Reading Between The Signs

The battered softcover was a midnight blue speckled with a spattering of sparkling stars. The title a single word in bold white font; Astrology. Spiralling from this title, golden symbols that Pidge assumed were star signs, albeit very simplified versions of them. The blurb on the back, she didn't even bother to read, just rolling her eyes at the black and white photo of the grinning self proclaimed expert on the back. The Green Paladin gave the book a look of burning disgust she usually reserved for stripped screws and bigots. Her eyes came to rest on her friend, his eyes darting over the pages as he absent-mindedly spooned quivering green food-goo into his cavernous open mouth. Mid chew and as he nodded thoughtfully along to the latest page, his gaze met hers. The smile spread from his eyes to his lips in an instant, even as Pidge continued to glare at his reading material with contempt.

"Hey!" Lance's greeting was simple but laced with an unmistakable happiness, "Look what I found at the Earth Store!"

"Yeah." Pidge unenthusiastically returned, "I see it." She pumped herself a bowl of food goo before sitting herself opposite Lance at the mess hall table. "Please tell me that you at least didn't waste too much GAC on that? It's probably only worth the paper it's printed on. Maybe not even that."

"Nah, we're like Jiren's best customers! He gave me a pretty good deal on it, practically paid me to take it off his hands." He gobbled down another spoonful of the quivering nutrient jelly. "Besides, I thought you'd be happy to see me reading something a little more scientific?"

"Scientific!?" She caught his smirk too late and sighed, "Har." She said. Adding with yet more sarcasm, "Har..."

Lance chuckled, "Looks like I got your goat, Aries."

Pidge set her goo-spoon into the bowl, "First off Lance, we're probably Jiren's only customers. I doubt anyone else out here has even heard of Earth and has the free time to go shopping. Where do you even find the time?"

"I'm a very productive procrastinator." Lance smiled, "They've been telling me that since the first grade."

"You don't say." Pidge chanced another gasp of food goo, "Secondly, the reason he wanted to get rid of it at any price is because it's completely worthless! That book is nothing but a load of nonsense. Just think about it for a second. Billions of people born in the same space of days over the course of human history and in multiple different societies. All of them with unique upbringings. Unique lives. Unique genetics. In unique cultures and with unique experiences. Yet, apparently according to astrology, they all share nearly identical traits because the planets magically made them so. How can anyone take that seriously? I mean, we're here at the other end of the universe and you think the planets surrounding our single star light centuries away have some mystical effect on our lives or the lives of the species around us? That's insane Lance. In. Sane."

Lance shrugged, "Just keeping an open mind, Pidgey Pie. Not saying I believe it, but... I am pretty Leo. And you're very Aries."

"Call me Pidgey Pie again, we'll have problems." She warned, "As for you thinking we're similar to the descriptions, well, that's because they're worded vaguely enough that you can concentrate on whatever you like and discard or ignore what you dislike. It's not that I'm an Aries and you're a Leo, you're just projecting qualities you already have onto the ones that match and ignoring the ones that either don't match or that you don't like."

"Blah blah, crazy words, blah. Maybe it's just a bit of fun, you ever think of that, Pidgey Pie?" Lance whined, "No need to science away the magic is there? No wonder you hate sunsets."

"Final warning on the name, Lance. And I never said I hate sunsets. In fact on reflection, I can see precisely why they'd be considered at the very least aesthetically pleasing. But still, factually speaking they aren't as remarkable or unique as you seem to think they are." She paused, "You even still listening?"

"Oh, totally listening." Lance grinned smugly, "What you're saying is that I was right. That sunsets are beautiful. But, you still have to hide that fact behind big words you assume I don't know. Because, you always need to be technically correct, even when you're wrong." He slurped at his less cohesive food goo. "Am I about right?"

Flustered, seething and loathing that Lance wasn't entirely wrong, Pidge grumpily turned away from his infuriating smile.

