awake."
Hinata blinked rapidly. Her head felt as though it was smashed into a wall-several times. She almost laughed. In her line of work that wasn't completely implausible.
"What happened?" she asked as the world came into focus.
Sakura stood by her bedside, donning a white jacket, clipboard in hand. Her face was a mask of concern as she did a thorough check of her vitals. Hinata glanced around her hospital room, noticing a bouquet of bright flowers at the foot of her bed.
"You were on a mission," Sakura explained gently. "With Ino."
The dark haired woman frowned. "I don't remember…"
"That's perfectly reasonable," Sakura said, trying to soothe the Hyuga. "Ino had to wipe mission sensitive information from the both of you. I can see why you wouldn't remember."
Hinata nodded, looking down. She still felt defeated. Her eyes wandered to a glint on Sakura's hand. A ring.
"Oh, Sakura," she said with a gasp, holding out her hand to grasp her friends. "You're married!"
Hinata didn't notice Sakura's face fall. "I am…" She said slowly. "Say…Hinata. What-"
Shouting from somewhere in the hallway interrupted her train of thought.
"Sir, you can't-"
"She's awake? And no one told me?"
"Please-"
"Get out of my way!"
Sakura grumbled, gently taking her hand away from Hinata. "One second," she said, smiling softly. Her facial expression changed immediately as she faced the door. Her eyebrows were pushed together and her lips pursed. She had noticed how a faint red appeared on Hinata's cheek when she heard the mans voice outside her door-
The door that just flew open.
The blonde tried to rush his way towards Hinata only to be pulled back by a vice like grip on his bicep.
"Sakura!"
"Naruto, just wait-"
Hinata watched the two with wide eyes. He looked different…stronger but…also weaker. Worn down. Worried. Sakura roughly pulled Naruto to the side and the man reluctantly tore his gaze away from her Hyuga ones.
"What?" he asked, exasperated. "Can't this wait?"
Sakura pulled Naruto down by the collar and whispered something in his ear. Hinata glanced down, not sure what this as all about. She didn't want to intrude on this intimate moment.
But her breath caught in her throat.
As she lowered her gaze she noticed something…Naruto…he had a gold band on his finger as well.
Hinata felt a knot in her throat as her fingers tightened around the thin hospital blankets. She knew she forgot some things but how much had she forgotten? Had she… had they… She could feel her heartbeat quicken and an annoying, repetitive beep started echoing in her ears. She realized too late that the other two in the room could see the emotional havoc that was being wrecked inside her as her heart beat erratically.
Sakura was beside her instantly, checking the screens.
"Hinata, what's wrong?" she asked, wondering why her heartbeat spiked so suddenly.
"No-nothing," she stuttered, taking a deep breath. It was all too much. Naruto was married? To whom?
Naruto hadn't moved from the corner. When Hinata dared to glance over he looked crestfallen. He looked beat up and weary. As though he aged about ten years in this moment.
"Naruto-kun," she finally said, ignoring Sakura as she worked on her. "What are you doing here?"
Was he here to see Sakura? Was he and Sakura…
She tried not to let her emotions get the better of her. She was strong.
He had perked at his name and approached her cautiously. "I came to see you, of course."
Hinata tilted her head. "Me?"
Naruto chuckled. "Yeah, you. Does that surprise you?"
Honestly, it didn't. He had visited her on occasion if he heard she was injured from a mission but she didn't feel hurt. Well, not physically.
"Naruto, would you mind giving us the room?" Sakura spoke, giving her close friend a reproachful yet wistful look.
"Sakura-"
"He can stay," Hinata spoke, her mouth moving before her mind could catch up. She wondered briefly why she said that. "I don't mind."
Naruto gave her a small, tender smile, which she returned, almost shyly.
She didn't understand.
Was that pain that crossed his face?
"Hinata, what's the last thing you remember?" Sakura asked, pulling up her clipboard once more.
"Waking up here," Hinata answered.
Naruto laughed and Hinata could feel a smile tugging at her lips.
Sakura rolled her eyes. "He still influences you, eh?" she muttered under her breath, teasing in her tone.
"I'm sorry?"
Sakura ignored her. "Before all this. What do you remember?"
Hinata stared at the mixture of yellow, orange, and pink flowers at the foot of her bed, thinking back. A faint red tinted her cheeks. She wanted to take back what she said about allowing Naruto in the room.
"Helping Naruto with his stump…"
"Excuse me?" Sakura asked, suddenly sharp.
Hinata tried to hide her face from view, grateful for her long hair-
Suddenly her fingers scrambled at her locks.
"My hair!" she exclaimed. With her whole world suddenly being flipped upside down she felt a little bit ridiculous to be agonizing over such a miniscule detail but- "My hair!"
"What's wrong with it?" Naruto finally spoke.
"It's…it's so short." She looked up at their worrying faces, uncertainty clawing at her insides. "Sakura, please. What…how long…?"
Sakura bit her lip. "Naruto, hold her hand."
He didn't even question her. He moved forward, clasping his hand around hers and suddenly Hinata recalled the events during the war.
"I remember holding his hand during the fight against Madara," she whispered, looking at his bandaged fingers.
Wait.
"Your hand!" she exclaimed. "It's…"
"Hinata," Naruto said, voice rough. She looked up at his blue eyes, clouded with something she couldn't read. "Don't you remember-"
"Naruto." Sakura's voice was sharp as a kunai and her eyes even sharper. But she smiled at the woman before her. "So you remember the war. And after it."
Hinata nodded slowly. "I remember helping Naruto get used to having one arm…"
"And then?"
"And then…I woke up. Here."
Hinata looked from Sakura to Naruto, surprised to see tears gathered at the corners of his eyes.
That's when panic began to conquer her.
What was happening?
They were alone.
Hinata fidgeted in her thin hospital gown, suddenly realizing she was practically naked and alone with the man she loved all her life. The man who could never be hers. His ring shined brightly. Almost mocking. You could tell how much love and care he put into taking care of it. If he loved the ring that much how much did he love his wife?
Hinata swallowed, wringing her hands together.
"Um, so…" she coughed. "Congratulations."
Naruto cocked his head to the side. "For what?"
She gestured to his hand. "Getting married," she said, smiling faintly. It was a forced smile, he knew her well. But she didn't know that. "Your wife must be very lucky."
Naruto chuckled, combing his fingers through his hair. "I'm the lucky one."
Her heart fell. She didn't realize she could feel worse than she already did. She felt a ball in her throat but she refused to cry. She wouldn't.
"And me?" she asked, almost nervous.
"What about you?" he asked, leaning forward, eyes glued to her downcast face.
"Did I…Sakura tells me it's been eight or nine years or something since my last memory."
"Yeah," Naruto said. "Wow, that long huh?" He chuckled to himself.
