by mamabot, 44 seconds ago
Pidge and Hunk decide to go through the tattooing process at the same time. In other words, he waits until she is eighteen and he is now twenty to start the process. With accents of black and filled in with a glowing shades of dark green, she has a lion's paw print on her shoulder and down over her scapula. It looks like Green has rested her paw on her pilot's shoulder. The tips of the pads are in the shape of catnip leaves, with black stem veins that look more like computer conduit than actually leaf veins.
In the main pad, is a design yet to be determined, seeing how she does not want to finish the tattoo until Matt is back home with her (dead or alive). Hunk respects this as he does the application.
Hunk on the other hand, is on the last application of his tattoo. It's in a position he can not do alone and therefore, Shiro is helping him. Up just past his waist, down over his left hip and to just above his knee is an amazing scene of sun, solar, and even a wrench. The vibrant glowing yellows, oranges and black swirl through the outline of a massive paw print. It's almost as if Yellow has stepped on his hip, imprinting her mark on him, and then trimmed out in Samoan accents.
He winces to a particular sensitive spot on the V-line of his front hip joint.
Shiro stops, "Are you REALLY sure you want the tattoo to go there? I mean, no one will know if we don't complete it there." As a man himself, it makes him cringe to having a sharp point so close to the groin area. All those nerves and tendons get a bit connected there.
Hunk chuffs, "I will know… and hopefully, one day Pidge will."
Shiro takes this change of conversation as a chance to give them a break for a moment. He sets the applicator aside, applying the salve instead. "Pretty serious about her?"
The big head nods as much as he can, laying on his back head resting on crossed wrists "Yeah."
"Hunk?" Those root beer colored eyes turn to the married man, "What are you thinking?"
Hunk looks away, chewing on his lip. He promised Pidge he would keep it quiet, but it's not like his grandfather is here to talk things over with. Shiro, more than his grandfather, can also understand their circumstances better. "I want to marry her."
"Does she know?"
"We… have been talking about it more and more recently, but because we are so young, don't really want to hear the negative." He takes a deep breath and notices Shiro has not stopped watching his expression as he spills his heart. So he presses on. "Pidge and I are not stupid teens caught up on hormones."
Shiro smiles, "If anything, you two are the most mature."
That lets off another chuff and a twinkling smile, "Thanks." He flicks a finger to the bone-needle applicator asking Shiro to keep going as they talk.
The older man does as asked, knowing that conversation will keep his mind off the sensitive skin he is poking and keep Hunk's mind off the pain with more pleasant thoughts.
"God I love her. She's so smart," he closes his eyes with such a serine smile.
Shiro laughs lights, knowing all too well what the love for a woman can do to a man. "Tell me, more about her."
Hunk and Shiro continue their conversation about their adoration and frustrations of their loves. Shiro can tell that Hunk is desperate to hold Pidge in his arms all night long and not feel any shame. Sure they have collapsed together in the Den or even the Lounge due to pure exhaustion, but this is different.
Pidge and Hunk (he's pretty sure) have remained chaste in their physical interactions, but even that is coming to a head of frustration by the way Hunk cuts off certain trains of thoughts.
It's very clear to Shiro, they need to marry.
"She wants to wait for Matt to return, but I don't think I can wait much longer. I need her next to me more and more." Hunk grunts as he rolls to his front so Shiro can finish up a last couple details on his rump. "Damn, maybe I am hormonal!"
"No, you are a man in love." Shiro soothes the younger man's worries. "Hell, even Allura and I didn't date for two years before getting married! I don't know how you two have done it!"
That raises Hunk's head over his shoulder, "Really?" Not the amount of time Shiro and Allura dated, but the fact Shiro is impressed by Hunk and Pidge's relationship.
Shiro laughs shaking his head tapping out a particular solar flare on a meaty part. "Duh, yeah!" He sighs and looks up, "You got it bad, Hunk, if you can restrain from begging us to allow you to marry, which by the way you have my blessing."
"And Allura?"
"She's already picked out a dress for Pidge, be warned. You better find a ring soon."
"Already have," he whispers under hot cheeks and he returns his chin to his folded arms. Shiro heard, but he and Hunk are silent as he finishes up the last of the 'tatau'.
~8~
Hunk takes a last dose of Allura's herbal pain killers and heads off to his bunk to sleep off the rest of the night. He might not be as strong as a traditional Samoan warrior, but then again, these are not exactly traditional paints or circumstances he is under either.
Most of all, he knows he needs the pain killer to put him to sleep so he doesn't rush over to Pidge's quarters and beg her to marry him right now!
No, it's best to sleep this off and come at it with a clear head in the morning.
~8~8~
Morning starts off with a banging fist to his door though. Loosely wrapping Pidge's lava-lava gift around his tender waist, he stumbles to the door, "Hang on, I'm coming, I'm coming."
