Little Believer {Pidge Gunderson VLD fan fiction}

Chapter 6: We're Just Children

The duo entered the kitchen in silence, Pidge not wanting to say anything and Hunk not pushing her to.

Oh god, she just wanted to be up in the air vents again. She'd been alone and able to think about nothing but the lyrics of songs when she was up there, now it was all back and as painful as ever.

"Pidge." Allura ended the green paladin's train of thought and stood up from where she'd been at the table.

"Princess." Pidge returned the hard stare, although not entirely sure why she was receiving it in the first place.

The tension rose in the room, the other paladins and Coran were thankfully training so they weren't here to witness it.

"Yeah, ok, staring contest over." Hunk said after another second. "Pidge you need to eat."

"Mhmm." Pidge hummed but remained standing where she was as Hunk went to make her his newest meal, a substance that tasted identical to earths pea and ham soup.

"Pidge we need to speak, about your behaviour lately." Allura said calmly, her eyes remaining ice cold.

Hesitantly, Pidge nodded and moved slightly closer, feeling like a toddler being lectured about not sharing a toy.

"Of late you've not been showing up to training, obviously not looking after yourself and not to mention the air vent incident."

"I'm aware." Pidge muttered under her breath.

"Whatever happened does not require this much... this much childish behaviour!" Allura seemed to be getting herself angrier about the matter as she talked, her eyes glaring at the paladin. "It needs to stop."

Pidge was getting pissed now, how dare Allura call her childish! Taking a shaky breath, she remained silent.

"The paladins had to complete a mission without you during your little air vent stunt, Keith and Lance were almost killed!" Allura glared at the girl, her anger erupting like a volcano, her stress about the war adding to the issue.

"Princess, you really should calm down." Hunk tried to say from where he stood.

"Hunk, this does not concern you." Allura didn't even look away from the orphaned teen. "As I was saying, your behaviour is unnecessary and selfish. If you want to-"

"Selfish?" Pidge fummed, her fists shaking at her sides. "You call mourning selfish? Well, 'princess', I'm sorry I didn't drive the castle and everyone on it INTO A FUCKING STAR!"

Steam could practically be seen billowing out of Allura's ears. "You are a paladin of Voltron, the universe is relying on you and if you think pulling childish stunts for attention will get you anywhere, you need to grow up!"

Hunk slammed his fist on the table, gaining both of the girls attention. "Princess, I don't normally get mad but I'm so close to shoving- never mind. You need to learn that us humans react to things different to Alteans. Alteans react to death differently to humans so give Pidge time to continue."

"Either way the universe isn't going to pause and wait for her to get over a death." Allura raised her voice. "People are dying every day at the hands of the galra and if the people fighting against them are going to act like children, then-"

"BUT THAT'S THE THING!" Hunk shouted, causing the newly entered other members of the team to stop short in the doorway. "We are just teenagers! Pidge even younger, and you, you expect us to fight a god damn war, we never asked for any of this!"

Finally Allura stopped, her eyes going large as she stared at the close to tears Pidge, the frustrated Hunk, the confused Keith, Lance and Shiro in the doorway.

"How... how old are you all?" She asked in a quiet voice, Coran looked shocked from the doorway as well.

Hunk blinked. "Pidge is fourteen, I'm seventeen, so is Lance."

"I'm seventeen too?" Keith asked, confused as to what he'd walked into.

"I'm twenty five." Shiro said, but his eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. They'd been able to hear the commotion from the training deck and came over to see if everything was alright, now the four wished they hadn't.

Allura looked over at Coran, both finally noticing the same thing. She immediately covered her mouth with her hands. "You're the age of Altean children? I've been... I've been sending mer children into battle?"

"This is what I've been trying to tell you!" Hunk fumed, ignoring Lance staring at him in shock.

"I-I'm so sorry!" The princess felt sick, she'd just assumed that humans looked how they did all the time. Not once did she think they had been simply children. A sick feeling rested in her gut and immediately she stood and rushed out of the room.

"I-" Coran look unsure about what to do. "I'm sorry, paladins."

Immediately he rushed after the princess.

Lance blinked slowly, confused, because what the fuck did he walk into? "Well fuck."