It was Katie who texted first.
Two days after the competition (two days of Hunk not wanting to be the first one to say anything cuz would that be seen as too clingy?) his phone went off.
Katie: hey! how've you been? dad said he was sorry he missed you
A thousand thoughts were running through his head. He stared at the message for a long time, mentally dissecting it, trying to think of how best to respond.
The last part especially stuck out to him, since it implied two very important things: firstly, that Katie (and Matt?) had told their dad about him-and secondly, that Dr Holt actually wanted to meet him.
Hunk took a deep breath, quelling his thoughts, before starting to type out a response.
Hunk: Hi! I've been pretty good, you? And I'm sorry your dad couldn't make it too; maybe next time?
Okay. That was good, right? Open, friendly, not too eager—
He was taking this too seriously.
He flopped over backwards onto his bed with a groan. Why was this so hard?
Katie: unfortunately 'next time' isnt until next year unless youre going to robocup
Hunk: I don't think so :/
Katie: boo
They went on like that a little longer, making small talk about the little things, the things they already knew about each other. After about half an hour, the conversation dwindled to a stop. And it was days before it was picked up again.
It started that way at first: brief conversations, making general small talk, testing the waters. As the months went by, they got more and more comfortable with each other; by the time winter melted into spring, they were texting nearly every day, about the smallest things.
Katie: what about ur dad?
Hunk: Oh actually I don't have one
Katie: oh shoot im sorry
Hunk: No that's not what I meant XD I don't have a dad cuz I have two moms
Katie: OH
"So who's Katie?"
Hunk glanced up at his mom in surprise. "What?"
She gestured towards his phone, which was sitting on the table a foot away from him while he read. "You got a text message, sweetie."
Hunk lunged for his phone, opening the message in a rush.
Katie: random question: star wars or star trek?
"It's that girl he met at the competition back in Flagstaff," Mama called from the next room.
"Phoenix," Hunk corrected offhandedly. "Flagstaff is where her school was from."
Hunk: Aw come on, you can't make me choose!
Katie: help me win an argument against my brother
Katie: help me obi wan kenobi youre my only hope
"Oh, you made a friend?" Mom continued. "That's great! What's she like?"
"Um," Hunk mumbled, still distracted. "Well, she likes peanut butter. And peanut butter cookies? But not peanuts, she says they're too dry."
Hunk: I'm sorry Katie, I'm going to have to go with Star Trek. The tribbles episode owns my soul
Katie: I CANT BELIEVE THIS
"Oh!" Hunk added with a smile, setting his phone down and giving his mom a starry-eyed look. "And you'll never guess who her dad is!"
Hunk: So...what's up?
Katie: i am eating peanut butter by the spoonful and i couldnt be happier
Hunk: Sounds like a day well spent :P
Mid-February, Katie was in class, her phone in her lap hidden under her desk. She and Hunk only had an hour difference in time zones, but that still lead to schedule conflicts. Hunk had texted her when he got out for lunch; Katie, an hour later, was already back in class after her own lunch break.
But that didn't stop her from continuing the conversation.
(It's not like Mr Hedrick was teaching anything new, anyways.)
Hunk: I've actually been looking into the garrison application process. I've been wanting to go there for ages and I'll finally be old enough this fall
Katie: !
Katie: DUDE YOU TOTALLY SHOULD
Hunk: I want to! But the application is pretty intensive
Katie: aw come on i know you can do it
Hunk: Thanks ^_^
Hunk: What about you, are you you applying?
Katie: still too young *eyeroll* its still a few more years till i turn 16
Hunk: What?
Katie: dude im like 12
Katie: i turn 13 in april
It was a couple minutes before he responded, and Katie bit her tongue to keep herself from laughing out loud in the middle of class.
Hunk: But you're in high school?
Hunk: I'll be honest here, I thought we were the same age O.O
Katie: yeah i skipped 7th and 8th grade
Hunk: :O
Hunk: You're like a little child genius or something
She stifled another laugh with a cough. She glanced up to make sure that the teacher hadn't looked over, then went right back to her phone.
Katie: yeah thats what they told me
Katie: probably explains why this class is so fucking boring
Hunk: LANGUAGE
Hunk: Wait are you in class right now?
Katie: ...quite possibly
Hunk: Get off your phone, young lady, and pay attention!
Katie: but i already know all thiiissssss
Hunk: Respect your elders
Katie: booooooo
Hunk: (•̀o•́)ง
Katie: omg you nerd
Katie: fiiiiine
Hunk: I'll talk to you once you get home from school ^_^
She smiled down at her phone screen before closing out of the messages app. Part of her was tempted to just pull up something else—a book, or the web browser—but she stopped herself with a sigh. She turned off the phone, stuffing it into her back pocket.
Later.
Hunk: I just thought you were really short, I didn't realize you were a BABY
Katie: i hate u
The Garrison application process was even more daunting when he was actually filling it out. In the past, when he would look it up online to mentally prepare himself for the day when he'd finally get to fill it out, it all seemed so easy.
But now, he was starting to think he was biting off more than he could chew.
