A/N: Happy birthday to the special boy! It was still January 13 here, just barely, when I posted this on AO3. I wanted to write something short but I wrote something long instead. This is normal now.

I listened to the Moana soundtrack on loop while I wrote this. To me it speaks of sunlight and water and home and family and magic, and that is Hunk and Lance to me.

This fic happens at some point in the Boom Crash series, but it stands alone just fine.

Hunk loved birthdays. Other people's, anyway. He loved asking what their favorite dishes were, especially favorite kind of cake, and doing his best to supply them. He loved standing in a circle with his family or his team or his class, singing loudly to celebrate the special day. He loved the way the birthday person's face would light up, the way they basked in the attention, the way they smiled when they bit into the treats Hunk had made for them.

He was not as much of a fan of his own birthday. It was just...a little awkward. He liked being shown that he was loved and appreciated, but having everyone's attention focused on him at once was overwhelming. He never knew where to look when everyone was singing to him, so he ended up blushing and staring at the table or the floor. Parties were fun, but he could only stand them for a couple of hours before he wanted to retreat to his room. He usually ended his birthday exhausted and wrung out, and feeling bad for feeling that way, since everyone had put so much time and effort into making sure he had a good time.

Presents were another minefield. It took him a long time to figure out what to say when people asked him what he wanted, so a lot of times he shrugged. "Just...anything," he would say softly. "I'd be happy with anything." So it was his own fault, then, when his cousin gave him a chemistry set he already owned, or his grandma got him itchy socks, or his classmates gave him candy he didn't like. (Everyone assumed that Hunk liked anything sweet, because he was a big guy, so he had to, right? But Hunk had standards. He still ate it though.) It was the thought that counted, sure, but it would be nice if he could enjoy his gifts for their physical attributes a little more.

So it was kind of a relief to be out here in space, where no one was likely to know or remember. Okay, Lance knew the day, and he had asked Hunk to fix him up with the current Earth date on the clock Hunk made for him, so Hunk had figured out a conversion method. But after the whole thing with Lance missing his big sister's wedding and how depressed he'd had been, Hunk figured he wasn't using the clock anymore. And that was fine. Hunk didn't want to celebrate his birthday. They were too busy fighting an evil empire for such frivolity.

But then came a day when Lance kept giving him significant looks over their goo breakfast, and Hunk realized that this was it. Lance was definitely still using the clock, and he knew it was Hunk's birthday. Hunk gave him a bit of a glare when he realized, and Lance looked away. Hunk kept his lips shut, refusing to tell anyone else. He was grateful that Lance didn't bring it up himself. It didn't matter. He didn't care.

After breakfast that day, though, Lance caught him in the hall. "Hey." He took Hunk's wrist, looked around to make sure no one was watching, and pulled him into a sheltered alcove.

Hunk tensed up, ready to argue with Lance about telling the others. Lance loved birthdays, too, including his own and Hunk's. He would want to celebrate, even if Hunk didn't want to. He would give him that disappointed look when Hunk disagreed, and Hunk hated that look, especially on Lance.

But Lance gave him a little smile, then dug in the pocket of his jacket and dug something out. "Happy birthday." He held out his hand, and Hunk responded with his own on reflex, holding his hand cupped beneath Lance's.

Lance dropped the object he was holding, and it landed in Hunk's palm, soft and light. Hunk lifted it to his face, then smiled. "A friendship bracelet?"

Lance shrugged, though he was smiling, small and pleased. "Figured you were due for a new one."

"Yeah." The last one Lance had made for him had broken off his ankle when he fell out of Blue and rolled through the dust into that mine to find his lion. So technically that should mean that Hunk's wish should have come true, but he wasn't sure if Earth magic worked in space. And he couldn't even remember what the wish had been. Probably something about making it through the year at Galaxy Garrison.

Lance had made this one in space, so it was space magic now. Where did he even find embroidery floss? The bracelet was a thick chevron pattern, blue and green and tangerine orange, with bright yellow repeating between each of the other colors. Hunk's grin broadened. He loved it to death. "Thank you so much, dude. I'll put it around my ankle later."

Lance grinned back. "That's just part of your present. I'll give you the rest this afternoon after training, during leisure time. If we get leisure time."

Hunk grimaced. Yeah, there could always be a Galra attack or distress beacon or some other fresh disaster, like there had been almost every day for the last...week? Month? Space certainly kept them on their toes.

