Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

If one thing was certain, it was that Pidge hated being late. Pidge stumbled through the parking lot of the Lion Daycare Center with paperwork of projects for the kids in her arms, and a tray of coffee for her and her coworkers. It wasn't an ideal job but it paid the bills.

Pidge just needed to hold out a little longer before she was financially stable enough to enter into the Garrison Engineering Cooperation. Her dream job since she was a kid and one that her parents used to fantasize about getting. Her mother held a job as a biologist and her father worked as a scientist. Both were professions that Pidge was exposed to, however she had grown more of an interest in computer programming and technical engineering.

The Garrison would able to allow Pidge to actually pursue that career and work with some of the most brilliant minds in engineering and science. However, getting into the Garrison was easier said than done. Despite Pidge’s degrees and work ethic, the Garrison’s evaluation was rigorous and one that Pidge needed to have a steady income to prepare for. The daycare was able to give Pidge a steady pay, whereas getting a job at any other engineering institution would keep her stuck in a job that would seemingly have no end and farther away from the Garrison, whereas Pidge knew she only needed a job for at least a year. Even though it was stressful, Pidge knew it would be worth the wait.

Pidge entered the Lion center relieved that she at least made it to work, even if she was 10 minutes late. The daycare center was a small building and resembled a tiny preschool. Decorated with the alphabet, cute pictures and art the children drew, and a plethora of toys and activities for the children could do. Pidge walked into the tiny classroom like area and set down her coffee at the main desk that was right next to her. Only to be bombarded by children hugging her short legs.

“Good morning Pidge!”

“I missed you!”

“I lost my tooth last night!”

“Your hair looks crazy! Did you stick your head out a window while driving?! My dog does that when we drive in the car! I want to do that but my mom said I would fall out the car.”

Pidge smiled at the children at her feet and quickly fixed her short and disheveled hair into a small ponytail. It didn't do much and her bands kept falling to frame her face and the round glasses that Pidge wore but it was enough.

Pidge loved her job working with kids. She found them a joy to be around despite herself never really seeing herself have her own in the future. The daycare was available for kids that ranged from 2 years old to 10 years old. Most of the older kids would come to the daycare after school if their parents weren't available to but since it was summer, school was out which meant more kids to care for.

“Alright children. It's time to leave Pidge alone and go to the rainbow mat for storytime with Shay and Romelle.” said a voice that belonged to none other than Allura. Pidge looked up and smiled at her co-worker.

Allura looked gorgeous as ever and the children stared up at her in amazement like she was a princess. Her long, flowing white hair complimented her dark skin. Pidge adored Allura. She was her closest friend here at the daycare center and was the closest thing Pidge had to a sister. It was surprising to Pidge to think that considering the fact she knew Shay longer than she had known Allura. They had both went to elementary school but Shay and her hadn't really gotten to know each other until Pidge had started her job at the daycare center. 

The children ran off leaving the two co-workers alone. Pidge handed Allura her coffee and set her paperwork on the front desk.

“So is everyone here today?” Pidge asked Allura as she studied the sign in sheet.

“Yes.” Allura said. “Shay had to bring in Ariela this morning. Something about her father getting an early morning shift.”

Ariela was a four year old that had been with the center for about a year. A bubbly and sweet child that had grown quite fond of Pidge. Yet, Pidge had never met Ariela’s father. Pidge knew practically all of the parents but Ariela’s. All she knew was that Ariela was being raised by her single father and he was a close friend of Shay's boyfriend.

“Does this mean he’ll be able to pick her up in the afternoon or will Shay be taking her home again?” Pidge asked as she put away the sign in sheet and took a drink of her coffee.

“I’m not sure?” Allura said with a kind smile. “You know, if you came into work earlier, you probably be able to meet him.”

Pidge smirked at that comment. Allura, Shay, and Romelle knew Pidge wasn’t much of a morning person and they never held it against her that she was always late but it was a habit Pidge needed to break.

“How’s Matt doing?” Allura asked as her and Pidge sorted through the coloring book pages that Pidge brought in.

Pidge smiled at the thought of her older brother. He was Pidge’s best friend and they always kept in contact even though he lived practically two hours away.

“Matt is doing good. Shiro and him just celebrated their seven year anniversary.” Pidge stated fondly. “I’m surprised Matt hasn’t proposed yet.  He claims, the timing isn’t right but I call bullshit.”

Allura giggled at that comment and took the pile of coloring book pages that the two had finished.

“You know Pidge, for someone who doesn’t date you seem to have a lot of opinions of how a relationship should work.” Allura commented playfully.

Pidge rolled her eyes in slight annoyance but she could never get upset when it came to Allura. “I’m 26 Allura, I have a lifetime to worry about dating. For now, I need to focus on getting into the Garrison Tech Program."

Allura gave Pidge a sympathetic look. Pidge was used to it though. Romelle, Shay, and Allura had been trying for almost a year now to set Pidge up on a date. While Pidge appreciated the thought from her friends, their choices never seemed to work out for Pidge and only lasted one date. They either were creepy, uninteresting, or they were jerks to her after she mentioned wanting to be a part of the Garrison Tech Program. 

"Alright, children!" The cheery voice of Romelle announced, "We will now go outside for some play time. Everyone line up in your assigned group area and your group leader will guide you to the playground."

Pidge and Allura sighed as they gathered their things to take the kids outside for the morning before the summer heat kicked in. Pidge was in charge of the 4-6 year olds while Allura took the 2-3 year olds, Shay took the 9-10 year olds and Romelle took the 7-8 year olds. Pidge went to her assigned group and threw on her Voltron High baseball cap to protect her face from the sun. Today was going to be a long day.

"C'mon man. Just one date." Hunk groaned as he sat across from Lance in the restaurant break room.

Lance rolled his eyes as he took a bite of his sandwich. This had been the third attempt this week that Hunk had tried to persuade him into getting a girlfriend. 

"For the last time Hunk, no." Lance said as he swallowed his food. "I need to spend time with Ariela. I haven't had some father-daughter time with her since my schedules been so fucked. Its a miracle Sal was able to get me to have an earlier shift so I could pick her up at 3 today from daycare. Also tell Shay that I'll be able to pay her this week for taking Ariela home and to daycare last week." 

"I've already told you that you don't have to pay Shay!" Hunk exclaimed "She's more than willing to help out with Ariela. We both are. Which means we can watch her while you go on a date!" 

Lance groaned at the fact that Hunk wasn't giving up. Hunk had been his best friend since middle school and they were practically inseparable. They even worked together at the same restaurant "Vrepit Sal's". Hunk was a head chef while Lance was a waiter. The pay was nice and Lance always charmed customers to get some extra tips. Plus Sal had always been sympathetic towards him for the past three years he had been working there. 

He appreciated his life. Sure, being a single dad was hard but he had Hunk, Shay, and even his sister Veronica to help out. He wouldn't know where he'd be without them. Ever since his ex, Esme, died during childbirth, Lance worried that raising his daughter would be next to impossible but with the support system he had, things became easier. He loved Ariela. She was a spitting image of him and practically the light of his life. Yet, he felt bad that his work practically limited his time that he spent with his daughter. He had missed a few formative events in her life, mainly in her first year due to work, and even though it caused an ache in his chest, but Ariela loved him unconditionally and he knew working hard would give her a good life.

"Just think about it at least." Hunk pleaded with his best puppy dog eyes. "It would be good for you to go out every once in a while. Plus it would be nice for Ariela to have a mother figure in her life. You can't tell me you haven't at least thought about it?"

The truth was that Lance had thought about it. Many times. He'd imagine having back yard picnics with Ariela and another woman in his life. Maybe even a sibling that Ariela could spend time with. He'd imagine taking his new family to Cuba to visit his parents as well as his siblings who lived there. But Lance knew better to let his fantasy get the better of him. He was happy with Ariela and the life they had. A mother figure for Ariela was the last thing on Lance's mind. He was perfectly content on being both a mother and a father for his daughter.

"I don't have time to discuss this Hunk." Lance said in a tired voice. "I have to clock back in in like five minutes."

All Hunk could do was nod. He knew deep down that Lance was hurting. Despite the facade that his friend tried to display, he was a never the same after Esme died. He remembered all the times him and Veronica had to watch Ariela while Lance would grieve and sometimes he would get drunk and have a breakdown.

Sure the drinking and breakdowns ended but there was still a fear in Hunk and Veronica would worry that Lance would have a relapse. He knew his friend was lonely and yet would constantly do anything not to get to close to the women he tried to date after Esme, if that didn't stop them, then the sheer weight of having to become a mother to a young girl did. 

For now, all Hunk could do was keep pushing. He knew Lance would eventually cave in and try going out every once in a while. If not for himself then at least for Ariela.

It was 2 o'clock and Pidge stood behind a long table with a bunch of desks neatly displayed around the table. The desks were occupied with the eager 4-6 year olds. the rest of the kids were off doing their own thing. The toddlers were taking a nap in a smaller room that was in the building while the older kids were doing arts and crafts with Shay. 

Monday through Friday when Pidge worked, she would have a fun little activity of science experiments for the kids. The days would switch between the 4 to 10 year olds and she would take care of a specific group. Today she was demonstrating an experiment which involved raisins and club soda to the 4 and 6 year olds. 

"Alright kids." Pidge announced in her best pay attention voice. "Today you are in for a treat. This experiment is called "Dancing Raisins"."

The kids giggled at the name and eagerly looked at Pidge in excitement. It was a reaction that Pidge found great joy in. She loved how much the kids enjoyed her showing off cool experiments and getting them interested in science.

"In front of me I have a clear cup and I am going to pour this club soda in it." Pidge said as she gestured to the clear cup and liter of soda that was on the table.

Pidge slowly poured the soda in and put the cap in the liter before moving onto the next task by opening a small container of raisins.

"Now I am going to pour a handful of raisins in." Pidge continued and plopped in a few raisins. "Now everyone gather around as we wait for them to work."

The group of children rushed forward and surrounded Pidge and the desk in pure amazement. Within a minute the raisins began to jump up and down in the water and the kids all oohed and awed at the sight in front of them. 

"Pretty cool right!" Pidge exclaimed.

"Yeah!" all the children shouted. 

After a little while of the kids trying out the experiment in their own cups. Pidge started to cleanup and the kids moved on for another story time but this time it was with Allura. Pidge dumped all the cups and threw them away. She then snacked on the remaining raisins as she waited for the next task. It was now 3 and that meant some of the kids would be heading home. The daycare center closed around 5:30 and all of the kids would be gone by then.

Pidge pondered at what she could do after work. She had to go to the store and pick up some food for her dog Bae Bae. Maybe some actual food for herself as well and not a microwaved dinner. She also had to call Keith back for their weekly catch up. She needed to fill him in on Matt not proposing to Shiro, once again. The two of them had placed bets and by the looks of it, Pidge was losing.

As Pidge was lost in thought, she had realized that she had forgotten to take care of the now half empty liter of club soda. Pidge grabbed the soda and began to walk to the kitchen area in the building. The kitchen building was directed at a hallway near the front so Pidge tried to be careful as some of the children ran to their cubbies to gather their things before their parents arrived. 

Suddenly Pidge found herself stumbling slightly as she tried to avoid bumping into any kids. As Pidge tried to make her self not fall, she felt her entire body collide with a hard object. Pidge felt herself fall to the ground with object and the cap from the liter pop off causing soda to splatter all over her, the object, and the floor. Pidge focused her attention on what she slammed into only to find it to be a person.

This person was tall and lanky, he had tanned skin, blue eyes, dark hair, and he was someone Pidge did not at all recognize. The only thing Pidge knew was this man was handsome and here she was, after being clumsy had gotten them both wet with the club soda she was holding. 

Shit! Pidge thought to herself as the man looked at her with slight concern.

"Quiznack!" Pidge exclaimed "I am so sorry sir!"

The man slightly smirked at the words that came out of Pidge's mouth. “Quiznack”, he hadn't heard that one before. Probably a “curse” word that she used around the kids so they wouldn't pick up on an actual curse and repeat it. He stared at her with kind eyes.

"It's okay." He said. "I'm just glad you and the kids weren't hurt." 

The fact he included her in the sentiment made Pidge’s heart do a flip flop that she immediately snapped out of. Romelle arrived with some towels for Pidge and the man after walking out a perfect time to catch the unfortunate collision. The man slowly got up and accepted the towel and he held out a hand to help Pidge up. 

"I'm Lance." The man said "I'm Ariela's father. I don't believe we've met."

Well, so much for first impressions. Pidge thought to herself.

Pidge took his hand and slightly felt like an idiot. If only she had been paying better attention.

"I'm Pidge and no we haven't met." Pidge said "I usually arrive to work after Ariela arrives."

Lance began to wipe off some soda off his shirt. Pidge began to notice that he was wearing a uniform. A waiter's uniform. Shay did mention that Hunk and Ariela's dad worked at a restaurant together. The two of them stepped aside as Romelle mopped up the spilt soda on the ground.

"Well Pidge, it's a pleasure to meet you." Lance said happily. "I hope Ariela has been a good girl while she's here."

"Oh yeah. She's great." Pidge said enthusiastically as she dried herself up. "She's very talkative and a joy to be around."

For Pidge, Ariela was an absolute joy to be near. She seemed the most excited when Pidge did experiments and always had many science-related questions.

Lance smiled at the comment Pidge made. He couldn't help but stare at Pidge. She had big golden brown eyes, short, messy, boyish yet still feminine, light tawny brown hair, and freckles that danced around her cheeks. She wore a green tank top, white shorts, and faded brown sneakers. She was honestly very cute in Lance's eyes and she smelled like only what he can describe as a mix of Crayola paint and...roses? Yes. The unmistakable smell of yellow roses that bloom in the summer. 

"Yeah." Lance said in agreement. "You know she gets that from me."

Pidge giggled softly at his comment and Lance laughed along.

"Somehow I don't doubt that." Pidge said 

The two were then interrupted by none other than Ariela herself. Pidge had then realized how much Ariela resembled her father. They had the same face shape, smile, and hair. The only difference was the eyes. Ariela's eyes were brown. 

"Hi papa!" Ariela exclaimed as she hugged Lance's leg. She had her backpack and was all ready to go home. "How come you're all wet?"

Lance's eyes lit up at the sight of his daughter and he scooped her up into his arms. 

"Had a bit of an accident with Pidge here, princess." He explained “But it's all better now that you are here.”

“Yay!” Ariela cheered. Which causes Pidge and Lance to giggle at the happy 4 year old. “I’m so happy you finally met Pidgey. Isn’t she the best?!”

“Yeah.” Lance said as he tried to amuse his daughter. “She’s awesome.” 

Despite the fact the Lance had barely met this woman, he could tell that his daughter had grown quite fond of her. She had no problem giving her a nickname and being affectionate, which even for an outgoing kid like Ariela, took some time. 

”Well it was nice to meet you, Lance.” Pidge stated not wanting to keep Ariela and her father from going home. “I should probably finish cleaning up before anymore accidents happen. I’ll see you tomorrow Ariela.”

“Bye Pidgey!” Ariela exclaimed.

Lance nodded and watch as Pidge walked away. He then realized how wet his clothes were and how uncomfortable he was starting to get. He then adjusted himself a little before starting a walk out to the car with Ariela in his arms. 

”Alright mi preciosa. What do you say we go home and change and then we’ll go out for ice cream with Tia Veronica after dinner.” Lance said as he began to walk out of the daycare center.

Ariela squealed in agreement and with that. The two of them braced the hot beating sun outside to venture on to an afternoon of fun. Little did Lance know that Pidge had been staring and smiling at him as he walked out of the daycare center with Ariela attached to his hip.

Pidge flopped on her couch as she had finished putting groceries away. It was already 5:00 and she was exhausted from work. Shortly after Lance and Ariela had left, Allura insisted that Pidge head home for the day since she was all wet and sticky from the soda. Pidge wasn’t complaining though. She still needed to go shopping so Allura letting her off early allowed her have enough time to plan a decent dinner for once.

Pidge lived in a tiny apartment in the center of the downtown area of the city. It had it's issues. For example, a tiny bathroom and the ac unit made a loud creaking noise when she turned it on but it was perfect in Pidge's eyes. It was a roof over her head so she couldn't complain too much about that.

Pidge dialed Keith and decided to talk on the phone with him while she made herself some chicken stir fry for dinner. Keith and her caught up on their days. Keith discussed his work at his martial arts studio and that he was excited for the upcoming tournament in two months.

Pidge, of course, spilled the more mundane details about her day like being late, the hot weather she had to endure, and the science project she did for the kids, but it wasn't until she got to the point where she met Lance the Keith seemed to really have interest. 

"You did what?!" Keith exclaimed over the phone as Pidge told him about the soda incident. 

"Ugh! I know!" Pidge sighed as she stirred her vegetables and pieces of chicken in a pan. "I knew it was a bad idea worrying about the soda, but I didn't want the kids to somehow knock it over if I left it alone!"

“Was he cute at least?” Keith teased. Pidge rolled her eyes.

"Not the point Keith!” Pidge exclaimed "But yes, he's very attractive."

Keith's chuckle over the phone relieved the tension that Pidge was starting to feel. No matter how close they were, talking about men was not Pidge’s forte. 

"Well the good thing is that he didn't get upset." Keith said "Anyway, how did Matt and Shiro's anniversary go? Do we need to add more money to the wager."

"Yep!" Pidge stated "I now am placing $100 to the wager. I'm saying that he won't ask until six months from now. Are you still sticking with three?"

"Definitely." Keith said "If there's anything I know about Matt is that he will cave eventually."

Pidge snickered at that comment. "I don't know. He's had a ring for almost a year and still hasn't done anything yet."

"True." Keith stated "Alright I have to get going. Kosmo needs a bath. But before I go I have to ask, are we still in for our monthly trip to the bar next week. I was thinking Saturday. Friday is Krolia's birthday and I know she wants to go out to eat."

"Yeah." Pidge said "Saturday should be good. I don't have work. Matt said him and Shiro are down to tag along. At least now I have someone else to worry about holding your mullet back when you throw up."

"That was one time!" Keith said defensively while Pidge laughed at her comment.

"Alright. Night Keith. I'll see you next Saturday." Pidge said

"Night Pidge." Keith said and with that, Pidge hung up the phone and finished up cooking her food.

After eating, Pidge mindlessly paced around her apartment completely bored out of her mind. She could watch tv but there was nothing good on that caught her attention. She could tinker a little more with fixing up her old computer, but she didn't feel like getting pricks or accidentally shocking herself in the process. Pidge then noticed Bae Bae laying by the front door. It usually meant Bae Bae had to go to the bathroom. It was still light outside and there was a park nearby her apartment that Bae Bae loved going to. Pidge figured a walk could simultaneously kill her boredom, tire her, and Bae Bae out for the night. 

"You want to go for a walk Bae Bae?" Pidge asked

Bae Bae perked up from her spot and began to wag her tail furiously. Pidge smiled and gathered a jacket just in case they stayed out late, Bae Bae's leash, and her shoes. At least she had Bae Bae to always keep her company.

"Can we go to the park Papa?" Ariela asked as she ate her ice cream with pleading eyes.

Lance and Veronica wondered around aimlessly through the streets of downtown. It was almost time for the sun to set but it was still very warm for a summer evening.

"Sure princess!" Lance said "I think I saw one about a block away from here. What do you say Veronica?"

Veronica looked at her brother with amusement. Veronica loved spending time with Lance and Ariela and she loved to see how caring Lance was as a father. She still remembered the day Lance told her he was going to be a father. He was so scared and she worried that he would faint every time he talked about it. He had grown so much since. When Ariela was born he never wanted to stop holding her or interacting with her and as much as Veronica knew it was because he loved Ariela, it was also because he feared of losing her after losing Esme. 

"Sounds good to me." Veronica said. 

Ariela finished her ice cream and Lance gave her a piggy back ride to the park while Veronica followed them. The park was small but it had a big open grass field and and a bunch of concrete walking paths which was used for those who liked to jog or take endurance walks. Ariela rushed to the playground and Veronica and Lance sat at a nearby bench watching her.

"So what's this Ariela told me about an accident?" Veronica asked.

Lance playfully rolled his eyes. Of course Ariela said something. "It was nothing. I accidentally knocked into one of her daycare advisors and we got wet because she was carrying a liter of soda.  Ariela said it was for a science experiment."

"Ah I see." Veronica said as she teasingly smiled at her younger brother. "Have you heard from Mama and Papi? They said that they wanted to come for Ariela's birthday in three months."

Lance's parents lived in Cuba as well as his brothers, Marco and Luis, Luis's wife Lisa, his niece and nephew Nadia and Silvio and his other sister Rachel. They used to live in the U.S. but they missed Cuba so much that they moved back to be with Lance's grandparents. Lance and Veronica missed their parents and siblings but they had already built content lives in the U.S. 

"Yeah." Lance said "Mom kept talking to me about all the ways she would spoil Ariela once she gets here. I figured her and Papi could stay at my place, I have a couple spare rooms so if anyone else comes then they can stay as well."

Veronica nodded at his answer and quickly changed the subject.

"How's Hunk?" Veronica asked 

"He's doing good." Lance said "He keeps convincing me to go out and try to find someone to date."

"So what's stopping you?" Veronica asked "He means well Lance. Dating could be good for you. It'd be nice to see you find someone."

"Veronica, please." Lance pleaded, slightly disappointed that his sister agreed with Hunk. "I don't need to think about that right now. Ariela is my priority, not a girlfriend."

"I'm just saying Lance." Veronica stated. Trying to be sympathetic towards his feelings. "You've been single for a while and I know you're too much of a flirt to not feel lonely. You used to be so happy. I'm not saying that Ariela doesn't make you happy but it would be nice to see you smile again."

Lance didn't say anything. He just watched Ariela as she played on the playground. Suddenly he noticed that something caught Ariela's attention. She quickly stopped playing and stared off at the field that was near the playground. 

Lance stood up and tried to see what she was staring at. Veronica then noticed and began to do the same. It was a dog. A short haired, light bull terrier. It was off a leash and playing with a ball. Ariela then ran towards the dog very eager. Alarms went off in his head and he began to chase after his daughter.

"Ariela!" He called but Ariela didn't listen. Suddenly he noticed that Ariela wasn't running towards the dog but the owner.

The owner that was none other than Pidge. She wore different clothes. She wore jeans, her brown sneakers from earlier, a white blouse with tiny flower decals and a brown belt was tied around her waist. Ariela cheerfully squealed at the sight of Pidge and hugged her leg.

"Pidgey!" Ariela exclaimed. 

Pidge was taken a back by the four year old. Out of all of the people she could run into, it had to be Ariela. Pidge wasn't complaining though, considering how happy the child was to see her, but the child hugging her leg did make her stumble a little. 

"Oh. Hi Ariela." Pidge said 

Pidge then noticed Lance who was calling Ariela's name, behind him was a woman. She had short dark hair, red lips, and she wore thin, rectangular glasses. She looked a lot like Lance so she could only assume it was someone he was related to. Lance approached them, out of breath.

"Ariela! You know better than to run off like that!" Lance exclaimed as he tried to catch his breath 

"Sorry papa." Ariela said as she feared that she was in big trouble.

"Just tell me next time. Please." Lance said. He then looked at Pidge. "Nice to see you again Pidge."

Pidge nodded. Bae Bae then approached the group and began to sniff both Lance and Ariela. Lance was a little startled by the dog.

"It's all right." Pidge explained "Bae Bae is very friendly."

The woman that Lance was with began to speak.

"Hi! I'm Veronica, Lance's sister." She said as she extended to her hand for Pidge to shake.

Pidge smiled at her and shook Veronica's hand. "Hi. I'm Pidge Holt. I work at Ariela's daycare."

"Can I pet your dog Pidgey?!" Ariela asked, completely ignoring the conversation that Pidge was having.

"Ariela, manners." Lance reminded his daughter, slightly embarrassed by his daughter's outburst."You need to say excuse me when people are taking."

Pidge chuckled as she looked down at Ariela. 

"Of course you can." Pidge said "You can even play fetch with her if you'd like. Just make sure to stay here where your father can see you. Bae Bae will bring you back the ball." 

Ariela's eyes grew with excitement and she grabbed Bae Bae's ball and wandered a foot away from the group to play fetch with Bae Bae. Lance stared at his daughter with slight concern. He knew he could trust Pidge considering the fact he practically trusted her with this daughter almost everyday but he still worried about her.

"Don't worry." Pidge said "Bae Bae loves kids. She's very gentle with them."

Lance smiled slightly as Pidge stared at him in reassurance. 

"I'll keep an eye on her." Veronica said, obviously wanting to leave the two of them alone to talk.

She walked off to where Ariela was and stayed by her while Pidge and Lance awkwardly stood across from each other. As she did show, she flashed Lance a subtle wink to tease her brother. It was rare at this point to see him with a woman or let alone talking to one who wasn't a customer

"So Pidge?" Lance began as he nervously rubbed the back of his neck. "Is that a nickname or is that your actual name?

Pidge snorted at his question. "Pidge is my nickname. My actual name is Katie but I prefer to be called Pidge. It's just a something I've always preferred."

“Katie’s a lovely name” Lance smiled “I mean both are lovely and I think they suit you well.”

Red flushed rapidly at Pidges cheeks. Usually if Keith or one of her guy friends made a comment like that she would give them a snarky reply or punch them, but Lance wasn't either one of them. He was a man who had a daughter, a daughter she watched 5 times a week. 

"Thank you" Pidge replied as casually as she could muster "I'd like to think so"

They stood in silence for a moment, watching Ariela and Veronica run and play with Bae Bae. It was a cute sight to see, especially when Ariela tackled the dog with affection and tried to get it to listen to her commands. Pidge was the first to speak. 

“Ariela is a cute kid. She's got a great imagination. I remember one time she got me in princess crown so she could be the knight fighting the dragon” 

Lance laughed at the thought of Ariela wielding a fake sword while Pidge was pretending to be helpless in a tiara. 

“She probably got that from being with me” Lance chuckled “Ariela always wants me to dress up like a princess for her”

“Oh really?” Pidge smirked “like the whole thing? With a crown and dress?”

“And makeup!” Lance added “i swear I had red lipstick and blue eyeshadow in my hair for a week after that”

The two laughed. Pidge could tell Lance adored Ariela and it warmed her heart that he was so interactive with her. She figured being a single father wasn't easy, but they way Lance talked about it, seemed like the best job in the world. The two went back and forth discussing Ariela’s artwork and general interests she seemed to be having. The conversation cut off when Pidge saw the time and the sky getting darker. She whistled for Bae Bae who ran right over to her immediately. 

“I need to get going” Pidge started apologetically she secured Bae Bae's leash “tell Ariela I said goodbye and I’ll see her later”

“Will do.” Lance smirked “It was a pleasure to see you again”

Pidge smiled before giving a final wave and walking off with her dog in tow. Veronica held a sleepy-looking Ariela as they watched Pidge walk further and further. Lance got lost almost in a trance. His chest felt warm and fuzzy and his stomach started to flutter at the thought of Pidges warm smile and rose scent. And that's when it hit and all Lance could think was

Fuck.

Chapter Text

Pidge would be lying if she said that she hadn't hoped to see Lance again for the rest of the week, but that wasn't the case. He never came back to pick up Ariela from daycare. She always went home with Shay at the end of the day and Pidge always arrived to work late. Pidge didn't know why but she liked being around Lance. He was nice to talk to and Pidge found comfort in that. From what she could tell, he was a great dad, and ever since that day at the park Ariela kept bugging Pidge about playing with Bae Bae again.

"I don't know kiddo. You'd have to ask your dad." was all Pidge could say. 

As weird as it was to even think about spending time with Ariela outside of daycare, Pidge didn't seem to mind. Ariela was a great kid and they already had a great bond during their time at daycare. It wasn't weird for Pidge to want to see Ariela and her father outside of daycare. Right? Okay, Pidge had to admit, she had no idea why she wanted Lance to be tied to that idea but she assumed it was because if he wasn't present, it could be a little more strange for her to hang around Ariela. 

It was Sunday and Pidge once again, was bored in her apartment. She spent the whole morning working out and tinkering with some new projects. She was trying to make a little robot companion to present to the Garrison once she was able to apply. Pidge was never really a fitness person but Matt used to drag her to the gym when he was in college so she grew into a habit of at least taking better care of herself. Bae Bae was napping so Pidge didn't want to bug her dog for some company. Pidge almost considered taking a nap as well, then she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket.

It was a phone call from her mom.

"Hey, mom," Pidge said as she answered the phone.

"Katie. Are you busy?" Her mom asked. Out of all the people that still chose to call Pidge, Katie, it was her parents. Pidge liked it though. As much as she preferred Pidge, her parents still calling her Katie gave her comfort.

"No," Pidge said. "I've been just relaxing. I spent the whole morning working on my project to enter the Garrison. Why? Is something wrong"

"I need someone to come in and man the register. Coran called in sick so now I need someone to fill his shift. You don't mind right?"

Pidge's mom worked part-time as a Botanist professor and also ran a small produce and gardening shop in the downtown area. Pidge used to spend her teenage years working part-time with her mom. Her mom got all of her produce from local farmers and even from her garden at Pidge’s family home. It was something that she was proud of and something Pidge admired about her mother.

"Sure." Pidge said "It would be nice to hang out at the shop again. I'll be there in fifteen minutes.

"Thanks, Katie! You are a lifesaver."

Pidge quickly hung up the phone and grabbed her things before she could head out. She also made sure to leave Bae Bae some food in case Bae Bae woke up from her nap hungry.

Pidge was excited to be at the shop. When Pidge was little she used to hate it because the gardening stuff and plants made her allergies act up but now, Pidge had grown out of it. Sure her allergies were still somewhat present but they weren't as strong as they were when she was a kid. Something about plants made Pidge happy. Well happy enough to get her to turn away from computers and robots for a few hours.

In under 15 minutes, Pidge entered her mother's shop. It was a cute shop where one half was like a grocery store filled with fresh fruit and vegetables and the other half was filled with gardening tools, fresh plants and flowers, bags of dirt and manure, flower pots, and even some seeds. There was a small outdoor section on the other side of the store where all the fresh plants were located. It smelled like the garden that Pidge remembered her mother growing when she was little. A scent that constantly reminded Pidge of her childhood. 

