By the time Monday morning practice rolled around, Hunk was exhausted but exhilarated. He had spent two days helping Paton work on her house and her truck, he had gotten to know her better, and he was feeling himself falling fast for her. Any chance he got to stand close or steal a kiss, he took full advantage of, not that she seemed to mind.

This was all new to Hunk. Sure, he had dated and he was by no means an innocent virgin, but there was something definitely special about Paton. Not only was she beautiful and smart, but she was also quick witted, loved to work with her hands, and strongly independent. Hunk had never had a 'type' before, but as he's gotten to know Paton, it has become very clear that Police Chief Paton Lacko was his 'type'.

Assuming all went well this week with the arrival of the former Deikun slaves, Hunk made plans to help Paton at her place the following weekend, to start putting the porch up. After pouring the cement on Sunday afternoon, Paton had laid the blueprints out on the kitchen island and showed Hunk what she and her brother had worked up. It was going to be a lot of hard work, but once it was done, it would look as though it had always been a part of the old cottage and it would be a fantastic entertaining space.

"Hunk?" Pidge asked as they crossed the castle grounds. They had finished practice and the two of them were heading down to the old barracks that were being prepared for the visitors.

"What?"

"You spent a lot of time at the police chief's place this past weekend."

"Yup."

"What, uh, what's going on?"

"I think I found the woman I'm going to marry."

Pidge stopped abruptly. "You can't be serious."

Hunk turned to his friend. "I'm dead serious. She…well, it's like she was made for me. It's like whatever gods are out there, looked into my head, my heart and created her from every ideal I've ever had."

"Oh, geez, now you're spouting poetry? What is going on?"

"I think I'm in love with Paton."

"You haven't even known her a week."

"Keith fell in love with Allura about thirty seconds after they met and no one thought that was strange."

Pidge rolled his eyes. "I'm going to be the last bachelor standing, aren't I?"

"It's starting to look that way."

"She's coming to the picnic, isn't she?"

"Yeah, but she'll be working. Keith and Allura want the people coming to know the local police and who they can go to for help."

"So, you're not going to sneak off somewhere and make out, are you?"

Hunk shrugged as they reached the barracks. "I'm certainly going to try."

The picnic was a much larger affair than any of them had anticipated. Men, women, and children of all ages and conditions, most of them thin and weak, arrived on Arus. After Allura officially welcomed the former slaves to their new home, they were dismissed to eat and finally relax a little.

Hunk made his rounds with the other members of the Force, greeting people and welcoming them, letting the parents know they were going to be playing ball after lunch if their kids wanted to join. He kept an eye on Lance, knowing his teammate was just looking for a chance to pick a fight with Jesse McCormick, a guy they all knew, and disliked, from their days at the Academy. Something was going on with Jesse and Darcy, but Hunk didn't know the details.

After gathering a plate of food, Hunk made his way over to join a table with Pidge, Dante, and a handful of former slaves. These particular gentlemen looked healthier than the others and seemed to be pumping Pidge and Dante for information on the Arusian military.

Just as he set his plate down, Hunk saw Paton talking to a young family fresh off the transport ship. She was dressed in a formal uniform, one to make her stand out and let the visitors know who she was and where to find her. The uniform was made up of navy blue slacks with a gold stripe down the outside of the pant legs, a navy blue jacket with gold piping, and a crisp white blouse. She had a hat tucked under her arm and her thick, black hair was pulled back into a tight twist, not a single hair out of place. She gave off the aura of a no-nonsense professional, but the smile on her face made her appear friendly and approachable.

This was a completely different look from when he had seen her at the bar or hard at work on her house, but it was just as appealing. When she crouched down to the level of the child clinging to his mother's hand, Hunk felt his heart tighten in a new feeling he wasn't quite sure of.

"Hunk! Ground control to Hunk, come in Hunk!"

He tore his gaze from Paton and turned to look at Pidge. "What?"

"We've been trying to get your attention, are you with us here, man?"

Hunk set sat down on the bench across from his friend. "Sorry, I was distracted, what's up?"

Dante looked over his shoulder and saw Paton. "And what a lovely distraction it is."

Hunk scowled at him. "Watch it."

Shaking his head, Pidge tried to steer the conversation back to what he had been discussing with the former slaves. "These guys are interested in working on some of the ships, we had talked about mechanic training."

"Oh yeah, as the Air Brigade grows, we're going to need more help keeping the machines in top shape."

"What about the Lions?" One of the new guys asked.

Hunk shook his head. "Sorry, dude, we're the only ones who work on the Lions. But the planes we're getting from the Garrison for the Air Brigade are incredible and top of the line. If you have an interest in getting under the hood, you'll learn a lot and enjoy it. Excuse me."

