A/N: switching it up a bit.

note: this chapter features insecurity, which will probably appear again in upcoming chapters.

enjoy!

Keith was a coward at times. He knew it; he wasn't afraid to admit it. He believed it was important to know one's flaws. Currently, he was avoiding his mother's dagger, as well as training. He concluded that the knife probably expanded into a sword because the insignia was showing, so everything would be fine so long as he kept it wrapped. He came to this conclusion immediately, but was still too afraid to go back out and train—even without the dagger.

Instead, he was making up for the lack of training by putting all his effort into his self-defence class. He no longer cared about staying on the same level as the rest of his classmates, unleashing his full power. He probably didn't give out a neutral image anymore either, classmates began avoiding him in the class as well as outside class. Occasionally he forgot which exercises he was supposed to be going through and his body naturally moved through his personal training regimen. The instructor noticed and called out Keith's name, snapping him out of autopilot.

"This is a self-defence class, Keith, not a fighting class." The instructor said it in a joking tone, causing some of his classmates to laugh, but it made him feel a bit guilty. He went back to doing what he was supposed to be doing, and toned down a bit. He didn't care who or how much people disliked him, or why, but he did not want to be someone others were afraid of.

As the days went by Keith could feel himself become more frustrated and quicker to anger. He had many questions, none of which could be answered.

He wanted to know what the insignia meant and stood for; why his mother was hiding things from him; why she left something so important with him. He wanted to express his fury to someone, but there was no one he could talk to. He had no choice but to keep it all bottled inside. The feeling of resentment was also bubbling up. He often cursed at Zarkon for forcing him to go through this "bullcrap" situation, using words he learned from those around him.

The negative emotions were causing Keith to turn back on any progress he had made. He must've appeared even more unapproachable than before, there used to be a few students who would sometimes strike up a small conversation with him, but now they avoided his gaze. He could hear more people gossiping about him as well, and their speculations drifted further and further from the truth. At first Keith minded, he didn't want to have such a bad image, but then he realised he couldn't care less about his reputation so long as he didn't appear like Zarkon, and as long as he wasn't going to get expelled. He was probably never going to see these people again, so there was no point in being friendly.

It was yet to be confirmed, but Keith noticed that he had been using up Quintessence a lot faster than he had previously. He was reapplying almost every day now, and was steadily making his way through the vials. There was still a lot left so he wasn't all that concerned, however if this pattern continued he knew he could soon be in a lot of trouble.

Keith was no longer going outside to train, however he was still sneaking out. The nights he would've spent training, he spent on the roof instead. While the stars couldn't completely rid Keith of his anger and frustration, it helped suppress them for a bit. He wasn't imagining himself being on Daibazaal anymore, he didn't really want to think of his mother. For the first time, Keith didn't feel any appeal towards being at home. Furthermore, Earth was still too foreign for him, so he was truly alone.

Lance was ecstatic when Hunk got cleared to use the cafeteria kitchen. The two boys hit it off immediately the moment they met, and Lance couldn't be more happy. When sharing things about themselves, Hunk mentioned he enjoyed making food. Well, he then corrected himself and said he enjoyed eating the food he made more, but the process was nice too. That got Lance excited, and said he would love to try one of his dishes some day. Until they saw the cafeteria, Lance didn't think that day would come so soon.

"Hunk, come on! There's no one there, we can ask them now." Lance was trying to get Hunk to ask whether he could use the kitchen when the staff members didn't need it, but the other boy was hesitant. He was the one who pondered about it, and Lance wanted to make it a reality for him. Hunk wasn't a risk taker, which is why he just wanted to leave after eating, but that was okay because Lance was. Sometimes he liked the thrill, that leap of faith, and since this was for Hunk and not himself, his confidence was at a higher level than usual. When Hunk didn't reply for the nth time, Lance took initiative and walked right up to the staff member who served them food earlier. Hunk ran after him, telling him to stop, but immediately grew silent when Lance started talking.

"Hi! We're new students here, but I guess you know that already. I was just wondering, my friend over here," Hunk shrunk even further into himself and Lance was impressed, "is a great cook, and he wanted to know if he could use the kitchen some time. When you guys aren't busy, of course, we don't want to inconvenience you."

The staff member seemed to survey them, with a look that caused even Lance to be a bit nervous. After a few moments of silence, they got a reply.

