Chapter Text
Katie - no, Pidge - was in a bit of a predicament. She had rebuffed her team members’ efforts to hang out. Seeing as Lance’s idea of fun involved parties and girls (Pidge snorted derisively at the term), she doubted she would have had much fun anyway. But now Pidge was in a bind. She hadn't even gotten contact information from her team members, which was pretty shoddy work for a future communications officer, she supposed. Then again, she hadn't anticipated needing contact information for either of them. Lance was an air-headed prick, and his friend Hunk seemed like one of those follower-types, he probably just did whatever Lance wanted without questioning. That was a bit harsh, Pidge admitted, but then again she had a mission, and it didn't involve making friends. Although a friend would have been pretty convenient to have around right about now. She'd been up on the roof, setting up the equipment she’d ‘borrowed’ from a student lab and retrofitted to suit her particular needs, and she'd began to do what she'd been doing ever since the failed Kerberos mission. She was scanning space, desperate for something, anything, some sort of sign that her father and brother were still out there.
She hadn't expected Security to lock the door to the roof so early, and especially not without checking to make sure no one was currently on the roof. She hadn't heard the lock click, as she’d been focused on listening to the sounds of deep space, desperately looking for a message that just didn't seem to be there. Now the door was locked. She contemplated pounding on the door, but - would anyone even hear? She fought away that terrible strangling sensation, the panic that seemed only ever just at bay, an ever-present cloud of dread that followed her every waking moment.
Then her communicator beeped. A text message had been sent to her student communicator.
Hey, the message read, Is this Pidge?
A second message arrived with a “blip” before she had the chance to answer the first.
If it is Pidge, then this is Hunk, and I was just checking in. Because we're teammates now and teammates should worry about teammates sometimes. Especially when they're not in their bunkroom after lights-out.
Another “blip”, another message.
If this is not Pidge, then I’m sorry I bothered you. Unless you're also not in bed after lights-out, in which case I can worry about you too, if you want.
Pidge hesitated.
“blip”
Are you okay, buddy?
I'm not your buddy, Pidge thought irritably, typing in a quick reply. How did you get this number?
“blip”
Pidge!
“blip”
Are you okay?
“blip”
Where are you right now?
Pidge felt a tension headache developing. Did the man not know how to send multiple sentences in a single message? Ugh. How. Did you. Get. This number.
“blip”
It was on the information packet we got. You know, the one with our room and class assignments.
Pidge scrambled for the information packet she'd received, mentally berating herself. Sure enough, her number, along with the numbers of her new team members, were written there.
“blip”
So, uh, not to be repetitive but… where are you?
Pidge scowled at the message. I'm on the roof.
“blip”
What?? Why?????
Pidge didn't want to answer that. She paused, considering her options.
“blip”
??????
Pidge sighed. This Hunk guy sure was annoyingly persistent. I got stuck on the roof . She finally answered.
“blip”
Do you need help?
Grudgingly, Pidge typed her response. Yes.
“Are you always this… obsessively concerned with what other people are doing?” Pidge asked, walking alongside Hunk as the two of them meandered back in the direction of the bunkroom.
“Nah,” Hunk admitted. “I'm usually pretty chill.”
Then why were you so adamant about contacting me? Pidge wondered, her face crinkling in irritation.
Hunk seemed to sense her frustration and let loose with a belly laugh before clapping both hands over his mouth and whispering “Whoops, I forgot we were sneaking.”
Pidge thought it was hard to sneak with a girth as wide as Hunk’s, but declined to comment on the matter.
“Actually,” Hunk said, drawing out the ‘a’, I just figured with you being new this year it might be nice to make sure you didn't get lost or something.”
“In the future I'll be sure to let you know if I get lost or stuck,” Pidge said dryly, eyeing Hunk. Which won't be happening anytime soon. I just need to make something that will unlock that door for me when security locks it and I'll be good to go, she added mentally.
“I'd appreciate that,” Hunk said. “Also if you ever, y’know, need help with anything else, feel free to ask.” He grinned amiably, clapping a large, calloused hand on her shoulder. “I got your back,” he assured her.
Given time, I might come to appreciate the sentiment, Pidge thought. As it was, she simply nodded sharply.
Hunk drew up short before a bland hydraulic door sunken into the wall. “Well, here you are,” he said. “Home sweet home. For the next year or so, anyway.”
Pidge could already hear the sound of aggressive snoring through the door of the room next to hers. She winced, hoping the walls weren't thin. Hunk glanced at her sympathetically. “I have an extra pair of earplugs if you need them,” he told her, digging into one of his pouches and withdrawing a large meaty hand, carefully unfurling his fist to reveal a small earplug case nestled in the center of his palm.
Pidge considered the earplugs for a moment before plucking it from his hands, allowing herself a small smile. “Thanks,” she said softly.
“What are friends for?” Hunk asked rhetorically before theatrically ushering her towards the door. “Sleep tight!” he said, before glancing both ways and stealthily creeping back down the hall in the direction of his own room. He bumped into a corner and yelped, before realizing the wall wasn't out to get him. He scuttled sheepishly around the corner and was gone.
Pidge let her door slide shut and sank down onto her bed with a sigh. This was going to be a long year.