"What are you thinking about?"
He looked at her, smiling sadly but ignored her question. "What were you asking?"
"Oh…" She was almost embarrassed to voice her question to him. "Am I…did I marry someone too? And why isn't he here to see me?" She was blushing and she laughed nervously. "Ah, that's probably a really selfish thing for me to ask, huh? Maybe he's busy…maybe I didn't marry at all." She paused, thinking. If Naruto had married someone else what would she have done? What did she do?
"Who do you think you married?" Naruto asked.
Hinata turned to look at him. His voice was cold and a frown marred his face but genuine curiosity shone through. "Are you upset with me?"
"Ah…no. Not with you. Never with you. With the situation," he said, suddenly feeling guilty. It wasn't her fault.
A soft knocking came from the door and Sakura popped her head in.
"Time to change your clothes, Hinata," she said gently, trying to read the room. "Naruto, do you want to help her with the string?" she asked, clicking the door shut.
Naruto nodded and leaned forward. The act of undressing her was as easy as breathing to him but Hinata flinched and drew back.
"Na-naruto-kun, what…?"
Naruto recoiled, suddenly remember where he was. Or rather when Hinata was.
"You didn't tell her?" Sakura spoke, sounding surprised. "I would have thought-"
"I didn't know how she would take it," Naruto said stiffly, suddenly standing. "I'll be outside."
"Naruto-" Sakura moved to grab him but he shrugged her away, letting the door slam behind him.
Hinata winced. "Is he mad at me?"
"Mm. No…I think he's mad at himself."
"Why?"
A beat. Then-
"He wasn't able to protect his wife."
The silence in the room was deafening.
"What?" Hinata croaked.
"Oh, Hinata," she said softly. "There's so much beauty you've forgotten."
"I'm married to Naruto-kun?"
"Honestly, who else?" her friend replied, laughing gently. "You've loved him forever."
"But… he loves me as well?" Hinata asked, almost scared to ask.
"That's for him to tell you," Sakura answered, smiling knowingly. "But…I can tell you he'd travel to the moon and back for you."
"We leave our rings at home for missions."
Indeed. Hinata noticed a faint circle of skin on her finger that was lighter than the rest.
The walk back home was silent. It wasn't anything he was used to. He'd be walking hand in hand with Hinata, chattering about the mission or what happened with the kids but this quietness screamed in his ears. It was deafening.
He had told Hinata as much as he could without overwhelming her. He allowed Boruto and Himawari to stay over at the Hyuga's, figuring he'd allow Hinata to adjust in her new home first instead.
"You sure you're okay with this?" he asked for the millionth time that night. "I wouldn't blame you if you wanted to stay somewhere else…this might be a big change."
"I don't mind," she admitted. "Unless you'd rather I not…"
"Hinata, I can't imagine you anywhere else but in our home together."
His candid admission warmed her heart and she followed him inside the large home. She took off her shoes before stepping on the clean wooden floors, hesitating.
"The stairs to your right take you to the bedrooms," Naruto explained. "Living room is a little down this hallway towards the left. Kitchen as well. And my office over there." She watched him wave and point but still didn't move. "Are you hungry?"
"Mm, a little," she said with a shrug.
"Come," Naruto said, taking her by the hand. With a jolt she followed, feeling her cheeks go red. She was sure this was all normal to him but she still felt like the girl she was after the big war. "I think we have some leftovers and take out and ingredients lying around." He chuckled. "You're primarily the one that feeds us around here."
"Us?" They stopped in the living room and she took the chance to glance around. Different sized portraits hung on the walls and sat on shelves and she felt her breath catch in her throat. "Oh… Us." Her kids. Suddenly she felt remorse and guilt. "How could I forget…?"
"Hinata," Naruto said quickly, moving up to her. "It's not your fault."
"I-I," Hinata shut her eyes as tears fell freely down her face. She sought solace in Naruto's arms and it felt unmistakably familiar.
Naruto woke up to an empty bed.
Half asleep his fingers grasped against the sheets in search of warmth. A name mumbled from his lips as he opened bleary eyes searching for a familiar face. His line of sight fell on a memorable picture frame sitting on the bedside table. Their wedding day. A small smile graced his lips as he remembered that day.
Naruto rolled onto his back and stretched, yawning loudly. He idly scratched his stomach as he stared at the ceiling, his mind going back to the conversation with Sakura two weeks ago.
Two weeks and no change.
"There's nothing you can do?" he had said, feeling dejected.
"I'm sorry," Sakura said, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Ino…she's strong. The jutsu she used…we can't break it. I think only she can."
"But she's…" Naruto trailed off, pinching the bridge of his nose as his head throbbed painfully.
"I'm sorry," Sakura repeated.
Naruto finally met her gaze and was suddenly racked with guilt. Sakura looked heartbroken. Ino was her friend- their friend. And she was…
"It's okay," Naruto said, suddenly trying to comfort her. "We'll be okay. She'll be okay. It'll just take time right?"
Sakura sighed. "You can never know with things like this," she admitted heavily. But she wasn't sure if Naruto meant the situation with their comatose friend or the situation with his wife. It'll just take time. "And…" Sakura hesitated, looking conflicted.
"And?" Naruto urged.
Sakura signed, relenting. "And if Ino does wake up… who's to say she'll even remember her own jutsu? What if…" Sakura stopped, her voice catching in her throat.
"What if she's forgotten all of it," Naruto said slowly, understanding donning on him. "It's all up in the air." Everything was up in the air and Naruto suddenly felt like he had no arms to catch anything with.
Naruto bit his lip, eyes moving to the closed door that separated them from Hinata. She was alone. Confused. Lost.
Naruto opened his eyes, surprised that he fell asleep again. He groaned, sitting up and taking a few minutes before venturing down to the main room. He listened to the sounds of pots and pans and chattering voices, pausing to watch his family before taking a seat at the dining table beside Boruto.
"Morning Dad," Boruto said, picking at the food on his plate.
Naruto ruffled his son's hair. "Stop playing with your food."
"I don't want to eat the vegetables," Boruto said, scrunching his nose.
Naruto glanced up to catch Hinata's eye. She looked up from her son, her expression giving away nothing before giving him a fleeting a smile. She returned to the dishes, dancing around Himawari who lingered at her feet, watching what she did in awe.
The past several days had been…strange. They spent a few days alone before their kids insisted on coming home. And to be frank, Naruto missed them. The house was too quiet without them around. Hinata flitted around like a ghost. She was too nervous to completely settle in. Naruto did his best to try and make her feel comfortable but he had years of experience with her when she, for arguments sake, had none.
"Will you be returning to missions soon?"
