Pidgespins around, just as curious, to see Keith standing with his arms crossed, thebeast that Coran called a “cosmic wolf” at his side. “Soit…talks?” she says.

“Not…exactly,” Keith says, shrugging. “It…look, it’sreally hard to explain, and I tried to name it when I realized itwasn’t going to ditch me.” He smiled and scratched behind the wolf’sear. “It just didn’t like any of the ones I offered. 

“So why are you still calling it an it?” Lance demands, staring between him and the wolf leaning its headtowards Keith. “Isn’t it offended?” 

Thewolf stands on its hind legs, and Pidge unwittingly takes a step back, caughtoff-guard. But then it balances its front paws on Keith’s chest and swipes a long tongue over his face.

Pidge wrinkles her nose in disgust. She had - orhas? - a dog back on Earth, but she never liked it when he licked her…

ButKeith laughs and rubs the wolf’s furry sides, apparentlyunbothered by its affection. “Does that answer your question, Lance?”

Lancerolls his eyes at Pidge. “I guess it does.” He thenstares at some point past her, and when she turns she spots Allura and Romelledeep in conversation as they emerge from the Black Lion.

“I’m gonna check and see if Hunk wants help withdinner,” Lance mumbles. “Maybe he needs someone to fend off Coran…” He wandersaway, shoulders slumped.

Pidgestares after him, something twisting in her stomach. Maybe she and Hunk shouldn’t have been so harsh on him about his…thing for Allura, not when he hasn’t once spoken a pickup line to the only other reasonably young and pretty woman traveling with them despite severalquintants of opportunity.

(Well,not that he’s ever used a pickup line on Pidge either.)

Butshe bites her lip and approaches Keith and the cosmic wolf, a smile alreadystretching across her face before her fingers sink into silky fur.

Bathingin a river is about as pleasant as Pidge expected it to be, which is to say it’s very cold and very uncomfortable. 

Vegetationsurrounds the river, spindly trees with arching roots rising over theriverbanks and shading the water, but Pidge still feels exposed.

Exceptfor the minute she loses herself in the feeling of washing the grime and sweatfrom her skin and hair, which is now long enough to tickle her back when wetand sit on her shoulders when dry.

Shecan even tie it up, if only she has a hair tie.

Pidgedries and dresses in her cozier civvies quickly, eager to get back to give theothers a turn to wash and shave and whatever it is they need to do. She knows,from his copious whining about a scratchy beard, that Lance in particular isdying for a shave.

(Shedoesn’t think it looks so bad, not like he seems to; actually he doesn’t look bad at all with a little scruff on his face…not that she’llever tell him that.)

Shetreks back to the clearing where the Lions touched down, in time to see Shiro,of all people, helping Hunk with the cooking.

Shegrins at the sight, unfamiliar even before his disappearance from the BlackLion’s cockpit, while Hunk explains a step to him.

Shiro’s white beard is even thicker than Lance’s and Hunk’s by now,though Pidge isn’t sure if that’s due to his age or biology. And he’s moreresistant to shaving it; quintants ago she overheard him insisting to Keiththat he’d do it himself.

(Pidgewishes she could forget that conversation.)

Lancesprints out of the Red Lion before she can get much closer, a bundle of clotheswith a few bottles poking out in his arms. “Oh, great, Pidge is back!” heexclaims, glancing up and smirking. “This means it’s our turn—”

“Not so fast, Lance,” Shiro says. “Taste this first.”He offers a wooden spoon to Lance.

Abottle tumbles to the ground while Lance takes it wordlessly, his brow furrowedin confusion. He glances at Hunk, whose eyes widen but otherwise doesn’t signal that anything is wrong with Shiro’s cuisine.

Lancesticks the spoon in his mouth, an eyebrow raised before his face pales. Hecoughs and mutters around the spoon, “This is, uh, this is…interesting.”He glares his Hunk as if to demand why didn’t he warn him. “What is it?”

Shirosags and says, “I knew you wouldn’t like it.”

“What’s it?” Pidge wonders, curiousdespite her better judgment.

“It’s our attempt at…curry,” Hunk admits with ashrug. “But Kaltenecker hasn’t been giving as much milk lately—”

“Because we’re not feeding her enough!” Lanceinterjects.

“—and we don’t have real spices or ameat base.” He sighs and stares into the simmering pot. “Also I let Shirotouch it.”

“Hey!” Shiro says, narrowing his eyes at him. “I maynot be the best cook—”

“He’s almost as bad as Coran,” Keith, who Pidge hadn’tnoticed approaching, muttered to her, making her jump.

“—but I do know how to make a quiznakingfine curry!”

“Out of alien ingredients?” Hunk says, raising askeptical eyebrow.

Shirosighs and confesses, “No.”

“Yeah, and I’d say that without rice or some otherkind of grain, this curry’s a dud.” Hunk pats a disconsolate Shiro on theshoulder. “I’m sorry, but I’m sure it would’ve been great on Earth.”

WhileShiro’s attention is on Hunk, Keith violently shakes his head. Lancesnickers, but when Shiro turns to him curiously, he covers his mouth with ahand.

“Uh…my beard itches,” he complains, scratching athis chin and smiling sheepishly.

Pidgesmiles, amused despite everything.

“Ah, well, while this cooks, let’s go clean up,”Hunk says. He grabs Lance’s arm and tugs him to the other end of the clearing. “Pidge,by the way, your hair looks nice like that!”

“Oh, thanks!” Pidge, her eyes widening at thecompliment, runs her fingers through her damp hair. “It used to be longer so…Ithink I might grow it out now that I don’t have the chance to cut it.”

“Whatever you do, I’m sure it’ll look great,” Hunksays cheerfully. “Right, Lance?” He pokes Lance in the cheek.

Lance,his wide, stunned eyes fixed on Pidge like she’s the alien, jumps, swatting hishand away. “Right,” he says. He shakes his head and smiles at her. “It looks…pretty!Uh, not that it didn’t before!” He holds up his hands defensively, his bundlefalling to the ground. “Aw, quiznak,” he grumbles, staring down at his droppedclothes and bottles.

Pidgelaughs and bends down to help him collect them. “That’s such a relief to hearfrom you, Lance,” she teases.

The airseems warmer then, and heat travels up her arm when her hand brushes Lance’s.

(Ofall the moments that can seem like something out of a young adult novel…)