Out Of The Woods

Superficial Love

"Hey, Pidge? We're out of cereal again, and this time I know it was you! Huh? Pidge?"

Pidge let out a heavy sigh, gaze trained on the ceiling above her bed.

"Helloooo?" Matt asked again, quirking a brow from the entrance of her room. "Earth to Pidge! Are you okay?"

"How did you know Marisol was the one girl you wanted to be with you?"

"Huh?"

"You had so many other options, and you chose her above everyone else in the hospital, including Shiro who you had a crush on for the longest time. How did you know she was the one?"

Matt frowned, crossing the room towards her and taking a seat on the edge of her bed. He reached out to rest his hand on her forehead, brows furrowed in confusion.

"No fever, so that can't explain why you're asking ridiculous questions."

"Matt," she said tiredly, sending him a weary look.

"Okay, okay, I won't joke around," Matt chuckled lightly, moving his hand back to brush her bangs lightly with the tips of his fingers. "What's wrong? Why all the relationship questions?"

"Because I have no idea where I'm going with mine," she sighed heavily, turning her head to look directly at Matt. "That's why."

"What happened? Did Lotor do something?"

"Lotor is not always the cause of my relationship woes," Pidge said with a roll of her eyes, glaring slightly at her brother, "and actually, it's Keith."

Matt's brows shot up. "What? Keith? What did he do to you?"

"Nothing," she heaved with an air of annoyance, "but I'm considering...you know...taking an out."

"Why the hell would you do that?! I mean, yeah, Lotor's okay, but Keith is, well....Keith! He's the literal father of your child! I mean, if I had to pick–"

"That's why I stopped asking you!" Pidge snapped, glaring at her brother with irritation. "Every time I ask someone what they think, they tell me either Keith or Lotor and give me so many reasons that I don't even have time to think for myself about what I want."

"Woah, what? Why are you yelling?" Matt inquired, eyes widening. "I just gave my opinion! What's going on, Katie?"

"I just..agh! I just don't know what to do anymore, Matt. I really, really like Keith but fate keeps throwing struggles at us and I can't handle them! I mean, just look at how he's treated at the hospital. Everyone of the interns hates him, and they make fun and ridicule him constantly, and he acts like it doesn't affect him but I know it does! He's putting up with so much for me and the baby, and it's touching, but he's suffering. I don't want him to suffer."

Matt looked down at Pidge with a pained expression. "You're really thinking of leaving him because of the bullying of the people who don't matter?"

"No opinions, Matt. I owe it to myself to grow up and think through my own decisions," she snapped. "I don't need you to tell me what I know."

"Okay, geez. It was just a suggestion."

"I don't even know why I told you," she grumbled, sitting up in bed. "All I get is judgement for my own personal decisions. I love the support."

"Pidge, I wasn't judging you," Matt said in confusion, staring at his sister as she grabbed her bag off the back of her bedroom door, "I was just asking you if this is what you really want. I mean, of course it's your life, but I don't want you to suffer as well once the decision is made. Just...think it through before you do something stupid, okay?"