"No. Why should we let you use our kitchen? Do you need to make meals every day for numerous students? Do you pay for all the materials and ingredients? I didn't think so." The staff member then turned around but Lance wasn't going to let the conversation end there.

"You don't pay for everything either though!" Lance's slight outburst caused the staff member to turn back around and glare at him, but he didn't back down. "You're getting paid to make food for us, aren't you? And judging by the amount of money we need to pay every school year I doubt they'd make you guys pay out-of-pocket for these things. I'm sure you get excess material, in case of emergencies or something, so could you not spare some of that for my friend? He won't even be using a lot. His servings will probably be for two people, four tops." Lance got closer and closer to the staff member as he spoke, until he reached the 'staff only' point.

The staff member sighed and resigned. "I'm going to assume you won't back down until I say yes anyways, so fine. Your friend can use the kitchen. I'll have to speak to my supervisor about it, figure out various conditions and when you'll be able to use the kitchen, so check up with me every now and then."

Hunk appeared dissatisfied with the response, and found the courage to speak for the first time during this interaction. "You have to speak with your supervisor? Are you sure they'll say yes? Can you guarantee that they'll allow it? Tell me you'll grant us permission." Hunk probably didn't realise it, but he had stepped over the point where students were allowed and the staff member seemed alarmed, as did Lance.

"Yes, fine", the staff member rushed, "we will grant you permission to use the kitchen. Just leave, first, please." Hunk brightened up immediately and Lance pulled him away so they wouldn't get in trouble.

"Thanks, Lance." Hunk said when they turned around. "Why did you say I was a good cook though? You haven't tried my food yet."

"I don't doubt your skills." Lance beamed and made finger guns at the other boy. They continued making their way to the exit, and then Lance spotted Keith. Lance found Keith interesting, and if he was to be their main pilot, they had to be able to work as a team.

"Keith! What's up, my man? Oh, did you just eat?" Lance asked, eyeing the snacks in Keith's hand. "The food is pretty good here. But you know what is apparently better? Hunk's food! He got approved to use the kitchen so expect some tasty dishes soon." Lance didn't mean to decide who Hunk was going to share his food with, but decided that he would give Keith a part of his portion if Hunk didn't. Keith didn't reply and glared in response, causing Lance to retaliate the same way. Lance had tried to be friendly, but if this was the game Keith wanted to play, then he would play it.

"Try smiling for once Keith," Lance pointed at himself grinning to show an example, "it might stop the darkness radiating off you." He was exaggerating of course, but it was somewhat close to the truth. Of all the people Lance had met and seen so far, Keith was by far the least approachable. Once again Keith didn't respond and this time he just walked off. Lance made no effort to stop him or anything, thinking of it as a win. Lance one, Keith zero.

Hunk was so very glad Lance got him permission to use the kitchen. He remembered how he had thanked the boy continuously, and the reply he got every time.

"There's no need to keep thanking me, big guy. You wanted to make food, I wanted to taste the food you made. It's a win-win situation! Food is all the payment I need."

Cooking always brought Hunk relief, and he was glad he could find some way to relax at the Galaxy Garrison. He was excited to come here, knowing it would be stressful, but it was still more than he had imagined. Being able to cook relieved a lot of that stress. He could take his mind off things and just be in the zone.

Currently he was finishing the last batch of cookies, and listening to what Lance was saying. He was glad his new friend was a talker, because he was often too nervous to start up a conversation with anyone new. Even though they only met and became friends recently, Hunk couldn't imagine what it would be like without Lance by his side.

"Our roommates are so weird, Hunk, have you noticed? Firstly we have Keith, who's just broody all the time and doesn't seem to want to be around people at all. And then we have Pidge, who, like, I don't know, I can't even say anything because he's away all the time! What could he be doing that means he's never in the dorm? Ugh, I miss my family. I told you a bit about them, right? They're really special, you know, I wish I could see them soon. Back to Keith though—he's so annoying! Why does he always want to fight me, what have I ever done to him? I can't believe he's the fighter pilot, what happens if he never talks to us, how will we be a team? Honestly, I'm just glad I'm still a pilot though, even if it's cargo class. I'm so excited to fly, it's always been my dream, you know? It would be so nice to just—mmh, Hunk, these are really good cookies!"

