*from behind a tree*...Hi. So...please don't kill me. I know it's been a hella long time since I last updated, but at least this chapter is a hella long one! Whew, Uni has been...interesting to say the least. I've been so busy with school and whatnot that it's been hard to just sit down and write. But, here it is: Chapter 7! Finally! This one was a bit hard to write, considering I've only been paint-balling once in my life when I was like five. So, if anyone is a huge fan of paintball, I'm sorry for most likely trashing the rules and regulations and whatnot. I know it's not going to be realistic, so if you can save all comments about how my portrayal of paint-balling is incorrect to yourself, I would appreciate it immensely!

Anyways, I also just recently received some fanart for this fic, and I have to say I'm so honored that y'all actually like my story enough to go out and draw some of it! Really, y'all are awesome, and I can't say how happy it makes me to have so many people supporting this silly little story of mine!
Alright, enough jibber jabber on my part. I'm sure y'all just want to get to the good stuff, so here you go!

The sun had been up several hours by the time the alarm on Pidge's phone went off. However, the blaring music didn't shake Pidge from her sleep, because she was already awake. She had been for the last few hours; simply laying on her back, and staring at the ceiling as it gradually grew brighter and brighter as the sun rose, and listening to the loud noises of her neighbors beginning to go about their day.

This was it. Today was the day. In a few hours, she would see Takashi Shirogane again, and she felt like a woman who was waiting for the gallows. Her chest rose and fell as she took a deep breath and loudly exhaled through the nose. Sluggishly, she turned her head to her phone, which was still blaring its alarm at full volume. Pidge blinked a few times, and then sighed again. The blankets shifted, and her pale arm crept out and gently touched the phone's screen, silencing it. Her hand slipped slowly off the side table, and fell limp beside the bed.

Maybe she could pretend to be sick…no, Allura knew that trick, she wouldn't let Pidge get away with it. Maybe she could pretend to break her leg, or better, actually break her leg! After a moment of contemplating whether to slam her leg in the bedroom or bathroom door, she decided that maiming herself is probably not be the best way to avoid talking to an attractive person.

Her phone's alarm blared again, declaring loudly that the snooze button would not silence it forever. She let it ring for another minute, and only got up when her next-door neighbor yelled crankily though the walls to turn it off. Sighing in defeat, Pidge turned off the alarm and checked the time. It was eleven, so that meant she had an hour until Lance came to pick her up. Yay.

Groaning with self-pity, she dragged herself to her closet. She stood there for a full minute, just staring at her clothes with unfocused eyes. Then, she reached for an old frayed t-shirt and worn out jean-shorts and slipped them on. She looked at herself in the mirror. The clothes were fine for paintball, but not for that evening. They were going out to dinner later that night, and everyone would probably want to change out of their paint-covered clothes beforehand.

Pidge thought for a moment, and was tempted to pick a cute little tank top she got a few weeks ago. She then shook her head, dismissing the idea. It's not like they were going anywhere fancy to eat, so she should dress casually. She totally wasn't averse of wearing a cute outfit because Shiro would be there and she felt awkward at the prospect of him complimenting her because of it... nope, not at all…

She began to unhook another old t-shirt and jeans when her phone suddenly rang, startling her half-to-death. She quickly scurried over and picked it up. Her worried expression melted into annoyance.

'Lance.'

Wincing, she pressed the little green answer button.

"I know what you're thinking Katie Holt. Don't you dare wear those ratty things tonight for dinner!" He practically shrieked into her ear. Pidge blew a raspberry into the phone.

Damn him and his stupid sixth sense in fashion. She rolled her eyes as he continued his spiel.

"Tonight, you'd better wear those adorable clothes I gave you for your birthday, or so help me I will throw all your t-shirts into a bonfire and roast marshmallows over their ashes!" Before Pidge could send a scathing reply, Lance hung up. Irritated, she threw her phone onto the bed, watching it as it bounced off the thick covers and landed on the carpeted floor with a muted thud. She turned to her closet and glared at the clothes Lance specified.

It wasn't that she hated them, far from it actually, it's just that putting those things on would make it feel like she was purposefully dressing up for Shiro. It would reduce her to a frivolous teenage girl trying to impress a crush.

With more force than needed, she took the outfit off its hook and threw it on the bed. She stared at it with narrowed, glaring eyes. The little tank top was a grey-white, with dark flower patterns scattered across it. The neckline was slightly ruffled, and two strings on the side of the curve would wrap around her neck to make it stay in place. The short ruffled skirt was a dark blue, with a single white flower pattern trailing down the side of the thigh.

