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Chapter Text

Disclaimer: I don't own Voltron that's Dreamworks and Netflix. This is my first fic I'm cross posting from FanFication.net. Uncharted waters here people! Let me know I worked so hard on this. It was meant to just be a one-shot, but since it grew so large I decided to post it up in parts. This is the story of how Hunk first met Lance. Starting them on the path to become Best Leg Buddies! Since it's all written out, I'll hopefully be able to post up a new chapter every other day. So sit back, relax, and I hope you enjoy it!

Cover Art Link: https://midnightwatermists.tumblr.com/image/158403708279

Hunk nervously tugged at the hem of his yellow Hawaiian shirt. Today was the day. And, oh boy was he freaking out! Having just moved to the area, his parents wanted their little ball of sunshine to venture out and try to make some friends. First impressions were totally important! Especially, for a seven-year-old. He couldn't mess this up! Hunk's breathing rapidly increased. "No! Not a panic attack! Not now!" he ruefully thought, balling his fists into his shirt.

Anxiety had always been a huge problem for Hunk. Back in his old town, the large boy had been constantly ridiculed for everything under the sun. His hair, his intelligence, his size, but especially for his fear of... well everything. The world was positively brimming with uncertainties! How could people possibly stand it? It dove him crazy! The other children just didn't understand, and simply called him a "Scaredy Cat." Well... lions were cats and they weren't scared! So there!

Anyway, that's why it was crucial everything went perfectly today. Their new home was known for its vast beaches, and crystal clear water. Summer vacation was almost at an end, and Hunk's mom wanted to encourage him to make friends before the start of school. Hoping that this would help make the transition easier, she signed him up for daily swimming lessons at the local pool. Believing that the smaller group of children would help ease Hunk's fears about meeting new people.

But honestly, the boy wasn't so sure this would work. The ocean, and pretty much all water in general, sorta terrified him. So his anxiety levels were still pretty high. Give him dry land and an issue of "Popular Mechanics" any old day and he'd be one hundred percent content.

To him, water was well... dark and foreboding. Like the living embodiment of the unknown! There were times when you couldn't even see the bottom and- Oh man! There he went again, staring to hyperventilate. For once in his life, couldn't he just catch a break? Why couldn't his mom let him stay safe at home and play with his building blocks? Hunk didn't really need friends, h-he was fine being on his own. It came with being an only child after all, right? And Hunk had his cousins and his parents, too. So technically, he wasn't alone. Not that he was lonely or anything, but... that's not the same as having a friend your own age. And yeah, his extended family didn't live close by; especially after the move... But that was okay! Really, he could handle it! Was trying to make a friend worth all this effort? Usually, it just ended up hurting him in the end. Knowing that he was... weird and... unwanted...

The dark-haired boy fought back the tears building in his eyes. Breaking down about it wouldn't solve anything.

With a sudden jolt, Hunk felt the car come to a complete stop. Instantly, his terrified eyes snapped towards the window. They had arrived. It took everything he had to hold back the sick feeling bubbling in his stomach. That's all he needed right now, to hurl up his lunch the second he arrived!

Yeah, this was getting off to a great start...

After his mom put his water wings and sunscreen on, she gently took Hunk's hand and led him towards the pool area. A bunch of kids were already there, splashing and running all over the place. Reflexively, Hunk flinched back as a blond boy came tumbling over to the fence, yelling, "Hey, guys! There's a new kid here!"

The other children, playing by the side of the pool, excitedly jumped up and joined him. "Wow, he looks kinda big. Wonder how old he is?" one of the boys mused as the others audibly gulped. The blond boy next to him appeared unimpressed though. "Can't be that old. Look, he's still wearing arm floaties!"

"Nick. Cut it out, not everyone can swim yah know," a little brown-haired girl scolded with an exaggerated roll of her eyes.

"Then what's he doing at the pool, Sally?" he taunted in return, sticking out his tongue.

Hunk missed what was said next, because someone beside him suddenly exclaimed, "Hi, there!"

His head snapped up in attention and clung to his mother's arm in fright.

"Oh, honey. I'm sorry," the young woman apologized, crouching down in front Hunk so he could meet her eyes. "Didn't mean to startle you."

The brown-haired woman appeared to be in her late teens, she was tan with dark brown eyes, and wore a red, one piece bathing suit. An embarrassed blush stretched across Hunk's face as he shyly glanced up at her. "T-That's okay."

"Oh my gosh!" the blond boy dramatically gasped from behind the fence. "He's actually scared of Maria!"

The woman's kind eyes narrowed for a moment, casting an annoyed look over at the opinionated child. "What was that, Nick? Because that sounded like your butt getting put in 'Time Out.'"

This threat made the boy grumble, before hurriedly nudging his friends to scatter.

"Yeah, you'd better run yah brat," she said under her breath, before turning her attention back to Hunk. "So anyway, my name's Maria and I'll be your swimming instructor. Ready to learn, kiddo?" Slowly, she reached out a friendly hand for him to take.

For a hesitant moment, Hunk glance up at his mom and then back to Maria. "Yeah, sure. Okay," he nervously agreed, before grabbing it and following along with her to the shallow part of the pool.

A group of what appeared to be three and four-year-olds were already floating there with their moms and dads. And suddenly, poor Hunk had the horrific realization, that he was the oldest child taking the class. He felt utterly mortified!

Hunk's mother then chose that exact moment to glance down at her watch. "I'll be back in a few hours sweetie! Don't give Maria any trouble, okay? Be good!"

And before he could voice a single protest in response, she had already left the gated area and climbed back into her car.

"I- uh, so aren't the other kids," he nervously asked, pointing at Nick and the older children swimming around the deep end, "taking lessons, too?"

"Hmm? Oh, no. The shallow part is roped off, so that the others can still play while it's going on. Don't worry, you'll be swimming along side them in no time!" she encouraged, leading the boy into the shallows. It... wasn't very deep. And with Hunk's natural height, his torso was barely even submerged.

As the boy forlornly watched a mother teaching her young toddler, a nasty snicker drifted over to Hunk from the deep end. "Would you look at that loser? Nothing but an overgrown baby!"

With a depressing sigh, the poor boy ducked down as far as he could go and blew irritated bubbles out his nose. "Great, just great. Well there goes that dream... Knew I'd never be able to make any friends..." he thought, trying to listen to Maria's welcome speech. But honestly, his heart just wasn't in it anymore.

To Be Continued...

Chapter Text

Disclaimer: I don't own Voltron Dreamworks and Netflix does. This is written for all the fans out there. So some of my Lance head canon is coming into play in this chapter. Hope you enjoy!

Unfortunately, things did not improve from there...

Twenty minutes later, poor Hunk was still in abject misery. He tried his best to focus on what Instructor Maria was saying, but the 'show' being performed in the background became rather distracting. Earlier, Hunk had spotted the blond boy, "Nick," whispering to his friend while glancing in Hunk's general direction. The dark-haired boy did his best to ignore him, but it was extremely difficult. The brat was clearly taking about him.