Between the GPA requirements, the essay, the mechanical skills project, the letters of recommendation, the other essay, the entrance exam, the preliminary engineering classes—
It was a lot.
And it was especially a lot when he had to juggle all that in addition to his regular schoolwork. Hunk glared at the pre-calc textbook open on his desk until the numbers all swam together.
He groaned, slamming the book shut and leaning back in his chair.
His phone vibrated, and he reached for it blindly.
Katie: maybe a rover-type probe? like what you guys did for the comp. that was pretty good
Hunk let out a long slow exhale. The physical project was causing him the most trouble at the moment, having to prove his engineering prowess by building something all on his own. It was arguably the most important part of the application, and Hunk had no clue what to do for it.
Hunk: Yeah but if I'm going to get into the garrison then my project needs to be more than just GOOD
Katie: how about a robotic turtle
Hunk: ...why?
Katie: why not
Hunk: I can probably think of a few reasons
Katie: turtles are cool bro
Hunk: Fair enough
A weary smile had managed to break through his look of frustration. Hunk glanced back at the pre-calc book, then sighed again as he slowly opened it back up.
One thing at a time.
Katie: bro u should go to bed its 1am
Hunk: Which means it's 2am for you, right?
Katie: yeaahhh but i drank coffee mixed with redbull a couple hours ago im good
Hunk: KATIE NO
Matt and Sam made a point to come home on the weekends, and it was an occasion that Katie relished in.
She spent her days in Matt's room, lying on his bed and keeping him company while he worked at his desk. She had her phone open to the messages app, idly relaying her conversation with Hunk to her brother.
"Yeah, Hunk has been working on his application for the Garrison."
"Really?" Matt asked, spinning in his office chair. "That's awesome!"
"Yeah, he's going in for engineering," she continued. "I'm really excited for him."
"Does he need a letter of rec?"
"Um, lemme ask," she replied, already typing.
Katie: matt wants to know if u need a letter of rec
It was a bit before he responded, and she watched the typing bubble appear, then disappear, then appear again. She smirked.
Hunk: Oh my god
Hunk: We only met once, does he know me well enough?
Katie rolled her eyes, reading the message out loud to Matt.
"Psh, 'course I do," Matt said flippantly. "I got to see his work back at the competition, and that's the most important part, if I'm being honest."
Katie: dude. you guys talked for ages about engineering crap
Hunk: Oh gosh. I don't want to inconvenience him at all.
"He says he doesn't want to inconvenience you."
Matt let out a long groan. "Oh come on, I'm already writing them for Alec and Luca, what's one more? I like Hunk." He paused, thinking. "Here, ya know what, give me the phone." He grabbed the phone from Katie's hands without waiting for her response.
"Hey," she protested, but Matt merely shushed her and continued to type away.
"There," Matt said with a smirk as he hit send. A minute later, the phone vibrated, and Matt cackled, already typing a response.
"What did you say?!" Katie demanded, lunging for the phone.
Matt easily evaded her reach. "You'll see," he said cryptically. "But I think I've gotten through to him."
When the phone went off again, Matt let out a cheer. "Alright," he said triumphantly, tossing the phone back to Katie. "We are a go!"
Hunk: Happy birthday! (＾▽＾)
Katie: im officially a teenager bitch!
Hunk: LANGUAGE!
Hunk: Jeez Katie you're a little baby, you shouldn't be saying stuff like that, you're practically an infant!
Katie: fuck
Hunk: /_(0{}0)_\
It was the middle of dinner when her phone went off.
"Katie," her mom scolded as the girl grabbed at her phone and opened the message.
Katie ignored her, waving her hand impatiently. "Shh, it's important!"
"Katherine, what could possibly—"
Colleen was interrupted by Katie's sudden squeak of excitement. "He got in!" she squealed.
"Hunk?" Matt asked, beaming. "That's great!"
Across the table, Sam's eyes had lit up. "Fantastic!" he proclaimed. "Tell him congratulations for me," he said. "I look forward to working with him."
"Careful," Katie warned, already typing. "You're gonna break him."
Katie: dad says hes looking forward to working with you. he and matt wish you congratulations
Hunk: !
Hunk: Thank you! ＼(≧▽≦)／
Katie: has stopped working
It was May when the Galaxy Garrison officially announced the Kerberos mission, naming the daring crew of astronauts who'd be going on the shuttle, and setting a predicted launch date in September.
The announcement made every headline imaginable, national and international news, NASA, a blurb in Katie's high school's newsletter, and just about every online publication in existence.
Katie was doing her homework at time, her phone stashed at the bottom of her backpack. With her headphones in, she didn't hear it vibrating, too engrossed in her chemistry work.
She had ten new messages by the time she closed her textbook and fished out her phone.
Hunk: DUDE!
Hunk: I JUST SAW THE NEWS
Hunk: KERBEROS? THAT'S SO COOL!
