ch.4 Hunk takes care of the kids
notes: Hunk uses some Samoan in this one because I FUCKING CAN (kinda. if it's wrong please let me know)
anyways the samoan he uses is:
tina-mom
Auai le atua e- oh my god
Hunk is pretty stoked for today. He's making the eggplant rollatini he promised Keith, and honestly he's more excited for the boy's reaction then seeing how well his food came out.
Although he has no doubt it will come out amazing. He worked really hard on this.
Since meeting him last week, Hunk has had this overwhelming urge to take care of the awkward boy, even though Keith is a little older. He's like an adorable feral cat you just wanna take in and spoil.
Which he will never say to Keith because it will no doubt insult him to the very core.
Just like he doesn't tell Pidge she's tiny and adorable.
Even though she undeniably is.
He wonders if Keith thinks so, too. Probably, since he admitted to seeing her as a little sister.
Growing up as an only child, Hunk never really knew what it felt like to have someone to look out for like that. Sure, he's always had Lance at his side and heaven knows Lance has always needed constant supervision, especially in his younger years, but Lance was also able to take care of himself. Lance is younger than Hunk, yes, by about seven months but true to his July birthday he is a summer child.
All smiles and warmth and strength .
Anything Lance decided to do, he barrelled right through it. Still does.
Hunk, however, is more than happy to just be on the sidelines, encouraging him and occasionally helping him back on his feet after something goes wrong.
Like when Lance broke his arm falling out of a tree when they were twelve.
Still, he knows it's different from that sibling feeling. From what Lance has with his own brothers and sister. He simply has to watch Lance interact with them to see that.
When they first met Pidge, Hunk felt an immediate connection to the girl, bonding over their engineering background and just overall love of technology. It was nice to have someone equal in intelligence to him that he could talk about that sort of stuff with. Still is, honestly. Even with that closeness, though, he doesn't really feel like she's the little sister he never had but always wanted. Maybe because they didn't grow up together. Maybe because a part of her still keeps him at arm's length.
Hunk can't help but wonder what Keith feels about Pidge, having been by her side since she was little. He doesn't appear to be overly concerned for her, but maybe Keith is the type of person to keep that secret?
He's be lying if he said a little (big) part of him wasn't a bit jealous to see Pidge curl up so easily against Keith. It's in Hunk's nature to take care of others, and want to cuddle. Seeing the two of them like that was almost like seeing two kittens curled into each other. It's precious and heart warming, but you can't help but want to be a part of it.
Or maybe that's just him?
Cuddling is great, after all.
Soon, there's a knock on the door, pulling him out of his thoughts and he watches out of the corner of his eye as Lance excitedly runs to it. Setting the dishes down on the table that he knows they won't be using, he heads over to join him and sees two very disgruntled kids at his door.
Standing in their doorway, Keith and Pidge are mirror images of each other. Their hair is disheveled, their clothes are rumpled like they have worn them for a day or two more than they should (they probably have, at least Pidge) and the size of their travel coffee mugs are alarming.
Just like the bags under their eyes.
He should probably stop comparing them to small animals, but for some reason they look like very frumpled little chicks.
It makes Hunk want to mother hen them something fierce.
"Are...you guys okay…?" Hunk asks as Lance doubles over, clinging to the door while he laughs himself breathless.
"No." They grumble in unison before Pidge grabs Keith's wrist and leads him to the couches in the living room where she collapses face first into one. Keith quickly follows suit.
"You didn't have to come…" Hunk begins, feeling guilty at the sight of the two.
"Yes. We. Did ." Keith insists, his voice muffled by the couch.
"Keith has been looking forward to this since you mentioned it at the restaurant. He dragged me." Pidge groans.
"Sooo. what have you guys been up to this week?" Lance asks after he regains his composure some, settling on simply having an eyebrow raised in amusement.
"Fucking Pidge," Keith hisses as he turns around to lay face up on the couch and shoot her a glare, "Decided to use our broken toaster as a basis for a fucking robot ." He explains and Hunk's interest is beyond piqued because holy shit awesome. "It was pretty fucking cool for about two minutes, before it decided it wanted to destroy us and the goddamn apartment ."