A little while later, muffled giggling could be heard drifting over from the deep end. Curious, Hunk turned to see what was going on. The blond made exaggerated gestures over his body; as if to indicate that he was bigger, and heavy set. After which, Nick lumbered over to the water's edge and took a huge belly flop into the pool. His arms and legs flailed wildly around as he sunk to the bottom, pretending to drown. This cracked the other kids up in loud, uproarious laughter. Maria scolded them for their disruption, but didn't catch what they were really doing. Most older folks missed it. This had happened to Hunk a lot over the years. They were making fun of him. And like always, it filled him with a deep, aching hurt.

"Great," he sarcastically thought, sinking further into the water to hide in shame. "And knowing my luck? That kid will go to the exact same school as me and totally ruin my chances of having a happy year."

Bubbles of annoyance fluttered out of Hunk's nose as he once again tried to forget about Nick and his stupid friends.

Little did the dark-haired boy know, that his luck was just about to change...

While Maria demonstrated a simple arm stroke for the class, an old, beat up pickup truck turned into the parking lot. Even through the rolled up windows, you could hear the loud Hispanic beats thumping in the speakers. Before the vehicle came to a complete stop, the passenger door suddenly flung wide open.

A high pitched shout of "YEAH! Finally!" filled the air, along with a reprimanding cry of "LANCE!"

Hunk's eyes widened in shock; as a small, scrawny, wild-haired boy haphazardly leapt out the door and onto the hot asphalt. He was wearing blue swimming trunks and had a huge toothy grin. Well, mostly toothy; a few of his baby teeth were missing here and there.

"Oh, man," Nick groaned to his other friends. "Look who it is, Lance 'Loose My Pants' McClain. Knew he was dumb, just not this much."

Hunk's eyes narrowed at hearing that. Jeeze! This kid had a problem with just about everyone, huh?

The loud slamming of the truck's door, brought Hunk's attention back to "Lance" and the car's driver. Who Hunk assumed was most likely his brother.

"Seriously, dude?!" the older boy yelled, walking over to Lance's side. " Mom and Dad told you a million times! Wait until the car comes to a stop!"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," he hurriedly agreed, with a dismissive wave. "Got it. Thanks, bye!"

His unruly brown hair flapped wildly in the breeze as he ran. Lance raced to the entrance as fast as his short little legs could carry him. Excitedly, the young boy yanked the pool gate open and charged right inside.

Then with reckless abandonment, he sprinted full speed towards the deep end and launched himself off the side, screaming, "CANNON BALLLLL!"

"LANCE!" The incurring tidal wave of water splashed over the older kids, drenching them all from head to toe. Hunk had to immediately clamp a hand over his mouth to contain his laughter.

"Serves them right, jerks" he thought to himself as Maria let out a groan irritation from behind. "Daniel, you were supposed to watch him today!"

"Sorry, sis," apologized the teen, who had brought Lance, with a wave. "Just got an emergency text from work. I've got to go! Please watch him, okay?"

Not even waiting for a reply, Daniel climbed back into his truck and started to make a speedy getaway.

"What?!" she screeched in return, before quickly relenting. "Okay, fine! But you so owe me!"

Meanwhile, the rest of the kids were trying to enact their vengeance upon Lance. Every time one of them would splash him, the boy would duck under the water and escape. "You'll never get me puny humans! This is my domain!" he cackled evilly, dodging the watery shots with a carefree smile.

That is until Nick called out, "Well, if it isn't Lance 'Loose My Pants' McClain. Thought you'd be too chicken to bring your scrawny butt back here again!"

The grin froze on Lance's face, becoming sharp and bitter. Loosing all the fluidity it once held before. "Really? Because I thought this was a public pool, doofus. That pretty much means anyone can swim here. Not just you."

"I-"

"Nick! Lance! Out of the pool, now!" Maria commanded, pointing next to her side. Both boys got a thorough talking to, but Lance didn't seem to listen or really care. Whatever she was saying, he'd probably it heard several times before. As the brown-haired boy's attention waned, his gaze drifted over the swimming area.

And that was when, Lance's eyes finally met his. "Uh oh," thought Hunk, shrinking himself down as far as he possibly could. "Oh man, what does he want? Why the heck is he staring at me like that?" Lance's head cocked to the side in thought as his curious eyes blinked back at Hunk.

"And that's why you shouldn't-"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Lance rudely interrupted, then pointed Hunk out. "Who's that?"

Embarrassment burned across his skin as he released a terrified squawk. Humiliation overload complete! This day, had officially become the worst!

"Oh, him?" Maria asked, quickly glancing at the pool. "That's Hunk Garrett. He just moved here."

"Yeah, and he can't swim," added Nick with a nasty snicker. "He's an even bigger loser than you, McClain."

And Hunk's gentle heart sunk like a stone. Nervously, he wrung his hands together and adverted his gaze. Entirely, unable to continue looking Lance in the eye. Who'd want to be his friend after an introduction like that? Lance's body had coldly stiffen hearing the rude comment. The other boy would probably avoid him like the plague now, knowing that Nick had it out for him.

Luckily though, Maria had heard the arrogant child this time.

"That's it! 'Time Out' for you mister!" she declared, dragging away Nick by the arm towards the supply shed.

The blond nearly tripped over his own feet trying to follow her. "Me?" he incredulity asked. "Your brother's the one who drained half the pool with his stupid stunt earlier!"

"Well, guess what? I don't care! Do you want me to speak to your mother, again?"

"I-I-" the blond stammered as Maria pulled the boy off to the side. Hunk let out a sigh of relief. Maybe he could finally calm down now that Nick was gone. Then all he'd have to do, was wait another hour or so for his mom to come pick him up, and everything would be-

"Hi, there!" came a bubbly voice from right next to Hunk.

With a dramatic gasp, the boy's arms shot up in shock. Dumbfounded, Hunk simply stared slack-jawed at Lance happily floating beside him. When? How did he get there! Hunk hadn't even seen him jump back into the pool!

"You're new here right? Well, welcome!"

Hunk's eyes darted warily around the pool. This... had never happened before. It was almost like, Lance actually wanted to talk to him. W-Was this some sort of prank?

The small boy didn't notice Hunk's distress and just excitedly babbled on, "So your name's Hunk, huh? That's super cool! Mine's Lance!" The boy flashed him a bright grin. "I have a nickname, too! But it isn't a very nice one. Where did you used to live? I'm guessing it wasn't near water? Is that why you can't swim? Because that must supremely suck, I love it! My mom says I swim better than the fish! Playing in the ocean is so much fun! Have you been there yet? It's really cool-"

The energetic boy floated closer to Hunk with every word. And he just barely, contained a shriek of terror. Discreetly, Hunk inched away from the intensely friendly child. Yeah, Lance was being super nice, but this was way too much for him! Hunk's anxiety suddenly kicked up again, and his breathing became sharp and ragged.

But then, something strange happened. Lance's freely spilling words came to an abrupt halt. A tight line of concern stretched across his brow as he drew back. "Are you okay? I-" He let out an embarrassed cough. "S-Sorry, didn't mean to frighten you. I've been told I come on a little strong sometimes," he admitted with a nervous laugh.

The sudden change in demeanor struck Hunk as odd. The boy almost seemed as timid as Hunk just now.

How strange... Wait a sec, this was his chance! This kid was reaching out to him! Hunk took a sharp gasp, he could make a friend!