After a few seconds, her glare softened. Another few seconds passed, and her eyebrows lost their furrowed look. Finally, she sighed in resignation.

Fine. Fine! She'll wear the damned thing, but only because it's really cute and she's been wanting an excuse to wear it for a while now. Grabbing a travel bag, she shoved (lightly placed) the clothes in the bottom of the bag and grabbed a pair of tan wedge shoes and placed them on top. After a few minutes of searching for miscellaneous items she would be needing, she closed the bag and threw it over her shoulder.

She would probably go over to Allura's place to take a shower after they were done with paintball, so she wouldn't have to worry about bringing supplies to clean the paint out of her hair. She threw the bag onto the couch, and then stepped into the bathroom to do her daily routine. Her hair was soon brushed and put up in a small ponytail, and she applied a little bit of makeup to make her face look a little less like a corpse and more like an extremely tired college student.

She was exiting the bathroom when a fist knocked on the door. Pidge smiled, grateful that Lance decided to knock like a decent human being for once. Her smile immediately died when Lance pounded his "secret knock" with an extra kick to the door for good measure. Scowling, Pidge grabbed a broom, strode over to the door, and swung it open.

Lance stood smiling for about five seconds when he realized that Pidge was about to unleash broom hell on him. With a frantic yelp, he crouched down to avoid getting hit. It was a fruitless effort, because now he was a sitting duck. The broom swatted on his back with each word Pidge hissed.

"Knock."

Swat.

"Like."

Swat.

"A Normal."

Swat.

"Human."

Swat.

"You."

Swat.

"Fuck-knuckle!"

Swat!

Breathing slightly heavy, she stepped back and placed the broom next to the door. Lance glanced up through his arms and grinned, his back smarting slightly.

"Angry little pigeon this morning, aren't you?" Pidge glared at him and threateningly reached for the broom again. Lance held up his hands in a truce. "Ok, ok. I get the point. Are you ready to go?" Pidge sighed heavily.

"I suppose I can't take a raincheck, can I?" Lance gave her a wide smile.

"Nope! There's no way on Earth I'm letting you miss this! Really, Pidge, I thought you were excited for today?" Pidge shook her head and walked over to her couch.

"It's not the paintball I have a problem with." She muttered in a voice too low for Lance to hear. She reached down and grabbed her travel bag. At the sight of it, Lance crossed his arms.

"For your sake, there'd better be a cute little outfit in there, or I'll be severely disappointed in you." He said with a warning tone. Pidge rolled her eyes and reached into the bag to pull out a bit of the cloth to show him. Lance hummed with approval and Pidge closed the bag again. He then placed a hand on his hip and twirled his car keys around his finger.

"I'm glad you saw reason, my dear gremlin; burning your ratty t-shirts would make my clothes smell like smoke for days. Now let's get going! The others are probably already at the range, and I know Shiro's eagerly waiting for your arrival." He smirked. Pidge shoved him out of the way and stepped out the door after grabbing her purse.

Lance skipped around and ruffled her hair as he passed, cackling as she chased after him. They sped down the short flight of stairs and skid to a stop in front of the apartment complex, right next to Lance's car.

The passenger side window rolled down, and revealing Keith sitting with his feet on the dash and arms crossed. He grinned and gave a short wave. Pidge gave a final annoyed look at Lance and waved back. Of course Keith would catch a ride with Lance, she felt kind of stupid for expecting him to be at the range already. Lance winked at his boyfriend and skirted around the front of the car to the driver's side.

Pidge looked at the little blue car with distrust.

"I thought you said that piece of junk finally keeled over?" She asked Lance.

"I thought so too, but apparently the people working on her were able to get her back up and running again." He opened the door and got in the driver's seat. Pidge hesitated, and then got into one of the back seats.

"Keith," she said as she buckled up, "if we all die because of this idiot's car going up in flames mid highway, you'd better help me kick his ass." Keith smirked.

"Duly noted." Lance made a wounded noise.

"Keeiiitthhh! Don't team up with Pidge! She's a gremlin who feeds off despair!"

"A gremlin who knows that this car would be better off in a junk yard!" Pidge retorted. Lance pouted and turned the key to make the car sputter to life.

"As if you don't." He replied. Pidge narrowed his eyes at him.

The car turned down the road, and Keith didn't bother to turn on music for the ride. Listening to Lance and Pidge bicker was entertaining enough.

