Here We Go Again
Summary: When Pidge makes their duo a trio (though not on the day they met). Also known as when Hunk found out she was a she. Featuring guacamole.
They failed the flight simulation again. The whispers about the trio of cadets that still couldn't complete level one of the practical flight assessment would soon be deafening. Iverson, known for his harsh candor, said his old blind dog would make a better crew than they did. Lance asked if his dog had an eye patch, too. Iverson was not amused, and neither was Lance when he was sentenced to an evening detention.
Hunk was a smart kid. Throughout his childhood and early teens, he was frequently toward the top of the class. His impressive work ethic and stellar grades made him a favorite of his instructors and an envy of his peers. All of that was different at the Garrison. While Hunk excelled at his engineering classes, he was below average in flight simulation. His team was the worst in their entire year of cadets. Though it would have been easier to blame Lance for his reckless piloting, Hunk knew that they all three shared the blame. It was a team dynamics issue. Hunk and Lance got along, and even though he didn't know the new guy Pidge very well, he liked the small computer specialist. The issue was Pidge and Lance together. Hunk wasn't sure what to make of the undersized bundle of aggression known as Pidge Gunderson, even though it had been weeks since they were grouped together. He was intense, private, and walked around with a chip on his shoulder.
And Lance was Lance. He cracked jokes and took risks. To Pidge, he seemed lackadaisical, careless, and irresponsible. When Pidge voiced these opinions (usually after another failed flight simulation), Lance would often laugh off Pidge's criticism, but the smile that didn't quite reach his eyes betrayed his true hurt. Of course, Hunk knew that Lance cared about the Garrison more than anything, expect maybe Lance's family. Hunk saw the awe in Lance's eyes as he gazed up at the night sky, and his diligent pursuit of his Garrison studies. Maybe Lance didn't get the grades that Hunk did. Maybe things didn't come as easily to him as to Pidge. But Lance had dedication. He had drive. It just wasn't so obvious on the surface and it was something that Pidge, for all his brilliance, somehow missed completely.
Pidge broke Hunk out of his musing with a groan, "I can't believe this. It is statistically impossible for us to have failed that many times and yet, here we are!"
"Nothing is impossible for Team Razzle Dazzle!" Lance said, putting his arm around Pidge's shoulders. A grave error. Hunk knew Pidge hated being touched. "We're just warming up. We'll ace it next week for sure."
"You said that last time!" Pidge hurriedly shrugged Lance's arm off his shoulders and turned to face him with fists tightened at his sides and a scowl fixed to his face.
Uh oh. Hunk thought, Here we go again.
"This is all your fault!" Pidge accused, "If you would just take your time and go around the asteroid belt instead of through we would already be on level three by now!"
"But where's the fun in that? Where's the adventure? If we go around, we'll never get the highest score." Lance shot back. His easy grin from earlier was beginning to fade.
"This is exactly what I'm saying. You're selfish. You're arrogant. You are constantly putting your pipe dream of being the best pilot above our team's success. It's just not realistic, Lance."
Oh gosh, people were staring.
"Sure it is! If Takashi Shirogane can do it, so can I!"
At that, Pidge inexplicably deflated. His eyes that were once so expressive with anger suddenly closed off some deeper emotion that hid beneath. Hunk recognized this mechanism. He hadn't quite put his finger on it yet, but sometimes Pidge would just shut down like this. It made Hunk uncomfortable- clearly his teammate was going through something tough. But on the bright side, Pidge had stopped verbally eviscerating Lance and instead had moved along down the hallway, head bowed, small hands still fisted.
"Is it something I said?" Lance wondered.
Hunk just shrugged. He wanted to assure his friend, but the mysteries of Pidge Gunderson eluded him as well.
"Well I guess it's up to us to cheer him up!"
Hunk did not think that was a good idea, "Don't you have detention? Besides, I think Pidge probably wants to be alone."
"Oh yeah." Lance scratched his chin.
They walked in silence for some time. Suddenly Lance exclaimed, startling Hunk, "I've got it! After-curfew team bonding!" Hunk was right to be frightened. This did not sound good to him. "You, me, Pidge. Nothing says cheer like breaking some rules."
"I don't know," Hunk began to protest.
"Oh, come on, Hunk. Pidge is so serious all the time. It'll give him the chance to loosen up." Lance interjected.
"But-"
"So it's decided, I'll catch up with you two once I'm freed from quality time with Iverson." With that, Lance took off.
That is how Hunk found himself wandering down the dormitory hall with his (still) bickering teammates at 1:48 in the morning. He had no idea how Lance managed to finally convince their reclusive teammate to join them on a 'bonding' excursion. All Hunk knew was that he needed to get Lance away from Pidge before someone got hurt. And by someone, he meant Lance. And by hurt, he meant punched in the face by a pintsized genius.
"Pssh. Hunk and I made it there our second week. I say we go to the roof." Lance stated.
Pidge challenged, "What's so great about the roof? What would we even do up there?"
"We could, y'know, stargaze or something." Lance said triumphantly. "Besides, it's not about the destination. Focus on the journey. To get there we have to get past five security cameras and at least ten senior cadets doing rounds!" Here, Lance started to get that look in his eyes that Hunk learned to associate with trouble. Please not the roof, he silently begged.
"Why would I want to do that? I have more important things to do." Typical Pidge. Ever mindful of other's feelings.
"Like what?" Lance was getting louder. Hunk glanced up and down the hallway, hoping no one was around to hear.
"Mind your own business."
"Maybe you should open up more!"
"Maybe I should," Pidge growled. "Punch you in the face!" He was remarkably terrifying for his stature. Before Lance had the chance to exacerbate the developing situation, Hunk decided to interject.