Doing his best to shake off his initial fear, Hunk stuttered out a reply, "I- oh, no! I actually kinda do that too. I- not the intensely strong thing, b-but the rambling. Yeah, that's me; anxious, rambly, and sorta queasy. They have to call my mom a lot for that."

"Oh, man," thought Hunk as Lance stared up at him in confusion. "Why am saying all this? He's going to think I'm weird and not-"

Lance let out a loud snort of laughter. For someone so tiny, the boy certainly had a huge personality. "You're funny, dude. I like you."

"I- wha, s-seriously?!" he croaked in return.

Lance's mouth took on a goofy grin. "Yeah! Totally!"

"Oh, cool... I-"

But before Hunk could say anything else, Maria's annoyed cry of "Lance!" interrupted him.

The wild-haired boy spun around and let out an indignant shout, "WHAT? I'm not doing anything!"

"Go to the deep end so I can get back to teaching the class!" she demanded, pointing away from Hunk.

"I- oh," Lance gazed back at him for a second in thought. Then his eyes lit up with an idea.

"Huh, they're blue. Like, really dark blue. Did not notice that before," Hunk observed before turning listen to what the siblings were saying.

"Hunk asked me to help teach him how to swim," the small boy said, wrapping a friendly arm around his back. The gesture felt so warm and comforting that Hunk couldn't help but smile.

"Uh, right, sure!" he quickly agreed.

Maria gave them both an uncertain stare.

"Oh, come on!" Lance exclaimed in exasperation. "You know what an awesome swimmer I am! I taught Elena and she's like three. So just focus on the rest of the class and I'll help Hunk, cool?"

The teen narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the pair. "Okay."

"Woot!" they cheered, giving one another an enthusiastic high five.

Lance's sister simply rolled her eyes. "Just try not to disturb the class, alright?"

"No, prob!" the brown-haired boy promised with a quick salute. He then grabbed Hunk's hand and dragged him away from the crowd, so that they had more room to work. Hunk felt his hand reflexively tighten in Lance's hold, as he led the way.

And the young boy could help but wonder, if this what it was like to have a friend...

To Be Continued...

Chapter Text

Disclaimer: Don't own Voltron, that's Dreamworks and Netflix. This chapter is a bit shorter than the last, but you'll see in the next one why I broke it down this way. Enjoy!

The first thing the shorter boy decided to teach Hunk was the "Turtle Float." This technique was a relatively simple one. Wrap your arms around your legs, take a deep breath, and bob in the water like a cork for as along as you can. Easy enough in theory, but the thought of being surrounded by that much water made Hunk nervous.

He didn't want to have a panic attack in front of his new friend. So Hunk put on his bravest face and focused in on what Lance was saying, "First things first. You need to get rid of those water wings dude."

Protectively, the larger boy folded his arms across his chest. Yeah... there went all his composed bravery already. "B-But Lance! Without them I'll sink to the bottom like a stone. What if I suck in water through my nose? Being completely submerged is really weird man! I won't be able to recover, and totally start to freak-"

Then Lance's voice did something, no one's had ever done; cut though his spiral of distress. "Hunk!" The tan boy grabbed his shoulders in support. "Calm down. Panic solves nothing. If you do that while under the water, you'll take it in."

"Duh!" Hunk threw up his hands in frustration. "Why do you think I've had such a hard time learning? I-It's just really scary!"

"I know." Lance soothed, tightening his grip on Hunk's shoulders. "But you can't rely on the arm floats forever. They're like training wheels on a bike. If you leave them on too long, you'll never be able to ride without them."

Hunk bit his lip and looked down in shame. He knew Lance was right, but the larger boy still couldn't gather up the courage to try.

Lance saw this, and did his best to be supportive. "I'll be right here the entire time. Nothing like that will happen, I promise."

Sniffling, Hunk blinked back the tears his eyes. "Pinky swear?"

A gentle grin slid across Lance's face. "Pinky swear," he said, offering the boy his own finger.

Hunk let out a shaky sigh and returned the gesture.

Afterward, Lance helped remove the yellow floaties from his arms and gave Hunk one last pep talk.

"The key is to stay calm and trust that the water will support you. It may not be thick and sturdy like earth, but it totally will. At first, you'll sink a little, but then gradually be lifted up to the surface. Let the water wrap around you like..." his face scrunched up in thought, "-a big wet blanket! Or a chilly hug!"

This analogy made Hunk giggle. Lance had a way of being both sweet and silly at the same time. The easy laughter bubbled up from Hunk and swept away his fears in a wave of joy. "Well, I do enjoy hugs."

"See!" Lance said excitedly, with a light punch to Hunk's arm. "You can totally do it! I've got faith in you man!"

The small boy's unbridled enthusiasm made Hunk laugh again. An odd sense of bravery and determination suddenly filled him to the brim. For the first time, Hunk actually felt... strong. Like he could move mountains or fight off a bear! He could do this! Lance believed in him. The larger boy then took a deep, calming breath. "Okay, here I go!"

And with that, he ducked under the frigid water below. The shock of the temperature change hit him first: sharp, cold, biting. It made his head feel funny, and then his body began to sink. Almost immediately, Hunk wanted to scramble back to the surface, but a light, warm touch on his arm stopped him. Hunk's eyes snapped open in surprise. For there was Lance, calmly floating right along side him.

The boy's sapphire blue gaze shone back at Hunk. As if to say; see it's safe, don't worry, I'm here with you.

A sense of peace and tranquility settled over Hunk in a way that he had never known. He and Lance were safe there, because they were together. Slowly, the dark-haired boy began to relax and let his eyes drift close. Then, wrapping his arms tight around his legs, Hunk put his full trust in the water.

He curled up into a ball, and began to float.

The dip he felt was minimal. And for a moment, his body sat suspended there. Neither above or below; Hunk drifted in serene state of limbo. After which, his body gradually began to rise. A shiver traveled down his spine as his back breached the surface. Wind dancing across his wet skin in reassurance. As if to say, it was still there, waiting for him. Anytime he wished, he could bring up his head and refill his lungs with its life giving essence.

The water cradled Hunk's body like a child. The element was so foreign to him, and yet supportive... safe, almost like the ground. Turned out, his was friend was right. Floating did remind Hunk of a loving embrace. Except, you know; wet and chilly, instead of warm. Effortlessly, the clear blue liquid returned him to the surface. Like it was naturally inclined to do so. Well, it sorta was; the human body being made of over 60% water and all. Buoyancy, you know? Though, strangely, Hunk had never thought about it this way before.

That something so strong and powerful, could also be gentle and calm.

The euphoric peace washed over Hunk again, as he cracked opened his eyes. The water stung for a second, but he quickly blinked it away. A huge grin spread across his face as he saw Lance, still loyally hovering along side him.

The brown-haired boy gave Hunk a cocky wink and pointed top side. As one, the pair returned to the surface and breathed in deep the fresh, crisp air.

"Great job, buddy!" Lance congratulated, with an enthusiastic pat to his back. "So what do you say? Wanta try again?"

A giggle of pure happiness escaped Hunk's chest as he nodded; yes, he most certainly would.

To Be Continued...

