pidge_out | Victory Road IC Inbox

Come up to the kitchen? I need you to look at something for me.

i'm pretty sure hunk will cry if you make me modify something in the kitchen

I wasn't going to ask. Just -- come up for a minute?

[Another suspicious pause.]

is something happening that i should know about?

[Goddammit Pidge.]

Please just come upstairs. Don't make me come down to find you.

fine

is it important?

Yes. Please?

ok ok i'm coming

[And a few minutes later, a Pidge comes wandering into the kitchen. She's still looking a bit frumpy in an oversized sweater and Rover has settled into her hair that's somehow even messier than before. But there she is, Shiro.

She almost wants to make a half-hearted "Ta-dah!" pose as she stops in the doorway.]

I'm here, Shiro. What's going on?

[It's all right Pidge. Shiro's wearing one of his own awful T-shirts. The kind with a pokemon pun on it. There's also coffee on. And when he sees her appear, he actually smiles, the expression doing a lot to lift the dark circles under his eyes.]

Have you looked at the calendar?

[That sure is a couple boxes on the table. One looks like a pastry box.]

[Okay first of all, how dare you look so pleased about something, Shiro. Pidge is always happy to see Shiro looking happy (though still majorly tired, but what else is new).

Second of all, she is totally giving those boxes a confused, almost suspicious glance as she steps more into the kitchen.]

No. Why? Did I miss something?

You sort of did.

[Look, this is the first time he's felt pleased since... well. They lost someone. Let him have this.]

[He grins at her, and at Rover. Before popping the lid off the pastry box. Inside is a monstrosity smelling strongly of peanut butter. With the words "HAPPY BIRTHDAY PIDGE" on top.]

It's April third.

[Pidge blinks. Looks down into the box. Blinks again.

Wait.

Wait.

It's her quiznaking birthday.

Aaaaand she's staring back up at Shiro again, eyes wide, cheeks colored in embarrassment.]

It's--- How did you-- Wha-- ?!?!

[Please hold. Pidge.exe is rebooting.]

[He makes a little Tadaaaa gesture with his hands. Nudging the other box toward her.]

Come on. You think I'd forget? [Pidge and Keith are probably the ones he remembers most easily -- Keith for obvious reasons, and Pidge for all the time spent with her family.]

I know it's not much. I... know you'd probably rather have your dad here. But... Hopefully you like it.

[He pauses.] And I swear, I did not do anything to the cake except put it in the box.

Happy birthday.

[For a good moment there she can really only stare. Shiro remembered. Shiro remembered and she'd forgotten. Then again maybe it shouldn't be so surprising, because it's Shiro, but still. It's thoughtful and kind.

And she's so grateful.

So it's hug time. She honestly doesn't even care that Rover's still in her hair and her sudden movement has disrupted his rest. She just moves in and wraps her arms around Shiro's middle and hangs onto him that way.]

I do like it. [The words are muffled against his shirt, but whatever.] Thanks for not baking.

[Somehow, the hug is... it's filling in holes he didn't think he had. Like the gap in their little space family is filling in around the edges. She's here. She's okay. And he can do this for her.]

[He returns it. Tightly. Both arms around her like some kind of shield. Yes, they lost someone, but others are here. And they're worth celebrating.]

You're welcome. Absolutely.

[He'll hold onto her as long as she wants. Rover can deal with it -- Pidge is worth any owl squawking.]

We're family, right? Families do this for each other.

[She chuckles against him, the sound of it soft and brief, but hey. At least it exists.]

You're my second favorite big brother. [Even though he's also very much like a dad.

She gives him a quick squeeze around the middle, ignoring Rover's renewed trills of protest, then finally steps back with a grin.]

And this cake looks awesome. Where'd you get it from?

[It exists. That's what's important here. It's the most important thing, aside from her birthday.]

Wow, not your first? I'm absolutely shocked and offended. [He is not. He absolutely is not.]

Botan's bakery. Ordered it for you. She gets a lot of business from this house. [Luna the Meowth chooses this moment to hop on the tabletop, trilling at Rover. Tail swishing.]

You going to open the other box or what?

[That comment earns her a little snicker.] Well, with a little effort I think you can knock Matt down a peg.

[It's mostly a joke. Mostly.

Pidge turns slightly to look at the other box, brows twitching together a bit in thought. Of course the man got her a present. She doesn't need one, not when she has her friends and family here and they're all happy and safe for once. But the gesture does warm her heart a little.]

I hope that's full of cupcakes. Peanut butter cupcakes.

[Rover turns to look at Luna with a little chirping noise, his feathers ruffling up a bit. Don't mess with him. Look how big he is with them fluffed feathers.]

Nah, I'd hate to take him off his pedestal. He looks good up there.

[If she can joke, he can be sappy. So there. That's his decree as second big brother.]

[He can only shake his head. Laughing a bit himself. No, it's not cupcakes. That's all in the cake. Instead, she'll find glow in the dark stars (to decorate the walls), and what looks like the pokemon world version of a Nintendo System.]

I remembered how excited you guys got, when you came back from the space mall. I... thought maybe the three of you could play together.

[Rover don't fluff up. Luna wants to bat at your feathers.]

[She's gonna throw a light punch to his arm for that, making a face.] Gross. Didn't need to hear that.

[So Pidge chooses to move away from that train of thought by really actually opening up the other box to look inside. And her entire face basically lights up. It's one thing to build her own gaming machine with Hunk. It's quite another to receive an actual official video game console complete with games that she didn't have to program herself. Pidge nearly squeals with delight, much to Rover's displeasure, as she pulls the machine from the box.]

Oh my gosh, this is awesome!! How're you even able to afford this?!

[Rover does what he wants. And that includes fluffing up more. Look at all these feathers, Cat-Mon. Be afraid!!]

You sure? I could go into the details.

[He's laughing, though. He absolutely won't go into those details, and she knows it. He's just got to tease her a bit -- what good are teasing rights if you don't use them?]

[And from there? It's sit back and watch. The look on Pidge's face as she realizes what's inside... is absolutely worth every bit of cash spent on the system. He beams back at her.]

Gym battles pay pretty well. I took on three of them in a row. We're set for a while.

[More than enough to handle birthdays.]

[Luna is not afraid of you, Rover. Let her play with those feathers.]

[She gives him a knowing look for the teasing, but then promptly mentally forgives him again. He's given her an awesome present, after all. And it's even one she can enjoy with her brother and her boys.

Gym battles, though. Is she supposed to be doing those? Maybe she'll ask Matt about it later.]

You were really productive while you were out, huh?

[Rover makes an indignant noise, shaking himself and immediately fluttering up to a higher place. So he can be EVEN BIGGER. Be afraid, Luna!!]

[This is ... this is great. The best. Her smile, her enthusiasm. That's the Pidge he knows and cares for. He hitches a hip onto the corner of the table, watching how excited she is, how much she's geeking out over it. No matter what's happened...]

[This helps. This is healing.]

Figured I might as well do it, since I was out there and all. We should try and get you and Matt out there sometime.

[Luna watches, her tail swishing. And then rolls over onto her side, yawning.]

[Pidge shakes her head real quick, just shaking out loose Rover feathers from her hair.]

Mm. That sounds like it involves traveling and walking around.

[Rover is still all puffed up, looking down at Luna with a tiny hooting noise. Is she... Is she bored of him?!]

I don't know -- you could always get a pokemon you can ride on. Let them do the walking.

[He'll just. Gently bat some of those feathers out of her bangs.]

[Luna... flicks her tail idly. Looking like she's falling asleep.]

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