#CUTE GUYS!!! i want lance’s pajama pants

[tteokggukk]

let’s fall in love for the night → kth

✳ pairing: taehyung x reader

✳ genre: college au, fluff, slow burn

✳ warnings: none! just pure fluff

✳ words: 9.4k

✳ a/n: hello! this was inspired by finneas’ song let’s fall in love for the night, which just really made me think of taehyung while listening. this is my first oneshot and also the first time i’ll be posting my writing so i’d really appreciate some feedback so i know how i can improve! thank you and i hope you enjoy!

S T O R Y  P L A Y L I S T:

1. Let’s Fall in Love for the Night // FINNEAS

2. I Fall in Love Too Easily // Chet Baker

3. Realize //  Colbie Caillat

4. Ain’t Together // King Princess

5. Lay Me Down // Sam Smith

6. Dreams // Fleetwood Mac

"It'll be fun, you know."

Kate says in an imploring tone at her hundredth attempt at trying to get you to join a party your other friends had planned. "It'll just be with people we know, and maybe a couple others but— you know how Justin is. Come on, please?" She looks at you with begging eyes while clutching onto different pieces of clothing she planned on trying out.

You were lying in your bed contemplating whether or not you should click on one more episode of (your favorite show) or give in and get out of your comfortable pajamas. Your best friend knew you didn't want to choose the latter, but you knew better that she never took no for an answer.

"I don't see what's more fun than being in bed right now," you groaned as you shut your laptop and stood up, walking over in front of the mirror as if staring at it would help you decide what to do. It’s been a while since you’ve last been to a party. Crowds and loud music were only fun to a certain extent, one that doesn't last very long, and you were pretty sure Kate was going to end up leaving you later in the night until she needed someone to hold her hair up while she puked in a bathroom stall. 

But then again, winter break was only days from now and you'd be going off to travel with your cousins to places in Europe. It was a break you needed—a break from college and stress. All you could look forward to was the comfort of being around people you were free to be yourself around. Though this meant you wouldn't have any time to hang out with Kate and you certainly didn't want to leave without spending time with her, especially since you never come with her to parties anymore.

"Yet there you are getting ready anyway," You could hear her smile in victory as she spoke, making you roll your eyes. 

"Just this once," you glance back at her before entering the bathroom to shower, silently regretting your decision.

Forty-five minutes later, you were done getting ready and Kate was waiting for you by the door frame of your shared dorm room. The only good thing about going out to party was that you always rocked the clothes you wore, and tonight you couldn't help but feel yourself in your tight black dress and combat boots. You took your keys from your drawer and you both headed out. You got in the driver's seat while Kate rode shotgun.

It was six in the evening, the sky faded into a deep blue mixed with purple and the stars were close to lighting up. The view nearly tempted you to drop the whole party and just go on a drive, until you remembered you were with Kate who was more than happy that you finally went with her after her endless invitations.

"I'm glad you listened to me for once," she says, head nodding to the sound of her music.

"I don't know if I should be happy or scared that I did," you chuckled, though you already knew your answer.

"Y/n, parties aren't so bad. You gotta learn to loosen up," Kate shakes your shoulder, "Plus, you need this. You haven't gone out much and had fun since Lance."

"I think I'm already a loosened up person, thank you very much," You glanced at her with a sarcastic smile, "And Lance? Lance who?"

Kate laughs at this, and from the corner of your eye you could see her shaking her head before looking out the window.

"You're over him, then?" She asks.

"It's been like, six months, Kate. At this point I'm just a loser if I haven't gotten over him," you laughed to yourself knowing full well how convincing you sound, you almost believed it.

Lance, that idiot cheater, you thought. You were over him, but that didn't mean there wasn't a slight pang in your chest at the mention of his name and at the thought of what he did. It wasn't him you were bothered with; it was the experience of being cheated on. It made you question your own worth, and sometimes even your existence.

But that was months ago, and right now there was really no time to get hung up over a guy. You've practically given up on whatever chances of love you thought you'd ever find when you broke up with him, you decided it was time to give some more time for yourself.

"I'm proud of you. Who knows, maybe tonight you'll meet your next prince!" Kate giggled a little menacingly, it almost scared you.

"Maybe."

You doubted it.

When you got to the house, it was exactly how you imagined it. Loud and trashed. You could already feel the bass from the blaring music being played and you weren't even out of your car yet. It made you feel slightly anxious, already sensing something stirring up in your stomach, your heart racing and your palms sweating. 

Kate looks at you as if waiting for some kind of confirmation, probably sensing you didn't really feel okay. "You good?" 

You didn't want Kate to feel guilty, nor did you want to kill the mood, so you decided to do what was best which meant having to go inside and get the night over with.

"Yeah, let's go."

When you both got out of the car, the noise only got louder and you could hear the sound of teenagers laughing. Before you could enter the place, you recognized a guy walking towards the two of you with a smile, first giving Kate a side hug before moving to you to give you one as well. It was Nick from your chemistry class and one of your friends. He gave you a surprised look and a smile before turning back to Kate. 

"This is the first time in a while you brought y/n with you!" He says enthusiastically, "It's great you finally came!" 

"It took me a lot of convincing," Kate says.

"I'm not gonna be here over the break, so I figured why not," You nod as you spoke. Nick was a good guy, he was smart and friendly, he pretty much knew everyone around the whole campus. 

"It's good you could make it, Min-Jun's been wailing thinking you'd never come," Nick laughed. You gave Kate a look at the mention of Min-Jun's name, her eyes turning slightly wide. You could tell she knew something, but this wasn't the time and place to confront her. Nick places his arm around and you before telling you both to come inside and try the drinks.

It stuck in your head, though, the fact that you felt like Kate and the others had this all planned.

The house was huge and close to being crowded, but there was just enough space to walk in. You recognized most of the people from your batch and some of them looked as shocked as Nick to see you, though just as happy as they offered a wave while some even called your name.

"Where are the others?" Kate asked, referring to both your group of friends.

"They're over at the back, follow me." Nick leads you both to the backyard, revealing a huge pool surrounded by your friends along with some guys who also went to the same class as you but never had the chance to talk to. You made eye contact with one of them, specifically the tall, familiar guy who had black—maybe even dark brown hair, sharp eyes, wearing a black, rose printed dress shirt and black pants. He had the same classes as you but you couldn't recall a time you've ever had a proper conversation with him, the most you could remember was when he needed to borrow a pen or whenever he’d give it back. The eye contact might have been a little too long, so you quickly averted your attention to the others.

I didn’t know the Kim Taehyung went to parties with my friends.

Taehyung and his friends had a reputation for being popular with everyone. Unlike his friends who were more sociable and outgoing, Taehyung was much more reserved. He didn’t go out much either, nor did he date often, but his serious exterior gave off a mysterious aura that most girls (and even some guys) couldn’t resist.

Everyone else was visibly surprised to see you, and it’s safe to say it was a pleasant surprise as they all greeted you warmly, easing the anxiety you had previously felt. All that was gone by now and is replaced by the feeling of comfort around the people you knew.

Min-Jun caught your eye and even with the dim lighting you could tell he turned into a deep shade of red. 

"Y/n! I can't believe you actually made it," Jen, one of your close friends, gave you a side hug.

"This is the first time I've seen you come to a party in years," Justin, the owner of the house and another one of your close friends, gives you a high five.

"Yeah, well, thank Kate," you grinned.

"Min-Jun, why are you suddenly so quiet?" Lucas teases, who also happens to be the guy Kate has a crush on.

"Shut up," Min-Jun bumps Lucas on the shoulder making Lucas laugh before he made his way to you, "Hey, y/n."

"Hey," you greeted awkwardly, forcing a smile. Honestly Min-Jun was a close friend of yours until he started creeping you out. He'd get jealous over Lance when you were still together and always indirectly told you how much you "deserved better" while you dated someone else. He was right, but you found that it felt too invasive and caused you to see him in a different light ever since, and not in a good way. It still didn't stop him from trying to make a move on you. 

"Y/n, by the way, these guys are our friends," Justin points towards Taehyung and his friends as the three of them came forward to introduce themselves. "This is Jimin, Jungkook, and Taehyung, though you might already know them," Justin motions at them, each of them waving and saying "hi", "We have the same classes."

"Hey." You waved back.

"You look great," Jimin grins at you. He was cute, and you couldn't help but smile back.

"He's a massive flirt, so don't fall for that," Jungkook teases, and everyone laughs. Jimin shakes his head but laughs along while their friend, Taehyung, was just sipping on some coke.

"How come we never really see you around Justin's parties?" Jimin asks.

"I haven't really gone out to party in months," You told Jimin.

"What happened to your boyfriend? Was it Landon? Lee?" Taehyung asks, holding the can of coke in his hand. 

Just as you were about to open your mouth, Min-Jun decided to race with you and answered, "Lance. They broke up like half a year ago, right?" He quickly spoke. Annoyed, you glared at him subtly, hoping he'd get the message.

"Right," was all you could say.

Taehyung just raised a brow and sipped on his coke again while he nodded his head. You were slightly disappointed at what impression you gave off to Jimin, Taehyung, and Jungkook— the girl who stopped partying solely because she broke up with her boyfriend, but right now what bothered you most was the way Min-Jun stood right next to you, beer in his hand, looking at you as if he had the right to speak for you. You didn't want to cause a scene, but man did this irk you.

"We should head back inside before we run out of drinks," Justin announces and everyone follows. 

Before you got in the house, you could swear you saw Taehyung glancing your way. Or it might've been your imagination, so you decide not to think much of it.

In the kitchen, you waited for Kate as you stood next to the punch bowl while you watched as she flirted with Lucas. You took a glass of punch, leaning on the counter while looking around the place. Min-Jun wasn't in sight, what a relief, you thought, but you also saw Taehyung, Jungkook, and Jimin surrounded by quite the number of girls. Jimin seemed to be quite flirty, Jungkook only nodding his head while someone spoke to him, and Taehyung sat on the couch’s arm rest, just scrolling away on his phone.

Kate finally noticed you and walked over. 

"Why didn't you tell me Min-Jun was gonna be here?" You asked, arms folded.

"Cause I knew you weren't gonna come if I did," She whined, "I'm sorry. The others wanted you to come too, you know."

"You know how uncomfortable I am around him, Kate."

"Look, I'm really sorry, okay?" Kate held both your arms, "I'll make it up to you, I promise."

From behind Kate, you could see Taehyung making his way over your area. He looked at you, causing your brows to raise so you looked back at Kate.

"Fine," you sighed.

"Yay! Thank you, y/n," Kate pulled you in for a hug. Taehyung was looking at you both before proceeding to fill his red cup with punch. Kate must've noticed him as well because she began to pull away from your short hug.

"Justin says we should all go to his room to play a game. The others are already there. You should come," she takes your hand and then looks at Taehyung, "Taehyung, you should come too!" Taehyung nods at this while gulping down the drink.

The three of you headed upstairs to the second floor. There were people playing games on different consoles while taking shots, people making out— it was like a whole 'nother party. Kate walked ahead into Justin's room while you lagged behind with Taehyung in front of you.

Taehyung looked at you as you scanned the area, "Weird how people get used to these things," he comments, making you look.

"My sentiments, exactly."

"Y/n, what are you doing?" The sound of the familiar, irritating voice pierces through your ears. Even through the loud music, his voice manages to be the most annoying sound.

Min-Jun's head pokes out from Justin's door frame. He looks at you then at Taehyung before stepping out to walk in front of you. Taehyung watches Min-Jun with eyes slightly squinted as if he's onto him.

"You're hanging out with him?" He asks.

You couldn't make a scene. This guy's never seen you angry, and you weren't going to risk for people to see that either.

"I was just heading inside," you smiled politely and walked past Min-Jun to head in Justin's room, Taehyung following behind you.

Everyone was sat in a circle and there was a bottle placed in the middle. You knew where this was a going and you weren't sure if this was a good idea. From what you could tell, everyone in the room was way more buzzed than you. Could you really handle this game without being drunk?

You sat on the empty space next to Jen, but Min-Jun found his way next to you. Taehyung sat opposite from you where he started talking to Jimin and Jungkook.

"Great, everyone's here. You know how the game works, spin the bottle and whoever it lands on has to go in the closet with the next person," Lucas explains.

"Seven minutes might not be enough though," Min-Jun whispered in your ear and smirked, making you very uneasy. You wished you could switch spots with someone else, but at least sitting next to Min-Jun could lower your chances of being paired with him.

Yet you weren't the only one who felt like strangling the boy next to you. Taehyung felt it too.

Several spins and unnerving whispers from Min-Jun later, the bottle finally landed on you. Your eyes went wide as everyone began chanting your name. Your luck has gone so well for the whole of the game, you thought for sure it would end without the bottle landing on you— but it did, and Min-Jun took this opportunity to quickly spin the bottle, thinking it would land on him and that he'd be the guy to enter the closet with you.

But it didn't land on him.

It landed on Taehyung.

You could feel the anger radiating off of Min-Jun as he tried to keep his cool. Taehyung gave you a look that seemed as if he was asking for your consent. All you wanted was to get as far away from Min-Jun as possible, so you stood up.

"Y/n's down for it!" They shouted. Even Taehyung's own friends started applauding.

Taehyung stared at you as you walked into the closet, him following behind but not missing the chance to send a mocking smirk at Min-Jun. The door closed behind the two of you and there was nothing inside except the closet lights, a bunch of coats, and just enough room for two.

"Seven minutes, you guys!" Justin slurred behind the door.

Silence.

"I really wanna get out of here," you sighed to yourself and ran your hand through your hair as you leaned on the walls of the closet.

"You wanna call it quits? I could talk to Justin," Taehyung asks, his hand already on the knob.

"No! No," You chuckled, slightly feeling bad, "Sorry, I meant this whole party."

Taehyung smiles shyly, "Oh, sorry."

He had a different aura now than he did earlier.

"Same though," He spoke quietly, "I was dragged here by my friends, as always."

You let out a breathy laugh, "I was forced to come here as well." You looked around the closet, realizing the whole purpose of getting in here was to have a seven-minute make-out session. Taehyung probably heard you gulp nervously, so he looked at you with a fond smile, "We don't have to do anything you're not comfortable with, don't worry."

What a relief.

Taehyung leans on the wall opposite you so he's facing you. "Maybe it's not my place to say, but your friend, Min-Jun, was it?" He starts, making your left brow raise, "Seems like he's been trying to impress you all night."

You snicker, "He makes me uncomfortable."

"You're good at hiding it, but I could tell," He gives you a sympathetic smile, "Sorry you have to put up with that."

You had to admit he was already extremely attractive from afar, but he's deadly up close. His skin looked so smooth and his eyes were so captivating. You noticed he had both a monolid and a double eyelid, then you shifted to his nose and noticed a little mole. His eye had it too, and so did his mouth. 

It was like God put a whole constellation in him. It fascinated you.

You must've been staring at him for a long time, because he suddenly snapped his fingers in front of you. It took you by surprise and maybe it was cause of your facial expression, but this made Taehyung laugh. 

And his laugh made you laugh.

"You're so annoying," you chuckled.

"Am I? Can I compete for most annoying with Min-Jun?"

"You know, something tells me you'd win," you say sarcastically, earning you a smile from Taehyung.

You were both silent for a moment until he started talking again.

"I know this seems too sudden, but do you wanna get out of this place?" He asks.

"Like, the closet?" You look at him, confused.

"No, out of this party. I know we don't know each other well but I really wanna go out and have more fun," He scratches the back of his head, "And something tells me it'll be exciting with you."

You felt the heat building up on your cheeks at his words. Maybe it was the punch talking, but for some reason you suddenly felt a little more confident. Whatever it was, you just had to blame the punch for the words that were about to slip from your mouth within the next few seconds.

"Do you wanna go on a date with me?" You blurted, "Just for tonight, though, then we forget it all in the morning."

You couldn't believe what you just did right now.

Taehyung only smiled, his eyes turning into crescents before saying the words, "I'd love to."

Seven minutes were almost up, but you and Taehyung rushed out of there as fast as you could. For a brief moment you could hear the others shouting 'Hey! It isn't over yet!'. Then you saw Min-Jun standing up in shock while Taehyung ran to the door, his friends Jungkook and Jimin shouting 'What's going on?' as you tossed your car keys to your best friend Kate, screaming 'I'm sorry!' before finally running to Taehyung, who was waiting by the door frame.

You took one last glance at everyone knowing full well you had a lot of explaining to do tomorrow, but you had to start running because Min-Jun, Kate, and Justin were suddenly following the two of you. 

Taehyung took your hand as you both ran down the stairs, trying to squeeze your way out of the crowd. When you were near the door, you heard Min-Jun scream your name though you never bothered to look back. Taehyung held your hand tightly until you were both in front of his car. You quickly got in and rode shotgun and he immediately stepped on the gas, leaving no time for the others to catch up.

The feeling of your heart pounding in your chest and the rush of adrenaline caused by the chase was the most fun you've had in months, and it was all thanks to the guy who you barely even talk to in all your classes. You looked over at Taehyung who had on a wide, toothy smile, panting as he drove.

"That was crazy!" He shouted.

"That was actually fun!" You breathed out, "I can't believe we really did that."

"I know! The way you threw your keys at Kate! That was funny," he laughed and so did you.

You never expected the guy who looked so intimidating to be so spontaneous.

"So wait, where are we heading now?" You asked.

"Anywhere, we'll make the most out of this night," Taehyung grins, "I'm taking you on an adventure before this offer expires in the morning."

"I can't wait," You grin back.

You looked out the window. The sky had already turned black with stars scattered all around it, it was beautiful. You had been so occupied with the party you hadn't noticed it was already 10:45 in the evening, so there weren't much cars on the road. Taehyung drove fast but it didn't scare you, in fact it only excited you more.

"You wanna roll the windows down?" He asked.

"Can I?" You looked at him.

"By all means." He gave you a quick smile before turning his attention back on the road. You smiled and rolled the window down, feeling the wind run through your hair. The way the streetlights illuminated his face made you see him clearly, and though you'd never admit this to yourself you knew he made you flustered.

Taehyung drove for another ten minutes before pulling over at a nearby park. No one was around but it was an open park so you were both free to wander. You both got off the car and Taehyung ran to the slide, a big smile plastered on your face as you watched him. You sat on the swing adjacent to the slide and watched as he went for a second round before walking and sitting on the swing next to you.

"I'm sorry for asking about your ex," he spoke.

You hadn't even thought of it and it didn't bother you, but you found it heartwarming for him to apologize over such a small thing. "Oh don't worry, it didn't bother me. I don’t mind when people ask me questions about him. Thanks, though."

"What are your plans over the break?" You asked, changing the topic.

"Not much. I might go to my family, help them out with the farm," he looked up at the sky.

"You have a farm?" 

"Yeah, a strawberry farm," he grinned at you.

"That's so cool, you should bring me some."

"Yeah, I should," He chuckled, "What about you? Any plans?" 

"I'm not sure yet," You started kicking the sand on the ground. You lied only because you didn't really want people knowing you were going out of town for a few weeks, and it wasn’t important anyway you thought. You looked over at Taehyung, who was already looking at you.

“Well, I know we only promised this one night but if you ever get bored just know that you can call me.”

You smiled at him, which you found you’ve done quite often tonight, “Maybe I will.”

He started scrolling through his phone and you wondered if he was getting bored. Just as you were about to ask him what else he wanted to do, he stands up and puts his phone down while a song begins to play.