"Alright, take a listen to these. If you can honestly tell me that when you hear these Leo Traits, they don't scream me? Well, frankly I'll assume you're lying." He cleared his throat, "Leo is driven by their dramatic flair, flam-bo-whaty-cy?

"I'm guessing flamboyancy?"

"Oh yeah, I am a pretty good swimmer." Lance nodded and Pidge smirked, "Flamboyancy and self-expression. They're bold, theatrical..." He paused, scanning ahead.

"Lance, are you missing something out?" Pidge teased, "Something you don't like?" Well, imagine that!"

"It just says here that I can overly dramatic. No way that's true..."

"Really?" Pidge scoffed, "You thought you'd just leave the team because you felt like you didn't have a niche." She reminded him, "Seems pretty overly dramatic to me."

Lance raised a hand to correct her, "Well... I... Ok, fine, That's...not entirely unfair... But how would you feel if the only niche that some people think you fill is team goofball?"

"Oh look." Pidge grumbled, "You're being overly dramatic again. I did not mean goofball as an insult. How many times do I need to explain this, Lance?"

"Maybe until that makes sense." Lance said firmly, "Of course it's an insult."

"No. I was trying to say you're the one who keeps our spirits up." She shook her head, "Look, I know it's in the past now. But before I found Matt and my Dad, when I was still trying to find the truth behind Kerberos, planning to sneak my way into the Garrison. I wasn't exactly, happy about that whole situation, you know?"

"Sure, that sucked..." Lance frowned, "And I'm glad you're in a better place. But, what's that got to do with me being a goofball?"

"Everything." She let a sigh of frustration escape, "Somehow, even in the middle of all that, I was going through wozblay at the time. And still, somehow you managed to make me crack a few smiles." She searched his expression, looking for some small confirmation of understanding, "You don't exactly pull the Space Dad thing like Shiro, but you find ways to keep us all on track, upbeat, happy. Even at our lowest, you're there to support us. It's just that mostly you do that through jokes. Hence, goofball."

"I..." He smiled gently, "I think I kinda get it now. Sorry, maybe I was being overly dramatic..."

"Well, I'm glad you finally get it!" Pidge returned his smile more from relief than anything, "And yeah..." She added teasingly, "You were being so overly dramatic about it. Goofball."

Lance snickered, "So. That means you're agreeing that my star sign makes sense! Ha!"

Pidge fixed him in a death glare, "I hate you so much."

"No you don't." Even if his gaze hadn't smouldered quite so much, she would still have agreed, "I'm light-hearted and I'm fun-loving and you can't resist my upbeat personality keeping you going through the hard times. You said so yourself."

Pidge yanked the book from his grasp, scanning the part he was reading rapidly before placing it between them, "Huh. Says here you're also arrogant and egomaniacal. Shouldn't leave those two out."

"Yeah, right, I'm not either of those things. Am I?" Lance paused, searching Pidge's smirk. "Am I?" He pleaded softly.

"No Lance, you're perfectly flawless." Pidge laughed even as she said it.

"If I agree with you, I'm only going to prove the arrogance and egomania!" Lance pouted, "Smart ass."

Pidge just nodded with a satisfied grin as she chewed more food goo. She looked to the description and swallowed, "Actually, this one you could learn from." She read aloud, "A Leo can upstage others, forgetting that each and every person is a valuable member to a team. See? It's about knowing your value to the team and not being a show off."

"So you are coming around to the idea of me being Leo?" Lance nodded, "Must be my flair for powerful leadership getting the better of you. Convincing you that I'm right again." He smirked cheekily.

"Even a broken clock is right twice a day." Pidge reminded him, "Same with this dumb book. Among all the nonsense, there's got to be a few useful things you can apply, just because it's all just vague enough."

"Well then..." Lance pointed to a sentence, "Explain this."

"Well, it's true that you just love to be the centre of attention, but I don't see the point you're making."

"What?!" Lance defensively reacted, "No! Above it! Everyone knows I'm a hopeless romantic!"

