Hey Princess, we need to talk. x
Lance stared at the words on his phone and gulped as the second tick on the box glowed indicating that she'd read his message.
After a few moments, her reply came.
Sure, this afternoon?
He bit his lip and typed an affirmative in reply. As soon as he hit send, he threw his phone and groaned. He didn't know the right way of doing this, let alone whether what he was about to do was right at all. But the deed had to be done and dragging it on was only going to make matters worse.
Things with Allura had started off as a dream. He had the prettiest girl around on his arm and lived out his fantasy of kissing a princess.
But things got old; quickly at that too.
Allura was the first to be weary with him. Since discovering the mystery Altean in the Komar, she'd been distracted and moody. Not that Lance would ever hold it against her; he had enough tact to know the incredible amount of stress she was under. Their relationship increasingly felt like a burden - and he knew more so for Allura than him - and Lance didn't want her to feel like she was obligated to be by his side. It didn't help either that their morning had started off with a petty argument over breakfast. It also didn't help that those 'petty arguments' were increasing in frequency.
He glumly soaked in the sunlight as he leaned back against his elbows. He munched on a baggie of peanut butter cookies – a batch he'd made a few days ago when Pidge had promised to play video games with him but had blown him off in favour of a date with James Griffin.
Truthfully, Pidge hadn't wanted to go. She'd given the boy a soft maybe and it had been he who persuaded her to go.
He kind of regretted it.
He completely regretted it.
"Papa?"
Lance blinked down – way down, to see a little girl before him. She looked to be about two or three; perhaps younger with how short she was in height.
"Oh, hey there little guy. Looking for your dad?"
The girl's brows creased, and her lips twisted to a pout. Lance bent down to her height and raised his hands up in surrender.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Don't cry, I promise we'll find him."
He offered his hand out to her and her little fingers clasped around his own. He led the girl towards the Garrison. Her little shoes made the soft squeaky sounds typical of toddler's shoes.
He glanced down at the girl, wondering if she was one of the officer's children. He knew of a small day-care centre for the children of Garrison staff, but he could not quite place who she might belong to. Dark curls escaped the faded blue beanie on her head in little wisps across her forehead. She seemed strangely familiar to him. Light freckles dusted the bridge of her little nose and her eyes were rounded and big. They were the colour of warm honey - light brown with flecks of gold weaved between. The thought stilled his heart as an image of another girl's eyes came to mind immediately.
He shook his head to be rid of the thought and looked out to the sprawling campus of the Galaxy Garrison. He'd be hard pressed to know where to find help. He considered bringing her to the small school room where the children of high-ranking officials went to classes but didn't think she'd be old enough.
"The day-care it is then."
The little girl seemed oddly calm for her age - fully content in holding the hand – or at least, the fingertips - of a stranger and toddling after him on her tippy-toes. He noted her dark green hoodie and what looked like mermaid prints on her leggings.
"What's your name sweetheart?"
"Mah-zia."
She mumbled shyly. Lance felt goosebumps run up his arms. A child that closely resembled a girl he knew too well and had his mother's name? He had to be in the Twilight Zone.
"Marzia. That's a pretty name. I'm Lance."
The girl frowned again and stopped in her tracks.
"No, Papa!"
Even the manner in which she pouted, and the way her little nose scrunched up adorably reminded him of her face when she was annoyed with him. Her voice had even sounded insistent - almost as though she was confident of the fact that the young man before her had to be her father.
"Okay, okay. I'll be your Papa for like, five minutes. But I'm sure your actual Papa is worried sick about you. I know I would be if my daughter went missing- oh!" Marzia squealed and tugged at his hand. He followed her gaze.
In the distance, he spotted Nyma and Beezer walking out from one of the labs.
Marzia took off, her little shoes squeaking louder than her squeals as she made for Beezer. The robot looked a little panicked at first at the prospect of being tackled by a tiny human child, but eventually gave in to its fate and allowed the small girl to clamber over it.
