The hospital wing of Galaxy garrison had been quiet for couple hours when Pidge rolled over, sleep still alluding her. It wasn't the pain of her injuries or left over excitement from the recent battles for earth. Rather an odd sort of anxiety had gripped her, and was keeping her from resting properly. Reaching over she accessed the Garrison's internal communication system.
"Hunk?" She called out, knowing the intercom beside his bed was no transmitting. "Hunk, you awake?" She heard no response, and listening close to the open line she didn't hear the heavy breathing she knew would accompany him being asleep. A spike of worry stabbed through her, so she clicked through the other rooms she knew her fellow paladins to be residing in. From each of them came snoring, breathing and lance speaking as if accepting some imaginary medal in his sleep. Without waking any of them she closed the comms and swung her legs from the bed, and slipped them into the thin hospital issue slippers on the floor.
The hallway outside was completely deserted, lit only by dim emergency lighting to conserve power during the night; This was in stark contrast to how crowded they had been only hours before with family, friends, well wishers and even government officials from around the world. Now the celebrations were done, for the time being at least and if she was being honest Pidge liked it better that way. It wasn't that she didn't like the people or even the attention, but walking down these quiet darkened halls reminded her simpler times. Sneaking around while searching for Matt and her father, her biggest concern being someone finding out who she really was. From her perspective it had only been a couple of years, but it seemed not only longer ago but also very far away.
It didn't take much to guess where Hunk was likely to be, and the galley was only a short walk, during which the diminutive Paladin didn't encounter anyone else. Sure enough the lights inside the galley were all lit and low murmuring could be heard inside. Hunk lifted his head from a low cabinet when he heard her make her way in and smiled tiredly.
"Couldn't sleep either huh?" He asked, pushing himself up from his knees.
"Nope" Pidge answered cheerfully and hoisted herself up onto one of the counters to be closer to eye level with him. "So. . .What are you making?" Looking around she found eggs, milk, cheese, clotted cream, oysters, potato chips, eggplant, chilli peppers, water chestnuts, squid ink, and celery tossed haphazardly about on the various work surfaces along with numerous utensils, bowls, pots and pans. Hunk sighed and leaned up against the counter on which she sat.
"To be honest, I have no idea. I got up thinking I would make myself something then when I got here I found out, I'm not really sure to do with all this. I mean there's no Altean spices, Balmeran rock salt, heck I'd even take some food goo at this point, earth food just seems. . .weird now, that's crazy right?" Pidge nodded, and laughed lightly at his half mocking frustration.
"Yeah, but we've been through some crazy stuff so it's understandable." He nodded gratefully to her and leaned back a bit more so that his head rested on one of the higher cabinets. "At least it won't be too bad for you, it won't be long before more alien food options get brought in, and it looks like we'll be staying on earth a while so you'll have plenty of time figure out how they work together." She looked down, legs kicking slowly, one hand picking absently at the bandage on her face.
"Yeah I guess." Hunk agreed, then turned to look more closely at her. "What do you mean for me?" Pidge turned back to look at him curiously. "You said it wouldn't be so bad for me, does that mean you think it's gonna be worse for someone else?" She looked away again, thinking on the feelings that had kept her awake, that had made her long for the days when she was pretending to be a cadet.
"I guess, it kinda feels like. . .it's over for me." She shrugged and Hunk scratched his chin in confusion.
"Well yeah isn't it? I mean we're home, we beat Lotor, and Sendak, heck we're even back with our families. I mean I guess there's still more to do, rebuilding earth, the rebellion, findng out what the deal with that weird Robeast that kicked our butts is. So wait why do you feel like it's over for us?" Pidge shook her head and looked back to him.