You recognize the song as one of your favorites, Chet Baker’s I Fall in Love Too Easily.

Taehyung was now standing in front of you, offering his hand. You stare at it first before asking, “What?”

“You asked me out on a date, so we’re dating.”

Before you could open your mouth to your defense, he beats you to it.

“For a night, yes, I know. Come on,” he says, his hands inviting yours to hold his. You tried to keep a serious look but you fail as a smile cracks on your face. You take his hand as you stood, then he takes both your hands and places them on his shoulders so he could place his on your waist and he begins to sway you both to the music.

“Didn’t know you had nice taste in music,” You muttered.

“Thank you. If you like it then yours must be wonderful too,” he grins.

It was just the two of you swaying in the night with nothing but the sound of your feet on the sand, the music playing, and the cars that would occasionally pass by. The moon and the stars along with the warm streetlights around the park gave just enough light for you to see him standing inches away from you. You realized the kind of person you’ve been missing out on after all these months. Why haven’t you had the chance to talk to him?

“If you don’t mind me asking, why’d you break up with Lance?” Taehyung asks after a minute of silence.

You look at him, not expecting him to be interested. Or maybe he just wanted to make conversation. You decide not to read into it too much.

“He cheated on me, to make things short,” You nod and his eyes go wide, “But I mean, we only dated for like—five months?”

“However long or short your relationship is doesn’t give him an excuse to cheat,” Taehyung stopped dancing now, his arms were crossed but you kept your hands on his shoulders. Cute, you thought, chuckling.

“What?” he asks.

“Nothing, you’re right. I wish he thought the same as you,” You smiled, “Come on, the song’s not over,” you place his arms back on your waist, earning a small smile from him.

“I’m sorry you had to go through that though,” he apologized.

“You sure do apologize a lot for things that aren’t your fault,” You told him, “But it’s fine. I got over him pretty fast, it’s just the experience of being cheated on that really stayed and bothered me.”

“Like a trauma?” He asked.

“Kind of, I guess.”

“Lance is dumber than I thought. I can’t believe he’d let go of someone like you,” He scoffed while you smiled to yourself. The song ends after a few seconds and Taehyung lets go, bowing in front of you. You copy him, making you both laugh, but the sound of your stomach growling makes him laugh even harder. Taehyung takes your hand again and leads you to the car.

“Let’s go get something to eat.”

Taehyung drove you to this small restaurant that he claims sells the best jajangmyeon which you had to try. You couldn’t object, you were hungry and you didn’t have time to play the guessing game when it came to restaurants. Plus, he just looked so happy talking about it, you didn’t want to burst his bubble.

“Wait here,” Taehyung told you before he got off the car. Maybe he was going to check the place first, or talk to the owner and ask if they were still open. You were surprised when you saw him walk to your side of the car and realized he wanted to open the door for you. His hand was extended out to you, waiting for yours to hold his.

“Thanks,” You told him, taking his hand.

“Don’t mention it.”

When you both walked into the restaurant, you almost felt bad because the staff was already packing up and cleaning, the smell of food already faint. But when the staff members saw Taehyung, they all lit up and so did he, greeting each one of them with a wave.

“Auntie, Taehyung’s here!” One of the staff members shouted.

Just then, a short, plump woman who looked like she was in her forties walked out of the kitchen and walked up to Taehyung. She had short, curly hair, and the crinkles in her eyes were evident with the way she smiled.

“Taehyung, it’s so nice to see you. It’s been a while since I’ve seen you here with your friends,” She spoke.

“Ah, yeah. We’ve all been busy with college, but I really missed your food,” Taehyung grinned.

“Well come on, sit down!” she motions for us to sit and offers us a table, “I’ll make you your usual.”

“Ah! For two please,” Taehyung puts two fingers up as he sits down before looking back at you.

One of the staff members began talking to Taehyung in a foreign language while placing down tissues and chopsticks on the table. Taehyung, whose face turned into a deep shade of red, nervously began talking in the same foreign language while picking up his chopsticks to rub them together. The staff member said something back to him, sending Taehyung what you could only assume was a teasing smile. This caused Taehyung to laugh anxiously before replying to the staff.

You looked at him in confusion, but also amazement. You found it so cool the way he was so friendly with the staff and how they were nice to him as well, it was even cooler when you heard him speak in Korean for the first time. You were mesmerized.

“That was so cool,” You spoke, sounding as if you’d been holding your breath the entire time.

“What is?” He asks, dumbfounded.

“Just now. The staff here knows you and you speak Korean? That’s amazing, your voice sounds so nice in Korean.”

His eyes widened, “Wait—you knew it was in Korean… did you understand what we were talking about just now?” Taehyung felt as if his heart was beginning to palpitate. It was an innocent conversation about how the staff member found you pretty and thought you were his girlfriend, and how Taehyung agreed that you were gorgeous indeed, however you two weren’t together.

“No, I just recognized the language. Plus, there’s a small Korean flag outside this restaurant. One would notice,” You spoke blankly, “Why? What was it about?”

“Oh,” was all he could say before coming up with an excuse, “He just told me that it’s late and we shouldn’t overeat or we’ll get nightmares.” That was a fast excuse, I deserve an award for that, he thought.

You may not have known him enough, but it was easy to tell he was lying by the way he wasn’t looking at you properly. Maybe it was a personal thing, so you decided not to push his buttons and pry. Soon enough, your food came and both your mouths were watering. It smelled delicious, and you couldn’t wait to dig in. Taehyung let you taste it first to see if you’d like it, and you did.

“Do you come here often?” You asked him.

Taehyung took a sip of water, “Yeah, I used to. I think the last time I went here was two months ago, with Jungkook and Jin, our older friend.”

“You’ve seen Jungkook and Jimin, right?” He asked to which you nodded. “We’d come here with four of our other friends, they’re all seniors in college now.”

“It’s nice that you have lots of friends.”

“Yeah, they’re great. You should meet them sometime, I have a feeling they’ll like you,” he says, giving you a grin you were starting to feel accustomed to. You smiled at the thought of him wanting you to meet his friends.

When you were both done eating, you took your wallet out and asked Taehyung how much the food was so you could split. No matter how hard you insisted to pay for your food, he was more persistent in paying for everything, so he did. Taehyung thanked the lady who owned the restaurant and so did you before you both walked back into the car.

“Are you up for some karaoke?” Taehyung asks.

“Yeah, of course! Let’s go,” You beamed.

The twenty-minute car ride was spent with you and Taehyung not-so-seriously singing to a bunch of songs from the 2000s as well as original soundtracks from cartoons you both watched as children. You’d laugh every now and then whenever Taehyung would try to copy the female voices and Taehyung would poke fun at you for trying to imitate voices with lower ranges.

Taehyung was enraptured with how you were able to hang out with him like he was an old friend of yours. You were fun to be around, and he wanted to take every opportunity he could to make this feeling of elation you caused to last because he knew things would probably change in the morning. Prior to your party-turned-date-night, he already had a hunch he’d have a great time with you. What he didn’t expect that as the hours passed, you were turning out to be so much more.

“We’re here!” Taehyung exclaimed after he finished parking, “Wait inside.” He got off the car and you laughed to yourself knowing he was going to open the door again for you. This time you took his hand before he could give you his. He looked surprised at first but not even half a second later that was replaced by a wide, boxy smile you found endearing.

As you walked in, you noticed how well-lit and alive the whole place was at night. You barely come to Karaoke Bars, the last time you went was in high school when you and a couple of your friends tried sneaking drinks but failed because you were minors. It wasn’t the most exciting experience, at least this time around you didn’t need to sneak around anything.

“For two, please.” You heard Taehyung tell the person behind the counter.

“Would you like any food and drinks?” The lady asks.

“Want anything?” Taehyung asks, looking back at you.

“Any is fine,” You told him, but really you’ve been eyeing the spicy wings on their menu. Taehyung looks at what you were staring at and quietly laughs to himself.

“We’ll take the spicy chicken platter and 2 bottles of fruity soju, please.”

This was the absolute bare minimum, yet your heart couldn’t resist leaping after hearing Taehyung order the wings you had your eyes on. Had he noticed? If he did, he was only making you fall deep without you even realizing.

You both entered the room. It was square, and it looked slightly smaller than a studio apartment. Two songbooks were placed on a table in the middle of the room and there was a long couch that faced the television. For some reason, the magenta lighting made it feel like it was an intimate space.

Taehyung plopped himself onto the couch and took one songbook. You followed him and sat down, careful to leave a distance of at least one foot between the two of you. 

"Here, you should sing," he hands you the songbook.

"I think I'm gonna wait for the soju first before I can sing, thanks," you placed the songbook on his lap, and as if on cue, a lady knocks in and walks into the room holding a tray of spicy chicken on a plate and two bottles of soju with two shot glasses.

Taehyung thanked the lady while you stared at nothingness, silently cursing this unlucky timing. He laughs while reaching over for the bottle of soju, opening one and pouring you both a shot.

"You said you needed one before you could sing, so here you go," he hands you a shot glass and you glare at him, taking the glass from his hand and downing it in one go. He raises his brow in amazement, letting out a breathy laugh before downing his shot.

"Give me that," you held your hand out for the songbook. You scanned the pages, looking for a specific song. You were the kind of person who wanted to relate to what you were saying, the kind who wished people could read between the lines and realize there was a meaning to whatever song you chose.

So you picked Realize by Colbie Caillat.

You looked at Taehyung hesitantly before standing up. Would he notice? Maybe he'll think it was just one of your favorites. Maybe he won't even think about it. Either way, there was no turning back now as you've already entered the numbers.

"I just want you to know, I am by no means a singer," you warned.

"In our date, there's no room for judgement," he grinned, visibly awaiting your performance as he watched you while he rests his head on his hand.

The lyrics popped up on screen and you began to sing.

Take time to realize

That your warmth is

Crashing down on me

Taehyung leaned forward from his seat the moment he heard your voice. You lied, he thought, you were most definitely a singer. His heart began to race for the nth time tonight, but this was different. You've got him wrapped around your finger, and he knew. Your voice was the final thing that trapped him into the pit of feelings he's been falling deeper and deeper into throughout the night. It didn't help that he was the type of person to really analyze every line from a song, wondering if there was some hidden message behind your song of choice.

He couldn’t help but wish that song was meant for him.

If you just realize what I just realized

Then we'd be perfect for each other and we'd never find another

He was captivated by you. When Taehyung realized he'd been thinking of you and just you, he had to snap out of it by downing a shot.

By the time the song ended, you felt your knees go weak and your hands were trembling. You took a shot of soju hoping it would calm your nerves and placed the microphone on the table. "I can't believe I just sang." I can't believe I just sang a song like that.

"I can't believe you lied to me," Taehyung tried to play it cool, "You have a beautiful voice."

Singing wasn't something you could easily do in front of people. As much as possible, you wanted to keep that hobby to yourself. You never really had the confidence to let people listen to you, but hearing those words from Taehyung felt like an affirmation. You were touched.

"Thanks," you gave him a soft smile, "That actually means a lot."

"You have to sing one more," he begged.

You raised a brow, "Are you serious?" Taehyung nods at this. You wanted to protest but his eyes made it impossible. How could you say no to him?

"Fine, but you're singing after me." 

Before you sang for the second time, you made sure to drink another shot to get rid of your nerves. The next song you chose was Ain't Together by King Princess and you were hoping Taehyung would read the lyrics on screen and realize they were for him and not for the sake of singing.

When you were done, you found Taehyung staring at you. His eyes followed you even when you were already sitting down, you had to snap your fingers in front of him to get him back on earth. When you did, he suddenly dropped his head down the way participants would wake up after being hypnotized. 

"Are you okay?" You asked.

He looked back up, only to reveal a smiling face before he reached for the bottle of soju and poured himself a shot, running his hand through his hair. Thoughts of you were devouring him. The alcohol was supposed to help, but it was only stopping him from suppressing his emotions.

"Never better," he told you.

I must be going crazy, he thought to himself.

"I've done two songs, Taehyung. It's your turn now," you handed him the songbook, your fingers accidentally touching. Taehyung took the songbook from you, his heart nervously pounding when he felt your index finger.

You watched his hands as he flipped through the pages, looking at every ring wrapped around on his fingers. Your eyed then trailed to look at his ears and noticed he was wearing several earrings as well. He always did, you figured, but they were way more noticeable now. 

"What's your favorite song?" Taehyung asked, leaning on you a bit. Your faces were suddenly inches apart; you didn't notice how close you were getting as you were inspecting his accessories. Taehyung's eyes grew wide, so you quickly leaned back.

"Uhm, Dreams by Fleetwood Mac," you tried saying nonchalantly trying to ignore the warmth on your cheeks because of that brief moment.

"Oh, sorry, I don't know that. Any faves from Sam Smith?"

You laughed, "Lay Me Down, definitely."

"Perfect," he began typing the numbers and the song appeared on screen, "I actually know this song."

"Are you gonna serenade me?" You teased.

He stood up from his seat and held the mic in his hand. Funny how the microphone seemed to belong in his grasp. If he weren't majoring in (your major), he would probably do well as a performer.

"I intend to," He smirks, "I'm gonna make you fall in love with me with my voice, darling."

Those words sent your heart jumping and you had to restrain yourself from touching your cheeks to cool them. Thank goodness Taehyung's eyes were now fixated on the screen waiting for the lyrics to come out, or else he would've seen you fanning yourself with your hand trying to cool down.

 Yes, I do, I believe

That one day I will be, where I was

Right there, right next to you

 Your mouth dropped at Taehyung’s deep and velvety voice. You always knew his voice was deep—it was evident in the way he talked, you just didn’t expect he’d turn out to be an impressive singer.

And it's hard, the days just seem so dark

The moon, and the stars, are nothing without you

 Your touch, your skin, where do I begin? Taehyung turned to face you as he sang, making you flustered. He might’ve been joking about making you fall in love with his voice, but right now you were certain that you no longer took it as a joke—you could easily fall for him right then and there. Maybe you already have. It was even harder to resist with the way he had his eyes set on you, only emphasizing how it was just the two of you in the room. His soulful voice made you feel something—an inexplicable leaping feeling in your chest.

Soon the song ended and Taehyung placed the microphone back on the table before sitting back down, the distance between you two measuring at only half a ruler. Maybe it was the alcohol kicking in, but you could swear you were within an ace of losing the filter from your mouth. All you needed was one more shot.

So you took one.

"You didn't tell me you were such a great singer," You spoke while you rested your elbow on the couch.

Taehyung laughed at this, though his laugh sounded deeper than it did earlier, "I told you I'd make you fall for me with my voice,” he says as he reaches for his shot glass.

"Is this how you get girls, then?" You teased, placing your glass back on the table. Cause it’s working on me.

He laughed again, shaking his head, "No."

"Then how?" The question comes out in a more serious manner than you had originally intended.

“Why?” He places his glass back on the table before looking straight at you, his warm eyes turning to an even darker, more alluring shade of brown. "Do you want me to show you?" He asks looking straight at you, head tilting coyly and his voice treacherously deeper than it normally sounds.

A small bead of sweat began to form on your forehead. Show you what, exactly? Though you were curious about his ways of picking up women, you weren't exactly sure if you were ready to find even more reasons to like him. For a split second you caught his eyes traveling down to your lips before making eye contact with you again. Perhaps your mind was playing tricks on you, or maybe it was the soju, but you almost felt him leaning into you.

Time was moving painstakingly slow, but before you could decide whether or not you wanted to find out what was going to happen next, you anxiously clear your throat and decide to shift the topic to the spicy chicken platter that you both have barely touched.

"I-is the spicy chicken here good? We haven’t even touched it and it’s probably getting cold."

Taehyung was only teasing and though he’d never admit it out loud, he noticed the way a blush formed at your cheeks and how flustered you were at his question. It has to mean something, he thought. He never imagined he’d ever relish in the fact that he had the capacity to affect you in that way.

He uncontrollably grinned to himself as he watched you take a bite from a chicken wing.

A few more songs and chicken wings later, you and Taehyung decided to get out of the Karaoke Bar and drive to a nearby beach to stroll around. You appreciated how consistent he was with opening the car door for you, even when you tried to argue that you could open it for yourself.

"It's a date, y/n. Even if it was storming, I wouldn't let my date open the car door for herself."

The way he reminded you each time that you were both on a date made you regret telling him it was something you could both forget in the morning.

It was cold and the breeze made it even colder. Thankfully, Taehyung had an extra jacket in his car to lend knowing your black dress wouldn’t be enough to keep you warm. As you walked you would breathe into your hands and rub them together to keep them warm. Taehyung noticed this, worrying your enjoyment would be compromised because of the temperature.

"Do you wanna go someplace warmer?" He asked.

"No, I like it here," you smiled.

He looked at you with much concern on his face, you had to convince him you were fine, really. Because you insisted so much that you were alright, he took your hand instead, placing it in his coat pocket. At this point your heart was leaping out of your chest, you found yourself questioning how he could make the absolute bare minimum feel like such a grand gesture.

"Your hands feel like ice,” He told you

“Say it,” You joked, referencing a film.

“You’re a—a vampire,” Taehyung played along, making the two of you laugh.

The whole night with Taehyung really got you thinking. It’s not like you were the type to easily fall for guys, but for some reason Taehyung was different. Nothing felt forced, and you could tell he was just being his genuine self around you. Though he’d call you his date, there was a certain comfort you felt around him, as if he’d been your friend for years—a sense of familiarity you’ve never felt towards anyone else.

“I see people doing this a lot in movies whenever the girl gets cold, but it never really occurred to me until now that it only helps one of your hands,” he comments, making you giggle.

“It’s a sweet gesture, s’all that matters,” you reassured him, making him smile to himself.

The two of you walked along the shore while Taehyung would tell you stories about his childhood and his friends, then he’d tell you jokes that made you laugh really hard, your stomach would ache. In turn you’d also talk about your childhood and how you wanted to be a singer when you were younger but eventually realized you wanted other things. Later on when you both got tired of walking, you decided to lie down on the sand. Talks of childhood memories transitioned to opening up to each other about your own individual worries about the future and random thoughts.

It was so easy to talk to him. It was true when he said there was no room for judgement on your date, and you absolutely loved how you could just be yourself, because now you were really wishing you two had been closer sooner.

“You know, you’ve always seemed a bit intimidating to me,” You spoke.

“I get that a lot,” He sighs, “But so are you.”

“I get that a lot too,” You smile followed by a small laugh, "I just never imagined I'd have this much fun with someone who I can only remember borrows pens from me."

Taehyung laughs, slightly embarrassed, "You have the best pens in class, you know that?"

"You're the only one who actually gives them back, thank you for that."

There was silence for a moment while you two stared up at the sky, the stars were almost fading.

“I wish we got closer sooner," you said quietly.

“Yeah, me too. I guess we just never knew how to properly approach each other,” He takes your hand and begins playing with your fingers, “But better late than never, right?”

“Right,” You smiled.

You wished this night would never end, but you could already feel your eyes drooping as a yawn involuntarily escaped your mouth. You hoped that Taehyung wouldn’t hear, afraid that he’d think it was time to bring you home, but he did and no matter how hard you tried to protest that you weren’t tired yet, he wouldn’t buy it. He laughed as you tried to hold back another yawn before finally helping you up.

“I’ll carry you, get on my back,” He offers, not taking no for an answer.