"Hey - be careful!" Lance breathed heavily, as soon as he caught up with her. Nyma looked over to him bemusedly.
"I wasn't aware you had a child."
"I don't, but it sure feels like it."
"She's not yours?" her head tilted in curiosity. Her dark eyes looked over the child once more and a thought crossed her eyes, but it looked as though she decided to keep it to herself.
After Lance coaxed the little girl off the robot with the lone peanut butter cookie he had in his pocket, they eventually reached the small day-care centre situated just on the outskirts of the compound. Lance looked through the throng of small children as they played. He frowned as he noted their uniforms, glancing down again to see that the little girl wasn't similarly dressed in the navy and white sailor uniforms the other children ran around in.
"Excuse me?"
A tired looking young man looked over to him while trying to separate two screaming children from clawing each other's eyes out; it was safe to assume that he was one of the caretakers.
"Yes?"
"Uh...I think this little one here might have run off from the group. I just thought I'd make sure she was returned safely."
The young man looked over to the little girl and raised a brow.
"Sorry, don't think she's one of ours."
Lance frowned and glanced down to the little girl. She, again, looked far too calm. Her grip on his fingers tightened as she looked about the grounds, watching the children play.
He sighed and looked over to the man.
"Is there another day-care here? Maybe one for younger kids like her?"
"Sorry man, I think we're the only one for miles. Might be one in Plaht City."
Lance seriously doubted the child could have walked all the way out here on her own. Children weren't allowed on the Garrison compound without an adult supervising them at all times. Who else could she have belonged to? He sighed and bent down so he was on eye level with her. "Okay, sweetheart. This is getting serious. Can you tell me anything about your parents? Who was with you?"
The girl stared up at him and pointed straight at him. He closed his eyes and bent his head in defeat.
"Your dad's probably freaking out. I need to make sure you're returned to him."
A crease formed between his brows as he stood up determinedly.
"That's it. I'm not ending this day without finding your dad!"
He hoisted the child up on his shoulders and smiled at her small cry of joy; only to wince as her tiny hands tugged at his dark hair. But for some reason, he didn't mind and couldn't find it in him to be annoyed with her.
For someone who was comfortable with children, Lance felt like he was even more of a natural with Marzia. There was something about her that he could not quite place. He was sure it mostly had to do with how calm she was around him. He would have thought a child her age would be too frightened with no one familiar about and in a place that was very decidedly not child-friendly. But she seemed unfazed for the most part and more curious than anything.
He noted how her eyes lit up as they passed by windows, looking out to see the large spaceships being worked on. How she waved at the AI robots, how she easily rested her cheek on the top of his head and sighed softly. It gave him this warm feeling in his heart and he briefly wondered if he'd ever be a father himself; he'd always thought he'd have a bunch of boys but a little girl was quickly winning him over.
"I'd be very mad if I was your father, Marzia. You're way too trusting."
He'd intended for his tone to be firm, but he chuckled as he reached up to make sure that her little form was steady on his shoulders. Lance's heart melted as he heard her yawn softly.
"Looks like it's someone's nap time."
"Lance!"
He turned to the voice and smiled as Hunk walked into view. His thick brows lifted at the sight of the sleepy little girl on his shoulders, but Lance saw how his eyes visibly softened.
"Aww, it looks like someone shrunk Pidge!"
His hands clasped before him as he fawned over the little girl. Her eyes sleepily blinked at the taller man before they brightened.
"Unc-y Hunk!"
Hunk positively melted while Lance's heart stopped. He never mentioned Hunk's name. How did she know?
"Hunk, please tell me you know her."
"Hm? I don't. Why would I?"
"Then how does she know your name?"
Hunk stilled for a moment and turned his gaze to him slowly.
"I thought... you told her my name. Isn't she a relative of yours?"
"I didn't...and she's not."