It was about twelve-thirty when they pulled into WS Paintball's parking lot. It was packed, but Lance was lucky enough to find a small space at the very back of the lot, hiding between two giant pick-up trucks. Pidge gently eased the door open, careful not to hit the truck next to her. The truck was parked so close to the lines, that it barely left any room for her to get out. Sucking in her stomach, she squeezed herself out of the car and shuffled over until she had room to close the door. Sending a small glare at the offending truck, she walked around the car to meet up with Lance and Keith to begin the long trek across the parking lot.

Pidge wiped the sweat from her brow as the electric doors of the building opened. She sighed in relief as the cool air-conditioned air enveloped her. The main building of the paintball range was already filled with people waiting in the main lobby for their turn in the range. The air was filled with an excited energy, and Pidge watched as several people walked out of the building, sweaty and covered in paint, but laughing and chatting happily like they just had the time of their lives.

"This is so cool! Oh, man, Shay is an absolute angel for doing this for us!" Lance said, turning to grin at Pidge and Keith. Keith nodded as he looked around, admiring the building.

"Yeah." He agreed. "Remind me to thank her again after this." He then pulled out his phone and checked the time. "It's twelve-fifty. We should find the others and sign in before we're late." The minute the words left his mouth, a familiar voice called out to them.

"Lance, Keith, Pidge! Over here!" They turned and saw Hunk walking briskly over to them. Lance waved to them.

"There you guys are! Where's the others?" He asked. Hunk slowed down and stopped in front of them, panting slightly.

"We just finished signing in, so they're already getting their protective gear on. Come on, we don't want to hold them up!" They quickly followed Hunk past a check-in desk and into a medium sized room filled with protective gear. Vests and goggles of various sizes hung from the walls, and several paintball guns hung separately on a wall next to a large door.

As they entered the room, Allura looked up and smiled at them from her spot in a corner, where she was holding conversation older man with a large ginger mustache. Pidge had met Allura's guardian and friend, Coran, several times. He was eccentric, excitable, and if you wanted to hear a good, humorous story, he was exactly the person to go to. It was no wonder why he and Lance got along so well.

As she walked towards Allura, Pidge looked around; breathing a silent sigh of relief when she didn't see Shiro anywhere.

'Maybe he decided not to come after all…' she thought, knowing fully well that this wouldn't be the case. He was probably just running late, but hey, a girl can dream.

Coran, hearing their footsteps, turned and looked at them.

"Ah! There you lot are! I was beginning to wonder if you decided not to come, being too afraid to face the Amazing Coran on the battlefield!" Lance snorted.

"No way man! You and I have some unfished business to attend to!" He declared. Coran stroked his mustache.

"Ah, yes. From what I remember, you were upset that my superior military knowledge aided me in my conquest of your entire kingdom. You ran away like a terrified kineazle at the end of the final battle." Lance smirked at him, puffing his chest out in a confidant stance and pointing his finger at Coran.

"Maybe so, but that was only to ensure my survival! Today, however, I will finally have vengeance for the ones you had so cruelly murdered!" Coran snapped his protective goggles over his eyes.

"Oh ho! I'd like to see you try, boy! For no one has defeated me, and no one ever will!"

Hunk gave them a glance, and then whispered at Pidge.

"I guess they haven't gotten over that Risk game we played last week?" Pidge shook her head.

"Nope."

Next to her, Pidge heard the sound of footsteps. She turned around, and her stomach dropped. Shiro was a few feet away from her, decked out in his paintball gear and smiling cheerfully. He was walking towards them, and Pidge unconsciously took a few steps back. He raised a hand in greeting.

"Afternoon you three! You ready for this?" He gestured to the paintball guns on the wall. Lance and Keith both answered an enthusiastic affirmative, but Pidge couldn't say anything. The script she had wrote for herself for this specific moment was now lost in the depths of her brain.

Pidge took a deep breath to calm herself. She told herself that she knew what to do. She had been preparing for this moment all night. All she had to do was give a greeting back. Simple as that. The only thing she had to do was say 'good afternoon' back, and then the conversation will go from there.

'Come on Katie!' She told herself. 'You can do this!' Her lips rose into a polite smile, and she reached up to wave.

"Good Shiro, hi afternoon! I-I mean-Heyyyy…Shiro…what's...what's good?"

Nailed it.

Shiro blinked in confusion at her fumble, and Pidge could hear Lance and Hunk snorting in the background. Her face turned pink in embarrassment. Shiro gave a small laugh, and her face became deep red. Seeing her embarrassment, Shiro coughed to stop his chuckles, but his lips were still quirked in an amused smile.