As Paton made her way over to the food, Hunk left the guys behind to go talk to her. As he left, he heard Pidge mutter to Dante, "We've lost another one."

"Chief Lacko?"

She turned and her face lit up when she saw Hunk standing behind her. "Lieutenant Landers, how are you on this beautiful day?"

"I'm doing very well, how are you?"

She leaned closer and lowered her voice. "To be honest, a little overwhelmed. Did you know there were going to be this many people?"

"We had an idea, but I don't think any of us, including Allura, fully understood the sheer number."

Paton nodded. "Well, they're very lucky. Arus is the safest place for them and, I think, in the long run, we will all benefit from having the Deikuns join us here."

Hunk smiled at her. "How's the concrete?"

"Good! It's setting up real well. As long as it doesn't rain, we should be good to go next weekend."

"And as long as nothing happens, I'll be by early afternoon again. Keith has us upping our practice, Lotor is getting fidgety again."

She took a step closer. "How bad is it?"

He shrugged. "Nothing we can't handle."

"Keep me updated and let me know if there is anything I can do to help."

"Just keep an eye on Alforia so we can concentrate on doing away with Lotor."

The next couple of days seemed to spiral out of control as Caleb and Darcy went on a rescue mission to get Romelle off Pollux, where they were being attacked by Doom. During the rescue, Darcy was seriously injured.

Paton knew all that was going on as Hunk texted her daily, she had spent time with Darcy and the others at the picnic and had gotten to know, and like, the pilot. Her heart broke for Hunk as he helped one of his best friends deal with his girlfriend's injuries. It was also hard for him and the other Force members who had become close friends with Darcy.

Early Saturday morning, Paton set up her table saw in the side yard and began measuring and cutting the wood for the deck. She wasn't expecting Hunk to show up, he wasn't sure if he could get away. He had explained on the phone the night before that Keith was cracking down on their free time, they needed to be ready at any moment in case there was an attack.

She understood the importance of his work and his duty to Arus, but Paton would be lying if she didn't admit that she was disappointed he couldn't come down to help. From the beginning, she had been excited about doing all the work herself so she could step back when she was done and say "I did that!" But she quickly found that she enjoyed sharing the work with Hunk. Not only did he know what he was doing and made the work go more quickly, but she just enjoyed being with him.

The previous weekend, after they had poured the concrete foundation, he had taken a stick and written their initials and the date in the back corner of the wet concrete. He told her that someday, someone would find it and wonder who had built the deck.

He made the work she enjoyed so much more fun.

But there was still work to be done and she didn't want to get behind, so Paton got to work cutting the wood. The design her brother had come up with was a large octagonal shape with the floor done in a circular pattern. The end of the porch that lined up with the edge of the house was a rectangular section attached to one side of the octagon and would hold the table and chairs. The rectangle would be laid first and then the circular floor would start with longer pieces fitted in a large circle that gets tighter as it gets to the center. Each piece had to be carefully measured and cut to the exact specifications or her brother was going to show up on her doorstep and kick her butt.

By mid afternoon, Paton had made a large dent in cutting the wood. At this rate, she should have it all cut today and start installing tomorrow.

Just as she added another cut two by four to the pile, a car pulled into her driveway. The black paint job and dark windows made her think it was one of the castle cars, but it still shocked her when the door opened and Hunk stepped out, his tool box in one hand and his tool belt in the other.

Paton slid her safety goggles up to rest on top of her head as he crossed the yard.

"Hi," he said, half heartedly, as he slipped his belt on.

"Hi, how…how are you?"

"Oh, I've been better." He set his tool box on the ground and looked at her, his eyes darkened as they took in her old blue jeans, ripped at the knees, and the white tank top she was wearing, her tool belt slung low on her hips. "Actually, I'm doing better now."

"I didn't think you'd be here today."

"I needed to get out. Keith gave me a couple of hours."

He looked so tired, like he hadn't slept in days. She knew the practice schedule was brutal and he was worried about his friend. She walked over to him. "We don't have to do this now."

"I need to do something," he admitted quietly. "I need to keep busy."

She understood all too well what he was saying. When you feel helpless, when you want to do something but there is nothing you can do, you have to find some way to keep busy or you feel like you're losing your mind.

"I'm glad you came by."

"So am I. Spending time with you always helps."

Paton couldn't help the excited thrill that raced up her spine. "I'm glad to help in any way I can."

Hunk reached out and ran his hands up and down her arms before pulling her into a tight hug. She wrapped her arms around his neck and offered him the comfort he so obviously needed.

"Has there been any change at all?" Paton asked.

"She's off the respirator and breathing on her own."

She leaned back to look at him. "That's great news!"

"Yeah, but the longer she's unconscious, the more serious it becomes."

"How's Lance doing?"