"You stepped on it and hurt it's feelings." Pidge explains and Keith shoots up, glaring at her over his shoulder.
"Who the fuck builds a robot with the ability to zap shit! ?" He's near hysterics.
Like Lance.
Different kinds of hysterics, though. (But they definitely both need to take in some air)
"The kind who doesn't want a gun in the house but also needs intruders to know this bitch will not be fucked with ." Pidge defends, like it makes perfect sense to have a sentient zapping robot instead of a gun.
Hunk's honestly kind of torn on the idea. A robot sounds fucking awesome. Maybe not this one, though.
"So...you have a maniacal robot on the run in your apartment?" He asks and Pidge looks visibly upset.
"Not anymore…" She mumbles and Keith nods.
"I put it the fuck down today. After it zapped the shit out of me again." He huffs, holding up a foot to show a very singed sock and holy shit is the bottom of his foot bleeding?
"Keith!" Hunk exclaims, running over and grabbing his foot to inspect it, "When did this happen?"
"Right before he became a murderer." Pidge answers grimly and Keith rolls his eyes.
"I don't know...like...an hour ago?"
"You got fucking lasered in the foot and walked over here!?" He shrieks, the rage of a thousand mothers flowing through him.
Probably.
At least ten.
"Um…" Keith shrinks a little into the couch, looking up at Hunk confused, "We...we already scheduled with you, so…"
Hunk can't help but wonder just how desperate this boy is for a home cooked meal.
Or maybe he's just stupid.
His tina always said the pretty ones are stupid. Man, was she right.
"Why didn't you just drive ?" He groans and Keith huffs out a laugh.
"Like we're gonna waste gas just to come down the road."
"A uai le atua e, Keith!" Hunk groans and Lance laughs.
"Oh shit, you've got him cursing in Samoan! Sure fire sign he's done with your shit, Keith." He teases and Keith rolls his eyes.
"Bet he does it at least three times a day with you around."
"What was that!?" Lance shrieks, his voice breaking a little at the end because Hunk does.
"You heard me!" Keith counters and Hunk gives them both pointed looks, squeezing Keith's foot and earning himself a pained squeak from the guy.
"If you two are done…" He begins, looking to Pidge, "Get me the first aid kit."
She looks like she's about to protest, but thinks better of it and heads to the bathroom.
"We need to clean your wound and wrap it." Hunk explains when she returns and Keith makes a face.
"Do we have to? It's just a little burn."
"It's not even a burn, Keith. It's bleeding . You have an open wound on the bottom of your foot. How is this not bothering you?"
Pidge laughs beside him, "Keith is always doing stupid shit that gets him hurt. I bet good money he's already met your girlfriend on one of her ER shifts."
Hunk blushes a little as he treats Keith's foot, "Shay isn't my girlfriend. She's just...a girl that I know and I admire very much."
"Shay?" Keith thinks for a minute, "Oh, yeah, I've met her. She's probably the best nurse there." He gives Hunk a smile that's too sweet to be mad at, "Good choice, Hunk."
Hunk goes about ten shades redder as Lance laughs behind him.
"See? Even Keith approves! Just ask her out already!" His roommate teases and Hunk decides to focus a little more than necessary on the foot in front of him.
"Seriously, Hunk, you guys have been going in the weirdest fucking circles since we brought Lance to the ER a year ago. It's been a year, man! Step up your game!" Pidge exclaims and Keith laughs a little, his smile turning sympathetic.
"Maybe you should try." Keith suggests, "It won't hurt."
Hunk laughs nervously, "C-come on, guys! Let's go ahead and eat now." He suggests, watching as Keith's eyes light up.
It's.
Fucking.
Adorable .
"So, Lance…" Pidge begins as Hunk and Keith bring out the food for everyone, setting the plates on their coffee table, "I couldn't help but notice...we had none of the previously promised gadgets during our weird little ghost hunt. If you could even call it that."
