Victory Road IC Inbox

[pidge_out]

 


Hey, it's Pidge. Can't answer right now-- Rover quit it! --so leave a message and I'll get back to you when I can.
Rover, what did I say--?!?!

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[spacebaloney]

pidge i got a question
a serious one

[If the fact he's calling her Pidge and not babe, baby, my little gremlin, or any of the fifty million nicknames he has for her doesn't show how serious this is going to be, that last part sure will.]

[pidge_out]

[It does catch her off guard, so she actually sits up from where she'd been sprawled on the floor with Bark Ruffalo to text him back.]

sure. what's going on? are you ok?

[spacebaloney]

i'm fine

[Physically, at least.]

have you noticed anything weird about hunk lately?

[pidge_out]

you mean besides the part where he's never around to talk to lately?

[spacebaloney]

[For someone who says she's no good with people, Pidge manages to get it in one.]

well that and when he is around he doesn't really say much
like at the dinner? i only got a hi from him
not even a Hunk Hug™
before that i hadn;t heard from him in forever

[pidge_out]

[Hunk is one of those easy-to-read people. Even Pidge and Keith can tell when something's amiss.] yeah he seemed really subdued and i have no idea why. he didn't even say anything about the food [The man's basically a connoisseur in every sense. It was weird to not see him be excited about it when he'd been on the road so much.] could he be sick or something?

[spacebaloney]

i know right?
and i don't know where he's staying but he can't be eating that good wherever he is

[Which is another thing. Lance has no idea where Hunk is resting his head. It's not like he didn't want to ask; more like if Hunk is barely greeting him, why would he give Lance his address?]

that's a real long time to be sick, pidge
i think he would have said so anyway
never stopped him from telling us he was gonna barf before

[pidge_out]

[There's a pause, only because she really is racking her brain for a possible answer that would explain Hunk's behavior. Preferably something quick and fixable. But she can't find any. And that bothers her.] i don't know, lance i'd try asking him myself, but i think that might end up like talking to empty space you've known him longer than the rest of us. has he ever pulled something like this before?

[spacebaloney]

never
i even asked shiro and shiro hasnt heard much from him either
at first i thought i did something to piss hunk off but i can't think of anything at all

and yeah asking him...
i would have done that but 1 if he's not talking to me he probably wont tell me anything and 2 i know when i'm not wanted

[pidge_out]

if he's not talking to shiro either then
this sounds so weird, but he must not want to talk to any of us

like maybe something happens in the future that he just can't move on from. and if that's the case then i guess there isn't really anything we can do

[spacebaloney]

but isn't he from before us?
like i don't think he knows we get back to earth
so what could happen to him that we don't know?

[pidge_out]

is he??

then
maybe


shit, i really don't know

[Pidge.exe has failed.]

[spacebaloney]

[There's a long pause before Lance replies back, mostly because he's rubbing at his temples at this forever to be unsolved mystery but also because he feels the deep sting of realization coming on.]

so this is how i lose my best friend

[Again. Except this time, losing Hunk hurts more because he's still in this world. It's difference when he keeps going home; being here mean he chooses to ignore Lance.]

[pidge_out]

[Reading those words makes something in her own chest constrict. She hates not being able to do anything about this, being completely helpless to fix a problem. Being ignored by Hunk hurts her too, but Lance's pain...] do you want me to call you? can you come home?

[spacebaloney]

idk

[He really doesn't. He knows Pidge was close to Hunk as well, especially after all they went through together as a team, as lovers, but Lance doesn't know if coming home right now would help him or make things worse for her.]

think im gonna walk around for a bit

[And eventually walk himself into a bar that asks no questions about his babyface and just takes his money in exchange for a drink. Because that's how we solve our problems around here.]

[pidge_out]

[Pidge frowns down at her phone a little bit, but... She gets it. This isn't something that'll get fixed overnight with a screwdriver and a soldering iron. If Lance needs some time and space then she'll let him have it. As long as he knows that he always has a place to come back to when he's ready. And that if he wanders too far she'll be ready to pull him back in.]

don't stay out too late
promise?

[spacebaloney]

[He can't abandon her too. Lance cares about his Voltron family more than he can ever say, even if they somehow stop loving him back. But right now, he needs to be in his own head for a little bit, for an hour or two, and then move on. Cause that's what Paladins do. They fight, they lose, they move on.