"Not us. Me." She crossed her arms over her stomach and looked forward at nothing in particular on the opposite wall. "This whole time I was always looking for something, Matt, my dad, a way back home. Now here I am, Matt, my dad, my mom we're all together again, on top of that I've been out into the universe seen and learned more stuff then I ever could have before I have everything I ever wanted. When I think about going forward, being the green paladin, fighting risking my life I end wondering "For how long?" When do I get to come back and enjoy all that stuff I went looking for, couldn't I. . .what if someone else came along and bonded to Green? I mean Allura, Keith, and Lance have all changed lions, it can't be impossible to find someone else, and I could do so much good right here, with dad helping sure up earth's defenses now that we have plenty of crystals to work with. " She curled up on herself now, head pressed between her knees. "Then I think how cowardly, how selfish those thoughts are and can't believe I'm having them." Tears welled up unbidden at the corners of her eyes, and she felt a heavy arm wrapping around her shoulders, pulling her in close. She didn't uncoil herself as she listened.
"There's nothing selfish or cowardly about wanting to spend time with the people you love, especially if you've been separated or fought as hard for them as you have, and if we could find someone else to take your place, not replace you but someone who could pilot green, none of us would think any less of you for making the choice to leave." Something broke and a huge weight fell away from her as she slowly let her arms move up to wrap around his neck hugging closer. "I would miss you like crazy of course, I mean who else am I gonna argue over modulations with." She laughed and shifted her arms down, not quite able to wrap around his waist she leaned her cheek against his chest.
"It's not just feeling selfish or afraid though, it's also. . .it's like I'm choosing one family over another. You guys mean as much to me as Dad or Matt or Mom do, and leaving you would be just as hard as leaving them, and I can't help shaking the feeling I'm going to have to. It's really unfair." She sighed resignedly, listening to Hunk's heartbeat, which she noticed seemed to thumping away at what was definitely an elevated rate. Looking up she noticed his face was flushed and his arms had fallen to his sides. "Are you. . .feeling okay?"
"What?! Yeah!" Hunk said jumping back as if startled, nearly sending Pidge hurtling to the floor. Arms windmilling rapidly she was able to right herself. "Why, what would make you think everything isn't perfect, everything is A-ok here." He babbled, even throwing in an ill advised finger gun, regret immediately washing over his face.
"Well it's just your heart rate increased, you're flushed, you're rambling on like Lance talk. . ." She stopped mid sentence eyes going wide as Hunk's darted around for something else to look at. Pidge's lips curled into a playfully evil grin. "You like me!" Hunk jumped back again, arms held up in front of himself defensively, waving them wildly enough to knock a carton of eggs onto the floor.
"No, no it's just we hadn't ever really hugged like that before, and it's been a very stressful time, and. . ." He was cut off as Pidge stretched herself out onto the counter, one leg bent, head propped up by one arm, voice mockingly husky as she spoke.
"There's no need to be coy anymore Hunk." Then winked and blew a silly little kiss towards him. Hunk stopped his frantic defense and looked at her a moment, then his face hardened.
"I should get to bed." He said coldly and hurried past where she was reclined and back out into the hall. Startled Pidge slid from the counter as quickly as she could and went after him. Short as her legs were it didn't take much for her to catch up and grip his arm.
"Wait hold on." When she turned him around there were tears in his eyes, which he quickly brushed away on the sleeve of his uniform. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you feel so weird, I know it's not like that, I was just teasing, I should. . ."
"But like. . .what if it is like that?" He looked over her head, and spoke quickly as if afraid he wouldn't get it out at all if not all at once. "What if it is like that, and I do think you're super cool, and smart, and like the most capable person I know, and not that it matters as much as the other stuff, but that I think you're really pretty too." The sudden tidal wave of words staggered pidge enough that she let go of hunk's arm. She looked up as if seeing a stranger, or some odd alien animal for the first time, looking at what hunk was instead of who he was. Who he was of course was the sweetest person she knew, clever, and humble nearly to a fault. What he was though was a boy, or a man, or whatever level of maturity being a defender of the universe brought people to, with wants, and desires of his own, and if she was being honest with herself one who was actually kind of cute.
"If it is like that. . .it could get really complicated, and really. . .interesting." She smiled and was alarmed to find heat rushing to her own cheeks. A stunned hopeful look seemed to be slapped onto Hunk's face and he looked down to meet her eyes. The corridor was dark, and quiet and deserted except for the two of them when Pidge lifted her hands up to cup his face. He leaned in, lowering himself as she raised up onto her toes, both utterly surprised to find their lips coming together so naturally in the light from earth's moon streaming in from the windows.