At Hunk's recommendation, Lance decided to bring the girl back to the base where they could make an announcement. The staff there had given them a room to wait in. As the little girl snuggled on the couch, the two young men frowned over her. None of the staff recognised her and it was something of a worry as every single civilian was accounted for before being allowed entry into the compound. It was basically impossible for someone to sneak a child in.
"So, what you're telling me is you kidnapped this little kid."
"I didn't kidnap her. She found me, and I've been trying to get her back to her dad!"
"Why her dad specifically?"
"She's been calling me Papa the whole day."
Hunk paused, and his jaw dropped with a thought. Lance raised an eyebrow in his direction.
"What if...what if this is your kid?"
"That literally makes no sense Hunk. I just met her."
"Does it though? Think about it, kids know their parents."
"Are you suggesting that I left behind a love child on Earth?"
Hunk shrugged and quipped nonchalantly, "I don't know what you get up to at night."
"Hunk!" he dropped his tone as soon as Marzia shifted a little in her sleep. Her brows creased to a frown, but they smoothed over as she snuggled underneath the blankets further. Her hood had fallen off her head to reveal a shock of dark curls.
"It's scary how much she looks like Pidge. Maybe they're working on a quintessence shrink ray or something and she got hit by it?"
"I didn't think it was possible to make Pidge smaller" he retorted. But the thought had nagged him since he first met her. She looked way too much like Pidge. As far as he knew, Pidge only had Matt as a sibling and with his alien girlfriend, he highly doubted she could be her niece. Forget daughter.
"What are we going to do with her? I don't want to get charged with being an accomplice to a child kidnapper."
"Good grief Hunk! I brought her to the day-care here and they said they had no clue who she was. They couldn't take her in without knowing who she belonged to."
"Well...what's the Garrison protocol for a lost child?"
"I don't know... stick them in a flight simulator and recruit them if they're good?"
Hunk eventually left citing that he had a date with Shay and promised to call him later that night. Lance had briefly considered confiding with his best friend about Allura but seeing the excited gleam in his eyes at the prospect of meeting his girlfriend told him that it could wait. If anyone deserved happiness, it was Hunk.
The speakers crackled, and Lance's head lifted as the announcement filtered through.
"We have found a small girl, approximately two years old wearing a green jacket. Will her parent or guardian please come to Central Control? Thank you."
It was not an announcement that he ever though he'd hear from the speakers of a military base. But as he watched the little girl stir away, her eyes focusing on him with a sleepy smile, he figured there was a first time for everything.
"Wow."
Lance's head snapped to the door as the speaker entered. Well, their shrink ray theory flew out the window. It'd been a while since he had seen her, and he rationalised that was the reason his heart rate rose.
"I thought Hunk was kidding, but damn."
Pidge's head tilted as she scrutinized the small child's face. There was something of a gentle look in her eyes as she bent forward to brush the girl's bangs off her cheek.
"She's sweet," she whispered as she settled down on the couch next to Lance. He felt himself gulp as he tore away his gaze from her and down to the soundly asleep child between them.
Pidge's hair had grown out since returning to Earth and she kept it up in a neat ponytail with her bangs framing her amber eyes. Instead of her usual green shirt, she wore the Garrison's uniform like he was and a lab coat. She'd been whisked away by the research and development team as soon as they'd all recovered from the Robeast attack, but Pidge looked like she enjoyed the work.
Enjoyed it enough not to miss him the way he did her.
"Haven't seen you in a while," he mumbled, reaching forward to pull the blanket higher to the girl's shoulders. He felt Pidge still before she sighed and relaxed back onto the sofa.
"Yeah...got caught up with the projects here."
"They stole our resident tech expert," he quipped, now feeling a little guilty for pointing out her absence, but she smiled. Besides, it wasn't as though the others were as present.
Even though Allura and he had begun to see each other, things weren't going the way he had hoped. She was a little distant and far too distracted. Not that he blamed Allura. Since discovering the Altean in the Robeast, all her energy went into the mystery woman. She spent most of her time by her bedside, anxiously awaiting her awaking. He felt like a bad boyfriend if he tried to spend more time with her.