He opens the door to seeing Pidge bouncing off her toes. Her excitement is too early for his groggy head and he has to lean on the door frame with one shoulder, other hand laid to hers, "Hold still or you are going to make me motion sick."
Her eyes are all a light as she squeals, "MATT!- " and a whole bunch of gibberish that his poor unawake brain can't translate.
His large palm moves from shoulder to cover her cute face lightly making her mumble and then stop. His eyes are still closed but he releases her face to one thick finger to her small lips. "Clothes and then coffee. 'Kay?"
"Well hurry up then!" she says from behind his finger. "I'll make the coffee!" and shoots off down the hall.
"What the hell was that squealing green blur?" Lance blinks from across the hall.
Keith rubs both palms into his eyes, "I think that was Pidge. Who else would mention Matt this early in the morning?"
"WE FOUND MATT!" And Shiro races down the hall between the still awaking Paladins.
"Unless it's Shiro," Hunk yawns.
Allura looks no less awake than them slogging down the hall with a drowsy Arthur sucking his thumb and clutching his winged lion to her shoulder. "If it's not really Matt, Shiro's going to die."
That makes it clear there will be a briefing over coffee in the mess hall. "Watch out, Pidge is making coffee," Hunk turns back to his room to properly dress. They all groan and get dressed.
~8~
In the mess hall, everyone is either in pajamas or other relaxed clothing picking over muffins and sipping coffee (doctored to their own tastes). Arthur remains cuddled to his mother trying to feed muffin to his lion.
Shiro, Pidge and Coran describe the information they have deciphered. A Galra prison ship sold it's slaves to this colony. It's a peaceful colony that allows slaves/prisoners to work off their time or freedom in helping the farming colony. With Matt's knowledge of soil samples, he could be an asset. It's rare to hear of humanoids wearing eyeglasses, even rarer to have this unknown Earthling species with auburn hair.
"It HAS to be Matt!" Pidge jumps up and down.
Normally this would be Hunk's place to state the obvious and it actually frustrates Keith that Hunk isn't piping up to state the obvious. He even tries with hand gestures to get him to say ANYTHING. But Hunk doesn't instead continuing to focus on his muffin.
With a huff and roll of the eyes, Keith does pipe up. "And what if it's not? It could be a trap."
Pidge snarls slamming a fist to the table, "Shut up Keith you don't know-" Hunk lowers his palm over Pidge's fist, but says nothing, still not looking up. She turns on Hunk, "You are not SERIOUSLY siding with him are you?" (no response) "Hunk?!"
Instead of looking to her, he looks over to Shiro. The oldest one of them, he is just as emotionally attached to Matt's loss as Pidge. On top of that, he knows how delicate his relationship with Pidge is.
Pidge tries to yank her hand out from Hunk's, but he holds it a bit more securely. She doesn't understand he is trying to be her rock to lean on, not one to break her hopes. "Pidge…," he whispers. It breaks his heart that she thinks he is hurting her.
"No," she shakes her head. "I've been over the data thoroughly with Coran and Shiro. We've been compiling this information for months!"
"Yes, we have, Pidge," Coran steps in. "You must leave a percentage open for us to be wrong, though."
This time she does yank her hand out from under Hunk's and snarls at them all. "I'm going! With or without you."
"I will go with you," Hunk is firm that she dare not leave without him.
"I don't want someone with me who does not believe me."
Rarely have they ever seen Hunk mad at Pidge, but here they now see an inkling. Hunk rises up and narrows his gaze down on her. "I never said I did not believe your findings. You did not give me a chance to say ANYTHING or to even ask my OWN questions."
Her face falls. She's hurt him.
Hunk turns to the others. "I will be in the den in ten if anyone else wants to go with me." And silently walks away.
Shiro coughs to break the tension and bring them back on course. "I want to check out this section over here," he points to a map of a separate asteroid colony. "This also should be examined."
Keith nods and looks to Coran, "Want to check it out with me?"
Coran nods, "It would be a good place to also pick up some supplies. We should take a shuttle to that place, Keith. The others should be safe for the lions."
Shiro nods. "Sounds like we have a plan then. Get dressed and head out."
They all head out of the hall except Shiro and Allura. He notices that Pidge was the first to escape, and he really wanted to talk to her before the mission. Guess it will have to wait until they all return.
~8~
The Yellow and Green Lion cockpits are heavily silent as they make their way toward the Alpha Agriculture Colony Site. Surrounding the large asteroid, is heavy blue mist.
"This is weird," Hunk breaks the silence. "Is there anything in here?"
"Um…," Pidge is reluctant to answer.
"Piiiidge," he draws out her name as they break into the mist.
"I- I don't know. I guess we are going to have to fly by instruments."