Chapter Text

Disclaimer: I don't own Voltron, that's Dreamworks and Netflix. So glad people are liking the story so much! Now here it comes! The start of the big emotional stuff!

From there, Lance taught the larger boy a couple basic kicks and arm strokes. "The more you practice, the better you'll be. So don't give up, okay?"

After a while, Hunk started getting chilled. So the pair climbed out to warm up by the side of the pool. As Hunk wrapped himself in his "Lion King" towel, his worried gaze drifted over to other kids sitting along the edge.

Once again, his new friend seemed to sense Hunk's unease and placed a supportive arm around him. "I can introduce you if yah want," Lance offered with a relaxed shrug. "Most of them are alright. Nick, the 'King of Jerks' is just a bad influence on them."

"Oh, okay..." Hunk hesitantly agreed. Honestly, he'd rather sit off alone with Lance than try and befriend those people. In the past, Hunk had put his trust in the wrong kids and paid the price. His supposed 'friends' took advantage of Hunk's kind and compassionate nature, made fun of him behind his back, and left him with nothing but heartache. Which left him skittish when trying to make new ones now.

Though, oddly enough, he felt none of his usual apprehension when speaking to Lance. Weird... They had only met an hour ago. But somehow, the small, lithe boy had already slipped his way through all of Hunk's defenses straight into the core of his squishy heart.

"It'll be cool. You'll see," his friend said reassuringly. Lance used his supportive arm around Hunk to help guide him towards the group. Effortlessly, the wild-haired boy greeted the other children and eagerly introduced Hunk. They seemed nice enough, now that Nick wasn't around to encourage cruel behavior.

After a while, Hunk was beginning to get a little overwhelmed by all the attention. Normally, he preferred to slink away and hide, rather than stand right in the middle of the spotlight. Less chance of being torn apart and scrutinized that way.

Picking up on Hunk's restlessness, Lance quickly made a reasonable excuse. With incredible ease, the talkative boy extracted them both from the intimidating group. Lance could be quite persuasive when he wanted to be. Hunk would have to remember that in the future.

The pair wondered off towards the pool's edge and sat down side by side. Freely, their feet dangled in the cool water and began talking about their favorite things. Hunk released a sigh of relief, grateful that Lance hadn't question his behavior any further. He was still wary about explaining his reasons to the shorter boy. Hunk didn't want the perceptions of others affect how Lance saw him.

So when Lance casually asked what his favorite TV show was, Hunk blurted out the first one that came to mind, "Uh... Space Patrol?" The talkative boy's eyes lit up in excitement. Apparently, this had been the absolute best thing to say. Lance's mouth was already off and running, with exaggerated gestures flinging from his hands. His natural energy was utterly contagious as they started talking about space exploration and science.

Turns out, that Hunk's new school was totally the same one as Lance's! Even better, they were the same age as well! How awesome was that? For the first time ever, the prospects Hunk's academic social life appeared bright.

Practically gushing with happiness, Lance then told Hunk all about his dream to became a fighter pilot in Galaxy Garrison and lead science expeditions to the stars.

"Wow, that's super cool..." he answered in awe, Lance must be really brave to want to do something like that. The thought of traveling into the dark, mysterious unknown filled Hunk with terror. Holding down his lunch during a car ride was difficult enough. He shuddered to think what space travel would be like on his delicate stomach. Probably hurl right on top of the control panels, and get kicked out the cockpit.

But luckily, Hunk found Garrison tech to be utterly fascinating. So he decide to focus on that instead. Inadvertently, the larger boy switched into 'nerd mode,' going on about complex algorithms and design components that were light years ahead of most kids their age. If the glazed look in Lance's eyes was any indication, Hunk was starting to lose him with all the techno-babble.

"Uh oh," hethought, feverishly trying to think of a way out. "Too much, too soon. Abort tech talk, ABORT!"

"So yeah, anyway!"Hunk's voice cracked, changing the subject. "You must work really hard at school, if you want to get into a program like that!"

An embarrassed blush burned across Lance's face. "Uh, yeah, sure. T-Totally, I'm in a lot of advanced classes..."

Ouch, now a whole new set of warning bells were going off in Hunk's head. Just where did all the other boy's self-confidence suddenly go?

Hunk's mouth frowned in concern. "Lance? You okay, buddy?"

"O-Of course!" He tried brushing off with his usual ease, but the slight tremor in his voice held the truth.

"I just-" Lance abruptly cut off and glanced away. As if unable to continue meeting Hunk's eyes.

With a heavy sigh, the boy then began to explain, "I mean- I study a lot. But, sometimes my grades don't always reflect the amount of work I put in. No matter how hard I try, I usually come up short. Getting a B+ or A- instead of that stupidly elusive A."

After admitting this, the brunet's entire demeanor took a dramatic shift. Slowly, his back started to droop, as if the rolling tide has swept his all boundless energy away. He looked so tiny and fragile in that moment, that it nearly broke Hunk's gigantic heart.

Yeah, nope! He instantly decided, Lance wasn't supposed to look like that. Not, ever! And being the warm, cuddly person he was, Hunk could not sit idly by and allow this to continue. Throwing caution to the wind, the larger boy spread his arms wide and engulfed Lance in the tightest hold he could muster.

"Eep!" the smaller boy squeaked in surprise. His body froze within Hunk's embrace; stiff and cold, like a block of pure ice.

"Don't talk like that!" he scolded Lance. "Being in an advanced course is super tough, man. I'm in a ton of them, too. You're smart dude, I can tell. A-And if you need help studying, I can totally help you!"

"I- you... Really? Y-You mean that?" he stammered into Hunk's chest. A tremor traveled through his tiny form, as Hunk held him closer. "Of course, you taught me how to swim after all. Only right that I pay you back."

Lance took in a sharp, watery breath. "I- Thanks so much, Hunk. That's nice of you..." Gradually, the tension in his small form began melt away. As if the warm, loving support Hunk had offered freed him from the frozen state. Boneless, Lance relaxed in Hunk's embrace, placing his head gently against his chest. A great smile stretched across Hunk's face, as he felt Lance's skinny arms inch out from underneath him and return the hug as best he could.

He had done the right thing. Hunk was so relieved.

Unfortunately, these happy feelings did not last long. Because at that very moment, good old "Nick" decided to step back into the picture.

"Well, well, don't you two losers make quite the pair," he snidely commented. Complete with upturned nose of contempt. "Looks like you finally found someone to put up with your endless chatter."

Hunk and Lance released one another. As one, they stood up and frowned back at the blond.

A wicked smirk stretched across Lance's face. "Go take a long walk off a short pier, Nick."

"Ha!" the boy laughed mockingly as a couple of his friends gathered behind. "What kind of response was that, 'Pantsless Wonder?'"

The other to boys circled menacingly around Lance, cutting him off from Hunk. As a group, Nick and his friends slowly advanced, forcing Lance to inch back closer towards the edge of the pool.

Hunk sent his friend a fearful glance. Panic drastically welled up with in him. Lance was clearly in trouble, but the larger boy had absolutely no clue what to do!

"Honestly, I'm not sure why you even try," Nick lamented with a mournful shake of his head. "All you do is go on and on about how great you'll be once you get into Galaxy Garrison. But deep down, you know the truth..."