Hinata took a seat beside him at the dining table, a cup of tea in hand. The kids had moved to the living room some time ago, the sound of their giggles drifting into the kitchen.
"Sakura said we're supposed to go about how we normally would," Hinata continued, picking at the porcelain in her hands. "I'm sure you wouldn't want to be stuck at home all day." She sounded nervous and Naruto instinctively moved to cup her hands, before pausing mere inches away.
"Stuck?" he said, chuckling lowly. "I love to be at home. Do you hear that music?"
"Music?" Hinata asked, glancing up at him, taking in his mischievous smile.
Naruto nodded towards the direction their kids were in. "Listen to them playing. They're happy. Laughing. It's…something I've always wanted." And you gave it to me, he wanted to say.
Hinata smiled. "It is nice."
"It's my favorite song."
Naruto dragged his heavy feet back towards his home, green plants welcoming him as he walked to the door. He was tired, dirty, and smelly and he wanted nothing more than to take a long, hot shower. He dropped his shoes haphazardly before wandering through his home in search for familiar faces. He was looking forward to his kids running up to him and giving him a hug as Hinata smiled from behind.
His face fell. A few more weeks passed and yet…
"Hello?" Naruto called, stifling a yawn as he looked through the open rooms. He sensed their chakra further back in their home and followed it, feeling it reinvigorate him- fill him with energy. He stopped at the sliding door leading to their garden in the back as he watched his family tend to their plants.
Not once did Naruto worry about how Hinata would act around their kids. Even when they first learned about her pregnancy he was sure she would be a natural. And she was. She still was. He watched as their kids laughed when she poked a dirt-covered finger on each of their cheeks, leaving a brown streak behind.
"Now you have three whiskers, just like your dad," she was saying as their kids laughed.
Naruto felt a tug in his heart. Yearning.
She was here. Alive. And they were trying but…
"Dad!"
Naruto slapped on a grin before sliding the door open, arms wide, ready to accept them.
Weeks ticked by. Another day. Naruto dragged himself downstairs, nose following the scent of a delicious breakfast and the sounds of his kids yammering away. With eyes still half shut he shuffled across the hardwood floor, yawning into his bandaged hand.
"'Morning," he mumbled, voice still deep from sleep. Hinata turned to greet him and he placed a sloppy kiss on her cheek before taking a seat at the dining table, blinking drowsily as he adjusted to being awake.
Another yawn.
Naruto glanced around the room, wondering why his kids stopped talking. He saw Boruto staring towards the kitchen, Himawari giggling sweetly.
"What?" Naruto questioned, following his gaze.
Hinata stood frozen, cheeks aflame, her fingers grazing at the spot he just- he just…
Oh, shit, Naruto thought, suddenly feeling wide awake.
"I think you broke mom," Boruto said, turning to glare at his father as if this was his fault.
It was.
"Out," Naruto mumbled, eyes still on Hinata who seemed to stiffen as more time went by.
"What?"
"Out!" Naruto said louder. "Please, Boruto. Take your sister and go upstairs."
With a lot of grumbling the young boy did as he was told, tugging his happy sister behind him. "Gross," he muttered, rolling his eyes.
"Hinata…" Naruto started slowly, getting up from his chair. "I shouldn't have- I forgot…"
Suddenly, as if reset, she shook her head, fists clenched into her apron. She bowed deeply, starting to apologize.
Naruto ran his fingers through his hair. Of course she would be the one to apologize. He made a mistake and she-
Naruto signed, staring at the top of her head, how her short hair fanned around her face, the way her arms were stiff, back bent, shoulders trembling-
Wait. Shoulders trembling.
Naruto surged forward, grasping her gently, straightening her back up. He knew her. Even if she didn't know that- he knew her.
Sure enough, tears were gathered at the corners of her eyes and she continued to mumble quiet apologies.
"Shit," Naruto said, watching as pink spread across the bridge of her nose. "Hinata, please stop apologizing."
"I acted silly- I am acting silly," she babbled on nervously. "I shouldn't have- I assume- I know that was normal for you to- to- to kiss me and I froze and the kids saw and I probably ruined everything-"
"Hinata!" Naruto shouted, holding her tightly. "Please."
She stopped, finally meeting his eyes.
"I am mortified," he admitted, chuckling nervously. "That I did that without you feeling comfortable, that is," he explained as a pained look crossed her face. "Don't you ever feel bad for our situation. This was my mistake. I was half asleep and my body just acted on it's own."
"I'm trying…I'm trying to do my best," Hinata whispered, looking shamefaced. "But…I'm a terrible wife."
"That's the stupidest thing you have ever said," Naruto said bluntly.
Hinata's face reddened.
"Hinata," Naruto continued, diving headfirst into the problem as always. "You're still pre Toneri you-"
"Who?"
Naruto ignored that but she noticed his expression took on an extremely disgruntled look for a brief second. "Doesn't matter," he said, shaking his head. "But I have to remember that all of this is new for you."
"I'm sorry," she said again, looking down. "You did it so casually," she said, and he noticed the tips of her ears redden.
"Did what?"
Hinata shifted nervously. "Kiss me."
Naruto chuckled. "Hinata, I don't know if you noticed or not but we did a lot more than kissing. We have two kids."
Hinata squeaked and her whole face lit up and Naruto suddenly felt ten years younger, memories of a shy Hinata flashing through his head.
"And I only kissed you on the cheek," Naruto continued, placing a gentle finger on her chin to force her eyes to meet his.
Hinata blushed, darting her eyes away. "You're teasing me," she said, biting her lips.
Naruto's hands moved to cup her cheeks; his thumb caressed the soft skin of her face.
"Hinata," Naruto said, eyes dark and voice deep. Suddenly Hinata found herself enthralled- enraptured by his gaze. She felt her throat go dry and Naruto's eyes were a deep, deep blue water that could quench her thirst. "I…I can't make you remember," he said, hating that fact. That helplessness. She could feel his nervousness in the slight tremble of the hands so carefully stroking her face and the tenderness in his expression. "But if I had to I would do everything- start over with you again and again and again-"
And suddenly he was fighting back tears.
He whispered the agains over and over against her lips- his body curving down as if some unknown weight was pressed against him- all the worry and anxiety- all the fear of losing her – of her leaving – of the endless possibilities and the simple unknowing pushed down on him stronger than gravity ever could and he caved, encompassing her body with his and she gladly held him up.
Months passed.
It was all the same.
Hinata didn't remember.
What would you do if the one you love forgets?
"I love you," he found himself saying one day as he left for a mission. It was so easy. As simple as breathing. There was no thought behind it- he simply did.
But he saw the change on her face. It was immediate.
First shock, and it struck him in his heart that she even had to feel that. Was his younger self that bad? Did she suffer this much that the simple thought that he could love her was so much of a surprise?