Lance looked down, then back into Hunk's face. "Um, so. We've been kind of reeling from catastrophe to catastrophe, so I didn't tell anyone else about the date in case we had to miss it. But now... You don't want anyone to know? You looked kind of fierce at breakfast, so I was scared to open my mouth."

Hunk groaned and rubbed his face. "I just... It's awkward. My birthday has never been that much fun for me, and I don't want to stress anyone out trying to make it a special day when we're out here in the middle of a war and we never know what's going to happen next."

Lance looked troubled. "If it was someone else's birthday you would want to celebrate, right? Even if all we could do was something small."

"Well, yeah, but that's different."

"How? You're important too, you know."

Hunk shrugged. He couldn't explain himself. He just...didn't want it.

Lance sighed and looked down, hands in his pockets as he scuffed his foot. "Okay. If you don't want anyone else to know, I won't tell. But you should, at some point. Shiro will at least want to give you a hug, you know he will. And Coran will try to make you some weird Altean party food or something." He paused, tilting his head to the side. "Okay, maybe it makes sense that you don't want to tell."

Hunk smiled.

Lance looked up at him. "But in the meantime, just know that I'm really happy it's your birthday, okay? You are the coolest dude, Hunk. And you're my best friend, the best friend I've ever had and probably ever will have. I'm really, really, super glad that you exist."

"Aw, Lance." Hunk sniffled, then surged forward and wrapped his buddy up in a big, strong hug. "You too, you know? You too."

They squeezed hard and tight for a few moments, then let go so they could get ready for training. Even a day off from constant battle wasn't really a day off as long as Allura thought they could still use some work. Which she almost always did.

Somehow they made it through the day. Lots of training exercises, lots of sore muscles from physical exertion and headaches from mental strain. Hunk didn't have the energy to make a good lunch for everyone, so it was goo again. When all was done, Hunk just wanted to lay on the sofa in one of the lounges and gelatinize. He'd almost forgotten it was his birthday, which was just as well.

Then Lance bounced up and leaned over the back of the sofa to grin down at him, eyes sparkling. "Hey, dude! We're in luck!"

Hunk blinked at him, brain three steps behind. "How so?"

Lance stood straight and spread his hands. "No attacks, no distress beacons, no nothing. We totally have leisure time."

"Yeah?" Hunk closed his eyes and did his best to melt into the cushions. "I'm totally happy about it, too. Just gonna lie here and...ooze."

Lance laughed, bright and happy. He reached over the sofa and grabbed Hunk's hand in an attempt to haul him up. "No, no, c'mon! We have leisure time, man. Leisure time. Did you already forget?"

Oh yeah. Hunk's eyes popped open. Lance was going to give him the rest of his present during leisure time. The guy was bouncing like a puppy now, unable to keep still. "Okay, okay, I'm up, I'm up," Hunk grumbled, though he was smiling. Lance's efforts to haul on his arm had barely budged him, but Hunk stood on his own, groaning a bit.

Lance pulled him all the way to Blue's hangar, hauling Hunk's arm over his shoulder like he was pulling a heavy weight with a rope. Hunk let himself be tugged, leaning back a little and giggling at Lance's eagerness. He had no idea what this present was, but Lance was so excited to give it to him that he was starting to get excited too.

In the hangar, Blue was waiting for them, mouth open. Hunk almost stopped then in surprise, but Lance was still dragging him, so he went. Up into the cockpit, and there Lance finally stopped and turned to face him. He was still smiling, but it was softer, with an edge of hesitance.

Hunk looked around, but didn't see any boxes or bags or anything. "Where's the present?"

Lance stood there, suddenly fiddling with his hands, and Hunk went still. "Dude. You weren't planning to take me flying or something, were you? That's sweet, but we fly every day."

Lance shook his head, biting his lip. "No, it just... It occurred to me that this might be... Kind of too much. Overwhelming. Especially after all the training we did today. If you don't want to, just say the word, and I'll figure out something else for your present."

Hunk's eyebrows bent together. He was no closer to understanding what this was about. "Just show me," he said patiently. "I'm sure I'll like it, whatever you got for me. Your presents are always super thoughtful and good."

Lance took a breath, then stepped over to the pilot chair and picked up something on the seat. He walked back over to Hunk and handed him one of the headsets they used during mental training, keeping one for himself. His face was hopeful, now.

It was Hunk's turn to hesitate, looking down at the headset, then up at Lance. "What is this, buddy?"

Lance smiled. "I want to show you. No, both of us do. Me and Blue. I thought...it would be easier here, where her voice is the strongest. I want you to hear her voice."

Hunk stood still for a moment, gaping. "You want..."