It didn't help that his presence sometimes irritated her - especially when he tried to cheer her up. It was why he had been out brooding on the roof, to give her "space".
"How are things with you?" her voice was carefully soft, and she glanced over to Marzia, making sure she didn't wake.
Lance shrugged. "Can't complain. The MFEs and I been spending a little more time together and I got to test-fly some of the newer crafts. Fifteen-year-old me would kill to be in my place. James mentions you at least once a day. He's clearly smitten."
Pidge's cheeks tinted pink, but she waved her hand dismissively.
"But...you're not happy?" she prodded, her eyes trained on him. He returned her gaze, and once again, he was struck; light brown with the soft gold flecks. "Lance...are you okay? You look a little pale."
He shook his head and blinked her way. "I'm alright. Just a little tired."
Her brow lifted, and her lips parted with a ready riposte, but she thought better of it and sunk back into her seat. A small part of him wished she'd call him out for lying to her.
"Pidge...we're okay, aren't we?"
"Why wouldn't we be?"
Lance bit back a retort and turned to her with a frown.
"You haven't returned any of my calls."
He watched her gulp as she shakily stood up from her seat.
"Like I told you, I've been busy."
The hushed, annoyed tone in Pidge's voice - entirely too defensive, he had to note - stirred Marzia. But Pidge had stormed off before she could notice.
"Mama...?"
Katie glumly took her seat at her lab and huffed in frustration. There was something about Lance that put her in an odd mood. Never mind if he was just being his usual goofy self or simply just minding his own business, she was always left feeling a little hot under the collar and just...frustrated.
She powered her laptop and resumed the programming she was working on before Hunk's text message to her. It made her pause and consider; did she really seek Lance out in genuine curiosity about the child that looked like her? Or was it something else entirely?
She shook her head to rid her mind of intrusive thoughts and returned to her work. As hard as she tried, she found her mind wandering - briefly thinking of the blue eyes that used to look down at her proudly but now looked at her with a certain wariness that wounded her in such a way that she could feel physical pain in her chest.
"Working hard as usual, sweetheart?"
Her head lifted, and a small smile immediately found its way to her lips for the guest.
"Hey Mom. Just updating some of the Garrison's infrastructure." Her mother bent by her desk, looking over her daughter's shoulder to inspect her work. A warmth bloomed in her heart as her mother praised her tight, concise code and she received a soft, affirming kiss to her cheek for double modulating. Her mother had been the one to teach Katie coding at the tender age of four; she'd learnt from the best.
"Just don't tell your father," she said with a wink. Colleen set a bag on her table, no doubt containing a packed dinner, utensils and a small packet of peanut butter cookies for snacks. She looked apologetically up at her mother, who just brushed back a lock of her hair tenderly with a knowing look in her eyes. "I wish you'd come home for dinner, but I'm just glad you're here at all."
The pain Katie had desperately attempted to shove away re-emerged without her control and her eyes averted before her mother could notice the change in them.
Her mother knew it from her silence.
"Anything you want to talk about, dear?"
"I... I'm just...tired."
"Oh?"
Her mother pulled up a chair next to her and looked at her intently. It was not every day she opened up to her mother, especially since returning, but she was always infinitely patient with her and the thought of that alone made Katie's eyes tear up.
"Oh, Katie."
She let out a sob as warm, familiar arms wrapped themselves around her small form. Her mother murmured comforting noises and gently rocked her in her arms; just as she used to when she was a child. She should feel embarrassed, but right at that instant, she just wanted to be held.
As soon as she'd cried her fill, Katie sighed from the relief it gave her. There was a lingering ache in her chest, but she felt a whole lot lighter. She sniffled and pulled away from her mother, who offered her a napkin to blow her nose on. "It's alright to take a break occasionally, honey."