Then a simple acceptance as the corners of her eyes wrinkled as a beautiful smile donned her face. He knew then if he were touching her- if he was resting his head on her chest as he had done countless times before he would hear her heart beating erratically as it always did when she felt for him.
He stared at her a moment longer, biting his lip. He swallowed.
They had talked before.
She had insisted they try and go about things as they would have if…if she was the same.
So he smiled and repeated what he said.
"I love you."
Sometimes he wonders, am I not enough for you to remember?
"The sunflower is blooming," Hinata noted as they stood side by side in the middle of their garden.
She stared at the beautiful flower proudly but he couldn't take his eyes off her.
"The kids should be awake soon," she said, turning to him, face glowing.
He leaned down and she tiptoed, her body reacting to him- remembering even if she didn't- quickly closing the distance between them.
It was soft, simple, and sweet.
"I'll make breakfast," Naruto said with a grin.
A year went by and they learned to live.
What was that he thought of on the day Sakura told him about Hinata?
…Things were never that easy.
"Ino is awake."
.
.
.
.
End.
Authors Note:
It's been forever. Remember in the previous out-shot authors note I mentioned I was applying to medical school? Well, I got in! And now I've been super busy (and super lazy).
I still have over like 20 different one-shot drafts in my folder that I'll probably rarely get to but hey it's been months (10?) since the last update so there's always hope!
I hope you guys like this one as much as I did. As always your support is appreciated! Take care.
-Magma
P.S. Inspiration for this particular one-shot was based on a Kiba/Ino fanart by tiefrot I saw about three years ago. (Which means a skeleton of this fic has been sitting in my drafts for just as long! Crazy).
Even defenders of the universe have insecurities - Hunk
(FF | | AO3)
"Hunk, it's fine," Pidge said, trailing after the yellow Paladin as they marched through the castleship.
"It's not. We almost—because of me—"
"You didn't do anything wrong."
"Pidge, I got stuck."
"So? It was a pretty narrow vent-"
"It's not even the first time I got stuck. Remember when we were all separated? Lance and I crash landed in some water covered planet. Lance had to do things alone because the mermaids saving us couldn't pull me through the hole. And then I tried to kill him!" Hunk rambled quickly. "And when Keith and I had to go into the weblum I got stuck in part of the circulatory system. Now that was just temporary but still the fact is-"
"Wha- What…? Hunk!" Pidge exclaimed. "Focus! You lost me."
Hunk stopped and exhaled slowly, turning to face the youngest Paladin, guilt on his face. "You almost didn't escape because I was stuck."
"Hunk…"
"You should have went first. You should have left me."
"…I'm not even going to dignify that with a response."
"It's true."
"Hunk, how can you say that?" Pidge said, placing her hand gently on his arm. "Do you honestly think I'd leave you?"
Hunk closed his eyes briefly but Pidge could feel him tremble. He pulled his arm away. "You should have."
.
.
Pidge collapsed onto her back, the hard floor of the lab strangely soothing as the cold seeped through her shirt. She rubbed her tired eyes and stared up at the ceiling remembering the time she was stuck with Hunk in zero G. She laughed softly to herself. Sure, the Castle of Lions was basically trying to kill them at the time but she remembered it fondly.
She snorted. Hunk didn't want to kick her because she was his friend. He looked surprised that she would even suggest a thing.
Pidge rolled to her side, resting her head on her arm as she picked at some grit on the floor thinking.
Today was tough for all of the Paladin's. They found a small Galra delivery base and decided to take it down. A small step in defeating the large empire but it was something. It wasn't too difficult but things got hairy near the end.
Pidge huffed, sitting back up and folding her legs. What time was it? She glanced at her laptop screen. Late. Of course. She didn't mean to stay up all the time it just happened. But right now she wasn't thinking of herself. A few more tics and Hunk should probably be up for a late night snack. She'd meet him in the kitchen for occasional late night talks while she refilled on something caffeinated (they weren't able to scrounge up Earth coffee but found something that came close) while he made something to soothe his rumbling tummy.
Pidge got up, wiping dust off her shorts as she made her way back up to the kitchen. The halls were long and it was always eerily quite. Her mind wandered to familiar thoughts. The Castle of Lions certainly wasn't built for just seven people in mind. There were several kitchens spaced throughout its halls and floors, many different communal bathrooms, and even more bedrooms. The place should be bustling with people and yet…
Not everything goes as planned.
Pidge had yet to explore every nook and cranny of the castle. It was too big. As she neared the shared kitchen closest to the Paladin's sleeping quarters she tried to listen for Hunk's familiar humming or the sound of clattering dishes and utensils.
Silence.
Just like the desolate halls.
Pidge walked inside, the automatic lights turning on. Spotless. Untouched.
"Hunk…" Pidge whispered to herself.
He should be here. He should be here testing out strange ingredients with labels he couldn't read, trying to mimic Earth recipes. He had told her baking cleared his head and now would be the prime time to de-stress. And he wasn't even here.
Pidge waited.
And waited.
She waited long enough that she nodded off, falling asleep right at the counter. The light sensors turned off and she was left in the dark.
Alone.
The castleship suddenly felt too large.
But perhaps that wasn't the right word to use right now.
.
.
"AHHHHH!"
Pidge woke up with a shout, swinging her mug around to hit whoever was trying to attack her. "Wha-what-" she spluttered, blinking as her glasses sat askew on her face.
"What are you doing sleeping here in the dark?"
Pidge blinked as the world came into focus. Coran stood clad in a robe at the kitchen entrance, hands on his hips.
Pidge groaned and sat down, exhausted. "What do you mean? I don't know about you Alteans, but humans like to sleep in the dark."
Coran moved closed, wagging his finger to chastise the girl. "You know what I meant, Number Five. It's bad for you to sleep like this!" Pidge half listened to the older man, briefly thinking of her father. She yawned as Coran continued with his lecture. "Think of your back. You should go sleep in your room."
"I was just waiting for…" she paused. "What time is it anyway?"
"Very late."
"What are you doing up?"
Coran straightened, pulling at his mustache. "I got hungry. I think Hunk noticed I get hungry at strange times…I've yet to train the mice to make me sandwiches on command…" Coran trailed off, as if thinking of new methods to get the space mice to obey his instructions. "Anyway, he always seems to leave something interesting to eat. So here I am."
"So here you are," Pidge said slowly, looking around. "Well, he wasn't here today."
Coran sighed, disappointed. "Pity." The older man seemed to change resolve quickly. "It's my chance to return the favor! I'll leave him a dish!"
Pidge smiled. "That's nice."
"You know what else is nice?" Coran asked, leaning down so they were nose to nose. "Sleep!" he exclaimed, straightening his back and gesturing towards the door. "Now come on Number Five, off to bed."
