Dawn broke, Y/N's alarm rattled her skull and she jumped out of bed, her leg still resonating with a dull ache. She threw on her hoodie and a pair of shoes and broke for the castle doors.

Five o'clock finally came around. Right as the numbers switched to the new hour, Matt made his way out of the doors, finding Y/N just off to the side waiting for him.

"Ready to run?" She asked. In that moment, Matt realized she hadn't said where they would be going, or what they'd be doing. But, he was willing to follow her lead if it simply meant spending time with her.

"Wait, running—" He grumbled.

Y/N smiled, taking off like a bolt of lightning. "C'mon!" She hollered back.

Matt rolled his eyes and bounded after her. For someone injured, she was quick. He even had a difficult time keeping her pace. Unfortunately, the large pathway leading away from the castle was slightly uphill, only making the run even worse. Suddenly, the girl veered off to the right and began making her way through the soft grass. As they continued forwards, the land began to narrow, and Matt could see it came to a high point hanging right over the ocean bay. Despite how hard he pushed, his legs refused to go faster and overtake the girl. She just kept on going.

It felt like he'd never make it there, but soon enough the girl began to slow. At the peak of the cliff, she stood proudly. Not only did he feel lighthearted, but he felt his feet failing beneath him. Soon enough, he found himself face first in the dirt at her feet.

Laughing, the girl bent down and sat beside him. "Nice."

"We don't talk about that." He said gruffly, dusting the grass off of his chest. When he turned his eyes upwards, he was immediately met with her soft Y/E/C ones. She was staring right at him with a warm smile; something he hated. For some reason, when he locked eyes with her like this there was no breaking free, forced to just sit there while his face flushed a deep red. She sighed, pulling her knees into her chest and looked up to the sky, not forwards to the ocean. Something which confused Matt a little.

"Despite it being an awesome view, I have to ask you something..." Matt lowered his head, almost as if accepting defeat.

"It better be something good." Y/N smiled weakly, picking at the grass beneath her feet. "You're ruining the silence." She teased. 

"Depends on your definition of good." He laughed slightly, mustering the courage to turn his head to look to her as she still stared at the sky.

"I was wondering—well, going to ask..." Something was holding him back, even though he had no reason to be afraid. "I guess Pidge wanted me to ask if you'd join us on all of the missions. We could really use your help." He said hopefully. "That is, if you're up to it! If you're not, that's alright, I understand."

"Really?" Y/N's full attention was now on him. "Now are you just asking because you're lonely?" Y/N poked his shoulder.

"What?! No!" He snapped back defensively, a blush rising on his cheeks. "But I will admit to being bored out of my mind when I'm not co-piloting for Pidge. Imagine how unstoppable we'd be if we partnered up? We could take our own ship to help Voltron, or we can go along with Pidge in the green lion if she needs us! Maybe we could even—"

"Alright, slow your roll, Holt." Y/N snickered. "Yes, I'll join you."

Matt's eyes widened excitedly and engulfed the girl in a tight hug. He then realized what he'd done and released her awkwardly.

Y/N stood and held out her hand to Matt. In that moment, with the sun shining on her face, illuminating her eyes, he was sure there was only truth and kindness behind them. Matt gladly took the hand outstretched before him. He was excited to finally have someone else in the ship with him, helping him through tough times. Though he was independent and didn't want help, there were times when he'd been alone in a ship and truly wished he'd had a partner to help make even the smallest of decisions. 

"Ready to keep going?" She asked. Matt didn't see he had an option and nod, following after her. After a couple of minutes, they found themselves on top of those disintegrating bridges Matt had so strongly detested. They were exhilarating to climb around on, just hoping the places they placed their feet wouldn't crumble away beneath them.

"You do know how unstable these bridges are, right? They have been left out here for ten thousand years—at least!" Matt cautioned as Y/N carelessly walked out onto one of the thinner pieces of remaining architecture.

"And they're still standing." Y/N resounded.