"I want you to talk to Blue. She wants to talk to you, too. So..." Lance sat on the floor, cross-legged. He put on the headset and looked up at Hunk, still so hopeful, so proud and eager. "Come on. Sit with me? I wanna open up my head hole to you."

Hunk stared down at him, flabbergasted. "Lance, this is..."

Lance nibbled his bottom lip, eyes large. "Too much?"

"No! But... A lot." Lance was starting to tense up, expecting rejection, so Hunk sat down in front of him and put the headset on. "No really, Lance, this is... Amazing. It's amazing of you to offer this. I'm really..." He had to stop and breathe, overwhelmed. His voice went quieter, gentler. "I'm honored. Truly. I had no idea you could even do that."

Lance shrugged. "Well, it might not work. But usually during training we're, like, keeping a sort of barrier, right? We're focused on forming Voltron and we don't really open up our whole minds to each other. We can sense each other's thoughts, but just the surface. It's a joining of will more than it is a joining of heart. So... I want to go deeper. I wanna open up all the way and see if you can come inside. Hearing Blue's voice is... It's pretty much the coolest thing that's ever happened to me. And I really want to share it with you. So that's it. That's my present."

"Lance." Hunk reached out and grabbed his upper arms, pressing close and warm. He blinked, surprised to find moisture in his eyes. "This is... Even if it doesn't work, just the fact that you want to do this is absolutely the best present ever. I'm really...really happy."

Lance beamed, unabashedly delighted. "Okay, cool. Let's try it then. Maybe it'll work."

Hunk sat back with his hands in his lap and smiled in return. Now that it was really happening, he was starting to get nervous. "Okay. So, um. How do we do it?"

"I already fiddled with the settings on these headsets to optimize them for this. I think. Blue made suggestions. So I guess all we gotta do is close our eyes and, like, visualize. Like when we work on our mental teamwork."

"Blue made suggestions? She doesn't, you know, just know?" Okay, now Hunk really was starting to get nervous.

Lance's eyebrows quirked. "She's a giant magic lion, not a technology expert. I did ask Coran if this was possible, hypothetically. He said it is."

"Okay, fair." Hunk drew in a breath and let it out. "All right. I got it. Let's do this."

Lance gave him a smile, only a hint of shakiness in it, and closed his eyes. Hunk did the same.

He tried to visualize himself sort of...walking up to Lance's mind. Like Lance's self was a house that he could enter, as long as he was invited. He wasn't sure, but he felt like Lance was doing the same thing, visualizing a house with open doors and windows, beaming light across the ocean in warm yellow beams. They mentally groped around in the space between them for a few moments, and then Hunk shivered at a sensation he'd never felt before. It was like brushing hands with someone in a dark room, except instead of hands, it was their minds.

After the first, tentative brush, they both tried again with more intent. Now that they'd felt it once, they had a better idea of what they were trying to do. Their mental hands brushed more firmly, then pressed together. To Hunk it felt like dipping his fingers into tropical water that was almost the same temperature as his body, so there was no sense of warmth or coolness, just the smooth slide of entering another world. A difference in texture and substance, but it was entirely permeable.

And once he did... Yes. There was the sense of a door, not a physical one, but mental. It was flung wide open, just for Hunk. He knew, somehow, that Lance could shut this door tight if he wanted to. And he did, when he was afraid and hurting and depressed, when he wanted with a nameless longing, when he repressed himself because he did not want to feel the pain of all he had lost. But right now... Right now, it was warm and open and inviting. Hunk stepped inside.

There was Lance, waiting for him. Everything Lance was. Fear and hope and desire and optimism and kindness and stubbornness and selfishness and ambition and generosity and love. Home and sunlight, water and wave, warp and woof. A twist of thread, a bracelet woven in colors innumerable shot through with every shade of blue. He wrapped around Hunk's self in a warm embrace, and Hunk could feel his smile.

You're here, the touch of him said. You're here, and you are welcome here, and you are wanted here.

"Lance," Hunk murmured. The joy of simply being in this place was a deep golden fire burning in his soul. "I'm so happy to be here with you. Thank you."

Wanted, Lance's soul murmured in return. Wanted and welcomed and loved.

Then Hunk heard the deep rumble beneath, like the bedrock was talking. No, an aquifier. Something buried in the bedrock, but not of it. This was not his element, and he did not mesh here, but he was treasured all the same. Another consciousness approached, just as welcome here as Hunk, but this one was enormous. Ancient and wise and powerful beyond comprehension. Hunk gasped, internally as well as externally. His breath had been taken by a tsunami.