Pidge grumbled under her breath but did as she was told. She slouched and dragged her feet as she walked back to her room, passing some of the other bedroom doors.
She slowed as she approached Hunk's.
Hunk was a deep sleeper. Pidge swore his snores could shake the ship. But at least that meant he was sleeping soundly.
She paused for a moment outside his room.
Silence.
And that screamed louder than any snoring would.
.
.
Pidge didn't know what to do.
Hunk, though one of the more sensitive ones of the group, was the teams emotional crutch. He was their rock. And right now he was crumbling.
Pidge sighed. She felt tainted. Dirty.
Going to go wash off this guilt.
She didn't know why she felt guilty. There was nothing to feel guilty about but the thought of her Garrison friend upset…
Pidge sulked all the way to the bathroom. She debated going down to one of the ones further away, which normally gave her some more privacy, but right now the familiarity of the common bathroom would probably soothe her nerves. By some unspoken rule each of the Paladins had claimed a sink and shower. Lance's countertop area was home to his facemask and different beauty products. Shiro kept a neat little razor and Keith had a comb. Hunk kept a neat little array of his headbands, which Pidge noticed one day because she realized he did own different colors, but seemed to favor his signature yellow.
The bathroom door slid open and Pidge walked towards the hanging towels, reaching for her green one when she felt a prickling at the back of her neck.
Pidge whipped around, heart beating in her chest, before she realized it was just her friend.
"Hunk, what're you doing?" Pidge asked, watching the yellow Paladin stand at his sink, staring intently at the mirror.
Hunk seemed surprised to see her there, turning to look at her briefly. "Oh, hey Pidge. Sorry, I'll get out of your way if you want to shower."
The showers were off beyond a small curtained area so him being here was no issue at all and he knew that.
"That's alright," she said, walking closer to him, her towel draped across one arm. "What're you doing?" she tried again.
Hunk shrugged, leaning both arms against the counter as he stared intently at his face.
"Do you have a pimple or something?" Pidge asked, oh so sensitively. "I'm sure Lance wouldn't mind if you used his face wash."
Hunk shook his head. "No, no. Nothing like that." He slapped his cheeks a couple times, leaning in closer to the sink. "Look at that."
Pidge approached him carefully, leaning with him against the counter. "Look at what?"
Hunk poked his cheek once more. "That jiggle."
Pidge huffed, exasperated. "Hunk."
"Sorry, Pidge," he said quickly, moving away.
She quickly grasped her arm, shaking her head. "No. You don't have to be sorry. You can say whatever you want. That's not-" She huffed, not sure how to say what she wanted to say. She wanted to comfort him. She wanted him to know he could talk to her freely. She just couldn't. "Just- just wait here. I'll be back. Give me a few minutes."
Pidge tossed her towel onto the counter and Hunk watched her run out of the room before turning back to the mirror, placing his hands on his hips. He turned to the side, staring at himself longer before letting out a defeated sigh.
Pidge came back a few moments later-
"Wow!" Hunk looked at her, surprised. "Pidge, you look so-"
"Don't say it," she cut him off, stopping beside him.
"But-"
She glared at him and he chuckled nervously. They stood together for a moment in silence. Hunk, his large, hulking height a great contrast beside her short, petite self.
"Where'd you get it?" Hunk asked.
"It's Allura's," Pidge explained, tugging at the end of her dress. It was a simple, dark green, lace dress that clung to the top half of her body, sheer near her collarbones, and openly flowed mid thigh. "She said she wore this as a child," Pidge snorted. "It was too short on her. I'm probably triple that age and it fits me."
"Is that a bad thing?" Hunk asked.
"Mm, yes and no."
"Well, I think you look beautiful," Hunk said, resting his hand on her shoulder.
"I'm a rectangle," she went on. "I saw this online but I think it fits," she explained before going on. "Turn me sideways and I disappear. Stick out my tongue and I'll look like a zipper."
"That's not true!" Hunk defended. "You're awesome!"
"I'm flat as a board," she continued, ignoring his attempts at reassuring her that her flaws were not flaws. She pressed her hand against her chest. "Okay, not exactly a board but-"
"I wish I could give some of my curves to you," Hunk said.
Pidge laughed softly. "What a kind gesture, Hunk. Thank you."
He was their emotional support. She couldn't find the right words to say but she knew he sure could.
"How come you don't wear dresses more often?"
Pidge snorted. "A dress wouldn't exactly be easy to take care of as a Paladin. And I like wearing pants and stuff but I guess sometimes it would be nice to feel attractive."
"I never want to hear you talking about yourself like that," the larger Paladin continued. "You are amazing-"
"So are you."
"You kick ass-
"You kick ass."
"You're super smart-"
"You're super smart-"
"And you're loved, I never want you to forget that."
"I don't want you to forget it either."
Hunk looked down at her as a few ticks passed. "I see what you did there."
Pidge laughed. "I'm trying, okay?"
Hunk leaned down and pulled her into a hug. She accepted it readily, wrapping her arms around him. "Thank you, Pidge."
"Thank you, Hunk."
.
.
Lance walked in on them while they were bonding.
"Wow, Pidge, you're wearing a dress!"
"Go away, Lance," Pidge said, her voice muffled against Hunk's yellow shirt.
It was silent for a little while until she felt thin arms envelop her. She opened an eye and saw Lance embracing them both.
"I don't know what's going on here but I want in," he mumbled, squeezing tight.
Hunk snorted.
"Garrison trio, reunited!" Lance exclaimed, his voice echoing throughout the bathroom.
Pidge didn't feel dirty anymore.
.
.
Authors Note:
Because I felt we could have used more Hunk and Pidge in S3.
The next few one-shots might be about certain anxieties the different members of the space family might feel. It'll be centered around Pidge of course but everyone should remember that even defenders of the universe have insecurities. This one is about Keith and Pidge.
The Times They Remembered Pidge Was a Girl
One-Shot 5: A Hairy Situation
(FF | | AO3)
"Take cover!"
Through the chaos Pidge couldn't even pinpoint who screamed those words but she took them to heart and scrambled across tiled floors, taking shelter behind a large pillar. She crouched down low, breathing heavily as shots from the enemy continued to fire around her, creating spider web cracks across the floor to ceiling windows several yards in front of her.
Someone slammed into her and she almost sent a shock of electricity through them before she realized the armor wasn't grey and purple but red and white.
"Keith!"
"Sorry," he huffed, yanking her back behind the enormous column just as a laser splintered the floor right where her head had been. "Didn't realize you were hiding here." Keith hunkered low beside her, his armor looking damaged and frayed, blackened with soot and gunpowder, and Pidge was sure hers was looking the same.
