Pidge Gunderson was sitting in a noodle house in Japan. Well it looked like a lot like Japan, but like late 20th century or early 21st century Japan not the Japan that they left back on Earth. They were waiting for the rest of the paladins to join them. They had all gone their separate ways agreeing to meet back here for lunch. They knew Lance and Hunk had practically frog marched Keith to experience "a genuine bath house like in all the animes Keith!" and Shiro had gotten so lost in looking at the architecture that they had finally ditched him for somewhere relatively quiet. The fact that they were sitting alone at the only unoccupied table in the bustling noodle shop and finding it relatively peaceful said so much about what they had been through lately.

"Excuse me," a voice suddenly broke into Pidge's awareness, "Do you mind if I sit here while I wait for … someone to figure out that I'm even missing?" the young person asked.

"Be my guest," Pidge replied. "I'm just waiting for my friends, too."

Pidge would be the first to admit that they didn't really care for small talk, but they were always curious about the planets they visited and this one was fascinating, being so earth-like and all.

"So, who are you waiting for?" Pidge finally decided to ask.

"Oh some annoying guys from my school."

That was the not what they expected to hear.

"They're really good guys at heart, but you have to get to know them and see them for who they are, not the show they always put on." The unknown person smiled and added, "You know what I mean?"

Pidge nodded. "Yeah one of the friends I'm waiting for was a lot like that." They stopped to think. "Actually, I think there's at least two of them that are like that...really Hunk is the only one that is truly who he is all the time."

"You have a friend named Hunk?" was the astonished reply.

"Yes?"

"Is he cute?" At the blank look on Pidge's face they clarified, "You know..." they snickered, "hunky?"

Pidge processed this for a minute before quietly chuckling. "Well, he is handsome, but not traditionally? He's tall and strong, smart, too, but he's also…" 'How to describe him to this stranger?' "I guess you could say he's quiet, looks soft, and he has a kind heart, but you could never find a better friend and he is a mama bear when his friends are being threatened."

"Oh that sounds a lot like Mori...or maybe Honey," the other person said thoughtfully.

"I'm sorry," Pidge said with a little snark in their voice, "You have a friend named Honey and you were questioning my friend Hunk?"

The stranger just laughed. "I guess you're right," there was another chuckle, "Both our friends live up to their names. Honey is absolutely the sweetest boy you'll ever meet...unless you interrupt his nap," they shuddered.

"Oh? Does he throw a fit when his beauty sleep is interrupted?" Pidge asked. "Lance is a lot like that."

"Oh, Honey doesn't need beauty sleep, but he does need his nap."

There was a pause as they both looked to see who was coming through the door. Neither one seemed to recognize the woman.

"So, what is your friend Lance like?"

"Well, he's...highly enthusiastic about certain things, but mostly about Lance."

"That's Tamaki, alright," was a quiet mutter.

"And he has a talent for getting into situations that only he could possibly get into, but that the rest of us then have to work to get him out of," Pidge said.

"That is totally Tamaki!" Pidge's neighbor proclaimed.

"So, do you have anyone else you're waiting for?" Pidge asked. "I have a feeling we have a lot more in common."

The person sitting across from Pidge grinned. "Well there's Kyoya. He's really the one in charge, though it's Tamaki that is supposed to be the leader of our group."

"Is he the silent, keep his cool under any situation type?"

The surprised look on their face told Pidge she'd guessed correctly.

"How did you know?"

"We have one of those, too" they answered. "It wouldn't surprise me if Shiro and Kyoya ended up swapping Lance-Tamaki wrangling tips." Pidge suddenly leaned forward. "So who's your cool, secret imp guy?"

"Uh, well, we actually have two that are more like mischievous devils than cool guys. They're twin brothers Hikaru and Kaoru." They looked back at Pidge. "You?"

"That would be Keith, but he's more cool and less practical joker."

The two sat in silence for a moment. Suddenly there was a disturbance near the door.

"Move out of the way, peasant!" a voice Pidge recognized immediately.

"Lance, you can't go around calling people peasants just because you found that money on the street!"

"Excuse me, but I don't think you realize you're talking to members of the Suoh and Ootori clans," a calm voice said.

"And why would that mean anything to me?"

"Lance!"

"It would mean that you are insulting the people that basically own not just this town but the entire country," a childlike voice replied.

"Well I'm a paladin of…" there was the sound of a hand clamping itself across a face.

"We're so sorry for our friend's rudeness," Pidge heard Hunk saying. "Please forgive his impulsive behavior."

"And his stupidity," the testy voice of Keith chimed in.

There was a breath before another voice said, "What's going on here? Hunk why are you…" There was a sigh. "What did Lance do now?"

Eventually things were smoothed over and both parties made their way to the table where Pidge and the stranger sat. Since no other tables had become available they all sat together, being in awe when Pidge and the stranger started addressing members of the other party by their names before being introduced.

After lunch had been eaten and paid for, mostly by Lance, but before they parted ways Pidge slipped a small communicator into her new friend's hand.

"You know, you're not the only one in this kind of a situation," Pidge said quietly. "I don't know how long we'll be here, but if, you know, you ever need to talk to someone that'll understand what you're going through just give me a call, or send a message in any case."

There was a moment while the device was looked over. Pidge showed the new owner how it worked and they sent an experimental text back and forth.

"Thanks Pidge," there was a smile. "I'll certainly be giving you a call."

Pidge stood as the paladins got ready to return back to the castle. "I hope you do, Haruhi. After all," they flashed a grin, "We girls have to stick together!"