Chapter 21

After the dance lesson, they all went and had dinner. They were all tired and the crew went to bed pretty quickly. As usual, Kiera didn't go to sleep. Instead, she played with Simplicity to make up for lost time. She even added a random feature into Simplicity's programming that she had been wanting to try. It made Simplicity able to float as if there was no gravity.

Simplicity popped, confused, as he bounced slowly off a wall. Kiera laughed quietly. He was a goof.

It came time for breakfast and then lunch then dance class at Kiera's School for Ill Mannered Paladins.

"Today, we are going to practice another waltz step." Kiera said "Its simple but takes some practice to get the hand of. It's like a twirl." She demonstrated with Lance "Now everybody try it."

She made her usual rounds, helping Hunk ("You are the leader, Hunk! Lead!") Keith ("No, stop with the angry stepping! How do you even manage to step angrily?") Shiro ("I told you yesterday, you're not bulky.") Allura ("Maybe give Space Dad a break from your laughter, Your Highness?") and finally, Pidge ("You can dance, Pigeon, just stop thinking about it.")

Pidge grumbled "I could only dance yesterday because you were leading. I can't dance with anyone else."

"Sure you can." Kiera said "Pretend Lance is me. Lance, do your best impression of me."

Lance bent his knees so he was her height and spoke in a higher voice "Hi I'm Kiera, I'm so awesome and I'm gonna beat someone up after this!" Pidge burst out laughing.

"I do not sound like that." Kiera said, trying to hold in her laughter "And since when do I beat people up in my spare time?"

Lance straightened up "You don't. I just assumed."

"Well you assumed wrong." Kiera huffed playfully.

Pidge recovered from her fit of laughter "I still can't dance with him. Especially after that."

"Can you at least try?" Kiera begged. Pidge shook her head and Kiera threw up her arms and said "Fine, dance with me. Lance, go dance with Keith or Hunk."

"Kicking me out again?" Lance fake sighed "What did I do to deserve this?" He walked away.

Kiera looked at Pidge "Pigeon, is there any other reason why you don't want to dance with anyone but me?"

"No, of course not." Pidge's answer came too quickly.

"Pigeon," Kiera said "I can't help you if you don't tell me."

Pidge put her face in her hands "Yes there's a reason why I won't dance with anyone but you. It's because I..." she trailed off.

Kiera paused "You..."

"Nevermind, it's not important." Pidge said. Kiera could tell she didn't want to talk so she didn't force her.

"Why don't we try the step I demonstrated?" Kiera suggested, changing the subject "After dancing with you yesterday, I realized that we have the perfect height difference for this sort of thing."

Pidge snorted "Being short isn't always a good thing."

"You're not the only short one." Kiera shrugged and pulled Pidge into a slow waltz "Just relax. You can do this."

Pidge followed and Kiera tried the twirl thing with her. It worked relatively well. Pidge was a little disoriented after but she quickly regained her footing.

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" Kiera smiled at Pidge "You can dance, just not with Lance." The others had started to leave to go eat.

Pidge smiled shyly and looked down "Thanks, Kiera."

Kiera laughed a little "Maybe you should dance with Shiro. I'd like to see how the massive height difference works out."

Pidge didn't reply.

Kiera was concerned. She stopped dancing just as the room emptied and used one hand to lift Pidge's face up. Her eyes were filled with something. She was nervous.

"Pigeon, what's wrong?" Kiera whispered.

Pidge's arms dropped to her sides "I don't think I'll be able to dance at the dinner party. I'll be nervous enough because we will be infiltrating. But dancing on top of that? I won't be able to do it."

"Of course you will be able to do it." Kiera said "You're dancing right now."

"Yeah but that's with you." Pidge said "I trust you. Everybody would look at two girls dancing together and they would think it's weird. Then they might realize that we were in disguise."

Kiera put the hand that was holding Pidge's chin on her shoulder "Pidge, you'll be fine. If you don't want to dance, that's fine but-"

Pidge cut her off "No, Kiera. I'm not going. Nothing you say will make me go." She turned away and started to walk to the door.

"I may be teaching you all how to dance, but to be honest, I'm not that good." Kiera said to Pidge's back "I'm just confident. I believe I can do it and it makes others believe I can as well."

Pidge didn't stop walking.

Kiera sighed and said "I'm not a dancer in any way shape or form, Pigeon. I'm not even that great of a thief. I'm just confident. Some might call it arrogance, I call it self empowerment. If you don't believe in yourself, you don't accomplish anything." She looked at the floor, pain in her eyes.

When she looked up, she saw Pidge had stopped walking but hadn't turned around.

She kept talking "When I was little, I was a huge nerd. Not the good kind of nerd. The type of nerd that nobody like. I was also a huge theatre geek. I sang all the time. I was good at it too. I haven't sung in years. But, if it would make you feel better, I will."

Pidge turned "You sing?"

Kiera nodded sadly "I'm afraid my voice may not be what it once was, but I can try. That's all anyone can ever do. Try their best." Pidge nodded at her.

Kiera closed her eyes. Then she took a deep breath and began to sing. She sang it as if it were a lullaby.

Give me a second I,I need to get my story straightMy friends are in the bathroom getting higher than the Empire StateMy lover she's waiting for me just across the barMy seat's been taken by some sunglasses asking 'bout a scar, and

I know I gave it to you months agoI know you're trying to forgetBut between the drinks and subtle thingsThe holes in my apologies, you know

I'm trying hard to take it backSo if by the time the bar closesAnd you feel like falling downI'll carry you home

TonightWe are youngSo let's set the world on fireWe can burn brighter than the sun

TonightWe are youngSo let's set the world on fireWe can burn brighter than the sun

So if by the time the bar closesAnd you feel like falling downI'll carry you home tonight

She finished and realized she had a tiny smile on her face. She hadn't sung in a long time.

Kiera slowly opened her eyes to look at Pidge. She stood there, arms hanging at her sides, mouth open. She started walking forward slowly.

"Pigeon?" Kiera asked quietly. Pidge didn't reply and kept walking, her mouth slowly forming a smile.

"Pidge?" Kiera said.

Pidge said nothing and walked right up to Kiera. She stood completely still. Kiera froze.

Suddenly, Pidge jumped forward and wrapped her arms around Kiera. Kiera was shocked. She put her arms around Pidge and pressed her face into Pidge's hair.

"Thank you." Pidge whispered into Kiera's shoulder "I'll come to the dinner party."

Kiera smiled into her hair and said "Good. I might need you."

Kiera wasn't usually one for physical affection. This was different. She felt like she could protect someone. Warmth filled her chest and she held Pidge closer.

"사랑해."