"This isn't good," she said, wincing as the ceiling started to crumble around them, sending up clouds of smoke and pellets of rock and stone. "I don't know how much more damage this building can take."
Keith hunched over close to her, raising his arms as if he was going to embrace her in order to block small pieces of concrete from landing on her head. The other Paladins were shouting in their ears through their helmet, letting them know they made it safely outside.
"They were closer to the doors," Pidge said with a sigh. "At least they made it. If we wanted to make it out the same way we'd have to blast through an army."
"And we have no time to wait," Keith said grudgingly. The floor trembled when a large pipe fell from above. Columns were crumbling and the enemy fire continued- and it wouldn't stop. These were robots shooting at them and they were disposable to the enemy. Pidge briefly thought of Rover. She didn't think they were disposable but-
"Pidge, we have to go," Keith said, standing up.
The green Paladin glanced around the collapsing column, ducking back just as quick when a laser streaked against the edge of her helmet.
"Okay, let's go."
The building rumbled as debris continued to fall. The two Paladins ran, jumping over stone and exposed piping as the enemies continued to shoot at them. Pidge could feel heat radiating from shots that made it too close. They ran towards the glass window as it continued to crack under the stress of the falling building and the bullet holes scattered across its surface. She could see their reflections, jagged lines cutting through their bodies as bits of the window started to fracture- but most of her attention was on the large body of grey and purple closing in on them like a large wave at sea-
"Keep close, Pidge!" she heard Keith shout.
But then there was only a hot, bright light and a sharp pain in her head as she was thrown to the floor.
"Pidge!"
Her helmet flew off, cracked and broken, sizzling from the laser that made contact. Pidge groaned, her sight going fuzzy and the sounds of fighting around her muffling. Not good. She groped for her useless helmet. It did its job. Her head hurt- she hissed. Hurt badly. But she felt no wetness. She wasn't bleeding. But that didn't mean she was out of danger. Just as her fingers wrapped around the cracked metal of her helmet she felt someone yank her to her feet.
"Don't put it on," Keith said, practically dragging her to the glass. "Hold on to me."
She did what she was told almost mechanically. Trust her fellow Paladins. She couldn't think straight right now, the pain was too much-
A shatter-
Free fall-
Her hair whipped through the air briefly before Keith wrapped himself around her, pressing her against his chest, his arms securely cushioning her exposed head. He turned mid-flight and his back made contact with the ground and air rushed out of him-
"Are you okay?" she managed to say, rolling off him.
"Are you?" he asked, struggling to his knees. "Your head-"
"A bit better now," she said, coughing as dust billowed around them. The building continued to crumble. Still she felt that constant pressure- that warmth and intensity-
"Fire," Keith said, as if reading her mind. "We have to go. It'll blow-"
"Yeah," she said, head still spinning. She got up, stumbling before Keith leaned down, throwing her arm over his shoulders as he wrapped his around her waist.
"Let's go."
He took it slow for her but she could feel the urgency. There were smaller explosions behind them sending heat waves as little pieces of flaming wreckage flew past them. Pidge heard Keith talking to someone, surely the other Paladin's, but she found it hard to focus. She couldn't take another hit like that to the head- even in her condition she knew that much.
The ground rolled and the air seemed to still for a second before-
The explosion was so loud she heard nothing and they both rocketed to the floor and she felt fire-
"Shit, shit-"
She felt Keiths hands on her body- patting frantically-
"What-"
"Don't move," he said through clenched teeth. A few seconds passed and she could smell smoke and char as the ground burned beside them.
And in the distance she heard roars.
"You're riding with me," Keith said, hauling her up as the rest of the Paladin's arrived. "I don't trust you to drive your lion right now."
"Don't baby me," she managed to lace together.
She thought she saw Keith smile.
"I still smell smoke," Pidge said, coughing violently as she slumped beside the red lions console. She looked up as Keith navigated back to the castleship.
"Yeah," he started grimly. "That's probably our armor. Or your…"
Pidge narrowed her eyes. The way he trailed off-
"My what?"
Keith glanced down at her briefly, hesitating.
"My what, Keith?"
She didn't get it. Was she dying? No way. Where's her helmet anyway? Oh. In her lap. Man, her head was spinning. Coran was going to kill her for damaging the suit.
Her thoughts were a jumbled mess and she tucked her head against her legs, wrapping her arms around her knees, trying to lessen the throbbing pain.
"What a fun mission, huh?" she said sarcastically, voice muffled against her suit.
Keith was silent.
Her head hurt too much to think about it.
.
.
They walked through the castle halls silently and slowly some time after all the Paladins returned and recuperated a bit. Coran saw to her major injuries but everyone was strangely quiet. The boys- her boys were extremely apologetic and though they didn't say anything she could tell they felt guilty for leaving her and Keith inside. There was nothing they could do though, she told them that. There was no other option.
Keith was silent throughout the whole ordeal. He didn't even rise to Lance's bait when the blue Paladin started teasing the two. Keith was a constant presence around her for the next couple of hours, which was strange at first but she understood. She turned the corner and he kept pace with her, which she appreciated. There was a slight tension in his jaw, as if he were clenching his teeth and his movements were stiff. She could tell he was concerned. In his own way.
"Are you going to follow me around all day?" Pidge asked, the corner of her mouth lifting upwards.
"I'm not following you," Keith said, sounding slightly flustered. Pidge smiled some more.
"You were acting weird on the lion."
"Because your head is probably all scrambled," he retorted.
"I got shot," she defended fiercely, feeling guilty immediately afterwards because the look that wracked the red Paladin's face clearly indicated he felt guilty as well. "I'm fine," she added in a lousy attempt to placate him.
"I should take you to a healing pod," Keith said.
"I have to fix my armor." Keith sighed, stopping in his tracks. Pidge stopped a few feet ahead. "What?"
"What if you have a concussion or something?" Keith asked, a strangled look on his face.
"I'm fine," she insisted. "Coran said so."
"You could barely form a coherent sentence!" he said heatedly.
Pidge grumbled, frustrated. "Are you going to fight with me when I'm injured?" she asked slyly.
Keith groaned, irritated. "That's why I'm telling you to go heal."
"Only if you tell me what you were talking about before," she pried. Keith grabbed her roughly by the arm, pulling her through the halls. "Keith!"
He stopped her in front of a shiny door, their aggravated faces staring back at them. Her eyes narrowed to her hair…or what was left of it.
Her fingers moved deftly to caress the charred ends of her brown locks.
"I was afraid you were going to die," Keith admitted softly. "You were shot- when your helmet flew off I thought-" he stopped. They stood together in silence; his eyebrows knit together- a pained expression on his face. "And then the explosion- Pidge, you're lucky the only thing that burned was part of your hair."
She almost didn't hear him. She continued to touch the hardened ends. Then she noticed the distraught look on his face and she cleared her throat.
