Warning: None

Notes: This was my entry for the incredible Hunkalicious fanzine, which is chock full of amazing works!

Disclaimer: I do not own Voltron: Legendary Defender and make no profit from this work.


It's nerve-wracking at first. Iakopo has only ever been around his family and some close friends in his area, but now he has to share a space with a complete stranger.

He approaches the door and reads over the two paper slips taped to it. His name is on top and beneath it in careless scribble is "Lance Charles McClain."

I wonder what kind of person he'll be. His hands are clammy and smear sweat on the doorknob when he grips and turns it.

The sound that had been muffled into near nonexistence blares out, jolting Iakopo's already shaking nerves. A moment is spent slowing his heart rate and he finally recognizes the sound as salsa. Sitting cross-legged on one of the beds is a young boy, reading a magazine that he can barely make out the title of. The boy looks up and grins before turning down the music. Iakopo immediately looks down and feels a hot flush across his face.

"Hey! You're my roommate?"

He nods, waiting for the disappointment to follow. Instead, he hears springs creaking and looks up in time to see the boy fling himself off the bed and nearly crash into him. There are arms squeezing around him and he's too thrown off to reciprocate or even respond.

One last squeeze and the boy removes himself. Iakopo almost chases the warmth by asking for another hug, but stops himself at the last minute. Luckily this Lance kid doesn't notice the lapse in judgment as he's now talking a mile a minute. Iakopo's able to catch a few words here and there like "pilot" and "hero."

"What about you? What program are you here for?"

Iakopo freezes, not expecting the question even though it's the most obvious one around. "I, uh...I'm an-an engineer." His eyes accidentally make contact with Lance's, but it doesn't feel nearly as awkward as it should.

In fact, it's kind of hilarious, as somehow Lance is vibrating, eyes wide and hands gesturing wildly. "That's literally perfect! That means we'll be buddies and work together on missions and everything!"

Normally that would be a giant red flag waving in his face, screaming at him to get away before they get frustrated with him when he inevitably gets too anxious and messes up. But there's something almost comforting and...exciting? About this…Lance. Like his energy is so earnest and sincere and it fills him with a bubbly feeling in his chest. It pulls him, and he wants to follow that feeling. So he nods and even manages a little smile.

"Oh! I didn't even tell you my name yet. Wait, I wrote it already outside...Well, my name is Lance and yours is Iakopo, right?"

"Y-yeah it is." He's shocked Lance pronounced it right on the first try. Hearing it butchered ten different ways as soon as he'd arrived at the airport was not fun. "But almost everyone calls, uh calls...me Hunk back home. If-if you want to…" Jeez, why did he even mention anything? That's so weird to say to someone he just met!

"That's a pretty cool nickname! It reminds me of Hulk." His laughter is loud and bright and for some reason it relaxes Hunk. Suddenly Lance reaches out and grabs his hand. It's warm and his grip is firm yet gentle. "Lemme show you around! My sis Ronnie works here so I know all the cool spots." Hunk can't help but giggle at the way his chest puffs out with pride, and is even more helpless to stop the giggles from pouring out when Lance drags him around the base.


Hunk is amazed at how quickly they bond. Their friendship is a whirlwind of assignments, exams, and misguided adventures.

Each day is a new surprise in store for him. And each day brings them closer together.

Ever since that first hug, the one that sent butterflies flitting through Hunk's stomach, the one that shattered any boundaries between them, touch became a common comfort. Their hands join automatically if even one is free, and tight hugs are shared without thought or reason.

Sometimes Hunk would question why this feels so easy to him. Normally he could barely talk to people he knew for less than a year before he came to the Garrison. He isn't even remotely a rule-breaker, but every time Lance comes up with a brand new scheme, he doesn't hesitate before agreeing. He even relishes in his racing pulse, the adrenaline pumping through his veins at the thrill of getting caught, their pearls of giggles when an Ill-advised plan goes off without a hitch.

Each time he thinks of all these things — Lance's light bubbly laugh, eyes that shine like the blue sea at sunset — questions flicker in his mind. But Hunk only knows one answer.