Hunk smiled at his friend, who was eating one cookie after another. "I'm glad you like them."

"Yeah, definitely no regrets in asking that staff member to let you use the kitchen. Also, why do they always seem so rude? I know it's their job but, like, they're getting paid and stuff. Oh, you know who else is rude? Keith. Maybe he's the way he is because he thinks he's better than everyone else, just because he's older. I still can't believe that, by the way. It's just annoying because it feels like home again. Some of my siblings don't like me, or least they didn't when I was younger. It's not like I chose to be the youngest." Lance groaned and put his head down against the counter.

Hunk had done some analysing of everything Lance had said about Keith, and decided to be upfront about his conclusions, thinking that maybe it could help them get closer. Personally, he didn't think Keith was all that bad. He certainly wasn't perfect, Hunk often helped Keith with his maths work.

"That sucks about your family, man. It'll get better with age though, yeah? But anyways, with Keith, are you sure it's not just jealousy? I mean, he's been getting a lot more attention, and you said he was weirdly exceptional at the physical stuff. He's a pretty nice guy, if you actually have a decent conversation with him. Maybe things are just not living up to what you expected them to be, and you're taking it out on him." Hunk didn't want to be harsh, but he wanted Lance to see from his point of view.

"No way! Why would I, Lance, be jealous of a mullet head like Keith? It's okay that you're playing devil's advocate but nah, not true." Lance now had his hands crossed and was pouting.

Hunk chuckled to himself and wondered why he thought things would go as planned. "Well if it helps you sleep at night, I think he hates the attention he's getting." Hunk often saw Keith being held up by their classmates, and felt sorry for the guy. He didn't really seem like the outgoing type, so to have many people bombard you must've been overwhelming.

"Is it alright if we stop talking about Keith now? All of this is starting to give me a headache," Lance groaned again but then sat up immediately and rested his chin on his hands. "Tell me about your family!"

And Hunk did.

"Hunk. Let's investigate our roommates. We're going to find out what's going on, once and for all." Lance had just walked out the shower, still towelling his hair.

"Uh, what?" Hunk looked up from where he was sitting with a confused expression, eyeing Lance.

"I thought about it, and there's no way we'll pass if we continue being the way we are now. I didn't come all the way here just to flunk out after one semester. I want us all to pass, even if it means I need to be civil with Keith. We can find out what's bothering them and help them if they need." Lance was being serious. Sure, not everything was living up to his dreams, but he was willing to make some sacrifices in order to come close to it. He just got into the Galaxy Garrison, and he wasn't about to let poor teamwork set him back out.

"Okay, just word it a bit better next time, Lance." Hunk was still watching Lance, as if he was hiding something. Lance shrugged, like he had no clue what Hunk was getting at. And he didn't… Or, well, maybe he did… Except that didn't matter because the overall intention was still there.

"Don't really know what you mean by that," Lance thought he worded everything perfectly, "but okay. First, we'll try find out about Keith—he's home a lot more. Not now though. Now is sleep time." Lance climbed into bed after completely drying his hair, but found himself buzzing with anticipation, making it hard to fall asleep.

Keith shared a lot of classes with Lance and Hunk, so it was easy to gauge his behaviour. He often sat at the very edges of the classroom, and worked alone even if the teacher allowed otherwise. Ever since the whole fiasco with his age and eye colour, he retreated even more into himself. Lance also noticed that he started acting differently in their self-defence class. Sometimes he would appear quite aggressive, like he was attacking instead of defending—or maybe he was, Lance couldn't tell the difference. It probably should've made Lance want to stay away but all he felt in those moments were sympathy. He wanted to know why Keith was projecting his emotions like that, what he was hiding.

Lance forgot about those feelings every time he actually interacted with Keith. He didn't know why, but something about the older boy always got him riled up. He felt the need to just be better, as if making up for the fact that he was only the cargo pilot.

When he first found his name listed second in the table, his heart dropped. His whole dream was to come to the Galaxy Garrison and be a fighter pilot, leading his team on explorations. Now, he wouldn't actually get to fly unless there was an emergency, and his role was reduced to being the right-hand man. He doubted he could even be that, considering how Keith was the one in charge. Even if the only way Keith listened to Hunk and Pidge was out of obligation, Lance didn't believe he was included. There was nothing saying that the fighter pilot had to take the cargo pilot's words into consideration, so what was the point? Lance was nothing but a backup, the fourth wheel. Still, he wasn't just about to give up. Even if he was just an extra, he would make sure that he passed, that everyone passed.