"No, I need the work. It helps keep my mind busy," she mumbled as she blew her nose.
Her mother nodded in understanding and gently brushed her hair in a way only mothers knew how, that released the tension she felt in her shoulders. She felt a little silly at the moment for crying, but she guessed it was the consequence of bottling it all up the way she did so instinctively - guarding her heart with all her might and hesitating to reach out to people.
"Is it about Lance?" Her voice was carefully soft. Katie's jaw dropped as she stared at her mother in bewilderment.
"H-How?!"
Her mother gave her a small, wiry smile. "What kind of mother would I be if I didn't know my own daughter?" But with a light shrug, she added, "I might have also read your diary. "
"Mother!"
Colleen chuckled at Katie's horrified face and raised her hands in surrender. "I'm sorry dear. I just couldn't help myself. I promise I won't do it again if you promise to come to your old mother for these sorts of things."
A hand rested tenderly on her cheek, "I need to get-to-know my new, grown-up daughter."
Another hour passed, and Lance found himself antsy, but mostly worried. What sort of parent leaves their child around and doesn't go into a frenzied panic? He'd lost his niece for five minutes at the grocery store once and had gone nearly hysterical only to realize she'd gone off to the bathroom on her own for a couple of minutes when he was flirting with the cashier.
"Marzia, your papa is a crazy man," he mumbled, as he watched the little girl run about the room with the small space shuttle figurines Veronica had given her earlier. His sister had been amused at the sight of the girl, noting how much the toddler's dark, curly locks resembled his when he was a small child.
His eyelids began to droop but he slapped himself to keep awake. He couldn't afford to fall asleep when there was a vulnerable child on the loose in a military base. But the lack of sleep from last night and the exhaustion of his earlier argument with Allura was catching up with him.
"Just five minutes," he grumbled to himself, as he succumbed to the seductive pull of sleep and sank lower down the couch.
"Papa?"
Marzia stopped running and turned to the slumped figure of the young man in confusion.
"Finally," a figure mumbled as it emerged from the shadows. A cloaked man, built and not much taller than Lance, knelt as Marzia gasped and immediately ran as fast as her little legs could take her. She threw herself into the man's waiting arms. He chuckled softly as the little girl wrapped her arms around his neck and gave a soft squeal. The deep baritone of his voice made Lance stir from sleep.
"I'm sorry mija. I should've known better than to let you loose in mama's lab." He pulled the little girl up and perched her on his arm. Lance frowned through his sleep-heavy eyes as the man turned away from him.
"Who are you?" he mumbled, as he pulled himself upright and rubbed his eyes.
"I'm Marzia's father. Thank you for taking good care of her." His head bent to press a doting kiss to the top of her dark brown curls. Without turning around, the man thanked him once more and swiftly left the room. A flash of bright blue light filled the room that woke Lance enough to rush out after them, only to find a completely empty hallway.
"Lance. There you are."
He turned to find Allura standing behind him. He felt his heart still, but not in the way it used to. He didn't even feel the usual rush of giddiness of having such a beautiful woman even throw a glance his way.
"Hey, Allura." He greeted her with a kiss to her cheek. She managed a weak smile for him and took his hand.
"You mentioned we needed to talk?"
Somehow, he knew what was in store for them and from the tired look in her eyes, it seemed like she did too.
James was holding her hand again. In public.
Katie told herself that it really shouldn't be that big of a deal to her, but she did not like the looks they were receiving. Most were surprised and others were more ambiguous. As someone who had once experienced the nastier end of comments from strangers, she was not enjoying this one bit.
"Hey, you alright?"
James squeezed her hand in what she supposed was a reassuring fashion. Katie offered a weak smile up at him and reluctantly tilted her head as he bent to kiss the top of her head. At the very least, James had the decency to show public affection in the dark corners of the corridors rather than in full view of her colleagues in the labs.
Oh, that was an excellent exit strategy.