Pidge walked for a bit as she looked for her mother who was nowhere to be seen. She eventually found her checking the inventory of the flower pots and potted plants in one of the isles. 

"Katie!" the cheerful voice of Pidge's mom said as she welcomed her daughter with a warm hug.

"Hey, mom," Pidge said 

Pidge's mom looked at her daughter with admiration. Pidge had been always told that she looked like her mom. They had the same eyes, same face shape, yet Pidge had her father's hair color (well how it used to look before it turned gray) while her mom's hair was blonde. Her mother handed Pidge a work apron and Pidge's name tag that she made for Pidge when she was a teenager. Except the name tag said 'Katie' and not Pidge.

"So I need you to run the register while I handle some paperwork in my office. I have to grade some papers." 

"Sounds good mom," Pidge said and she tied her apron on and pulled her hair back. "I think I can handle looking over the shop for a few hours while you grade."

Pidge's mom gave her a nod and wandered into her office while Pidge wandered around the shop towards the cash register near the entrance. She even grabbed a few of the display bouquets and vases and put them around the front counter to catch customers' eyes as they checked out of the store. Ever since her allergies lost most of their strength, she enjoyed the smell of flowers, they calmed her in a sense.

While there weren't a lot of customers at the moment, Pidge didn't seem to mind. She just enjoyed being in the shop. A place where all the things in it reminded her of home.

For Lance, it was safe to say that he was having the worst three days of his life. Ever since that day with Pidge at the park, he couldn't get her out of his head. All he could think about was her. Her smile, the way her golden-brown eyes sparkled every time she looked at him, he even thought about the faint freckles that danced across her small nose. Lance knew it was silly but he wanted so badly to get the thought of Pidge out of his head. 

He had spent so long trying not to focus on women. Denying every time a customer tried to give him their number, or turning down every time Hunk begged him to go out and try dating, and yet here he was, thinking about a girl at the moment he least expected. Lance didn't need this in his life. No matter how kind, smart, and not to mention beautiful Pidge was. He needed to find some way to get over her but he knew that would be easier said than done.

"Lance?" Hunk asked as he noticed his friend lost in thought when he was supposed to be stocking the back room. "You okay?"

The sound of Hunk's voice seemed to be the one thing that pulled Lance back into reality.

"Huh? Oh yeah. I'm fine Hunk." Lance said, "Don't you have a stove to worry about?"

"No. I'm on my break. I was heading out back to give Shay a call and I noticed you were kinda spaced out for a minute." Hunk explained "Are you sure you're okay man? You've been kind of out of it for the past few days. You know I am here if you need me, right?"

Lance knew what Hunk was doing and Lance was not going to give him the satisfaction of being distracted because of some girl. 

"Yeah. I am fine Hunk." Lance said "Just a little tired. My parents made plans to come to visit for Ariela's fifth birthday in September and I have to start making plans to set them up in my guest room. It's been a while since I've seen them so I want everything to be perfect."

Hunk gave his friend a sympathetic look. Not really buying the story that he was telling but he didn't want to pressure Lance into telling him the truth. Lance would eventually tell him what was bugging him. 

"Don't worry buddy." Hunk said as he gave his friend a sympathetic nudge. "It'll all work out." 

Lance smile at Hunk. He was right. Things would work out for Lance. Eventually. They usually did.

"Lance! I need you to do me a huge favor!" the booming voice of Sal's said as he entered the back room. 

Sal was a burly big man. He always had an intimidating look on his face and always wore a bandana over his forehead. He was even bigger than Hunk, to the point where Lance had no doubt he could bench press Hunk as a warm-up. Despite his intimidating demeanor, Sal was a pretty chill guy.

"I need you to run to the local shop to get some produce. The truck was supposed to come in today but I've just been informed that there was an accident on the freeway and now we won't have any fresh produce for the next day or so." Sal explained as he held out a pair of car keys, a credit card, and a list. "I need you to take the company car to a local shop a few blocks away. It's called "Colleen's Grocery and Gardening Outlet”, I used to go there all the time before business starting going up. You can use my company credit card to pay for the supplies. Hunk, I am going to need you to go with him. He could use an extra pair of hands and I'll man the grill while you are gone."

Lance and Hunk nodded and grabbed the list of items from Sal in a rush. They had to be fast to get the items that Sal needed. Hunk took the driver's side while Lance took the passenger side. Lance put the name of the shop into his phone and Hunk drove as fast as he safely could until they got to the store. It was a quaint, small corner shop that could be easily missed if it wasn't someone's intended destination. There were small bouquets of flowers displaying in a window and the shop name was in fancy gold embroidery.

Hunk and Lance both entered the shop and rushed to the produce area that was easily seen when they entered. Hunk took a quick picture of the list, grabbed a shopping cart, and he quickly split up from Lance to cover more ground. Lance grabbed his shopping cart and wandered the rows of produce in front of him. He studied the list intensely, making sure to memorize the items so that way he could grab the correct ones. It probably made him look confused just standing there because he suddenly heard a voice behind him.

"Excuse me, sir? Is there anything I can help you with?" said an all to familiar voice

"You have got to be fucking kidding me,"  Lance thought to himself as he turned around only to face a pair of familiar golden-brown eyes.

Pidge jumped back slightly at the sight of Lance. Out of all the places she could run into him, it had to be at her mother's shop. She was surprised she didn't see him walk in, she was busy stocking up when she heard the bell of the front door opening so she missed him walking in. Lance looked startled and slightly stressed. He was wearing his work uniform so he most likely was either on a break or he had just finished a shift. 

"Oh..hi." was all Pidge could say as she felt a light blush dance around her cheeks.

Lance took a moment to study Pidge. He had finally realized how short she was compared to him as her head barely reached his shoulders. Then again, Lance was considered pretty tall, reaching the height of 6 ft. Pidge wore a grey tank top and a loose green plaid shirt that hung slightly off her shoulders revealing creamy, white, lightly freckled skin, over that was a small off-white apron, a pair of jean shorts, her usual sneakers, and a name-tag that said "Katie". Her messy hair was pulled back into a small ponytail and her face was framed with a few loose strands as well as her bangs. Her round glasses were slightly crooked and almost reached the tip of her nose. Lance felt a strong urge to adjust them but did everything in his power to refrain from doing so.

"H-hey Pidge." Lance managed to say "Surprise to see you here."

God, he wanted to die, but he forced a smile to not let it show. 

"You too." Pidge said "You seemed a bit confused. You need help with anything?"

"Um...I'm good." Lance said "Just a little stressed right now. My work was supposed to have a produce truck get delivered today but there was an accident so now I have to grab some items for the restaurant to use while we wait for another shipment in a couple of days."

"Aw, man. That sucks." Pidge said as she adjusted her glasses. "Well, I can help you grab some items since I seem to be keeping you from shopping."

Lance wanted desperately to say no. He didn't want to be around Pidge. He wanted to avoid her at all costs. It would be the best way to get her out of his head. Yet his stupid heart went the other direction and without thinking he said:

"That's a great idea. I would appreciate some help."

Pidge nodded and the two of them silently grabbed items and put them in the cart. Whenever Pidge leaned closed to Lance to catch a glimpse at the list, he would catch a whiff of the smell of roses that she carried with her. Lord help him. 

All Lance needed was a few bags of potatoes, over a dozen sweet onions, lettuce, and a couple of other vegetables. Pidge was very helpful at helping him get the best of the bunch. As the two of them grabbed items, Hunk appeared finished with his half of the list.

"Hey, Lance!" Hunk said "I just finished my half. You done ye-oh."

Hunk stopped for a moment and noticed Pidge. She was a cute, tiny little thing, she looked familiar but he couldn't place where he had seen her from. More importantly, she was helping Lance. His friend was alone with a woman. To see Lance around a woman was a rarity of that with pigs flying. Hunk almost felt like he was intruding. He felt thick and heavy tension between the two that he wasn't sure if he was imagining it

"Almost Hunk. Pidge here was just helping me." Lance explained. He then suddenly realized that they had no idea who the other was. "Pidge this is my co-worker and best friend Hunk and Hunk this is Pidge. She works with Shay and apparently here as well."

Pidge smiled at Hunk. She had heard many stories about him and had only seen pictures of him from Shay's phone. He was a lot taller than she expected. Then again, everyone was taller than Pidge, well except for children.

"Nice to finally meet you Hunk," Pidge said. "Shay's told me so much about you. Also, I don't exactly work here. This is my mom's shop. I'm just helping her cover a shift for one of her workers. He's out sick."

"Nice to meet you too, Pidge." Hunk said happily. "Shay's mentioned you as well. I'm surprised I didn't recognize you. She has a ton of work photos around the house."

"Oh," Pidge said "Well that's probably because I had long hair back then. I cut it back in January."

Lance felt himself getting nervous at the thought of Pidge with long hair. She was already so beautiful with short hair, he couldn't imagine her looking the same with long hair. He imagined she'd be almost ethereal looking with long hair. Long hair he could run his hands through and pu-Nope! No time for that!

“So how about you help Lance finish up and then I’ll ring you both up at the counter,” Pidge said snapping Lance out of his daze. He clearly missed the conversation she was having with Hunk.

”Yeah sounds good!” Hunk said cheerfully and Lance nodded and gave her a small smile.

Pidge smiled at the two of them and walked towards the front where the counter was. Lance was once again trapped in a daze as he watched her walk away and the familiar fluttering of butterflies returned in his stomach.

"Oh! I get it!" Hunk whispered to Lance making sure Pidge was far away enough so she couldn't hear them. He had clearly seen how Lance had been staring at her. "You like her!"

Lance turned to face Hunk taking note of the sheer excitement Hunk had on his face. 

"Shut up!" Lance whispered back. "It's not a big deal. It's just a small crush, it'll blow over in like a week."

"Sure, whatever you say!" Hunk said "In the meantime, I'll be planning your wedding. How do you feel about an outdoor wedding by the ocean?"

Lance playfully shoved Hunk and continued to finish grabbing items from the list. Once he was finished, Hunk and he went to the front to pay for the items, not wanting to waste any more time shopping. Lance once again, felt the butterflies again when he saw Pidge behind the front counter. The sun began to hit the front window, causing a yellow glow to enter the store, hitting the direction that Pidge was in. The light hitting Pidge and the flowers in vases that surrounded her added more to her beauty. Lance had to keep reminding himself to breathe with every sight that he took of her.

He quickly avoided looking her in the eyes by putting produce on the counter for her to scan. Hunk tried to make conversation with Pidge as she went through their item. Clearly understanding that Lance was trying to avoid her. Luckily Hunk knew how to push him in the right direction. 

"So Pidge. Other than working with my lovely girlfriend and helping out your mother, do you have any other jobs or interests?" Hunk asked.

Pidge blinked in surprise. No one had ever asked her that question before. 

"Um..yeah. I am currently trying to get into the Garrison Technical Program. I'm into robotics and computer engineering. I also enjoy the occasional gaming. Ever heard of Killbot Phantasm?" Pidge said hoping she didn't sound too much like the nerd that she was. 

Hunk perked up at the sound of that, knowing fully well that it was Lance's favorite game.

"Yeah! It's amazing. Lance and I used to play it a lot back in high school!" Hunk said enthusiastically. "Isn't that right Lance?"

Lance felt the strong urge to yell at Hunk to shut up. Was he trying to make things worse for him?!

"Uh..yeah." was all Lance managed to say. He briefly looked up and made eye contact with Pidge. 

He saw a certain light in her eyes as she smiled at him and Hunk. She was happy that they both knew about her favorite video game. 

"That's awesome!" Pidge said enthusiastically "I don't meet a lot of people who've played the game. Well other than my brother and his boyfriend. I even have the old console in mint condition."

Lance fought with every power in his being to not share in Pidge's excitement. He didn't want to give Hunk the satisfaction of that.

"No way! That's so cool!" Hunk said sharing Pidge's excitement. "I'm sure I'd speak for both Lance and myself when I say that I'd love to see it. It's rare to find such an old console like that in such good condition."

Pidge giggled at Hunk's comment and Lance felt his heartbeat rapidly. Her laughter was like music to his ears. He felt sweat start to form and his breathing hitch 

"Well, I'd be honored to show you two sometime," Pidge said as she finished scanning the last of the items. "You know when we're all not busy with work and such. Also, Lance, Ariela has been asking about seeing Bae Bae again. I think she's taken quite a liking to her."

Lance smiled at the thought of Ariela pestering Pidge about seeing Bae Bae. He didn't know why but he managed to find the whole thing to be quite endearing.

"I'll have to think about it. I rarely get a full day with Ariela so.." Lance started to say but he didn't know how to finish his sentence.

"Of course," Pidge said while giving him a kind, sympathetic smile.

Lance appreciated her understanding and not just because he currently felt very nervous around her. Pidge finished up calculating their total and Hunk paid with Sal's card.

"Well, it was nice finally meeting you Pidge." Hunk said as he grabbed the receipt from Pidge and Lance started to gather the items and walk towards the exit. "I'll have to ask Shay to invite you over for dinner one of these days. I have been known to be a very good cook."

"Sounds great!"Pidge said "Shay has my number so just shoot me a text when you'll be free. It was nice to meet you Hunk. Nice seeing you too Lance, tell Ariela I said hi."

Lance smiled at Pidge and gave her a small wave. 

"Sure thing. See you around Pidge." Lance said, although he was very doubtful he would be seeing Pidge again considering that he was trying to avoid her and forget about his newly developed feelings for her.

He and Hunk entered Sal's car after loading up the produce and drove to the restaurant in silence.

"She's very cute" Hunk egged on "sweet and a bit nerdy too. She's definitely likes Ariela as well."

"I know Hunk," Lance said keeping his eyes forward "She seems great but anything other than a friendship, at most, is all I can do for the moment. Look I know you want me to find someone and be happy, but I need to think through some shit."

Hunk could tell that Lance's feelings were bugging him but he decided not to push him on it. Eventually, things would work out or Hunk would consider intervening. Hunk was determined to help his friend find happiness one way or another.

~  THE FOLLOWING  SATURDAY~

"Come on Pidge!" Keith groaned as he laid down on Pidge's couch. "Shiro and Matt are waiting for us and you know how much I hate being late."

Pidge quickly fixed her hair in her small bathroom. Her monthly bar night with Keith had arrived and she was ready for a night out with her best friend. Due to their conflicting schedules, Keith and she had arranged to at least hang out once a month. It wasn't ideal but it was something.

Pidge's week had been quite uneventful and stressful. Several kids this week had gotten hurt or had some sort of accident at daycare. One got sick from the heat from not drinking enough water which was very scary for Pidge, Allura, Romelle, and Shay to witness. Pidge even got glitter glue in her hair at one point. But Pidge was just happy that she made it through to the weekend. Pidge decided to gather half of her hair up into tiny little space buns, her bangs neatly combed, gently hitting the tops of her glasses, and the rest of her hair cascaded down the back of her neck. 

Pidge decided to be a little girly with her outfit when she went out. Despite her boyish demeanor, Pidge liked to wear girly clothes sometimes, it made her feel attractive. She wore a dark velvet green top with silver star decals on it, a black skirt with a black belt and a silver circle belt buckle in the middle, and a pair of black combat boots. Pidge even wore makeup. Not a lot though, just a little bit of mascara, blush, and pink lipgloss.

Pidge exited the bathroom and grabbed her purse.

"Finally!" Keith complained as he got up from the couch. 

Pidge was smiled at her friend. He looked the same as always. He wore his usual red jacket, a black t-shirt, dark jeans, and sneakers. The only thing different about him was that his mullet was slightly longer. 

"Oh hush!" Pidge said, "Beauty like this takes time."

"Whatever." Keith said as he sarcastically rolled his eyes "Let's go."

Pidge grabbed her black jacket, gave Bae Bae a goodbye pat, and headed out the door with Keith behind her. Luckily there was a bar a couple of blocks near Pidge's apartment. It was one that she and Keith often chose to frequent. It was considered their usual hangout spot, plus since it was close by, all they had to do was walk if the other got super drunk.

The weather was fairly warm at night due to the heat throughout the say but Pidge brought her jacket just in case. Pidge and Keith walked side by side not saying a word. The thing about their friendship was that sometimes things didn't need to be said. They just had a mutual understanding that they were always there for each other no matter what.

Once Pidge and Keith entered the bar they noticed Matt and Shiro sitting at a circular booth. Pidge was happy to see her brother as well as Shiro. She had known Shiro practically her whole life and she had already considered him family even though he and Matt weren't married just yet.

Matt's hair had grown since she last saw him. It was now close to his shoulders. Despite Matt being older, many people almost used to think that him and Pidge were twins, especially since Pidge cut her hair. Shiro hadn't changed a bit. He still had his awesome looking bi-colored hair. His hair was naturally black but his bangs were dyed white. Pidge and Keith liked to joke that it was naturally liked that because he stresses himself out too much.

"Hey, Pidge! Hey Keith!" Matt said as he noticed them. He quickly got up from his seat and gave them both quick hugs.

Keith then gave Shiro a brief hug and slid into the booth. Pidge did the same but quickly got her and Keith some drinks. Keith preferred beer while Pidge went for a mojito, her favorite drink of choice. Pidge then returned to the booth with their drinks and sat next to Keith at the end of the booth.

"So?" Matt asked as he took a quick drink from his beer. "How have things been going?"

Lance was finishing braiding Ariela's slightly damp hair for the night. He ran his fingers softly through her long dark brown hair as he gathered the strands. It was one of his favorite things to do with Ariela. Braid her hair.

"Do you have to go?" Ariela asked as she began to curl up into bed.

Lance didn't know how it happened but Hunk had somehow convinced him to go out with him and Shay for the night. It took a lot of begging but Lance finally caved. They were just going to go out to a bar for the night. Sure, Lance used to have a drinking problem but he hadn't abused alcohol in over three years and could handle having one drink every now and then. Plus, Hunk was really good at keeping track of his drinking habits so he felt safe going out with them for the night.

"Uncle Hunk and Aunt Shay want to celebrate for the night," Lance explained. It was true. Hunk had gotten a raise for doing so well at the restaurant and it looked like he was on his way to becoming assistant manager. "Tia Veronica is here and I'll be back soon. You'll be fast asleep by then."

"Okay." was all that Ariela said. Her eyes were slightly drifting off into sleep. 

"Goodnight princess. Love you." Lance said as he kissed his daughter's forehead.

"Papa?" Ariela asked sleepily. "If I'm a princess, does that make you a king?"

Lance softly smiled at his daughter's question.

"I guess so,” Lance said trying to amuse his daughter.

“So mama was a queen?” Ariela asked.

It was rare when Ariela asked about her mother. As much as Lance didn’t like talking about her, he was always open to answering his daughter’s questions.

”Yeah...she was.” Lance said.

”Do you ever think about having another queen?” Ariela asked.

Lance felt his heart seize at that question. Ariela was curious about him remarrying. He didn't even think that she knew about that. Did Veronica tell her something? Veronica had been pushing him for a while now to go out and try dating again. 

”Where are you getting this from?” Lance asked. Ariela never asked these types of questions.

”Well, Michael from daycare said that his dad married another woman so now he has another mom. His first mom died like my mama did.” Ariela explained.

It all made sense to Lance now. Sure he expected these types of questions later in life but he knew he could never avoid them.

”I don’t know princess. Maybe someday?” He said, “Would that be okay with you?”

Ariela nodded softly as she quietly fell asleep. Lance felt his heart swell slightly at the sight of her. He loved his daughter so much and hoped that this would be the and of her questions, at least for now.

Lance left Ariela's room, hurried downstairs, gave Veronica a quick goodbye, and went outside to wait for Shay and Hunk to pick him up. Lance owned a small, two-story house but nice in a suburban area of town. His parents bought it for him as a gift when he announced that they were going to be grandparents. It was a gift that both Esme and he adored. He still adored it but sometimes it made him sad to think about all the times Esme would go on and on about ways they could remodel it or make it a home for generations. 

Hunk and Shay arrived at his house within a few minutes. Lance likes Shay. She was fun to be around and was definitely perfect for Hunk. She had a similar cheerful personality that he did and she was always around to support Hunk and his career at the restaurant. Lance couldn't imagine anyone better for his best friend. She was dressed in a terracotta floral dress and her short brown hair was curled slightly. 

The three of them arrived at the bar within ten minutes or so. Lance couldn't really tell considering he was lost in thought in the back seat the whole ride there. The bar was quaint and one that Lance had not been to. According to Shay, she had been recommended it by a friend. The bar was quite full so it was pretty clear it was popular. Lance was suddenly snapped out of his thoughts once more by a familiar voice.

"Shay?" said the voice.

Lance looked to his right and at a circular booth close to the bar was Pidge alone with some other people he didn't recognize. A guy with a mullet and a brooding face, a guy who looked very similar to Pidge. He was practically her twin and another guy with awesome bi-colored hair that was black with white bangs. Pidge looked absolutely breathtaking. She was even wearing makeup which enhanced her beauty. Of course, she was here. Lance was almost becoming certain that him running into Pidge would be happing more frequently. She got up from the booth and walked forward to hug Shay. 

Pidge was thoroughly surprised to see Shay here. She also was happy to see Hunk and Lance, well mainly Lance. Pidge couldn't deny that there was some attraction she felt for him. It was something that scared her but also intrigued her stupid brain. She wished they weren't a thing but every time she saw him, she felt herself gravitating toward him like a magnet. 

"What are you doing here?" Pidge asked 

"Oh well, we are out celebrating. Hunk got a promotion at work and we decided to go out for a drink." Shay explained. 

"That's awesome!" Pidge said "Congratulations Hunk!" 

"Thanks, Pidge" Hunk said. 

Suddenly Pidge remembered that her friends and brother were right behind her probably confused. She turned around and began to give introductions.

"Oh, Shay, Hunk, and Lance. This is my older brother Matt, his boyfriend Shiro, and my best friend Keith." Pidge said "Guys. This is my co-worker and friend Shay, her boyfriend Hunk, and his friend Lance."

Pidge tried to ignore the look Keith suddenly gave her as she uttered Lance's name. She reminded herself to kick his ass later for that. 

"Nice to meet you all" Shiro said. "We heard something about a promotion? Congratulations. Why don't you all join us? The more the merrier right?"

"Oh, we don't want to impose." Hunk said trying to be polite.

"I insist." Shiro said "Any friend of Pidge is a friend of mine. Right guys?"

Matt and Keith nodded and they all piled into the booth. Lance quickly excused himself to the bar and grabbed himself a rum and coke before sitting in the booth. Pidge didn't know how it happened but she ended up sitting next to Lance who was at the end of the booth when he returned with his drink. Next to her was Shay and Hunk. Keith looked a little uncomfortable being squished in the middle but Hunk's gentle smile calmed him down slightly.

"You all stay here," Shiro said as he got up from the other end of the booth. "I'll get some drinks."

The group all stayed at the booth in silence. Well until Hunk broke it. 

"So Matt? How long have you and Shiro been together?" He asked 

"Seven years. We just celebrated our anniversary." Matt said 

"That's great!" Hunk said. "Congrats."

Matt smiled at Hunk with appreciation. At least Hunk didn't ask about them being engaged like others had before. 

Soon Shiro returned with a giant tray of shots for them all to share.

"I propose we take some shots in celebration!" Shiro announced as Hunk got all excited. 

"OOOOH! I like where your head is at!" Hunk said. "You are now officially my new best friend. No offense Lance."

Lance put his hand to his heart and pretended to be wounded. While Shiro looked touched by Hunk declaring him his new best friend.

"I'm hurt Hunk!" Lance said dramatically while Pidge patted his shoulder, playing along with his "hurt" reaction.

“How long have you two been friends?” Matt gestured to Hunk and Lance as he picked up a shot. 

“Since 7th grade.” Hunk answered proudly “Our mothers were friends first, but since then we've been inseparable. In fact, if it wasn't for this guy, I wouldn't have had the confidence to ask out my lovely lady” 

Shay playfully shoved Hunk as he kissed her cheek and blushed profusely as everyone else awed at them.

“Well here's to friendship. Old and new!” Shiro declared as with a quick raise of his shot glass. 

Everyone downed their shots of liquor in unison. Lance coughed slightly after doing so, causing Pidge to giggle a bit. 

“You okay?” Pidge asked while the rest of the group went on a debate about some video game.

“Yeah” Lance chuckled “just- fuck I haven't downed tequila in a long time.”

“Pace yourself then old man” Pidge teased. Pidge didn't know why but she felt more bold being around Lance and she wanted to talk to him. Maybe even be his friend.

Lance gave her a quizzical look before laughing and shooting her a smirk

“First of all, I'm only like what two years older than you?” Lance replied, “Second I'm sure I've partied way more than you in general.”

Pidge rolled her eyes. “Engineering majors know how to get down. We have it in with some fraternities."

"Sure that wasn't because of your pretty face and glasses?" Lance teased as he began to regain his breathing from coughing and took a sip from his rum and coke.

"I'm sure you make the prettier girl out of both of us" Pidge replied boldly 

The two of them went back and forth drink after drink and shot after shot. Lance noticed Hunk and Keith watching them as they continued to laugh and flirt. Hunk looked over at Keith and they both knew they were seeing the same thing when everyone else wasn't. Hunk got a little worried though. Seeing Lance take so many shots. It was a little more than his usual cap which was just one. 

Hunk then decided to try and grab Lance's attention away from drinking. That's when he noticed an untouched dartboard that was near their booth. 

"Hey, guys!" Hunk said loudly, gaining everyone's attention. "How do you all feel about a friendly game of darts?"

"Sure." Keith said, "It would be nice to try and beat Pidge at something that doesn't include technology."

Pidge's smile quickly faded and gave Keith a very serious look. 

"Oh, it's on, Mullethead," Pidge said in a low voice. Lance was almost scared by her changed demeanor but he figured this was an inside thing between her and Keith.

"I got money on Pidge," Shiro said with a smirk.

Lance then moved out of the booth and allowed Keith and Pidge to exit the booth and take their positions in front of the dartboards. 

"This should be good," Matt said. "It's been a while since I've witnessed a Keith and Pidge showdown." 

The rest of the group smiled at that and stared at the two completely forgetting about the shots in front of them. Eager to see where their current battle would lead. Pidge took the first move and thew her darts the board. She did excellent, almost getting each dart directly in the middle.

"Nice one Pidgeon." Keith said with a smug look on his face. "Though it appears your calculations appear to be slightly off."

Pidge playfully rolled her eyes at Keith as he grabbed his darts. He steadily took his aim and through them which ended up getting one point ahead of Pidge. Keith gave Pidge a wink while Pidge stuck her tongue out at him.

"Eat me, Keith!" Pidge said. She hated when Keith would get smug. It brought out her competitive nature. "You may be leading now but I will crush you into the ground." 

Keith snickered, knowing fully well that he was getting to Pidge. "Aw, is that a promise!" he retorted back.

The group smiled and laughed at the banter between the two friends. Well everyone, except Lance. Lance didn't like to feel jealous and yet here he was. Completely annoyed by how Keith acted around Pidge. The winking, the playful and slightly flirtatious banter, all of it was getting to Lance. Maybe it was the alcohol talking because deep down he didn't really believe anything was going on between Pidge and Keith. Deep down he knew that. So why was it so hard to not feel the anger and envy that was rising throughout this entire body.

Luckily, it did end. It ended when the game ended and Pidge of course did claim victory. Shiro ended getting $100 from both Matt and Hunk and Pidge took two more shots in celebration of her victory. Pidge noticed Lance hanging back and walked over to accompany him 

“You alright?” she asked “You look a little sick?

“Yeah” Lance assured smoothly, “I think I just need some food. An empty stomach isn't helping the alcohol”

“Okay, sit down and stay here” Pidge soothed “I’m going to go get you some food.”

Lance opened his mouth to object, but he complied and sat down at the table. Pidge returned with a basket of wings and two of garlic fries. The rest of the group went off to dance, leaving him and Pidge alone.

“A woman after my own heart!”Lance exclaimed at the site of the food

Pidge smiled and scooted a little closer “Wings are always a good mix with drinks.”

Lance snacked on a bit of everything. Pidge got him another Rum and Coke and herself a drink to combat the food they were eating. Lance was appreciative of her staying with him. He was enjoying her company and felt calm around her. He felt almost bad for being so cold to her over something as simple as an attraction. 

Pidge began to feel very warm and a little dizzy. No doubt she was getting tipsy and couldn't help but giggle and look dopey in front of Lance. She didn't want to admit it but she feel herself becoming attracted to him. So she fought off any urge she had. Or at least tried to. Her inebriated state wasn't helping.

“You're so drunk” Lance insisted. Lance thought Pidge being drunk was one of the most adorable things he had ever seen in his life. 

“No way!” Pidge slightly slurred trying to sit up straight. “I know how to handle my alcohol pretty boy.”

“Look we both know I'm pretty,” Lance said smugly “but I know for a fact that you are drunk”

“I’m not that drunk. Sure, your perfect face is a little blurry but I'm good” 

“So you like my face?”

Pidge matched Lances smirked and got close to him.

“It is unfair how good your genes are.” she attempted to say seriously but started giggling.

  God  Pidge thought to herself. She really had no control over the words she was saying. She would regret that in the morning.

Lance couldn't help but burst into laughter as well. They were both unaware of how close their foreheads were as they almost touched.

“You have really pretty eyes” Lance admitted before taking a drink of his liquor.

“They aren't anything like yours.” Pidge slurred slightly with a smile  “Yours are like oceans.”

“Okay, but they are one solid color. Yours are this golden color that's almost as like a kaleidoscope.”

Lance thought for a moment after saying that and then moved away from Pidge a little. This was the sloppiest flirting ever but something about it made him warm and his cheeks flush.

Pidge, however, got closer to him every time he got closer to her. This only made Lance blush even worse. He had no idea what to do. Pidge was clearly drunk and he didn’t want to take advantage of that, because he was only slightly tipsy yet fully aware of what was happening.

”I like talking to you, Lance.” Pidge said in an almost dreamy voice. Like she was mesmerized by something about him. 

”I-I like talking to you too, Pidge.” Lance said. Suddenly feeling very nervous about where this was heading.