But this was a friendly tsunami. Blue, the ocean of worlds, of galaxies. Blue, the lion of change and adaptability, of flowing trust and frozen strength. Water overpowering, overwhelming, enough to erode away the mountains of a thousand Earths. But Lance held him anchored, kept him steady in the tremendous flow until it slaked and slowed, and there they were, Hunk and Lance and Blue.

Yellow pilot, said the deep voice, rumbling and dark and royal blue. Yellow pilot is welcome in this place. Blue thanks yellow pilot for caring for my Lance.

For a long moment, Hunk could not speak, quivering beneath the force and rawness of this ancient power. "N-no problem," he squeaked at last. "I love Lance like a brother. It's no problem at all."

Love, yes. Blue laughed, a deep concussive rattling purr that shook the world from foundation to beam. My Lance loves yellow pilot, yellow pilot loves my Lance. All is well. Blue is grateful for yellow pilot's day of birth. That day was a good day in this universe. Almost as good as the day my Lance was born.

"Wow, thanks." Hunk was smart enough to understand that this was truly the biggest compliment that Blue could possibly give him.

"Blue!" Lance laughed, speaking externally because his inner self was too twisted up in joy and love for expression of words. "This was supposed to be a present for Hunk! Don't make it all about me."

Everything is about my Lance, Blue said complacently. But she lowered herself to their mental level, nuzzling them with her nose. A lion the size of a skyscraper had made herself shrink to the size of an elephant to cuddle with them. Hunk gulped, overwhelmed and touched in equal measure. Yet, for my Lance, Blue will try.

"Okay, good. So wish him a happy birthday, then."

Yellow pilot is loved by Blue, Blue said. All lions love yellow pilot. All lions celebrate yellow pilot's birth. This is a happy day, yes. Happy birthday, yellow pilot.

"Thank you," Hunk said, unable to think of anything else. His mind was just...utterly blown.

Still, that seemed to be acceptable. Blue purred her acceptance and curled closer, surrounding them both with her bulk. It was simultaneously the weirdest and most awesome thing Hunk had ever experienced.

At the same time, there was an edge of wistfulness in his heart that he could not quite dismiss. This was amazing, and it was warm and wonderful and probably the coolest thing he'd ever experienced. Blue was fantastic, and Lance was home.

But it wasn't Yellow. It wasn't his lion. In this moment, surrounded with warmth and love and acceptance of his self, his everything, he longed for another. He wanted to be able to talk like this to his lion. He wanted to be able to invite Lance into his mind so he could talk to Yellow, too.

It'll happen, Lance said, aware of Hunk's every desire, every passing thought, because there was no hiding here in this space. Nothing but confidence in his voice, utterly sure. Give it time. You'll get there. Quicker than you think.

This is true, Blue said, deep certainty like the depths of the sea. Yellow lion and yellow pilot cannot fail to reach such a level. No other path is possible.

Hunk hesitated, but then he smiled. Yeah, okay. It was not possible to do anything but believe it, not with both Lance and Blue telling him so.

They stayed there a while longer, basking in the warmth of connection. Hunk enjoyed listening to Blue and Lance talk, though sometimes it made very little sense. They seemed to have a thousand little in-jokes already, and either one could say a single word or phrase and make the other burst into laughter or purring. It was cool just to experience this, even if it wasn't...really...his.

When they finally surfaced, Hunk was shocked to realize that his stomach was growling. He had thought it was still the middle of the afternoon, but he was starving. Had they been talking all through dinner?

"Oh," Lance said sheepishly, as he took off his headset and Hunk's tummy grumbles filled the cockpit. "I forgot going that deep can throw off your sense of time. I know after goo lunch and goo breakfast you would have wanted to make something non-goo for supper, but I think we missed our window."

Hunk sighed, one hand pressed over his stomach. Coran had probably already made it to the kitchen by this time, so he was too late to cut him off. "I just hope no one's worried about us, if we were gone that long."

Lance hummed and climbed to his feet, lowering a hand for Hunk. "No worries. The lions can tell Coran what we're up to, if there's a problem."

"Oh, right." Hunk took Lance's hand and let him pull him up, though he did most of the work. As they walked out of the cockpit, he wrapped his arm around Lance's shoulders with a sigh. "Thanks again, man. That was incredible."

Lance chuckled and leaned his head on Hunk's shoulder for a moment. "No problem. I've been wanting to do that for a long time. Your birthday was just an excuse."