Hunk: THIS IS SO COOL
Hunk: That's literally BILLIONS OF MILES AWAY
Hunk: And IT'S A MANNED MISSION
Hunk: THE FARTHEST MANNED MISSION FROM EARTH
Hunk: THIS IS HISTORY IN THE MAKING OH MY GOD
Hunk: I CAN'T BELIEVE YOUR DAD AND YOUR BROTHER ARE GOING TO PLUTO THIS IS SO COOL
Hunk: Sorry for spamming I'm just REALLY EXCITED
She laughed, carrying her phone and her laptop onto her bed where she could stretch out more comfortably. She flopped over onto her back, holding the phone above her face.
Katie: oh did that get announced today?
Katie: theyve been planning for months im so jealous
Hunk: Aaaaaaa this is all so exciting!
Hunk: I'm just
Hunk: Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Katie: same
Katie: kerberos must be so cool
Katie: hunk lets go to outer space
Hunk: Let's do it
Garrison cadet move-in day was in mid-August.
She got his room assignment from her dad. He'd been more than happy to check the student records for her and send her a quick message with the hall name, floor, and room number.
Katie, not even 13-and-a-half, much too young to be one of the students moving in today, walked confidently down the halls, weaving in and out of parents and students.
Presently, she heard his voice up ahead, coming out of one of the many open door. An excited grin spreading across her face, she ran the last few yards to his room. Bracing her hands on the doorframe, she stuck her head into the room, shouting, "Surprise!"
Inside the room, Hunk yelped as he whirled around in shock. As soon as he caught sight of her, his guard dropped and he broke into a smile. "Katie!" He tackled her in a bear hug, lifting her off the ground.
Katie laughed. "It's so good to see you again!"
"What are you doing here? Wait, no, stupid question."
She giggled. "I came in with Dad and Matt. They went to do professional officey things, like boring adult paperwork or whatever."
"Ah, the worst part of adulthood," Hunk said, nodding sagely. "Don't worry, Katie, you'll understand when you're older."
She elbowed him. "Shut up."
He laughed for a moment, and Katie realized that he wasn't the only one in the room. Standing bemusedly by the closet was a woman who looked so much like Hunk she could only be his mother. She had a gentle smile on her face as she watched the two of them.
Hunk followed Katie's gaze, and his eyes widened. "Oh, this is my mom," he said, gesturing to the woman. "Or, well, you know. One of them."
"Hi," Katie said, holding out her hand. "It's nice to meet you, Mrs Garrett."
"Please, call me Lani," the woman said, shaking Katie's hand. "It's lovely to finally meet you, Katie. Hunk has told me so much about you."
"Good things, I hope," Katie said, casting a dry glance at Hunk. He stuck his tongue out at her, and she stuck out hers at him.
"Only the best," Lani reassured her with a wink.
"So how have you been?" Hunk asked. "It's so good to see you! We should, like, hang out at some point and catch up."
"Oh!" Katie interjected. "Mom told me to invite you guys over for dinner," she added.
Hunk gasped, and Katie could have sworn she saw stars in his eyes. "Seriously?"
"Yes, seriously," she echoed. "Please?"
"Yes! Absolutely!" Hunk cried. He looked over to his mom. "Right? That's okay?"
Lani smiled at her son widely. "Of course, sweetie. I'll go find Kiana." She squeezed Katie on the shoulder as she walked past her to head out of the room.
"Dinner," Hunk breathed. "With Doctor Samuel Holt."
She snorted. "I promise you, he's a normal person. Just kind of a nerd. But hey, I mean, so are you."
He rolled his eyes. "Thanks, Katie."
Hunk: The Kerberos launch is only a couple weeks away, omg
Katie: i knowww im so jealous
Katie: i might just stowaway on the shuttle tbh
Hunk: That sounds potentially life-threatening, please do not
Hunk watched the Kerberos launch live on TV.
They'd only allowed family to watch from the ground, and though Katie had offered to try to sneak him in, he'd declined. Instead, he watched it on the massive projection screen that the Garrison had set up for students.
In some of the camera shots, he could make out the tiny purple-clad figure of Katie on the observation deck, standing beside her mother.
"This truly is a momentous day in human history," the newscaster was saying. "If successful, the Kerberos Mission will mark the farthest that anyone has traveled from Earth. We're making history here, folks."
The launch was glorious. With a blast of fire and a cloud of smoke, the shuttle took off, the cameras trained on it all the way out of the atmosphere, until it was just a tiny speck against the blue of the sky. The crowd gathered in the Garrison commons room let out a cheer. Hunk's roommate, an aspiring pilot named Lance, propped his elbow on Hunk's shoulder.
"That's gonna be us someday," Lance told him with surprising conviction. "Seeing the stars, traveling to worlds never before seen."
Hunk smiled. "I can't wait."
Hunk: Oh my god
Hunk: Katie I'm so sorry oh my god
Hunk: Are you okay?
Hunk: Sorry, stupid question
Hunk: Can I do anything to help?
Hunk: Katie?
✓ Read 11:17 PM
AN:
And here's part two! More general fun and fluff (except for the end there amiright)
In like a lamb, out like a lion? haha
This was? So much fun to write? I just love these two so much
Hope you all enjoy! ^_^
See you tomorrow for the final installation to this AU
As always, please feel free to come say hi to me on my Tumblr (this-book-has-been-loved) or the Platonic VLD Discord server (invite code: NHYrCz5)
~Brigit