Pidge then slowly put a hand on Lance’s leg. Lance screamed internally as he felt the warmth of Pidge’s hand on his leg.

”Lance?” Pidge asked as she looked at him intensely.

”Y-Yeah?” Lance whispered. Full panic mode suddenly setting in. Was this actually happening?

Pidge then began to lean in closer to Lance. Their faces only inches apart. Her eyes never leaving his. Lance knew he should intervene and stop Pidge but he caught a whiff of her rose scented perfume and suddenly he was a goner.

The moment, however, was quickly over as a loud crashing noise was heard by the bar causing both Pidge and Lance to look at what happened.

Matt was by the bar on the ground, laughing. He was clearly, very drunk. Shiro was laughing at him and also very drunk as he took a shot that was in his hand.

”Shit.” Pidge said to herself as she slightly sobered up at the sight of her brother.

Lance and Pidge both exited the booth and went over to Matt and Shiro. Keith helped Matt up off the ground and Hunk and Shay looked slightly concerned.

”I think they’ve both had a little too much to drink.” Hunk said as Pidge and Lance stood by him.

“I can take them home,” Pidge said. “My apartment is only a couple blocks away.”

“Let's hurry.” Keith pleaded as he held Matt who was leaning sickly against him “I think Matt’s going to be sick.”

Pidge grabbed their things from the booth and walked outside as the rest followed. Hunk carried Shiro over his shoulder while Keith carried Matt. Shiro and Matt were too busy laughing at nothing. The air outside was slightly cool which managed to sober Pidge up a bit more.

”Lead the way Pidge!” Hunk said.

“Actually, I think I’m going to head home,” Lance said.

Everyone turned to face him. As much as Lance wanted to help, he couldn’t. For one thing, he was a little bit uncomfortable with how drunk Matt and Shiro were. It reminded him too much about how he used to abuse alcohol. Another reason was that he wanted to keep his distance away from Pidge. She had almost kissed him and as much as he wanted it. He was terrified of where it would all lead.

”Are you sure?” Hunk asked.

”Yeah.” Lance said. “I have to go check up on Ariela. I told Veronica I’d only be gone for a few hours. I don’t want to worry her.”

“It was great seeing you.” Pidge piped up as she gave Lance a small wave goodbye.

“You too.” Lance stammered. Getting looks from both Keith and Hunk. The raised eyebrow and smirk look that read “ oh this is good!”

Shay, being the only sober one in the group. Offered to give Lance a ride home and she would pick Hunk up at Pidge’s apartment after.

Everyone said goodbye to Lance and walked off to Pidge’s apartment. While the rest stumbled their way towards Pidge’s place, Pidge couldn’t help but laugh at how ridiculous Matt and Shiro were acting. Pidge had only seen her brother drunk a couple of times and it was honestly quite amusing.

“I feel like I'm on a rollercoaster.” Shiro hiccuped 

“Keith! When did you get taller?!” Matt slurred “I swear you were about 3 inches shorter than me”

“Matt can you kindly shut the fuck up?” Keith managed to say holding his laughter “You’re going to wake up the neighborhood”

“Don't tell my baby to shut up.” Shiro grunted “At least he doesn't have a mullet...Hunk do you have to shake me so much?”

“Shiro I'm just walking?” Hunk muttered “Oh God. Please don't throw up on my back!”

Finally, they all made it safely into Pidge’s apartment. Hunk and Keith dumped Matt and Shiro on Pidge’s couch and Bae Bae curiously sniffed everyone.

”Aw. Your dog is adorable Pidge!” Hunk said as he pets Bae Bae.

”Yeah. Bae Bae is the best.” Pidge said as she grabbed a few water bottles from her fridge. “It’s almost hard leaving her home sometimes.”

As Pidge returned to the living room, she was surprised to find her brother off the couch and Shiro sitting upright on the couch. Matt looked doused in sweat which she couldn't decide if it was concerning or funny. 

”I love you, Shiro!” Matt slurred as he leaned against Shiro’s leg that was in front of him.

“I love you too, even though you're really fuzzy right now.” Shiro giggled

“We should go to Vegas and just get married.” Matt laughed

“Can Hunk be the flower girl tho?” Shiro hummed “Not because it’d be funny, but look at him. He's adorable”

Pidge, Keith, and Hunk tried their hardest not to laugh at the sight in front of them. However, that laughter soon faded when Pidge suddenly saw Matt pull out a ring from his pocket. The one that he had been carrying on him for about a year.

”Will you marry me?!” Matt asked while very much, intoxicated.

Shiro didn’t hesitate for one second and shouted out:

”Yes!”

The trio stared at the couple with their mouths dropped to the floor. They just stood there in shock as Matt slipped the ring on Shiro’s finger and as he sloppily kissed him.

”Well..” Keith said breaking the silence. “You owe me $1000, Pidge.”

Pidge was totally going to kill her brother in the morning.

Chapter Text

Morning light peered into Pidge’s bedroom window causing her eyes to flutter. Her head was pounding slightly from the events of the night before. Memories started flooding back to Pidge. Catching up with her brother and Shiro, beating Keith at darts, Matt getting drunk and proposing to Shiro, almost kissing Lance.

Fuck! She had almost kissed Lance! Pidge groaned at her own embarrassment. God, why was she acting so stupid?! How was she going to be able to face him again knowing that that had happened?!

Pidge wanted to curl up in her bed and never come out. To hide forever in her little cocoon where she would be safe from further embarrassment. That was until Keith barged into her room frustrated. 

Shortly after the whole proposal, Shay came by and picked up Hunk, and Keith, Shiro, and Matt crashed at Pidge's. In luckily Pidge had a blow-up mattress for Keith but since her apartment was so small, she had to put it in the kitchen so he wouldn't have to sleep near Shiro or Matt who had taken up the couch.

"Wake up," Keith grumbled and he threw an object at her bed. Something cold.

Pidge peaked out of her covers only to find that it was a cold water bottle. Pidge groaned again as she forced herself to slowly sit up and take sips of her water. Luckily, she felt no nausea which was a good sign. Keith plopped on the end of her bed and sat across from her. His hair was all messy and he had dark circles under his eyes.

"You look like shit." Pidge snickered as she took another sip from her water.

"You're one to talk." Keith snapped, clearly not having a good morning.

"Who pissed in your cereal?" Pidge asked.

"Your brother and Shiro," Keith said. "They spent an hour last night making out before falling asleep and then Matt woke me up by running into the kitchen and puking in your kitchen sink."

"Lovely." Pidge scoffed. Now she had to worry about cleaning that later. 

Keith nodded in agreement as he took a drink of water.

"Well, I'd say this month's outing has not been the worst," Pidge said trying to be a little positive.

Keith chuckled. "Yeah like that one time we both woke up in your tub."

"Ugh. That was horrible. I had dried vomit in my hair." Pidge replied as she cringed at that memory.

"So.."Keith trailed off. Uh oh. Pidge knew that it was not a good sign he was doing that. "You and Lance? What was that all about last night?"

"Nothing!" Pidge sneered "Nothing happened. Although I may have almost kissed him last night."

"What?!" Keith gasped eyes lighting up. "No way! Oh, I've got to tell Hunk about this later. Pidge! This is huge!"

Pidge rolled her eyes at Keith. "Hunk? When did you become buddy buddy with him?"

"Last night. We exchanged numbers before we found Shiro and Matt getting wasted. Him and Shay are pretty cool. I mean I've met Shay before since you've known her since you were little. But we never had a full conversation until last night."

"Well, you can tell Hunk that nothing happened and nothing is going to happen."

"Why not?! You like Lance and I'm pretty sure he likes you, Pidge. Why can't anything happen between the two of you"

"It's complicated," Pidge murmured and Keith decided to leave it at that for now.

Honestly, Pidge didn't exactly have a good answer to that. In truth, Pidge was scared. She had rarely ever opened up herself to people that wasn't her family and friends. She was always skeptical about the topic of love. What it meant to completely give yourself to another person because it could lead to heartbreak. Pidge didn't want to deal with heartbreak. It was meaningless in her eyes and would get in the way of important things like her getting into the Garrison. 

Keith and Pidge finally got out of bed. Keith mumbled something about going to the kitchen while Pidge went to the bathroom to see how terrible she looked. Her hair was messy as usual but her face was a mess. Despite wearing minimal makeup, her mascara smudged her eyes while she slept and made her look like a raccoon. Pidge quickly washed her face and fixed herself from the day. Even though she had a headache, she still wanted to feel a little bit better to start the day. Pidge then wandered in the living room only to find Shiro and Matt sitting on the couch spacing out as they probably tried to process everything that happened last night. Bae Bae sat at their feet. Looking up at them in concern.

"Hey guys," Pidge said as she sat down on the couch next to them. "I'm going to take Bae Bae out for a walk and then we can all get some breakfast."

"Don't bother. " Matt piped up. "I already took her out and I fed her."

"Oh. Thanks." was all Pidge could say.

There was then an awkward silence among everyone.

"So we are engaged," Matt said slowly. Still trying to process everything.

"Yeah," Pidge said sympathetically as she put a hand on her brother's shoulder. "I know. We witnessed it. You also cost me $1000."

Keith snickered at that and so did Shiro. Matt, however, didn't look amused.

"So are you guys going to go through with it?" Keith asked.

Shiro and Matt looked at each other. They hadn't ever asked each other that yet but it was clear that they both truly loved each other. They had been together for seven years and they already acted like a married couple.

"I mean, I'm ready if you are," Shiro said as he looked at Matt.

Matt smiled at Shiro and started to laugh. "Are you kidding? I've had that ring in my pocket for a year Shiro. I've been ready for a long time."

Shiro smiled at Matt and tears began to well up in both of their eyes. The two men nodded in understanding and embraced. Pidge smiled at her brother and Shiro, happy that they were finally going to get married.

"Yay!" Pidge said as she joined in on the hug and wrapped her arms around the two. "Mom and dad are going to be so happy when you tell them!"

"Oh shit." Matt said as it all dawned on them "I still have to tell them. They are not going to be happy that I got wasted."

Pidge, Keith, and Shiro laughed at that, feeling slightly bad for Matt. Yeah, this wasn't the worst morning of a monthly outing Pidge had been witnessed.

Lance was really feeling the stress of his workweek. It had been only a few days since the bar night with Pidge and luckily he was so tired that he didn't really think about it. He had nothing but night shifts this week and even though Sal was understanding, this happened on occasion when a night worker quits. Luckily, Sal assured Lance he would only have to do this for about a week

Lance was lucky he had Veronica. She offered to let Ariela spend the night at her apartment for a couple of days and Lance agreed because he just felt too tired to put her to bed early without her throwing some form of a tantrum. Ariela was generally a well-behaved kid, but if there was one thing she didn't tolerate was an early bedtime. 

Lance came home exhausted from his shift and smelled like fry grease. Nothing a hot shower could fix and before he knew it he was back to a calming scent of soap and his body feeling a bit more relaxed. He got out of the bathroom in his boxers and slumped into his bed. Groaning as his phone buzzed. A text from Hunk. 

Hunk: I hope you're doing ok buddy. Night shifts are no fun. 

Lance: Thanks, buddy. I'm alright just tired

Hunk: well at least we had fun at the bar with Katie :)

Lance: Katie? Oh you mean Pidge

Hunk: Yeah! Sorry for the confusion. Shay gets a pass to call her Katie, they've known each other since kindergarten. 

Lance: I see. Well, I've got to sleep. Night Hunk

Hunk: Night buddy! :)

Lance tossed his phone onto his nightstand and rubbed his tired eyes. He just wanted to sleep but now his mind was plagued by the thought of his night with Pidge. Her laugh. Her cute smile. The way she smelled. How they almost kissed. It all just haunted him. Somehow Lance was able to sleep, but that didn't mean his thoughts were free of Pidge. 

The dream started with Lance sitting up in his bed. That's all he could make out because his other senses were busy with the warm body on top of him. A pair of hot lips attacked his and legs rested at his sides. Fingers interlocked in his hair and panting breathes exchanged. The kiss broke for him to see Pidge staring at him with a smirk. She removed her hands from his hair and pinned his hands down over his head. For someone of her size, she was incredibly strong.

Her short hair was unruly and Lance desperately wanted to run his hands through it. Yet she prevented him from doing so as she tightened her grip on his wrists as he tried to move them. She was naked from the top, only wearing a pair of black pajama shorts on her bottom half. Her skin was lightly freckled and her breasts were small and round. She was even wearing her glasses and they were almost about to fall off her face. She was absolutely breathtaking.

“That all you got, pretty boy?” She giggled as she grinded her hips to his causing Lance to throw his head back slightly as arousal began to overtake him. He could feel that she was just as aroused as he was at the moment.

If there was one thing Lance couldn't tolerate it was cruel teasing. At least, that was true for this because soon he wrestled Pidge till she was on her back below him and his hands were free. Lance started to suck down her neck and running his hands through her soft hair, getting whimpers and moans out of her. Pidge’s short nails traced his back and she began to make sure she was close to his ear.

“Can I please fucking touch you?” Lance grunted

A small whimper came out of her lips “please do”

Lance's hands spent no time to waste when it came to her body. He groped at the places his hands desired as he dug his erection up against her 

“Fuck, you feel good.” Lance groaned as his hands traveled all around her body.

His hands kept exploring the more he got noises out of her. He couldn't help but crave to just feel her. Her hips. Her breasts. Her ass. Her thighs. He just wanted to keep his hand all over her and soon Pidge took his hand and moved it into her shorts, greeting his fingertips with the wet mound of her pussy.

Lance moved his fingers, teasing her ever so slightly. Pidge moaned sweetly with every movement he made. Her hips bucked and squirmed as she craved for him to do more. To go deeper in her.

“God Katie,” Lance murmured into her neck getting sighs of pleasure and excitement from her.

And oh how he loved hearing her name leaving his lips and it appeared that she did as well. The rhythm of her hips sped up as his fingers rubbed against her, making noises slip out of both of them. All Lance wanted right now was this. All he wanted was her. Katie. Katie. Katie!

Lance jolted awake with a gasp for air.

“What the fuck?!” he said still breathing heavy

Lance checked himself, he very clearly was covered in sweat and had pitched a tent in his boxers which annoyed him more than anything. The last time he had a wet dream was back in high school and he was so sure that torture was over. 

He assessed his options. He could watch porn and masturbate but he didn't feel like having to watch a blonde with breast implants make exaggerated expressions. He could just ignore it but he also felt really uncomfortable and couldn't go back to sleep because of it. A cold shower could work but he also didn't want to get a cold.

Lance sighed knowing the only he could do to rid himself of this and just go to bed. He pulled down his boxers and cringed slightly at the cool air hitting his erection. After ripping open a small packet of lube from his nightstand and pooling it in his hand, he grabbed a hold of his dick and closed his eyes. 

There were many thoughts he could have to help him along, but he couldn't think of all of them for time's sake. He thought of Pidge underneath him as he kissed down her neck to her breasts, running his tongue over her nipples and slowly sucking on them, getting sighs out of her and a couple of curses. 

Lance pumped his gripped hand in a fluid up and down motion as he let his fantasy play out. He knew nothing would feel as good Pidge, but he had to make do with his hand. He let it continue with his lips traveling lower will he could bite and kiss at Pidge's thighs. He thought of her moaning while her hands locked in his hair. His hand pumped faster once he thought of himself starting to methodically lick at her pussy, tasting the fluids that flowed out of her and running it up to her clit.

“Fuck, Katie” He groaned as he felt the warmth start to build and his movements pick up faster

Lance thought of himself focusing on her clit, licking and sucking at her and she moaned and squirmed beneath him. He thought of her begging for him to keep going and her hips bucking with anticipation. He wanted this desperately. He wanted to have her come undone and moan for him. He wanted to taste her and draw out orgasm after orgasm.

Lance's body tensed as he felt himself cum onto his stomach, making a small mess on his hand and lower stomach. After laying in shock for a minute. Lance got up slowly and went to the bathroom. Sleep filled his senses as he cleaned himself up and washed his hands. 

As he crawled into bed, Lance felt the weight still in his stomach. He just crossed a line that for him went over the bounds of a simple crush. Sure it's not uncommon for people to masturbate, but even after that, he wanted Pidge even more. His feelings were becoming more and more clear. He truly wanted her. He wanted her to be his and he wanted to love and care for her. He never thought he would feel like that again. He grabbed his phone and thought for a minute. He had to get it off his chest. Maybe that would help him not obsess over his feelings for Pidge. Maybe all he really needed was just to let it all out before the dam broke. The thing was, he didn't want to let it out to her. 

Lance: Hey Hunk. I need to talk to you about something.

Hunk didn't get back to Lance until the following morning and Lance was already getting ready for work. Veronica had also messaged him that she dropped Ariela off at daycare for Lance.

Hunk: Sure? What's up?

Lance: I'll tell you later today. During break.

Lance had been put on a double shift back to back. He didn't have time to worry about telling Hunk just yet. He would have time during his break. Hunk worked during Lance's first shift so they would be able to see each other. 

Work was a pain. Lance was so glad this was only lasting a week. Lance was so drained and tired from last night but he knew his paycheck would be worth it. Maybe it would even be enough for him to afford to take some time off? He could spend more time with Ariela. He could actually spend more than half the day with her. They could be a normal family for once.

The thought of that actually managed to convince Lance to get through his first shift with no issues. Luckily, Hunk had the same break time as him so they snuck out to back so they could discuss what Lance wanted to talk about privately.

"Everything okay?" Hunk asked genuinely concerned for his friend. A random message in the middle of the night saying that Lance needed to talk to him was a little scary. The last time he got a message like that Lance told him he was going to be a father. 

Lance nervously ran his hand through his hair. "I have a bit of a problem. I had a dream about Pidge."

"Oh." That was all that Hunk said. Hunk instantly knew what Lance meant by that and he stared at his friend in understanding. He gave Lance a reassuring smile but it didn't seem to help Lance from being stressed out by it.

"I mean things are getting out of hand," Lance said somewhat frantically. Like anything short of romantic interest was this big scary monster. "I thought all of this was just some stupid crush and dreams are dreams. But after last night, I've realized that my feelings for Pidge are a bit deeper than that. It was the last thing I ever wanted."

"That's not a bad thing, buddy." Hunk said and he put a comforting hand on Lance's shoulder. "There's no reason to feel guilty about it."

Lance knew logically that that was true. Except right now, he was throwing all logic out the window. He was too freaked out by his emotions to even be thinking so clearly. His feelings for Pidge were more intense than he thought. The last time Lance ever got these types of feelings for someone, he lost them. He didn't want to lose anyone else like that again.

"But I do, Hunk. Ever since I met Pidge, she's constantly on my mind. I've also thought about what me moving on would mean for Ariela. When I think about that, I also think about Esme and how she would have wanted me to move on but I also feel like I would be betraying her and everything we had. You know. She was the first girl I ever truly loved." Lance admitted. "I feel so terrible about all of it. I mean I should be happy right. It means I'm moving on but instead I'm just scared. I just like Pidge so much and that terrifies me!"

"It'll be okay Lance." Hunk said as he wrapped his arm around Lance's shoulders. "I know things haven't been easy for you but look at how much you've accomplished. You have a stable job, a house, and you have a beautiful daughter who loves you. A little bit more good in your life isn't a crime."

For the first time, Lance's mind began to clear at Hunk's words. Perhaps he was right. Lance had a good life. Things were going so well for him and having feelings for Pidge shouldn't be something he should feel guilty about. He should be happy about it. That he was moving on with his life. That he was capable to possibly love someone again.

"You're right Hunk," Lance murmured. He then looked Hunk in the eye, smiled at him, and spoke a little louder. "Thanks."

Hunk smiled at Lance. He knew things wouldn't be easy for Lance and his feelings but this was a step in the right direction.

Friday had come quicker than Pidge had expected. She had convinced Allura to let her leave work early so she could meet up with her parents, Matt, and Shiro for dinner. After Matt and Shiro agreed to continue their engagement, Matt had called their parents and they had all agreed to go out to eat to celebrate the engagement. 

Pidge was not one to dress up too much for special occasions. She wasn't too fond of dresses, she preferred pants over anything, but she would wear one for her brother and Shiro. She found a plain, casual, long-sleeved, dark green dress to wear. It was simple and the only thing Pidge owned. She paired it with a simple necklace that Matt gave her for her birthday and a pair of light brown, heeled short boots that she owned. Pidge also to put on a little makeup and managed to fix up her hair a little and made it look neater than its messy state. 

Reservations were at 6:30 and Pidge had time to worry about feeding Bae Bae before her parents, Colleen and Sam, came by to pick her up. Pidge insisted on driving herself to the restaurant but she knew better than to argue with her parents. In truth, Pidge never really liked her parents coming over to her apartment. As much as she loved them, they had a tendency to baby her and worry about her living on her own. 

6 o clock came and as if right on schedule, Pidge heard a knock at her door. If there was one thing Pidge knew about her parents it was that they were always early for everything. Pidge opened it and greeted her mom and dad. They were both dressed very formally. Her mother was wearing her favorite pale pink dress and her father wore slacks, a nice button-up, and a tie. 

"Hey, mom. Hey dad." Pidge said as she gave them both quick hugs.

Her parents both gave her warm smiles.

"Ready to go, Katie?" Her dad, Sam, asked. "Don't want to keep your brother and Shiro waiting. They are meeting us at the restaurant." 

Pidge nodded and went with her parents to the restaurant. Pidge had never even heard or been to this restaurant before. All she knew was that her parents had been to it before and that it was said to be the best in the city. Pidge wasn't one for indoor dining. She mainly did take out or did very quick meals at home. The restaurant was about 20 minutes away from Pidge's apartment and very fancy-looking. The name "Vrepit Sal's" was in big neon white letters in the front and Pidge was starting to worry that she was underdressed for this celebration. 

Matt and Shiro were waiting inside, both dressed in their best clothes and waiting at the front for Pidge and her parents. The inside of the restaurant was beautiful. It was very modern with sleek white dining tables and equally sleek black chairs, chandelier-like, 3 dimensional light fixtures on the ceiling, and almost minimalist black and white decor to match the interior. Pidge began to feel very out of place being here.

"Right on time as always, Mom and Dad," Matt said as Shiro and him greeted them with hugs.

"What am I chopped liver?" Pidge quipped as she approached them.

"Ah yes," Matt said as he approached her with a smile on his face. "It's a miracle you're on time Pidge. If it wasn't for Mom and Dad here, I think you'd miss dinner altogether."

Pidge playfully reached up and ruffled Matt's hair to annoy him for making that comment. "Just because today is about you doesn't mean you have to be rude."

Matt laughed and hugged Pidge as did Shiro.

"Thank you for coming Pidge," Shiro said. "How's work been?"

"Same old same old. Kids being crazy and having to make sure they don't get into too much trouble." Pidge said. "Can't really complain though bc it's paying the bills. Keith wanted me to tell you he's sorry he couldn't make it. You know how he is. Always busy."

"I figured. " Shiro said. "I don't blame him though. For as long as I could remember, he's never been much of a celebration person. Always kept to himself."

Pidge and Keith had been friends since they were seven but that was all because of Shiro and Matt. Shiro's parents were friends with Keith's dad and that made Shiro and Keith practically brothers. When Shiro and Matt became friends, long before they got together, they had encouraged Pidge and Keith to be friends as well. Despite being two years apart in age, Matt had skipped a grade when he was younger, due to the fact he was super smart, so he was only a year behind Shiro when they met in middle school. It took Keith a bit of time to warm up to Pidge but it all worked out in the end. 

Within a matter of minutes after of checking in, Pidge and her family were finally called to their table. It was a nice round table at the center of the restaurant. Pidge and her family took their seats and settled in as they looked through their menus. 

"So." Colleen began as she glanced at Shiro and Matt. "You two need to tell me how this proposal happened? I mean I knew you'd been planning it for a while Matt but I just have to know how you did it."

Shiro and Matt's faces got red with slight embarrassment and Pidge couldn't help but smile behind her menu. She wondered what lie they would come up with.

"Yes, Matt," Pidge said in a smug voice causing Matt to give her a death stare. "Why don't you enlighten our parents on how you proposed to Shiro?"

"Oh...well. It just sort of happened." Matt said. "I mean, I had a plan but then I decided not to go through with it as I originally planned. There were many times where I planned on proposing but they never worked out. So on Saturday I just said screw it and proposed out of the blue."

A very convincing lie.  Pidge thought to herself.

Although Pidge knew it wasn't entirely a lie. Matt had vocalized to her multiple times how frustrated he was getting with his proposal plans not going through every time he planned something. He had told Pidge that he was very close to just doing it at random but Pidge knew her brother. He was a romantic at heart and wanted his proposal to be something memorable. In the end, it kinda was.

"That reminds me of how I proposed to you mother," Sam said fondly as he smiled at his wife. "It was about five years after we had gotten together and I had gotten a ring about six months prior. I always tried to find the perfect moment to do so but we both were always so busy with work. Then one day I had finally had enough and I proposed to her while she was gardening in the backyard. She just looked so beautiful among her plants that I decided to propose to her right then and there."

Shiro and Matt awed as Colleen gave Sam a quick kiss on the cheek as she blushed at the memory. Pidge, of course, couldn't stand the PDA.

"Alright, guys." Pidge said sarcastically "We get it. You guys are in love. I'm very happy for you all. Now can we please look over the menu before our waiter gets here?"

Colleen gave Pidge a look which Pidge knew meant some sort of weird lecture that she did not want right now.

"Don't worry Katie," Colleen said. "Soon you'll find love and you won't be making those cheeky comments ever again."

Matt snickered at that comment.

"Pidge, dating?" Matt said "That'll be a miracle. Her last boyfriend was in high school and they only dated for three months. Pidge will be better off dating her computer than an actual person."

Shiro was about to make a comment but Pidge knew it was going to be a smart-ass comment about Lance. Keith had blabbed to him and all week long Shiro had been messaging her with thousands of questions. Pidge decided to quickly stop him by making her own comeback at her brother. 

"Maybe." Pidge snapped quietly. "At least I'll be able to change the world when I eventually make a robotic partner. I could make millions with an invention like that and then I'll have the last laugh." 

Matt and her parents laughed at that. Pidge then gave Shiro a look that made him understand to keep his mouth shut, at least for now. Pidge smiled down at her menu as her stomach growled. She couldn't wait to get her food and just have a good meal with her family.

"Good Evening," said a familiar voice "Is everyone ready to order?"

 Pidge looked up at their server and locked eyes with Lance. They stared at each other and all Pidge could notice was Lance looked as if he's seen a ghost.

"Oh hey, Lance!" Shiro said enthusiastically. "I didn't know you worked here?"

Lance had snapped out of his trance and had to remind himself. He was at work. He had to work. Yet work, was the one place he thought he would never see Pidge and yet, here she was. The universe has a funny way of proving Lance wrong. She also wasn't alone, she was with who he could assume were her parents, Matt, and Shiro.

"Um..yeah," Lance said nervously. Yet he felt calm due to Shiro's reassuring smile. "Nice to you again, Shiro, Matt, and Pidge."

Matt briefly filled in his parents how they knew Lance. Only stating that he was a friend of Shay. Lance couldn't help but stare at Pidge as she gave him a kind smile. She was wearing a very pretty dress. Something that he would have never really expected her to wear. 

"So..what can I get for you all this fine evening?" Lance said as he remembered he was still working and didn't have time to make conversation.

Lance nervously, yet quickly wrote down their orders and practically ran back into the kitchen after getting the orders for Pidge and her family. His heart was racing and felt as though it was going to leap out of his chest. He was sweating a little and looked sick to his stomach. It wasn't that he wasn't happy to see Pidge, but after the dream he had of her, he felt dirty, even a little bit guilty. 

"Lance, you ok?" Asked Hunk who walked over and took the order he was holding out 

"Pidge and her family are here," Lance muttered, causing Hunk to look a little uneasy 

Despite Lance being clearly in shock, was surprisingly still doing everything that he needed to do in terms of his job. He knew he couldn't ask another waiter to take his table because it was one of the few that he was assigned to for the night. 

Lance managed to stay calm and cool going to his other tables. He was his usual charming self as he was putting down orders for his other tables of families and couples. He smiled and for a minute just seemed to breathe easy and forget about Pidge.

That all came to a halt when Hunk and the other chefs handed him the plates for Pidge's table. He put the five plates on a rolling cart and headed out to the table. The family looked content and happy chatting over their drinks and appetizers. Lance managed and smile and greeted them while they all looked eager to receive their meals

“Gotta say Lance” Shiro greeted as Lance set his plate in front of him “The fancy look is spiffy on you”

Shiro was referring to his uniform which was a suit without the blazer and a sleek black name tag. 

“I try,” Lance replied in his usual charming voice that he used at work, getting a laugh from Pidge and her family. Their laughter made Lance feel calmer. Still full of nerves, but calmer than before.

As he got to Pidge's plate, which was the last one, that ended. His body started to feel both tense and shake with nerves. He reached to set down the place, he got a quick scent of her perfume, his dream began to flood his mind and bring anxiety rushing to him. Lance set the plate down off to the side and knocked the glass of water sitting on the right side of Pidge as the glass shattered in contact with the floor causing gasps and his coworkers to notice and rush to clean the mess. Anger and embarrassment flooded through Lance.

“Shit!” he exclaimed “I’m so sorry” 

“Lance, it's ok” Matt reassured

“Yeah,” Mr. Holt said as well “Just an accident. Getting cleared up”

Lance could feel himself shaking. He knew it wasn't. Not to him. He was letting his thoughts and feelings get the better of him. Pidge looked at him with sympathy and concern. Lance backed away after saying a quick apology and quickly walked to the back. He walked by Sal’s office who was being informed of the incident. Sal, being the nice guy that he was. Understood and figured Lance was under some stress. He then gave Lance two options, get over it quickly and go back to work or step outside for a break and take as long as he needed until he could get back into a proper headspace to work efficiently. 

“I'm taking my break” Lance announced, making his decision final.

Sal gave him a nod of approval and he stepped out to the back of the restaurant being greeted with the cool breeze.