Lance fought down a nervous gulp as his heels brushed up against the edge of the pool.

"Nick, cut it out!" cried Sally, sitting with a couple of the other children off to the side. "Just let them be."

But the blond bully paid her no heed. "You're a loser," he insisted, punctuating the final word with a shove to Lance's side. Luckily, the smaller boy kept his footing. Otherwise, he'd have ended up in the pool.

The fact that he hadn't, enraged Nick. Violently, he pulled his arms back to push Lance with everything he had. "And that's all you'll ever be!"

Then several things happened at once: Hunk tried to reach out and grab Lance in time, as Nick thrust his entire body forward. Putting all his power and weight into the action. While Lance... pivoted back on his right heal, spinning elegantly out of harms way like a hinged door. His grin of triumph practically screaming, Gotta yah!

"YAAHHH!" Nick squawked in surprise. Frantic arms pinwheeling in an attempt to halt his forward momentum. But ultimately, the blond failed. Tumbling face first into the frigid pool with a mighty-

*SPLASH!*

Everyone's mouths hung open in shock, and then burst into hysterical fits of laughter.

"Have a nice trip, Nick!" Lance mocked, hopping away from the pool's edge over to Hunk's side. "See you next fall!"

The entire group of children roared in response, including Nick's lackeys.

"Oooo! Good one, Lance!" Hunk praised, walking forward to give his shoulders a friendly shake.

Warmly, Lance smiled up at him. "Thanks, man!" He puffed his chest out pride. "It was pretty awesome, huh?"

"Total-"

"GAAHHH! YOU!" Nick roared as he came sputtering back to the surface. "ARE DEAD MCCLAIN!"

The blond then set his rage filled sights onto his lackeys. "Why are you idiots just standing there? GET THEM!" he commanded as both Lance and Hunk shared a mutual look of fear.

"Run!" they said as one and turned to make a speedy retreat.

When the smaller boy started to lag behind, Hunk grabbed Lance's arm and yanked him forward. Lance did his best to keep up, but suddenly, his right ankle gave out and he tripped. Face planting straight into the dirt.

"Oh my gosh!" Hunk frantically gasped, kneeling at Lance's side. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," he replied with a sharp hiss of pain. "Think I twisted my ankle though."

"Oh, no," Hunk fretted, worriedly glancing between the prone boy and the jerks pursuing them. Luckily, Sally and some of the other kids had tried to slow them down.

It was then that Hunk came to a starling decision. The young boy didn't know it at the time. But it was one that would forever change the course of his life.

Whatever the consequences; Hunk would not, and could not, leave his friend to stand against those bullies alone. A resolve the likes of which he had never known, strengthen within his heart. Hunk bent down and offered Lance his back. "Climb on! I'll carry you!"

"But Hunk-" the boy protested, concern dancing in his stormy blue eyes. Hunk could tell what he was going to say, They'll hurt you. Please, just go!

Determined, the larger boy simply stared Lance down. "I am not leaving you. So either climb on or we face them together; your choice."

A choke caught in the back Lance's throat, as he shakily crawled onto Hunk. Scrawny arms loosely wrapped around the larger boy's neck.

"O-Okay, but j-just this once," he complied, whispering into Hunk's ear. "Keep going straight until you see a large tree. Then make a right. I know a place we can hide."

With a sharp grunt and nod, Hunk secured Lance against him and took off running.

To Be Continued...

Chapter Text

Disclaimer: Still don't own Voltron, what a surprise!

This chapter is mostly from Lance's perspective. So a little something different for all of you. Please enjoy!

"Slippery, little brat!" grumbled Steve or "Lackey Number 1" as Lance liked to call him. "Where on earth did he and tubbo go?" Good thing Nick's friends were none too bright, otherwise they might have found Hunk and Lance hiding in the old pool shed half an hour ago.

"Don't call him that, stupid jerk!" he internally fumed on Hunk's behalf. Since his sister worked as a swimming instructor, Lance knew where the keys to the supply shed were kept. On rough days like this, he usually hid in here to escape from the other kids for awhile.

Man, he felt awful. He'd never meant to drag Hunk into all this. You see, Lance had long been Nick's target of choice at their school. Precisely why this was, the boy honestly didn't know.

Maybe because he was shorter than the majority of the kids in their class? Or that Lance often spoke out against Nick when he treated the other children poorly? Whatever the blond's reason, the boy had become determined to make Lance's life miserable.

"Oh, Lance, Lance- Loose My Pants!" Nick called in a sing-songy voice. "Come out to p-lay!"

A shiver ran down the tan boy's spine at hearing that tone. He hated that stupid nickname! Unshed tears frustratingly built in Lance's eyes.

"Well... so much for making a good impression on Hunk..." he ruefully thought, tightening his arms across his chest. The day had started out so well, too. Lance had been super excited to see a new face at the pool! At first, the boy had been a teeny bit nervous about approaching Hunk. Bigger kids, in Lance's experience, usually looked down on short people like him; both figuratively and literally. As if, they were insignificance. Well, height and physical strength weren't everything you know! He'd show them some day! That he was just as important as they were! But oddly, Lance didn't get that kinda vibe from Hunk at all.

Case in point, the larger boy was positively fretting over Lance's swollen ankle. "Are you okay?" he asked with a light sniffle. Gently, Hunk reached out and lifted the injured limb. "It looks a little red."

"Naw, I've had worse," Lance replied, trying to play it cool. Which technically was true. "Feels like a light sprain. Only twinges a little when I move it."

It actually hurt more than that, but Lance was determined not to let Hunk see him cry. He refused to let anyone believe he was helpless and weak.

Hunk cast him an uncertain gaze. "Alright... if you say so..." The larger boy then checked around the shed, as if searching for something. "Wrapping it up would be best."

"Hey, I might look scrawny, but I'm pretty tough!" he declared, confidently. Puffing out his tiny chest, hoping to look convincing. "Gonna take more than this to keep me down!"

At this point, Lance tried to stand. Which was probably the dumbest thing he could have done. The second his weight was placed on it, his ankle immediately began to give way. Luckily, Hunk had anticipated this and caught him on the way down.

"Easy now," Hunk calmly said. His strong, secure hands carefully guiding Lance back to the ground. "You don't have to pretend with me... It's alright to admit when you're in pain. Totally doesn't make you weak, okay?"

A sharp gasp caught in his throat. How had Hunk known? Usually, Lance's mask of bravado was practically flawless! Even too much so, his mother would often say. But somehow, Hunk had already seen right past it. The largest demons in Lance's life were his crippling insecurity and self-doubt. Constantly, he fought against these negative emotions eating away at his soul. Striving to prove that he was just as good as everyone else! Better in fact, Lance would be the best there ever was! Hopping that if he said these words aloud enough times, that eventually; they would become true.

But this... no one outside of Lance's family had ever looked pass it. Instantly, his carefully constructed shield shattered and crumbled to dust. A swell of intense shame grew so large in Lance, that he latched onto Hunk and clung to him like a frightened cat in a storm. The larger boy stood sturdy as a rock, against the raging seas within Lance's mind. Sheltering him from the crushing waves of emotion threatening to sweep away his heart.

He felt so ashamed. The jeering calls from Nick and his loser friends weren't helping his emotional turmoil either. Again, tears began to build in Lance's eyes.