Nothing about Keith seemed to be out of the ordinary. He was just broody and isolated himself a lot. Which was okay, except for the fact that he was enrolled in a program which required teamwork in order to pass. Lance had sometimes heard him sneaking out after their curfew as well, so there was that too.

Lance could not think of what anyone could do after hours that was worth the risk of getting caught. Unless… There was no chance Keith was sneaking out to meet someone, was there? Lance shook the thought away has soon as it entered his mind, berating himself for thinking something so outlandish. He had seen how Keith interacted, or how he didn't interact, with those around him. There was no way he could've gotten close to someone without Lance, or Hunk, noticing. But even then, Lance found himself watching Keith a bit more closely, as well as those around him.

What probably annoyed Lance the most about Keith, or what fuelled the rivalry, was Keith's physical ability. Lance himself was quite good at sport and such, it was what he was best at; but Keith? Keith was insane. He made everything look easy and barely broke a sweat even when completing the most straining exercises. He, unsurprisingly, kept to himself during their self-defence class, and the distance between him and the other classmates seemed to be at an all-time high recently, both physically and in ability. Lance and Keith were basically on par before; they completed the set exercises at the same time, and both got little to no corrections. Recently, though? Keith was going all out. He was completing exercises in half the time he used to, although he was receiving more corrections from their instructor. Lance had no clue where this change came from. He couldn't tell whether Keith was holding back before, or whether he was picking up the skillset a lot easier than Lance was. It didn't really matter to Lance, whichever it was, it just meant that he had to catch up.

Lance was overexerting himself. He could barely move without his muscles hurting, and had to spend a lot more time stretching after every session. Their first allocated break had arrived, which meant there were a lot less people in the Garrison, but it also meant that most of the facilities were open to those who remained.

Hunk had gone home, saying the kitchen here was not too shabby, but came nothing close to what he had at home. He said he "needed to let off some steam, relax, and eat homemade food for a while." One of his family members' birthday was during the break too, so he was also going back to visit them and celebrate.

Pidge… had possibly gone home too? It was difficult to tell because all his things were still here, but Lance hadn't seen even a glimpse of him since break started. Man, Lance had thought to himself, who would've thought I'd end up in a team with someone who's barely ever here and someone else who can't get along with anyone?

Those were the only two members absent, which meant Keith and Lance remained. Lance didn't know why Keith stayed behind, but he also didn't really care to find out. He was too busy with his own motivations. At the start of the school year there were multiple times Lance had longed for home, whether it was because things weren't shaping out to be like he hoped, or just because he missed it. Now, when the applications for leave were actually posted online, Lance barely glanced at it. He wanted to stay because it was the perfect opportunity for him to catch up, he needed the extra time. This didn't stop him from feeling guilty though, as he promised his family he would go back and visit them as soon as he could. He tried to justify it, telling himself it was difficult for his parents to sustain a large family, so it would lessen the burden if they didn't need to take care of him as well for a few extra days. Besides, the next break would come before they knew it—it wasn't like he would never see them again.

And so Lance threw himself into work. He visited the training room every day and occasionally went to the resource centre. He didn't feel the need to catch up academically; he certainly wasn't the worst in his class and he would do well enough so long as he put in the effort. No, what he wanted more than anything was to be at the highest level for physical ability. The same level as Keith.

It was irritating to see that Keith was training every day as well, and for longer than Lance. They seemed to be the only ones who frequented the room, so there was a silent agreement as to who got which side of the room, and anyone else who came could just go in between. In between usually meant Lance's side, because Keith was not the type to give out a friendly and welcoming image. Lance didn't mind that much, he gained a sparring partner that way.

One-time Lance was on a drink break, and found his eyes wandering to Keith. He watched as the older boy moved, and it was captivating. He moved as if the staff was an extension of himself, and like a body of water flowing in a river. Behind all that though, when Lance snapped himself out of the daze he saw something else. He could see annoyance, and anger, and bitterness. He could see it in Keith's facial expressions, in how he struck at the air. Lance realised Keith may be keeping some feelings bottled up, and this may be causing the drift between him and everyone else. He decided, that for the better of the team, he should talk to Keith and figure out what was wrong.