For the duration of the drive, you struggled to keep your eyes open. Taehyung found it adorable whenever you’d tell him to turn back and find some other place to hang out in, but it was already 4:30 in the morning and most shops and restaurants were closed. “You can sleep, y/n. I’ll still be here when you wake up,” He chuckles. He tried singing you to sleep, but his voice just served another reason why shouldn’t doze off so you could hear it.

The sky was already turning into a lighter shade of blue and the stars were long gone, why couldn’t time move slower?

The car ride was tranquil, just you and Taehyung sharing what a fun experience you both had and how you’ve both never had this much fun with anyone else. Something in you wished he would do something more, though you weren’t exactly sure what. The scenario from the Karaoke room floods back, making you feel slightly embarrassed from what you pictured would have happened. Forty-five minutes later, you finally reached your dorm building. Taehyung, staying as consistent as ever, opens the door for you one last time and walks with you ‘til you reach the outside of your dorm. You were slightly less sleepy now but couldn’t help but feel downhearted that your date had come to an end.

You stared at your room’s door, mentally groaning at all the packing you had to do for your trip along with Kate, who apparently had 86 missed calls and over 200 unread messages in your phone, would probably nag you while you were at it. You didn't really want to go in.

“So,” Taehyung starts, “Date’s over.”

You forced a small laugh to try and disguise the small disappointment you felt because it was over, “Yeah, guess it is.”

Taehyung digs his hands into his pockets, “I had a great time with you.”

“Yeah,” You nodded followed by a sigh, “Taehyung, thank you, really. I haven’t been my best self lately and this date with you was the most fun I’ve had in months. I hope you know this means a lot to me.”

Taehyung had no idea what to say. There were too many thoughts going on in his head and they were all about you and how much he appreciated this spontaneous date you just had, but he didn’t know how to piece them together to tell you how much it all meant to him as well.

A wave of confidence unexpectedly washes over you, "Don't take this the wrong way, but this is just a thank you for being the best date I've had in years." Taehyung watched as you moved closer to him. Your faces only centimeters apart now, you'd think you were the only one whose heart was beating faster than a person racing in a marathon. You stared at each other for only a second before you pulled him in for a hug. He was shocked, but he couldn't help but smile from ear to ear as he wrapped his arms around you. You wished that was enough for a goodbye, but deep down you knew it wasn't.

When you were about to turn your back and open your door, Taehyung took your hand and pulled you back so you were both facing each other.

"This has been overdue since we left that karaoke room," he spoke as he pulled you closer. He stared at your lips before glancing at your eyes to search for any sign of discomfort, but you wanted this just as much as he did you almost asked him to just kiss you already.

And so he finally did. And oh my god, he was a phenomenal kisser. You could both feel each other smiling through the soft kiss, but it wasn't long before you two had to pull away.

"I'll call you. You can keep the jacket," he smiles before letting go of your hand, "See you soon."

"Drive safe."

After he left, you quietly entered your room. You couldn't believe that actually happened. Of course everything just prodded more questions in your head, did he like you? Were you two going to keep this up or will you both really just forget the whole thing when the sun comes up? Immediately you began to regret telling him to forget it all in the morning.

You carefully got in your bed, trying not to wake Kate who was sleeping soundly on the other side of the room. The light from the sun slowly made its way into your dorm, your eyes closing while your thoughts drifted off to the image of your kiss with Taehyung, repeatedly playing in your head before falling asleep.

The date felt like a dream. Maybe Kate was right about finding your prince tonight, only he was much better than that.

It was Kim Taehyung, and you couldn't wait to see him again.

a/n: hello!! if you finished the story, feel free to leave comments so i know how what stuff to improve on!! i’ll be posting stories for fun (just as a “creative outlet”) but i’d also love to receive some feedback. if you liked it, please look forward to my next uploads! 

also follow me on twitter for updates: tteokgukk ! thank you!

#bts #kim taehyung #taehyung #kth #bts au #bts one shot #bts oneshot #bts fanfic #taehyung x reader #taehyung one shot #fluff #bts fluff #writing #fanfic #bts x reader #bts imagines #college au #bts scenario #taehyung scenario #taehyung oneshot #taehyung au #kim taehyung au #bts v #bts writing #kim seokjin #min yoongi #jung hoseok #park jimin #kim namjoon #bangtan

[madeofstardust17]

Coffee and perfection

Thought I should get this posted since it's been lying on my documents forever.

Lance/Pidge

Rating: T for Pidge trying (and failing) to be sexy

Summery: 21 year old Pidge gets drunk and Lance being a good friend, decides to take her home. He should not be suffering like this.

Enjoy!

...

Pidge was drunk. 

Katie Holt, genius, former green paladin of Voltron, universally famous tech expert, was drunk out of her mind, chatting with a guy whose name was probably Chad or John by the bar. 

Lance watched her, trying not to sulk as he nursed his half-drank glass of whiskey in a table in the other corner of the bar. 

He scowled when she giggled at something mr. perfect told her and slapped his arm playfully but rather clumsily. 

But when he placed his hand on her calf, leaning closer to her, he got up, his blood roaring in his ears. 

He barely registered walking over to them, but one second he was too far away and the next he had a hand on her shoulder, putting on a smile that came out looking more like a grimace. 

Pidge looked up and smiled lazily when she saw him. 

“Hey Lance” she said, her speech a little slurred. The moment she opened her mouth, Lance could smell the alcohol as if she wear breathing on his face. 

“You’re drunk, Pidge” he told her, and she looked at him like “duh”

He turned to the guy 

“I’m sorry, but I’m taking her home” 

He suspected that from his tone, the guy could tell he really wasn’t 

“Wait a moment” the guy complained “how do I know she’ll get back safely with you?”

Dammit, he was a nice guy. Lance hated it when they were nice guys. 

“I’m her best friend” 

And when the man looked skeptical, he tapped Pidge’s shoulder, she looked up

“Pidge, who am I?”

She grinned lazily at him, and he ordered himself not to dwell on how his heart skipped a beat when she looked at him with those honey-colored eyes 

“You’re Lance, my bff” she giggled, and the continued in a singsong voice “Lance Lance, Lancey-Lance, my sharpshooter”

Lance looked at the guy, pretending his cheeks weren’t turning red.

The guy, obviously annoyed Lance had ruined his fun, scowled and turned away, draining the last of his drink. 

Without further ado, Lance grabbed the girl’s arm and slung it over his shoulders, helping her stand up. 

Even with his help, her knees wobbled, and her black high heels shook, threatening to make her fall.

“Goodbye Jack!” She called, shouting louder than necessary.

Close enough, Lance though with a wry smile. 

Miraculously, he managed to get her inside his car without too much trouble. 

They reached Pidge small apartment not too long after, and lance found Pidge with her eyes closed and leaning against the window when he parked. 

“Pidge” he said. When she only grunted, he shook her shoulder. She slapped his hand clumsily and glared at him. 

He stifled a laugh and said 

“You’re home” 

She hummed and said no more.

Rolling his eyes, he got out of the car and opened her door, smirking when she almost fell sideways but managed to right herself before she could. 

She glared at him, hurt and feeling betrayed, but when he only raised an eyebrow at her, she pouted and rested her head against the back of her seat and whimpered. 

“Oh my god” he said exasperated as he leaned down. 

Placing an arm beneath her legs and another one around her shoulder, he scooped her up into his arms. 

“You’re a pain in my ass. You know that, Holt?”

She merely hummed, surrounded his neck with her arms and rested her head on his shoulders. 

Suddenly he felt uncomfortably hot, and he felt a flush creep up his neck.

Grumbling, he climbed the steps that led to her apartment, and they hadn’t even reached her door when she spoke 

“Since when do you call me Holt?” She said, not bothering to open her eyes 

“Since when do you let me carry you?”

“Fair ‘nough”

Smiling, she rest her head again in his shoulder and said no more. 

Cursing the gods that had made his best friend so cute, he struggled to open the door that led into her nice but modest apartment. 

He closed the door with his foot, walked over to where her bedroom was and lay her down on her bed. 

She hummed happily and spread her arms and legs as if she were making a snow angel, giggling like a child. 

She looked at him, a funny look in her eyes 

“Wanna lay down here with me?” She said, with another small giggle that was so not Pidge.

I’d love to.

“I’d rather not, thanks ” he said instead, looking in her closet for clean pijamas. 

She laughed, a sound that made his hair stand on end as she sat up, bouncing a little on the mattress. 

“Come on”

She stood up on wobbly legs and naked feet, walking over to him. 

She ran a hand down his arm, and the place her fingers touch burned like fire. 

“Let’s have fun” she purred as she leaned closer. 

He could feel her hot breath on his neck now, as well as the violent flush that was creeping up his neck once again. 

“You’re drunk” he said, mostly to himself “you need to sleep”

But he quickly closed his mouth and eyes as she pressed her lips into his jawline. A whimper he refused to let out caught on his throat. This was torture, this was pure evil.

He imagined Shiro’s voice in his head, saying “patience yields focus” over and over again, trying to ignore Pidge’s lips making her way up, almost to the corner of his mouth.

Without thinking he lowered his face, and their lips met briefly, before Lance stepped away in pure panic.

“This is wrong” he said. Pidge looked sad, disappointed even.

“I thought… don’t you want…?” She looked at a loss for words as tears filled her eyes.

God, no, please don’t cry, Kate. He looked at the girl helplessly

“It’s not that I don’t want this, Katie” Lance said, almost in a whisper, surrounding her with his arms.

“It’s that I don’t want to feel like I’m taking advantage of you”

Pidge didn’t respond, but nodded, her eyes shut as her arms sneaked around his back and she leaned into him

“It’s spinning” she mumbled “the room” panic flared inside him

“Are you gonna be sick?”

She shook her head, so as gently as he could, he scooped her up again, and walked back to the bed. 

She didn't say anything as he lowered her into it, right until he made to walk away. 

She grabbed his arm

“Where you going?” She mumbled, already half asleep

“To get you some clean clothes” he wrinkled his nose “you reek of alcohol” 

“Asshole” she sounded more awake now, more like her normal self

“Gremlin” He shot back, grabbing the clothes he had discarded on the floor before. 

She asked him to get the zipper of her dress down, and he complied, trying very hard not to stare at her freckled back. 

Lord, give him strength. 

She finally took the dress off and put her pajama pants on, but when she tried to put on the t-shirt, it didn’t go as well. 

“Lance” she whimpered “help”

Lance, who had been standing with his front to the wall turned and found Pidge trapped. She had tried to fit her head into one of her sleeves and was now stuck. 

Rolling his eyes with a small smile and trying very hard not to laugh, he walked up to her as she struggled

“I can’t see!” She cried, and he pursed his lips to hold the laughter that was begging to burst out of him

“Okay just… hold on” 

He managed to get her head out of hole and into the right one. 

When she saw him she smiled 

“There you are”

“There I am” he grinned. She leaned forward and kissed his nose (although she was off balance and she ended up mostly kissing his upper lip) before getting up and stumbling over to the bathroom. 

Lance stood frozen for a few seconds, blinking rapidly as his cheeks reddened. 

He could hear the girl brushing her teeth as she mumbled something to herself.

“She’s drunk” he muttered “she doesn’t know what she’s doing. She is drunk”

“I’m not that drunk you know” Pidge shouted from the bathroom “I’ve been drunker than this before”

“Did you just say ‘drunker’?” He grinned. The only response he got was a snort.

Rubbing his face, he went to the kitchen and grabbed a painkiller along with a glass of water before returning to the bedroom, where Pidge was already crawling underneath the covers. 

“Alright” He said, leaving the painkiller and glass of water in the nightstand “you need to sleep this off, so I’m leaving this here, and I’ll go sleep on the couch. ‘Night, Pidgeon” he went to leave, but she grabbed his wrist. 

Trying very hard to fill himself with determination, he took a deep breath and looked at the girl. 

She raised her arms towards him, her hair messy and her eyes shining, her cheeks pink 

“Hold me?”

He clicked his tongue and looked elsewhere, looking for something to give him the courage to say no. 

“I-“

“Please? I don’t want to sleep alone” he made the mistake of looking at her, and the puppy eyes that looked back were stronger than him. 

His poor heart never stood a chance. 

“Fine” he sighed, resigning himself to his fate.

He crawled into the covers next to her and wrapped his arms around her thin frame. 

She smiled, humming in delight as she snuggled closer, burying her face on his chest.

“Thank you, Lance” she said, her speech slurred again. 

“Goodnight, Pidge” He said, feeling the pull of sleep already. 

…

Lance woke up to soft breathing and a warm petite body pressed against his. 

He raised his hand and found soft hair, which explained the sweet smell of what he thought might be green tea shampoo. 

Katie. His brain supplied. 

He was sleeping next to Katie Holt. He was cuddling with Pidge. 

He opened his eyes, and there she was, her face completely relaxed as she dreamt on, her hair a mess and her pajamas rumpled.

Lance thought she had never looked so beautiful. 

She was going to wake soon, he thought. She was going to wake up and freak out, but when he tried to sit up to make breakfast for the girl who was surely nursing a terrible hangover, she grabbed onto the shirt he had been wearing the previous night, frowning slightly. 

Oh well. A small voice in his mind said Better enjoy the peace while it lasts. 

So he fell back down and embraced her again, pleasantly dozing for what he thought it might have been half an hour, before the 21 year old beside him started to stir, groaning and burying her face in his chest to escape the light seeping through the window. 

“Yeah, Sorry about that” he said “I forgot to pull the curtains close last night”

The moment he started speaking she tensed, frozen on the spot. 

“Lance?” Her voice was hoarse and small, as if she were wishing he was product of her imagination. Her hope was lost when she looked up and found him staring at her, half amused, half concerned.

“Well, hello there, Pidgeon. Sleep well?” 

She sat up, looked at him, looked at her lap and then straight forward.

“I’m not doing this right now” and with this, she got up, wobbled her first few steps and entered the bathroom, closing the door behind her. 

That’s fair. He thought as he rubbed his eyes and got up to make coffee. 

When he came back with a steaming cup of black coffee for Pidge, he found her sitting on her bed, drinking the glass he had left on her nightstand the night before. 

When she was done, he sat next to her, keeping his distance, and handed her the mug without a word. 

With a grunt he took for a thanks, she took the coffee, put the painkiller in her mouth and took two large gulps of the steaming drink. 

After a few minutes in which she finished her coffee and the color returned to her face, she looked at him with a grimace. 

“How many stupid things did I do last night?” She asked 

“That depends, how much do you remember?”

The glare she gave him should not have been cute, but somehow it was.

“Lance” her tone gave a warning, but it was also pleading. 

“Nothing too embarrassing” he assured her. 

“Well I remember trying to kiss you, and that counts as embarrassing” she said, taking the last sip from her coffee. 

“It’s fine, Kate. I don’t mind” 

The nickname seemed to anger her, because her cheeks turned red, and there was fire in her eyes as she said 

“But I do mind, Lance. I-” she stopped herself “you turned me down” it wasn’t an accusation, or a resigned comment, it was just a fact.

The words slipped from her lips before she could stopped them, and her ears turned bright crimson as she stood up and turned to the bathroom 

“Excuse me”

“Katie, wait” he followed her, but she shut the door in front of him.

“But I didn’t want to, Kate. I really didn’t” he pressed his forehead against the door, suddenly feeling very, very tired. 

The door opened, and he had a moment of panic as he struggled to regain his balance. 

Pidge stood there, her hair still a mess, her pajamas rumpled and looking like a fallen angel in Lance’s eyes.

“You… didn’t?” 

There was confusion in her eyes, as well as distrust, and maybe... a bit of hope?

He dared take a step forwards, so that their were a mere foot from each other. 

“I told you, but I’m not sure you remember” 

She shook her head. He sighed and scratched the back of his neck, not sure how to say what he wanted her to know. 

“I turned you down” he said slowly, swallowing hard “because you were drunk, and I didn’t want you to think I was taking advantage of you” 

She said nothing, and Lance couldn’t bear the silence.

“I’ve been wanting to ask you out for a while now, but I never knew if you were interested, and I didn’t want to make things weird, and yesterday you caught completely off guard -you looked stunning, by the way, it was so not fair and now-” he stopped suddenly, looking at her with a mixture of confusion, exasperation and amusement. 

“Your laughing at me” he said, but her laughs were contagious and he was soon smiling 

“Don’t laugh at me, I just poured my heart out to you” but a moment later he was laughing too. 

“I’m sorry” she said between laughs, trying to stop, clutching her ribs.

“It’s just so ridiculous” she continued to laugh, tears in the corner of her eyes. 

“You know, of all the ways I expected you to react” he said, finally calming down “I didn’t think this would be an option”

“Yeah well” she said, breathing deeply to stop another wave of laughter 

“You always knew how to make me laugh” she giggled once more before falling silent.

He grinned at her, a pleasant warmth rising to his chest as he reached out a grabbed her hand. 

“Soooo, does this mean I get to take you out?” 

She hummed in thought 

“As long as you don’t take me out for drinks. I’ve had enough of alcohol for a while” 

“Shame. I liked drunk Pidge”

“Asshole” She swatted his arm, but she was still smiling.

He leaned forward, his heart in his throat, and waited for a second, telling her without words that she could back away if she wanted. 

Instead, she stepped forwards, and her lips met his. 

He pulled away, leaving her dazed

“I’ve been waiting so long to do that” he said, grinning 

“What were you waiting for?”

“I can’t remember” 

And with that, he kissed her again.

“Now” she said, breaking away first. It took him a moment to open his eyes, which made her smile.

“Go get me some more coffee” she pushed towards the kitchen. 

“Yes, ma’am” with one last soft kiss, he went on his way, and she turned to the very inviting bed. 

She flopped down onto the mattress, hiding her smile and her flushed cheeks. 

Maybe getting drunk had been worth it.

She looked up after a few seconds though, frowning 

“Did I really say ‘drunker’?” She shouted.

“It was the highlight of my night” she heard Lance respond, his tone full of cheek.

Huffing, she flopped down again, hiding the violent flush in her cheeks, neck and ears.

Nope. Not worth it. 

As she lay on her bed waiting for the coffee, her phone buzzed in her nightstand. She extended her arm and patted the table until she found it. 

She rolled onto her back and looked at her messages. 

A screenshot of a local newspaper showed Lance half carrying her to a car. The headline wasn’t visible. Under the screenshot, Keith wrote 

Samurai: [Shiro’s having a heart attack over this]

Pidge snorted 

Gremlin: [He’s not that old]

Samurai: [What the hell happened?]

Gremlin: [I got drunk and Lance took me home] 

Samurai: [and…?]

Gremlin: [you're such a gossip]

Samurai: [so something DID happen]

Gremlin: [Shut up]

Samurai [he asked you out, didn’t he?]

Gremlin: [...maybe] 

Samurai: [I fucking knew it. Shiro’s gonna freak] 

Gremlin: [you're a terrible friend] 

Samurai: [I know]

Pidge sighed and dropped the phone. At that moment lance entered the room with another cup of coffee.

“Who are you talking to?”

“Keith and Shiro know”

Lance frowned as he sat down and handed her the mug

“How?”

“Yesterday some paparazzi saw us leaving the bar. Shiro saw the headline, he sent it to Keith and I’ve just talked to Keith” 

Lance grabbed his phone 

Sharpshooter: [Keith you ass. Stop gossiping] 

Mullet: [never] 

Just then another text made Lance’s phone buzz

Spacedad: [you do know what will happen if you hurt our girl?]