And Hunk... he can do whatever he pleases. Lance won't force a friendship where it mysteriously died.]

i won't
love you 💕

[pidge_out]

love you too 💕 i'll wait up for you, ok? [Because that at least is something she can do. Be there when he gets home. Wait with open arms, be ready with a warm embrace that he can hopefully find some solace in. Maybe he'll be drunk. Maybe he'll need to talk or cry or scream. Whatever he needs, however she can help ease the hurt he's feeling, Pidge will be ready for it.]

[spacebaloney]

[And the promise is kept as Lance finds his way home a little after midnight, which for a couple who regularly stays up into the wee hours of the night challenging each other to another virtual boss fight, is early. But he's in no shape to take on anyone with both guns blazing after taking two drinks back to back with his lightweight self. He can barely make it through the dark living room without bashing his foot against a corner of the coffee table, hissing in pain as he sways drunkenly side to side.]

Fuckin' shit!

[Luckily, Shiro isn't home to make him put another Pokedollar in the Swear Jar and the only people here to hear Lance forget his inside voice is Pidge and Sasha. When Sasha mostly keeps to herself, the only one Lance has to worry about is his wife.]

[pidge_out]

[As promised, Pidge is indeed awake when she hears the front door open. Of course this is a perfectly normal hour for her to be up, which makes it all the more surprising that Lance is already home. She's already heading toward the living room when Lance hits his foot and swears, which prompts her to just sigh and turn the lights on.] You could've turned on the lights, you know. [Her tone is only slightly teasing, soft in the way she reserves only for her idiot husband.]

[spacebaloney]

[The unexpected flood of light seems way too bright to be the indoor kind so Lance is hopping on one foot while bringing a hand up to shield his eyes. Even drunk, he's dramatic.]

I didn't wanna wake...

[Lance swings the same hand covering his eyes outwards to indicate the other residents of the house which aside from humans make up catlike Pokemon who couldn't give less of a damn. They're all still snoozing around the room, perched on the cat trees and furniture, not paying a sliver of attention to Lance or his toe.]

...anybody up.

[His words are somewhat slurred and he's still hopping. It's a miracle he's still upright with how inexperienced he is to alcohol, to be honest.]

[pidge_out]

[The sight just... makes Pidge let out a short exhale, shaking her head as she crosses the room to reach him. He had good reason and all that, but seeing Lance like this is just... She's not even sure she has the right word for what it is.] They're all knocked out, Lance. [She squints up at him once she's at his side, lips pursing as she scrutinizes him. Yep, he's definitely drunk. Pidge still hasn't quite figured out how much alcohol it actually takes to get him to this point, but he at least doesn't reek of booze. So that's something.] ..How much did you have?

[spacebaloney]

[He manages to have enough sense left to stop hopping when Pidge comes close so he doesn't topple onto her as he leans down for a kiss. The whole Lance doesn't reek of booze, but his breath does carry a whiff of whatever the bartender threw in the glass when he asked for something stiff enough to forget things. It sounded cool in Lance's head, but his body doesn't agree.]

How much what? [A pause as it takes a moment for her question to full settle in and then he's pinching his forefinger and thumb together in a visual reply.] Uh... not much. One... two... three?

[Not much in the grand scheme of drinking, but far more than Lance is used to.]

[pidge_out]

[Even if he hadn't stopped hopping she'd put a steadying hand to his shoulder just in case, and there's no protest from her even as she catches the whiff of alcohol on his breath. She almost wants to cough into his face for making endure it, but she manages to keep herself in check.

Pidge has to shake her head again at his answer though, another incredulous sigh escaping her.]

Out of all of us, I'm still amazed that you're the lightweight.

[She reaches to take that hand in hers, tugging him in the direction of the kitchen.]

Come on, Sharpshooter. I think you need some water before we go to bed.

[spacebaloney]

'm no lightweight! You're actin' like I'm drunk!

[How rude of you, Pidge. Here the man is hurting, trying to untangle his emotions, and you're insulting his ability to hold his liquor. Just because he also was wobbly after a couple of shots when he told you he loved you means nothing!

Neither does the time they all played Never Have I Ever and Lance got all drama queenish about things. Truly does not mean anything at all.]

Bed? But it's early. [He lets her tug him just enough so he's right up against her, pushing his face into the curve of her neck.] What about some lovin' instead?

[Please turn him down, Pidge. He probably can't even get it up right now.]