Talking to Keith was not easy. The guy was elusive, and he moved fast, making it hard to follow. The only chances Lance had were during mealtimes and back at their dorm. Keith usually sat alone in the cafeteria, and Lance didn't feel like sitting with any of his new friends without Hunk by his side, so he saw no harm in sitting across Keith.

It wasn't… awkward, per se, but there seemed to be tension in the air. Keith looked up the first time Lance plotted his food in front of him, with a somewhat amused expression on his face. He grunted out a "what are you doing here?" to which Lance answered, cheerily, that he wanted to keep him company. Keith then made a noise resembling a snort and went back to his food, not looking up once. Once he finished, he walked away without sparing Lance a glance. Although Lance tried not to, he took offence to it. He did try and put himself in Keith's shoes to imagine how he would react, to see if it would help him understand. It didn't. Lance reckoned he would've still been civil, and anger flared inside him again. He pushed it aside, telling himself this was bigger than himself, it was for the team, so it meant he had to try harder.

Lance continued sitting with Keith at each mealtime, and usually failed to get the other boy to join in on conversation. When Lance realised it would be a lost cause, he switched to a different tactic. Instead of trying to get Keith to talk to him, he just talked to himself for Keith to listen. He thought that maybe if Keith could see he was like any other male their age, he would open up a bit. And even if Keith didn't listen, it was a way for Lance to get his thoughts out, and it was nicer talking at someone than talking to himself.

At first it still felt weird, but once he got going he found it difficult to stop. He started talking about how he was finding the Garrison, his various classes, his anticipations for what was to come—the generic stuff. Soon enough, however, he was talking about his friendship with Hunk, what they had done, and things Keith could potentially join in on too. Lance wasn't really watching Keith for a reaction as he talked, but sometimes he would catch his eye and after Keith turned away, he couldn't stop looking. A scowl usually returned to Keith's face when he went back to his food, but just before that, there was always a split second of something else. Something soft, almost like he was entranced. Lance wasn't sure whether it was him or the stories that caused it, but he was glad Keith let his walls down, even just for a bit.

Since communicating with Keith while eating was a no-go, Lance decided to talk to him when they were both in their dorm. This usually occurred after dinner and before lights out, since they were both busy with other things during the day. It was easier for Keith to shut Lance out in the dorm, he could hide in the bathroom or hide under his covers, but it was also a much more informal environment.

Lance found that he could actually get a word or two out of Keith when they were alone in their room, even if it came out cold and shut down further interactions. He decided to try and build up to a conversation, slowly asking more, and asking more personal things. He asked about Keith's emotions one time, but said it in a joking tone so he could feel more comfortable. It, unfortunately, did not work out.

"Hey, Keith, I was just wondering. What's up? Especially recently, you've been a lot more moody and get angry easily. Have my remarks been too good for you?"

Keith didn't reply but he did look at Lance and narrow his eyes at him.

"Seriously, Keith, I'll back down if you want. Give you some time to think of comebacks, you know?"

This time, Keith closed his eyes and took a deep breath in. When his eyes opened, Lance found himself frozen, staring into striking violet.

"Look, Lance. You want to know what's going on? Fine. I really miss home, okay?" Keith then looked away and muttered something under his breath about a 'situation being real shitty there'. He faced Lance again, and forced out "are you happy now? I've told you what you wanted, so can you please just leave me alone for a while." The boy then climbed atop his bed, got under his covers and faced the wall.

Lance fell silent, shocked. Keith's words struck him in a weird way, and suddenly he was reminded of his own home, and how he missed it. He hadn't seen his home, his real home in what felt like forever, having moved here at a young age. A wave of guilt also washed over him, he felt horrible for prodding at Keith and riling him up when he was going through a tough time. He knew what it was like to be homesick, as well as the other feelings and emotions that come with. He resolved to back off and leave Keith alone, at least for a while, like he had said. Even if it wasn't intentional, when Lance heard the silent promise from Keith that they would interact and talk again, it filled Lance with warmth. He was glad Keith was opening up to him.