"You're right," she said, alittle too chipper. "It's only a little bit. Not a big deal, Keith!" She clamped his shoulder comfortingly.
"Pidge-"
"You're right," she repeated. "I'll let Coran know I might take up the healing pod offer. I'll see you around."
With that she left.
It was too blunt and abrupt even for him. He was left feeling worse than before. She tried to console him. Keith felt sick. He felt like he was trying to run miles and miles without covering any distance at all.
"Don't put it on," he had told her. Her helmet was a hazard but he told her not to put it on.
Guilt is a monster that doesn't go away.
.
.
Pidge sat on her bed later that night, eying herself in a small handheld mirror with an ever-present frown on her face as that days events flashed through her mind. When they returned to the castle everyone treated her normally- well as normally as they do after a tough battle. Before all this she had been considering trying to grow her hair out again. She hadn't made much progress but now it looked like she was back to square one. Pidge swallowed, glaring at her reflection when someone knocked on her door.
She sighed, dropping the mirror onto her pillow as she walked sluggishly to the door, counting on her fingers. "No, Coran, I don't need any more time in the healing pod. No, Hunk, I don't need help fixing my helmet. No, Lance, I have no dirt for you. Keith didn't say or do anything embarrassing. No, Shiro, you don't have to worry- I'm fine. No, Allura, I don't want any hair advice-"
"It's Keith."
Pidge stopped at the door. "Oh."
"And I have hair advice."
Pidge raised an eyebrow, allowing the door to slide open. "Oh?" she asked, arms crossed. Keith stood there, looking distinctly ruffled. "Did you run a marathon?" she asked, snickering in her hands.
"No," he said, making his way inside without waiting for the invite. "I searched the whole castleship looking for you."
"Why didn't you just come to my room?" she asked, closing the door behind her.
"Are you kidding? You sleep everywhere but your room," Keith exaggerated, taking in his surroundings. He nudged aside some device on the ground she must have been tinkering with at some point.
Pidge shrugged. "Okay, you got me there. So, what's up?" Keith turned to face her, holding up scissors. Pidge held up her hands in defiance. "I know I annoyed you today but you really came to kill me?" she asked.
Keith looked confused. "What? No, I'm here to cut your hair."
Pidge touched the burned strands carefully. "Um."
"Why would you think that?" Keith implored, slightly offended.
Pidge just laughed. "You really didn't have to come."
"You're room is a mess," he said, ignoring her statement.
"It's not a mess," she said, affronted "It's organized in a way only I know."
"You have random gears lying around-"
"Organized."
Keith rolled his eyes. "Whatever, come here," he said, taking a seat on her bed.
She sat on the floor in front of him, no questions asked, picking at some wires she had lying around. "So why are you here?" she mumbled.
"To cut your hair," he repeated, taking hold of some of her brown locks so gently she almost didn't notice.
"But why?"
Keith was silent for a while.
"Because you were upset," he stated simply. With a steady snip she watched bits of her charred hair fall around her. "You looked…very upset."
"You looked upset," she said, pouting. Keith snorted. She picked up a strand off the floor, twirling it between two fingers.
They fell into comfortable silence for a while, just the steady snip of the scissors echoing in her room.
"Sometimes I miss my long hair," she finally admitted. Keith said nothing but a slight pause in his trim told her he was listening. "I mean I cut it short for a reason. To figure out what happened to my family, you know?" she sighed. "I could grow it longer but it's just more convenient now, being a Paladin and all. But sometimes…I don't know."
Keith ran a comb through her hair and she briefly wondered when he pulled it out.
"Your hair doesn't define you," he said. "And it looks fine. It was just the ends."
"I know," she muttered. She laughed quietly. "Your hair might be longer than mine."
"Here," Keith said, leaning over her and handing her her discarded mirror.
Pidge glanced at her newly trimmed hair, letting her fingers run against the soft ends.
"Thanks, Keith," she said, angling the mirror so she could see his face. He smiled at her and she knew this was for both of them. All monsters could be slain. "Thank you."
.
.
Pidge spoke again later. "You're sweeping up the hair off my floor you know."
.
.
Authors Note:
What cuties.
I had this written up for a long, long time but never got to looking it over. I need an editor lol. Been busy getting stuff ready for med school (but also just been lazy tbh).
Anyway I had a lot of fun exploring Keith and Pidge's relationship. Big brother Keith. This is all supposed to be strictly platonic fyi lol but I mean interpret it however you want ig
Next might be either Hunk and Pidge or Shiro and Pidge.
I am at a COMPLETE loss for what to do with Lance, Coran, and Allura. What insecurities could Pidge have that I can connect to them? SOS. Help wanted! Willing to pay with praise and gratitude.
Summary: The stuff you have to deal with while being a girl doesn't change just because you're up in space. At least you have four guys, five lions, and two aliens on your side.
One-Shot 1: Apparently Mother Nature Visits in Space
(FF | | AO3)
Pidge centric. Female pronouns for Pidge. Just an exploration of situations Pidge can find herself in. Family dynamics ftw.
"You want what?" Hunk asked, staring at the youngest paladin with a quirked brow.
"You know, those smooth disk things you made that one time," Pidge said, flattening her hands together in a circular motion. "We used it to teleport-"
"I know what you're talking about," Hunk said, putting his hands on his hips. "But I didn't think you liked those cookies."
Pidge shuffled her feet nervously, pushing up her glasses with a finger. "Uh, well I don't exactly…" At Hunk's crestfallen expression the green paladin quickly shook her head, laughing nervously. "I mean- but I really want them now!"
Hunk didn't exactly believe her but he did catch her shoveling some of the green goop into her mouth late last night when he ventured into the kitchen for a midnight snack. He also remembered thinking whether or not it was actually midnight. Altean time measurements use 20 vargas in a day so technically it was ten at night?
Hunk rubbed his temple. Space math.
"Earth to Hunk," Pidge said, tip toeing to wave her hand in front of his face.
"Technically we're in space so I can't Earth," Hunk said, holding his chin in his hand. "Would it be space to Hunk?"
"Hunk!" Pidge exclaimed, barely stopping herself from stomping her foot. "Focus! I'm starving."
"Now you know how I feel all the time," Hunk said happily.
Pidge narrowed her eyes, pouting. "I'm not throwing up though am I?"
"Harsh," Hunk said with a chuckle. "Maybe I shouldn't make you cookies. How about that?" The yellow paladin was surprised to see the eyes of the youngest member of the team go glassy as her lower lip trembled. Oh no. He made her cry. He was making Pidge cry. Holy crow- he's the worst friend to ever friend. "Uh…Pidge…are you going to-"
"No!" she exclaimed, ears heating up at the tip. "I'm just-" She groaned, frustrated. "I'll be in my room," she grumbled, storming out of the kitchen.