"Hey um, I forgot about a meeting I was supposed to be in. I think it's starting in a few minutes."
Just as she slipped her fingers away from him, his arm came around her shoulders.
"Again? Well, that's a shame. I was hoping to introduce you to the rest of my team. Y'know, as Katie Holt. Not the Green Paladin of Voltron."
She blanched at the thought - not the prospect of meeting new people, interestingly enough - but the fact that someone she knew was likely to be there. She'd managed to worm her way out of going to the pilots' hangar for a good few weeks and even opted for projects that had little to do with space ships just so she could not accidentally run into him. Or James, for the matter.
"I'm really sorry James, we're still on for our date tonight, aren't we?"
James nodded, but his arm was still firm around her as he made the detour. Her heart sunk to her belly; he was walking her to her lab. He was going to see through her lies.
"Of course, I'll pick you up at 7."
Her mind raced as she tried to come up with one more suitable excuse; a lie to cover up her former one. She didn't know how she managed to cope this long.
But it seemed like she didn't have to, for James' interest was piqued by a small figure sitting patiently on her chair.
"...Is that a family member of yours?" he asked, as he looked through the glass window and into the lab. The girl looked eerily like the one that Lance had found about a month ago. Short, dark-haired and brown eyed. Only this time, the girl looked to be a lot older. Perhaps four or five. She seemed content and at peace, blissfully unaware that she was illegally in a Level Five military facility with access restricted to only maybe ten people in total. She was quietly doodling on a small tablet on her lap - the model unrecognizable to Katie. The girl turned to her immediately as soon as Katie passed the biometrics lock on the door.
"Hey there little one."
Katie softened her voice, suddenly feeling out of her element. As the large eyes - ones that were too like hers for comfort - blinked up at her, Katie knelt so the little girl didn't have to look so far up. It was not every day that Katie was taller than someone else; but also, it didn't help that she was feeling a little weak-kneed either. The child smiled wide and raised her arms. James came up behind her and rested a hand on her shoulder. He tilted his head towards the girl.
"She wants you to carry her." There was a hint of amusement in his voice. Katie paled and awkwardly placed her hands underneath her raised arms. She lifted the child, and with James' assistance, successfully balanced the child on her hip.
"I missed you, Mama," the girl mumbled against her coat. James sputtered behind her and Katie felt her cheeks warm in morbid embarrassment.
"Ah...where's your mama, honey?" She reasoned the child was confused, likely clinging to the first female that looked remotely like her mother.
The child pouted and pointed right at her nose; her tiny finger nearly knocking off her glasses. Katie squeaked as she tried balancing the child on her hip and the glasses that threatened to slip down the slope of her nose. James came to her rescue and easily lifted the little girl onto his shoulders. At first, she'd looked apprehensive about being on the tall man's shoulders but enjoyed the new vantage point as any child would. James winced as the girl's small hands gripped his hair and Katie gently rested a hand behind her back.
"Come on, you have to tell us. Your mom is probably looking all over for you."
The girl pointed at her again and she sighed in exasperation. James chuckled and touched her hand. "I think you should go inform Central Control. People keep losing their kids here for some reason. You'd think an inter-galactic war would have made them warier of a facility filled with space ships."
"You're telling me."
"Aw, they look like a happy family!"
Lance watched as Katie looked up at James as he spoke to her. He felt an ugly flare of jealousy in his chest and crossed his arms as the child, now in James' arms, toyed with the badges on his uniform. Hunk nudged him, "Don't you agree, Lance?"
"Yeah. A real happy family," he grumbled, turning on his heel to walk away from the nauseatingly sweet scene through the window.
Katie returned to the room with a juice box and the relic that was Killbot that she'd managed to dig up from her lion. The fact that dust had settled over the well-loved and used device sent a pang through her chest but at least now, Katie had an excuse to bring it out.
But as soon as she entered the lab, she'd found only James, waiting patiently for her as he always did.