For the rest of the break, Lance let Keith be as he had asked, and they focused on their own endeavours. Even though he didn't try talk to the other boy, Lance still sat with Keith at the cafeteria because he liked the comfortable silence that fell between them. They continued that way, usually being in each other's presence but not actually talking, until everyone else returned.

Lance enveloped Hunk in a hug when he came back. Even though he wasn't gone for long, and although they had only met each other this year, Lance felt empty without the larger boy by his side. They exchanged stories, Lance had some of the delicious food Hunk brought back, then Lance asked for a favour.

"Mmh? What kind of request?" Hunk words were obscured by the food in his mouth, but Lance understood what he said.

"Remember those amazing cookies you made when you first used the kitchen?" Lance treaded carefully, not wanting to overstep his boundaries. "Is it alright if you bake some, then give it to Keith?"

Hunk was listening cautiously, but immediately smiled when Lance finished speaking. "Yeah, of course! No sweat; I'll bake some extra too so we can have some. Can I ask why?"

At that, Lance paused. While he did trust Hunk with his entire being, he doubted Keith did, so he decided to play it safe. "Oh, nothing that important. Just thought he should have a taste of your food. Also, when you give it to him, can you not tell him it's from me? Well isn't from me, it's from you, you made the food. But you know, like—"

"I won't tell him you asked me to do it, got it." Hunk went back to his food and the topic was dropped. Lance continued eating as well, but felt unsettled. He didn't want to be lying to Hunk and felt guilty about it, even though he knew there was no other way. He decided that if something like this occurred again, Lance wouldn't be able to always hide things from Hunk. Currently, Hunk meant a lot more to Lance than Keith did.

Lance was sitting in the resource centre on his device, having disregarded his work. Some time passed and soon Hunk came and sat down in front of him, with an unreadable expression on his face. Lance lowered his device and looked at Hunk, waiting for him to speak.

"So… I gave Keith the cookies," Hunk began slowly, watching Lance. Lance suddenly felt exposed and could feel his face start to heat up. "I was helping him with maths, and just before I left I placed the box in front of him. He looked surprised and was really cautious when opening the lid. Maybe he doesn't know or hasn't had a cookie before? That would be weird though. Anyways, he didn't touch them but when I walked out the door I looked back, just to check on him. Before the door completely closed I saw his hand reach out to grab a cookie. Mission accomplished, I guess you could say."

"Thank you, Hunk!" Lance stood and threw his arms up. A few curious looks were raised, as well as some angry ones, and Lance sat back down immediately. He lowered his voice, "seriously, thanks. I owe you one."

"Nah, this was no biggie. Are you just about done here? We can head out and eat the remainder of what I made Keith." Hunk then waved a plastic bag of cookies in front of Lance's face, as if he needed any persuasion.

"I'm all set. Let's go!" Lance grabbed his things and headed to the student lounge with Hunk. Lance found somewhere private to sit and began munching on the food. As he bit into his second cookie, he updated the status of their 'investigation'.

"Without revealing too much, I think I can say that Keith is going through a hard time right now, so this probably concludes this stage of the investigation. We can get to know him later… Moving onto our next suspect!"

Hunk could tell Pidge was a smart guy. He usually received top scores for tests, and never had to ask the teacher to clarify anything. Hunk shared the most classes with Pidge out of all his teammates, so Lance decided he should be the one to try talk to Pidge. One of the few classes Lance shared with him was self-defence, but he also shared that with Keith, and he deemed that beating Keith was more important than finding out what was going on with Pidge.

"I'm more like Keith, you're more like Pidge. It's as simple as that. Besides, I spent the entire break trying to figure Keith out. It's your turn now." Hunk refrained from telling Lance this was solely his idea, and that he was using Keith as an excuse to get out of interacting with Pidge.

Hunk couldn't blame the guy though, it was hard trying to get a hold of Pidge. Maybe his smartness was contributing to his evasiveness, but either way Hunk couldn't get Pidge to mutter even a single word to him. Hunk began sitting next to Pidge during classes, but he never even raised his head at the change in arrangements. Hunk didn't let that deter him, so he tried to start a conversation with Pidge when they were left to work in their own time, however even then the smaller boy would not look up. He was so focused on his work Hunk could not bring himself to interrupt his concentration.