As they approached the dining hall, Hunk heard laughter and chatter, and he lifted his nose and sniffed. That smelled...non-goo. Had Coran made one of his famous "paladin" meals? It sort of smelled appetizing, so maybe this one wouldn't be too heinous. He recognized some of the scents in the air from the various ingredients he'd been experimenting with from the planets they'd visited.

When they neared the door, though, the chatter and laughter inside abruptly hushed. Hunk paused, looking at Lance questioningly, but he looked just as confused. They shrugged mutually, then walked into the dining room. And then...

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

Everyone was shouting and waving. Pidge and Keith held a banner that said "Happy Birthday, Hunk" in uneven letters, and Coran was blowing on some kind of horn-like instrument. If you could call it that. It was loud and brassy, anyway. Even the mice were there, running over the table in excitement, then standing still to wave their paws in the air.

Hunk halted so quickly inside the door that Lance ran into his back, then bounced off. Lance came around him to look, his eyes wide and edging on dismayed. "I didn't..." He sputtered, looking at Hunk. "I swear..."

Hunk believed him. He shook his head and looked back at the table, which was loaded with food that looked like...were those his recipes? Had Pidge found his secret folder on the database?

"Hunk!" Shiro walked over to him, beaming broad and bright. "I can't believe you didn't tell us! Why not? Lance didn't either. Who knew he could keep a secret?"

He threw his arms around Hunk in a big, warm hug, and Hunk blinked, but hugged him back. "Yeah, okay, b-but... Who told you then?"

"Oh, the lions were very excited," Coran said, twirling his mustache. "Apparently they only learned about it a few hours ago, something about Blue and Lance and a surprise? But with all of them so worked up and happy, the rest of us were bound to figure it out."

"Ah. I see."

Shiro backed off, and Pidge ran over to take his place, throwing her arms around Hunk's waist as far as they would go and tugging him toward the table. "I found your secret recipe stash. Hope you don't mind. I just picked the ones you put heart emojis on. I know we're not as good at cooking as you, but hopefully we got it sort of right?"

"Yeah, I'm sure you did. I'm sure it's great," Hunk said as warmly as he could. He leaned down and sniffed one of the dishes. It was...off. A little overcooked. But still better than goo.

He straightened, smiling, and looked around at everyone. "This is really cool of you guys. I appreciate it, really. You didn't have to."

"Yeah, we know that." Keith had come up on Hunk's other side to pass an arm around his neck. "We wanted to. It's okay, right? You weren't keeping it a secret because it makes you sad or anything? Did you have a bad experience with birthdays in the past?"

Hunk blinked and looked into his face, surprised by this line of questioning from Keith. But then, Keith had been trying really hard lately to figure out what everyone else was feeling and why. And he had discovered that asking questions was usually the best way to get answers, and Hunk could usually give him at least an idea of what was going on.

Keith looked so earnest and honestly worried that Hunk had to smile. He put his arm around his back and squeezed him lightly in return. "No, no, nothing like that. I just didn't want anyone to make a fuss, that's all. It's not that big a deal."

Allura made a sound of disgust at that and threw her hands in the air. "Of course it's a big deal! It's a human tradition to celebrate the day of one's birth, is it not? One day in the planetary rotation for your friends and family to show their love and appreciation? That is a worthy cause indeed, and yes, it's a big deal!"

Hunk chuckled and scratched the back of his neck. "Well, when you put it like that..."

"Yes, my boy, exactly like that!" Coran had put down his instrument and hustled around the table to take Hunk's arm. "Now come, try the Nandian noodles. I've been told it's one of my best dishes, and I've been saving the recipe for a special occasion. Of course this day is just such a time!"

So Hunk smiled and went, Lance following on his heels. It was all a little overwhelming, but not in a bad way. The extended time in Lance and Blue's company had made him feel so utterly warmed and loved, in every fiber of his being, that there was very little room for awkwardness anymore. He knew everyone cared about him and wanted him to be happy, and they wanted to show that. So it was cool.

Even when they sang "Happy Birthday" over Shiro's disaster of a cake, Hunk just stood there and smiled. He didn't look at the floor even once. Instead, he looked over at Lance, saw him singing and grinning, and imagined Blue in his head, singing along in her deep, purry voice. That made him laugh hard enough that he had to hide his face in his hands. By the time he was done, the song was finished, and there was another round of cheers and hugs and back-claps.

The cake was not as terrible as it looked, either. Not exactly cake, but it was sweet and edible. Hunk had standards. But he ate it anyway.