Sharpshooter: [she’ll kick my ass] 

Spacedad: [good boy]

Lance sighed and dropped his phone. He gave Pidge a deadpan group 

“I hate our friends” 

She hummed as she dunked her coffee.

“No you don’t” 

“I should” he grumbled “they’re all jackasses”

“Except for Hunk” she corrected 

“Except for Hunk” he agreed

“They’re just worried about us” she said, reaching over and grabbing his hand “I thinks it’s sweet”

“Romance makes you soft” he noted 

“A little bit” she leaned forward and their lips met halfway.

She tasted like coffee. 

It was the image of perfection. 

...

Cheesy, I know. Comment if you like it please!

#flirtyrobot #pidge #plance #lance #voltron legendary defender #voltron #vld #post-canon #vld post-canon #pinning lance #lance vld #vld lance #katie holt #pidge gunderson #vld pidge #pidge holt #pidge vld #vld keith #vld katie #vld shiro #spacedad #is mentioned #drunk pidge #lance is pinning #plance fic #plance fanfic #vld fanfic

[revalis-flap]

21 Questions

ca@spideypoolmymoonandstars nominated me to answer 21 questions, so here I go~ Thank you for the nomination!

Rules: Answer 21 questions, then tag people you want to know better.

Nickname: Tifa, The Tifa Monster

Zodiac:  Cancer (to a T)

Height: 5'8″

Last thing I searched: A screenshot from Voltron with Shiro and Lance so I could make my AO3 icon.

Favorite Musicians: Bump of Chicken, Owl City, Bomba Estéreo, those are the top three I can think of off the top of my head.

Song stuck in head: Lucky by Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat (Thanks to a super cute Hance fic I read! Seriously, it was adorable)

If you had a time machine, would you go back in time or visit the future? Uuuuuh. I’d love to say go back in time, but I’d probably die pretty quickly from contracting some disease so...I’ll say the future, so I can see if we as a race pull our shit together or if we’re just beyond hope.

Do I get asks? I’ve gotten a few actually! Like...three! And they made me so happy! Thank you to those who sent them~! 

Following: A TON OF PEOPLE. 

Would you rather be rich or famous? Rich, so that I could help my friends and family and animals and people who need help. But like, after my wife makes sure we’ve got things set up for a savings so we’re good.

Amount of sleep: anywhere from 3-8 hours depending on the night and how bad my insomnia is.

Lucky number: 17 for some reason

What I’m wearing? I’m still in my pajamas so...Blue and white pajama pants with red scarf wearing polar bears and reindeer and snowflakes. The dark blue tank top I’m sleeping in this week and a green jacket.

Dream job: an actor.

Dream trip: To spend like...two months just exploring all of Europe.

If you were an animal, what would you be? I’ll be honest, probably a cat.

Favorite food: Ramen. Not the instant stuff, honest to goodness Ramen.

What are some of your favorite books/films/shows/games/etc?

Books: The Malazan Book of the Fallen series, Harry Potter, Fruits Basket, and Fullmetal Alchemist (Manga counts!!!)

Films: The first Pirates of the Caribbean, The Mummy, Welcome Back Mr.McDonald (Rajio no Jikan) Kung Pow: Enter the Fist (yes. Yes that is one of my favorite movies)

Shows: Voltron (seasons 1-2 and what the other seasons could have been), Angel, Supernatural, Criminal Minds, Ed, Edd n Eddy, Fruits Basket reboot, FMA Brotherhood, Yuri on Ice

Play an instrument? Nope. Used to play the clarinet but I didn’t enjoy it.

Languages: English, some Japanese, some Finnish, and I’m trying to learn German and Spanish.

Describe yourself as an aesthetics: warm fuzzy blankets and sleeping cats. (I don’t even know. I would just love to have that as my aesthetic tbh)

I would like to tag @halfgrownturtle @acuppacrylics @hxith and @explosive-coffee  Only if you guys want to! And if any of my other followers wants to do this, feel free! Please tag me though, I’d really like to get to know you guys better! <3

#personal #stuff about me #21 questions

[i-write-shakespeare-not-disney]

When You Smiled- A Hidge/Punk one shot

AO3 link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14193522

Click the OP if the READ MORE link doesn’t show. This is just a repost since some people said ao3 doesn’t work for them. 

A cute little Hidge fluff falling in love story :) This is basically the story of how my grandparents first met and a little tweak on how they fell in love because I wrote this on their anniversary.

Or- A one shot in which Hunk falls in love at first sight, but Pidge can't stand the stupid baker guy butting in everywhere. And then they fall for each other. Also Matt and Lance are face palming half the time. Sam Holt is the ultimate Punk/Hidge shipper.

There was an air of excitement about everyone today. It was the first birthday Sam Holt was having back with his family after being gone for so long, and the backyard was filled with family and friends all excited to welcome him back. That was another fun thing; everyone had spent the night at the house in preparation for the party because everyone had flown in or driven up to the Holt residence.

That’s how much Sam Holt mattered to everyone. The fact made Pidge’s heart swell with pride.

She was still getting ready, putting curlers in her hair and still dressed in a shirt three sizes too big with stains from breakfast and ratty old pajama pants. She wanted to wait to put on her new dress so as to minimize the risk of the little ones running into her with soda or something. And her mom was going to help with her makeup.

“The cakes are here!” Matt called up. “Pidge, hurry up, the stereo won’t work and I have to set up the cakes.”

“I’m coming!” she called. She clambered down the steps, not feeling too self-conscious because half her family was also in the middle of getting ready as they ran around making some last minute additions and setting up food and running after children.

“Pidge, sweetheart, come here I need your input,” her mother grabbing her mid-step and turning her. “The peridot earrings or the amethyst ones?”

“Which dress are you wearing?”

“The blue one with fake diamonds along the waist.”

Pidge smiled and turned both earrings away. “Wear the sapphire ones Gramma got you on your wedding day.” Her mother nodded and kissed her cheek before running off.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the lawn, Hunk was balancing a three tier cake among the many awed children wanting to steal a taste.

“Lance!” he called.

“I’m coming, I’m coming,” his friend snapped, setting up the table with Matt. “Alright kiddos, scram or you get no cake. And trust me, these are slices of heaven.” The kids giggled and ran off. “Matt, is the whole table for the cakes or are there more desserts?”

“There’s a few others, but the cake can take up the table, it’s cool. Lance, seriously thanks for this, I owe you big time.”

“Nah,” he answered, patting Hunk’s shoulder as he helped him put the cake on the table. “I was just lucky enough to know this great guy.”

“I should be thanking you,” Hunk said, carefully setting up a few smaller cakes around the tower. “The bakery I run with my uncle doesn’t get big orders like this, usually. We usually do bread and smaller cakes for kids.”

“Oh the sweet bread,” Lance said dreamily. “Anyway, it’s Dr. Holt’s big day. He deserves the best, and Hunk is the best.”

Matt laughed and excused himself to go set up a bouncy castle for the kids who were starting to eye the cakes a little too greedily. Lance left to get him and Hunk a few sodas to beat the heat and Hunk busied himself with looking around.

It was incredible to see this many people gathered for one person. Hunk had heard of Dr. Holt, of all the incredible things he’d done in research and the federal mission he’d been on that was so top secret not even his wife really knew what had happened or where he’d been. They were all just happy he was back.

As he looked around, his eyes fell on a girl with a head full of rollers dressed in a stained oversized shirt that made her look even smaller than she was. But there was something in her smile, in her eyes which even from this distance, Hunk could see gleamed in the sun, that told him she was older than she looked. Her arms were hooked between two other girls who were in different stages of getting ready, and they said something to make her laugh, causing her to tilt her head back and making her eyes squint adorably.

“Here you go, buddy. Hunk? Hunk!”

Hunk blinked and blindly grabbed the soda. “Lance, do you know who that is?” he asked, trying to gesture discreetly to the pretty girl that seemed so at ease even with a million rollers in her hair and barefoot in the grass.

“Pidge? That’s Matt’s sister. Dr. Holt’s daughter.” He paused and eyed Hunk with a smirk. “Why?”

Hunk shook his head and let his eyes drift back to her. “She’s magnificent.”

Her eyes flickered over to the table when one of the girls gestured, and her eyes lit up with excitement at the sight of the cakes, but Hunk was turning away, trying to catch his breath. His entire body felt tense and nervous, and his heart was pounding even though she hadn’t even looked at him, she looked at the cakes, but she was so beautiful, Hunk had no idea what to do if she did look at him.

“Oh my God, Hunk,” Lance laughed, trying to hide his smirk in his soda. “She’s pretty chill. Just go say hi.”

“Yeah, then what? I can barely hold a conversation on a regular day, how am I supposed to do that with her?”

“She’s a person.”

“She’s the prettiest person I’ve ever seen,” he corrected.

Lance furrowed his eyebrows. “You realize she’s in one her dad’s old shirts and that her hair looks like those wine moms on old TV sitcoms, right?”

Hunk rolled his eyes and peeked back at her where she was fixing one of the younger kids’ suit with a kind smile. “Yeah. But look at her smile.”

“Ho-ooh-kay, buddy,” Lance said, shaking his head and laughing.

Once Matt had set up the bouncy house, the kids flocked to it and seemed to give everyone else a head start on the rest of the preparations and getting ready. Pidge went over to the stereo to see what was wrong with it which she should have done a while ago if her cousins hadn’t pulled her away to ask about school and give her the latest update on their cousin Emma who was off in Europe.

She went back into the house to get the manual for the stereo in hopes of figuring out what exactly was wrong with it. The sound was all garbled and the volume wasn’t working, but Pidge hoped it was something she could fix, and not because they needed a new one. They rarely used that stereo, so she didn’t see why it’d be so messed up.

“Pidge, honey, you have to get ready soon,” her mother said when she saw Pidge digging through the drawers.

“I know, Mom. I’m just gonna reboot the stereo and start getting ready.”

“Did you see the cakes? Aren’t they beautiful?”

She smiled and nodded. “Yeah I saw them getting set up. They’re really nice, Dad’s gonna love them.”

“Could you thank Lance for finding us a bakery so last-minute?” Pidge huffed and rolled her eyes, looking over at her mom as she poked at Pidge’s hair nonchalantly. “Such a sweet boy he is.”

“Yeah, and he’s like an annoying older brother, Mom,” she reminded. “It’s not happening.”

She laughed and tightened one of the rollers that had come loose. “You never know, Pidge. You can fall in love at the most unlikely times. You know how I met your father?”

“Modulating arguments,” she said with a smile. “I loved when Dad told me that story before bed.”

Her mother smiled and bopped her nose with a gentle finger. “I never thought for a second that the same guy who’d been driving me nuts would be the same one I’d be marrying and having a family with. Keep an open mind.”

“Alright, Mom,” she resigned, smiling. Her mother had always liked Lance for her, but Pidge never saw him as anything more than Matt’s friend and a possible second older brother. She liked playing video games with the guy, and he was usually there after their classes at the Garrison Tech Institute every day, so she saw him plenty. There was just never anything more, despite her mom’s insistence.

She found her pamphlet and waved it around victoriously. “I’ll be back. Wear the silver shoes!” she said as she ducked back out.

She went to the stereo and started checking each cord to be sure everything was plugged in correctly. She was aware of a shadow and looked over to see Lance. “What are you doing, Elizabeth James?”

“Elizabeth James?” she questioned.

“Yeah, that lady from the Parent Trap. When she was drunk and had rollers in her hair?” Pidge rolled her eyes and flipped him off. “Ouch, Pidge.” He laughed and leaned over, looking at the pamphlet in her hands. “What are you doing?”

“Trying to figure out why this won’t work. If you tell me to turn it off and back on, I will punch you.”

Lance laughed and heaved a sigh. “Well, my buddy is pretty good with wires and stuff. He’s the top engineer at the Garrison.” Pidge raised an eyebrow and Lance waved over the guy who’d brought the cakes.

“Your baker friend is an engineer?” she asked, unamused as the guy walked over, looking at Lance warily.

“Yep! Hunk, buddy, Pidge here needs help fixing the stereo. Easy work for you, right?”

“I don’t need help,” Pidge muttered, clenching her jaw.

The baker, Hunk, looked at her nervously and smiled. “Hi. Um, I can fix it for you if you want-”

“I can do it myself,” she said, not wanting a couple of guys trying to mansplain equipment to her just because they were Garrison students. She’d be there too next year. She was a Holt for crying out loud.

“Pidge, be nice,” Lance said, an amused smile on his face. “He’s just trying to help.”

“Right,” she muttered. Hunk pointed at the pamphlet and she handed it over.

He looked at the stereo and seemed to zone out for a second, fiddling with something Pidge couldn’t see because he hunched over his work. She looked at Lance with a raised eyebrow, but he just shrugged and looked back at Hunk. “There you go,” he said, suddenly standing back. “Try it now.”

Pidge pressed play as an old Elvis Presley song came on, crystal clear and loud enough to scare one of her aunts who was walking by.

“Nice job, Hunk!” Lance praised.

“Yeah, thanks,” Pidge said, looking at the baker. “I have to go get ready.” She turned away, feeling oddly miffed about the fact that Lance and his friend had just pranced in and taken over. She was perfectly capable of figuring things out herself, and she didn’t want some guy with a pretentious attitude under a kind smile trying to coddle her.

She went back to her room and let her hair down from her rollers, combing through until her hair fell in gentle light brown waves just under her shoulders and she slipped into her dress, a light green with a white ribbon around her waist which fit snugly and fell to her knees in little ruffles that spread when she twirled. She put on her favorite flats with yellow flowers and pinned one side of her hair up with a hairpin her father had given her at her last birthday she was able to spend with him. It was a nice emerald color and was shaped like a small lily flower.

Suddenly, she heard a lot of excited yells downstairs, and her heart jumped. Her father was back. She raced downstairs and smiled when she saw her mother in the arms of her father. They were hugging so tightly, Pidge wondered if they’d ever let go, but she didn’t mind.

When they did pull apart her father kissed her mother, making her laugh through happy tears as his moustache tickled her.

“Dad!” Matt ran in from the backyard and hugged him tightly. Pidge was surprised with the way Matt seemed to be just a smidge taller than him now.

“Where’s my girl?” her dad asked, looking around until his eyes landed on Pidge. His eyes crinkled and she ran toward him, tackling him into a hug she never wanted to let go. “Oh look at you!” he cried, holding her tightly. “You’re wearing the pin.”

“You’re back,” she whispered, taking in the familiar scent of his Old Spice cologne. It had been a long time since Pidge smelled that in the house. “Happy birthday, Dad,” she sniffed, kissing his cheek before pulling away.

As Sam Holt greeted the rest of the family that had gathered for him, Pidge let her mom whisk her away to help her with a touch of mascara, a swipe of gloss, and the lightest tint of blush. The two of them went to the backyard where everyone was gathered and waiting to take pictures of the reunited family before eating.

Once the pictures were taken, more music flooded the yard and everyone lined up to serve themselves. Pidge noticed Hunk was still there, talking with Matt and Lance. She was a little annoyed since he hadn’t exactly been invited, he’d just brought the cakes, but she knew better than to be rude and say something about it. Besides, it looked like he was friends with her brother and Lance.

She sat down to eat, catching her father up on her school days and telling him about how she was planning on applying to the Garrison the next year. He talked to her about the things he could tell her about his time away, like the different foods he ate and the little shops he’d visit without giving away a location.

Somewhere in the middle of talking, Matt walked over and introduced his baker friend. “Hey Dad, this is Hunk. He made all of the cakes and stuff. He’s friends with Lance and he goes to the Garrison too.”

“It’s an honor to meet you, sir, I’ve heard so much about your work,” Hunk said, looking flustered as he shook his hand.

Pidge rolled her eyes and poked at the piece of bread left on her plate while her father indulged in meeting his new fan.

Then she heard, “I was actually wondering if I could steal Pidge away for a dance?” She blinked and looked over at Hunk. “Pidge, would you… like to dance?”

She looked at her parents who were smiling encouragingly, but something kept her rooted to her seat. “Um, I’m with my parents right now,” she said awkwardly.

He looked like he was going to leave her alone, but then her mom said, “Oh, honey, it’s okay! One dance won’t hurt, we have all day to catch up. Besides, I think I want a dance too. Sam?” Her father chuckled and stood up with her, whisking her away to dance.

Matt raised an eyebrow and slunk away, leaving Pidge with a very uneasy looking baker. “Alright then,” she muttered, standing up. He smiled at her and she let him take her hand as they walked to the open space left for dancing. He placed his other hands just under her ribs, which Pidge was grateful for. The last thing she needed was this guy trying to let his hand slip.

“You look… amazing, by the way,” he said as he began to lead Pidge through a dance to a happy tune.

“Thanks,” she answered. She would’ve complimented him back if he wasn’t still wearing the uniform from the bakery he worked at. He obviously hadn’t planned on staying.

“I mean it,” he said. “Even before the dress and the makeup.”

Pidge felt her cheeks heat up and she looked down at her feet. “Um. Thank you. That’s really sweet.” It had completely slipped her mind that he’d seen her in hair rollers and a ratty shirt. “So… you made all the cakes yourself?”

“Yeah. Um, I run the bakery with my uncle. I learned from my mom and I sort fell in love with baking.”

“Well, they’re really nice. And I’ll bet they taste even better.” She gave him a tense smile and he blushed.

“Thanks. I hope they’re not disappointing.” There was an awkward little silence before Hunk added, “Matt says you’re applying to the Garrison.”

“Yep. I’m waiting on the letter back. If it goes well, I’ll be there next year.”

“Good. They need more girls. The disparity is ridiculous.” She smiled at that. “It’s a great school. I sometimes freak out about the work, but it’s actually pretty manageable. I just procrastinate a lot.”

She snorted and nodded. “Story of my life. Sometimes I procrastinate because something seems so easy, but sometimes it’s because it’s so complicated. Either way, I’m losing sleep.” Hunk smiled and nodded in understanding. The song ended and the two of them stood awkwardly staring at each other. Then Pidge pulled away and gave him a smile. “Thanks for the dance. Enjoy the party.”

He watched as she walked back to her seat where her parents were also going back to, laughing and holding hands. She smiled at them, and Hunk felt like he couldn’t breathe. Suddenly a pair of hands pulled him away.

“So how’d it go?” Lance asked with a smile.

“She has freckles,” he breathed. “Really cute freckles and she smiled at me. Her laugh is so cute, I just wanna make her laugh all the time-”

“Is he going on about my sister?” Matt asked, tossing back a soda. “Did you ask her out?”

“No! I don’t know how to do that, how do I do that, what if she says no?”

“Then you move on, bud,” Lance said with a shrug.

“Or,” Matt said, giving Lance a glare, “You could do all the cute mushy stuff girls like to convince her to go on a date with you. You’re not asking her to marry you, it’s not that huge a deal. It’s just a date.”

“She makes me nervous.”

“Hunk, a can of Bush’s baked beans make you nervous,” Lance pointed out. Hunk glared at him and tipped his soda back enough for it to dribble down the sides onto his suit. “Hunk! Aw man.”

Matt laughed and shook his head. “Trust me, my sister is just a normal girl. Don’t overthink it. I gotta go, I promised my aunt Cassie I’d dance with her.” He patted Hunk’s shoulder and walked away to an elderly aunt who lit up when he offered his hand.

Hunk sat down and ignored Lance mumbling about his suit.