Matt stopped and placed his hands on his hips, a small smile creeping onto his face. Maybe, after all, these bridges weren't so bad. Maybe they were old, but they told a timeless story with a history he would never know. And now, there were memories attached to them. Memories he hoped he'd never forget. Memories he could fall back on the nights he'd never be able to fall asleep.

That was when Matt caught himself falling. Not literally, but he was falling for her. Faster than ever before. He couldn't believe that at one point, they shared time at the Garrison. Nor could he believe she was the main reason he was able to be reunited with his sister, freed from the Galra. Or, that she willingly accepted his request to have her join him on all future missions. He'd just have to find some rebel gear for her and the two of them--

Matt shook his head violently, trying to break from the cycle of thoughts swelling in his mind. His eyes cleared but that was when his heart sank into his stomach and his entire body froze. Y/N wasn't anywhere in his sightline, and there weren't many places to go on the bridges but down.

"Y/N...?" He called out quietly, hoping for a quick response. Nothing came, only the once quiet wind now seemingly ripping through his ears like a jet overhead.

"Y/N!?" He called again, this time more frantically. Carefully making his way farther across the bridge in the way he assumed Y/N had gone, he kept his eyes glued downwards, scanning the ground.

"I'm here!" The girls voice rang out, echoing off of of surrounding rock walls. Matt raced to the source of her voice, and there she was, dangling from the side of one of bridges. How she'd fallen, Matt wasn't sure and truly did not care at this point.

"Hold on, ok? Just—just don't let go!" His voice quavered as he tried to come up with a plan. The wind was strong enough to inhibit her from grabbing hold with her other hand, and it also made it impossible for him to pull her up over the ledge.

"Call Pidge!" Y/N shouted up at him. She too very well knew there was no easy way out of this. The moment Matt tried to grab her hand and haul her over the edge, he'd get dragged right down.

"Y-Yeah ok!" He replied, fumbling with the radio in his hands. Everyone in the castle had one in case of emergency. Emergencies just like this.

"Uhhh—Pidge!" He yelped. "We need your help. Right now. On the bridges."

The airwaves, to his dismay, were silent. For one brief moment, they were sent into a fuzzed scramble like someone was trying to reply, but no words came through. "PIDGE!" He screamed.

"Matt!" Y/N gasped as the piece of bridge she gripped onto was slowly beginning to fall apart.

"Try to grab hold here with your other hand!" Matt tried to encourage her to use all of her strength to fight the wind and get her other hand around.

"I-I can't!" Y/N muttered in frustration. Of all the things she'd been through and done, her demise might be a windy bridge. Great, she thought.

"Then grab hold!" Matt hollered, reaching out his arm and firmly gripping hers. All she had to do was let go of the bridge and grab onto his forearm instead. "Trust me."

"Matt, you'll get dragged over. Are you stupid?" Y/N growled.

"Maybe. But if you're going down, I'm coming with you." He reassured. Despite the wind howling around them, Matt felt a certain calmness looking into her eyes. If this was how his adventure here in space were to end, he wouldn't be all too upset. Anything was better than ending up back in the hands of the Galra. Just thinking about that prison made him sick to his stomach.

"If we die, it's your fault." Y/N tried to laugh, but the fear running through her veins seemed to inhibit it. Her smile was weak and afraid, but Matt still revelled in it.

"So be it." He nodded. With that, Y/N slowly began to release her grip, rock crumbling away from the spot she held. Matt did all he could to brace himself, going as far as to reach his one leg out and hook it around the other side of the bridge. But, with it being so thin and old, it wasn't likely to hold up to the new pressure points.

And sure enough, it wasn't. A gust of wind stronger than the rest crashed into the pair from overhead, and cracks in the rock spidered beneath Matt. He reached forwards to grab hold of Y/N with his other arm, and the moment he did so the bridge gave way. Both of the kids let out shrill cries, trying not to look to the rocks beneath them. In the time he had left, Matt wrapped his arms around her head and pressed his nose to her forehead. In this very moment, he realized how much he cared about this girl he'd known for such a short period of time. He realized how many things he wanted to truly say to her. He realized how the lives they had before them would be cut short. He realized he would never be able to experience all the little things he'd been dreaming about the past couple of days with her.