Hunk watched her go, confusion creeping its way into him. He heard someone greet her happily and Shiro ventured into the room a frown on his face.
"Hunk, did you make Pidge cry?" he asked, genuinely confused.
There was no malice in his tone, no anger hidden beneath the words and yet-
"Oh quiznak!" the large paladin blubbered and Shiro was left patting his back.
.
.
Pidge found stacks of cookies as tall as herself outside her door that night.
.
.
If there was one thing they all knew about Pidge was that she was strong. Not once did they falter in their belief or worry about her not being able to withstand any missions they set for her.
There was only one time Keith's confidence in that wavered and it was mostly because he was confused.
It wasn't often he found Pidge on the training deck. He liked to come there to clear his head and get a few rounds of practice in. He certainly didn't expect to find her sprawled on her side at the edge of the training room, face towards the wall. Now it wasn't odd to find the green paladin asleep in random places throughout the castleship. She often dozed off because she lost track of time tinkering with some new piece of technology she found. But seeing her here-
"Pidge!" Keith exclaimed, running towards her and sliding onto his knees. He placed a hand on her shoulder, rolling her to her back. "Are you hurt?" He immediately thought about the time the training system malfunctioned and how dangerous that ended up being. Maybe Pidge picked one level too high-
"I'm fine," she said through gritted teeth. She had her hands wrapped around her abdomen and she rolled back onto her side, hiding her face from him.
"Do you want me to get Coran?" Keith prodded. "He can put you in the healing pod-"
"I'm fine," she repeated adamantly. "Just go on and train. I'll be here."
"In the corner." Keith stated pointedly.
"Yes."
Keith stood hesitantly, eyeing her warily before making his way to the center of the room. Obviously he knew something was wrong but he didn't see any bruises or blood so he tried to shrug the concern away.
Unsuccessfully.
"Exercise is supposed to help," he heard her mutter about fifteen minutes into training.
"Help with what?"
Silence.
.
.
Pidge had to tell someone. Being sucked into space without any preparation all that time ago meant she was short on a couple necessities. Allura was really nice about it. She didn't quite understand because her Altean body was different than Pidge's own.
One little thing she wasn't expecting though- Coran overheard. The older man burst into the room exclaiming that if Number Five was in need of any assistance he would be there to help. He stared at her, bent at the hip, twirling his mustache.
"Please stop looking at me like that," Pidge said, leaning back.
"Like what?" the man asked. "Human bodies are quite similar to ours-"
"Allura can change her appearance-"
"Perhaps we can come up with an antidote to stop the bleeding," Coran continued, tapping a finger on his chin as he thought of all the different hormones and processes that need to be accounted for. "I may need to run some diagnoses-"
Pidge slumped into her seat. "Not what I meant."
.
.
When Shiro spotted a little bit of red on Pidge's shorts he got mad. They just finished fighting some hostile aliens and though everyone was bruised and aching he didn't know she had received any type of wound that pierced her skin.
Pidge was the first to change out of her suit. It had started to malfunction and because of some exposed wires he insisted she change as soon as possible. He'd rather not have their resident techy short circuit.
Pidge felt Shiro's eyes on her and turned to see his eyebrows knit together in anger, fists clenched around the helmet he held.
"Uh, are you okay Shiro?" she asked.
"Katie, which one of them hurt you?"
"What?" Pidge questioned, tilting her head. When Shiro used her real name she knew things were serious.
"You're bleeding," he pointed out.
Pidge glanced over her shoulder, grabbing the hem of her shorts before blushing bright red. "Oh that. That's nothing."
"What do you mean nothing?" Shiro asked. His voice was calm but she could sense a storm brewing inside of him. "I knew things were getting hectic and we had to fight outside of our lions but-" He pinched the bridge of his nose. None of it really made a difference but sometimes… He couldn't help it. He wouldn't let what happened to Matt happen to her. Sometimes he could forget just how young Pidge was. And small. Shiro's waist was practically as wide as her whole body.
"Shiro, relax." Pidge said. "Really it's nothing. And even if it was we've had worse injuries. Remember Lance?"
"Remember me what?"
Lance walked into the room, hands stuffed into his jacket.
"Shiro's freaking out over a little bit of bleeding." Pidge said with a shrug.
"Who's bleeding? Shiro I thought you could take a beating," Lance said, throwing fake punches into the air. "Champion and all-"
"Pidge is bleeding," Shiro said, stopping Lances fists in his hands.
Pidge rolled her eyes. "I'm going to go change."
That's when Lance noticed the red too.
"Oh," he mumbled. He looked at Shiro, a sly grin forming on his face. "Really? I was the last one to figure out she's a girl but really?"
"What does that have to do with anything?" Shiro exclaimed. "Our fellow paladin was hurt. That's the only issue. She was paired with me. I should have helped more."
Lance snorted. "Believe me you can't really do much about this."
.
.
Lance was acting surprisingly nice to her.
That's not to say he wasn't nice. But he was just being extra…careful.
"So, I'm going to take a trip to the space mall," Lance said, crouching down beside the green paladin, blocking her view of her laptop. Now normally he wouldn't expect Pidge to be interested in coming shopping with him but he had an inkling this time would be different.
Pidge adjusted her glasses. "When're you going?"
"Now, want to come?" Lance said, standing and stretching. "I'm going to go weasel some money out of Coran first."
Pidge looked hesitant so Lance decided to draw her in with curiosity. "Hey, but if you do come I got rules this time. What I'm going to buy is top secret so I'll give you half of whatever money Coran gives me and you go buy whatever you want while I do my super secretive shopping, okay?"
There. Lance was proud of himself. Now she could go buy whatever things she needed for her monthly situation without feeling shy about it.
"You're so weird," Pidge said, straightening up. "I'll meet you in five."
When they arrived at the mall (in normal clothing and not as pirates) Lance handed Pidge a couple of space bills. "Hey, I lived with a lot of girls-"
"And yet every time you see one you start drooling," Pidge said, the corner of her lip turned upwards.
Lance shoved her shoulder. "I'm trying to have a moment with you!"
"You ruined your moment with Keith," Pidge said, eyes twinkling. "Guess it's my turn."
Lance crossed her arms and grumbled under his breath before feeling a small hand on his sleeve. "Thank you," Pidge said, smiling sincerely.
"Yeah, whatever!" Lance called out as he watched her disappear into the crowd. "Not like I care what a little half pint like you gets yourself into!"
The next day Pidge stuck the sticky part of a new pad onto Lances back and he walked around the castleship and no one said a thing.
Authors Note:
I plan on adding a lot more situations Pidge can encounter. If you have any ideas feel free to share!