Lance is special.


Hunk walks down the hallway to his shared dorm, beat after a tough round of testing. Today was especially important as it determined what class of engineer he would get into. He nearly hoped for cargo engineer, since it would still offer unique challenges while keeping him out of immediate danger. But, as his dad said when he told him the news, he was apparently "too talented" for that.

Maybe he should have sabotaged himself. But guilt nips at his stomach and he dismisses that thought. He and Lance promised to go for fighter class together, and he doesn't want to go back on his word.

Opening the door, he's greeted with the soft sounds of sobbing. It's hard to make anything out in the dark room, but he hears shuffling, a muffled banging, and a curse. "Lance? Everything good buddy?"

"O-oh yeah, everything's fine. Nothing happened!"

Hunk gropes the wall until he finds the light switch and turns it on. The room now illuminated, he sees how puffy and red Lance's eyes are, the barely dried tear tracks down his cheeks. Why would Lance have been crying in a dark room—

Oh no.

"Lance? Did something happen during testing today?" Hunk has a bad feeling but gives him the chance to explain things first.

"I um...I…" his shoulders slump and he looks impossibly small and vulnerable. "I only got into cargo. I messed up on the fighter pilot test. Totally ch-choked." Tears pool in his eyes again and fall down his cheeks.

Seeing Lance cry like this, someone normally so happy and vibrant, makes something hurt bad in Hunk's chest. So he moves to sit on Lance's bed and opens his arms.

Lance practically rockets into him and they both quickly rearrange themselves to lie down, their arms wrapped tightly around each other as Hunk strokes Lance's hair. "If you want, I'll sneak into the cafeteria later tonight and bake you some cookies."

"Really? Double chocolate chip?" He sniffs, and Hunk is aware of a wet spot on his uniform. He doesn't care.

"You got it buddy." He responds softly, and despite the circumstances, he feels whole holding Lance in his arms like this.


Hunk's door slides open. "Huuuuuunk!"

Dammit, he forgot he gave Lance the code.

"There you are!"

Hunk rubs his eyes, still wet with tears, and sits up on his bed as the light automatically cuts on. "Sorry, I just. I needed to be alone for a bit." He shakes his head. "I don't know what's wrong with me but when we were talking about Earth and Shiro mentioned missing the sun in Okinawa and then I remembered the beach and—" He stops because if he keeps going he's gonna think about his family and friends and home and the sun and waves and salt air and then he's gonna really start sobbing again and his head already hurts and his hands are shaking too much already and—

Lance has somehow gotten in front of him and gently holds his hands, like they're some kind of treasure. "It's okay Hunk, I get it. I really miss Varadero too sometimes. You wanna lie down?"

He's reminded of when he offered the same to Lance in the Garrison dorm and the countless times they've hugged like this before and since then. He scoots back on the bed and Lance lies in front of him. They embrace and Lance gently strokes his hair.

Hunk inhales his scent, a nice floral shampoo and body wash he borrowed from Allura, and breathes slowly. His hands stop shaking and his tears gradually dry up.

"Feeling better?"

He nods his head. "Yeah, thanks."

"Good cause I made cookies and they'll be ready soon."

Now that gets his attention. He slightly lifts his head up. "Really? Thanks, Lance." More tears well up but they're definitely happy tears. "We should get up soon then."

Lance lowers Hunk's head to his chest again. "Nope, I made Mullet and Pidge watch them for me. We can just sit back and let them bring the goodies to us." He chuckles in that 'I'm so brilliant' way and Hunk can't help his own breathless one.

Keith and Pidge barge in a few minutes later and he laughs even harder when she lowers the hot plate on Lance's ear and he swears at her in Spanish.


The first person he sees when he wakes up is Shay, her kind and soft eyes slowly coming into focus. "Hunk, how are you?" She grasps his hand and he's thankful for the physical touch anchoring him.

It takes him a few tries but his lips finally work enough to let him speak. "O-okay...I think…" A moment. "My head...hurts, though."