"He doesn't leave her side." Hunk slowly released her from his embrace. "Let's get some work done. Where should I start?"

"Uh, well, I've been cutting the wood to size, you can start laying the table area if you want." Paton took him over to the table she had made with a couple of saw horses and a piece of plywood where she had tacked down the blue prints.

For the next two hours, Paton continued to cut the wood while Hunk started laying the floor. They worked in silence, concentrating on their tasks at hand.

Never before had Hunk thought he would be so turned on by a woman in ripped jeans, a tank top, and a tool belt. When he got out of the car, Paton stood beside the table saw, her left hip cocked and her hands on her hips and he had never seen a sexier image in his life.

And she didn't even realize the affect she had on him.

But then he was overcome with guilt at the thoughts entered his mind. He should not be having the thoughts he was having about Paton while Arus was under threat and his teammate was unconscious in the hospital.

"Wow, I didn't expect to get this much work done today."

Hunk looked up to see Paton standing over him as he knelt on the small completed section of deck, his drill in hand. "When you're as organized as you are about all this, the work goes by fast."

"Why don't we take a break?"

"Sounds good to me." He stood and followed her into the house.

"I have iced tea, beer, water. What can I get you?"

"You know what, a beer would be nice right about now."

Paton took off her tool belt and set it on the counter. "When do you have to go back to the castle?"

"Unless Keith contacts me sooner, I don't have to be back until six."

"That gives us an hour and a half. I'd offer to make something for dinner, but I just don't feel like it. Want to order something in?"

Hunk leaned against the island and took the beer she offered. "Sure. There is a new pizza place in town, isn't there?"

She nodded. "We ordered it for lunch the other day at the station, the thin crust is good."

"Sounds good to me." He watched as she turned to the counter where she had an ad from the restaurant and dialed in to place the order. Deciding to give in to the same instinct that had led him to cross the bar and have Keith introduce him to Paton, Hunk walked up behind her and traced a finger down her muscular arm.

She shivered and whirled around, pointing to the phone pressed to her ear. "Delivery."

Grinning mischievously, Hunk leaned over and pressed a kiss to her shoulder at the edge of her tank top strap. She smelled like sawdust and sunshine.

Paton tried to swat him away. "Pepperoni."

Hunk kissed her cheek and whispered. "And sausage."

"Can we add sausage to the pizza as well?" She asked, putting her hand on his chest and only half-heartedly pushing him away. "Do we want breadsticks?"

"Of course," he murmured, capturing her earlobe between his teeth.

"Yeah, we'll take an order of breadsticks…okay…sounds good…thanks." Paton turned off her phone and set it on the counter. She put her hands on his chest and gently pushed him back. "A couple of things, one, I am starving and you made it really hard to place that order."

Hunk shrugged. "You did fine."

"And two, I am sweaty and gross."

He moved so she was pinned between him and the counter. "No, you're glowing and you're beautiful." Sliding his hands down her sides to her hips, Hunk gently pressed his lips to hers, coaxing a kiss from her as he gripped her hips and picked her up, setting her on the edge of the counter so he could move to stand between her legs, getting closer and deepening the kiss.

Paton slid her hands up his arms, over his shoulders and wrapped them loosely around his neck.

He lifted his head to look down at her as she licked her lips and leaned forward to press a kiss to his neck. "You know what I've wanted to do since I saw you at the picnic?"

She leaned back to look at him, "I can imagine."

"Oh, you have no idea. But whenever I see your hair up like this." He slid his hand up the back of her neck to where her hair had been piled into a messy bun to keep it out of the way. "I want to pull out every pin or tie or whatever you use and watch it fall."

"Really?"

"When you were all prim and proper in your uniform and your hair was so perfectly twisted back, I just really wanted to mess it all up."

She laughed and locked her fingers behind his neck. "Why?"

"I love your hair," he said, sliding his fingers up until he felt the small metal pins. "And I want to feel it falling into my fingers." He wiggled his fingers and felt a few of the pins fall as her hair came loose. "Do you always wear it back in a twist like that when you're on duty?"

She closed her eyes and let her head fall back into his hand as he massaged her scalp. "Yeah, I have to keep it back, it gives perps something to grab hold of."

He scowled. "I don't like thinking about you wrestling some perp."

Paton opened her eyes and met his gaze with her own. "Well, I don't like thinking about you going into battle, but we both have our duties to fulfill. So…what do you want to do about it?"

Hunk watched her hair fall down to her shoulders around the hand he still had cradling the back of her head. He pulled her close so her cheek pressed against his and he could whisper in her ear. "We could both quit and start a construction company."

She laughed. "We'll keep that as our retirement plan."

Her laughter quickly turned to a gasp when he swiped his tongue across the side of her neck.