"Haha...right…" Lance begins, shooting Hunk a look for help that he ignores, "Well I mean...I don't have money for it… yet ."
"We need it." Pidge insists, staring him down, "I. Need. Those. Gadgets. It's basically the whole reason I agreed to this! You wanna lose me?" A smirk raises on her face and she gives Lance a pointed look, "You wanna lose Keith?"
Said boy, who was not paying attention, looks over at the mention of his name. Bless his heart, he's so excited about Hunk's food he has no clue what's going on.
"What's that supposed to mean!? I'll get them when I can, Pidge, besides didn't we have fun witho-!?" Lance begins, indignant until Pidge cuts him off with a pillow right to the face
"Lance, you ignorant slut! Fun my ass, get me those gadgets!" She rages and Hunk stares at her in shock as Lance just sputters, arms flailing around as he tries to fend her off.
"Pidge !" Hunk gasps as Keith laughs from beside him.
"Gadgets are needed or no one will take us seriously! Literally every comment mentions how we need that shit to get results!" Pidge gets in a few more hits before she's finally satisfied. Sighing, she turns to Keith, "I can pitch in, what about you?"
The smile on Keith's face drops, "...You want me...to spend my money on gadgets that don't do anything so we can prove they don't do anything ?" He asks, a look of pure disgust on his face. "Please just go back to hitting Lance."
"They do things, Keith. They can be used for more than ghost shit." Pidge argues.
Or, well, lies.
Pidge lies.
Hunk knows, Lance knows, but poor sweet Keith doesn't know and a part of Hunk wants to tell him, he really does, but a bigger part of him wants that stuff. Wants their page to be successful so they can keep this going.
"There's a thing called a ghost box," Lance explains, "Could be used as a radio. You'll love it."
Keith raises a brow, "Why...would I need a radio? My motorcycle has one, as well as Pidge's car."
"Pidge does make a good point." Hunk shrugs as he and Keith sit down on the couch next to the one Lance and Pidge are on, "No one will be interested in our videos without those. It's just some kids running around in old buildings."
Keith looks at him like he has something to say that might possibly (definitely) be rude, but then his eyes dart to the food in front of them and then over to Hunk and something softens for a moment before he gets a look on his face. The same look he got right before laying on a (literally) bloody pentagram and Hunk is kind of terrified.
"I will give you guys $100 to use on whatever stupid shit you need to buy if Hunk asks Shay out." He suggests and Pidge's eyes light up.
"Yes! Keith! This is why I love you, man!" She exclaims, "Same here, Hunk! $100 from me, too, if you ask her out!"
"Dios mio, Keith, you magnificent asshole, that's genius!" Lance grins, "Come on, Hunk! Our future's riding on you, bro!"
Hunk takes a deep breath. Followed by another. Then about twenty more.
"You don't have to right this second," Keith frowns, "I don't want you to die of a panic attack or something."
It's almost sweet.
Almost .
If you completely ignore this is all Keith's fault.
"Can we just eat, please?" Hunk asks, the whine so evident in his voice even he's ashamed. Luckily, Keith's excitement returns tenfold for the meal and he eagerly nods.
"Yeah, yes, let's figure out that other stuff later." Keith agrees and Pidge rolls her eyes.
Hunk waits for Keith to take a bite before he tries his own. That's his biggest judge tonight since this is a dish he loves. (Is it his favorite? He should probably see if it's his favorite. It's at least hard for him to come by, from the sound of it.)
He watches as Keith eats some and makes a small noise that sounds almost like a moan behind the eggplant he quickly begins stuffing in his mouth. It warms Hunk's heart to see him enjoy it so much. Even if he's slightly concerned about Lance currently choking on his own food at the moment, very pointedly not looking at Keith.
Admittedly, Hunk doesn't know much about Keith past him being Pidge's childhood friend, and probably Lance's new crush. Still, he's glad he got to meet him. From the smile Keith is giving him he's pretty sure the feeling is mutual. It's always nice to make a new friend, and even if it wasn't in the most...conventional way...he's still glad.
A/N: Rewrote this chapter, hopefully it's better