"Being hopeless with romance and being a hopeless romantic isn't the same thing." Pidge smiled at her own wit even as Lance's jaw hung slack.

"Well, now you're just being rude." He huffed, hiding his amused smile. "Everyone knows I'm suave as they come!"

"Suave without any ability to suaviate seems a bit generous." Pidge countered.

"Pidge, are you making up words again...?"

"Suaviate's an archaic - " She paused thoughtfully, "An older word for kissing. That's where suave comes from. Somebody with the ability to charm a kiss out of someone. I'm yet to see you pull that off."

"I've kissed and been kissed plenty of times!" Lance prodded at the pages, trying to change the topic before Pidge probed deeper into his little fib. "See this? My charisma is irresistible."

"So this book says." Pidge rolled her eyes, "Yet, here I am, resisting it."

"So there's something to resist?" Lance raised his eyebrows playfully, fluttered his eyelashes, "I haven't even pulled out the A Game Material yet and you already feel like you're resisting something...?"

"The urge to throw up." Pidge nodded, "It'd be a waste of food goo if I let that happen." She looked away from his hurt little puppy eyes, "Obnoxious." She read, "Greedy. Sloppy. Cold-hearted. Jealous. Aggressive. Vain."

Lance's expression subtly shifted from slight hurt to genuine pain. "You don't really think that I'm all of those things, do you?"

Pidge sighed, "No Lance. Not all of them. You can be a little obnoxious, a little vain and often a little jealous. Say if anyone even breathes near Allura." She sets aside a small grumble of her own unexpected jealousy with a frown. "But Greedy, Aggressive, Cold-Hearted, Sloppy? No Lance. Not even a little. Ok?" She hardened her expression again, "Besides, look here. Greedy here, generous here. Cold-hearted here, yet kind, loyal, protective and courageous here. The description contradicts itself! This is my point. All the bits you like, you focus on. The bits you dislike, you ignore."

"Well, maybe..." Lance agreed, "But there's more than a few similarities. Besides..." He flipped a few pages back, took the book in his hands. "Have a listen to Aries. It's so you."

Pidge felt like smashing her head to the table with how he failed yet again to grasp her point.

"Fearless, outspoken, dynamic, spontaneous, fiercely individual, a strong personality and self assured." Lance nodded along with every word, "Extremely generous, they can sweep in heroically and champion their loved ones. Matt and your Dad would agree with that. Aries loves anything new – in your case, technology. I think it's nailed you honestly."

Pidge found herself pausing as she examined the positive qualities Lance had just listed as matters of fact. She searched his eyes for a hint of mockery, some missed barb or slight he was waiting to pounce on her. "You're not kidding are you? You really see me that way? I'm... Honestly, I'm a little overwhelmed."

"Yeah, well it's also got your bad parts too. A little bit brooding? Maybe back in the day, but you came around. Stubborn, sure and always needing to be number one – at least in a debate. Frustrating. Maybe, but only because you can be stubborn. Competitive and love a challenge, yeah. But how's that bad? Often better at starting than finishing. How many projects you got on the go right now...? Aries become angry and anxious when they suppress their emotions, but then doesn't everyone? Honestly though..." He reflected, "All that just sounds like the positive things at the other extreme, right?"

"I...guess so..." She smiled softly at the barrage of kindness. He could be so sweet when he wanted to be. Holding her fast in his gentle gaze, the hint of a smile always at the edges of his lips. Pidge felt her heart warm in her chest.

"This is interesting though. Many Aries secretly like to be babied, coddled and even financially supported. How true is that for you, widde Pidgey widgey? You looking for a sugar daddy to pay for your science projects...?"

Had to go and ruin it, she frowned. "I'm looking for something solid to hit you with, you jerk."

"Your warmth..." Lance paused, "When you let it show that is. And your courage are endearing. And this part? It's like it was written for you specifically! Your boyish slash girlish charms are irresistible! And I don't even mind admitting it."

"Don't say stuff like that, Lance."