Since he could not talk to Pidge during class, Hunk tried to find him outside of class but that proved to be just as difficult of a task. For some unexplainable reason Pidge never seemed to be around, and when he was it was extremely difficult to follow him. Back in the dorm Pidge would hide himself in the furthest corner on his bed, constantly on his device, and it would've been considered an intrusion of personal space if anyone tried to get close.

After this continued on Hunk and Lance sat down for a discussion. Following multiple fails, Hunk now felt invested in this 'investigation', he wanted to know what was up too.

"I mean, I just don't get it! Even Keith, considering who he is, interacts with us! I help him with maths all the time, for crying out loud. He's getting pretty good by the way, you better watch out for him, Lance." Hunk smirked, knowing it would get Lance riled up.

"Oh, don't you dare. You know I'm trying to catch up to him! Should we just give up? Is that it? Will our team just remain broken?" Lance suddenly looked dejected, and all Hunk wanted was to cheer him up.

"Let's not give up yet; I'm sure our chance will come."

The chance showed up in the form of a roommate cursing somewhat loudly and waking Hunk up. Hunk groaned and turned onto his other side to find Pidge hopping on one foot out of the door. It took a moment for Hunk to realise what was happening, but as soon as he did he jumped out of his bed and onto Lance.

It wasn't easy getting Lance to wake up, he was a heavy sleeper, and Hunk didn't have any experience in the field. When Lance finally opened his eyes, he looked angry.

"Hunk," he whisper yelled, "what are you doing? It's the middle of the night!"

"I know, but get this, I just saw Pidge sneak out. This is our opportunity to see what he's doing!"

Lance immediately sat up, almost hitting his head on the roof, and leapt out of bed. The boys threw on their clothes and hastily made their way to the door. Just before they walked out, Hunk hesitated.

"We shouldn't be doing this. This is a bad idea, it's past curfew, we're going to get caught!"

"Oh, come on. Keith and Pidge do it all the time. Both of them are out right now!" Lance was right, Hunk looked back to find every bed in the room empty. Their two other teammates didn't even bother pretending they were still here, leaving their covers strewn over the bed.

Hunk relented, deciding that if those two have been sneaking out all year and not getting caught, he could do it for one night.

Lance led the way, plastering himself against walls, taking sharp turns. Hunk tried his best to follow, but found himself faltering behind from uncertainty. Now, their backs were against the wall of the teacher's lounge, and Hunk was seriously regretting his actions. He told Lance this as he looked into the window at their instructors, and Lance replied asking where his sense of adventure was, he was in a space exploration program. Lance then started crawling across the ground below the windows, and Hunk had no choice but to follow suit.

…Which led to Hunk hiding in a bin. It was ridiculous, and Hunk told Lance it was ridiculous, but the boy just wouldn't listen. He said that this was the opportunity of a lifetime, that this was the beginning of their vigilante careers. Hunk tried to tell Lance that he wasn't using the word in the right context, but Lance had already jumped into a bin. A patrol walked past, and after the coast was clear, they got back out. They stood in the middle of the hallway, lost.

"Hunk, where'd Pidge go? Were you watching?"

"I thought you were watching, I was trying not to freak out in front of the patrol!"

The two boys looked at each other for some time, then sighed and hung their heads. They heard more patrollers coming around the corner, and decided to get back to their dorm before they could be spotted.

Back in their beds, they both lay on their backs, looking up. They were finding it difficult to fall asleep right away, there was still a sense of adrenaline rushing through them, resulting from a few close calls when going back to the dorm.

Hunk had just shut his eyes and was starting to drift off when he heard Lance shuffling above him.

Lance, after pondering, turned himself around onto his stomach and stuck his head out the side of his bed so he was looking at Hunk.

"Looks like it's just you and me, buddy."

A/N: okay so... season four, amirite?

anyways, my holiday was a lot more work-filled than anticipated, so I didn't get much writing done at all. I'm also going to be quite busy with work this school term, so I may not be able to update until December. (I'll still try get in some work during school or whenever I can, but it could be a while, folks.) sorry about that!

lastly, come talk to me on tumblr fandomtravellers if ya want.

edit: I got a review a few days ago and forgot to add my reply! (sorry if this causes inconveniences). thanks for the review, Guest! I'm glad you're enjoying it so far. I try to stick to canon information as much as I can, but since this is canon divergence and an alternate universe, some things will be different :))