"Hey Pidge. Sorry, I didn't mean to laugh." Pidge smiled awkwardly and tried not to curl in on herself.

"Don't worry about it, its fine. I guess I'm a little tired." Shiro gave another cough to fully get rid of his chuckles.

"To be honest, I'm a bit tired myself. Paperwork for the new clinic has been hell." He replied.

"Oh. That must be rough. Is everything ok?" Pidge asked, the blush in her cheeks fading away. The change of topic helped take the edge off her embarrassment. Shiro nodded.

"Yes, everything's fine. I just need to get some problems with insurance figured out, and I've been going through the records of the supplies we've ordered. Then there are bills, bills, and more bills. Keeping track of everything has been… a hassle to say the least." He sighed. Pidge nodded empathetically.

"I know how you feel. The pet store has so many things we need to keep track of, and the animals need constant attention-" Their conversation was interrupted for a moment when a staff member handed Pidge her protective gear. She thanked the woman, and began putting on the vest. She looked up as she fiddled with the straps.

"Oh yeah, we just got the antibiotics for the snakes yesterday! It won't be long before they're perfectly healthy again!" She looked down in efforts to concentrate on the stubborn vest straps. "The only annoying part is that they're more costly than we intended."

Shiro frowned at this.

"I'm sure I can help you find a way to get them cheaper." He said, looking thoughtful. Pidge paused her struggling with the vest straps.

"I don't want to distract you from your work, but in all honesty it would be amazing if we could get them even just a little bit cheaper than they are." Shiro scratched his head.

"Well, perhaps what we can do is-"

"I can't believe it!" Lance unceremoniously interrupted them by throwing himself in between the two. "It's Saturday, we're all out having fun, but you two are still talking about work?"

"Lance, this is important-"

"Nope, nuh-uh, no way, Pidge! It can be done later! Right now, you two are going to forget all about stress and work and have fun blasting your friends with paintballs! Hurry, we're about to start!" He threw his helmet on for emphasis and hurried over to where the others were accumulating next to the main door that would lead them outside and into the paintball range. Shiro stared after him.

"He's right, we should probably discuss this later, in a more appropriate setting." He pulled on his goggles and smiled at Pidge. "For right now, let's go have some fun." She tried to follow him as he walked towards the others, but she was still struggling with the vest straps. She huffed as she pulled on them, but they didn't want to budge. Fortunately, Shiro heard her frustrated groan and looked over at her. He saw what the problem was and walked back over.

"Would you like some help?" He asked respectfully. Pidge was going to refuse, but then she saw that the doors were beginning to open, and knew that she couldn't waste time struggling on her own. So she agreed and lifted up her arms, forcing down the heat that threatened her cheeks. Gently, Shiro reached down and adjusted the vest straps.

Pidge tried oh so hard not to think about their close proximity, or his small breaths on her arm while he fiddled with the straps, or how he smelled like pine and freshly cut wood. Finally, he finished the last buckle and stepped back. Pidge smiled at him shyly and wiggled around to make sure the vest was on correctly. It was perfect.

"Thank you." She said, not meeting his eyes. Shiro nodded.

"Anytime." He said with a grin. Together, they quickly met up with their friends, and as a group they exited the building and into the woods where the game would be played. Pidge subtly moved so she was walking next to Lance and Hunk, leaving Shiro with Keith. She let out a long breath and tried to calm herself. Now wasn't the time to worry about Shiro again; that bandage had already been ripped off, no matter how painful it was.

Finally, the staff member leading them through the forest stopped and turned to them.

"Alright, we've already gone through the rules, but to reiterate: keep your safety goggles on at all times, no shooting at the head or the neck area, no physical contact, and please do not climb the trees; we say that every time, but someone always thinks it's a good idea to do just that. Now after that's said, you'll need to get into two groups of four."

Pidge immediately latched herself to Lance and Hunk, who in turn grabbed each of her arms.

"Alright! The Super Heroic Individuals Team for the win!" Lance crowed, and pumped his fist in the air. Allura shook her head at them.

"Seriously you guys?" She deadpanned, not amused at the team's acronym. Lance, Pidge, and Hunk snickered. Hunk then put his hands on his hips.

"Alright, we'll be needing another member. So who's gunna join us?" He asked, looking at the others. Shay, Keith, Shiro, and Coran immediately stepped back, leaving Allura to be the only one available. Glaring at the traitors behind her, Allura gave a sigh that was heavy with reluctance. Without a word, she trudged over to Team S.H.I.T, who enthusiastically cheered.