"You mean, not unless I really mean it?"

"Especially don't say it if you mean it."

"You know, this gives me an idea..." Lance mused, staring into the distance.

"Did it hurt?"

"We should see about our little Pidge's love compatibility."

"Why the quiznak would we do that?"

"So I can watch you squirm."

"I don't squirm. Hand it over." Pidge snatched, "I can do it myself and take it apart. Right... So..." She thumbed the pages, "Capricorn... Capricron... Hunk..." She scanned the little boxed away paragraph that dealt with the cohesion of their two signs, "Apparently Hunk and I would clash a lot. Except if we didn't and then we'd be great. Really great, supposedly."

Lance smiled as best he could against the unwelcome sinking feeling, "Well at least I know that Hunk's the nicest guy I ever met. If you two hooked up, I know that he'd always treat you right. Two of you together, you're both so smart that you'd probably change the world. Maybe the whole universe..."

"You're completely missing the point, Lance. Look at what it's actually saying. Either we'd work or we wouldn't. It's an utterly non-commital non-statement." Though, picking up on the merest hint of sadness to his tone was a little unexpected. She decided to press the issue, if only out of curiosity, "Why do you even care if he'd treat me right?"

"Don't be dumb Pidge, of course I care about your happiness with your future husband."

"Hunk's my buddy Lance." She rolled her eyes, "Besides, did you forget about Shay? Hunk's distant little rock-cake?"

"Oh yeah. That's tricky. Maybe you two can share him?"

"Polyamory seems way too complicated. One partner sounds complicated and stressful enough. But two or more, you'd start needing colour coded schedules. Can't see any of the three of us going for that."

"Well, no shock here." Lance tapped on the Pisces compatibility, having read a little ahead, "Shiro reads like a teacher. You're not exactly compatible."

"No offence to Shiro, but that'd be like dating my Dad."

Lance nodded, "But don't Aries want to be coddled? I bet he'd treat you like his little princess."

"Drawing a line under that one." Pidge's tone was firm and not to be questioned, "Now Scorpio on the other hand... Kinda sounds like Keith and I would be good for each other."

"What!?" Lance cries out manically, "You and mullet ninja!? No way, just no way does that make sense!"

"Soul mates, apparently." Pidge smirked at his over-reaction.

"Soul mates...? You and Keith...? Damn..."

"Why Lance, you almost sound jealous..."

"That's kinda how the whole rivalry thing works!" He scowled, "Except usually, the underdog wins sometimes."

"Wins?" Pidge smirked, "So if Keith and I got together you'd call that...a loss...?" Lance fell silent in her probing gaze. "Well, good news then. On the flip side we could also completely hate each other." She shrugged, "Scorpio and Aries results either in a relationship of absolute love or utter hatred. That makes total sense, right? Do you see what I mean now, Lance? This stuff is nonsense! Though..." She teasingly smiled, "I did like your jealous reaction."

"Well if you liked my so-called jealous reaction so much then...what about Aries and Leo?" He smiled, seeing a chance to turn the tide of this little battle of wits, "Maybe you're just hoping it's jealousy? Maybe deep down, this little lamb wants to lie down with the big strong lion?"

"Lance, you're a kitten, not a lion."

"Kittens are cute. I'll take cute."

"Besides..." Pidge ignored his nonsense, "It really doesn't matter what the books says. By now, surely even you can see it'll just be the usual thing, either you two will be great or you won't be. Way to state the obvious."

"If that's all it's going to say, then how about you just humour me?"

"Constantly." Pidge scanned the info, Lance none too casually looking for any reaction from her.

"Large egos clash." Lance read. "Maybe your large ego..."

"Impatient..." Pidge sighed, "Proud Leo needs his ego stroked constantly."

"Awww, well sweet little Aries gets annoyed by my flirtatious nature does she?"

"Anyone would." Pidge deflected. Stupid book wasn't wrong, "But me looking to you as a guide? Yeah, right."