"Ignore them," mumbled Hunk, wrapping Lance in another comforting embrace. "Nothing those bullies say matters. They're just mad that you tricked them so easily."

For a moment, Lance trembled in Hunk's arms. Then let out a short, bitter laugh. "Yeah, well, with Nick it really doesn't take much." Which was true, the guy was dumb as post, but the important thing was; Hunk had just given Lance a compliment! All on his own! Without any sort of prompting whatsoever!

Incredible! How long had Lance known him? Had to be an hour tops, and yet he already felt strangely connected to the dark-haired boy. Like some cliched long lost brother from one of his mom's soaps. Not that Lance needed another sibling. He already had plenty of those, but Hunk felt like one all the same. With such love and compassion radiating off of him, that he almost out shone the sun.

"You don't deserve to be treated like that," he stated, like it was an irrefutable fact. "No one does."

Hunk's warm, supportive nature made him feel safe. So much so, that Lance wanted to open up and be honest in a way that he hadn't before. With a deep, cleansing breath, the boy let the remains of his mask fall away and confessed,"That jerk's been calling me stupid names for over a year."

Next to him, Hunk tensed with shared sympathy. "I've had kids do that to me, too. How did it start?"

To this, Lance couldn't help but let out another bitter laugh. "My family had just moved here from Cuba. And I wanted to impress everybody with my slick moves on the monkey bars..."

A flush of embarrassment spread across Lance's nose as he continued, "I've always been a little, yah know... thin, small, scrawny." He let out a self-deprecating snort. "Forgot to wear my belt to school that day, and it's pretty easy to figure out the rest..."

For a brief second, Lance thought Hunk might laugh. It was sorta funny. Honestly, Lance could have brushed the incident off, if Nick hadn't decided to constantly throw it back in his face every chance he got.

Instead, Hunk simply continued holding Lance with his gentle support. The likes of which, no one outside of Lance's family ever had. He was certain now, this boy was the living embodiment of a teddy-bear: Safe, cuddly, and warm. With a quiet strength that scared away the monsters lurking in the night.

"People make fun of my size, too," the larger boy said in hushed return. Lance could feel a similar tremor of sadness roll through him. "They say I'm weak, fat, cowardly, dumb... no one ever takes a second glance."

"That's cuz they're blind, ignorant losers," Lance quickly offered in response. "I've only known you, for what? Little over an hour? And I can already tell how awesome you are!"

At this, Hunk pulled back so that he could stare Lance in the eyes. "I..." he started in what sounded like surprise. "You really think so?"

"Totally!" Lance exclaimed, hoping the honesty of his words shown true. "Weak? Dude, you picked me up like I was nothing and ran all the way here. And true strength isn't physical stuff anyway, it comes from the heart. Trust me, you've got tons of it. Cowardly? Hunk, you could have left me to face their wrath alone, but you didn't! Also, because of what you did, they might start targeting you now. I'm pretty sure you knew full well what the consequences would be for helping me..."

Hunk's grim frown confirmed it.

"See!" Lance stressed with pleading eyes. "And dumb? You're in such advanced classes that you run circles around me..."

A shy blush stretched across Hunk's face at the heartfelt words. It made Lance happy to see, so he kept pressing on. "You're warm and kind, like the happy yellow sun looking down over the ocean. And, like I said before, I've been judged by my size, too..."

It was here that Lance paused. The young boy loved talking about many things, but what he truly thought about himself; wasn't one of them. "Even in my own home... I sometimes get overlooked." His mouth curled into a rueful smile. "There's just... so many of us, yah know?"

"Really?" Hunk asked with genuine curiosity. "I mean, I already met Maria and Daniel so..."

Lance simply rolled his eyes. "My family's big. Like, a new baby brother, along with my grandparents all living under the same roof, big. And I'm sure the little guy won't be my last sibling either. Not to mention my multitude of aunts, uncles, and cousins."

The larger boy whistled in surprise. "Whoa, that is huge!"

"Yup," he agreed with a sigh. "With tons of life stuff going on, I usually get lost in the shuffle. Always underfoot... I have to be as loud as humanly possible to actually get noticed!"

Nervously, Lance scratched at back of his head as Hunk frowned. "Oh, don't get me wrong!" he corrected with a frantic wave of his hands. "I love my fam to death, and wouldn't trade any of them for the world! But... it would be nice to get a little more attention every now and then. Probably, why I talk so much... I-I ramble... a lot, sometimes. Maybe, too much. Kids tell me it's annoying. I dunno... I'm gonna shut up now..."

"Good going, now Hunk thinks you're weird," thought Lance as he trailed off and went quiet. He'd never openly confessed his feelings like this before. Often times, Lance would bottle up all his pain and doubt; pushing it as far down as it could go. Carefully hidden behind his perpetually goofy grin. Determined not burden anyone else with his problems, especially his family. They were his demons and he could handle them on his own.

"Hey, Lance..." Hunk spoke softly, stretching out his right hand to give Lance's shoulder a supportive squeeze. "You know how, earlier, when you said I was totally awesome and cool and stuff..."

Blue eyes blinked in confusion. "Uh, yeah." Where was Hunk going with this?

The larger boy nervously fiddled with his fingers. "Well, I think you're pretty awesome, too. So, um... would you be my friend?"

"I- what?" For the first time ever, Lance had been rendered completely speechless. Hunk... wanted to be his friend?

"I-I mean if you don't want to, that's cool!" the other boy croaked in fear. "But- I think you're really great, too! You're the most openly friendly person I've ever seen. And supportive, like how you taught me to swim today! That was really kind of you. Not to mention, how you went out of your way to introduce me to the other kids and... the way you took on Nick! You're smart Lance, like strategically so and quick on your feet, too! Outmaneuvering a bully like that was totally awesome! A-And no matter how many times Nick put you down, you proudly stood back up and faced him. It was incredible, dude! You're incredible!"

Lance fought back the joyful tears welling in his eyes. Hunk... really thought that he was special?

"So yeah," the gentle giant concluded with a relieved breath. "I'd like to be your friend... T-That is, if you'd let-"

The boy didn't even wait for him to finish. Lance launched his entire lithe frame at Hunk, engulfing him in a hug that contained every last ounce of strength he had.

"Of course, I'll be your friend!" he mumbled excitedly into Hunk's chest. "The best in fact! For life! I can totally feel it!"

Lance felt a whimper of joy resonate through him as Hunk enthusiastically returned it.

And so, the two boys sat holding one another. Letting all their worldly worries fall away. Both content in knowing, that everything they'd face from this point forward; would be done together.

Lance and Hunk took some time to collect themselves. Both boys being in much higher spirits than they were before. Eventually, Hunk's curiosity got the better of him. He began searching around the pool shed. This led to the discovery of a clean bit of torn, white cloth. With a warm smile, Hunk walked over to Lance and sat beside him. "Found this on the floor. Looks pretty clean. I think if I wrapped your ankle; the tension might help it support you better."

"Sure thing buddy, I trust you,"Lance readily agreed. With a nod of Hunk's head he lifted up his friend's ankle and got to work.

"There, all done!" he declared, giving the tight knot one final tug. "I wouldn't go running around on it if I were you. But standing should be easier now."