"Okay," he breathes. This is the time to stay focused and not stress Pidge any more than she already is.
A few miles through the mist, someone calls out to a signal on their screen. Hunk has let her take lead on this, because it is her mission, and he takes position as guard. Even so, he is not fast enough for the giant airborne jellyfish that's hair and rope like tentacles instantly coil around the Green Lion, pulling it towards it's plasma-like mushroom of a body.
Pidge calls out as the lion is electrically shocked, cutting out her com-systems.
Hunk is swift to react. First he fires; only making the jellyfish crimp and shock tighter.
"Hang on!" he calls having no idea if she can hear him or not. He punches Yellow's thrusters, and pitches the head down. At full ramming speed, he slams into Green's side. It breaks a few tentacle holds, but not enough. The blow to the jellyfish's prey causes it to activate even more tentacles. If he doesn't knock her loose, Pidge could be electrocuted from the inside out.
He pulls back, circling to gather speed, but keep the creature from pulling Green out of his visual sight. With another activation of thrusters, he slams her lion from the rump. It breaks many tentacle holds from Green. They change their attack to Yellow, but Yellow is stronger.
He lets more of them come to him in order to let hers go. As soon as Green is free, he rolls Yellow to claws up. Yellow claws and slices at the creature so that it won't be able to chase him , breaking tentacles from the main body.
Green falls out of his visual sight as he shakes the damaged tentacles away. He can pick up Green on his scanners, but Pidge doesn't reply to his coms. "Come on, Girl, chase them," he praises and pleads with his lion.
As Green tumbles and falls through the mist, Pidge knows how Hunk feels under Lance's piloting. She tries as hard as she can to regain control. "You're shorted out, Greenie. Please let me have manual control."
Holding tight to the controls, she puts her focus to the analog overrides. It's a lot harder to pull the controls without powered control to the hydraulic systems. "This would be easier if I was stronger," she growls and pulls as hard as she can.
Yellow races down, snapping and missing several times before finally catching the last section of Green's tail. With the heavier lion pulling back, he is able to stop her tumbling and churning, but she is still speeding towards the ground. Communications has still not returned.
As the ground races towards them, Green budges just a little. It's enough that when Green touches the ground, the paw instantly folds, sending her back into a tumbling roll across the ground, dislodging from Yellow's maw.
"Damnit!" Hunk grunts maintaining control of his own lion to land it safely. There has to be at least one of them who can fly out for help.
As Green crashes horrifically, it dislodges the pod capsule, but not enough to completely release it from the lion-ship. It does open enough for her to clamored out.
Yellow lands a safe distance away, and then lopes over to Green's side, tearing up the ground in the process. Swiftly her mouth drops and Hunk races out as fast as his huge frame will allow him.
"Pidge! Pidge, answer me!" He cries out.
Pidge can hear him, but not through the com therefore it's muffled. Stumbling out of the damaged pod, she sinks to the ground by an ear of her lion, pulling her helmet off.
By the time Hunk gets there, sliding on a knee to her side, her forehead is resting on her knees.
"Pidge! Are you injured?" He clamps his hands to her shoulders.
"Only my pride," she mumbles into the knees.
"Thank goodness," he sinks further down pressing his own forehead to her crown. "That scared me."
"I'm sorry," she once again mumbles. He knows she is upset about not having all the vital information they needed before coming here.
"I don't care," he mumbles back. He lifts her chin, and smiles. "Pidge, just look at me." Slowly she opens her watery chocolate brown eyes. "Hey, there you are, my beautiful smart lady."
She smiles weakly.
He's known his girlfriend long enough to know there is a special balance between comfort and codling for her. She's a strong proud lady who has had to prove herself time and time again over her size, age, gender, occupation, and even species. Its actually one of her most attractive features to him.
Like wise, his respect for all she has fought and earned, is attractive to her. Hunk new belittles her.
She leans in to press her forehead back to his.
He gives them both a few more moments to catch their breath, before he nudges them into action. "Did your data pad survive so we can check out your plan?"
"You still want to go look? What about Green?" She pats the green head.
"Look, we came all this way, we mind as well follow through with the mission." He rises up, holding a hand out to give her help up. "Can't let Greenie get hurt for nothing. Now, which direction should be go?"
Pidge doesn't take his hand right away. Should she follow him to continue the mission, or should she return back to the safety of the castle? Are there more foolish things she over looked in this mission, blinded by familial need?
"What about those jellyfish things? Do you think they will come after us down here and attack the lions again? You're the xeno-specialist."
He leaves his hand out while rubbing the back of his neck and shrugging. "I don't know." Then giving her a lopsided grin, asks, "Want to find out together?" He knows she does.
Her pressed lips, and scowl does not stop her from slapping her hand hard to his open one. With a tug and a chuckle, they are walking hand in hand towards the point on her data pad.