The things he felt when he looked at Pidge felt like something out of a romance novel. He’d had crushes before, and he’s seen girls that are so pretty, they made him trip and nearly fall on his face. But something about Pidge was different. More intense.

He’d seen her without the pretty dress and she still took his breath away. Her voice was so… nice, it just made him wish he could be interesting enough to keep her talking to him. And when she smiled, Hunk literally held his breath because all he could do was focus on her. On the way her eyes lit up, the way her freckles disappeared under the flustered laughter, the way she half-covered her mouth as her head titled back. He wished he could be more like Lance, funny enough to keep her laughing so he could hear it, see it every time. The way she looked at him…. It was so calculated. Hunk could get lost in those amber eyes. It was unreal how pretty they were.

Hunk has had crushes before, but he’s never experienced the intense inability to breathe or think around someone before. He’d never felt time stop just because someone looked at him or wished it would stay frozen before his time was up. When she smiled, Hunk could actually see more with her. He could see late nights under covers, whispering and laughing, movie nights where she’d fall asleep on him, study dates where they stopped studying and ended up sharing funny pictures with each other, he could see arguments that got fixed with a soft apology and hugs.

He had such an intense urge to just kiss her when she looked at him, and that scared him because it took every ounce of self restraint not to do something that stupid. It felt right, it felt like… like they were made for each other. And maybe she didn’t feel that way, but Hunk couldn’t bring himself to let this go when he felt so sure and so unsure at the same time. He had never felt this before.

But he didn’t want to let it slip through his fingers.

He stood by his cakes, helping serve when the family lined up and smiled as they complimented the design. His eye flickered over to Pidge who seemed more than happy to stay where she was, talking to her father.

Hunk was well aware that he was probably the farthest thing from her mind. She was beautiful, and she was smart. She had better things to do than worry about a baker who’d fallen for her at first glance. Especially one that looked like him.

People didn’t think guys felt self-conscious usually, but Hunk knew better. He knew the way even someone as flirtatious as Lance could panic behind closed doors about bad skin, the wrong outfit, a bad hair day. And he didn’t usually fret over it himself. He knew he was a big guy, but he was nice enough that people hadn’t bullied him much for it through high school. Besides, most of his weight was muscle that he’d gotten from going to the gym and the amount of protein he ate. What could he say, he loved red meat. He was a healthy guy, and he knew that.

But times like this, he did wish he was thinner, less awkward, just overall attractive enough to have a girl blushing when he looked at her.

He watched as Pidge danced with cousins, danced with her father, watched as she took off her flats and twirled around completely at ease and happy with having her father back. Looking at her like that, Hunk found his own worries taking a backseat. He really liked seeing her so happy.

As the night came to an end, he saw Pidge helping her mother with cleaning up as family members said their goodbyes and slowly dwindled away. Sam Holt was sitting in a hammock, looking up at the stars with a calm smile.

Hunk saw Pidge toting a trash bag and walked over to her. “Do you need any help?” he asked softly.

She jumped and looked over at him. “You’re still here,” she noted, a hint of confusion. Hunk bit his lip. “Um… yeah, this one’s pretty full. I need to go get another.”

“I can take that,” he said, taking the bag from her hands, gulping when the tips of her fingers brushed against his. “I’ll be right back.” He walked away and threw the trash in the trash bin before going back to where Pidge was fanning out a new bag. He walked with her, helping her collect stray soda cans and napkins. Matt was deflating the bouncy house. Lance was wiping down the table the cake had been at.

“Hey, the cake was really good. You’re a good baker,” she said, bundling up the torn plastic table cloth they’d taped to the tables. She stuffed it into the bag. “Thanks for helping us out.”

“Yeah, of course, it wasn’t a problem at all. Um… I’m really glad your dad’s back.”

She smiled and chuckled softly. “Thanks. I’m gonna go take a shower and go to bed, it’s been a busy day. Thanks again, Hunk.”

She took the trash bag and threw it away before walking into the house. Hunk stood there a little dumbfounded because she’d said his name for the first time and hearing it from her made him feel all jittery and short of breath.

“Baker boy,” he heard someone call. He turned and saw Dr. Holt sitting in his hammock, waving him over. “Hunk, right?” he asked as Hunk walked over. He nodded and Dr. Holt patted the space beside him. “Your cake was wonderful. Very tasty in case you couldn’t tell by how quickly everyone ate it.” Hunk laughed and thanked him. “Will you be coming around more often? I’d love to meet more of Matt’s friends.”

“I could. I’m closer to Lance, but Matt and I have a class together on Tuesdays and Thursdays.” Dr. Holt nodded pensively. “I’m usually taking earlier classes so I can get to the bakery before rush hour.”

“And what time is that?”

“Around four.”

“Oh. Pidge gets out of school around three. Her mother told me she always walks, but that always made me uneasy.” Hunk furrowed his eyebrows, not sure what to respond to that. “Would it be a lot to ask you to walk her home for us, Hunk? Matt’s in class at the time, and I’d feel so much better knowing she’s not walking alone.”

“Um, sure. I could do that. It’s on the way.” It actually wasn’t, but this man was a legend and honestly, it gave Hunk a reason to spend a little time with Pidge.

“Thank you,” he said with a smile. “It’s really nice to be home. Did you enjoy the party?”

“Oh, yes, it was very nice,” Hunk answered.

Dr. Holt smiled. Before he could say something else, Lance walked over to them and nudged Hunk. “Bud, I gotta get home. My mom’s real strict about me getting home before one in the morning.”

“Oh, okay, yeah, we should go.”

“Bye, Dr. Holt! It’s good to see you back home,” Lance said, giving him a hug before rushing off to the truck. Hunk gave him an awkward one armed hug before going to the truck and driving Lance home.

That Monday, Hunk found himself waiting outside the high school Matt told him Pidge went to. Hunk had gone to a different one, a smaller one, and it was pretty cool seeing the variety and the amount of people leaving this one. He saw Pidge walking out onto the sidewalk, her hair in a low ponytail as she hefted her backpack.

He cleared his throat and asked, “Do you want some help with that?” Pidge faltered and turned back, confused at first, then suspicious. “Hi.”

“Are you… following me?” she asked, taking a step back.

“Oh, no! God, no. Your dad asked me to walk you home after school before I left the party the other night.” She frowned and looked at Hunk uneasily. “Honest. He said he was worried about you walking alone.”

“I’ve been doing this for years,” she mumbled. He shrugged and she rolled her eyes. “Alright, well… let’s go, I guess.”

Hunk hurried to her side and walked, placing a decent amount of space between them to help her ease up. He pulled out a bag of chips he’d gotten before leaving the Garrison and offered her some. She smiled and took a few, munching on them as she walked.

“So how was school?” he asked.

“It was fine. I had a test in my physics C class and it was a piece of cake.”

He raised an eyebrow and hummed. “Physics C… that’s senior year?” She nodded. “I’m a college sophomore.”

“Yeah, I figured since you’re friends with Matt and Lance. It’s a little weird that you haven’t been over before.”

“Yeah, well, I’m more of Lance’s friend than Matt’s. Lance just told me about Matt needing a cake, and I figured I could help.” She nodded. “How long have you known Lance?”

“Since middle school,” she said. “He’s been friends with my brother for forever. My mom keeps saying we’ll end up together, and it’s driving me nuts. I can’t be within two feet of the guy without her starting on wedding plans.”

Hunk grimaced and focused on his chips. “Do you not like Lance?”

“Oh, no, I love him. He’s like my brother. But my mom insists on it becoming more, and that’s just not happening.” Hunk nodded and chewed carefully. “She just keeps pushing this idea on me that I’ll fall in love like she did. With the last person I’d expect. Which, I guess would be Lance, but….” She trailed off and shrugged.

“Your mom didn’t think she’d end up with Dr. Holt? But they’re so….”

“Perfect together?” she finished with a smile that had Hunk short-circuiting. “That’s the big love story,” she said. “My mom hated my dad when they met. My mom swears that’s….” She gulped and looked at the sidewalk. “She swears it’s gonna happen to me too.”

Hunk hummed, trying not to feel too uneasy. “Then I guess keep an eye out for people you hate on sight.”

She laughed, maybe a little nervously, but a laugh nonetheless. It was quiet for a while, the only sound being the scrape of their shoes against the pavement. “How were classes for you?” she asked.

“Pretty good. I had to modulate this frequency today, and my professor was being really whiny about it.”

“Well, did you double modulate?” she asked.

He groaned and rolled his eyes. “Really? You too? What is the point of-”

“It’s just how it is, man! You gotta double modulate, who single modulates?”

“Uh, me,” he said. “It’s efficient and-”

“Efficient until everything fucks up and you gotta do everything all over again.” She smirked and Hunk scoffed.

“Oh come on. It’s a waste of a keystroke.”

“What, you can’t spare like a fraction of a second to make the keystroke?” she teased. Hunk felt his face get warm. “Ah-ha! I’m right.”

“No,” he insisted. “I’m just saying, it’s not necessary even if it isn’t that much time. I can get all the work done by single modulating, why double modulate?”

“Ask my dad, he’ll tell you. Always start by double-modulating,” she said. Then her face turned red and she cleared her throat. “But you know, if you got the answers you needed I guess it doesn’t matter.” Hunk frowned and looked at her, but she seemed to be thinking over a math problem in her head or something. He offered her more chips and she accepted.

As they reached her house, Hunk found himself biting his lip nervously and clearing his throat too much. “Uh, Pidge?” She looked up at him with wide eyes and Hunk felt his words catch in his throat.

She tucked her hair behind her ear and waited patiently. “Yeah?” she prodded.

He cleared his throat again and chuckled nervously. “Make sure to ask your dad about the modulating thing,” he said. She chuckled and nodded, turning away to go into her home. “Um, wait.” She turned back and tilted her head. “Did you… want me to walk with you tomorrow?”

She bit her lip and thought it over. It was nice having someone to talk to on the walk. But she also didn’t want to be babied and walked every single day like a kid. She shrugged and shifted her backpack. “It’s up to you. I don’t mind. Thanks for today.”

“Oh, o-okay,” he said. She smiled and waved as she went into her house.

She felt weird. Nervous. She hated the guy during the party. He’d seemed so pretentious and he’d annoyed her by intervening, consistently offering help like he thought she couldn’t do things for herself. Except in retrospect, that’s probably not how he meant it. He seemed quiet, shy even. He genuinely wanted to help, and that was all. And that stupid modulating thing. She couldn’t keep her parents’ voices out of her head.

Whatever. Whatever, it didn’t matter. He was just a nice guy, a baker, and one of Matt’s friends. Sure, he seemed interested, but Pidge had to focus on school. She had to keep her GPA up if she wanted to get into the Garrison the next year.

She ignored her parents’ asking about her walk, mumbling that it was fine and she had homework, but she knew by the gleam in their eyes. They were plotting. And frankly Pidge didn’t like it.

Still, the next day when she got out of school, she couldn’t help but let her eyes wander, wondering if Hunk would still be there to walk with her. She saw him leaning against the fence fixing the bandana he wore around his head. She walked up to him and tilted her head.

“Is this your cool guy stance?”

He gasped and jumped away from the fence, making her laugh. “Whoa! Hello. Hi.”

“Hey,” she greeted.

“Oh! Uh, I got you these.” He rustled through his messenger back and gave her a bag of the chips they’d been sharing the day before. “You seemed to like them.”

She smiled and took them. “Thanks.” She opened them and smirked when he pulled out another bag for himself. “So how was your Tuesday?”

“It started way too early and it’ll be ending way too late.”

“Busy day?”

“Yep. But it’s okay. I get my break by walking with you.” She blushed and looked at the sidewalk as she chewed. “Uh, so no tests today?”

“Nope. No shitty single modulating today?”

“Oh my God,” he said with a laugh. He had a nice laugh. Deep and full, and his whole face seemed to light up. “Leave my modulating alone,” he said with a shake of his head. “Wanna hear a funny story?”

“Sure.”

“Okay. So Lance has a crush on this girl named Jenni. I forget her last name. But anyway, he also kind of has a crush on this other student, he just refuses to admit it.”

“Typical,” she said with a shake of her head.

“Right?” She giggled. “Anyway, so Lance finally got a chance to talk to Jenni, and he was being his usual smooth self, you know doing the leaning over thing he does.”

“Oh no,” Pidge said, already laughing into her chips.

Hunk held up a hand, indicating it wasn’t the worst part. “So I’m standing there, listening because as a wingman, I gotta back him up if he fucks up.” Pidge nodded. “And he’s dropping all these one liners, making her laugh, but I’m not sure if she was laughing at him or with him.” Pidge snorted. “But then he goes in for the full effect. Like he’s practiced this countless times, how to ask her out and stuff. But then the other student walks by, and I guess it threw Lance off because then he looks at Jenni and goes, ‘So, Keith do you wannna maybe go out sometime?’”

Pidge gasped and covered her mouth. “No!” Hunk nodded. “Oh my God. He called her a guy’s name? Wait…. He’s crushing on a guy?”

“He swears he’s not, but he totally is. So Jenni got all mad and left, but Lance was just standing there with his mouth covered mumbling about Keith ruining his life, and the guy is literally just two tables over eating a granola bar and reading a book.”

“Oh my God, that’s…. That’s so painful to hear, I shouldn’t be laughing, but oh my God,” she said between fits of laughter. She covered her mouth, trying desperately to control her laughter.

“Why are you doing that?” he asked, a ghost of a smile on his lips.

“I don’t like my laugh,” she said, shaking her head. “It’s loud and if I laugh too long, I snort.”

“Really?” Hunk asked with a smile. “I need to hear that.”

“No, you really don’t,” she said.

“No worries. I got loads of funny stories. I’ll hear it eventually.”

She rolled her eyes and felt her smile falter when she saw her house come into view. “Thanks for walking me home again,” she said.

“Of course. I’ll see you tomorrow?”

She bit her lip and nodded. She went inside then peeked out the curtain as Hunk walked back the way they came. She frowned and watched as he walked away from view. Was he going out of his way just to walk her?

“Pidge, how was the walk home?” her mother asked. She jumped and shut the curtain, catching her breath. “Pidge, you okay?”

“Yep! Got homework! Gotta go!” She dashed up the stairs and went to her room.

The next day had started out perfectly sunny. Pidge hadn’t thought to check the weather until she heard the rumble of thunderclouds on her way to her last class. By the time school was let out, it was pouring heavily and Pidge only had a sweater for protection. She bit her lip and headed out, figuring she’d be getting wet either way.

“Pidge!” She looked up and saw Hunk rushing over to her with a huge umbrella. “What are you doing without an umbrella?” he asked.

“I didn’t check the weather,” she said, half-shouting over the rain. He shook his head and took her backpack for her, ushering her under the safety of the umbrella. “Why are you…? What are you doing here?”

“Walking you home?” he answered uncertainly.

“But… don’t you head back down that way?” she asked as they walked.

He turned red and shrugged. “Yeah, so?”

“So why are you walking me home in this weather when you have to go the opposite way?”

He looked at her, confused and seemingly a little frustrated. “I’m not letting you walk in the rain by yourself,” he said. “Besides, I like walking with you. I don’t mind walking a little more.” She stared at him dumbly for a few seconds before hugging herself and fixating on the wet sidewalk.

They walked, not talking as much with the rain and the cold, but Pidge didn’t mind. Hunk was warm and with him walking carefully behind her, the cold wasn’t that bad. He walked her to the door, and gave her a smile before leaving the way he’d come.

The next day, it stayed sunny. When Pidge saw Hunk, she smiled as he held up a bag of chips for her. “You’re really dedicated, I’ll give you that,” she said when she saw him.

“Thanks, I think?” he answered. “I also made you this.”

He pulled out a little green paper and pushed it together so it popped out as a little origami lily. Pidge stared at it as he presented it to her. It was folded carefully with two types of paper, and it had little details drawn out in pen. “Thank you,” she whispered, reaching out for it. She had to refrain from trying to sniff it because it was her first instinct, but she also knew it was a paper, not a real flower. “This is… really sweet.”

Hunk smiled and walked beside her as she twirled the lily gingerly between her fingers. “So, when do you get your response from the Garrison?”

Pidge bit her lip and tucked her hair behind her ear. “Hopefully by next week. I’m really nervous.” She couldn’t stop thinking that Hunk must have been thinking about her while he made this flower. She wondered what made him think of her. If he ignored a lecture in favor of creating this and imagining giving it to her. And it gave her butterflies.

“I’m sure you’ll get in. You’re a Holt after all.” She smiled at that and tried to keep the blush in her cheeks under control.

He walked her for the rest of the week, and the next week after that. On Friday the second week, Pidge checked the mail and saw a response from the Garrison. She froze and stared at it dumbly, feeling like the response would make or break her.

“I can’t open this in front of them,” she choked out. “If I didn’t get in…. But what if I did? Oh God, I don’t know what to do.”

Hunk sat her down on the steps of her house and sat beside her. “Open it now then. I won’t look.” He covered his eyes like a kid playing hide and seek, and it made Pidge smile. It relieved a small ounce of the nervousness she felt was swallowing her up.

She bit her lip and tore the side of the envelope away to pull out the letter. Her heart was hammering in her chest, making her feel like she was going to puke. Her hands shook as she read the letter, trying desperately to steady her breaths.

Hunk heard a sob, and he peeked from in between his fingers to see Pidge with a hand at her mouth, staring at the letter. She touched his arm and he gasped softly as he turned to look at her.

“I got in,” she cried, her honey eyes bright with tears and a smile spreading on her lips. “I got in!”

She tackled him into a hug which he wasn’t expecting. He reacted automatically, hugging her tightly around the waist as she threw her arms around his neck and cried into his shoulder. His heart beat as quickly as a hummingbird’s wings.

But he realized he wasn’t breathing when Pidge pulled away to stare at him in shock, obviously not having expected to tackle him into a hug either. Her eyes were blown wide, her face so close he could count every little freckle on her face.

He turned his face away and chuckled nervously, and she scrambled back, muttering apologies. “No, it’s okay,” he assured. “I’m so happy for you, Pidge, I knew you could do it.” She smiled and hugged him again, more calmly. “Go tell them! You have to tell them!”

“Oh, right! Right! Thank you for walking me. And… thank you,” she laughed and hugged the letter close. “Thanks for believing in me.”

“You don’t have to thank me,” he said with a smile. She chuckled and wiped her eyes, giving him one more teary eyed smile before going into her home. He could hear her shouting even as he walked away.

Before he knew it, it was summer and Hunk didn’t have to walk Pidge home anymore. But he still visited on weekends with freshly baked sweet bread from the bakery for the Holt siblings. And he started getting invited to video game nights which mostly consisted of Pidge and Lance yelling at each other while competing.

Until one night, Hunk was leaving after a particularly long match of Super Smash Bros only to be stopped by Lance as they went downstairs.

“Dude. Are you seriously going to keep this up?” he asked.

“What?”

Lance sighed and gestured upstairs where he could hear the Holt siblings bickering over what team had won. “I mean, you guys have gotten super close and you haven’t asked her out. What gives?”

“I just…. Don’t want to mess up our friendship. I like hanging out with her. I don’t want to make it weird if she doesn’t want more than that.”

Lance groaned and hit his palm to his face. “Hunk! Of course she likes you! She has a corkboard full of those little origami flowers you’re always making. And she lights up when you get here. Trust me, I’ve known Pidge for years, she doesn’t do that with everyone.” Hunk bit his lip and grumbled as he walked out, Lance trailing behind him with a quick goodbye to the Holt parents. “Dude, what’s going on?”