She softly laughs. "That crash after the battle was very bad. I am thankful you are well enough to speak. Oh! I must inform your family!" And before he gets a word in she runs out the door.

Soon enough she returns to find his room packed full of his parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents. Some are weary themselves, having had to toil in the labor camps, but they all shared the same grin that Hunk can feel splitting his own face. They're quite comfortable around Shay, which he's grateful for beyond measure.

His mother kisses his forehead and his father wraps him up in a tight hug, while his brother and sister decide to climb all over his bed. For a moment he basks in their comforting presence until a sudden thought strikes him and he gasps.

"L-lance! Where, where is—" He tries to sit up, but all he manages is a slight head lift before things get a little dizzy.

His mom is suddenly by his side, and she tuts a bit while holding him down. "I know you can't wait to see him," she says. "But don't push yourself, okay?

Hunk hums in response and takes a moment to breathe until the room stops spinning. Eventually he sits up his bruised and sore body with help from his uncle, who appears at his other side. Stable again, his mind and heart begin to race. "How's Lance? Is he okay? I know Red took a beating when she landed and—"

"He's fine sweetie, a broken leg but nothing life threatening. He woke up about an hour before you did, and worried just as much about you."

Hunk's shoulders sag in relief, only to stiffen again. "How are the others? Pidge, Allura, and Keith?"

"Well, those two young ladies are awake and well enough but that poor young man…" His mother's face pinches and Hunk's stomach bottoms out. "Oh no he's not—sorry! But he was injured badly and is in surgery now. The doctors say he'll pull through just fine though." And she squeezes his shoulder.

"Thank goodness, I'm glad he'll be okay." Hunk has had too much excitement for one day. His nerves are shot to hell. Then he notices the sly look on his aunt's face.

"I couldn't help noticing that you asked about that Lance fellow first."

He didn't expect that one. "That's...um...I—"

"That's 'cause they love each other!" His brother shouts. Then his sister adds "They held hands a lot when we visited him at school before!"

He's positive that his face is a furnace at this point, and he hides behind his hands. There's cooing around the room, which turns into loud whoops when the door slides open.

"Hey everyone, is—Hunk!" Lance hobbles in on a pair of crutches with the help of Shay. She must have gotten him too. A warm feeling spreads in his chest at her thoughtfulness, and he puts a note in the back of his head to bake her something as thanks later.

With other family members supporting his weight, Lance manages to sit on the bed and immediately grabs at Hunk's hand. Despite knowing he's proving them all right, he still intertwines his fingers with Lance's and feels a relief so deep in his bones he practically melts.

"How's my favorite person in the universe?"

The room goes crazy and Hunk hides his face in Lance's shoulder at the question, who laughs in response. The traitor.

Amidst the chatter, giggles, and encouragement, his grandmother speaks up. "I can see how much you both treasure each other. It's wonderful to see."

Lance laughs again and responds, "We do! It's like, there was this connection between us on our first day and we've been best friends ever since."

"Hunk talked about you all the time when I'd call him up, 'Oh mom Lance made fighter pilot, Lance asked a girl out, Lance had soup today for lunch!' I thought you two were dating at first—"

"—oh my god Mom!"

"—but seeing you two over the years, it's something different. Like you both just...match each other." And everyone else seems to agree, judging from all the affirmations and teasing.

Hunk is probably going to pass away from all the attention, so there's no point in holding back. Especially after they all nearly died again. So he swallows his nerves and just goes for it and kisses Lance on the cheek.

All noises cease to exist. It's quiet enough to hear a pin drop.

Lance puts a hand to cheek, eyes cartoonishly wide, and before Hunk can start properly freaking out, kisses him right back (and sloppy on purpose he knows it).

Shay breaks the silence with the most high-pitched squeal he's ever heard, then the room erupts into cheers and screams so loud an angry nurse pokes her head in and yells at them all to knock it off.


Gosh I had so much fun writing this. I really, really love QPR Hance and I got to write something super cute for them 3 writing QPRs are the best, I need to write them more often.