"Okay- that plan has its merits, but how about instead we go down to the kitchen and I'll whip us up a snack." Hunk offered, ever the peacemaker. After about ten minutes and a close call with a patrolling officer, the three passed through the double doors and stepped into the Garrison kitchen. Thankfully, Lance and Pidge had moved on to safer topics of conversation. Hunk gave them about five minutes until he would have to talk Pidge out of killing his roommate.
Hunk checked the pantry. Though usually the same standard cafeteria fare, he had on occasion found some hidden pièce de résistance. He saw some navel oranges. Maybe he could make some orange marmalade to spread on some fresh toast? No, that would take too long. He didn't want to linger in the kitchen and get caught. He continued to peruse the Garrison's food stores when he saw them: fresh avocados. His eyes lit up with glee. They would be feasting on Hunk's mouthwatering guacamole tonight. He grabbed some tomatoes and onions that were also in the pantry and set up Lance with a cutting board and knife to dice and slice the ingredients. Hunk found a can of jalapenos in the fridge. They wouldn't be as good as fresh ones from his garden back home, but they would do.
Pidge was placed in charge of locating cilantro and garlic. There was some banging heard in the distance and then a slightly flustered looking Pidge returned with his prize. Hunk knew better than to comment on the banging, and Lance was too focused on chopping onions, who was fighting valiantly not to let any tears fall due to the poignant vegetable.
Pidge placed the ingredients on the table and asked, "Do we need anything else?"
Hunk relied, "I don't think so. We've got the avocados, tomatoes, onions, and jalapenos."
"What about chips? Or are we just eating the guac with our fingers?"
"Oh yeah," Hunk relied, rubbing the back of his neck, "I guess I forgot about that." Hunk rummaged through the pantry again and found an opened bag of tortilla chips. He tasted one to test for freshness. It wasn't stale.
Pidge had grabbed out a knife and a cutting board and was trying to hack into one of the avocados. Hunk appreciated the show of initiative but did not enjoy the sight of Pidge with a knife. Especially in such proximity to Lance. Before Hunk could make this way to Pidge to take over the avocado wrangling, Lance had begun chuckling.
"They say there's more than one way to skin a cat, but there's only one way to cut an avocado. And what you're doing isn't it." Lance said to Pidge.
"At least my tears aren't falling into the avocados like yours are all over the onions. I for one don't want anything that came out of you in my food." Pidge snarked back.
Lance's defenses rose, "Hey! It's not my fault. It's onions."
Finally Hunk had made it back to Pidge. He said, "Here, let me show you. You want to put the avocado down lengthwise- see, like this. Then cut around the seed. Good. Now you can use both hands- put the knife down first- and twist the two sides apart."
"Oh, I got it." Pidge held up the two halves of avocado high, triumphant. "And by the way Lance, if you chew gum, you won't cry while chopping onions."
"Well that would have been helpful about ten minutes ago." Lance responded.
Pidge shrugged, "Well now you know for next time." He then moved on to halving the next avocado.
Hunk and Lance shared a look, then a grin. Next time, Pidge said. Maybe they would be able to befriend their abrasive teammate after all.
As Pidge finished halving the avocados, Hunk started to mash them in a bowl. He then mixed in the diced tomatoes, onions, cilantro, garlic, and jalapenos.
Soon enough, the trio was standing around the kitchen's counter, munching on chips and Hunk's homemade guacamole. For once, there was quiet among the three. Not the awkward kind where no one knows what to say, but the comfortable kind. The companionable kind. Hunk loved how food could bring people together. Here were three very different people, two of whom seemed to argue without ceasing, enjoying a simple snack together. The only sounds to be heard were the crunching of chips and mummers of appreciation for the delectable green dip. There was no arguing, no hurtful remarks. Just a peaceful quiet wherein lie a bonding atmosphere.
Pidge had a small smear of guacamole on his nose, causing Hunk to take a closer look at the boy's face. Hunk couldn't put his thumb on what precisely made everything in his head click, but the piece of Pidge that didn't make sense suddenly clicked into place. The enigma that was his newest teammate was starting to unravel. It was something in Pidge's expression and the way the genius walked. It was something in his mannerisms and the way he talked.
Pidge was a girl. Of that, he was certain. The engineer couldn't fathom why she was pretending to be a boy or why she kept it a secret, but he knew that Pidge Gunderson was not who he-no, she claimed to be.
Both of his friends seemed oblivious to his internal realization as they sat munching on their chips. Hunk felt like the world should be imploding under the magnitude of his realization. The answer to one question seemed to bring so many more to the surface. The Garrison allowed both boy and girls in, why hide her gender? And was that the only lie? Was Pidge her real name? Hunk certainly never knew any girls by that name but couldn't really think of any boys who go by that name either except the cadet sitting across from him. Hunk glanced at Lance. Did he know about Pidge? Hunk figured he probably didn't, as Lance tended to flirt with every girl in a ten mile radius and never flirted with Pidge. Should he tell Lance?
Hunk tried to sneak another glance at Pidge, only to see that she was staring right at him with a question in her eyes. Hunk realized that his sudden standstill in enjoying their snack did not go without notice.
"Hey, Hunk." Pidge asked, "Is everything okay?"
Hunk was not a good liar, which he liked to think was a good thing. However, right now, he wished more than anything that he could think of some way to convince Pidge that everything was fine. To convince her that he didn't know she was… well, she.
Hunk opened his mouth, but no sound came out. Lance was starting to stare, too. He needed to think of something quick.
"I," Hunk started to say, but was spared from answering by a sudden shout from the kitchen doorway.
"Cadets! You can't be in here!" The voice did not sound happy.
End
Why guacamole? I don't cook too much so I had to chose something simple, familiar, and vey very tasty that I could accurately describe.
Reviews for the poor?