Pidge and her family ate their dinner while continuing their fun conversations. Colleen kept on giving Shiro and Matt ideas for the wedding, while Sam kept teasing her to leave them alone since they barely had gotten engaged. Pidge smiled at the warmth she felt while being with her family. The food was also very good. Pidge had ordered a dish called "Champignon Parmentier au Gratin" which was mushrooms with mashed potatoes and gruyere cheese on top. Her dad, Matt, and Shiro got some steak dish that she couldn't remember the name of and her mother got a seafood dish that Pidge also didn't know the name of. 

For her drink, her parents ordered red wine as a celebration for Shiro and Matt. However, dad and Shiro only had a few sips and continued to just drink water since it was clear they would be driving home tonight. 

Pidge had a nagging feeling going off inside her head. She felt bad for how things went with Lance. She could tell something was bugging him because he hadn't returned to check up on them and one of his co-workers did. Pidge decided that she needed to get some fresh air, just to clear her mind at the thought of Lance. She politely excused herself stating she had to use the bathroom but went through the side exit that was there in case customers needed to get some air or go outside for outdoor seating. 

Pidge wandered away from the tables outside and turned a corner to the back of the restaurant. She slightly shivered at the cool air that she felt but she didn't mind as much. As Pidge turned the corner, she noticed Lance was standing by a back exit. He looked like he was trying to catch his breath or at least regulate his breathing. He looked like he was sweating and his hair was slightly messy. He didn't seem to notice Pidge until she called his name.

"Lance?" she said quietly. "You okay?"

Lance looked slightly startled at the sight of her. Like he had seen a ghost again.

"Um...yeah." He said but Pidge wasn't buying it. He could tell she wasn't buying it. 

Pidge walked closer to him and stood next to him. She didn't face him though. She just stood there like she was waiting for him to vent out what was actually bugging him.

"I, uh, want to say that I'm sorry." Lance slowly said as he fumbled to not mess up his words.

Pidge looked up at him confused. What was he sorry about?

"I know I haven't been exactly the nicest. I've been acting strange and it's completely not fair to you. Especially since you've been so kind to me." Lance continued as he looked down and played with his hands.

Pidge didn't know how to respond to that. While it was true, Lance was acting weird, she didn't think he needed to apologize for it. So her only response was to laugh. Lance was a little bit taken aback by her laughter. Did he say something funny?

"I'm sorry," Pidge said in between laughter. "Oh, man! You are so weird. Why are you apologizing? You have nothing to be sorry for Lance. I think you are doing fine just the way you are. Sure you're not exactly Mr. perfect when it comes to a conversation but I don't mind."

Lance felt his heartbeat quicken at the sound of her laughter. He was relieved that she wasn't exactly offended by his distant behavior but she did think he was weird and somewhat antisocial. Which was further from the truth.

"Well, that's a relief," Lance said with a smile. "So, not to sound rude, but what are you, Shiro, and Matt doing here? Just decided to go out for the night or..?"

"Oh well, after that night at the bar when Hunk helped me take them back to my place. Matt proposed to Shiro drunk." Pidge explained "They talked in the morning afterward and agreed to stay engaged. I mean it's not that big of a surprise to me because Matt has been planning this for a while now. We are celebrating tonight."

Lance's face lightened up at the news and Pidge felt her heartbeat quicken. Why did he have to be so cute?

"That's great news! I wish them the best." Lance said. 

The two of them stood outside talking for about fifteen minutes. They got to know each other a bit more. Lance learned that Pidge hated peanuts but loved peanut butter and peanut butter cookies. That she was working on some big project for the Garrison Tech Program. He loved watching her face light up while talking about her passions. He could feel himself falling for her deeper and deeper. Pidge was feeling the same, except unlike Lance, she ignored those feelings and just focused on getting to know Lance.

She learned that he wanted to be a pilot when he was younger and still did in a way but was content where he was in life. She also learned that his family lived in Cuba and that he missed them dearly. She liked the way he talked about his family. It was very reminiscent of the way she felt for hers. Pidge took in the way the moonlight shined on them as they talked and how pretty it was for a summer night.

Lance fought off every urge he had to kiss her. Pidge was practically glowing as they talked. Her hair looked soft in the light and he kept on getting small whiffs of her perfumes. He found himself lost in her eyes as they shined with happiness. 

Their conversation broke when Pidge's phone went off. She looked down and noticed that it was a text from Matt. He was asking where she went. Pidge quickly replied back making some bullshit excuse and gave Lance a slightly sad look. She genuinely did like taking to Lance. However, she could tell her feelings for him were becoming more than wanting to be friends and that terrified her.

"I have to get going." She said. "Matt is asking where I went. Can't keep him and Shiro waiting."

Lance nodded in understanding. "Before you go, I'd like to give you my number. You know, so we could talk and maybe hang out one of these days. I'm still dying to see your edition of Killbot and your system."

Pidge smiled at Lance and they quickly exchanged numbers. As weird as it was for them to think about the idea of seeing each other outside of their random run-ins or if it had to do with Ariela, they were happy to at least be getting somewhere as friends.

Lance watched Pidge as she walked back inside to be with her family. His heart skipped a beat at the thought of her. He was feeling a lot better to go back inside and continue working for the night. At least now he could sleep a little better knowing that Pidge was his friend. Sure, it didn't help his feelings for her but being her friend seemed better than being nothing to him. For now. 

Chapter Text

Lance:  Do you, by chance, know how to get an ink stain out of clothes?

Pidge:  How did that happen? Also aren't you working right now?

Lance:  Nope. I only had night shifts for a week. I'm now back to my usual schedule. Ariela took apart one of my pens out of curiosity and ruined her clothes.

Pidge:  Oh that makes sense. Can't help you with the ink question. Never happened to me before. Try google.

Lance:  Wow I'm dumb. Should've done that first instead of talking to you.

Pidge:  Lol. I don't mind.

Lance:  :)

It had been only five days since Lance and Pidge had exchanged numbers and they had been talking almost daily. Pidge would usually just check in with a casual hi and their conversations would progress throughout a couple of days. They both were constantly busy to actually have a full-blown conversation then and there. Lance didn't mind though. He enjoyed talking to Pidge whenever he could.

Lance sighed as he finished changing Ariela out of her dirty clothes. He felt stressed and a little and bad about the whole thing. Just moments ago he had to raise his voice at Ariela for making a mess. Ariela cried a little bit at him as he put her on a time-out. After five minutes, he walked over to her and kneeled in from of her.

"Time is up Ariela." He said and Ariela sadly nodded as she got up from her spot.

"Okay, Papa." She said softly.

Before she exited the room, Lance pulled her in for a hug and gently stroked her hair. As of recent, Ariela had been getting a little bit more outspoken. A little bit more rebellious. Lance was hoping it was a brief phase but he knew that she was probably getting the same rebellious nature that he had as a child.

"Next time you need to be careful." Lance said "You could have gotten very sick if that ink got into your mouth. Do you understand?"

Ariela nodded and hugged Lance back.

"Good," Lance said and he kissed her forehead. "Now go downstairs and watch some tv while I clean up and get some dinner ready."

Ariela nodded and walked out of her room and went to the living room. Lance found a method to get the ink out of Ariela's clothes and soaked them in a homemade solution he found online. Sal had given him a new time for his shifts so he could spend at least a little bit more time with Ariela than he usually did. His new schedule was 10 am to 6 pm every Monday through Friday, he finally got Saturdays off which was nice and meant he could spend more time with Ariela, and work on Sundays from 11 am to 5 pm. His new schedule made Lance happy and felt like he would still be a part of Ariela's life. Before, he had barely had any time for his daughter and worked every day. Lance hoped that this new work shift would be permanent. 

Once Lance finished soaking Ariela's clothes, he made a quick dinner for both him and Ariela to eat. He opted for spaghetti and kept an eye on Ariela as she peacefully watched tv for the night. 

"Okay Ariela," Lance called from the kitchen as he served Ariela her plate. "Dinner is ready."

Ariela silently took a seat and stared at the plate Lance had given her. Lance could tell something was bothering her.

"Are you okay?" Lance asked his daughter.

Ariela looked at him with a blank expression that quickly turned into a light form of sadness.

"I'm sorry about the clothes Papa," Ariela said

Lance quietly sighed. He could tell him yelling still stuck with his daughter.

"It's okay, princess." He said as he kissed the top of her head. "Accidents happen. Now eat your dinner so we can get you ready for bed soon." 

Ariela nodded and began to eat her food. Lance ate too and there was a peaceful silence between the two. That was until Ariela spoke again.

"Papa?" Ariela said quietly. "Can I go visit Pidgey one of these days and see Bae Bae?"

"Maybe." Lance said, "Since I now have Saturdays off, I could ask her if it's okay if we could stop by."

Ariela gave a small cheer in response and continue to happily eat her food. In truth, Lance didn't know how Pidge would react to him asking her that. Sure they were somewhat friends, or at least he'd like to think they were. They had been texting each other almost every single day but he didn't know how she would react to him and Ariela inviting themselves over to her apartment. 

Soon, dinner was over and Lance took Ariela upstairs to get ready for bed even if it was a little early. Ariela didn't argue though which Lance was thankful for. She did seem pretty tired from the day she had. Lance helped her change into pajamas, brush her teeth, and decided to read her a story for bed.

"What will it be tonight princess?" He asked as Ariela cuddled with the toy bear that she had since the day she was born.

"Forever." was Ariela's only response as she rubbed her tired eyes.

Lance knew exactly what she meant by that. It was the book  Love You Forever  by Robert Munsch. It was Ariela's favorite book and Esme used to read it when she was pregnant with Ariela. She would always read it when Ariela moved around in her stomach ad started kicking. It made Lance tear up to imagine what type of mother Esme would have become. He knew she would've been a good one. Lance used to despise reading it because it would make him think of Esme but now he grew to tolerate it for Ariela's sake.

Lance picked up the book and began to read to Ariela

"A mother held her new baby and very slowly rocked him back and forth." Lance began as he smiled sweetly at his daughter.

"Damnit!" Pidge exclaimed as she grew frustrated with her project.

Her robot that she was planning for the Garrison was not turning out the way that she had hoped. She thought it was complete but when she tried to turn it on, nothing happened. It was back to the drawing board for Pidge. It was another Saturday morning and Pidge was growing super stressed with her robot. The deadline for new Garrison applications were in October. Pidge still had time considering it was the end of June but she still wanted everything to be perfect.

Pidge pulled herself together and decided to take a quick shower. It was a hot summer morning and Pidge was burning up in her room. Bae Bae patiently stood by the bathroom door as Pidge quickly cleaned herself, getting rid of all the smelly sweat she had accumulated on herself and she washed her hair. Pidge contemplated what she could do for the rest of the day. It was barely 11:00 am. She could take it easy and do nothing or she could find something to keep her busy. She knew that she didn't want to take another look at that dumb robot for the rest of the day. She was too stressed. 

Pidge changed into a pair of high-waisted shorts, a black sports bra under a burnt orange, cropped muscle tank top, and her favorite sneakers. Pidge scrolled through her phone aimlessly as she laid down on her bed waiting for her hair to dry. She could call Allura and see if she was free for the day. It had been a while since they spent a girls' day together. Pidge had also considered messaging Lance to see how he was doing. In truth, Pidge had hoped that at some point before Saturday, Lance would have suggested him coming over so she could casually invite him and Ariela over.

Just as Pidge hovered her finger over Lance's contact, her phone rang and she was getting an incoming call from Lance himself. Pidge shot up from laying down and slight panic set in as she quickly answered the phone.

"Hello?" Pidge said shyly.

"Hey, Pidge!" She heard Lance say except he sounded very stressed and frantic. "I need a huge favor. I know this is a lot to ask but I was wonder if you could come over and watch Ariela for me. There was an accident at work and they need me to come in and take a shift. I can't find anyone to watch her, Veronica is out of town, Hunk is working, and Shay is at a doctor's appointment. So I'd really appreciate it if-"

"Lance!" Pidge shouted over the phone to stop him from rambling. "I'm on my way. Just send me your address."

There was a short silence on the other line and Pidge grew slightly concerned until Lance finally responded.

"Thank you. You can even bring Bae Bae over. I have a big backyard that she could run around in."

Pidge smiled at that. She said a quick goodbye to Lance and grabbed her things as well as some things for Bae Bae to play around with while she was watching Ariela. Pidge even find her damp hair a bit so she didn't look like she had rolled out of the shower when she got to Lance's house. Pidge rushed to her car with Bae Bae on her leash and drove as fast as she could to Lance's place. Luckily for her, he didn't live too far than she had expected. It was only about a 20-minute drive away. She pulled up to a nice blue suburban house that just screamed a perfect home. The whole neighborhood was perfect.

Pidge got out of the car and led Bae Bae to the front door. Pidge knocked and was immediately greeted by Lance who looked very stressed and was wearing his work uniform. Pidge felt butterflies in her stomach as she suddenly remembered their night behind the restaurant. How happy she felt talking to him under the moonlight. How handsome he lo- No! She had to snap out of it. These type of feelings would only lead to trouble later.

"Thanks again," Lance said as he allowed Pidge to enter the house. "I should be home by 7:00. I left Ariela's car seat out in the garage in case you need it for any reason. She's allowed to go to the park. She prefers the one downtown, you know the one we saw each other at. I have all her emergency contacts on the fridge in case something happens and I'm not able to answer, you know after you've called 911 or Poison Control. There's also a house key on the kitchen counter for you to use if you do decide to leave with her at any point while I'm gone. She's also not allowed to have any sugar past 6:00 but I figured you'd probably give her dinner by then. Feel free to use whatever you'd like in the kitchen and make yourself feel at home." 

Before Pidge could answer she felt a heavy force cling onto her leg. She looked down and saw a smiling Ariela. Bae Bae wagged her tail excitedly as she smelled Ariela.

"Pidgey!" Ariela cheered. "I'm so happy you are here."

Pidge smiled and patted Ariela's head.

"Ariela. I'm going to need you to be on your best behavior while I'm gone. I'll be home by dinner time." Lance said as he kneeled in front of his daughter.

"Okay, Papa!" Ariela said as she gave Lance a quick hug and kiss on the cheek. 

Lance smiled at Ariela and gave Pidge a quick wave goodbye as he ran out the door to his car. Pidge stood there for a moment to process the quick exchange she just had with Lance. Making a quick list in her head of what she had to do when watching Ariela and where the emergence contacts are. She then looked down at Ariela who was giving Bae Bae pets on her head. 

"So, Ariela what do you say we take Bae Bae outside to the backyard to run around for a bit," Pidge said suggested. 

"Yeah!." Ariela exclaimed as she ran to put on shoes to go outside. 

Pidge quickly grabbed some water bottles from the fridge and filled a bowl with water for Bae Bae. It was a hot summer day so she figured it would be best to keep Ariela, Bae Bae, and herself hydrated while they played outside.

The backyard was beautiful. There was a nicely shaded wooden porch that opened up to the very green backyard. There was a swing set under a huge tree on one end and at the other was a pretty garden with lots of flowers and a few fruits and vegetables. There was also a concrete area with a grill and a patio table with an umbrella for shade. The backyard was enclosed in a tall, white picket fence. Pidge felt like she could spend hours out here just admiring its beauty. 

Pidge sat on the porch steps and watched as Ariela chased after Bae Bae who ran around to explore the backyard. Pidge didn't worry as much about Bae Bae ruining the lovely backyard. Bae Bae was well trained at not destroying flowers and digging up holes from the time she spent at Pidge's parents' house. Ariela giggled as she ran after Bae Bae. Her long, brown pigtails flying in the wind, and her big brown eyes were filled with wonder and excitement.

It was a sight that made Pidge's heart melt. She loved the fact that Ariela was such a happy kid. Even at daycare, she was always one to have a smile on her face and never throw a tantrum. After about 20 minutes of running around, Ariela sat next to Pidge panting and sweating.

"You thirsty?" Pidge asked as she opened a cold water batter for Ariela.

"Yes," Ariela said as she tried as to catch her breath.

She then took the water bottle from Pidge and took tiny drinks from it. Bae Bae walked towards her bowl and drank some water as well.

"Pidgey?" Ariela asked as she finished her last drink of water.

Pidge turned to face Ariela as the child looked up at her with curiosity.

"Yeah, kiddo? What's up?" Pidge asked.

"Are you and Papa friends?” 

"Of course. Why do you ask?”

"The only friends who come are Uncle Hunk and Auntie Shay”

Pidge was stumped for a minute. Ariela never really asked her such daunting questions that weren't about science. 

"Well of course I'm a friend!” Pidge said as enthusiastically as possible “Your Papa is just very careful about sharing how wonderful you are.”

"Can you come over every weekend? I like playing with you and Bae Bae."Ariela asked as she gave Pidge a cheeky smile.

Pidge smiled at Ariela. She already saw her practically every day at daycare. Yet, this child couldn't get enough of her. If Pidge was being honest, she wouldn't mind being around Ariela just a little more. Ariela was very smart and very kind and Pidge truly liked being around her. 

"We'll see," Pidge said as she wiped a little bit of sweat off of Ariela's forehead and Ariela smiled even wider at her response.

“Can we play airplane?!” Ariela squealed reaching for Pidge giggling

“Hop on kiddo!” Pidge replied holding her arms out.

She laid Ariela on her stomach in her arms and started to carefully run around the grass in the backyard. Ariela squealed and giggled with delight and Pidge pushed her energy to keep up the game for as long as possible. After a while, she got Ariela on the swings until she got tired and eventually wanted to go inside. 

Around 1:30, Pidge looked around the fridge to see what she could make for dinner. However, Lance didn't have a lot of options. In fact, he was even running low on some items. 

"Hey, Ariela," Pidge called from the kitchen. Ariela was coloring in the living room while Bae Bae napped near her.

"Yes, Pidgey," Ariela said as she wandered into the kitchen.

"How do you feel about going to the store with me?" Pidge asked, "I want to get a few things for dinner."

"Okay!" Ariela said as turned around and walked out of the kitchen "I get my shoes on."

Pidge smiled and grabbed her purse, keys, and Ariela's car seat that Lance left for her. Pidge even sent Lance a text so he wouldn't be surprised when he came home later.

Pidge:  Heading out with Ariela. Going to the store to get some things for dinner. Also, you are low on eggs, milk, and orange juice.

Ariela ran back to the kitchen where Pidge was, ready to go. Pidge smiled at her and they both walked out of the house to Pidge's car. Pidge put in the car seat as safely and as quickly as she could, so Ariela wouldn't be standing outside of the car for so long and buckled Ariela in the car. Pidge then got in the driver's seat and looked up any stores nearby that she could go to. There was a grocery store that was 10 minutes away and with that, Pidge put it in her GPS and drove to the store.

Pidge had forgotten what it was like to have another person in the car with her. She found herself constantly looking through her mirror to check on Ariela who was peacefully looking out the window. Once they got to the store, Pidge put Ariela in the cart and they went around the store to get the items Pidge needed. 

"Alright kiddo," Pidge said as she pushed the cart into one of the isles. "We got milk, eggs, juice, potatoes, pot roast, and some veggies. All we need is some seasonings, and a few more items. Is there anything else you could think of that I'm forgetting?"

Ariela pondered for a moment. 

"Oh, can we get some popsicles? Papa loved the mango ones, He'll be so happy when we surprise him with them." Ariela said happily.

Pidge giggled at that and nodded.

"Mango popsicles sound delicious. I'm sure Papa will love them." Pidge said

Ariela laughed happily and Pidge smiled at her. Suddenly an elderly lady who had just passed them stopped and said something. 

"Well, aren't you adorable!" She said as she looked at Ariela then she looked at Pidge and gave her a kind smile. "You have a beautiful daughter."

"Thank you," Ariela said as the lady wandered off. 

Pidge was about to correct the old lady but she was already gone.

Ariela giggled “She was funny Pidgey!”

Pidge blushed slightly at the thought of Ariela being mistaken for her daughter and she just continued to shop around the store in silence. It was bad enough that she was trying to ignore her feelings for Lance but to imagine being a maternal figure to Ariela. It was too much. Little did she know that something was going on in Ariela's head. 

Ariela had been without a mother for so long. She had only seen what a mother was supposed to be like in movies. She also idolized Pidge and liked the fact that the old lady called her Pidge's daughter, then it hit the four-year-old all at once! Pidge could be her mother. Her dad and Pidge were friends and Pidge liked being around her. All she had to do was make sure they fell in love. Like a prince and a princess. It would be perfect.

Lance walked into his house completely drained from his shift. Since he came in when he had the day off, Sal decided to give him Sunday off as a thank you. Then Lance would go back to his regular schedule. Lance was grateful for that and was glad to be home after working for a few hours. Lance was greeted at the door by Bae Bae and Lance gave her some pets on her head.

"I'm home," Lance announced and he suddenly heard the patter of Ariela's footsteps running towards him.

"Papa!" Ariela cheered as she launched herself at him and hugged him tightly. 

Lance returned the hug and spun Ariela around which caused her to giggle profusely. He then noticed Pidge standing in the hallway nearby and smiling at the sight in front of her. Lance then set Ariela down and he greeted Pidge.

"So how did everything go?" He asked. "Did she behave? I got your text and you didn't have to go shopping for me but I greatly appreciate it."

Pidge smiled at Lance and Lance felt his stomach fill with butterflies because of the look in her eyes. God, she was so beautiful.

"We got popsicles for you, Papa!" Ariela said excitedly. "Pidge also made a yummy dinner. I already ate but Pidge hasn't yet. She said she wasn't hungry. You should eat some too! It's very yummy." 

Ariela then ran off, leaving the two adults alone. Lance stared at Ariela curiously. What had gotten into his daughter?

"She did well," Pidge said as she smiled at Lance. "I made some pot roast with mashed potatoes and some roasted carrots, asparagus, and zucchini."

Lance felt himself groan internally at the sound of that. She could cook too! Was there anything this woman wasn't good at?!

"Sounds great," Lance said. "Also please stay and eat some dinner too. I would hate for you to leave on an empty stomach."

"Alright," Pidge said as she gave Lance a kind smile. "I guess I could eat something."

Pidge and Lance went to the kitchen and served themselves a plate. Lance felt his mouth water at the smell and sight of the food. He knew it would taste just as good. Pidge and Lance walked into the dining room only to stop at the sight in front of them the table was covered in freshly picked flowers from the garden and there was a battery-operated candle in the middle that looked like it was supposed to create a romantic aura. Lance blushed at the sight and knew that it was the work of his daughter. He would need to talk with her later. She had been acting weird ever since they had the conversation about her having a mother someday.

Pidge, however, seemed unfazed and sat down and began to eat her food. Lance sat across from her and ate in silence. His tastebuds screamed with joy as he took a bit of the food Pidge made. It was so flavorful and was almost able to give Hunk a run for his money. 

"This is very delicious Pidge," Lance said. "I think Hunk may have some competition."

Pidge laughed at that statement.

"Why thank you, Lance." She said as she took a drink of some water. "Although I highly doubt I would be able to beat Hunk. He is a professional chef."

Lance smiled at her and continued to eat. It was nice to have a meal with someone else that wasn't his sister or Ariela. He wondered if Pidge felt the same way. Pidge then finished her food and waited for Lance to finish his food before taking his plate. Or at least trying to because Lance quickly took the dirty dishes from her hand.

"Nope." He said. "You are a guest in my house and I am going to treat you as such. You've already done enough for today."

Pidge being stubborn as usual. Tried to get the dishes out of his hands.

"Come on Lance." Pidge said "A few dishes isn't going to hurt me. You've also had a long afternoon at work."

Lance smirked at Pidge as she ran around him trying to get the dishes from him. He then shot his hand up in the air, placing the dishes above his head. This caused Pidge to try and get them but couldn't due to her stature. If there was one thing Pidge hated, it was when someone used her height as a disadvantage. 

"That's so not fair!" Pidge exclaimed as she tried to reach for them. Lance laughed, she looked very annoyed yet adorable trying to get the dishes away from him. 

Lance wandered off into the kitchen only to have Pidge ambush him by jumping on his back as she tried to reach for the plates. She was strong and the force of her almost made Lance fall on his face but he managed to pull through and keep his balance. Pidge didn't even think about how awkward this position was for them. For her to get this close to him when she was trying to deny her feelings. Her only focus was to get the plates. 

"What the hell, Pidge?!" Lance exclaimed as he fumbled to keep the dishes out of her reach. 

Pidge tangled her limbs around his and tried to reach for the dishes with one of her arms. 

"Just give up Lance." she cackled. She found this whole thing to be funny. "Just let me handle the dishes and I will get off of you. You are making this a lot harder than it has to be."

"You're insane," Lance remarked as he tried to shake her off his back, which only caused Pidge to laugh harder. Lance did as well but only because her laugh was contagious. "Can't you just let me do one nice thing for you?"

"Nope!" Pidge giggled as she tried to grab the plates at a different angle, almost choking Lance in the process.

"Okay! This is going nowhere." Lance said as he almost reached the kitchen sink. "How about we compromise? I wash and you dry?"

Pidge stopped for a moment and deliberated on taking his offer. She then jumped off of Lance's back and adjusted her glasses. 

"Fine," she said and the two of them worked on cleaning the dishes together. 

Pidge also put the remaining food away in Tupperware for Lance and Ariela to have. Pidge didn't like to assume but she knew Lance was stressed with work from time to time so a few leftovers could probably help him not worry so much. Lance didn't say it but he was grateful to have Pidge around today. He was worried she'd get upset by him asking her to watch Ariela today because she did it during the weekday. 

As they finished cleaning the kitchen, there was an awkward silence between them. Lance didn't know what to say to her. Every time he tried to find some way to make conversation, he just kept getting lost by looking at her. He hated how difficult he found it to talk to her. 

"I wanted to say thank you again. I don't know what I would've done if I couldn't find someone to watch Ariela." Lance had managed to say and Pidge's golden eyes shined into his as she smiled at him.

"You don't need to thank me, Lance." She said sincerely. "I loved hanging out with Ariela. Bae Bae enjoyed running around your backyard and loves Ariela. Maybe next time you could join us."

Pidge then tied her short hair back into a small ponytail. Lance assumed she was probably hot, it was a very warm night and Lance hadn't turned on the air conditioner. He probably should do that. Lance found himself, once again, getting lost by looking at her. Her crop top peaked up a little bit as she held up her arms which caused her stomach to poke out revealing her white, freckled stomach. Lance averted his eyes back up to her face and felt himself blush slightly.

"I'd like that," Lance said as he walked over to her, facing her. "It seems like Ariela had a fun time with you. I'm sure she's going to beg to see you outside of daycare again."

Pidge smiled softly at that and looked up at Lance. Once again there was a silence among them. Their eyes met and Lance felt his heart beating out of his chest and a familiar warmth come over him. He wished time would stop so he could just spend hours staring at her. He knew that wanting that wasn't good for their newly developed friendship at the moment, but Lance was ready to just say fuck it. Even it would destroy everything between them.

Pidge felt an internalize scream going on in the back of her mind. Telling her to not give in. But her impulses took over and she became entranced by what was happening. Lance couldn't explain it but he felt like there was some sort of magnetic pull suddenly on them and he was certain that they were getting closer to each other. Lance felt his face bending down slowly to meet hers and she was leaning up. Faces only inches apart and Lance felt hypnotized by the way Pidge looked at him. 

"I should probably get going," Pidge said softly. Her eyes filled with intense uncertainty. She had hoped her saying that would snap her out of it. But it didn't. "I need to keep working on my Garrison entry project."

"Yeah," Lance mumbled as his gaze began to intensify.

Despite this exchange, neither one of them moved. Maybe time truly had stopped. Until Ariela came into the kitchen chasing after Bae Bae who came in Lance suddenly pulled himself away from Pidge. Snapping out of the trance he was under.

"Can I have a popsicle Papa?" Ariela asked, completely ignoring the tension that was created between the two adults.

"Well I normally don't allow sweets after 6:00 but since you did so well with Pidge today, I think you deserve it," Lance said as he walked to the freezer and grabbed a mango popsicle.

"Is Pidgey staying?" Ariela asked as she grabbed the popsicle from her dad.

"I can't tonight kiddo," Pidge said as she kneeled in front of Ariela. "I have to get home. But, I'll see you on Monday and I have a very cool science experiment planned."

Ariela looked sad for a moment but perked up when she heard about Pidge planning a cool science experiment on Monday. Lance smiled at that. At least Ariela didn't throw a tantrum about Pidge leaving. 

"Okay!" Ariela exclaimed and she hugged Pidge. "Bye Pidgey! I'll see you Monday!"

Pidge hugged Ariela back and grabbed her and Bae Bae's things so they could leave. She felt her legs shake with anxiety as she moved forward to leave the house and go back to her apartment. 

"Thanks for having me over. I put Ariela's car seat in the garage for you. " Pidge said as she looked at Lance. "I had a great time. Come on Bae Bae."

"See ya around Pidge," Lance said and he watched as Bae Bae followed Pidge out the door. He stood there for a moment just taking in the moment that they shared before Ariela walked into the kitchen.

He wondered if they would have kissed if they weren't interrupted. Maybe it was dumb to hope for that. They were friends. Or at least trying to be but Lance knew deep down that he didn't want that. He wanted them to be more than that. His thoughts were then interrupted as he noticed that Ariela was staring at him. He then remembered the little stunt she pulled with the dining room table.

"Alright young lady," Lance said in a slightly firm voice. "You want to tell me why you decorated the table like a romance movie."

Ariela had seen enough kid-friendly romance films to know about dating. Sure she was four, almost five, but she caught on to things very quickly. Lance was a sucker for romance as well. Or at least he used to be. He wouldn't be surprised if Ariela inherited this trait. She was a very affectionate child.

"I was just playing restaurant Papa," Ariela said innocently.

Lance, for some reason, didn't believe her. Her favorite movie recently was  The Parent Trap  thanks to Veronica. He decided to drop it for now. After all, it was one incident. It's not like his own daughter was trying to set him up. Or was she?

Pidge spent the remainder of her weekend thinking about her time with Ariela and Lance. She kept racking through her brain trying to explain the little moments between her and Lance. She was 65% sure that they had almost kissed again after dinner. She didn't want to believe it but she could tell that they kept on having moments together recently that were far from friendship. Something that she desperately tried to avoid. 