He smiled against her skin before doing it again and her gasp turned to a groan. "You're so beautiful," he whispered.

"Hunk."

He lifted his head to look at her.

"I need to go take a shower."

"Is that an invitation?" He asked.

Paton hesitated before responding, bringing her hand down over his shoulder to his chest, laying her palm over his racing heart. "Maybe."

"I could wash your back." He offered.

"The pizza will be here in 20 minutes, can we be done by then?"

The last thing Hunk wanted was for their first time together to be rushed. He considered telling her to forget the food, something he had never even thought of doing before, when he felt a vibration in his pocket. With a disappointed sigh, he pulled his communicator out of and flipped it open. "Yeah, Landers."

"Hey, Hunk, we need you back at the castle." Keith replied.

"Now?"

"Yes now."

"Is it Darcy?"

"Actually, that's the good news, she came to and there was no brain or spinal damage. She has a long road to recovery ahead of her, but she'll be fine."

Paton squeezed his free hand excitedly.

"That's great news, Cap."

"We have to have a meeting though. We're getting some new intel and I want to get everyone on the same page as soon as possible."

"All right, I'll be there in less than ten." Hunk snapped his communicator shut and looked up at Paton. "Sorry."

"Duty calls," she said, understandingly.

"I want to see you again, soon."

"Any time, Hunk." Paton slid off the counter and walked to the door with him. "Sorry you'll miss the pizza."

"More sorry I'll miss the shower."

She went up on her toes and gave him a quick kiss. "Keep me updated and let me know if there is anything I can do."

Hunk hesitated a moment, he wanted to tell her how he felt, but it just didn't seem like the right time. "I will. Goodbye, Paton."

"Goodbye, Hunk."

The next day, Hunk swapped his guard duty with Caleb so he could spend most of the day with Paton. With all the wood cut, they made quick work of the deck floor. They spent all afternoon, working in unison, finishing up early in the evening.

Grabbing cold pizza and beer, they ate dinner sitting in the middle of the deck, facing each other.

"I can't thank you enough," Paton said. "There is no way I could have gotten this done so quickly without you."

"I've enjoyed myself," he told her. "Are we doing the railing next weekend?"

"If you'd like to."

"I would. We could probably have the whole thing done in a couple days."

"The grill is scheduled to be delivered on Wednesday."

"Will you be here to get it?"

"I'm having them deliver it to the station, I'll have them load it into Petunia and bring it home after work."

Hunk took a swig of his beer. "You're not unloading it yourself, are you?"

"I can do it."

"I can bring a two-wheeler down from the castle and help."

Paton leaned back on her hands and stared at him. "I feel like I'm using you too much."

He winked at her. "You can use me all you want."

"Oh, can I?" She asked, seductively licking her lip.

"Name it."

"Clean the gutters."

"I'll expect payment for that one."

"How much?"

Pushing aside the plates, he leaned over and kissed her. "Use your imagination."

"I could bake you cookies."

He shrugged. "That'll work."

"You want another beer?" She asked, standing and picking up the plates.

"No, thanks, I'm good. Need help?"

"Nah, I can handle a couple of plates." Paton carried them inside and put them in the dishwasher before returning to the deck.

Hunk was stretched out on his back, his hands folded behind his head.

"You look comfy," she said, sitting down beside him.

"It is quite comfy."

Paton turned and lay perpendicular to him, leaning back to use his chest as a pillow.

Hunk removed his left hand from behind his head, running it down her arm. Taking the hint, Paton reached up and took his hand.

For several minutes they laid in companionable silence watching the sky darken and the stars begin to pop out.

"I could stay here all night," Paton sighed.

"I wish we could." He agreed.

"Tell me about being on the Voltron Force."

"Why?"

"I like listening to you and feeling your chest rumble under my head."

He chuckled. "I can't be a very comfortable pillow."

She brought their joined hands up so she could kiss his fingers. "You're very comfy."

For nearly an hour, they watched the sun set and the stars appear as Hunk told her about the team arriving on Arus and the battles they fought. She was full of questions about Doom and Lotor, about the rebuilding, and Voltron.

"I have to head back to the castle."

"I know."

"I don't want to go."

"I don't want you to."

Hunk squeezed her hand. "Come up to the castle for dinner."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I want you to know my friends."

"When?"

"Pick an evening you're free, you're welcome any time."

"How about Wednesday, you come help me unload the grill and then we can go up the castle."

"Sounds good to me."

"What should I wear?"

Hunk laughed. "Whatever you're comfortable in, it's just a regular dinner, not a state dinner."

"Don't laugh at me, this'll be my first time in a castle." She sat up and stretched.

He stood and held his hands out to her, helping her to her feet. "Just come and be your awesome self and we'll have a great time."