That's Shiro's cue, rung clear as a bell: a moment for reassurance, leadership, team trust. Unfortunately, they're two paladins out of five, and what Pidge's actually landed today is the castle nominee for Most Likely Not To Notice A Bonding Moment Because He's Still On The Training Deck.

"I'm sure they're fine." One beat passes in silence, and two, five, six. Don't fail here. Keith shifts his weight, palms the back of his head; the mullet, offended, springs back up after his hand falls away. As if to shake off the awkwardness of it, he shrugs hard. "But we'll probably be hearing about it from Hunk for the next year."

Hunk, who's found a lot of footing since they careened headlong into a space war, but is still liable to dwell on little things like we fell through a wormhole into crazy distant parts of the universe! we're probably still being hunted by Zarkon's entire empire! you wouldn't believe what i had to eat before we all got back together! how's nobody else freaking out about this? Now there's something to look forward to at the reunion.

Keith grimaces.