Working on Monday wasn't much help either. She managed to get through the day without talking to Ariela about Saturday. Instead, Ariela was too busy playing with other kids or being a good listener during storytime. It was now 5:30 and Allura, Shay, and Romelle were cleaning up for the day. Hunk had gotten out of work early and picked up Ariela so Shay could take her time cleaning up after work instead of worrying about getting Ariela home like she usually did.

Pidge assumed that her thoughts were taking over her because her co-workers decided to say something as she mindlessly was wiping down the tables.

"Something on your mind Pidge?" Romelle asked as she stared at Pidge with her dark blue eyes. 

Like, Allura, Romelle was very ethereal looking. She had long, blonde hair and also looked like a princess. I mean it didn't surprise Pidge too much, Allura and Romelle were cousins so they clearly had amazing genes.

"I'm fine Romelle," Pidge said. Of course Romelle, Shay and Allura weren't truly buying it.

"You've been cleaning the same area for 10 minutes," Shay said.

Pidge suddenly stopped and put down the rag and cleaning spay that she was holding. Okay, maybe she wasn't doing as well as she thought.

"You can talk to us Pidge," Romelle said sweetly. "Is it the Garrison again?"

Pidge had vented out her frustrations with getting into the Garrison program many times. Her co-workers were always there to listen to her and understood her or at least tried to. But the topic of boys and Pidge being interested in someone was uncharted territory.

"How do you get over feelings for someone?" Pidge blurted out.

Pidge saw everyone's eyes widen at her. Shit. She could've just kept her mouth shut. She didn't like this attention she was getting. Yes, she liked Lance but Pidge didn't have time to worry about her feelings. The Garrison was her main goal. Not finding someone.

"OOOO! Pidge you have a crush!" Romelle cheered as she hugged Pidge. "Do tell?" 

Shay and Allura stood closer around the Pidge and Romelle, eager to hear this information as well.

"It's not that big of a deal." Pidge murmured as Romelle let go of Pidge. "I don't even want to pursue anything. It's nothing."

"Doesn't sound like nothing," Allura said as she gave Pidge a look.

Allura could read Pidge so easily, nothing could get past her. Pidge honestly hated that quality about Allura sometimes, especially right now. Pidge groaned as they all looked at her in anticipation. She was never comfortable being the center of attention. Pidge then gave Shay a look as if not to comment on what she was about to say.

"So...you guys know Lance right?" Pidge softly said as she looked down at the ground. Almost as if she was ashamed in some weird way about the whole thing.

Allura, Romelle, and Shay silently listened as Pidge explained to them how she and Lance met again at the park after work one day. How she kept running into him almost every week. How she almost kissed him that night at the bar. How much she enjoyed being around him and how much that scared her.

"And then we almost kissed again after I stayed for dinner," Pidge said. "I just couldn't say no. It was almost as if I had lost all control of myself. I don't know what to do anymore. He's a great guy but I just can't be in a relationship. I'm too scatterbrained and awkward for him. I'm a mess half the time trying to get into the Garrison and I'll practically never make any time for him. It wouldn't be fair. Not to him and especially not Ariela."

Pidge had finished her rant and didn't even realize how much the whole thing was troubling her until she felt a small tear fall from her cheek. Allura put a comforting hand on Pidge's shoulder and gave her a comforting smile.

"This will all pass Pidge," Allura said as she wrapped her arm around Pidge's shoulder. "But you have to think about what you'll be missing out on if you spend all of your time worrying about this. We just don't want you to regret this in the future."

Romelle and Shay nodded in agreement. Pidge sniffed slightly and wiped her face clean, trying to calm down and regulate her emotions.

"Lance is a great guy," Shay said. "Even if you decide to just be friends with him. He will always be there for you. No matter what." 

Pidge knew being friends with Lance would be the most difficult thing she would ever go through. She just hoped things would get better in the end.

"I think I just needed to get all of that off my chest," Pidge said. She was lying of course because she truly did not want to go future into this conversation. "I feel a lot better. Thanks for listening you guys."

Allura squeezed Pidge's shoulder and Shay and Romelle smiled at her. 

"Of course Pidge."Allura said, "We'll always be here if you need to talk."

Pidge smiled at them and resumed cleaning up for the day. Even though her feelings were still messing with her, she knew that things would eventually work out for her. Or at least she hoped. She just needed to focus on her life and not her feelings. Pidge was good at making friends and if that's what she and Lance were supposed to be then fate would find a way.

Before Pidge gathered her things to leave, Shay approached her with a big smile on her face and her brown eyes shining with joy.

"Before you leave Pidge, Hunk wanted me to formally invite you over to our place," Shay said as she flashed a pearly white smile.

Pidge chuckled at Shay for being her adorable self.

"Sure. When? I can't tonight. I have to check on Bae Bae before she gets too lonely." Pidge said.

"Oh no, not tonight." Shay said "We are throwing a 4th of July party at our place on Saturday. So far we've invited Keith, Allura, Romelle, and we were hoping you could ask Shiro and Matt for us. We never got their numbers after that night at the bar but we loved hanging out with them. Oh and before you ask, yes Lance will be there but don't worry. I'll be there if you need me. Also, you can bring Bae Bae with you. We have a nice backyard. We live near the same neighborhood Lance lives in."

Pidge reluctantly agreed to still go. She couldn't say no to Shay. Plus they managed to get Keith to come over. It's a miracle she sees him once a month. Sure Lance would be there but so would her friends. She could always fall back on them if she got overwhelmed and it was a party. She wouldn't be spending all her time with Lance. She just had to keep reminding herself that it would all be okay.

Things would work out in the end. Yet it terrified her to think about just how they would work out. The uncertainty was the scary part. 

Chapter Text

Saturday morning came and Pidge could feel herself growing nervous as she got ready for the day. She had gotten up at 7:00 am and that was mainly because she had trouble sleeping the night before. She was told that the party at Hunk and Shay's wouldn't start until 1:00 pm and yet she kept checking her clock every five minutes like it would miraculously be 1 already and she would be running late. 4th of July was not one of Pidge's favorite holidays, in fact, she would rather just stay in her room for the day and cuddle Bae Bae while the fireworks went off. Even though Bae Bae didn't mind fireworks, in fact, she loved them.

Pidge decided to dress casually for the day. Just a simple sage tank top, jean shorts, and her sneakers. Pidge spent the next few hours trying to distract her mind. She watched tv, tried to play tug of war with Bae Bae even though Bae Bae was not amused, and even attempted to paint her short nail but she ended up wiping them clean because she sucked at painting her nails. She knew she was anxious about today. She didn't want to deal with social interaction for today. Especially after she had that talk with Allura, Shay, and Romelle but she told Shay she'd be at her party. Pidge always thought it was funny how she had a hard time saying no to people. Another habit she needed to break.

Soon it was 12:45 and Pidge groaned as she pulled herself off her couch and got her things together. The day before, she had went shopping and decided to bring some drinks as well as some plates and cups for the party. She mustered up all the courage she could, got Bae Bae on her leash, and led them both to her car. Shay wasn't wrong when she said that she and Hunk lived near the same area that Lance and Ariela lived in. Their home was a little bit outside of the suburban homes and a lot closer to the downtown area. 

Pidge carried all of her things to the front door while Bae Bae followed her. She had wished she remembered to put on some extra sunscreen because it was a very hot day. Luckily there was a cover under the front door so Pidge was out of the sun as she knocked and waited for someone to answer the door. Within minutes, Hunk opened the door. Hunk was dressed in a light beige tank top, what appeared to be swim trunks, and he wore an orange headband around his forehead. He gave Pidge a warm smile.

"Hey, Pidge! So glad you could make it." Hunk said cheerfully. "You are actually the first one here so please come in. So glad you also brought Bae Bae along."

Pidge smiled as she watched Bae Bae eagerly sniff Hunk as Hunk gave her a pet.

"Yeah. Also, she's very well trained so you don't have to worry about her making a mess or getting near the food." Pidge said as she walked into the house.

"How old is she?" Hunk asked.

"She's nine. My parents got her when I was in high school. I grew very attached to her and they didn't seem to mind when I kidnapped her to live with me."

Hunk nodded and led Pidge around the house, giving her a quick tour. Pidge smiled as she noticed so many cute pictures of Hunk and Shay, even some pictures of Shay, Allura, Romelle, and her that they would take at work during special occasions. Their house had a very warm, welcoming feeling to it. The same feeling Pidge would get when she was around Shay or when she talked to Hunk. Hunk then led Pidge to the backyard, where the party was going to be held.

Their backyard was bigger than Lance's. There was a huge concrete area where the grill was as well as a table full of some snacks. Next to the concrete area was a huge grass area with a little playground that was probably for Ariela when she came over to visit. From what Lance told Pidge, Hunk was Ariela's godfather. On the other side of the backyard was a nice, small-sized pool which explained Hunk in swimming trunks. 

Pidge was then greeted by Shay who was setting the table with snacks. She wore a pretty, lilac sundress that complimented her tan skin, she wore white hoop-like earrings, and her brown haired bob was slightly curled. 

"Pidge!" Shay said as she hugged her. "I'm so happy you're here. I realized I forgot to mention that we had a pool. I'm sorry about that. "

Pidge shook her head and smiled at her friend. "Don't worry about it. I'm not much of a swimmer so no harm here."

Pidge then put the cups and plates on the table and also put the drinks in an ice chest that Hunk and Shay had set out near the table. Bae Bae ran around to explore the backyard. 

"I'm surprised I'm the first one here," Pidge said. "Usually I'm always the one that's late."

"Keith said he was on his way." Hunk said as he checked his phone. "I asked him to pick up a few things for me so I can grill some chicken. I'm also making hotdogs. They won't be as delicious as what I make at the restaurant but I'm sure you'll enjoy it. Lance said he had to stop by Veronica's to pick her up. She lives a little bit out of town. As for the rest, I have no idea where they are."

Pidge nodded and helped Hunk and Shay put up the 4th of July decorations around the backyard. Nothing too fancy, just some streamers and some red, white, and blue balloons. However, Pidge could only do so much to help since she was so short and couldn't reach certain areas to put the decorations. Shortly after they finished, Allura, Romelle, Matt, and Shiro had arrived. Matt had met Allura before when Pidge first got the job at the daycare center so Pidge didn't have to worry about introductions between her family and her coworker. However, she would when Keith arrived.

Shay and Romelle prepared the side dishes in the kitchen while everyone else talked amongst themselves. Hunk couldn't start grilling the main food items until Keith arrived with the items he needed so for now he had to occupy his time by catching up with everyone. 

"So Shiro," Hunk started as he grabbed water from the ice cooler. "Is me being a flower girl still on the table for your wedding or am I going to have some competition?"

Pidge laughed as she saw Shiro grow slightly annoyed that Hunk brought up his drunken remarks.

"Why yes Hunk," Matt said teasingly. "How do you feel about the color purple? We are shooting for a fall wedding so we'll need to know your exact measurements for the pretty dress we've picked out."

Shiro glared at Matt as Pidge and Hunk laughed at Matt's comment while Allura looked very confused. 

"Don't encourage it," Shiro muttered as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Aw, but it would be so great Shiro," Pidge said as she patted his shoulder. "Just imagine the pretty flower crown we can put on Hunk as he twirls down the aisle."

"I think I would do an excellent job at that." Hunk said. 

"I'm confused," Allura said. "Is Hunk actually an option for a flower girl?"

Pidge, Matt, and Hunk laughed even harder as Shiro blushed with embarrassment. Finally, their laughter died down and Hunk quickly explained the situation.

"But in all seriousness," Hunk said as he finished his quick rundown with Allura. "Did you guys actually settle for the fall time?"

"Yep." Matt said "I know it's a little early but November is our favorite time of the month and we don't want a long engagement or a fancy wedding. Something small and outdoors."

Pidge smiled at her brother and his fiancee. She could already imagine their wedding. The changing colors of the trees as they say "I do." and how beautiful the whole thing would look. Just as she was lost in thought, she felt someone ruffle her hair only to look at the assailant and saw that it was Keith.

He gave her a smirk and she noticed that he had brought Kosmo with him. Kosmo was Keith's pet Husky, although Pidge joked he was a wolf instead of a dog, mainly because Kosmo was bigger and more wolf-like than any other Husky Pidge had met. Kosmo briefly sniffed everyone and went off to play with Bae Bae in the grass.

"I'm surprised you got here before me," Keith said as he rested his arm on Pidge's head like she was a pillar he could rest on. Pidge got annoyed at Keith's smart-ass remark. 

"Very funny Keith," Pidge said as she shoved him off her. "Nice to see you too."

Keith for once looked like he was dressed for summer. Pidge usually saw him in jeans, a t-shirt, and his red jacket. However today he wore a red and black tank top, black swim shorts, and his mullet was tried back into a small ponytail. 

"Just in time Keith." Hunk said happily. "Now I can get started on cooking." 

"Yeah Keith, now we don't have to starve to death." Pidge teased.

Keith rolled his eyes at her and helped Hunk get the food ready with the supplies he brought. Pidge and the others continued to chat. Pidge noticed that almost everyone but her got the memo about the pool but Pidge didn't mind so much. She wasn't the best swimmer, in fact, she was kinda terrified of swimming. Mainly because she had a bad experience when she was little that involved her almost drowning. The most Pidge would do was stand in the shallow end of a pool and watch as others enjoyed themselves. 

Soon Lance, Ariela, and Veronica arrived. Ariela wore a cute, white summer dress and her hair was pulled in a high ponytail and a matching bow. Lance was dressed in a light blue, short-sleeved button-down, and dark blue swim shorts. Veronica wore a white tank top that was similar to Ariela's dress and jean shorts. Ariela ran over and hugged Pidge as soon as she saw her. Pidge blushed and gently patted Ariela's head.

"I missed you Pidgey!" Ariela said cheerfully.

"You saw me yesterday kiddo," Pidge said as she giggled slightly at the bubbly four-year-old. Matt threw her a funny look at the sight of her and Ariela. 

Ariela finally let go of Pidge and suddenly got shy when she saw Matt, Shiro, and Keith.

"Ariela, this is my brother Matt, and my friends Keith and Shiro," Pidge said as they all smiled at Ariela. "Guys, this is Ariela, Lance's daughter and his sister Veronica."

Ariela slightly hid behind Pidge for a few seconds and then peaked out slightly as she got used to the three strangers in front of her.

"How come your hair is two different colors?" Ariela exclaimed as she pointed at Shiro.

"Ariela!" Lance warned, embarrassed by her slight outburst. 

Pidge fought back a smile as Matt and Keith tried to not laugh. Shiro kneeled to face Ariela and gave her a kind smile.

"It's actually a really funny story," Shiro said as he played with the white bangs of his hair. "You see I was kidnapped by aliens and now my hair is part white forever!" 

Ariela gained a sparkle in her eyes and stared at Shiro like he was a hero of some sort.

"Really?!" she said in amazement.

"Yeah." Shiro said "But you can't tell anyone. It's a secret that I don't want a lot of people to know about."

"Okay," Ariela said. She then turned her attention to Lance. "Papa can I go play with Bae Bae and that other doggy."

Lance slightly hesitated until Veronica gave him a look saying that she would go with Ariela.

"Okay." Lance said, "Just stay with Tia Veronica and don't go near the pool."

Ariela grabbed Veronica's hand and dragged her along to go play with the dogs. 

"Ariela is adorable, Lance," Shiro said as he began to stand up.

"Thanks, Shiro," Lance said as he watched his daughter fondly. "Although I'm still trying to teach her to think before she speaks. She has a bad habit recently of just saying what's on her mind."

Matt then began to giggle at that and gave Pidge a funny look. Pidge automatically knew what he was about to say and was not amused.

"That reminds me of Pidge." Matt said as he tried to stop laughing "When she was Ariela's age, it took my parents to try everything in her power to get her to shut up. There was this one time, my parents had my dad's boss over for dinner and Pidge would not stop asking him where his hair was because he was bald and she had never seen a bald person before. My dad was so afraid he was about to get fired for that."

Lance, Keith, and Shiro laughed at Matt's story while Pidge became irritated with her brother embarrassing her. 

"Let's change the subject shall we?!" she said very annoyed.

"And miss a chance to hear more stories about you as a kid? I think not, Pidge." Lance replied as he dropped down to meet eye level with her. If he wasn't so cute, Pidge would've hit him for that comment.

"I hate you." Pidge plainly stated as she glared at him.

She then suddenly felt an arm wrap around her shoulders only to see that it was Keith who was giving her a smug smile. "Aw, don't be like that Pidge. Hate is such a strong word. You don't want to hurt poor Lance's feelings."

Lance then played along and pretended to be hurt by Pidge's words. He pretended to fake a cry on Pidge's slightly open shoulder that Keith slightly dangled his arm off of. 

"Oh, woe is me." Lance jokingly whimpered.

Pidge started to feel her face burn as she felt how Lance was on her. Her heart was beating rapidly as the strong urge to run away from him set in. She noticed Shiro and Matt exchange knowing looks. Yep, she definitely didn't need to be dealing with this right now. She slightly shoved both Keith and Lance off of her.

"Whatever." She grumbled and she then walked to where Hunk was by the grill. Today was going to be a long day.

Lance couldn't help but stare at Pidge every chance he got. He didn't want to make himself look like a creep for staring at her but there were times where he couldn't help it. She looked absolutely radiant in the sunlight. Lance tried to distract himself in any way he could think. He mainly spent his time talking to Shiro, Matt, and Keith or he would be with Ariela and his sister. 

Lance couldn't avoid her forever though, especially since Ariela wanted to sit next to her when everyone sat down to eat. Pidge didn't seem to mind though. She seemed to enjoy Ariela's company. Lance sat on the other side of Ariela and focused on eating the delicious food that was right in front of him. Hunk prepared hot dogs and chicken while Shay and Romelle made fruit salad and potato salad. 

Ariela spent most of her time eating fruit and a cut-up hot dog while talking to Pidge about the most random things. Pidge seemed amused by the four-year-old's make-believe stories.

"Pidgey, did you know that if you blow a bubble big enough, you could fit in and go to a magical land?!” Ariel said.

Lance notices Pidge's smile and watched as she played along with Ariela’s interesting conversation starter.

”No I did not!” Pidge playfully exclaimed causing Ariela to giggle “What’s in this magical land?”

Ariela comically pondered for a minute, although Lance knew what the answer was going to be.

"Unicorns!" Ariela said cheerfully.

Pidge pretended to be shocked which made Lance almost choke on his drink from laughter.

"Wow!" Pidge exclaimed. "Sounds amazing. We'll have to go one of these days."

Ariela giggled at Pidge's remark and the two of them continued to talk. Lance couldn't help but smile at the interaction between them. It was clear Ariela idolized Pidge by the way she looked at her. Pidge also loved being around Ariela and it was something that warmed Lance's heart.

Shortly after eating Hunk decided to take Ariela to the pool to swim for a bit. Lance and almost everyone decided to join as well. It was a relatively hot day and it was a good time to cool off before the sky got dark and the fireworks would go off. Lance loved to swim. Growing up in Cuba, he would always take trips to Varadero Beach with his family and had fond memories of swimming in the ocean. As if they couldn't be anymore similar, Ariela loved swimming as well. Even though she had to use arm floats to keep her from drowning, she still enjoyed being in the pool. 

Lance entertained Ariela by doing flips as he jumped into the pool while Shay and Hunk held her as she floated around in the pool. Lance swam around the pool as much as he could while the others stayed in one area. Lance felt so free underwater. It was a place where he could let all of his worries disappear for a bit. Lance then noticed that Pidge was the only one not in the pool. She sat by the edge with her legs in the water while Keith's dog, Kosmo, and Bae Bae laid next to her to keep her company. Lance swam over to her and treaded water near her as he talked to her.

"Evening stranger," He jokingly said as Pidge smiled slightly at him. "Why are you here all by yourself?"

"I'm not by myself," Pidge said in a defensive manner. Not a rude one, more like it was a fact. "I have the dogs to keep me company. Plus I'm not much of a swimmer."

Lance nodded in understanding. Not wanting to push Pidge on the matter. His brother wasn't much of a swimmer either so he could somewhat understand Pidge not wanting to go in the pool.

"Well still, you are by yourself. I at least expected you to be over there with Hunk and the others." Lance said 

"And be next to Shiro and Keith? No thanks. Those two idiots would try to throw me in the pool or find some way to get me wet. I'll survive admiring from afar." Pidge chuckled. 

Lance smiled and slightly shrugged. He then went off to join the others and play with Ariela for a bit. He still didn't like the idea of Pidge being by herself, but he decided to not push her so much into joining. He understood someone needing to be alone for a while. There were many times where he wanted to take a breather away from others. Luckily, Romelle and Allura had gotten out of the pool and sat with Pidge to keep her company.

Lance caught himself staring at them as he watched Pidge talk and laugh with them. He liked watching her laughter and smile as she talked to her two friends. Every time he saw her smile, he would get a warm fuzzy feeling in his chest. He had grown to like that feeling rather than run from it. Lance then snapped out of his thoughts and continued to play with Ariela while also chatting with Hunk and everyone else that was on their side of the pool. 

Soon it was getting slightly dark and Lance got Ariela out of the pool to dry off and change into some comfortable clothes so she wouldn't be wet when the fireworks started. Lance was surprised at how easily it was to get Ariela out of the pool. Usually, she would try to argue and want to stay in. Then he realized why it was because of Pidge and Bae Bae. After Ariela finished changing, she ran off to play with Bae Bae who had gone off to the grass with Pidge, Keith, and Matt shortly behind her. Lance liked the sight of Ariela keeping Pidge company and playing with Bae Bae. 

Lance slipped back on the shirt that he was wearing and went near the pool to chat with the others. Mostly everyone was out of the pool by then and just talking amongst themselves. Shay was off in a corner giggling about something with Romelle, Veronica, and Allura about something while Hunk was giving Shiro cooking tips. However, Hunk and Shiro's conversation ended when they noticed Lance walked towards them. 

"Where's Ariela?" Hunk asked as he noticed that she wasn't with Lance.

"Oh, she off with Pidge and Bae Bae. She really loves that dog." Lance explained

"Well, I'm not sure it's just the dog that she likes." Hunk said and Lance felt his face burn slightly.

Then Shiro spoke up in a quiet voice.

"So you and Pidge seem to be getting along well." He said as he gave Lance a funny look. Lance internally groaned at where this conversation was going. Shiro gave him a kind look which made his hesitation ease slightly.

"Yeah." was all that Lance could say to that. 

"Well just thought I should let you know that Pidge is a tough nut. She's not exactly open to letting new people in her life." Shiro said kindly. "I mean all the Holts are like that and they may be bright but they are very clueless when it comes to relationships. I mean it took me practically 13 years before Matt got the hint that I liked him."

Lance didn't respond and was slightly flustered by the conversation he was having with Shiro. Were his feelings for Pidge that obvious? 

"All I'm saying is that it's best to make your intentions clear with her while also respecting her boundaries. If there's one thing I know for a fact about Pidge is that she takes time to warm up to someone." Shiro continued.

Lance understood where Shiro was coming from. Pidge was practically family to him. At least he wasn't getting this talk from Matt. 

"Um..thanks for the advice, Shiro," Lance said softly. “I appreciate it.”

Shiro gave him a polite nod. Lance truly did appreciate Shiro’s advice. In fact, it pushed his confidence even more. He got a better understanding of who Pidge was and how she was with relationships. Lance figured Pidge was a little rough around the edges when it came to feelings but he liked that about her. Lance was always a hopeless romantic and it was clear that Pidge wasn't but maybe that was something that Lance needed.

Someone to balance out some of his qualities.

The sun was in its final moments of setting and almost everyone was preparing for the fireworks. According to Hunk, the fireworks were easily seen in his backyard so there was no need for them to go anywhere specific to catch a glimpse of them. To keep Ariela occupied, Lance and Veronica grabbed some sparklers for her to play with while Pidge and Keith put their dogs in the garage so they wouldn't get too crazy when the fireworks started. Bae Bae and Kosmo liked to run around when they were excited and the adults didn't want Ariela's sparklers to get on the dogs and hurt them.

Pidge and Keith stumbled in the garage as they tried to drag Bae Bae and Kosmo in. They both had grown so attached to Ariela that they didn't want to leave her side. Pidge grew slightly anxious thinking about going back outside and be around Lance. 

She hated to admit it but she was avoiding him. She couldn't look him in the eye without thinking about what happened the other week at his place. How despite all of her objection, she still felt the urge to kiss him. 

Pidge knew her avoiding Lance didn't go unnoticed, especially by her friends. She could tell because Keith looked like he desperately wanted to talk to her. And he did.

"Are you okay?" Keith asked, genuinely concerned.

"I'm fine." Pidge said as she pet Bae Bae and Kosmo to calm them down as they got comfortable in the garage. "Why do you ask?"

"Because you look like you're going to be sick." Keith said as he gave her a look that said he wasn't buying her answer. "And I'm pretty sure its not from the heat. So do you want to tell me what's bugging you?"

Pidge knew she couldn't get past Keith. He could tell when something was troubling her and wouldn't budge until she told him what was wrong. So instead of arguing with him, she told him. She told him about her feelings for Lance growing. How she was scared about how these feelings weren't making her think straight. About how she had almost kissed him once again all due to impulse. 

Pidge became so overwhelmed by all this frustration that she felt like crying; but she didn't want to cry over something so stupid.

"Don't you think it'd be better if you just tell him how you felt?" Keith said, "I mean if it's affecting you this much Pidge then I think it would be the right thing to do."

"That would just make things more complicated." Pidge grumbled. "I have so much on my plate Keith. With work and the Garrison. I don't want my feelings to create a whole new problem."

"But isn't it already doing that?" Keith replied.

He was right. Pidge hated to admit it but Keith was right. Her worrying about her feelings for Lance was already causing so much problems. She was avoiding Lance relentlessly and worried too much about how these emotions were affecting her that it was becoming a new obstacle that she had to deal with. 

"I just don't know what to do anymore." Pidge admitted. 

"Well I think it's time you stopped worrying and live a little." Keith said. "I know you've been working hard but the Garrison thing comes and goes. Getting in right this second shouldn't get in the way of you living your life. So you have to decide. Is a job that you can accepted at any moment more important than you being happy and telling a guy that you like him? The choice is yours to make Pidge. Either you tell him or you let the Garrison consume you and shut Lance out of your life."

Pidge stood there contemplating everything that Keith told her. She knew her choice wouldn't be an easy one to make. It wouldn't be one that she would make today. For now she could enjoy the day and celebrate with her friends and family. She just hoped she could make through it without letting the decision get to her. For now, just fake a smile and try to make conversation with Lance like nothing was wrong. She could do that. 

"She's good with those dogs," Veronica commented as she and Lance opened up boxes of sparklers. "Who knew she could get so attached to Bae Bae and even Pidge?"

Lance knew he wouldn't go one evening without Veronica making a comment. He gave his sister a warning look while she responded by flashing him a smile and her blue eyes had a mischievous look to them. Veronica knew Lance the best out of all of his siblings. She knew about his feeling for Pidge, she knew the moment she saw how Lance looked at her that day at the park.

"Not now Ronnie." Lance sighed as he played with the unlit sparklers in his hand and began to avoid looking her in the eye.

"Come on Lance." Veronica teased quietly as she ruffled his hair. "Lighten up a bit. There's nothing wrong with liking a pretty girl who your daughter happens to adore."

"Yeah, well...telling her is not my number one priority right now," Lance replied

"Oh? And what is?" 

"Getting these sparklers for your niece."

Veronica ruffled Lance's hair once more and then ran off to grab Ariela so she could play with the sparklers. Ever since Pidge came over to his place, he had been thinking of ways to tell her that he liked her. He didn't want to scare her off by being too upfront about it but he also didn't want to put it off for too long. However, he did enjoy being sort of a friend to Pidge. It was a step into getting himself to open up to her. Something he had been not used to since Esme passed away. Things with Pidge were seemed simple, so natural, and yet he found that accepting and admitting his feelings was one of the hardest things he had to do.

Ariela ran over to him, excited to grab the sparklers and play with them.

"Alright princess, remember the rules," Lance stated as he handed her one for Veronica to light up. "Keep it in front of you at all times with your hand stretched out. Stay here on the concrete and don't go near anyone with it."

Ariela squealed with excitement and nodded at her father's instructions. Veronica stayed near Ariela as she guided her to an appropriate area to play with her sparkler. Lance watched from a distance as he went to the cooler near the grill to get a drink. Lance settled for water since he didn't feel like touching any of the beer in the cooler. Just as he was about to close the cooler a voice pipped up behind him:

"Mind if I grab something?" said the voice. Of course, Lance knew who it belonged to.

Lance turned around and gave Pidge a small smile as she looked up at him.

"No problem," Lance said as he moved out of the way for Pidge to grab a drink.

Pidge settled for water as well and they both awkwardly stood there, not once opening the bottles and taking a drink. They stared off at everyone else in front of them who were standing with their backs towards them, watching Ariela as she played with her sparkler.

"So are you having a good time?" Pidge asked breaking the silence around them.

"Um..yeah," Lance said shyly as he looked at the ground, not wanting to make immediate eye contact. "You?"

"Oh definitely," Pidge said as she cracked a cheerful smile at him. "It's been nice hangout with people who aren't Keith, Shiro, or my brother. Nice change of pace." 

Lance let out a small laugh at that.

"Yeah." He said. "I know what you mean. For a while, it was just Ariela, Veronica, Hunk, Shay, and me. It's been a while since I've had a nice big friend group."

"Oh, so we're friends now," Pidge said jokingly and she and Lance both chuckled at that statement.

"I would hope so? I don't just let anyone into my house and watch Ariela."

"I just couldn't be too sure. Like I said before, you weren't the best when it came to a conversation when we met. But it's good to know that you've warmed up to me."

"Kinda hard not to when you have such a bright personality."

There was another lingering silence between them again. 

"Shit,"   Lance thought to himself. He shouldn't have said that. 

Lance's eyes met Pidge and they both lingered there in silence like they were trying to read each other's minds. Lance notice a slight blush form on Pidge's face as she looked at him.