"Oh look, Aries will hurt Leo's feeling's by making a careless comment as usual." Lance pouted.

"Leo will just keep being a sulky overly dramatic baby over nothing."

"Leo would assume that Aries would understand since Aries was bullied at school too." Lance paused, "Sorry. I know you don't like to think of that stuff, it's just... Y'know, never mind..."

Pidge glared at him, then her expression softened. "You've got a point, Leo." She points to a passage and smiles, "Look though; Our differences in opinion never last long..." She reads tenderly to him. "Isn't that right?"

"Guess so..." Lance agreed, "And this is true too. Aries...helps me believe in myself."

"Leo keeps me focused. Which is weird, because he can be so distracting."

"We're both loyal." Lance smiled warmly, "And, we both care deeply about each other. Least, I think we do."

"You'd be right...they...we...respect and..." She paused on the next phrase.

"Admire each other." Lance finished the sentence, "I admire how smart, brave and confident you are..."

"Guess you've got a few admirable qualities yourself. Kindness, compassion...to name just two..."

"I think this is true too. We understand each other on a deeper level than either of us realise..."

"...and we can let our guard down with each other..."

"...we're like coming home to each other..." Lance laughed softly, "Game nights do kinda feel like being back on Earth."

"Sure, they kinda do don't they?" They pause on the last section before Pidge nervously reads, "We're...They're...like a lover and a best friend all at once..."

Lance smiles shyly to Pidge, "You know...I really like the sound of all of that..." He admits with a blush, "Every word of it..."

Pidge gathered her senses again, "It's just vague enough and sounds just appealing enough to get under your skin."

"So you think it's appealing too?" Lance didn't wait for an answer. "I hoped you would..." He pulled a single Galra coin from his pocket, worth about one fraction of a credit unit. On one side, gibberish and runes he couldn't begin to read and on the other, the profile of Former Emperor Zarkon. "Heads..." Lance calls as the coin tumbles upward, "...and I just go back to my room with this dumb book." He catches the coin, slapping it to the back of his palm. "Tails? I stay right here and you and me? We kiss."

"You don't get to just decide that!" A heavily blushing Pidge complained. "Especially not on the flip of a quiznaking coin!"

Lance smiled, "Coin flip doesn't mean a thing. Really, the way you feel about the result matters most. I don't think we flip coins to make the decision for us. I think we flip them to see if we like the result. What do we do if we don't like the result? We just say screw the coin! We'll do whatever we really want to do."

Pidge nodded, "Sure...that makes sense..." She was sure there was a proper term for it, but all her head could think about right now was his glowing beautiful smile and that word, that threat, that promise, hinging on a stupid coin.

"Same thing with all this..." Lance nodded toward the book, "I'm pretty sure you already said the same earlier actually. Just wordier. All of this is either well worded nonsense or it's what the magical stars say is true. But either way, if we don't like what we hear then we just throw it aside. And if we like what we hear. We go for it. Same deal as the coin." He drew closer, shoving aside the food goo bowls, the spoons and book into a messy pile as he leaned over the table, "And like I said before, I liked the sound of what I was hearing. I liked it a lot..."

"There must be something fundamentally wrong with reality right now, Lance. For one, you are making far too much sense. And for two." She looked to Lance's hands, clasped about the coin. She could feel her heart racing, her breath growing more shallow and rapid. Two outcomes and only one of them she wanted.

"For two...?" Lance ventured cautiously, all whilst hoping, desperately hoping. He drew nearer still.

"Screw the quiznaking coin." With less than an instant to give in to her doubt, she batted his hands aside. Knocking the Galra credit token tumbling to the ground. Even as it bounced and clattered, her arms had wrapped about his shoulders, his about her waist. As it slowed and rolled, eyes closed and their lips met for the first time, pressing gently together. As it came to rest, the moment had gripped them both tightly. It and all the rest of the world was forgotten. Their embrace mingled, their kiss deepened and from then on their passions would burn as one.