“It’s just…. Ever since I saw her for the first time, I’ve been... practically in love with her. I love spending time with her and making her laugh and everything, but… I don’t know what to do if she says no and then decides it’s too awkward to stay friends.”

Lance sighed and squeezed his shoulders. “Hunk, trust me. It’s better to try and mess up a bit than to spend your life wondering what could’ve happened. Unless you want her to slip and end up with some douchebag that nobody likes, you need to make your move. She likes you. I know it.” Hunk bit his lip. “Just consider it, okay?”

And he did. It was practically the only thing he thought about for the rest of the week.

Finally, he went to find Pidge, this time holding a small bouquet of real flowers. He knocked and froze up when Matt opened the door. He looked at the flowers then back at Hunk, looking surprised.

“Oh, Hunk for me?” he said. Hunk rolled his eyes and Matt laughed. “Pidge! Someone’s at the door for you.” He walked away and heard Pidge bounding over to the door.

“Ye- Oh Hunk! Oh- oh my God. Hunk.” She stared at the flowers and looked up at him, curious and surprised.

“Hi, Pidge. Um…. Listen, I… I really like you. And I have since I first saw you.” She turned red and covered her mouth. “I know that we’re really great friends, but I’d… like a chance to take you out on a date. And maybe see if… you’d like to be more than friends. If that’s something you want to do.” He gulped and took a deep breath as stared at him.

The silence was freaking him out and he was struggling to breathe. But then reached out for the flowers with a beautiful smile looked at him. “I’d like that,” she whispered.

“Really?” he asked with a relieved sigh. She nodded, smiling up at him with the happiest look in her eyes. “Can I pick you up at seven tomorrow?” She nodded, sniffing her flowers happily. “Great! Awesome!” He chuckled nervously. “I’ll see you tomorrow then?”

“Okay,” she said, blushing all over again. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Okay. Okay, cool.” He stepped back and kept smiling at her until she closed the door. He laughed to himself and raised his arms in victory. She said yes!

The next day, Hunk went over to pick Pidge up at ten till seven and knocked on the door. Mrs. Holt answered the door and smiled at him, inviting him in to sit on the couch. Dr. Holt was sitting with a mug of coffee and happy little smile when he saw him.

“Pidge will be right down.”

He could hear Pidge and Matt arguing over something upstairs and then a little bit later, Matt was downstairs. He smiled at Hunk and called up for his sister to come down.

“I’m coming!” she said. “Are you sure these shoes- oh! Hunk! Hi! Nobody told me you were here,” she said, looking at her family.

“I thought you heard the door!” her mother said indignantly.

“Have her back by ten, Hunk,” Dr. Holt said, with a snarky smile as he drank his coffee.

“Y-yes sir,” he answered.

“Keep your hands to yourself, and if she comes home crying, I’m kicking your ass,” Matt said with a wide smile. “Other than that, it’s great to see you, buddy!”

“Matt!” Pidge groaned. “Um. We should go.”

She ushered him out of the door, ignoring Matt’s teasing and the way her mother was about to insist on pictures. He laughed and stopped at the corner of the street where they were far enough away from the house. “You look beautiful,” he said softly, as the setting sunlight danced in her hair. She was wearing the same pin from the day he’d met her.

“Thank you,” she whispered. “I’m really excited to spend time with you,” she said with a smile. “Where are we going?”

“How do you feel about ice cream?” She smiled and Hunk took her hand and walked with her to a nearby ice cream shop. Aside from the obvious fact that this was their first date, this felt pretty normal.

Being with Pidge was still a rush. It still made his heart soar when she laughed, and he still did his best to make her laugh so hard she snorted. She hit his shoulder each time she did, but Hunk considered it a personal victory to make her laugh so much. They got a few looks from people who came in for ice cream, but they seemed to be curious rather than annoyed. It didn’t matter though because everything else melted away except for Pidge and her sundae and Hunk and his chocolate shake.

Pidge had a cute little habit of resting her cheek on her fist and biting her lip as she smiled. And she smiled a lot. It made Hunk feel nice to know that she was so happy spending time with him.

“Can I tell you a secret?” she asked as they walked around a park once they’d both finished their snacks. Hunk nodded. “I didn’t like you when I first met you. Everyone was going on about how you were so sweet and the cakes and this and that, but… you annoyed me.”

“What? Why!”

She laughed and squeezed his forearm which she’d looped her arm with. “I don’t know. You came off as a bit of a know-it-all to me and… it bugged me. Then you just kept showing up.”

“So when did that change?” he asked gently.

She smiled and leaned against him as they walked. “I think it was the day you walked me home in the rain for the first time. I’d realized the day before that you were going out of your way just to walk me. I think part of me thought you wouldn’t bother that day since it was raining. And I got really happy when I saw you were still there.”

Hunk mentally slapped himself. She’d liked him back since then, and he only just now got the guts to ask her on a date? “I have a secret too,” he said. She hummed and looked over at him. He sat her down at a bench under a lamplight and took her hand as he sat beside her. “I liked you from the second I first saw you. And I remember it exactly. It was around three-thirty in the afternoon and you were wearing an old, oversized Looney Toons shirt and faded plaid pajama bottoms. Your hair was up in bright pink curlers and you didn’t have any makeup on.”

Pidge groaned and hid her face in her hands. “That’s your first memory of me? God, that’s so embarrassing. How could you have possibly liked me then?” she asked.

Hunk smiled and tucked her hair behind her ear, letting his hand linger on her cheek. “I saw you smile. And your eyes were all excited, looking around. Then you laughed and… I was done for. You were the one I wanted to be with from that very moment.” She blushed and ducked her head shyly. “You know, I wasn’t supposed to stay. I was just supposed to drop the cakes off then leave. But I saw you and… I wanted to stay so I could see you smile again and again.”

“Hunk,” she said with a beautiful blushing smile.

Hunk looked at her and smiled.

“It’s almost ten, I should get you home.” She sighed and stood up with him, their hands tangling together as they walked back to her house. Hunk made up stories with the stars, making her laugh and smile as he told the story of a baker and girl made of lilies falling for each other. When they reached her house, Hunk walked her up to the door and looked at their hands.

Hers was so small in his, and yet they fit together perfectly.

“Pidge?”

“Yes?”

He looked at her and bit his lip. “Would you… like to be my girlfriend?”

She smiled and pretended to ponder it. “I dunno. Would you like to be my boyfriend?”

He laughed and squeezed her hand. “I really would.”

She smiled up at him and nodded. “I’d like it too. So… yes.”

Hunk smiled and tilted her chin up just the slightest with his forefinger. He leaned down slowly, pressing his lips to hers ever so gently. Her lips were soft like flower petals. He pulled back and saw the way her cheeks were dusted red, the way she smiled serenely at him.

He bit back the words I’m in love with you, knowing it was far too early to say them. But he thought them. Because he felt they were true, and he’d never believed in love at first sight until he saw Pidge. His feelings had never faltered, and he could feel in his bones that this was the girl he was meant to be with. He knew with every fiber of his being that one day he’d be asking Pidge to marry him, that one day he’d watch her walk down the aisle, that there would be more kisses to come and plenty of dates and many more walks. There would be plenty of opportunities to tell her he loved her.

In the meantime he would show her with every paper flower, with every smile, with every gentle kiss.

“Goodnight, Pidge.”

“Goodnight, Hunk,” she whispered, coming up on her toes to kiss his cheek lightly.

She opened the door and shut it gently, seeing Hunk’s smile so fresh in her mind. Her parents were watching TV, and they looked at her curiously, but she could only smile wider and bid them goodnight as she went up to her room. She looked at her corkboard, covered in colorful origami flowers.

It really was funny the way things played out. The way she’d disliked Hunk so much at first, the modulating arguments, everything her parents told her would happen before she found the love of her life. And Pidge was very much a person who like data, and cold hard facts and numbers. Something as flimsy an emotion as love? It was terrifying.

But when she was with Hunk, it wasn’t so scary. And she very much believed Hunk would be the person she fell completely in love with. And it was exciting.

#hidge #punk #vld #au #love at first sight #fluff

[chubbywangji]

so, i figured out how to fit chubby!keith into my ongoing sheith fic

slight issues of this:

need to figure out how much keith weighs right now

he’s already softer than his former usual because he’s been depressed and skipping the gym for a few… months… yeah, and his appetite has been doing the, “you either want to eat everything or nothing, there is no middle ground” depression thing — but between allura and hunk (and sometimes rolo and nyma, his quirky neighbors), he’s been getting fed decently

need to figure out how much he’s going to weigh eventually

slightly related: need to figure out how much shiro weighs aside from, “more than keith currently but he’s six inches taller so that makes sense” and, “more than he did when keith lost him the first time, but back then, shiro was dangerously unhealthy for several reasons, so shiro having put weight back on is a good thing”

this isn’t entirely necessary but i’m tempted by the idea of keith weighing more than shiro eventually (though probably not more than shiro’s twin brother ryou, who is the cute chubby twin with the season 4 haircut vs. lean, toned long-haired punk guitarist takashi)

equally tempted by the idea of shiro bridal carrying keith even after keith weighs more than he does

need to figure out the eventual ratio of soft chub to muscle chub going on here, because i feel like keith’s going to have a bit of both worlds

part of the weight gain is going to come after he starts seeing ulaz (who, as a therapist, is already treating most of the cast) and gets put on very desperately needed antidepressants

part of it, though, will come out of him getting to be gym buds with zethrid, who is an amazing muscle-chub lesbian already and nine inches taller than keith but very appreciative of things like this one time he kicked his abusive dickbag foster brother in the crotch so hard that bryce had to go to the ER to get his balls extracted

this will not amuse keith, since one of his biggest motivations to get back to the gym was trying not to outgrow his pants (because he is broke and has a chip on his shoulder about mooching off of his rich-ass bestie allura or his decently well-off “it’s complicated” to get new pants)

shiro is going to win that debate eventually but still

need to figure out how keith’s weight is going to end up distributed

aside from, “hips and thighs get quite a bit of it, and probably his ass too, and when given that keith largely lives in tight jeans (with his sweats largely serving as gym clothes, pajamas when it’s cold, or things he can wear while doing laundry), poor shiro may blush himself to death because his obliviously chubbier boyfriend bent over in a pair of tight-ass pants”

need to figure out some of the other characters’/outside world’s reactions to chubby!keith

of more immediate relevance is shiro and ryou’s aunt, who is going to be seeing keith for the first time in five years, come christmas — and while he isn’t exactly chubby yet, he was downright scrawny, the last time aunt satomi saw him, so

most of the characters will probably take shiro’s approach of, “i get that you’re upset about needing new pants, but can we try focusing on something more important? like the fact that you have been having fewer days where you wake up feeling like no one would miss you if you got hit by a bus (which, fyi, we definitely would)”

seriously, even lotor’s opinion is going to be like, “i am: 1. so annoyed that you make getting chubby look so hot, and 2. jealous that you are capable of gaining weight like this without even trying while i am over here, a perpetually freezing mess with a shit immune system, because i have trouble keeping any body fat on. how is this fair, street rat.”

but then shiro, pidge, hunk, and lance’s band is going to start Making It, and shiro is going to attract Skinny Groupie Boys (though not girls since shiro is pretty open about being gay), and he would rather not have them around, and some of them will be at least kind of offended that galaxy garrison’s hot lead singer is going off with a guy who doesn’t live on kale salad and overworking himself at the gym

then shiro is going to get sick of being harassed by Groupie Boys and take advantage of an interview to go, “HEY THIS IS KEITH HE IS MY BOYFRIEND AND I LOVE HIM PLEASE STOP TRYING TO HAVE SEX WITH ME JUST BECAUSE I DON’T MAKE OUT WITH HIM ON STAGE LIKE HUNK AND LANCE SO YOU ASSUME THAT I AM SINGLE, I AM HAPPILY SPOKEN FOR BY KEITH, TYVM” which will…… be a thing

granted, the short-term effect will be that keith barely holds it together before begging off and running to antok/kolivan’s place to ask kolivan to talk him through the, “oh god shiro just called me his boyfriend and he did it in an interview that will be published on the internet, this is getting Too Real, what do i do” anxiety spiral as if this is a thing that most people ask of their academic advisors

and then keith and shiro have to talk about it over breakfast, and keith will likely decimate a quite sizable stack of pancakes (while kolivan insists that he does not treat keith like a son, and antok just goes, “uh huh, suuuuure you don’t babe, when are we signing the adoption papers”)

but on the other hand:

chubby keith is very cute

in his case, chub goes from being associated with his depression but not terribly bothering him to eventually being associated with hm getting better and working on his recovery

not enough chubby!keith content has sheith in it

long haired pretty boy punk shiro being super flustered by his chubby boyfriend being so beautiful and sdkfkdhg jfc shiro loves him so much

chubby keith is super cute, thanks for coming to my ted talk

#chubby voltron #chubby!keith #chubby keith #mine: fic #mine: headcanons #keith x shiro #text posts

[pumpkins-s]

Learned Behavior (Of The Replaceable)

Read on AO3 Here

In the wake of Shiro’s disappearance, Hunk reflects, not only on what it means to be a part of Voltron, but what it means to be a part of this Voltron, and his place in it.

Understanding Lance, trusting Lance, is easy. The others? Not so much.

And while Hunk has somewhat made his peace with the fact that he likely will die out here on some Galra battlefield, the idea of losing Lance, physically or mentally, is…terrifying.

(Or, Shiro goes missing, team Voltron freaks out, and Hunk and Lance learn that coping is best done together.)

Fandom: Voltron: Legendary Defender

Relationships: Lance/Hunk

Characters: Hunk, Lance, Keith, Allura, Pidge

Written for the @aphelionzine

((Author’s Note:

This was written way back in the early summer of last year, as part of the Aphelion Zine, before season 3 came out. As someone with...mixed feelings...about the lion switch, even then, I wanted the chance to tackle a pre-season 3 fic that would give more emphasis on Hunk & Lance's feelings on the whole situation -- from the switch to missing Shiro -- than I expected (or ended up getting lol) from canon. As of season 3 & 4 coming out since this fic was written, this can officially be considered canon divergence, or an alternate take on how the lion switch might have gone down, whatever suits your fancy.

Either way, there's lots of Hunk and Lance being cute and just plain old Good for each other.))

After Shiro disappears, things kind of go to shit.

…Yeah, that about sums that one up, if you ask Hunk.

Well…not that they hadn’t already been shitty beforehand—what with the Galra and Zarkon attacking them and being an unfathomable distance away from home and all that—but things definitely do not improve with Shiro’s disappearance, to say the least. Losing their leader when they barely had half a clue as to what they were doing in the first place was not the best turn of circumstances in the slightest.

So yes, Hunk thinks it’s fair to say things deteriorate to an even larger extent with Shiro’s…absence.

Absence—that’s all it is. All it must be. Shiro can’t be dead.

…Right?

Because…if Shiro’s dead, then they honestly have no hope in hell of winning this fight.

Still, Hunk is painfully aware of the fact that sharing this little revelation on his part would do nothing to help the team’s morale. Nor will it get them out of the current pickle they currently find themselves in, and would likely only make certain people’s panic worse, so he decides it’s best kept to himself.

…And Lance.

Lance, who’s quick to sneak into his room that first night (and every night following) after they escape Zarkon’s clutches again, plus one new bayard yet sans Shiro, and curl up on the end of Hunk’s bed across from him, knees drawn up against his chest as he stares down at the blankets with wide eyes and pale cheeks.

“Shiro left Keith in charge,” he says almost immediately once he’s situated, giving up on beating around the bush. Not even bothering to give Keith’s name the usual disgusted inflection he tends to place on it at most opportunities for the sake of theatrics, if nothing else. “He left us alone, with Keith in charge.” There’s a breath, shaky and unsure. “We’re all going to die.”

…Welp. He doesn’t really know how to argue with that one.

“Lance…” Hunk sighs, long and low, because he knows Lance is right in his worry. Knows Lance is almost always right in his analysis of a person’s abilities, once he removes personal bias at least, but is scared to admit to this fact, especially in the face of Lance’s own spiraling paranoia. “I know you’re not Keith’s biggest fan, but we can’t just—“

“He’s going to get us all killed,” Lance cuts Hunk off flatly. “This has…” His face balls up, conflict and irritation crawling to the surface. “This has nothing to do with my feelings about Keith as a person one way or another, honest. You know I’m over a lot of that, anyways.” He breathes out, hands trembling where they’re fisted in the fabric of his pajama pants, and Hunk doesn’t hesitate to reach out and loosen his white-knuckled fingers carefully, tangling them with his own.

“It’s just logic,” Lance continues, narrowing his eyes and glaring down at the blankets. “He’s too hotheaded, impulsive. Never mind his focus right now is on figuring out this whole…Galra thing.” A pause, and Hunk meets his eyes sympathetically. “Look, I’m not saying he could never be a good leader. Shiro saw potential in him and that must mean something. It’s not like Keith’s terrible, but Shiro barely had a handle on how to lead us himself as it was, and he was mostly playing sounding board to Allura’s own bouts of impulsiveness when her anger gets the better of her. Put her and Keith together and we’re a dead ship sailing. Er…” He makes a face. “Floating.”

Hunk wavers for a moment, looking for a rebuttal, and slumps. “…Yeah.”

So…okay, yeah, they’re kinda fucked.

Ironically, Hunk thinks things wouldn’t be so bad if he or Lance (preferably Lance, in his mind) could get a word in edgewise to mention their concerns in the most polite terms possible during one of the team scheming sessions on how to get Shiro back, those already being the team’s predominant focus with barely a day passed in an attempt to stem their grief into something useful, and also, like, not die, but their version of Voltron, in its short and tumultuous history, has always operated as more of a ‘listen to the leader’ type group than a democracy, per se.

Or, at least, it’s somewhat a democracy, so far as what Keith or Pidge suggests at any given time if Allura and Shiro are feeling like listening—Shiro more than Allura, honestly. Allura isn’t much better than Keith in terms of the whole ’doing it my way’ thing, in Hunk’s opinion.

Which, incidentally, is another reason it kinda sucks not to have Shiro around.

At least then Pidge might be able to get a word in. Shiro always listened to her suggestions, which if nothing else provided the rather interesting telephone game that was Lance talking to Hunk who talked to Pidge who then talked to Shiro, when issues needed to be met that way. Perhaps, logistically, it would be easier to cut out the middleman, but Hunk generally found it easier to talk to Pidge than Shiro when necessary, and Lance could always easily start a fight even when there wasn’t one, when he felt someone wasn’t taking him seriously.

Not that Lance is inherently always wrong in those assumptions.

Just…sometimes, because, again, paranoia.

But…yeah, that’s another thing Hunk has noticed—that in terms of actual suggestions for dealing with problems, Lance’s and his own opinions aren’t exactly…valued beyond, say, votes on a group consensus, occasionally.

Even that is iffy, depending on how you look at it.

Not that the team ignores them or anything, just that…well. It’s complicated. As a group they really have no idea what they are doing, and he and Lance are not, unfortunately, top of the expertise-seeking food chain, as it were. Have questions about an engine, and Hunk is your guy, but those skills don’t necessarily extend to battle plans, and the fact that Lance might be useful with those is apparently lost on most people.