“You seem to be having a good time today” Lance stated casually “even though Ariela seems to be going to you every second”

Pidge smiled “I don't mind. She's the sweetest”

“Yeah, but you already watch her a lot. I don't want to be like invading your life in any way by having my daughter come in on your weekends”

“Well, honestly I’d rather spend time with Ariela than work on my project.” 

Lance let out a small laugh. 

“Besides. I like Hunk and Shay and it's been a while since I've been to a gathering." Pidge replied while playfully bumping his arm with her shoulder

"How's the project going?" Lance asked wanting to avoid the tension between them.

"Oh, it's going great. I'm a little bit stressed though because of some failed tests. I'm hoping to fix those issues soon." Pidge said. Even though she tried to hide it, Lance could tell that thinking about her project made her a tiny bit stressed.

"I'm sure you'll figure it out. After all, you are a genius."

"I wouldn't say that," Pidge said as she rolled her eyes playfully. "I learned everything I know from Matt and my parents. I wouldn't be where I am without them."

"Well, I know that regardless, they are truly proud of you no matter what you do. And if for some reason they aren't, well then I am proud of you. I know you are going to do amazing things. You already are an amazing person, Pidge."

There was another small lingering silence between them once again. Both of them just staring deeply into each other's eyes and giving each other small smiles. Lance felt the butterflies flutter in his stomach and his palms felt like they were getting sweaty. He notices the blush on Pidge's beautifully, freckled cheeks grow.

"Lance?" Pidge pipped up softly as she looked up at him. 

Lance felt her eyes burning a hole into his and his heartbeat started to accelerate. Deja vu. 

"Yeah?" Lance managed to ask nervously.

Lance didn't know how it happened but he felt them both moving towards each other. Now was his chance. Sure it wasn't ideal but when had anything ever gone Lance's way. All it would take was one kiss. A kiss that would allow him to tell Pidge how he felt about her. The rest of the world began to drown out and all that mattered to Lance at this moment was how beautiful Pidge looked in front of him. How close she was getting to him as she moved her head up and he moved his down.

Lance reached down and felt his fingertips lightly touch hers. Pidge's fingers moved slightly as they were taken aback but they slowly moved against his as well so they could attempt to hold each other's hand. Lance felt his breath hitch as their noses almost began to touch. This was it. No turning back now.

BOOM

Instantly, Lance and Pidge jumped back and looked at the firework as they lit up the sky. Of course, the moment had to get ruined. They both moved away from each other and just watched the firework display that was right in front of them. Ariela giggled with joy as she watched the show while sitting on Hunk's shoulders to get a good view.

Lance desperately wanted to just grab Pidge and kiss her senseless but he refrained from doing so. He just stood there next to her and watched the fireworks. However, despite their moment getting ruined. Their fingers never left each other. They just stood side by side, fingers gently touching, teasing the action of actually holding the other's hand as they watched the bright colors that exploded in the night sky. 

Chapter Text

There was a certain shift in the air after the 4th of July party. Lance knew that for sure. What he couldn't explain was how Pidge avoided him for the rest of the evening. Shortly after the fireworks were over, she had announced that she was going home for the night. She then said a quick goodbye to everyone, grabbed Bae Bae, and left. Lance decided not to question it. He knew Pidge probably had certain boundaries and talking about what happened was something that could wait until she felt more comfortable around him.

"Man she's really got a hold on you, buddy." Hunk said as he notices Lance lost in thought.

It had been about a week since the 4th of July part and Lance couldn't shake his mind off of Pidge. He had been distracted all week. At home, at work, and now during a Sunday dinner at his place and Hunk and Shay came over. He had managed to get another Sunday free from work which made him very happy. He was currently in the kitchen chatting with Hunk and Shay while Veronica was playing with Ariela in the living room.

"I think it's cute," Shay commented as she handed Hunk some ingredients from the fridge. "It's nice to see Lance all flustered and in love."

"I'm not in love Shay." Lance sighed as he leaned on the kitchen counter. "Things have just been a little complicated with Pidge. I don't want to scare her off. I mean we almost kissed last week and then she ran off immediately after. I feel like I'm getting mixed signals from her. I was also so close to holding her hand and she didn't pull away but then runs off leaving me confused."

This was true. Lance had been debating with himself for the past week about what happened between him and Pidge at the party. Even though their almost kiss was interrupted, there was a drawn feeling that Lance could sense between them and they were practically holding hands before Pidge left. Pidge was a very complex woman. He knew she probably felt something for him because she almost kissed him three times and held his hand without hesitation and yet, she always pulled away from him. It didn't hurt Lance's feelings though; if anything it left him more confused and wanting to talk to her about the situation.

The whole thing was uncharted territory for Lance. Sure, Lance was used to flirting with women and being the one to ask them out but his first real relationship was Esme. Esme was completely different. She was the one who initiated their relationship. She was the one who asked him out and kissed him first. Lance wasn't used to chasing after someone because, in the end, the relationship that worked out for him was the one with Esme. It was because of this, that Lance had no idea how to move forward with Pidge. He didn't want to push her away as he had done with so many others.

"Well take it from someone who has known her for a long time," Shay said as she stood next to him. "Pidge is a big girl. She's very strong and capable, but, she's also not good with her emotions. I would just tell her bluntly how you feel and then work on it from there."

Lance smiled at Shay in appreciation as he stared into her kind brown eyes. 

"Shiro told me something similar," Lance said softly. "Not entirely like that but something similar about how Pidge is with emotions.

Shay continued to smile at Lance and gently patted his shoulder. "All the more reason you should listen to my advice. "

If one thing was certain, it was that Lance was happy to have his friends around to support him during his conflicting feelings. Talking to Shay and Hunk managed to ease his mind a bit and allowed him to move on with his day without the thought of Pidge consuming him. He knew he needed to talk to Pidge about what was going on between then but that could wait for another day.

Lance helped Shay and Hunk finish up dinner and they joined Ariela and Veronica at the dinner table to eat. Hunk had prepared homemade tacos as well as rice and beans. Something kid-friendly and delicious. 

"How's the new schedule working out for you, Lance?" Veronica asked as she adjusted her small, rectangular glasses. "Has Sal been giving you reasonable hours?"

"Sal always tries to give me reasonable hours, Ronnie," Lance said. "Sure things weren't ideal before but I think that this new schedule will work out for the better. I already love how much time I'm getting to spend with my princess these days."

Ariela giggled at the sound of her nickname and ate her food happily. 

"How's daycare been, Ariela?" Hunk asked as everyone ate and chatted amongst themselves. Even though Shay always told him how Ariela was at daycare, he enjoyed having a conversation with his goddaughter. 

"Fun!" Ariela said as her eyes lit up as she talked to Hunk. "Auntie Shay always reads fun stories every morning with Elle. My favorite thing to do is when I get to do science time with Pidgey! We got to put Skittles on a plate with water and it made a rainbow! We couldn't eat the skittles though."

Everyone smiled at Ariela and her enthusiasm about daycare.

"That sounds fun!" Veronica said as she gave Lance a funny look. "You seem to like Pidge a lot. This is the third time today you've mentioned her."

Ariela giggled at her aunt's comment. It wasn't a lie. Ariela mentioned Pidge a lot these days. Lance had grown curious as to why but he just assumed it was because she had taken a liking to Bae Bae and wanted to mention Pidge as a way to ask her to bring Bae Bae over but Ariela never did. 

"She's fun and pretty!" Ariela exclaimed. "I like playing with her. She reminds me of a pretty princess. Like the one, Papa tells stories about. The ones that marry a prince and become queens. Like mama." 

There was a sudden silence in the air. Lance knew where this was going. Suddenly all of Ariela's recent behavior made sense. The dinner table looking romantic, every single time she begged Lance to invite Pidge over, and even when they were together, Ariela would leave them alone. She thought Pidge could be a queen like the one he mentioned when Ariela asked about her mother. She wanted Lance to marry Pidge. If Lance was dating Pidge, he would be flattered but his feelings were complicated and he didn't like how involved Ariela was getting in something she was too young to understand.

He also didn't like how Veronica was staring at him. Lance never liked to mention Esme. He rarely ever talked about her to Ariela so the words that came out of Ariela's mouth shocked Veronica. 

"Ariela, why don't you take Auntie Shay and Uncle Hunk upstairs to show them the cool drawing you made with me before they got here," Veronica said. Lance knew that this conversation wasn't going to go over very well. 

"Okay!" Ariela said, oblivious to what was happening.

Hunk and Shay also knew that this conversation wasn't for them to hear so they willingly followed Ariela upstairs to give Lance and Veronica some privacy. Lance waited for the coast to clear before he could defend himself.

"Listen, Ronnie, I know what you are going to say and I'm really not in the mood for one of your big sister lectures." Lance sighed as he stared emptily at his plate. Of course, Veronica didn't listen and carried on to what she wanted to say.

"Lance. You are my brother and I love you." Veronica stated, "But I'm worried about aren't you afraid that you are giving Ariela false hope by bringing up the idea of getting remarried. Don't get me wrong, I know I've been encouraging you to go out on dates for years and I want you to tell Pidge how you feel about her; but getting Ariela involved before things happen won't be a good thing."

"I know that!" Lance said defensively. He really didn't want to be talking about this with his sister. He was still trying to process how Ariela was trying to set him and Pidge up and he was completely blind to it. Even after his slight inkling when Pidge stayed over to dinner two weeks ago. "That was never my intention. Ariela had questions about her mom and I answered truthfully. I know me bringing up Esme tends to lead to bad things but I promise that it wasn't like that. Also, my feelings for Pidge are for me to worry about. I had no idea about Ariela's scheming."

"I just don't want to see Ariela get hurt," Veronica said. "I know I've been teasing you a lot lately but I do wonder what dating again will be like for you and Ariela. "

"I know and I wonder about that too," Lance explained. "I promise you that I will always put Ariela before anything else. The last thing I would want to do is give her false hope or let her end up getting hurt."

Veronica smiled at Lance and Lance didn't worry so much about this conversation ending in a fight. He did want to tell Pidge how he felt and soon but he also had to think about Ariela, especially since she practically wanted Pidge to be her mom. He didn't want Ariela to get hurt if things didn't work out but he also didn't want that to stop him from trying to be something more than friends than Pidge.

This whole situation was complicated, but if one thing was certain, it was that Lance had his sister to be there for him. He knew that no matter what, he would have Veronica there to help him along the way. 

Ariela, Hunk, and Shay came back downstairs and they ate dinner peacefully. Lance would worry about talking to Ariela about him getting into a relationship later. For now, he could just continue his day off work and enjoy dinner with his family.

To say that Pidge was having a stressful couple of days was an understatement. She has spent the past two nights in a row pulling all-nighters to work on her Garrison project. Due to the many test failures, Pidge decided to start from scratch and what was once three and a half months of work, had to be redone within a month if she wanted to continue doing test runs to perfect it and meet the deadline in October.

Pidge's choice on what to do about her feelings about Lance had faded away as she was consumed by work. By no means did this mean that Pidge was going to cut Lance out of her life. She hadn't even considered it since the 4th of July and her project had been bugging her for days on end. 

It was even beginning to affect her work life. She found herself falling asleep whenever the kids went off to do other projects and she could have a moment to rest and work at the front desk. Even though she said she was okay, Allura, Romelle, and Shay started to notice how sleep-deprived Pidge had become. 

Pidge found herself dozing off during lunchtime when all of the kids were eating and the toddlers were in the other room taking their daily naps. Pidge felt someone softly shake her awake only to find Allura standing in front of her giving her a sympathetic look.

"Pidge? Are you okay?" Allura said in a concerned voice. 

"Yeah," Pidge said as she took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes in an attempt to wake herself awake. "I'm great."

Allura continued to give Pidge a sympathetic look not believing what Pidge was saying. "You know, if you want to go home early I wouldn't be opposed to it."

"No!" Pidge exclaimed rather loudly causing some of the kids to give her a look but Pidge smiled at them and they turned their attention away from her and spoke softly to Allura. "No...Allura I am fine. I just didn't get a lot of sleep last night. I can sleep when I get home. For now, I will continue working. There is no reason I should go home early."

"If you say so," Allura said sympathetically to her. 

Pidge knew Allura was trying to be kind but she really couldn't afford to miss anytime off of work. If it was an hour or two then maybe but to miss half a day was too much and Pidge couldn't make up those hours. So for now, she had to suck it up and continue working. She only had five more hours before she went home. Pidge quickly chugged a soda she grabbed from the kitchen area that she had put in for lunch and went to the bathroom to splash water on her face. It was enough to make her feel less sleepy. 

"You sure you'll be okay handling science experiments today?" Allura asked her one final time during the last few minutes of lunchtime. "Romelle can have them do arts and crafts with everyone else instead.

"I'll be okay, Allura." Pidge groaned, slightly annoyed that they were having this conversation again."I already planned a very simple experiment for today and I feel fine."

"Alright but you need to let me know if you aren't feeling like you can continue with the experiment," Allura said. "I would hate to see you exert yourself too much."

"I will," Pidge said, mainly to get Allura to stop pestering her and asking if she was okay. Pidge was too stubborn to admit that she may have needed help with the kids today.

Lunch had ended and Pidge had to grab her group of kids and move them to her station for science experiments. This time she had to work with the 9 and 10-year-olds. Pidge was happy to do her older kids' projects but she did miss teaching the younger kids cool stuff with some experiments. Despite being sleep-deprived, she forced a smile and a cheerful voice for the kids.

"Alright my little scientist, we have a special experiment planned for today!"

The kids cheered with excitement and Pidge began to demonstrate the project right in front of her. 

"Just five more hours. Five more hours"  Pidge told herself. She definitely needed to get more sleep tonight.

Pidge finally let out a sigh of relief when she entered her apartment. Bae Bae was at her parents' house for a couple of days because they wanted to spend time with her. After all her parents were the ones that originally bought her. Pidge didn't mind though, she was happy that Bae Bae was somewhere where she could run around outside whenever she wanted instead of waiting for Pidge to take her out. 

Pidge was alone for tonight which was a refreshing change for once. Pidge quickly made a microwaved meal for dinner and changed out of her clothes into some pjs. Once Pidge finished her dinner, she went to the bathroom to brush her teeth and wash her face before she retired for bed early. At least she could get some extra sleep for the night. 

Pidge squeezed into her tiny bathroom. Despite it being so small, it was big enough to fit a bath and shower, a toilet, and a tiny sink. Pidge tried to make it look more lively and nice by decorating it with fake succulents. It wasn't much but it was enough to give it some appeal. Pidge turned on the sink faucet, only to have one of the handles break and spray water everywhere. 

"QUIZNACK!" Pidge exclaimed as she grabbed a towel to block the water from spraying even more. She managed to plug up the leaking, broken faucet handle. 

Pidge then quickly ran out of her apartment and went to find the Super. Pidge didn't even care that she was in her wet pajamas, she just needed to find someone to fix her sink. Sure, Pidge was handy with technology but fixing appliances was her downfall. Pidge managed to find the Super's office, which was luckily on her floor, only to find that it was closed for the night. 

"FUCK!" Pidge cursed and she hurried back to her apartment trying to assess her options.

Matt and Shiro were a no. They lived two hours away and she didn't want to wait that long. Keith had to stay late tonight at the martial arts studio he worked at. Pidge remembered him mentioning that his group had a tournament soon so he was working late nights which meant they couldn't have a monthly hangout. It was a surprise he made time for the 4th of July party. Her parents were equally unskilled with appliances so asking them was out of the question. She could ask Shay if Hunk would be able to fix it but Shay mentioned that Hunk had to work late shifts so she didn't want to bug him to help her. 

Pidge's only hope was the one person she had been avoiding for over a week.

Lance.

She had felt weird about seeing him ever since they almost kissed on the 4th of July. She even held hands with him at one point. Everything was moving so fast and it was clear that they were crossing a line that was past friendship. Had she already made her decision without her even realizing it?

Logically, it was stupid. Her avoiding him. She enjoyed being around him and she threw all of her hesitations out the window when she was around him. But, Pidge couldn't help but want to avoid talking about it. She couldn't afford a distraction and her feelings for Lance were exactly that. Work and getting into the Garrison was her main priority. She could work out her stupid feelings later. 

Pidge felt hopeless. She had no other choice and after deliberating for 20 minutes, she knew he was her only option. She had to ask him for help. It was Wednesday and Pidge remembered him mentioning that he got off of work early. Maybe he would bring Ariela over and they wouldn't be alone in her apartment. Pidge then took out her phone and dialed Lance's number. It was almost 7 pm which meant he was already out of work.

After a couple of rings, there was a voice on the other line. Lance's voice.

"Hello? Pidge?" He said in a confused voice.

Pidge felt her heartbeat rise and her nerves coming out but she pushed them aside to get the point. "Hey, Lance. I need a favor. Are you busy?"

"Um..no. I just finished dinner with Ronnie and Ariela. We were about to watch a movie for the night. What's up? Everything okay?"

"No. My bathroom sink handle broke and my Super left for the night. Everyone else is busy and I need help fixing it. I'm not very good at appliance repair." Pidge said quickly. She wasn't even sure he got all of that.

"Oh. Well, I could stop by and help you. Ronnie can watch Ariela for me. Just text me your address and I'll be over soon." 

"Okay. Sounds great. See you then." Pidge said.

Pidge then quickly hung up before even giving him a chance to say bye. She then quickly texted him her address. She changed into some new pajamas given the fact the ones she was wearing were soaked from the water that sprayed everywhere. She settled on a grey tank top and a pair of black sweatpants. Hopefully, it wouldn't take Lance long to help her fix the sink. She just wanted to get the sink fixed and go to sleep. So much so that she found herself dozing off on her couch as she waited for Lance to arrive. A few minutes couldn't kill her.

Then after what felt like seconds, there was a loud knock at the door. Pidge jolted awake and practically ran to open the door. On the other side was Lance as he gave her a warm smile. Pidge felt butterflies start to form in her stomach. He looked handsome. His dark brown hair was neatly brushed and he wore dark jeans, blue sneakers, a white shirt, and a brown jacket with a white hood on it. In his hands was a tool bag.

"Hey," Lance said as he continued to give her his charming smile. "I rushed over to get here. You seemed kinda panicked on the phone."

Pidge regained her thoughts and tried to not have a dumb look on her face as she stared at Lance.

"Y-Yeah." Pidge stuttered out. God, she was getting nervous around him like a lovestruck schoolgirl. "Um. Come in. The bathroom is this way."

Lance followed Pidge and made sure to lock her front door behind him. Pidge led him down the hall to her bathroom. The towel she used to plug up the sink handle was soaked but at least all of the water was going into the sink instead of spraying everywhere. 

"Wow," Lance said. "Glad I got here when I did."

Pidge couldn't even get annoyed at the fact that Lance was trying to bring slight humor with his comment. Lance just stared at her and continued to flash a charming smile. Like he was waiting for her reaction. As much as a part of her wanted to keep staring deep into his beautiful blue eyes. Pidge felt so drawn to him and she hated herself for it. She needed to get out of there. She needed to give him some space to fix her sink.

"Well, I'll leave you to it," Pidge said as she squeezed past him and out her bathroom, catching a slight whiff of his cologne that he wore. It was musky and reminded her a bit of the ocean and it made her knees grow weak. 

Pidge knew he was staring at her as she walked out of the bathroom but she had to get out of there. Despite him barely getting there, Pidge didn't want to make conversation. He wasn't there to make conversation. She just wanted him to fix her sink and leave and if that meant avoiding him then so be it.

It didn't take Lance long to fix Pidge's sink. Before working at the restaurant, Lance used to work part-time as an assistant for a repairman. It was something that helped him pay for college and he would have been able to graduate if things went differently and he hadn't gotten Esme pregnant his senior year. Lance had considered going back to school from time to time and finish getting his degree but he only saw things getting complicated as he tried to raise Ariela. Perhaps when she was older, he would go back to school. A fun little dream he could prepare himself for. 

Lance triple-checked to make sure that his job at fixing Pidge's sink was done right. He didn't want her to face a problem later. Lance took a moment to text Veronica and let him know that he was done and would be home soon. She had informed him that Ariela had fallen asleep for the night and that he didn't need to rush home. He knew that meant she was pushing him to spend some time with Pidge.

In all honesty, Lance didn't know if being around Pidge was the best idea. She looked sleep-deprived and Lance was sure that he was probably keeping her from getting a good night's rest. Lance left Pidge's cute bathroom and went to look for her to let her know that her sink was fixed. 

"Pidge?" Lance slightly shouted as he walked around her apartment. 

He checked in her living room and she wasn't there. The kitchen was empty as well. Where could she be?

Lance knew it probably wasn't a good idea but he decided to check her room. He walked back down the hallway and turned to the first door on the left which was revealed to be Pidge's room. The room definitely screamed Pidge. It was decorated with fake plants to give it some life. On the left side of the room closest to the door was her bed. Her bed was a mess and unmade and there were scattered shirts on the ground. On the other side of the room were two desks. One with a computer and the other with a lot of computer chips and metal pieces. Lance could only assume it was her project for the Garrison. 

Pidge wasn't in the room either. Lance was starting to get worried. Until he notices the big window near the desks. It was open and he could make out a figure on the fire escape. It was Pidge. She was standing on the fire escape staring off at the night sky. Against all of his inner protests, Lance walked over to the window and climbed onto the fire escape. Pidge didn't move though. Lance then noticed that she probably didn't hear him because of the big, green headphones that she had on. 

Lance then snuck up from behind her and gently lifted one of the headphones from her ear.

"You come here to rock out?" Lance gently asked in her ear.

Pidge then jumped back in surprise. "Ah!" she exclaimed as she turned around to face Lance.

Lance held back laughter as the blush formed on her cute face.

"Don't do that!" Pidge exclaimed as she moved her headphones so they were around her neck. Lance would've assumed she was upset but a smile began to form on her lips. 

"Sorry, Pidge," Lance said as he stopped himself from laughing. "I was looking all over for you. I just finished fixing your sink." 

Pidge just stared at him, still slightly startled that he was outside with her. Lance could sense the uneasy feeling she was giving off so he decided to lighten up the mood to make her feel more comfortable around him. 

"So, you decided to take a nice stargaze for the night," Lance said as he stood next to her and looked up at the sky. 

There weren't many stars out due to the fact Pidge lived in the main area of the city but he did see some appeal in it.

"Sort of." Pidge said “there’s not much to see though”

“You know out near the desert you can see so many stars at night.” Lance replied “My family used to visit relatives in Texas and the night sky was just beautiful”

“Wasn’t it hot though?”

“Oh hell yeah. All the summers we spent there were hot and we often tried to find ways to cool down but at night it was always nice when it cooled down and we would eat popsicles and drink soda on the porch”

The memories of his childhood brought a calm smiled to Lance's face as the warm summer breeze hit them. 

“How are doing Pidge?” Lance asked after a moment of silence

"I've been having a stressful couple of days and coming out here tends to help me clear my head. The Garrison Project isn't going the way I planned" Pidge sighed

Lance nodded and their eyes met. Lance loved looking into Pidge's eyes. He always got lost in the warmth that her golden-brown eyes gave off. 

"Sounds rough but I'm glad that you've found a way to relieve you of your stress." Lance comforted and Pidge gave him a warm smile.

"Thanks again for helping me out with my sink." Pidge said "I appreciate it. I don't know what I would've done if you weren't available. I'm pretty sure my apartment would've flooded if it weren't for you."

Lance smiled at her playful comment and slightly nudged her shoulder. 

"Consider me your own personal superhero." Lance joked.

Pidge softly chuckled at that. "You sure I won't have any competition with Ariela because I'm pretty sure you are Superman in her eyes?"

"Well, I am trying to teach her that sharing is caring."

“I guess I should say knight in shining armor. Ya know, since she likes princesses”

“I mean I do think I would rock the chainmail but Ariela enjoys  Star Wars  and Marvel too”

“She likes  Star Wars ?”

“Oh yeah, she loves it. We quote the Mustafar scene all the time. She loves to quote that and  The Princess Bride ”

There was a brief laugh between the two of them and Lance started to get a familiar warm and fuzzy feeling in his stomach. 

"I know it's not my place but I wouldn't worry so much about the Garrison project. I know whatever you come up with will be great. They are also crazy not to accept someone as dedicated as you." Lance said.

"Thank you, Lance," Pidge said as the blush began to return to her cheeks. "I really appreciate you saying that. I think I've been needing to hear that these past couple of days." 

Lance and she shared a smile and Lance felt a strong urge to kiss her or hold her hand. Like he did on the 4th of July. Lance knew he shouldn't but he had to ask her about what happened that night. 

"Hey, Pidge can I ask you something?" Lance said. He suddenly felt nervous. He was actually going to talk to her about this. Or at least try to.

"Sure," Pidge said softly. Lance almost didn't hear it. 

"I wanted to talk to you about what happened that night on the 4th of July," Lance said. 

After a few minutes of silence, Pidge finally responded.

"Oh."

Lance could tell that she was trying to avoid it. The same way she had been avoiding him. Lance didn't want it to be overbearing and push her too far but he needed answers. Or else he would have left Pidge's place even more confused than before. It was because of this that the damn broke and Lance found himself rambling: 

"I just want to know that I'm not going crazy here Pidge. I mean, you can't deny that there isn't something going on between us?! I've almost kissed you like three times and you're always constantly on my mind. I don't think you even understand how much of a hold you have on me. I just want to know that I'm not the only one feeling this way."

Lance could see the hesitation in Pidge's eyes as she tried to respond to him. She looked so small at that moment. Like she had been cornered into something that she didn't want to be involved in. She was already a small person but seeing her this way made Lance's heart fill with regret. He knew he screwed up by saying all that stuff to her. But his confusion and frustration were taking over. He needed answers. 

"L-Lance, I know things between us have been confusing. I know I've been a little distant lately but I promise it's just due to stress." She said.

However, her eyes began to avoid him. She was avoiding looking at him. At having this conversation. Lance should give her the benefit of the doubt but he honestly wasn't buying what she was saying. A really shitty thing for him to do but he wouldn't settle for an answer like that. 

"You know, Shay's told me a lot about you Pidge. She says you aren't good with emotions. Shiro told me something similar." Lance could see that that comment made her upset. He needed to find a way to fix this. "My point is, is that you don't have to do that around me. I don't want you to feel like you need to close yourself off around me. I know there is this spark between us and I know you can feel it. I don't think it would be wise for us to run away from that." 

"Lance, I really don't need to be thinking about this right now." Pidge snapped slightly. 

She was being stubborn. All logic and hesitations went away and Lance decided to push her on this. He was not going to give up until he got an honest answer. 

"Why aren't you giving me an honest answer?! You don't need to worry about my feelings Pidge. I'm a big boy. I can handle it."

"I don't know what you want from me?!"

They both stood there, breathing heavily from this little argument that they started. Lance could feel that he was getting to her, that he was so close to breaking the wall that she was trying to put up between them. The silence was loud that Lance began to hear Pidge's music through her headphones. 

You came out of nowhere

And you cut through all the noise

"Just tell me one simple thing. Tell me you don't feel the same. Tell me you're not falling for me the same way I'm falling for you. Because damn it Pidge, you are driving me completely insane." Lance said softly. He began to notice her expression soften. Had he finally gotten through to her?

"Lance I-"

"Just say it Pidge. I just want to know and if you don't feel the same then I'll leave you alo-"

Lance then felt himself being cut off by a pair of lips smashing against his. Pidge's lips. It was the messiest first kiss he had ever felt in his life but he was enjoying every minute of it. He bent down slightly so she could stop standing on her tiptoes to kiss him. Her hands were wrapped around his neck and Lance felt consumed by a wave that smelled like roses. His question had been answered.

Pidge then suddenly broke away from him like she was slightly surprised by her actions. 

"Shit." She softly muttered to herself and small tears began to form in her eyes. 

Lance giggled at that and she giggled as well. Lance then held her face in his hands. He gently brushed her hair away from the frame of her face and wiped away a stray tear that escaped her eyes. Her skin was soft and he stared at her with kind, yet pleading eyes. As if he was begging for another kiss. She got his message and nodded gently. Lance then leaned down and began to kiss her. Lance could feel the butterflies in his stomach erupt into fireworks. Her music still loudly playing as they kissed.

When they pull me under

And I can feel my sanity start to unwind

Darling, only you can ease my mind

He was over the moon with how things were going. All of his hesitation and confronting his feelings had all led to this moment. He had found someone who made him feel happy again. Someone who made him believe he was capable of loving again and she liked him back. 

Lance then pulled away slowly and their eyes met once more.

"I'm not good at this whole relationship thing," Pidge said softly as she reached down and grabbed his hand. Gently fiddling with his fingers in hers. "I can't promise that things will be easy with me. Between work and my Garrison project, I am going to be pretty busy and stressed. It won't be a fun thing to deal with. I just don't want to hold you back."

Things were becoming slightly clearer to Lance now. She was afraid that things would become too much for them. That her being consumed by her work would be a deal-breaker. There was a look of worry that filled Pidge's eyes.

"Pidge, take it from someone who hasn't been on a date in almost five years, I'm not 100 percent sure at what I'm doing," Lance reassured. "I haven't felt the way I feel for you in a long time. I'm a bit out of practice but I'm willing to give this a shot if you are?"

The slightly worried look in Pidge's eyes began to fade and she gave Lance a brief kiss. When they broke apart, she surged forward and embraced Lance in a hug. 

"Yeah," Pidge mumbled against his chest. "I'm willing."

Chapter Text

Keith awoke to the sound of his phone ringing. It was still dark outside and the clock on his bedside table read: 3:15 am. He groaned into his pillow. Who the fuck could be calling him at this time?!

Keith sleepily grabbed his phone and answered it.

"Hello?" He groggily replied as he began to rub his eyes to wake himself up a bit more.

"Keith! It finally happened!" a cheerful voice said on the other line. It was Hunk.

"Huh? What? Hunk?" Keith said as his voice sleepily slurred "It's 3 am. What happened? It better be important or I am going to be very upset with you."

"Oh sorry." Hunk replied with a warm chuckle "I was just too excited and had to share the news but I just got off the phone with Lance. He finally kissed Pidge and she agreed to give him a chance!"

