Author's Note:
Hello and welcome to the sixth chapter. This one is inspired by the suggestion from ChocolateMonkey19, I hope its similar to what you wanted. Thank you for your continued support and more suggestions are welcome. I hope you enjoy the chapter.
I own nothing.
Chapter 6
It was kind of Hunk who started it.
With the little tablet-like devices they'd been given by Coran, and Pidge working out how to link up her laptop and its vast stores of data to them, he had several of his novels in digital form. Of course, their 'library' was limited to what Pidge had on her laptop, but being the computer lover, she was, that was quite a lot.
Naturally, all of them had raided her collection, downloading any books that they wanted to their own devices, but Hunk had probably taken the most, since he was quite fond of reading.
Ideally, he'd read from an actual, made from paper, book, but with none available, digital was better than not reading at all, so he made do. So, when he wasn't experimenting in the kitchen, or helping Pidge with her projects, or even undertaking some of his own, he would be sat on a comfy couch somewhere, reading away.
Then Lance found him during one of these times.
The other boy had been slowly spending more time with them all individually. Initially, he'd kept to himself, probably a bit uncomfortable with being around the same people constantly after living alone for so long, but he'd started seeking others out more often.
Hunk wondered if it was because he was becoming more and more curious about what they could teach him, or because he was starting to see them as friends.
Regardless, Lance probably spent the most time with him, after Shiro, and he'd often hung around the kitchen as Hunk experimented and had even helped out from time to time.
The Blue Paladin wandered over and glanced at the device's screen, the symbols from his headset asking what Hunk was reading.
Hunk smiled, "Oh, just a sci-fi novel."
Question mark.
"You know, Science Fiction, it means it's a story set in a made-up universe, usually involving spaceships and things." He then frowned, "Though it seems kinda tame considering what we're actually doing out here."
Lance peered at the words on the screen, probably trying to see which ones he could actually read.
Since becoming Team Voltron, they'd all been trying to give the boy some sort of schooling, mainly in the basics. Pidge had taken on teaching him maths, Keith largely helped him with his physical education, Shiro was giving him pilot training for his role as a Paladin, as well as assisting with other fields, and Hunk ended up focusing on his literacy.
In all honesty, he probably had the easiest time, since Lance understood spoken word no problem, he could just use the method of reading out loud and pointing at the words as he did so. The hardest part was working out when the other boy had learned a word, since Lance couldn't speak, he couldn't read the words aloud himself to prove he could read them. Instead, they had to rely on him projecting the right symbols to describe the word he was reading.
Despite this, they were making progress, slow progress, but progress.
Struck by an idea, Hunk closed the page, and brought up another one of his books. At Lance's questioning look, he smiled, "I thought, since you're here, I could read to you and you could try and follow along, to help you learn the words."
In hindsight, he wondered why he hadn't done this before. He'd mostly been writing out simple sentences for Lance to follow, but you truly learned how to use written word by reading something like a novel, where the language was manipulated in many different ways. As a bonus, it helped them get started on another item on the list he, Pidge, and Keith had created (though he was certain that Shiro had added some things to it secretly as well).
Introducing Lance to Harry Potter.
The Blue Paladin considered it for a moment, then sat himself right beside Hunk and peered at the screen, ready for him to start.
Smiling, Hunk did just that, putting on his best storytelling voice (along with voices for all the characters), and launched into 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'*. As he read, he watched Lance's face out the corner of his eye, seeing all the reactions upon the teen's expressive face.
He saw Lance glower at the nastiness of the Dursleys, pull a face of confusion then curiosity at the mysterious letters, grin with delight at the letter flood scene, and widen his eyes in shock at the arrival of Hagrid.
It was at this point that Pidge arrived.
"Hey guys!"
Naturally, the girl came in right at a good part, and Lance actually shot her a brief look of annoyance at her for interrupting them.
She blinked in surprise, then looked at them both inquisitively, "What are you guys reading?"
"Harry Potter." Hunk answered casually.
There was a pause.
"What!" She gaped at him, "And you didn't tell me! I would've dropped everything and been right up if you'd said you were reading it aloud!"
She instantly shot across the room and settled on Hunk's other side, even as he apologised, "Sorry Pidge, it was kind of a spontaneous idea."
"Never mind." She waved her hand at the device in Hunk's hands, "Just carry on reading, this is a good bit."
And so, Hunk continued.
Just as they were at the Kings Cross section, Keith turned up.
"How's it going everyone?"
"Keith!" Pidge snapped at him.
He frowned, "Erm…sorry?"
She waved towards the seat next to her, "Don't worry about it, just get over here."
Bewildered, the Red Paladin did just that, "Okay…what's going on?"
"Hunk's reading the first Harry Potter to us, and we're at the Kings Cross bit." Pidge succinctly answered.
"Huh?"
She glared at him, "He's doing it to help Lance with his reading, now be quiet and enjoy the story."
Effectively bullied into it, Keith settled down in his seat and went quiet, letting Hunk carry on reading.
Later, Shiro wandered past the room and did a double take at the scene inside.
The other four Paladins all on the same couch, listening intently as Hunk brought the first Harry Potter alive with his voice.
He lingered in the doorway, unnoticed by the four teens as he watched them with a smile.
Hunk had really thrown himself into it, moving his free hand about in dramatic gestures and voicing the characters, with Pidge doing a few voices herself. From time to time, Keith and Pidge would be on their feet, acting a scene out as Hunk read it, the Green Paladin somehow coaxing the normally reserved Red Paladin into it.
But Lance was the best of all.
He listened with rapt attention, reacting to every scene and sentence like a child would, eyes wide with surprise, or a mouth grinning in delight, or leaning in closer with anticipation at more tense parts.
His reactions seemed to only spur the others more, and Shiro stealthily recorded the whole thing, deciding that it was far too wonderful to not record, and slipped away quietly, leaving the four teens to it.
They deserved the time to just be kids after all.
Afterwards, Hunk's Storytelling Time (as named by Pidge) became a regular occurrence, even when Lance reached the stage where he could read himself.
They worked their way through the Harry Potter series, and even though Coran, Allura and Shiro were well aware of the sessions, they didn't join them.
They felt that it was something special to the four young Paladins, and the way it helped Lance bond with his peers could not be denied. Instead, they started shifting things around to give them the space to have their storytelling time, especially after a hard mission or fight.
If they noticed, they never said anything, and as the war with the Galra continued, Hunk's Storytelling Time became precious.
*Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, for those who know it as that. I'm not sure what title is used in what countries, so I went with the one we have in the UK.
PS-So, there is the start of Hunk's Storytelling Time. Please let me know what you thought, as well as any chapter suggestions, and I hope to update soon.