One More Night || kidge au

Strained

Keith never answered that text message. In fact, Pidge started noticing the lack of them. Normally, he sent her cute ones that involved memes or lighthearted videos that he knew would immediately relax her when she was feeling particularly frazzled. It was like she lost a piece of something that had been ingrained into her to always be texting him, especially when they were both rather preoccupied with school but needed a break from it. While his texts were often short and curt, like how he was blunt, it made his texts easy to read. It was rare he ever decided to use emojis and when he did, Pidge always snorted and laughed aloud because it seemed so out of character.

But the last string of text messages he sent was around two weeks ago:

Keith (3:35 PM): when's your last final?

Me (3:49 PM): today at four.

x - June 20XX - x

Keith (8:54 PM): ?

Me (8:56 PM): I'm on my way with food! :D

- June 20XX - x

Me (8:27 AM): where are you?

Me (12:41 PM): FREEDOM!!!!

Me (12:42 PM): when's your last final? We should meet up when you're done!

Me (1:15 PM): Keith?

Me (3:37 PM): I hope your finals are going well?

Instead of his often brisk responses as was expected of him, he sent no such texts whatsoever and in fact, made it feel like he was ignoring her texts. It was disheartening. The last text message she had sent afterward was: hey, you going to the party that Allura is throwing? And his response had been a simple "yeah" and had thoroughly ended the conversation. He never continued it with a question of his own or let her know how his finals went. It was like she was cut off somehow from what she had once been so privy to. If he was going to act like a child, then so be it. It was just disappointing that he wouldn't communicate with her like he always had before.

A few days had passed and evening had fallen with her back at the apartment with Allura. Lance and Hunk were hanging in the living room, getting things ready for the small party to celebrate the last day of exams. Hunk was helping her with the last minute preparations for food while waiting for Shiro and Keith to arrive. (And then the gang's all here!) Lance was preparing the drinks for the small get together to have in lieu of the celebration.

Pidge, not really being much of a partygoer like Lance was or a fantastic cook like Hunk, decided to leave her older friends to do the preparations. Though, it was mostly Allura going, "You should rest! You haven't been feeling well so rest up while you can." And then was promptly shooed off to her bedroom. Even when Pidge voiced her trepidation about there being alcohol (not wanting a repeat of that night at the nightclub), her best friend simply stated that Coran would be checking in now and then from the apartment downstairs. After all, it had been the only way that Allura would've been able to come to Altea Uni without staying in the dorms.

Appeased, she was now laying down on her bed staring at the ceiling and wondering what she was to do next. It felt strange having no more work to do and scoffed, knowing that in reality that her work was truly never finished. There was a competition she could participate in during the break but would have to get started on it next week to have it done by the deadline. With that in mind, it left her a few days to think about what she could submit. However, the thought of more work when she was as tired and mentally drained as she was, only made her want to hate herself.

Covering her eyes with her arms, the cell phone on her chest vibrated. Lifting it, the faintest tug of her lips curled when she saw a text from Rick.