Extending his hand, Hunk helped Lance get back to his feet. A sharp wince momentary shot across his face, but afterword, Lance regained his footing and was standing fine on his own.

"Thanks man, I owe yah!" he thanked Hunk with a toothy grin. The larger boy then turned to check out the other neat junk piled up around them.

"Boy, there's a lot of cool stuff in here," he commented, looking at a bunch of old inter-tubes and air compressors. Taking apart old machinery and putting it back together was Hunk's favorite hobby. It was just so cool! Seeing how they worked gave him tons of ideas for wacky contraptions that he could create himself. One time, the larger boy had even built a robot out of spare parts from his parents' garage. Hunk told all this to Lance with a beaming smile. "Bet I could make something really awesome out of this..."

"Really?" asked Lance, peeking around his side. "Cool! But you haven't seen the best thing in here yet."

The shorter boy hobbled over to a tarp covered mound, sitting at the far right corner of the shed. With a dramatic flourish, Lance tore away the sheet to reveal... the largest assortment of water guns and balloon packets Hunk had ever seen!

His dark-brown eyes went incredibly wide in awe. "Awesome-sause!" he shrieked with joy, hands shaking with excitement. "It's like a super secret hidden arsenal in here!"

Lance was bouncing with equally wild energy."I know, right? Maria and the other instructors usually chuck everything they confiscate from the other kids into this pile. Hardly anyone ever comes to reclaim it."

That was when, Lance's wicked grin from earlier suddenly returned. "So Hunk... what exactly can you make from this stuff? Maybe... a mechanical monstrosity that Nick and his lackeys would never forget?" he causally suggested, with a wiggle of his brows.

"Hmmm..." Hunk answered in exaggerated thought, idly tapping his chin. "Possibly... what exactly did you have in mind?" He ended with a sly wink.

Hungrily, Lance rubbed his hands and began laying out the plan... the other boy could already tell, this was going to be glorious! "Okay, so here's what I was thinking we'd do..."

To Be Continued...

Chapter Text

Disclaimer: Don't own Voltron. Climax time everyone! Let the plan commence!

"Steve! Len! Did you find those losers yet?" Nick huffed angrily at his 'friends' as they returned to where he and the older kids were chilling by the pool.

"No," Steve grumbled, plopping down next to him. "They might have snuck off when Maria wasn't looking."

It was possible. McClain had pulled that stupid stunt before. "Well, whatever. Good riddance, I say."

With a huge sigh of relief, Nick stretched out his arms and laid back in his lounge chair. He then flipped out a pair of aviator shades and pushed them up onto the bridge of his nose. Just as the tired boy was drifting off to sleep; an annoyingly high pitched voice screeched out, "Sneak attack!"

Nick's eyes snapped open in shock as a jet of freezing cold water hit him square in the face. Enraged, the blond sputtered furiously, leaping to his feet. Angrily, Nick ripped his aviators off his face and tossed them aside. Immediately, green eyes locked onto the Pantsless Wonder, hitching a piggyback ride aboard his new sidekick. The losers were wielding dual Super Soakers, barraging Nick with a relentless watery assault.

"McClain!" he yelled in irritation, as his idiot friends chuckled beside him.

"Aw! What's a matter, kitty cat?" Lance mocked from atop his perch on Hunk. "Did we get you all wet?"

Nick snarled at them. Unbridled rage pumping wildly through his veins. The blond's voice cracked, screaming, "What are you idiots waiting for? Get 'um!"

Steve and Len finally snapped to attention, and as one, the three of them ran towards their large target.

"O-Okay," cried Lance, still firing from over Hunk's shoulder. "Here we go, phase two! Phase two!"

"Right!" The pair made a hasty escape. Frantically weaving between pool chairs and tables in an attempt to slow the other boys down.

"Not gonna work!" Nick taunted as he jumped over a chair trying to catch up. "We've got you this time, McClain!"

"Yeah, and your pal's gonna suffer right along with you!" shouted Len, only to get shot with another piercing jet of water. Causing the boy's heal to slip forward and fall butt first into the muddy earth.

Taking advantage of the opening, Hunk dashed around the downed boy and ran towards the old pool shed. Nick's eyes narrowed at this and grabbed both Len and Steve, pulling them off to the side.

"Dude! What gives man? We almost-"

But Nick simply shushed him and turned his attention back to the retreating pair. The losers checked behind them to see if the coast was clear, and then duck inside the rickety structure.

"Thought so," said Nick with pride, having finally discover McClain's secret hideout. "That's where he's been camping out."

"Sweet, good thinking!" Steve praised as they approached the normally locked door. "What next?"

"Simple," Nick explained with a cocky grin. "We count to three, swing open the door, and jump um!" He punctuated this by pounding his right fist into his open palm. "Then we teach Pantsless and his sidekick a lesson they will never forget!"

"Genius, man! Genius!" Len laughed, rubbing his hands eagerly in anticipation. The three boys crouched together and quietly made their way through the bushes over to the door.

Nick reached up and grabbed the handle. Smiling as he felt it move. Good, those losers hadn't secured it from the inside. Dumb move. With a sadistic grin, he turned to the other two.

"Okay, on three..." Nick stated as he began to chant. "One... Two... Th-" But before the blond could finish...

BAM!

The door suddenly swung wide open. Knocking the three startled boys back in surprise; right into the dirt.

"AHHH!" the trio of bullies screamed as Hunk and Lance wheeled forward a monstrosity of a machine; complete with miss matching wheels, a desk chair seat, a pair of bike handle bars, and air compressor covered in plastic tubes that connected back into... a-a basket filled with water balloons!

And that was when Nick finally realized, he had been played. "Oh, sh-"

"Say hello to our little friend!" the brown-haired boy exclaimed, slamming his hand down on a red button that brought the mechanical monstrosity sputtering to life. "Hunk, if you'd do the honors?"

The larger boy reached out and tightly gripped the old bike handle bars."With, pleasure!"

"RUN!" Nick screeched at the top of his lungs as they were pelted with several, multicolored flying projectiles. Each and every balloon filled to the brim with frigid cold water. The bullies quickly became drenched as the ammo smacked into them with a sharp crack! Bursting open on impact and soaking them to the bone. All the excess water turned the dirt under their feet into a slippy mess. Causing the bumbling fools to crash into one another as they desperately tried to escape.

Eventually, the bullies escaped the crazy contraption's firing range. Dirty and drenched, the trio of brats took a second to catch their breaths, before immediately running off to find Maria. Because what do jerks do when they can't win? Tattletale, of course.

The trio practically dragged Maria over to the pool shed, telling her their wild story. She was already shaking her head in clear disbelief. "That's some crazy imagination you guys sure have... But okay, where is it?"

Nick glanced expectantly at the pool shed's door. But found the large machine along with its "Watery Balloons of Doom" to have completely vanished.

"I-" For a second, the blond was struck utterly dumb. There was no way they could have gotten rid of that thing so fast! Not in the short amount of time they were gone! "Wait, how did- Where did-"

To this, Len merrily snorted. "Dude, they totally just rolled it back into the shed and hid it."