Then again, as much as that annoys Hunk ever so slightly, most people haven’t been glued to Lance’s side since they were like…eight. The team isn’t going to have his personal level of Lance-centered expertise, just like he isn’t going to have Pidge’s level of tech knowledge or Keith’s fighting instinct. Lance-reading is a learned art form, developed over a lifetime of observation, as are most things, especially when it comes to interpersonal relationships—which Hunk will readily admit neither he nor much of the rest of team Voltron likely excels at.

Not that he minds being the Lance-to-world translator at times, just as Lance is for him often enough.

…It’s just. Complicated.

Really fucking complicated.

At the end of the day, Lance is paranoid, insecure, and a bit of a secret pessimist, but he’s not often wrong about these things—about people.

So yeah, they’re kinda fucked, and not, as Lance would so crudely put it given the opportunity, the quote on quote “fun way”.

It is, Hunk reflects later—after Lance has crawled into the warm space next to him on the long, but not particularly wide, Altean bed that really can’t fit the both of them, snuggled into his side and sapping his warmth with cold fingers curled into his shirt sleeve, as they have done since they are children—undeniably frustrating that understanding the right path for the future of Voltron, and what to do in the face of this new, rather significant bump in the road, is not even half as clear as it is to him the simplicities of talking Lance down from a panicked spill of rambling and into sleep.

But he supposes that’s rather the point, isn’t it? He’s had the better part of a lifetime to learn Lance, and comparatively, in his short period as a paladin, he’s had basically no time to figure out exactly what the right way to go about being a paladin of Voltron is.

When days of searching for Shiro turn into weeks, Hunk gets used to two things very quickly: breaking up vicious arguments, usually with Coran’s help, and dragging Lance away from the hologram monitors on the bridge every night.

Usually, Hunk would count on Lance to help out with the former problem among their fellow paladins, and he still often can, blessedly, but thanks to the latter aforementioned sleep issue, not always. Lance is the kind of person that can run for days on nothing but spite and manic energy, but when he finally crashes, he crashes hard, and if he doesn’t get some solid sleep for a couple nights afterward, he turns nasty pretty quickly when pushed too hard.

A sleep-deprived, cranky Lance is not one you want to pick a fight with, Hunk knows this, but apparently the others haven’t quite gotten the memo yet. Which means he’s all-too-frequently forcing himself between Keith and Lance, and occasionally Allura, in order to stop their loud words from escalating into actual punches.

Trying to figure out what to do now is stressing them all out, Hunk included, and he finds keeping the peace comes with its own tolls in terms of exhaustion levels.

If nothing else, he can rely on Lance to consistently coddle Pidge off to rest when she gets overly tired and cranky herself—ever the caretaker to those that will let him get away with it. Honestly, Hunk rather suspects that Lance would do the same for Allura, maybe even Keith, if they let him, but he feels that’s a thought better kept to himself. There are enough pushed boundaries and stepping on toes going on now as it is without him aggravating the situation.

So he does what he can. He cooks, he cleans, he helps keep the peace, and he handles the complexities of Lance, as always.

Three weeks into Shiro’s “unplanned vacation,” as Lance has taken to calling it in faux-joking terms that have nearly gotten him strangled by Keith a couple times, Hunk finds Lance perched back on the flight deck floor, not long after Hunk had wheedled him into going to bed for the first time that night, hands swiping through hologram screens at a speed that gives him a headache just watching.

Great, so Lance is doing the sneaking out at night multiple times thing now. Classy.

“Y’know, it’s kind of hard to get this one past me when you sleep in my bed pretty much every night, dude.”

Lance startles, making a half-smothered noise somewhere between a squeak and a squawk, and turns back with hunched shoulders to look at him guiltily. “…You’re a heavy sleeper!”

“No,” Hunk says, taking the last few steps to Lance and folding down to the floor next to him, crossing his legs and tucking his hands under his thighs as he offers Lance a pointed side-eye. “You think I’m a heavy sleeper. Besides, I’ve got your body clock memorized. You’ve been waking up at four AM to pee every night since we were like…nine. By now, I wake up naturally, expecting to feel your sharp elbows jabbing me when you get up. Not really that hard to notice when you get up and then don’t come back, ya know.”

Lance pouts, blowing a raspberry into his palm and flopping backwards to lay spread-eagled on the cool metal floor, bringing his holo-screens with him to project over his head with a quick grabbing motion of his hand as an afterthought. Almost automatically, Hunk copies his movements, settling with his hands crossed over his stomach and feet tucked together, a sharp contrast to Lance’s all-over-the-place limbs, taking up much more space on the floor despite being half Hunk’s size. Making a happy noise, Lance frees a hand from the monitor to bury it in Hunk’s hair, scratching lightly in an idle motion as the other hand continues its swiping and tapping on the screen.

“Can you even read that?” Hunk asks, yawning, eyes glazing over as he tries to follow the whizzing Altean scrolling by. He can recognize a few written Altean words (or maybe they’d be better considered symbols) by now, but only things in relation to equipment around the ship hangars, workshops, and the kitchen when he’s very lucky. Even the alphabet, if Alteans even have one in a similar format to theirs, would be lost on him. But that’s hardly surprising, given language has always been more Lance’s area than Hunk’s.

Humming, Lance shrugs, shoulders sliding along the polished chrome. “Yes and no? I’m getting better, but a lot of the more complicated stuff is still lost on me, especially without a human language point of reference. I swear, Altean is the most complicated language possible to try and learn.”

Hunk smiles despite himself, closing his eyes, “Even harder than Japanese?” he asks, thinking back fondly to the period Lance had gone through in middle school when he’d decided he was going to try and learn the language, merely because some kid that had been really into manga at their school had bet him he wouldn’t be able to.

He’d managed to, as well, for the most part. It had taken a few years, but he’d done it, purely out of spite—the best motivator for Lance there is.

Lance snorts. “Well this doesn’t have three different writing systems, as far as I can tell, but it’s no cake walk either.”

Hunk hums in agreement, and for a long moment there is silence, distinct and obvious but not uncomfortable, Lance’s fingers still tangled up in his hair, before there’s a quiet sigh, and he cracks an eye open to watch Lance’s half-awake, exhausted face reflected by the dimly glowing lights of the holo-screens, hand still outstretched to tap or swipe.

“What’re you thinking?” Hunk asks. An offer to talk, but not a demand, and Lance glances ruefully at him, one thin eyebrow arched in a response.

“Hell if I know. It’s not like I have any idea what I’m doing, really.”

Hunk nods slightly, accepting the admission for what it is. “…Shiro?” he guesses, quietly.

Lance looks away, and he sighs. “You’re allowed to be worried about him too, Lance. Yeah, you’re not as close to him as Keith or Pidge…or Allura, maybe, but he’s still…” His voice catches on the words, and it comes out as something like a question, “He’s still our…friend?”

Blue eyes turn back to him, Lance’s face scrunched up in something between grief and distaste. “Is he? He’s our teammate, sure, and our leader. And yeah, we need him around, no bones about that one, but can we honestly say he’s our friend?”

“I…” Hunk blinks, hesitating, and Lance snorts, gaze darting away and narrowing to a glare at the monitor above him.

“I just want him back as soon as possible so that we can go back to normal,” Lance says firmly. “The less time Keith stays in charge, the better.”

“You’re allowed to care, you know.”

Lance grunts in response, fingers untangling from Hunk’s hair to cross his arms and pout up at the ceiling.

Hunk grins despite himself, rolling onto his elbow to peer down at Lance, head caught in his hand as a resting place. Almost unconsciously, he reaches out to poke Lance on the nose, earning himself an unamused huff. “Oh come on, don’t even try. I’m not saying you’ve suddenly got to become best buddies with Shiro or something, I know he wasn’t exactly what you were expecting, but don’t pretend it doesn’t matter to you whether he comes back in one piece or not for reasons outside of team functionality.” He laughs at Lance’s disgruntled face, smoothing his fingers over bared collarbone against the loose edges of the wide neckline of the castle-provided paladin pajamas, feeling the faintest pattern of heartbeat just underneath. “You care about him. You care about all of them, probably a bit too much. Don’t think I don’t notice. Every fight you pick with Keith and Allura is to distract them and give them a break from stressing over Shiro. It’s your own way of looking out for them.”

“Not every fight.”

“Most fights,” Hunk amends softly. “You, Lance McClain, have a heart the size of Earth, and you’d take a bullet for anyone on this team without hesitation.” He smiles ruefully. “Much as I wish you’d show a little more self-preservation.”

Lance grumbles, rolling his eyes, and pushes lightly on Hunk’s chest. Obliging, he leans away from his place hovering over Lance’s head, falling back to his original position on the floor. Lance rolls over in turn, tucking himself against Hunk and folding his arms up onto Hunk’s chest, chin resting on them over his breastbone, one leg idly tangling with his own.

“Maybe I do care about them,” he admits, catching his lower lip between his teeth. “But not as much as I care for you.”

Hunk smiles. “That’s a bit different though, isn’t it?” he says, and Lance hums in reluctant agreement.

“And what about you, huh?” Lance asks him quietly, eyes drooping and voice lulling in rare peace. “Sir Hunk—everyone’s knight in shining armor. Savior of the Balmera, and of our kitchen whenever Coran’s on the move. Leg of Voltron, strength of Voltron.” He grins lazily, wide and easy. “Strength of all my crazy, keeping me from falling off the rails.”

“Me?” Hunk laughs quietly. “I have no clue what I’m doing.”

“Could have fooled me.”

“Not you. Never you.” He traces his hands over Lance’s sides, familiar warmth under his fingers. “You know me too well.”

“Maybe,” Lance acquiesces. “Maybe.”

They fall into silence, long and open in a way that makes the hum of the sleeping castle even clearer, like the ticking of a clock that gets louder the longer you listen to it, one part soothing and one part filled with the creeping, crawling sensations of distant foreboding. Almost idly, Hunk runs his hands along Lance’s waist and hips and up his back once more, one hand coming up over Lance’s shoulder to trace fingertips along his jaw, feeling the thin bone underneath soft skin. Lance smiles tiredly, turning his face into Hunk’s hand and closing his eyes, breathing in deeply and exhaling slowly, and Hunk finds himself copying his rhythm automatically.

There is still so much to be said. About them, about the team, about Shiro, about Voltron…but now, he suspects, is not the time. To press on too far would shatter the serene stillness of this pale imitation of night, and he doesn’t have the heart to do it. Not when so much about their situation, their lives, is so unsure, and Lance is the only stable, familiar thing he has left.

So he lets it be, sliding his palm up Lance’s cheek and pushing his bangs back off his forehead, running his fingers through Lance’s hair in a steady motion as Lance brings an arm up to rest his elbow on Hunk’s chest, his chin propped into his fist, and his other hand traces unfamiliar symbols into Hunk’s sternum, practicing his Altean, assumedly, even in this half-awake state.

“I know I’ve been worrying you,” Lance murmurs eventually, voice laden with sleep as he peers down at him with lidded, dazed eyes, “I’m sorry.”

Hunk smiles softly, shrugging as best he can against his position on the floor. “I always worry, it’s what I do.”

Lance snorts lazily. “Yeah, but I haven��t really been helping.”

“Just take care of yourself,” Hunk says quietly. “That’s all I need. To know you’re okay, that’s it.”

There’s a sigh, and Lance slumps forward, dropping his arms and resting his face against Hunk’s chest, ear right over where he knows his heartbeat resides, and he brings his arms up carefully, wrapping them around Lance’s shoulders. “Ok…ok.”

“…You too. That—you too.” Lance adds almost silently after a long moment, and Hunk closes his eyes, pretending not to hear.

There are some things he can’t swear to, right now, if it means keeping Lance, and everyone else, safe. He won’t make promises he can’t keep.

A little over a month and then some into Shiro’s disappearance, the Galra find them once more, and they run out of time.

It’s a whirling, anxious thing, in the aftermath of what is much more an escape than it is a victory, as they realize that hiding and waiting and hoping Shiro will return to them of his own accord—or that they will magically find a way to locate him immediately—is a near hopeless endeavor. A dangerous one, even, given they now know for certain the Empire has regrouped and is doing just fine.

Whatever element of surprise or advantage they might have had, knocking Zarkon out of commission, it is lost now. The Galra have more than demonstrated that they do not waver in the face of a threat in favor of sentimentality, not even for their Emperor. Everyone is replaceable, even Haggar and Zarkon’s generals know this, and they are on the losing side of this battle so long as they pretend otherwise.

At least, that’s so much as what Lance says, when it’s all over and they’ve skulked off to some deserted star system to lick their wounds and consider what to do next.

Not surprisingly, Keith promptly reacts by grabbing Lance by the front of his shirt and threatening to show him exactly who is so replaceable, and Hunk forces his way between them with diplomatic grace as he ignores the flicker of hurt on Lance’s face and the grief in Keith’s eyes. He can’t solve everything at once, he just can’t.

It’s Allura who finally gives into it, catching Hunk’s eye and nodding before asserting control with a steely grip, demanding their attention and their compliance with tone alone as she calls for silence, and reluctantly, oh so reluctantly, admits they cannot carry on like this any longer.

She doesn’t say it, would never say it, but it rings in the air anyways—Lance is right.

Pretty much most everything is replaceable in war, even if it’s a damn shoddy replacement, like a bad spare part for an engine. It has to be.

Everything. Even Shiro, albeit hopefully temporarily.

It leaves Lance with a smug grin and his hands on his hips even as Keith scowls and shoulders past him, not that it stops Hunk from catching the sight of Keith’s wrist darting up to rub at his eyes as he speeds out of the room, or the crack in Lance’s petty expression as he watches him go, genuine concern flickering across for only a moment. They’re all hurting, they’re all terrified, but Hunk doubts Keith and Lance will ever get on the same page long enough to notice, let alone talk it out properly.

They’re too different—Keith is hot anger and fire, channeling his grief and his love into fury and wickedly bladed words in the face of what they have lost, and still stand to lose. And Lance…Lance takes all his fears and doubts, ties them to an anchor, and chucks them in the water to let them drown, hiding them from any wandering eyes. Neither of them is what they seem on the surface, but underneath their contrasts and occasional similarities are even more obvious.

It’s the kind of thing that might be able to be fixed one day, to sit them down and help them hammer out a way to understand each other, but that certainly isn’t now. This isn’t the time, or the appropriate situation, and frankly Hunk may not be the person for the job.

He’s biased. Admittedly, undeniably biased, as much as Shiro is towards Keith, and he doesn’t think he’d even know how to be an impartial party in a manner pertaining to Lance, honestly. A good decade of doing the exact opposite stands firmly in the way.

And so, as Keith departs the bridge and Lance follows him with his eyes, weaknesses covered up and his indecipherable mask back on once more, Hunk sucks in a deep breath, exhaling slowly, and then lets it go. He’ll deal with Lance later, and Keith…well. Someone else will have to handle Keith.

He ignores the part of himself that reminds him that certain someone else for Keith would normally be Shiro.

He looks to Lance, who nods, hands curling into anxious fists at his side, and then Hunk turns to Allura, observes her tired eyes and set jaw, steady on her feet even as their few reclaimed victories crumble around them.

“What do you have in mind, Princess?” he asks, speaking for both himself and Lance—and Pidge, he supposes, from where she hovers in the corner, arms crossed and leaning against the wall with a dark expression. Allura’s face brightens ever so slightly with relief as she relaxes her shoulders and brings her hands together in front of her, and Hunk tries to feel glad for it.

Fighting her helps no one, after all. She needs their support, because right now there is no one else to give it. That is simply the way it is.

They are all replaceable, yes, but right now, at least, they are valuable—maybe not as individuals, but certainly as a unit, and that has to be enough.

It must be enough.

In light of Shiro’s final advisement to the team, Allura calls for a lion rotation in the interest of finding a way to reform Voltron in his absence, admitting it’s probably a more sensible option than looking for a new pilot for Black altogether, given the suitability of a black paladin relies severely on the composition of the rest of the team.

Perhaps Shiro had known what he was doing after all.

Or…perhaps not, Hunk thinks, when post Allura reassigning Keith to Black, as they all expected, she makes the executive decision to stick Lance in Red, and take over the Blue herself, rather than try and convince the Red Lion to accept an inexperienced pilot.

“It’s the best solution in light of our situation,” she tells them, looking to Lance in cool appraisal. “You’re the closest substitution we have for Keith’s position. It will go fine, with any luck.”

Hunk takes one look at Lance’s face, pinched tight and brimming just under the surface with a good dozen emotions, most involving anger, and seriously doubts it.

Lance argues weakly for a few scant moments, arms crossed defensively in the face of his own argument that they are all of them replaceable, before he accepts the position, arms at his sides in a not at all subtle parade rest as he nods to Allura and exits the room quickly. Keith’s eyes follow Lance, mouth a thin line, in a cruel mockery of their positions during their earlier confrontation, and Hunk forces himself to turn away and ignore the pit in his stomach until Allura finishes speaking and dismisses them. He may want to go after Lance like…now, but then he will likely miss something said, and Lance will want to know what happened.

One of them needs to be here.

Eventually, Allura departs, gesturing to Keith to follow her and mentioning she needs to speak to Lance about the lion change in depth. Hunk watches them go, hesitating on whether to follow or not, before sighing and going to see if he can press Pidge to eat something and get some rest, since Lance isn’t here to do it for him. He doubts any of the participating members will appreciate him eavesdropping in on a conversation he’s clearly not meant to be a part of (even he has enough tact to admit that much), and Lance will no doubt want some time to himself to get his thoughts together afterward. They may be…close, and share the aspects of their thoughts and personalities the others aren’t privy to, but Lance is still the kind of person who prefers for someone not to see him at his most vulnerable unless he approaches them first. Hunk has painfully given into this one, through much trial and error. It’s not easy to leave well enough alone when it comes to Lance, but he’s getting better at it, slowly.

Hunk makes a show of coaxing a meal onto Pidge and then tidying up the kitchen, creating noise simply for the sake of it to shake off the still emptiness of the castle that still claws at him even after this long, far too used to the busy noise of the small town where both his and Lance’s families had moved when they were children, and later the hurried racket of the Garrison in full operational swing.

The castle might have been glorious once, packed to the brim with Altean nobles and staff and visiting diplomats, but now it is only a hollow ghost of a shell of what it might have been, echoing with the barely forgotten memories of the past. With only seven residents—eleven if you include the mice, he supposes—in a residence meant for hundreds, their own tininess in the vast scheme of things, even in relation to the size and scope of one singular culture, is palpable.

…He hates it, honestly. While there is something undeniably incredible about visiting alien species, rescuing their homes and liberating their planets, he finds his mentality has grown over time to be more and more like Lance’s, rather than, say…Keith or Pidge’s. The more he sees, the more he just wants to go home.

He may have accepted this duty gracefully, he may have even embraced it, but he never signed up for it. Hell, he only applied to the Garrison on Lance’s encouragement, relieved at the idea of this oh so special, and so close to his heart, piece of home coming with him into this new, foreign territory.

The two of them had wanted a little adventure, maybe, sure, but…not this.

It’s too much and too little, all at once. So much responsibility and promised infamy in the history books eating away at the moments of normal life, all the little milestones that they’re skipping over. His grandmother’s birthday, Lance’s sister’s wedding, their college graduations…

Missed, lost. Every last piece of it, all the promised memories they’ll never get at all now.