"I have to go now, Katie. Rizavi's starting up a drill and she'll have Kinkade taking my spot if I'm late."
"Wait, where's the little girl?"
"Her mother came for her." He brushed a kiss to her forehead. "I think she mentioned something about disturbing time? I don't know, she was in a rush, so I didn't want to hassle her."
"Oh…okay."
"Hey, the kid's safe now. Don't worry about her anymore." He leaned forward and looked into her eyes. She flushed at the proximity, fully aware that he was hoping for a kiss. Graciously enough, James pressed it to the tip of her nose.
"Seven, my little bird. Don't forget again."
"You come up here to rock out?"
Her heart stopped for several seconds as her headphones left the top of her head. She gulped and slowly turned to meet the blue eyes that haunted her daydreams. His voice wasn't nearly as teasing as the first time he'd said those words to her. If anything, they were a tad melancholic. It squeezed her heart in ways she didn't have the words to describe.
"Lance…hey."
It was the weakest her voice has ever been, but there was no denying that she was happy to see him. She shifted aside on the roof, making room for the long-legged paladin next to her. He dangled his legs over the edge of the building and sighed.
"Hey yourself. What are you doing up here again? Looking for alien chatter?"
She tucked a lock of hair behind her ear – a nervous habit that was quickly returning since her hair grew out. Katie gave him a side smile and returned her gaze over to the rocky plains that surrounded the Garrison. The sun was down but it was a while yet before the sun would set. Her colleagues had left early for the weekend and Katie had planned to work on a small side project over the weekend. She was just taking a breather up on the roof before her date that evening.
"What brings you up here?" she asked dimly. She folded her headphones and slipped them into the pocket of her lab coat. His eyes followed her fingers in a way that made her self-conscious.
"Just…wanted to clear my head."
"Something the matter?"
"Allura and I broke up."
"Oh."
Her voice was soft, and she was glad the curiosity in her mind didn't leech to her tone.
"Are you...doing alright?"
"I'll be fine. Allura will be too. I know this may sound hard to believe, but it was mutual thing."
He slumped himself next to her and rested a hand gently on her shoulder. Katie felt his fingers gently tug at her and she gave in, pulling herself closer to him to rest her head on his shoulder. Katie sighed softly and brought her eyes back to the scenery before them. The sun dipped down behind the tall, gleaming buildings of the new Plaht City in the distance; pink-orange hues flooded overhead as dusk quickly settled over the Garrison compound. Above her, Lance took in a deep breath before speaking.
"Do you ever feel like...you've missed something that has been right in front of you?"
Katie bit her lip in thought. "I can't imagine that would be a problem you would have, Sharpshooter."
She couldn't see him roll his eyes.
"I wasn't talking about it literally. I just think...you know what? Never mind."
She frowned and sat herself upright. Katie nudged him, giving him a look that told him that she was going to be there all night till he gave an explanation. Lance only sighed and ran a hand through his hair. She hadn't noticed till then, but he'd stop styling the locks with gel. His hair flopped over his forehead in a way that made him look more relaxed than the juvenile debonair he'd aimed for as a teenager.
He sighed again and turned his blue eyes down to look at her and she felt her heart skip several beats. His thumb brushed over the blush on her cheeks, "When the time is right, and I've cleared my head, I promise I will tell you." His voice was low and his gaze so intense, it sent strange sensations to her belly. She averted her eyes and nervously fidgeted on the spot. She had no idea what he meant, and it was driving her nuts.
"How are you with James?" He prodded her cheek gently, his expression infuriatingly unreadable.
She shrugged and adjusted her glasses. "He's...fine."
"Just fine? You have the most eligible, hotshot pilot on the compound courting you for an entire year and all you can say is that?"
"Wouldn't that be you?" she quipped, smirking as he sputtered. She'd turned her head just in time to see the flush on the tips of his ears.
"But really…I think he and I aren't going to work out. I have a date with him tonight but, I think I might just tell him that I can't be what he needs."