Nick blinked at him. True, the rusty door had been open before... But now it appeared to be closed and locked again. The blond had an uneasy feeling about what they were going to find. "Oh, yeah. Sure! T-That makes sense. C-Check the shed Maria, then you'll see!"

The teen cast the young boys a skeptical glance. "Fine!" Slowly, she pulled out her keyring and walked up to the door. With a sharp click! The brown-haired woman removed the padlock and stepped inside.

The three boys waited on baited breath, ready for McClain and the fatso to get caught.

Unfortunately after several minutes, Maria came back out looking very displeased. "Alright, boys. Come over here!" she called, motioning for them to join her inside.

Worriedly, the trio gazed at one another before following her command. As one, the young boys gulped and cautiously entered. Afraid that monstrous machine was going to start firing at them again.

Instead, the children were left positively stumped by what they found inside... Absolutely nothing! There were a few metal parts and plastic tubes strewn about, but nothing that even resembled the insane contraption that had attacked them earlier. How could something that bulky and huge, just disappear?

"I- w-what," Nick stammered in horrified realization. "But it was here! Really it was, Maria! I swear!"

"Save it, kid," she said, waving the boys back out the door. "You guys shouldn't even be playing near here anyway. The pool will be closing soon, so I'll let this all slide for today."

"I-I, but! The wet ground! And the-"

Maria gave the boys one last, stern glare before heading back to her class.

"M-My father will hear about this!" he threatened, knowing it was futile. "You'll see!"

"Whatever," the teen replied with an unimpressed roll of her eyes. "Pool, now!"

The trio scuttled behind her, whispering between themselves about how the losers could have done this. Only to discover that somehow, both Lance and Hunk had already returned to the pool area.

Looking as innocent as can be, the pair calmly sipped their juice boxes together under the large oak tree.

"Hey, Maria!" Lance angelically called, waving to his sister. "What was all that ruckus about?"

She replied with a dismissive shrug, "Nothing, just a bunch of over active imaginations." Maria then went off to finish her lessons with the class.

Slack-jawed, the other boys simply stared at Lance and Hunk completely stunned. How on earth did they do it? And still have enough time to get back there?

An uncontrollable twitch started in Nick's right eye as he stomped over to the relaxing friends.

"This isn't over McClain!" he declared. Before looking a bit uncertain, and then ran off with both Steve and Len in tow.

Once Lance was certain that the beaten bullies had finally left, he turned triumphantly to Hunk with his juice box raised. "To the beginning of a beautiful friendship!"

Hunk laughed and held aloft his drink as well. "Totally! Cheers!" They knocked together their boxes in a celebration of victory. Then returned the plastic straws to their mouths, taking deep, refreshing slurps of fruit juice. The new friends, happily savoring their reward, for a job well done.

To Be Continued...

Chapter Text

Disclaimer: Yeah, don't own Voltron. This is it everyone! Final chapter at last! Hope you enjoy!

As luck would have it, Hunk's mother was one of the last parents to arrive. As Maria began closing up the pool, both boys immediately offered to help.

"Least we can do after you covered for us with Nick..." Lance offered, shyly scratching the back of his head.

Yeah, his sister had been in on the plan. Purposely guiding the other boys away from the machine's hiding place deep within the shed. Hunk and Lance had dismantled some of it, before covering the rest with a sheet. Quickly, the pair then relocked the door and snuck back to the pool area. Since Maria had been clued in from the start, she was able to keep the bullies occupied long enough for them to get everything done.

Lovingly, Maria reached out and ruffled Lance's hair. "Eh, no prob little bro. That brat and his friends have been thorns in my side for far too long. Felt good pulling one over on them."

At long last, Hunk's mom had finally arrived and pulled into the parking lot.

"Mommy!" the boy cried and ran happily into her open, waiting arms. "I did it! I made a friend today!"

"You did? Honey, I'm so proud of you!"

When the warm family moment had passed, Maria and Lance introduced themselves. And Lance, being well... Lance, pleaded with Hunk's mom to let him sleepover that night.

"Well... I don't know," the woman said uncertainly. The boys had only known each other a day after all.

"Please!" Lance begged, his blue eyes growing incredibly wide. "Summer's almost over Mrs. Garrett! This could be our only chance before school starts!"

The older woman's heart practically melted. How could she say, "no" to that? "Alright, but I want to check with your mother first that it's okay."

"Woot!"

"Sweet!" Both boys cheered, sharing in a short victory dance. Mrs. Garrett then followed Maria's car back to their home. Needless to say, the two women hit it off just as well as Lance and Hunk did.

From that day forward, the pair became almost inseparable. Hunk would remember that summer night the rest of his life. Baking brownies from scratch with Lance's mom. Boy were they incredible! Warm, soft, and super gooey... The picture of the three of them covered in flour was one that they all still treasured. Binging on soda pop and popcorn. Marathoning the entire "Space Patrol" series. Chatting about everything under the sun, or rather... the stars.

Turns out, that Lance was obsessed with all things related to space. He was an absolute fanatic. Star "Wars" and "Trek" posters were plastered around his room. Books on space travel and astronomy littered the floor. Even the walls were painted to resemble the night sky.

As he climbed into bed, Lance stared up at the glow-in-dark stars hanging above his head and whispered, "One day, Hunk. I'm going up there! Most of my family are already part of the Garrison in some way. And I 'm going to join, too. But I want to do something that the rest of them have never done. I'll be a fighter pilot and protect people; just you wait and see!"

Little did Hunk know, the kind of path their friendship had already set him upon. Space, to him meant: Fear, death, and darkness. Certainly, never a place Hunk wished to visit, let alone to live and work in.

But if that's where Lance was going, then Hunk was determined to follow. They may have only known each other a day... But even so, Hunk could tell, they had something truly special. Throughout his entire life, Hunk had felt... off, unbalanced. He could never quite find the right words to describe, how something important was missing. Almost like Hunk was a giant, shaky leg. Desperately trying to stand on his own, against the cruel world.

And then, suddenly, he wasn't alone anymore. Lance had come and steadied him. Righting him in such a way that Hunk almost felt whole. Something was still missing, but he knew that together, they'd find it someday.

An awkward pair of misfits that fit perfectly together. That's what they were. For the first time in his life, Hunk felt empowered, strong. Like he could take on any trial the world threw at him. Lance would lift Hunk up when he fell and cheer him up when he cried. Someone who would always have his back. And in return, Hunk would always have his.

So if his best friend's future lay within the stars, then that's where Hunk's was too. Often times, Lance would question why Hunk joined Galaxy Garrison if space travel frightened him so. It was the only secret he had ever kept from Lance. Because he knew, that if the other boy realized why; Lance would dropout of the program in a heartbeat.

No matter how important being a pilot was to him, Hunk's happiness meant far more.

Whatever he had done to deserve such a loving, kind, and loyal friend; Hunk wasn't entirely sure. He wouldn't allow Lance to give up his dream for him. So together to space they'd go.

"The stars were calling him," Lance would say, looking up at the night sky in awe and wonder.

Hunk wasn't entirely sure what kind of future they held, but he knew one thing for certain:

For good or bad...

Through thick and thin...

To infinity and past the great beyond...

Whatever future lay ahead, they'd face it together.

Now... and forever more.

~The End~