Sometimes, in the recesses of the night, he wakes with heavy breaths to a creeping, crawling fear—that one day, if they stay away long enough, they too will be forgotten, just barely distinguishable smudges of the past, like the ghosts of the Castle of Lions.

He doesn’t tell Lance about those nights, even when the other is there in his bed still sleeping next to him, which is a solid almost always. There are some things Lance doesn’t need to know, with so much weight and so much peril already to bear.

Later, much later, after Allura and Keith have returned, arms crossed and avoiding each other’s eyes as expected, because Hunk’s not quite sure if they ever fully worked out the Galra thing, and he doubts all this is helping with it, he ventures down the flights of the ship in search of Lance.

It’s not hard to guess where he might be, honestly. Lance has a short list of places he considers as close to safe as he can within the castle, and the entirety of it is basically comprised of just his room, Hunk’s room, and the lion bay, right with Blue. Given the situation, Hunk feels he can safely guess which of those it is, and he skips any fanfare by just finding the closest elevator down to the lion hangars, fingers tapping nervous rhythms against his side as he considers what he could even say in this situation.

It’s not like he can offer to take Lance’s place or anything. He probably would if he could, just to spare Lance any pain, even if it makes his gut queasy and causes Yellow to growl moodily in the back of his mind, but he’s pretty sure he’d be an even poorer replacement for Keith, and Red might just eject him if he ever got motion sickness in her cockpit.

Much as he hates to admit it, and much as he knows Lance will too, Lance is the better option here, even if it’s still not a remotely good one.

Hunk finds Lance at the Blue lion’s base, curled up in a miserable-looking ball on one of her feet, thin shoulders hunched and knees pulled to his chest, turned away from the door in a clear sign for any intruders to go away. He notes with some relief Lance is at least out of his paladin armor, form all the more deceivingly breakable looking in his oversized jacket and faded jeans. Lance tenses as he gets closer, no doubt hearing his footsteps, and Hunk breathes out slowly, giving it a moment.

“I don’t want to talk about it anymore, Allura.”

“It’s me,” Hunk says quietly, and is rewarded with Lance rolling out of his ball quickly, turning around and wiping not so subtly at his eyes to look at Hunk, expression hovering between closed off and calm, and open and vulnerable.

“Oh.”

Hunk sighs, slowly walking the few extra steps to stop in front of Lance, waiting. “Can I sit down?”

Lance snorts, forgoing an answer and instead shifting over to tap the space on Blue’s paw next to him in invitation, clearly considering the question unnecessary, if appreciated for the permission check it offers. They’re both very different people when it comes to personal space, and while they know each other better than most people when it comes to these things, it certainly never hurts to check, especially in situations like this.

He sits down gently, patting the metal of Blue’s surface when her welcoming purr starts up in the corner of his mind through the interconnected lion bond via his tie to Yellow, muffled and less distinct than his own lion’s, but still plenty clear in its intent.

There’s a short moment of wonder as to whether Red would respond so positively to his presence in the same situation, assuming she first accepted Lance, and then he shoves it out of his mind. It’s hardly important, really, what Keith’s lion thinks of him, even through the lens of Lance as a pilot.

Lance is on him in seconds, curling into his side, tucking a leg over the closest knee, and burrowing the side of his head into Hunk’s shoulder in an obvious seeking of physical comfort. Hunk accepts more than gladly, trailing an arm around his waist and resting his head on top of Lance’s, breathing in the smell of citrusy-sweet Altean shampoo and feeling himself relax properly for the first time in hours after the haunting silence of the nearly empty castle. After a moment, he feels the slightest stirrings of movement as hands wiggle under his shirt, coming to rest on his stomach and abdomen, and he grins sheepishly against Lance’s hair. It’s not sexual in the slightest, it rarely is with them, but the skin on skin contact is nice, a reassurance in the void of space where human touch outside of their team is completely nonexistent. Lance has always been big this sort of thing, even before Voltron, but he’d become particularly insistent on making it a regular occurrence after they ended up in the castle—not that Hunk can blame him, really. If he had five siblings, he’d probably be used to a significantly higher amount of physical contact too.

…And it’s enjoyable, regardless, so he hardly minds.

Idly, he brings a hand up to catch on the hair at the back of Lance’s head, threading thin strands through his fingers, and hums, “It’s getting longer. Are you thinking about growing it out again?”

Lance shudders visibly, knowing exactly which childhood phase Hunk is referring to, and makes a noise of disagreement. “What, and let Keith give me crap for following in his frankly atrocious footsteps? I think not.”

“I thought the whole point of that argument was against the existence of mullets,” Hunk says, voice tinged with amusement. “Not long hair on men in general, per se.”

“It’s the principle of the thing,” Lance mumbles, shifting slightly. “Besides, it was always a mess. Impossible to keep tidy.”

“It was fun to braid, though,” Hunk offers, remembering hot summer afternoons when they were little spent up in the high branches of the climbing trees at the park, his hands pulling the locks of Lance’s just slightly curly brown hair gently through the processes of the short braids he’d do down Lance’s neck.

Lance offers only an amused huff, wiggling against Hunk’s side in an effort to get more comfortable as they lapse into silence once more. After a long moment, he sighs, extracting a hand from under Hunk’s shirt to reach next to him and grab the object Hunk hadn’t even noticed had been there until now, holding it into view in front of the both of them. “I thought it wouldn’t really matter who kept what bayard, since they’re just weapons, but apparently they’re synced to each lion’s consciousness or something, since there’s the whole…plug it into the dashboard and produce a huge weapon thing, so…”

Hunk looks down, watching the lights of the hangar glint off the polished surface of the red bayard, and fights back the slight, but undeniable sinking in his stomach. “What shape does it take?” he asks almost automatically, unable to help himself as his head buzzes with the possibilities. Lance is naturally a ranged fighter, preferring guns or…basically anything that can be used from a distance, honestly, but the traditional role of the red paladin, from what he understands of it, is that of a close combat fighter—a bladed weapon.

There’s the slightest of exhausted, but willing breaths, and then Lance’s second hand is on the bayard as both grasp it and yank it apart as the bright light of its activation shapes it willingly with his movements. When the blinding white clears, Hunk blinks down and whistles at the two small, distinctly shaped blades lying in Lance’s palms.

“Throwing knives?” he asks, reaching a hand out carefully to trace along the sharp edge of the closest of the thin-edged blades, hissing when it catches on his skin and pulling away quickly, sticking the offending finger into his mouth as he would a paper cut. Lance looks worriedly to him for a moment, but he waves it off, pulling his hand back away and nodding to the knives. “Do you um…even know how to use those?”

There’s a huff of laughter, and Lance shakes his head. “Nope, not a clue, and I’m not that hot at it either, Allura made me practice for her.” Hunk winces, and Lance just shrugs, “This was apparently the closest compromise the Red lion and I could reach between a ranged weapon and…well. Its preference for something sharp and pointy, so it is what it is.”

“What would you do once you’ve thrown them, though?” Hunk asks cautiously, squinting at the small blades suspiciously.

“They just seem to automatically re-spawn? Every time I threw one and reached for another—while Allura yelled, of course—there was one waiting at my hip like there would be if I had a storage belt.” Lance wrinkles his nose, “Pretty much in the same vein as how our guns never run out of ammo or Pidge’s electric blade…thing…never runs out of charge. It’s like some kind of…bad alien video game hack. Infinite ammo.”

“Well,” Hunk offers quietly, “It is magic…I think.”

Lance scowls, dropping the knives and watching with unreadable eyes as they clatter to the ground and are reabsorbed by the white light, reforming the red bayard’s resting form at the base of Blue’s foot in an almost painful moment of visual irony. “I hate it. I already miss my gun.”

“It’s only temporary,” Hunk murmurs, and Lance snorts in response.

Temporary. Right.” He sighs out, falling back against Hunk’s chest and craning his neck to peer up at him, eyes wide and tired and full of so much raw humanity, the same way they were that night out on the flight deck only what was a couple weeks ago, but in many ways feels like lifetimes previous. Every day out in space has been long and unfamiliar, and every minute and every hour without Shiro even more so. “We’ve been searching for more than a month, Hunk. Everyday, nonstop, every night, out on those holopads looking for something, anything that might tell us where he is. What if we never find him?”

He considers making some quip about Lance’s previous insistence on not caring, and then dismisses it, knowing it will do little to help in this case, instead smoothing a hand over Lance’s forehead gently. “We’ll find him.”

“But what if we don’t?” Lance presses, staring at him with so much naked fear, and bone-chilling certainty in the face of his admission. “Like I myself said first, as Allura kept reminded me, we’re all replaceable. All of us— Zarkon and his soldiers, Shiro, even you and me. We’re only here because we were a convenient option that managed to fulfill some very specific characteristics. What if it gets to a point where it’s just…more economical to stop looking? Could we really blame that logic?”

Hunk freezes, looking into Lance’s imploring expression and trying to decide the right answer, jumping between gaps in sentimentality and logic in the face of their deepest fears and worries laid bare. “Do you…do you remember that time when we were ten, and that older kid in the grade above us stole our lunch cards?”

Lance blinks, furrowing his eyebrows. “Uh…yeah? But—”

“And do you remember how we were too embarrassed to tell our parents, so every morning you’d sneak over to my house before they woke up and we’d make lunch for ourselves in my kitchen?”

“Yes, Hunk, I was there.”

“That first time—“ He hesitates, idly brushing his fingers over Lance’s bangs, “That first time, we realized the brown paper bags we’d need to pack them were on the high shelf, yeah? The really high shelf, the one neither of us could reach even when standing on the counter. So we got the footstool ladder from the hall closet, and we still couldn’t get them down, because I was too scared to climb up, and you were too short to reach back then even with the ladder. So you remember what we did?”

Lance’s mouth is a scrunched line of confusion, eyes squinting up at Hunk in bafflement. “We…I climbed on your shoulders?”

“You climbed on my shoulders.” Hunk beams. “And like that, we were just tall enough together to get that cupboard open and save ourselves the humiliating embarrassment of admitting we had forsaken our lunch cards to the horrendous monster that was the idiot in class B6.” Lance laughs, soft and fond, and he grins despite himself. “A hundred other people could have gotten that cupboard open a hundred different ways, but only the specific combination of you and me would have produced that exact result. We could only do it as a team.” Hunk sighs, tracing a thumb along Lance’s cheekbone. “There may be a hundred other potential paladins out there…we may be replaceable as a part of this team, because we have to be for Voltron to survive, that’s fact. You know it and I know it. But you are not replaceable to me. There is only one Lance McClain in the whole universe, and I wouldn’t want any substitute, lions or no.”

There’s a chuckle, and then Lance grins, thoughtless and bright and all the things his smile used to be, before Voltron, before everything. “That was an absolutely terrible metaphor.” Hunk snorts, and said grin stretches even wider. “…I like it, though.”

“Yeah?”

Lance’s hand finds his, fingers twisting around each other and palms pressed flat together, and Hunk closes his eyes, breathing in softly.

He may not know what comes next in this perilous experiment they’re calling the rebirth of Voltron, the weapon born of long gone ghosts of Altea and revived by five children of Earth who accidentally stumbled into a war they were never meant to be a part of in the first place. He may not know if they will find Shiro, or what condition their leader may be in. He may not even know where he stands with this team, disjointed and falling apart already as it is, and he may not know when he will ever get home again, if ever.

But he knows he has Lance.

“…Yeah.”

And that, for once in his life, he thinks, can absolutely be enough.

#Aphelion Zine #my writing #vldfanfic #Hance #Hunk #Lance #Voltron #Learned Behavior (Of The Replaceable) [Voltron]

[earline-nathay]

Pretend it’s summer

#VLDRarePairWeek Day 5: Summer / Winter Shidge AO3 Link

Summary: Pidge doesn’t get why everybody thought she didn’t like dresses.

It was an uneventful day for the team as paladins of Voltron when Pidge was having a headache. Actually, it was probably the seventh or eighth day that was uneventful for the habitants of the Castle. No emergency calls, no Galra attacks, no one had needed Voltron for the past week and it felt almost like vacations.

Well, except for Pidge. She was glued to her computer working on finding her family, as usual. She was designing a new software to help her look for them through all the confines of the universe, one galaxy at a time, but the stupid codes were giving her trouble and the only thing she had accomplished was a splitting pain in the brain.

“Pidge?” a voice said from the door.

She lifted her eyes from the screen to see Allura looking at her with a mix of worry and fright. She could only imagine how she looked.

“Are you okay?” the princess asked, cautious. “You look… tired.”

“I’m about to lose my mind,” Pidge said, her voice hoarse and dead.

“I can see that,” Allura mumbled coming to sit beside her. “Why don’t you take a break?”

Pidge gripped her computer and brought it to her chest in an involuntary reflex, making Allura frown and extend her hand to her like a mother who asks for something from her child.

“You’ve skipped three meals already and I don’t even want to know on how much sleep are you running,” she pointed out. “Please.”

Pidge sighed. If her head wasn’t hurting this much, she probably would have fought against rest a little more, but Allura was right. She was hungry and tired.

“Fine,” she sighed. She closed her computer and let Allura drag her to the kitchen.

Hunk, the sweetheart, had left food for her on the counter. Halfway her meal she was already sleepy, and that was probably why she let Allura talked her into a girls' night in the princess's room. It was to make sure she slept, she said, but Pidge had the suspicion that even Allura sometimes needed some time to get a little lose, despite the war.

“Alright, but I’m not letting you touch my ears again,” Pidge warned. The last time that Allura convinced her to have a girl time with her, she had tried to pull her ears to make them look Altean. Never again.

“It was one time!” Allura whined, a little pink on the cheeks.

A few minutes later, Allura was trying to convince Pidge to put on already the pajamas.

“But sleep time is still hours away!” Pidge complained.

“But it would look great on you!”

“I’ll put it when we are going to bed.”

“But then I won’t get to see you around wearing a dress,” the princess said, the truth finally coming out.

Pidge arched a brow.

“Is that what this is about?” she asked a little incredulous, “Me wearing a dress? You do realize that I don’t hate them, right?”

“You don’t?”

“No, what on Earth gave you that idea? I find them comfortable, even.”

Allura’s face brightened with excitement, she put the nightgown aside and dove in her wardrobe, looking for something small enough for Pidge.

“You should have said so before!”

Pidge couldn’t help but chuckle. She had no idea Allura would get excited about something so trivial. She sat at her vanity and listened to her friend rambling about how she always wished to have a little sister to play dress up when she was younger.

She finally picked a light blue dress that went past her knees and gave it to Pidge. She even brushed the paladin’s honey hair and tied it in two small pigtails. Pidge was too tired to protest at the silly, childish hairstyle, but also discovered she didn’t really mind it. It had been a while since someone brushed her hair and it felt nice.

“You look adorable! How come you never wear dresses if you like them?” Allura exclaimed, looking at her handiwork.

“Well, I don’t see you wearing a dress during trainings and battles,” Pidge retorted.

Allura sighed, still eying Pidge with a hand on her cheek.

“Well, I’ll guess you have a point there.”

Pidge turned to look at herself again in the mirror and felt a little nostalgic.

“I used to wear dresses back at home. Especially during summer when it was too hot to wear pants,” she chuckled.

“Well, then,” Allura said. “Pretend is summer and wear them more often. It suits you.”

“I’d probably confuse the hell out of the guys if they saw me” she laughed.

“What a good idea, Pidge!” Allura grabbed her wrist and pulled out of the room. “Let’s show them!”

“Wait, what?” Pidge couldn’t resist Allura’s incredible strength and couldn’t help but be dragged into the living room of the ship, where Keith, Lance, and Hunk were wasting time after dinner.

“Paladins, look!” Allura cried pushing Pidge in front of her as if she was showing a trophy.

The other three members of Voltron looked at her for a moment.

“Who…?” Hunk started to say, “Pidge?!”

“Sweet mother of the Milky Way! You are a girl!” Lance shouted, a teasing smile on his lips.

Pidge shot him a look.

“Yes, I recall when I said so and you were the only idiot who didn’t know.”

Lance shushed her.

“And just for that I’m going to apply some makeup on that girly face of yours”

Pidge frowned.

“What is it with you guys thinking I don’t like girl stuff? I used to dress and act like a girl when…”

“Good idea, Lance! I’ll go get it!” Allura said before dashing out of the room.

“You guys make a big deal out of something so stupid,” she complained.

Allura was back really quick and the next minutes where something akin to a blur where Lance and Allura fought to have a right to apply something on her face. Hunk was even commenting about colors and she got quite surprised when Keith said “Your eyes look bigger” with something akin to wonder.

Lance took it as a compliment on his makeup applying skills and it only fueled his enthusiasm to keep going.

“Ow!” She complained, finally freeing her face from his grip when he poked her eye. “What the hell, Lance?”

“If you just keep still!” he retorted.

“I am still! And I don’t want your Parkinson-hands near my eyes again.”

“I take that as an insult! No one in this ship can apply eyeliner like me!” He made a pause. “Well, perhaps except for… Hey, where’s Shiro?”

“He was with Coran at the control room,” Keith informed.

“Bring him here, bring him here!” Lance said, excited as if he just have come with some brilliant idea, a brilliant idea that everybody else seemed to have at the same time and she was the only one left outside. “Princess, the lipstick!”

“Already on it!” she said, taking Pidge’s face in her hands again.

Hunk ran to the exit to go get their leader but the door was already sliding open to reveal the only two members of the team who weren’t in the room already.

“Shiro!” Everybody but Pidge greeted, making him instantly go weary. They shoved her behind the group ignoring her protests.

“We have a surprise for you!” Allura said.

“What?” Pidge sounded affronted.

“But sadly we need your help to finish the last touches.” Lance completed, and handed him the eyeliner.

Shiro looked at the item and then at Lance, lifting a confused brow.

“What are you plotting?” he straight up asked.

Allura giggled and all of them stepped aside to reveal a frowning Pidge.

“You guys are ridiculous,” she repeated.

“Isn’t she cute?” Allura said, excited as a mother.

Shiro looked at her with intensity; making the sarcastic phrase she was going to say die in her mouth. After some way too long seconds he smiled and looked at the others.

“Isn’t she always, though?” his tone was playful and she felt her face burn. Curse him and his naturally charming personality.

“Not when she doesn’t let me apply the rest of the make-up, she isn’t,” Lance said, and then faking defeat, he intertwined his fingers behind his head and walked to the exit. “Good luck with that,” he said.

To Pidge’s astonishment, everybody else followed.

“Hey, what the hell? Allura? What about the girls night?” She asked, confused.

The princess turned just to wink.

“We can do that tomorrow,” she said, then walked out the room.

Pidge shook her head.

“I don’t get her most of the time,” she sighed. Shiro laughed.

“I think they just wanted to left us alone so I could enjoy my surprise”

Pidge let herself fall on one of the couches.

“I still don’t get why it was this big of a deal. I mean it’s just a dress. It’s not that I hate them.”

Shiro chuckled. He sat beside her and tugged at one pigtail.

“But they are right. The whole look makes you look adorable,” he teased.

“Oh, shut up,” she said, “Come here and show me how adorable you think I am or I’m leaving to change right now.”

He didn’t need any more invitation and pulled her in for a kiss. He found the taste of the lipstick sweet on her mouth and her hair especially fun to mess with when he had to work his fingers throw the ties. He ended up being so attentive and passionate that she decided that indeed, she could pretend it was summer more often.

#VLDRarePairWeek #Shidge