Keith shot up in surprise and feeling way more awake than he was a second ago. Now, this was something that caught his attention. Pidge finally allowed herself to open up and be happy for once. A little upset he had to hear the news from Hunk and not the person who was practically his sister, but he'd take it. 

"Well, that was fast. I'm surprised Pidge didn't kick his ass to the curb after he did that." Keith said. "She's not one for surprises so must really like him."

Hunk laughed at his comment and agreed slightly. They both knew Lance confessing his feelings would be easier than if Pidge were to do it. She was stubborn and was constantly under too much stress to put her feeling first over her goals. Keith watched her over the years, time and time again almost be a robot because when it came to someone as determined as her, emotions and crushes felt like distractions. It was a quality in Pidge that Keith was happy that she was growing out of. That she was finally living her life while also trying to follow her dreams with the Garrison. 

"So how's Lance doing?" Keith asked. "Did he wake you in the middle of the night to discuss this like you are doing with me?"

"Yeah." Hunk said. "He seems happy. Had a tiny breakdown though. He's a little worried that he pushed Pidge a little too far to get her to confess her feelings. They kinda got into a bit of an argument before they kissed. Lance feels guilty because he was the one that started it."

"Let me guess," Keith stated. He knew where Hunk was going with this. "You want me to gather intel from Pidge to see how she's doing and report back to you."

There was brief silence over the phone. Keith almost fell asleep waiting for a response.

"Please." was all Hunk said.

Keith couldn't say no to that. He and Hunk had been discussing Lance and Pidge's little relationship ever since they first met. They even recruited Matt and Shiro into their little conversations. It would be almost rude of him not to gather information and report back to everyone else. 

"I'll see what I can find," Keith said. "Although it'll have to wait until tomorrow. I need to go back to bed and wake up early tomorrow. I have a class to train as soon as I open up my studio." 

"Sounds good!" Hunk said cheerfully and Keith and he bid their farewells.

Keith put his phone back on his nightstand and flopped back down on his bed. He was too tired to think straight but he knew that he would definitely be having a conversation with Pidge sometime soon.

Pidge had barely set down her bowl of cereal by the time her phone buzzed for a text from Keith.

Keith: Hey. My private session this morning got canceled.

Before Pidge could text anything back, her phone started to ring with Keith’s caller ID glowing on her phone screen. She never got this type of rushed energy from him this early in the morning. Even when he's full of energy, Keith always had a mellow vibe to him. What was up with him?

“Hello?” Pidge answered confused

“Um, when the fuck were you going to tell me you and Lance made out?!” Keith greeted 

Pidge couldn't help but scoff with laughter at that introduction. 

“Good morning to you too princess” Pidge smirked “Sleep well? I slept great”

“Katie!” Keith groaned “We tell each other everything. Why did I hear this from Hunk first?”

“Hunk knows?!”

“Lance told him, dummy. Why would he wait on intel like that?”

Pidge couldn't do anything but blink in surprise. Lance had really been that excited when he left her place last night? She wouldn't have guessed because of his calm and collected state when he kissed her goodnight and left her seeing stars and stupid with butterflies in her stomach, resulting in a cold shower before she crashed for the night. 

“I don't know” Pidge finally replied after a couple of minutes of silence, “I thought he went home and went to bed like a normal person”

“Well I don't know what you did to him” Keith laughed “but he gave Hunk details, now it's my turn” 

“Well, we kissed and agreed to try seeing each other. That's pretty much the gist of it"

"Katie come on! I want juicy details. Was he a good kisser?”

“Very. Well, actually he was kinda timid at first, but after the first three times, he started getting really confident”

“Oh, so you made out a bit?” 

“Yeah for a good 20 minutes on my couch” 

“Did he grab your ass?”

“Keith!”

“It's a valid question!”

Pidge rolled her eyes at this ridiculous interrogation 

“No, he was very respectful and didn't go beyond his hands on my waist”

“Boooo” Keith hollered

“Look we're not going to rush anything. This is kinda new for both of us”

“I’m very aware Pidge and I'm very happy for you. So excuse me if I want to cheer you on at the possibility of you getting laid again”

Pidge couldn't help but laugh. After a bit of back and forth, and telling Keith why Lance was over in the first place, their talk came to a close with Keith having to go to set up for his hourly class. The conversation left Pidge blushing and taking a good while to get up from her seat. She couldn't help but recount the feeling of Lance's hair against her fingertips and his warm breath against her lips whenever he chuckled. It wasn't like her to feel giddy over a boy, even with her old crushes and ex-boyfriends, she never felt this much of a rush. Her phone dinging broke her train of thought at that moment with a text from the very person she had flooding her mind

Lance: I had a nice time last night. Hope the sink is treating you well. Don't hesitate to ask if you need anything or even if you want me over ;)

Three days had passed and Pidge felt like she was floating on air. Her mind was no longer a whirlwind of thoughts and she could finally catch her breath. Her Garrison project was going somewhere and she was one step closer to getting it finished sometime soon and starting to do test runs again. She got a full 8 hours of sleep again and she was happy that things were going well with Lance.

Ever since the text Lance sent her, they had been talking practically every day. It was small stuff like asking each other how their days have been. Lance sending photos of him and Ariela and Pidge sending them photos of her and Bae Bae. However, they didn't discuss their current relationship or even arrange a date. 

Pidge didn't mind though. After all, they had agreed to try things out and she wasn't in any rush to get things started. But she would be lying if she didn't admit that she felt slightly disappointed after every time they said goodnight that Lance hadn't asked her out on a date. She honestly didn't understand why he wasn't making a move, but even with that, she was too nervous to just ask him out herself.

Pidge snapped out of her thoughts as Allura announced that the kids were going to settle down and watch a movie for that final remaining couple hours of the day before the 3 pm pickup for a majority of the kids at the daycare. The daycare had announced that once a week it would do special movie days to keep the kids entertained. Since the weather was getting hotter, it would be best to do some activities indoors to refrain the kids from wanting to go outside. 

The film this week was  Finding Nemo  which Pidge knew she was going to zone out through because she had seen it over 100 times. The kids were happy however so that was the only thing that mattered. Pidge sat at the front desk, doodling designs for her project absentmindedly as the kids watched the movie. She didn't lose her focus, that was until she saw that Shay had approached the desk, giving her an adorable smile.

"Hey, Shay," Pidge said quietly. "What's up?"

"What's the status on you and Lance?" Shay asked bluntly.

Pidge playfully rolled her eyes. She had told the girls what had happened the day after she and Lance kissed. This led to a billion questions and them wanting to know everything about Pidge and her love life. Shay, of course, wanted daily updates considering how close she was so close to both Pidge and Lance. Pidge was surprised that Hunk hadn't relied that information to her. She figured Hunk was pressuring Lance and that Lance would have told him how things were going. 

"Nothing new so far," Pidge replied trying not to sound too disappointed.

Shay gave her a sympathetic look. 

"Don't worry he'll come around," Shay reassured. "Lance has been out of the dating game for some time now. He just needs some time to get back into his element."

Pidge gave Shay a quizzical look.

"I take it Lance used to date a lot?" She asked

"Well before he met Esme he did," Shay explained. "Or at least attempt to. From what Hunk told me, Lance would try to play the role of a flirt but would some succeed 30% of the time. It was apparently a very funny sight to watch."

Pidge softly snorted to herself. She could imagine a young Lance attempting to flirt with a pretty girl and making a fool of himself. She wondered if she would fall for his old flirtatious self. Lance had flirted with her on occasion but it was small cheesy lines that Pidge would laugh at and that he would laugh along with her. However, she knew he could be smooth considering how he left her at her apartment after their first kiss, on the verge of physically melting.

“Does he ever talk about me with Hunk?” Pidge asked blushing down at the desk

Shay smiled and leaned close “Girl, he did after you two kissed. He went on constantly about it for two days”

“Really?”

“Oh yeah. He just would not stop talking about you, kept going on about how he feels around you and how much he's been thinking about stopping by your place after work”

Pidge sat there a little confused. Lance really felt that way after they kissed, so what was the hold-up? Why didn't he just come over or tell her that? He already knew she felt the same way towards him and it's not like she would reject him. Pidge couldn't just sit there trying to figure everything out because, after a couple of minutes, she remembered where she was. Soon the movie had finally finished and parents started to arrive to pick up their kids. Pidge helped Allura get most of the kids ready to leave in an orderly fashion while Shay and Romelle entertained the few kids that would stay and get picked up later. Getting the kids out was no joke considering there was always someone who needed help with shoes or organizing the crafts they made into their

Just as Pidge helped the last kid get their backpack on, she felt a tap on her shoulder. Pidge whipped her head around only to be met with a familiar pair of blue eyes.

”Lance?” She said in a confused voice.

She wasn’t aware of Lance getting out of work early. Ariela and Shay never told her anything about him coming. Nevertheless, she was happy to see him. She felt like they needed to have a conversation face to face.

”Hey Pidge.” Lance greeted her as he flashed a dazzling smile.

Pidge sent the kid off to the front desk to be with their parents and stood there staring at Lance. She felt her start to do somersaults in her chest, but she managed to flash a warm smile back to him.

”I got out of work early so I figured why not pick up Ariela early.” Lance explained. “I was also hoping we could talk.”

Pidge felt a slight blush creep on her cheeks. On one hand, she wanted to talk to Lance, but on the other hand, she was working despite her shift reaching its end very soon.

”Um…I would love to talk Lance.” Pidge said “However, I can’t right now. I have to finish up some stuff before I leave for the day”

Lance nodded his head in understanding. He had a feeling she wouldn’t be available considering she was busy with work.

“Then how about tonight? We could go out on a date? There’s a cool exhibit at the science and art museum that just opened.” Lance said smoothly.

Pidge blinked back in surprise at how casually Lance had asked her out. But he finally did it!

”Yeah!” Pidge said with a smile. “I’d like that. Pick me up at 7?”

Just as Lance was about to answer Ariela ran up and hugged his leg.

”Hi Papa!” She said cheerfully. 

Lance beamed at the sight of his daughter and picked her up for a hug. Pidge smiled at the sight of them. She loved seeing how caring Lance was towards Ariela. 

“Hi, there princesa,” Lance said as he kissed her on the cheek. “Ready to go home?”

Ariela nodded as Lance put her down and she ran to the cubbies to get her stuff. Lance turned his attention back to Pidge.

”7’o clock?” He asked.

Pidge nodded. “7’o clock.”

Ariela came back with her stuff and she hugged Pidge’s leg.

”Bye Pidgey!” She said cheerfully and flashed Pidge a toothy grin.

Pidge smiled and patted Ariela’s head.

”Have a good day Ariela!” Pidge said sweetly. “Be good for your dad!” 

Ariela nodded and then went to Lance. Lance smiled at Pidge and gave her a wink goodbye as he picked up Ariela so he could carry her to a car.

Pidge felt herself getting flustered from Lance’s wink but kept herself composed enough to wave goodbye at him and Ariela.

Pidge then felt excitement rise in her chest at the thought of her date with Lance. Whatever Lance had planned, she was ready for.

Lance frantically fixed his hair in his bathroom mirror after he had pulled on his freshly ironed shirt. He wanted to look perfect for his date with Pidge so he took his time to make sure he looked and smelled good. However Lance severely miscalculated and took his time getting ready, it was 6:30 and Lance was in a bit of a hurry to get to her place on time.

Veronica came over to take care of Ariela while Lance went out on his date. Lance decided not to tell Ariela about him and Pidge and their relationship. After all, it was still very new and he felt like Ariela shouldn’t be aware of it until things got serious. Lance adjusted his white button-down, which he had left open to reveal a dark blue shirt underneath, and glanced at himself one more time before he rushed down the stairs.

"Wow, don't you look nice!" Veronica said as she passed by Lance to head to the living room.

"Thanks. I'll promise not to stay out late but Ariela would probably be asleep by then. Thanks again for watching her. I appreciate you coming over a lot these past couple of months." Lance replied.

"Don't worry," Veronica said. "Stay out as late as you want. Just let me know if it won't be until morning."

"Hey! Enough of that. I am going to be a respectful gentleman and there will be no funny business." Lance said as he playfully ruffled Veronica's hair.

Veronica rolled her eyes at her brother.

"God you are such a prude!" 

Lance quickly went to the living room and gave Ariela a hug and kiss goodbye.

"I'll be heading out for the night, princessa," Lance explained. "I have to go take care of something important for work."

"Okay, papa!" Ariela said as she kissed him on the cheek.

Lance didn't like that he lied to Ariela but he knew that if things went well with Pidge, it wouldn't be for long. Lance quickly said his goodbye to Veronica, grabbed his brown jacket in case it got cold, and made his way over to Pidge's apartment. To say that Lance was nervous for this date would be an understatement. It had been so long since he had been on a date and he was worried about how he would do. Would he mess up? What if he forgot all of his clever pick-up lines?

Before Lance knew it, he was at Pidge's door. He could feel his heart rate quicken and his breathing started to become slightly erratic. He took a few minutes pacing and managing his breath so he wasn't freaking out as much. Sadly, even with trying to calm down, he still felt like an anxious mess. It was quickly taken away when he knocked on the door and Pidge opened it. She looked breathtaking.

Her short hair was slightly curled, she wore minimal makeup that extenuated her features and complimented her glasses. She wore a dark green sundress with small white flowers all over and small black flats. She gave Lance a beautiful smile that made Lance's heart flutter. Little did Lance know, Pidge was hiding her nerves better than he was. Pidge's palms started to sweat and she couldn't help but feel like she was going to melt because of how good Lance looked.

“Hey, Lance!” Pidge said “I’m ready to go. I can’t wait to see what you have planned.”

Lance quickly snapped out of his dazed state and gathered the courage to smile back at Pidge.

”Yeah. You are going to love what I have planned.” Lance replied as Pidge walked out into the hall and locked her apartment door behind her. “You look beautiful by the way.”

Pidge turned to face Lance, a little taken aback by his compliment, felt herself blush. Lance thought it was adorable. 

“Thank you,” Pidge said softly. "You look nice too." 

Lance led the way to his car and they drove off to the art museum. He was confident in his choice for a first-date location. He just hoped Pidge would like it as well. The science and art museum was one of Lance's favorite places to go. Ariela enjoyed the trips they took there, mainly because they had some fun interactive exhibits that kids could enjoy. Lance parked the car in the parking lot and quickly got out of the car and opened Pidge's door for her.

"Well aren't you a gentleman?!" Pidge said with a smirk as she got out of the car.

"Of course." Lance replied as he shut her door and locked his car "My mother taught me the proper way to treat a lady."

Pidge giggled and the two of them walked towards the entrance. It was a cool summer evening and the sun was about to set. Luckily the museum didn't close until 10 pm so Lance had enough time to enjoy the museum with Pidge. Lance paid for their tickets and they walked inside to the first exhibit. 

"I never pegged you for an art lover," Pidge commented as they walked around and admired some of the art pieces. 

Pidge wasn't much of an art fan. Sure she knew a few facts here and there, but she greatly preferred computers and science. She would admit however that being here with Lance and walking around the museum together was very nice.

"Oh definitely," Lance said. "My mother loves to paint so whenever I get homesick or I miss her the most, I come to the museum and think about her."

Pidge smiled thoughtfully at that. She knew most of Lance's family lived in Cuba. She just didn't imagine the emotional toll that it could have on him. Even though Lance had a smile on his face as he talked to her. she could tell that the topic of his family was hard on him. Pidge knew how important family was and she honestly couldn't imagine being so far away from her parents or Matt. 

The two of them continued to walk around and look at many different art pieces. Lance kept on amusing Pidge by telling her interesting facts about the artwork and by cracking jokes about them. Pidge enjoyed it and found it more fun than walking around an art museum in silence. 

"So where is this special, new exhibit that we are here for?" Pidge asked.

Lance's face lit up at her curiosity for what they were originally at the museum for. Lance bent down slightly and grabbed Pidge's hand. Pidge's heart began to pound as her eyes met with Lance's.

"Come with me," Lance said and he began to lead her towards the new exhibit.

Pidge felt her heart race with excitement instead of nerves for where Lance was taking her. She tried her best not to trip as they ran but stumbled a little causing laughter to erupt from her and Lance. Before they got to the destination Lance stopped a few feet from the door and turned to face her.

"Close your eyes." He said 

"What?" Pidge asked. She was very confused as to where they were going.

"I want it to be a surprise. Trust me."

Pidge nodded and slowly closed her eyes. She felt herself being pulled by Lance and she then felt her walk into a new place. Pidge could tell that it was dark because she no longer felt any light hitting her eyes.

Why did he suddenly take her to a dark room?

"Um, Lance?" She asked. Trying to hide the nerves that were slowly creeping up on her. Pidge didn't do well when she wasn't aware of her surroundings.

After a few moments of standing in silence, Lance finally spoke.

"Okay." He said softly. "Open them."

Pidge slowly opened her eyes and at first, noticed Lance standing in front of her with a shy smile on his face. His face was lit with a cool blue/silvery light. She then looked at where the light was coming from. It was coming from all over the room. They were in some sort of abandoned theater room that was adorned with gold railing and a few benches for people to sit at and all around them was a projection of a solar system as it danced all around the walls. They were in a planetarium.

Pidge was amazed by the sight around her. It was breathtaking to see all of the constellations that engulfed her and Lance. It was a beautiful sight to see. It was almost like the feeling you get when you see a picturesque sunset. Pidge turned back to face Lance who was smiling down at her as she was mesmerized by the exhibit.

"We talked about how we could never see the true beauty of a night sky the night we kissed," Lance explained. "I figured why not bring you to that night sky. The science and art museum just opened this exhibit."

Pidge felt tears well up in her eyes. She didn't feel sad. She was happy. She was so happy. No one had ever done this type of thing for her and it warmed her that Lance had brought her here. She then began to chuckle in astonishment.

"I love it." She said as she softly squeezed Lance's hand. 

Lance softly chuckled at Pidge as she looked at everything with amazement. He then slowly reached forward and wiped a stray tear that rolled down her cheek. Pidge then made eye contact with him. Her golden-brown eyes sparkled with a certain emotion that Lance couldn't figure out. Could it be love? No, it was too soon to think that. Perhaps admiration or infatuation?

Yeah, Lance could deal with that. 

Pidge then wrapped her arms around him and cuddled him as she continued to look up at the exhibit. Lance felt his heartbeat rapidly as he held her and a familiar scent of roses and crayons hit his nose. It felt so good to have her in his arms that it made him not think about anything but her and how good she fit in his embrace. He could stay like this forever. After almost an hour of standing there, Lance figured it was time to leave. 

"Come on." He said as he grabbed Pidge's hand and led her towards the museum exit. "I have other things planned for the night." 

Lance internally cursed at himself at how suggestive that sounded. He didn't want Pidge to think that he wanted something like that from him. It was was their first date after all. He soon relaxed when he heard an adorable laugh escape Pidge's mouth. 

"Can't wait to see what it is?" She said happily as she stood up on her tiptoes and kissed Lance on the cheek.

Lance practically skipped happily to the car. He felt over the moon at how well the date was going. He drove them to a local diner which in retrospect wasn't as glamorous as the planetarium but he knew that Pidge would still enjoy it. After all, who could say no to food? 

Lance and Pidge entered the diner hand in hand and sat across from each other at an empty booth. 

"Alright, so why a diner?" Pidge asked as she looked at Lance curiously.

"Well, I figured getting food to eat would be a good idea." Lance explained, "Plus this is mine and Ariela's favorite place to go to whenever we want to go out."

Pidge smiled at the mention of Ariela. She liked how open Lance was to let her into his life and how much he cared for Ariela and expressed it with everything he did. 

"Then I expect that it will be great," Pidge said as she looked down at the menu.

A waitress came by and they both gave her their order. Lance settled on a bacon cheeseburger, fries, and a chocolate shake while Pidge got a soda and some mozzarella sticks.

"So how's the wedding planning going for Matt and Shiro?" Lance asked as they waited for their food. 

"Good," Pidge said. "Matt is a little stressed about how soon it's coming. They settled for a date in November and it was a little tricky to find a place for the ceremony and reception but they found a cute little place in town. Oh, he also asked me to be his best man or I guess best woman in this case!"

"Congratulations!" he said "I'm glad that they figured it out. So as best man do you have any special tasks?"

"Not yet. Matt did mention going tuxedo shopping next week and he wants to take me dress shopping so I can match the theme that he and Shiro have. I also have to plan a bachelor party soon but Keith is helping me with that."

Lance smiled as he watched Pidge excitedly talk about her brother and Shiro. It was clear that she cared a lot for them and it was a quality about Pidge that he liked. He always imagined having a family-oriented partner and Pidge checked that box completely. 

Soon, their food arrived and they both dug in. Lance couldn't help but smile as he watched Pidge eat. She definitely wasn't those type of girls who were delicate eaters. He knew Pidge wasn't very girly and he was happy that she wasn't willing to act a certain way to seem more feminine. At least now he had a partner to pig out with. 

Pidge suddenly looked up from her food and smiled wickedly at Lance.

"What are you smiling at?" Pidge asked.

"Just admired the perfect view in front of me," Lance replied.

Pidge gave him a quizzical look. "I don't know about that." 

"Have I ever lied to you?" Lance said.

Pidge giggled and reached over, stole one of Lance's fries, and popped it into her mouth.

"Hey! No one likes a thief!"

"You know we teach the kids that sharing is caring." She replied jokingly "Maybe you should learn from them."

Pidge reached for another fry only to have Lance grab her hand and interlace their fingers together. 

"Maybe I should and I'm pretty sure we can learn a lot of things from each other."

"I think so too."

Lance and Pidge continued to talk and joke throughout the night and after a lot of convincing, Pidge allowed Lance to pay for the food. Lance had never been so happy than on his date with Pidge. He didn't want it to end but it had to. With every step up to Pidge's apartment, Lance could feel himself already dreading saying goodbye.

"I had a fun time tonight," Lance said as he tried to distract himself from his thoughts.

"Yeah. So did I," Pidge said as she fiddled with her apartment keys.

Pidge felt a little nervous. She also didn’t want the night to end and was happy that Lance and she were finally somewhere a little more private.

"Well great because you'll enjoy what I have for our second date," Lance replied.

"Already thinking that far ahead I see."

"Definitely. I look forward to every moment I can ha-"

Lance was shortly cut off by being pulled down and Pidge's lips smashing against his. Lance quickly returned the kiss and felt all of his worries melt away. He couldn't get enough of the hold Pidge had on him. Her lips were soft and he could taste the slightest hint of the watermelon chapstick that she was wearing. Lance wrapped his arms around her petite frame as they both kissed each other back and forth as if competing over who could leave the other absolutely breathless. He loved the small noises Pidge made as she ran her fingers through his once neatly combed hair. 

Pidge couldn’t get enough of Lance. After so long of pushing her feelings aside she could finally show how she truly felt. All of the stress she felt about her life vanished and she could start living instead of worrying. 

Pidge then pulled away causing Lance to groan slightly as he lost the euphoria of her lips.

"Come inside?" Pidge asked

Lance nodded eagerly and felt his heartbeat out of his chest as Pidge pulled him into her apartment. He was quickly greeted by Bae Bae who he gave small pets to in response. Pidge commanded the dog to go lie down which Bae Bae obeyed without hesitation.

Lance felt himself being pushed onto Pidge's couch and the weight of Pidge on his lap. She stared down at him with a confident smile and her eyes flickered as they scanned him, making a chill go down Lance’s spine at the mystery of what she could be thinking about. However, this wasn't Lance’s first time dealing with a bold woman and he knew the best thing to do was to match her energy.

"Well, this is a surprising turn of events." Lance joked

"Shut up." Pidge scoffed as she rolled her eyes.

Pidge kissed him hungrily and his mind immediately thought of the dream he had not so long ago. He quickly pushed that memory aside and kissed her back, slipping his tongue to graze hers and causing soft noises out of them. Pidge warmly accepted him and rolled her hips a little against his to indicate that she wanted to be closer. She wanted to show him how much she truly liked him. Pidge played with the collar on Lance's shirt as Lance put one hand on her waist and ran the other through her hair. Lance was intoxicated with the smell of roses and the taste of watermelon as the make-out began to intensify.

“I really needed this.” Pidge softly gasped “You can touch me if you’d like.”

“You sure?” Lance murmured, breaking the kiss to ask. 

“Believe me, I've been anticipating this for a while.”

“Such a brilliant, filthy mind of yours.”

“Lance please.”

That please, the way she looked with her pink lips, and flushed face ignited something in him. Lance pulled Pidge close to him again and captured her lips in a deep kiss. Pidge moaned slightly in shock, but she quickly adjusted and melted into the kiss. Pidge rocked her hips slightly onto Lance's groin and Lance snapped his hips up to follow her movements. The friction causing sparks of arousal to flow through both of them and Lance let his hands roam carefully over Pidge's body. She reciprocated by moving her lips to Lance’s jaw and left sweet and slow pecks along his jaw and down his neck. Her hands began to tangle in his hair and making Lance's body be hit with waves of excitement at how good it felt. 

Pidge pulled away once more causing Lance to groan again, this time with arousal.

"Stay?" Pidge asked in a slightly seductive voice.

God she was trying to kill him and Lance was certain of it at this point. The thought of staying the night was definitely not helping his arousal and all he had to say was yes and give in to what he wanted and had been wanting since the moment he met Pidge. However, he knew he had to decline. He had to get home and he was certain that he would have a hard time ever leaving her if he accepted.

"As much as I would love to, I sadly have to get going." Lance said sadly "Don't want Ronnie to worry about me."

"She afraid I'll kidnap you?" Pidge playfully asked as her golden eyes shined into his blue ones. 

"Oh, I am 100% certain she is counting on it." Lance joked back causing Pidge to let out a cute giggle. "I just haven't told Ariela where I went. Don't want her to ask questions yet."

Pidge felt a small twinge of pain at the thought of him leaving but she knew that he had to go at some point. She wasn’t going to hold him back from going home to his daughter.

"I understand. Her finding out is something we should tell her together. I hope you have a goodnight and please message me when you get home." She said with a sweet smile as she climbed off of him and offered him her hand to get up off the couch.

He couldn't help but notice how good she looked right now and to top off that she was understanding sent his heart right over the edge. What did Lance do to get so lucky having a girl like Pidge?

"I will. Until next time pollita." Lance said affectionately as they made their way to the door causing Pidge to give him a quick kiss goodbye.

Pidge giggled at the little nickname Lance had given her and watched him leave her apartment. It was safe to say that the date went far better than she had expected. She couldn’t wait to see him again and see what he had in store for her. She knew it was bound to be as memorable as tonight was. 

Lance drove home feeling as if he could fly. He had a good feeling about where his and Pidge's next date would lead and was positive that this new relationship was going to change his life. How little did he know at that moment how right he'd be. 

Chapter Text

Pidge disliked shopping. Correction: she loathed it. Going tuxedo shopping with Matt a week and a half ago was alright, however. Mainly because she wasn't the one having to try on clothing. But now it was time for her to go dress shopping. She had already tried on multiple dresses, ranging from different shapes, lengths and all having the same color. Burnt orange. It wasn't a bad color. In fact, it went perfectly with Shiro and Matt's theme. Pidge was just tired of seeing it at this point. The only thing that she could be thankful for was that Allura allowed her to leave work early to go dress shopping for the wedding. Pidge figured it was better to just get it over and done with rather than go dress shopping later.

"Come on Pidge." Matt hollered on the other side of the dressing room. "We are supposed to meet Shiro in half an hour to go cake tasting."

"Alright!" Pidge groaned as she adjusted the dress slightly.

Pidge then reluctantly walked out of the dressing room to show Matt the dress. Matt smiled as he saw his sister in the dress. It was nice but it wasn't the one he had envisioned her to wear. His smile then faded as he noticed the grimace on Pidge's face.

"What?" Matt asked.

"I feel ridiculous." This is the seventh dress I've tried on." Pidge complained.

"Oh hush." Matt chided as he gave her a pat on the shoulder. "There is only one more dress you have to try on then we can go and you can stuff your face in cake as a treat."

"Promise?" Pidge asked childishly

"Promise."

Pidge then gave her brother a small smile and went back in the dressing room to try on the final dress that she had. Like all of the other dresses, this one was long but it wasn't frilly or anything fancy. It was slim-fitting, had a slit on one of the sides and exposed her left leg slightly, and had a v neckline with spaghetti straps. Out of all the dresses that she tried on, Pidge didn't hate how she looked in it. She slowly walked out of the dressing room to show Matt the dress.

"It's nice" Pidge admitted. "It needs to be hemmed slightly because I'm so short but I like it." 

"Oh, it's perfect!" Matt exclaimed as he admired Pidge. "Shiro is going to love it when we show him."

Matt quickly took a picture to show Shiro. Pidge rolled her eyes in slight annoyance and quickly went back to change back into her clothes. She was actually happy that she found a dress that both she and Matt liked. Mainly her. Matt would've loved anything that she approved of as long as it meant she had something to wear for his wedding. Another reason she was happy was because it meant that she didn't have to try on any more dresses.

Pidge changed and grabbed the dress for her to purchase and quickly left with Matt so they could go cake testing. Pidge was slightly confused why she had to tag along but Matt claimed it was because they wanted an outside opinion on the cake so that way Shiro and him could pick something that everyone could enjoy.

They quickly made their way to the bakery where they found Shiro waiting for them at the front of it. Pidge greeted Shiro with a hug while Matt kissed him on the cheek.

"Gross." Pidge joked as she stared at the two of them. 

"Shut up," Matt said as he ruffled her short hair.

"You two are honestly children sometimes," Shiro said as he smiled at the two siblings.

The three of them entered the bakery where Shiro and Matt's caterer waited for them. Since it was a fall wedding, the caterer had suggested a cake to go with the theme. She had multiple different options for them all to try. Pidge honestly wasn't a big sweet tooth person but she wanted to be here to help Shiro and Matt in any way she could. Hopefully, it would help ease the stress and tension because Pidge was honestly done with Matt's slight "Bridezilla" attitude. 

Despite not being big on sweets, Pidge thoroughly enjoyed most of the cakes that she got to try. They all had a unique quality that made her not feel like she was going to get diabetes with every bite. 

