Matt wasn't sure what was happening. He hit a hard surface, his breath completely knocked out of him. But, he was still conscious. He thought he was, at least... Maybe this is what people felt when they died. After all, he wouldn't know. Dying was pretty new to him. He could still feel Y/N's body plastered to his, her head still held firm in his hands. Everything was dark though...

Like waking from sleep paralysis, Matt began to attempt to twitch his fingers, then his face, then arms and legs. Surprisingly, they were moving. He fluttered his eyes open, things weren't bright, but there was just enough light for him to be able to make out some of the small features on Y/N's face. He realized he had his forehead pressed to hers, and he nearly wanted to jump out of his skin.

"Are we alive? Or am I dead?" Y/N asked shakily, still refusing to move or open her eyes.

"I have no clue." Matt whimpered back.

Matt suddenly felt very sick to his stomach. "Definitely alive." He grumbled, running his hands through his tousled hair.

"But how?" Y/N muttered, looking around into the dark abyss of the space they were trapped in.

"How?" A voice asked. "Because there is one person in the castle who is actually attentive."

"Keith?!" Y/N whispered in slight confusion. If it was Keith, then that meant they were in the red lion.

Keith's small smile appeared when he flicked the light on, illuminating the room. For a moment he cringed at the sight of Y/N sitting on Matt.

"How'd you? What? We called Pidge!"

"I'm the only one who leaves my radio on at night. You're welcome." He sighed.

"You shouldn't have gotten the message in the first place!" Matt sputtered. "It was set to only be received by Pidge."

"Well, I got it, so it obviously wasn't." Keith spat back, causing Matt to roll his eyes.

"Thanks, Keith. We owe you one." Y/N cowered slightly.

"Big time." He smirked a little and turned on his heel back towards the chair. The lion jolted, heading straight back for the castle hangar.

Suddenly, Y/N's face was right over Matts, his heart nearly leaping out of his chest. "Don't. Tell. Shiro." She pointed a finger right in his face.

"Mnope." He croaked, trying to fight the blush he could feel creeping up his neck "It never even happened." Though he tried his hardest, the wink he tried to send up to Y/N only translated to an awkward twitch of the cheek. Y/N raised a brow in confusion and cracked a small smile before rolling off of Matt and to his side. Finally, Matt felt like he could breathe.

"Are you alright? I guess I should ask that..." Y/N muttered sheepishly, trying to glance at his face in the dimly lit room.

Matt just tensed and shrugged a little, pursing his lips. "Yeah! Perfect!"

Truth was, Matt wasn't alright. For a few minutes there, the whole endeavour just seemed like some crazy adventure. But now? It scared him. Terrified him to the bone. Just like that, both of them could have just ceased to exist. And there goes the future...in seconds, everything gone.

"It's just..." He took in a sharp breath. "We could have died."

A familiar vulnerability and fear swelled in Matt's heart. The same feeling he endured everyday in the Galra prison. Back then, he didn't care if he died. Now, it was the last thing he wanted.

"Yeah. Kinda scary." Y/N scoffed.

"Kinda?" Matt snapped back, shuffling to his feet. "Exceedingly mortifying." He corrected, quickly stepping towards Y/N and towering over her. Y/N found herself completely trapped in Matt's grasp, his beating heart audible through the clothes and over the sound of the ship rumbling. The boys hands found their way into Y/N's hair and he yet again pressed his forehead against hers. The panic and shock had officially set in as nearly dying wasn't something Matt was nearly as used to as Y/N was.

"You're ok." Y/N whispered with a heavy heart. She knew Matt was scared. Shakily, he nodded, finally letting go of her.

"No more bridges." He let out a small laugh, shoving Y/N's shoulder.

For a moment, Matt thought he'd somehow attained superhuman strength because his shove caused Y/N to topple to the ground. But, to both is relief and slight dismay, he realized the ship had landed. Keith entered the room of the ship and sighed.

"Rides over, go catch a couple more hours of sleep." He ordered, looking right at Matt before heading over to Y/N and helping her up.

Matt was still so overwhelmed, he did exactly as he was told. He ran out of the ship and to his room as quickly as possible. When he got there, he felt like his chest was going to collapse in. So much was going on in his mind and there was no way to stop any of it. Everything from memories of the Galra prison suddenly reemerging, to wondering how and why everything he'd ever wanted somehow crashed into his life in just the past few months. All the way to wondering why he found himself caring about Y/N so much.

The boy ran his shaky hands through his hair, pacing back and forth in the small room. He couldn't bear to look out the window, seeing those bridges would just send his heart into overdrive. All he could do was lay on his bed, hands over his head, breathing deeply, trying desperately to calm his mind.

"Y/N, c'mon, lets get you to the med-bay. I'll wake up Coran—" Keith suggested, trying to direct Y/N towards the door.

"No," Y/N pleaded. "Just let me down for a second."

Hesitantly, Keith did so, and sat down in front of her. It was awful, seeing her like this. She'd finally reached a point when the pain in her leg wasn't overbearing, but now it had returned. He could see the disheartenment in her eyes.

"You don't have to be so tough all the time." Keith half smiled.

Y/N huffed and rolled her eyes. "That's exactly what Shiro said."

"Well, then, it's true!"

Y/N laughed in unison with Keith and began to poke at the bruised area on her leg.

"Hey," Keith piped up. "Last night, I wanted to ask you... what would you say to being my co-pilot?"

Y/N's eyes both seemed to light up yet fall dark at the same time.

"I would—It's just... I already agreed to pilot with Matt wherever he is. In his own ship or in the green lion with Pidge. I'm sorry, Keith..." Y/N apologized.

"It's fine." He began to fiddle with the blade in his hands a little more intently. "Ever need a change of pace, just let me know."

"Definitely." Y/N smiled, kicking at Keith's leg with her good one. "Now, lets get inside and go wake up Coran."

The raven haired boy nodded happily and helped the girl to her feet, guiding her out of the lion and towards the med-bay. Y/N really was an implacable member of the team. Keith, just as much as the rest of the Paladins, did not want to lose her. Not now, or ever.