"What do you think he needs?" He tilted his head, suddenly sitting up very straight. He aggressively pushed away the bubbling hope that was aching to spill over his heart.
Katie only shrugged. "I'm not sure, just not me. I don't feel like I can be myself around him. It's not his fault or anything, I'm just…too closed off I guess. I've been…I've been too hung up on someone else."
Lance leaned his head closer in interest from the corner of her eye and every instinct screamed at her to just tell him.
"I think I'm in love with him…but I'm too cowardly to tell him."
He was quiet for a long while before his arm came around her again but this time he pulled her in for a hug. She kept her arms around herself but leaned her head to his shoulder.
"We're not very good at relationships, are we?"
"Nope."
"Who do you like more?"
"I don't know." Her mother raised her eyebrow at that and Katie flushed. "I mean it, Mom! I really don't."
"You and I both know who you like better." The older woman handed her the mug of her tea and curled up next to her on the pillows. It felt like she was five years old again and her mother read to her space-themed stories right before bed.
"You don't have to tell me who it is, just tell me about this boy's good points," her mother took a careful sip of her tea and ran her fingertips over her daughter's brow.
"He's handsome." Collen hummed in agreement at that.
So was Lance.
"He likes me as I am,"
Lance adored her as she was.
"He's caring and protective of me; never lets me walk home alone at night,"
As does Lance.
She shoved the intrusive voice in her head away and focused on James again.
"We…have a lot in common?"
Her mother didn't look convinced at her tone, and she let it show.
"I think you need to give him another chance, sweetheart."
Katie tilted her head, "James?"
Her mother looked genuinely confused but sighed resignedly. "I'm not going to tell you what to do with your life. If you feel like James is the one for you, then so be it." She shifted so Katie could lean her head on her shoulder as she stroked her hair.
"I just hope you find someone that makes you happy and, well, feel adored."
"Does Dad make you feel adored?" she asked as she lifted her head, her features and tone completely deadpan. If her mother considered her a workaholic, she didn't know how she perceived her own husband.
"Of course, he does. You're just not around for it." She winked and laughed indulgently at the mortified expression on her daughter's face.
"So, when are you bringing James home for dinner?"
Pidge was in love with someone.
It had kept him up all week. He'd even gone to the trouble of making a list of all things; crossing out and adding back potential contenders.
Who on Earth – oh goodness, he hadn't even considered if the bloke was even human – was Pidge Holt in love with?
It drove him insane.
There weren't a lot of people Katie and he mutually knew. Besides the individuals they'd met together on Voltron, he hadn't the slightest clue who pre-Kerberos Katie Holt was.
"Maybe you should just ask her?" Hunk had said in exasperation one day. The usually ever-patient boy of their team was at his wits end watching his friend tear his hair out over the constant speculation.
"I can't just ask her! Wait, what are you- HUNK!"
Hunk was already on the phone, speed-dialling his other best friend. The taller boy swatted away his friend's hands as he tried to pry the phone away from his fingers.
"Hey Hunk!"
He ignored the stab in his heart. She'd picked up his call within three rings.
"Hey Pidge, just wanted to check up on ya."
It was almost like listening to another person - the Pidge he knew and missed. She was cheerful, lively and most of all, happy to hear from Hunk.
He paused and stared at his friend.
Hunk? She was in love with Hunk?!
But something told him that could not be true. As Hunk carried an effortless, casual conversation with their team mate, Lance impatiently pressed his ear on the other end of Hunk's phone until he put her on loudspeaker.
"So Pidge…how's it going on the dating end?"
Her giggles mortified him. But the sinking feeling in his belly made him instinctively realize why. He just needed to hear her say it for herself – maybe he was hoping he was wrong – and then, he could finally move on. He could almost hear her shift uncomfortably in her seat when she forced herself to answer.
"I…I decided to give James another chance."
A/N: Please do tell me your thoughts about the story so far ^^