"So I'm stuck between the caramel apple cake or the spice cake with the brown sugar cream cheese," Matt said as he looked at Shiro to see his answer.

"I like them both too," Shiro said. "I honestly would love to serve both but we can only choose one. This is a tough choice."

Shiro and Matt looked at Pidge with pleading eyes to make the decision. She slightly groaned at being the one to decide for them. Obviously, that's what she was here to do but she loved complaining to give Matt a hard time as he started to get an angry look in his eye at her groan.

"I say the spice cake. While caramel apple is a good choice, it also screams fair. After all your wedding is a fall these and a spice cake is a better option." Pidge said logically. She did like both cakes but she knew that the caramel would be too much for some of the wedding guests.

Shiro and Matt agreed with Pidge's choice and announced their decision to the caterer. She then helped Shiro and Matt get their cake order processed while Pidge waited outside the bakery and texted Lance.

Pidge: Finally done with cake testing. I hope they don't ask me to make any more decisions for them. : / 

Lance: Aw c'mon. It can't be that bad. : ( 

Pidge: You try putting on eight dresses in a tiny dressing room while your brother tells you to hurry up every five seconds. 

Lance: Is that a challenge? Sounds like you just want to see me in a dress? I may warn   you that I have legs to die for. ; )

Pidge: I look forward to seeing that. XD

Lance: <3 ; )

Pidge smiled at Lance's text. She genuinely enjoyed whenever she got the chance to talk to him. They even went on another date a few days ago. He took her out on a lunch date at the park where they had a small picnic. She had somehow convinced Allura to let her take a longer lunch break and they had a perfect second date. Dating Lance was something new and exciting to her and she wanted to enjoy every moment that she could with him. Pidge never knew how much a relationship could change her and make her take life less seriously. It was a new change of pace that she enjoyed. It even helped her relax more and start making progress on her Garrison Project. Pidge then suddenly looked up from her phone at the sound of her brother and Shiro exiting the bakery. Pidge quickly put her phone away in her pocket and turned her attention to her brother and his fiancé.

"Welp the cake has been ordered. Thanks again for helping us out." Shiro said as he gave Pidge a charming smile.

"Hope you weren't bored on your phone waiting for us," Matt said.

"No," Pidge said. "Lance was keeping me company while I waited for you guys."

Matt suddenly got an evil look and his eye and Pidge suddenly regretted even mentioning Lance at all.

"Aw, my little Pidge is growing up!" Matt exclaimed as he threw his arm around her and put her in a chokehold as he attempted to give her a noogie.

Pidge broke free from her brother's grasp and fixed her glasses slightly.

"Shut up," Pidge murmured. She knew Matt was trying to mess with her but she really didn't need it to be right now at this moment. 

"It's just nice to see you happy with someone Pidge," Matt said genuinely. "He better be treating you right."

"He's been a perfect gentleman," Pidge said as she gave Matt a dirty look.

Shiro rolled his eyes as he smiled at the two siblings. He was used to their antics considering how long he had known them. Sometimes he felt like he had to be the mediator between them rather than Pidge's friend and Matt's partner. He didn't mind though. Shiro had always been sort of the leader of the pack when it came to his social circle.

"That's great to hear Pidge," Shiro said as he gave her a supportive smile. "So is he going to be your plus one to the wedding?" 

Pidge felt herself blush as she thought about her and Lance going to the wedding. She wasn't even planning on inviting Lance to Shiro and Matt's wedding as her date, at least not right now. They barely started going out and to be honest the whole idea of it all was slightly overwhelming.

"I haven't asked him." Pidge admitted "Things between us are still very new and we are figuring things out. We haven't even told Ariela about us yet."

Shiro and Matt nodded in understanding. Pidge being in a relationship was something that everyone was getting used to. She hadn't dated anyone since high school and even that relationship was very brief. It was surprising to see Pidge actually put herself out there after years of stating how unimportant she found relationships to be compared to her career.

"Well either way we have a seat open for him and Ariela," Shiro said. "It would just be nice to think about the idea of you guys going together."

Pidge understood Shiro and Matt's interest in Lance being her date for the wedding. They wanted her to be happy and be able to enjoy all of the things that come with being in a relationship. Pidge knew that she would get those things with Lance. But for now, she wanted them to take things at their own pace and then worry about going to the wedding together. At least until she felt like they were a little more serious for that sort of thing. She at least wanted to wait until they were dating for about a month or two before even asking him to be her date to the wedding. 

Just as Pidge was lost in thought she felt her phone vibrate with another message. This time it was from Hunk.

Hunk: Hey Pidge! Just thought you should know that Shay and I are planning a surprise party for Lance's birthday on Friday night at his place. Veronica is going to take him and Ariela out for a while we get everything in order. Allura and Romelle are going to come and I still need a response back from Keith. We would love it if you join us?

Pidge had completely forgotten that Lance's birthday was July 28th which was three days away. Lance wasn't one for celebrating his birthday and only mentioned it in brief passing. However, that wasn't going to stop Pidge from being there to celebrate with him. Pidge quickly messaged Hunk back.

Pidge: I'll be there! : )

Lance had begged Veronica not to do anything special for his birthday but she was insistent on taking him and Ariela out for dinner. Lance reluctantly agreed and even got dressed for the occasion. Ever since his parents and other siblings moved back to Cuba, his birthday became less special to celebrate. When he was younger he used to enjoy the traditions that his mother used to do for him such as preparing Ropa Vieja for dinner and a homemade Tres Leches Cake for dessert. 

Relatives from Cuba would come by and visit and they would have a big celebration with drinking and dancing that would go on until past midnight. Lance grew fond of those memories but understood that his family was off busy with their own lives to keep up the tradition. The important thing is that his family was making an effort to come and visit for Ariela's birthday and give her the same traditions that she had. He would gladly take that than having his old birthday traditions back any day.

Even though Lance, Ariela, and Veronica dressed up for the night, they decided to have dinner at the diner. The same diner Lance took Pidge to on their first date. Lance had secretly wished Pidge was here with them but he didn't mind just spending time with his family

"How old are you turning Papa?" Ariela asked as she finished chewing on her fries and stared at him with her big brown eyes.

"I am turning 29 years old Princessa," Lance said as he smiled at his beautiful daughter. "How does it feel to know that your father is so old?"

Ariela giggled at him.

"You're not old Papa." She said, "You don't have white hair like Santa."

Veronica and Lance smiled at Ariela and Lance wrapped his arm around her and gave her a small hug.

"Thanks, mi Preciosa." He said as he gave her a small kiss on the top of her head.

They soon finished dinner and went back home. Lance enjoyed his dinner out with his family. It was small, quiet, and exactly what he needed to end his birthday. As soon as he reached the front door of his house he couldn't help but notice that Veronica was acting weird. She made sure to have him walk in front of her and Ariela and had a faint smile on her lips as she tried to look like nothing was going on. Normally Lance would question this behavior. It was clear she was hiding something but Lance didn't want to argue with her about her behavior. Not on his birthday.

Lance opened the front door of the house and was greeted with darkness. Weird? Lance was sure that he had at least left the hall light on before they went out. Ariela would get scared walking into the house without some sort of light on inside. Lance turned on the light and walked to the living room to put on a movie that he promised Ariela they would watch on the ride home.

As Lance entered the room, he was startled by the figures of his friends and girlfriend jumping out of their hiding spots and shouting

"SURPRISE!"

A smile grew on Lance's face at the sight of them and finally realized that the living room had been decorated with streamers, blue balloons, and a happy birthday banner.

"You guys didn't have to do this," Lance said as he stared at everyone in amazement.

"Of course we did." Hunk said as he walked towards Lance and patted him on the shoulder.

Ariela came running into the living room and she squealed at the sight in front of her. "Wow, Papa! This party is all for you?!"

Lance smiled at his daughter and watched as she hugged Hunk on his leg and then ran to give Shay a hug. He then suddenly felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to see Pidge smiling at him with Keith right behind her with a beer in his hand.

"Happy Birthday Lance!" She said sweetly.

He felt his breath hitch as he was finally able to get a good look at her. Her hair was pulled half up in a small ponytail while the down portion was curled slightly. She wore a light amount of makeup that didn't take away from her natural beauty. She wore a white blouse with small light purple floral decals and slightly puffed sleeves and high-waisted jeans that hugged her curves in all the right places. Lance kept his composure from kissing her right then and there.

"Thanks, Pidge." He said as he gave her a small smile and then turned his attention to Keith. "Keith, pleasure as always."

"Happy Birthday Lance," Keith said as he nodded at him and smiled. "How does it feel to be one year closer to thirty?"

Before Lance could even say anything else, Ariela rushed over towards Pidge.

"Pidgey!" She squealed and Pidge picked up Ariela and hugged her. "I'm so glad you are here!" 

Pidge smiled at Ariela and set her back down on the ground. "Well, I'm glad to see you too, Ariela. You want to come with me and Keith to get a special surprise for your dad."

Ariela nodded eagerly and Pidge led her to the kitchen. Lance stared at the Pidge and Ariela lovingly as he watched them leave the living room with Keith. He was slightly confused by what Pidge meant by a surprise for him. He was already pretty surprised by this party. He didn't think he could be surprised by anything else at this point.

Lance turned his attention back to the party and went towards his guest. He went towards Veronica who was chatting with Romelle and Allura.

"Hey bro, you enjoying your party?" Veronica asked as she had a not so innocent look on her face. 

"You knew about the party didn't you?" Lance asked 

"Guilty as charged." Veronica said, "C'mon you're telling me you would have agreed to let the party happen if you knew about it?"

"You have a fair point," he admitted

Allura and Romelle looked to the siblings in amusement. 

"Hope you liked the surprise, Lance." Allura said in a kind voice "Shay said that you've never had a surprise party before."

That was true. Lance had never experienced a surprise birthday party before. He actually didn't mind it despite him not being big his celebrating his birthday. 

"Yeah," He said. "It's great. Thank you so much for being here to celebrate with me. You too Romelle."

"The pleasure is all ours Lance," Romelle said 

Suddenly Ariela appeared in the living room blowing a party horn and a birthday hat in her hand.

"Put this on Papa," Ariela said as she twirled in the pink dress that Lance had put her in for dinner and handed him the party hat.

Lance looked at him with adoration and put on the hat. Despite it being small and pinching at his face, Lance was too happy to care. He then looked up from Ariela and saw Keith and Pidge enter the living room with a birthday cake. The cake was decorated with white frosting and colorful fondant balloons. At the two blue number candles that were made out to say 29. Lance picked up Ariela to get a better look at the cake as the others walked closer to him and began to sing Happy Birthday.

Even though Lance was supposed to be paying attention to the cake and the other singing, he could help but admire how Pidge looked as she walked towards him. The golden light from the candles bounced off of her face in a way that Lance was enchanted by. He was suddenly snapped out of his thought by Ariela.

"Time to make a wish Papa!" She said cheerfully as Lance smiled at her.

"How about you join me Princessa?"

Ariela nodded and the two of them blew out his candles. Everyone cheered as Keith and Pidge set the cake down on the coffee table and began to cut into it. They got a small piece for Ariela and Lance set her down so she could take it to the dining room table to eat. 

"Hope you like the cake, Lance." Shay said, "Hunk spent all day making it."

"Really?" Lance said as he imagined Hunk rushing around trying to perfect the cake. It looked so good that Lance could've sworn it was bought from a bakery.

"Oh yeah." Hunk said, "It's nothing compared to your mom's homemade Tres Leches but I hope it is still something you can enjoy."

Lance happily took a piece and dug in. The cake was vanilla and no Tres Leches but it was still very good. Lance knew he would enjoy it no matter what it was. Hunk was a genius when it came to being in the kitchen. After everyone finished their slice of cake, they all gathered around the living room and chatted amongst themselves. Ariela cuddled next to Lance on the couch while Pidge was on the other side of him. 

Lance desperately wanted to hold her hand but he didn't want to display any affection without getting questions from Ariela. Pidge seemed to understand as she gently nudged her hand against him every so often, teasing the idea of them holding hands. Lance did the same and they both caught slight glances at each other with soft smiles.

It was almost midnight and Lance had noticed that Ariela had fallen asleep as she was cuddled next to him. Everyone else seemed to notice because they all stopped talking while Hunk gently said "Hey maybe it's time we start cleaning up and head home."

Everyone seemed to nod in agreement but Lance felt the need to insist that they didn't have to help clean up. They had already done enough to help make his birthday great and he didn't want them to stay any longer since it was so late.

"Don't worry about it guys." Lance said "You can head home. I can clean up on my own. I do appreciate the party. It was great."

"Are you sure?" Shay asked 

"Yeah," Lance said. "I'll be fine. There's not much to clean up anyway."

The others reluctantly agreed and began to get ready to leave. Veronica stood up and gently picked up a sleepy Ariela and took her to bed. Lance stood up and began to say goodbye to his guests and walk them out the door.

"Thanks again for the party guys." He said, "I had a great time."

"You're welcome, man." Hunk said as he patted Lance on the shoulder and Shay gave him a big hug. 

Lance smiled and waved as everyone walked out the door. As he shut the door and locked up for the night did he finally realize that Pidge hadn't left yet. In fact, she was in the kitchen, cleaning up some dishes from the party. Lance was slightly confused by Pidge still being here. Although Lance couldn't complain entirely, he was wishing all night to get some time alone with Pidge and this was the perfect opportunity.

"You didn't have to stay and help," Lance said as he made his presence known in the kitchen. 

Pidge turned at the sound of his voice and smiled at him 

"Well, I wanted to help." She said as she finished washing dishes and walked towards him. "I also wanted to have a moment alone with you. Luckily Keith got the hint and Allura and Romelle agreed to take him home."

Lance chuckled at that and wrapped his arms around her waist while she wrapped her arms around his neck. It was so nice to be finally close to her after having to stay away the whole night.

"Well glad to know that you have been plotting to be alone with me from the beginning." He said in an amused voice and slightly suggestive voice. "So what are planning on doing to me now that you have me all to yourself."

Pidge gave him a smirk and broke free from his grasp and walked to her purse that was on the counter behind them. She pulled out a small present and handed it to him. Lance felt his cheek heat up as he stared at the present in her hands.

"Aw, Pidge you really didn't have to do that." He said as he slowly took the present from her. 

"Just shut up and open it," Pidge said softly as she had a look of anticipation on her face. 

Lance slowly opened the small box in and it revealed a small handheld frame. In that frame was a photo that Pidge had taken of them when they were on their second date. Lance remembered when they took the photo. It was during their picnic at the park. It had been a lovely afternoon where they got to watch the sunset and feel the warm July breeze rush through them. It was a day where they got to have fun and just forget about everything for a bit. 

Lance had was behind Pidge with his arms wrapped around her and he rested his chin on her shoulder as Pidge took a selfie of them. Lance felt a warm feeling in his chest as he stared at the photo. He could truly see how happy they were on that date and it reminded him of how nice it was to get time to spend time with her despite their hectic work schedules. If he had to be honest, sometimes it was hard that they couldn't always see each other when they wanted to. He knew that he absolutely cherished this gift that Pidge had given to him.

Lance looked up from staring at the photo and looked deeply into Pidge's eyes. She smiled at him as she saw the joy in his face as their eyes met.

"I love it." 

Lance then set down the photo on the counter and took a big stride towards Pidge. He then held her face in his hands and planted a kiss on her lips. Pidge immediately returned the kiss and pulled him closer to her. Lance had been waiting all night to kiss her. He was worried that he wouldn't get to at all. He knew it was silly to get so worked up over a kiss but every kiss with Pidge was a new experience for him. No matter how many times Lance had been around her, she had always managed to make him feel weak in the knees and that feeling came with every kiss Pidge gave him. He felt like he was a teenager all over again, feeling young and giddy at the opportunity 

Kissing Pidge was different from all the other women he had ever kissed in his life. While other women were gentle and somewhat timid when he kissed them, Pidge was more assertive with her kisses. Yet, every time he kissed her with the same assertiveness, she would moan and whimper with pleasure. The sound was pure music to his ear. He definitely couldn't get enough of it. 

Lance broke their kiss and stared at Pidge. She looked up at him with her beautiful golden eyes that were filled with so much kindness. He gave her a quick peck on her lips and released himself from the embrace they were in.

"C'mon let's go clean up the rest of the living room." He suggested.

Pidge nodded and they both went together to the living room to clean up the mess from the party. Luckily Pidge had gotten most of the mess when Lance was saying goodbye to guests so there wasn't a lot for the rest to continue cleaning up. Lance didn't know why but there was a familiar feeling in the air as he and Pidge cleaned up the living room in silence. It wasn't that big of a deal but for some reason, the whole thing felt intimate to Lance. Like it was a normal routine for them. It was like how things used to be with Esme. How it was just to do the simple things with someone he cared for and have comfort in it. 

But Pidge wasn't Esme. 

Pidge was Pidge. His new girlfriend. A girl who loved science and video games. She was snarky and stubborn at times but Lance found that to be an endearing quality. It showed how much Pidge could stand up for herself and be her own person. She was exactly what Lance had been looking for. Someone who he cared for deeply and gave him the feeling that he could love again. It wasn't like Pidge was a replacement for Esme and that wasn't something that Lance wanted. He wanted whatever he and Pidge had to be completely different than from what he had with Esme. 

Though it was too early to even be thinking those thoughts. Lance could tell that every moment he had with Pidge was another moment that he could feel himself falling in love with her. Despite them barely knowing each other as of almost two months ago, Lance felt like he had known Pidge his whole life. He could only hope that she felt the same way. He wouldn't pry to see if she did. He knew that only time would allow them to grow closer together as they navigated this new relationship. 

With all these feelings rushing through Lance he got bold and decided to ask Pidge a question:

"You know it's pretty late. How would you feel about staying the night?"

Pidge looked up at Lance, clearly interested in his proposal.

"Um, yeah that would be nice," She said in a soft voice. Lance could tell there were some nerves in her voice. He decided to reassure her as a way to ease her hesitation and so she didn't get the wrong idea about his intentions.

Lance was always told to be a gentleman. Sure he had the occasional thought about him and Pidge taking their relationship to the next step. Hell, he had a dream about her way before they even got together. But Lance knew that Pidge was new to the whole idea of an adult relationship. Even if things between them were heated at times, he still wanted to show her that he respected her boundaries and didn't want to make this type of thing feel like an obligation.

"We don't have to do anything. You don't need to feel like you have to” He explained "I just want to spend more time with you. I also figured it was the least I could do since I denied your request for me to stay the night at your place not too long ago."

Lance could see Pidge slightly relax at his words. The weight was visibly lifted off her shoulders. Pidge smiled at him and began to walk towards him. The smell of roses got stronger the closer she got to him. Lance felt the butterflies in his stomach rise as the scent of roses overtook his senses. She then grabbed his hand into her and held it up towards her chest. Playing with his fingers as she stared at their hands. It was a gesture of affection that Pidge like to do from time to time.

"I would love to stay the night Lance." She said sweetly "Matt and Shiro took Bae Bae to their place a couple of days ago to spend some time with her so I don't have to worry about getting back home to take care of her."

Lance lifted up their hands and gave kissed her hand. He then led her upstairs to his room. Lance made sure to be quiet as possible since Ariela was asleep in her room and Veronica was in the guest room. His heart pounding with each step he took. Lance knew that nothing serious would happen but the whole idea was still something new and exciting. 

Once they got to his room Lance let out a small sigh of relief. Pidge took a moment to take in Lance's room. It had a king-sized bed with light blue sheets, two bedside tables with matching lamps, a dresser, and even an on-suite bathroom. But it was very empty for a bedroom. There were no wall decorations and only a few pictures on the dresser and they were mostly of Lance, Veronica, and Ariela. Two of them were with Hunk and Shay. Only one was different and it was a photo of what Pidge could assume was Lance's family considering there were a lot of people in the pictures. The room almost looked picturesque like no one had really lived in it. Like it was only meant to be looked at and not touched. 

"I know it's not much," Lance explained. "This used to be the guest room but I moved in here after...."

Lance didn't finish his sentence. Pidge seemed to understand what he was going to say. Lance never liked to talk about Esme. Pidge understood why and didn't want to pry to get him to talk about her. It was a complicated situation sometimes but she never saw it as a thing that scared her away from him or Ariela. She knew that he would talk about her when he was ready and she would gladly be able to wait for him to open up when he was ready.

Pidge took Lance's hand and led him to his bed. She made him sit down next to her and she gently caressed his cheek. Lance knew it was to take his mind off of the thought of Esme and he was grateful for Pidge being so understanding. Pidge then began to give him small, gentle kisses on his face. She kissed his cheeks, his nose, along his jaw until she finally met his lips to hers.

Lance sighed with content as he felt the comfort of Pidge's soft lips. The familiar taste of her watermelon chapstick filled his senses and he began to kiss her back, making sure each kiss that they shared grew in passion. Pidge smiled against his lips and moved so she was straddling Lance's lap. Lance quickly began to roam his hands all over Pidge's body, making sure to take his time on the way she felt in his arms. Cherishing the warmth of her skin through her clothes and every soft curve under his palms. Pidge ran her hands through Lance's hair, pulling at it slightly to allow him to open his mouth slightly so she could lightly slip her tongue in as she gave him passionate kisses.

Arousal began to flow through the adults as they let out all of their passions as they kissed. While they both knew it was too soon for things to get serious, they took comfort in being able to tease the idea as they spent time together. There was no harm in it. It was a good way to get a feel of what they both liked. 

Lance then broke the kiss and began to press open mouth kisses along Pidge's neck as he teased the hem of her blouse. His fingers lightly touched the skin of her torso that made chills run down Pidge's spine. Pidge felt her breathing began to quicken and she help back her moans as she pulled at Lance's hair to move him to a sensitive spot of her neck that he could kiss. She then lightly rolled her hips against him which caused Lance to groan in response.

The two then finally separated slightly as they tried to catch their breath. They both stared at each other and they both soft giggles. Lance admired how beautiful Pidge looked. Her cheeks were flushed pink which made her freckles stand out more. Her slightly pulled back hair was slipping from its hair tie and her glasses her slightly falling off her face. Lance then moved slightly so he was laying down, making sure to keep Pidge on top of him. Pidge rested her head against his chest and took in the content sound of his heartbeat. 

This time that they spent together had been so different than the night of their first date. That night was more intense and full of desire while this one was intimate and sensual. There wasn't a worry of what would happen if things went too far or a need to stop before they did. It was purely about just experiencing each other and it was what Pidge wanted. She was just happy to be around Lance no matter what mood they were in.

“Are you comfortable?” he asked “I could get an extra pillow or a blanket if you’d like” 

“I’m alright,” Pidge said with a yawn “I’m perfectly comfortable right here. You make a good pillow”

Lance couldn't help but laugh. A little offended he got demoted to a pillow but for Pidge, he’d gladly be that if it meant keeping her safe. 

"Thanks again for the present," Lance said as he kissed the top of Pidge's head. "I really liked it and I am glad I got to spend this time with you."

Pidge smiled softly at Lance's words and muttered a soft you're welcome to him. She continued to focus on the sound of his heartbeat and the feeling of his warm embrace as it lulled her to sleep.

Morning light peered into the room as Lance's eyes began to flutter open. He then noticed that Pidge wasn't on top of him anymore but now she was next to him. His arm was draped around her waist as he held her close to him. Lance stared at her as she slept peacefully. Her soft snores were music to his ears and the morning light glowed around her beautiful face. Lance wanted nothing more than to cherish this moment and stare at her for ages.

The moment was gone however as Pidge softly opened her eyes and began to take in her surroundings. Her eyes then met his and she gave him a sleepy smile.

"Good morning," Pidge said in a soft morning voice

"Morning," Lance said and he gave her a quick peck on the cheek.

“Did you sleep well?”

“With you next to me, absolutely”

“God, you're so corny. I like it though.” Pidge said as she gave him a small peck under his jaw.

"I sure hope so. I am nothing without my charm and corny lines."

"I doubt that. I can think of a lot of other qualities that I like about you." 

"Oh really. I would love to hear them."

Just as Lance was admiring his beautiful girlfriend and as he noticed Pidge about to respond to him, he then was snapped out of his thoughts at the sound of his bedroom door open and Veronica walked in. 

"Hey, Lance. I made some breakfa-"

Veronica stopped talking as she stared at the sight of Lance and Pidge. The two of them tangled up together and looked shocked, to say the least. Lance felt his face heat up with embarrassment and he saw a wicked smile form on Veronica's lips. She definitely wasn't going to let him live this down.

"Well isn't this a sight to see?!" Veronica teased. "Nice to see you can join us Pidge. Ariela will be thrilled to know you are here. I would get ready you two. Before she decides to find you both here the same way I did."

Lance gave his sister a very annoyed look meanwhile Pidge seemed to be oblivious to the fact Lance was clearly freaking out a little bit. 

"Thanks, Ronnie." He said as he tried to hide his annoyance with a smile. "Mind giving us some privacy."

"Of course." She said "Although I would hurry. The food is going to get cold and I need to go wake up Ariela."

Veronica left the room and Lance groaned in annoyance at his sister and her comments. Pidge on the other hand started giggling once Veronica left. Lance looked down at her completely confused. She found this funny?

"What?" He asked as he furrowed his brows slightly.

Pidge buried her face in her hands and kept giggling like crazy. She sounded like a madman and it freaked Lance out a little. Was his girlfriend having a nervous breakdown?

"I-I-I'm s-sorry," Pidge said in between her laughter. "You just had the funniest look on your face when she came into the room."

“Really? That's all you have to say?”

“What else is there to say? This was bound to happen. Be grateful we were both clothed though”

Lance couldn't help but smile as he watched her laugh. It was contagious and her smile was brighter than the sun in Lance's eyes. He liked seeing her this way and wished he would live in this moment forever. However, he knew what was waiting for him and he couldn't avoid it anymore. Pidge then calmed herself down, nuzzled herself against Lance's neck, and gave him small kisses along his jaw. 

"I should probably use the bathroom and get ready." She said in between kisses. "You should go check on Ariela."

"Yeah," Lance said in agreement. "I know we wanted to wait a bit but I think it's time we tell her."

Pidge nodded in agreement. She knew that things were already hard enough not telling Ariela about their relationship. Even though it was still new, Pidge was already going insane about not displaying affection around Ariela. She didn't like hiding her feelings after doing it for so long. It was clear that Lance felt the same as well.

"Yeah." She said, "I'll be downstairs in a minute."

Pidge then got up and went to the bathroom to freshen up. Lance quickly changed and walked downstairs to the dining room to have breakfast. He saw Ariela already at the table in her pajamas. She was eating some cut-up strawberries and had a plate of pancakes. Veronica was busy in the kitchen making some more pancakes for herself, Lance, and Pidge. Ariela's eyes brightened at the sight of Lance walking into the room.

"Morning Papa!" She said in an excited voice. "Tia Veronica made pancakes!" 

"I see that Princessa." He said as he smiled at his daughter and gave her a quick kiss on the top of her head. "I need you to stop eating for a minute, please. I need to talk to you about something important."

Ariela nodded her head and looked at her father with anticipation. Her big brown eyes shined with curiosity and Lance could feel his heart melt at the sight of her. It always melted since the day she was born and he honestly hoped it would never go away no matter how much older she got.

"So we are going to have a special guest join us for breakfast," Lance said. "Is that okay?" 

Ariela nodded her head. She was still a little confused by her father's words but knew that he was telling this to her for a reason. Suddenly she notices Pidge appear in the room out of the corner of her eye. Ariela smiled with excitement at the sight of her and ran to hug her. 

"Pidgey!" She yelled as she ran towards her and hugged her legs. 

"Hi, Ariela!" Pidge said, "I heard we are having yummy pancakes for breakfast."

"Yep!" Ariela said. She then grabbed Pidge's hand and led her to the table. Making sure that Pidge sat in the seat next to her.

Lance couldn't help but smile widely at the sight. He knew that Ariela adored Pidge and that telling her would be easy. Yet he still felt nervous about the whole thing.

"So Ariela, your dad and I have some exciting news to tell you," Pidge said as she settled into her seat.

Ariela looked at the two of them slightly confused and asked "What is it?" 

"Ariela remember that talk we had about Micheal's dad marrying another woman so now he has a stepmom." Lance explained "Well before that could happen, Micheal's dad and his stepmom had to go on a thing called dates. You know like going out to dinner or the movies. Well, people date for a long time before they even consider getting married. Sometimes they don't even get married and that's okay. Pidge and I like each other very much. So much that we have decided to start dating. We wanted to know if you are okay with that?"

Lance honestly didn't think that her smile could get wider. Ariela had a vague idea of what dating was. She had only seen a handful of what dates were supposed to be like in movies. Even so, she was very happy about the news that Pidge and her dad were dating. Her plan had worked! That meant in no time they would fall in love and Pidge could be her new mom.

"So Pidge will come over more?" Ariela asked, "You two will kiss, hold hands, and stuff?"

Pidge and Lance blushed slightly at her questions but also laughed slightly at them. She was so blunt but that was to be expected. Ariela was trying to make sense of what this meant and it was absolutely adorable.

"Yes," Pidge said as she gave Ariela a warm smile.

The four-year-old suddenly burst with excitement and jumped from her chair and into Pidge's arms.

"Yay!" She shouted and Pidge giggled and held her in a tight embrace.

“I'm excited too, cutie,” Pidge told her “Now go finish your breakfast and we can watch a movie after”

Ariela nodded then quickly went back to her seat and began to continue eating her breakfast. Pidge and Lance grabbed themselves some food and ate next to her while Veronica joined them. 

"Tia Veronica, Pidgey, and Papa are dating!" Ariela announced as her aunt sat down at the table.

"I heard!" Veronica said in an excited, yet playful voice. "Isn't it exciting?"

Ariela nodded and continued to happily eat her food. Lance felt a warm fuzzy feeling overcome him as he ate his breakfast that morning. Ariela was happy about him dating again and here he was, enjoying a lovely meal with his family and girlfriend. It was the type of thing that he used to fantasize about when he thought about moving on. It was now a reality and he never wanted the feeling to go away.

Lance knew in that moment that this is exactly what he needed in his life and that everything was falling perfectly into place. He had the life he always dreamed of having and it could only get better from here.