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After another successful mission with Voltron, a new planet has joined their alliance against the Galra. Which means the usual routine has begun: a Show of Arms, followed by a big meeting and meal with the royal family of their new allies.
Pidge has never really liked these big formal meetings, but at least she gets some nice food and a chance to look at the kind of tech they use on these various planets. And today is no different; before the meal, Pidge wanders off to look at a huge screen embedded into the wall, showing meteorological and geological details about the entire planet with exquisitely detailed digital maps.
Not that far away, Allura is talking to a young man who Pidge thinks might be a prince. She notices Pidge looking at her and gives her a small smile; Pidge blushes, loving it when her girlfriend smiles like that.
“Are you enjoying viewing our technology, Green Paladin of Voltron?”
Pidge jumps slightly and turns her head. An older man is stood beside her, his bright green skin looking almost neon in the light of the huge screen.
She smiles and nods. “Oh, yeah, totally. This is awesome.”
The man smiles back. “Thank you.”
“So, can you really check what’s happening right under the ground from right here?” she asks.
“Yes, we possess the ability to get accurate readings right down to the core of the planet.” The man looks at her. “You really are very intelligent, for such a young man.”
Pidge freezes. She stares at him, wishing he hadn’t just said that. She’s been misgendered a lot in her time, but it never stops hurting. Pidge’s smile becomes a grimace and she wrings her hands together, a frantic yet subtle stim.
He doesn’t even seem to notice, continuing to talk as Pidge stands there, stimming in an attempt to stop herself crying.
And then, suddenly, she feels someone link arms with her, and Allura is smiling and overly bright smile.
“Hello, Pidge,” she says, and Pidge realises that she is failing to suppress anger. Did she hear the man misgender her? Then she turns to the man and says, “Hello, sir. Were you having a nice conversation with my girlfriend?”
The man looks at Pidge, and then Allura. “Your girlfriend?”
“Yes, my girlfriend. This is Pidge, and she is my girlfriend.”
Allura doesn’t stop smiling, but her smile is too firm, her voice too forceful. She’s angry, hurt that this man has made Pidge feel upset.
This isn’t the first time this has happened. Someone misgenders Pidge, and Allura gets very passive aggressive and hastily corrects the person, making sure they now know that Pidge is a girl – and that she is also Allura’s girlfriend.
Ever since Pidge explained how upsetting being misgendered is, Allura seems to share her pain whenever she sees Pidge struggling.
The man looks very confused. “I… I apologise. I assumed that your… girlfriend was male.”
Allura raises her eyebrows. “Yes, but she isn’t. Having short hair and dressing like this doesn’t make her a boy. She is a girl, just like me.”
“Allura?” Pidge whispers, now chewing her fingernails. “You can turn it down a notch. I’m okay.”
“Are you though?” Allura says, studying Pidge’s body language.
“Yeah. This happens.”
Allura lets out a slightly shaky breath. “I understand.”
“It’s okay, sir,” Pidge says, turning back to the rather confused alien. “Really.”
“Well, I’m glad I didn’t cause permanent offense,” the man says, but he leaves rather hastily.
As he leaves, Allura puts her arm around Pidge’s waist. “Did I do that wrong, Pidge?”
“No, it’s cool,” Pidge says. “I love that you care about me. But… people do sometimes mess up. You don’t need to be so… forceful with everyone.”
Allura smiles. “I see.”
“Thank you, though,” Pidge says, and she gives Allura a quick kiss. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”