Standing on her tip-toes and smirking, Pidge flung her arm around Allura.

"You realize that this makes you a piece of S.H.I.T right?"

Allura gave her an unamused glare. She then nearly screeched when Hunk and Lance snuck up behind her and lifted her up, chanting their team name all the while. They didn't let her down until a bemused-looking staff member walked up to them and held out a box filled with armbands.

"Uh…You'll be the blue team." He said giving them a slightly strange look as they continued chanting, and then turned to the others. "And you'll be the red team."

Pidge grabbed a pair of deep-blue armbands, slipping them on easily. She was glad she managed to get the small pair; anything else would be too big for her skinny arms. Her friends followed suit, and the staff member walked over to the other team to hand them their armbands.

Shiro fiddled with his after he put it on. It was snug, bordering on uncomfortable when he flexed his arm. Unfortunately, it appeared that they didn't have any bigger sizes in the red color. He frowned slightly, and let his arm drop. He looked over at his brother, who was in the process of putting his hair in a ponytail. Shiro made a quick mental note to take him to get his hair cut sometime; it was obvious that Keith had been putting it off.

Keith looked around until he caught Shiro's eye. He walked over to him, clearly wanting to say something.

"Hey, why didn't you volunteer to be in the Blue Team?" He asked. Shiro shrugged, fiddling with his armband again. That was...an unexpected question.

"I…just wanted to be on the same team as my brother. Is that so bad?" Keith narrowed his eyes.

"No, but it's suspicious. Especially since I know that you've been dying for a chance to spend more time with a certain someone." Shiro turned his face, and Keith could have sworn he saw his brother's cheeks redden. Keith's look of mild confusion slowly got replaced by one of realization. Shiro continued to refuse to look at him, and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Really, Keith, there's no special reason-"Shiro was cut off when his brother snickered. He looked over, and was despaired to see a wide smirk on Keith's face.

"I get it." Keith said, sounding far too pleased, "You're worried that you'd try something stupid to impress her." Shiro sputtered, unmistakably turning red now.

"I what-"

"You did!" Keith began laughing, drawing the attention from the other members of their group. Shiro gave him an irritated look.

"Keith, seriously. There isn't any reason. I just know that we'll be able to work better as a team." His tone was stern, but his face was still red. "And there isn't any 'crush'. That's a term used for middle-school infatuation. I simply find her an interesting person."

Keith snorted loudly, making Shiro's eye twitch.

"Forgive me if I'm wrong," Shiro said, catching his younger brother's attention, "but I didn't see you jumping at the chance to join their team and impress Lance with your," his fingers lifted in air quotes, "masculinity." Keith lost his chuckles, but he was still grinning, much to Shiro's annoyance.

"That's because earlier this morning Lance and I made a bet that whoever loses has to clean both cat's litter boxes for a month." He explained smugly. Shiro opened his mouth to say something when Keith abruptly turned away to talk to Lance, leaving Shiro alone with his thoughts and embarrassment.

Shay suddenly cleared her throat, and Shiro, holding back a noise of surprise, flinched violently. The woman's eyes were on Keith and Lance, but she leaned over and whispered to Shiro as if she was giving him confidential information.

"I heard the part about the bet. Poor Keith has no idea what he's getting into; Lance's sharpshooting skills are legendary. His family is really big on skeet shooting, so he's developed a wicked aim." Shiro's eyebrows lifted, his embarrassment slightly nullified at the thought of his brother getting his ass handed to him.

All conversation came to a sudden halt when the staff member walked up to them and said that it was time to begin the game. After one last quick review of the rules, the staff member told them to have a good game, and disappeared into the trees. The two teams looked at each other, acknowledging the fact that the next time they see the other would be on the battlefield. After farewells were said, they each took off on different paths.

Team S.H.I.T quickly made their way to their home base, which was a metal pole on top of a hill with a blue flag tied to the top. They huddled around Lance, who self-proclaimed himself to be the leader.

"Alright team!" He said while he surveyed the area. "Battle plan! Hunk, you and Allura defend our base. Hunk's really good a defense, and it'll be hard for Allura to sneak through enemy territory. No offence" he said, turning to said woman, " but your hair is kinda a dead giveaway." Allura shrugged, but didn't deny it. Lance looked to the shortest member of their team and continued. "Pidge, you and me are going into the Red Team's territory. My job is to be like lighting: striking at the enemy, and disappearing just as fast! You're small, Pidge, so you'll be the most likely to be able to sneak through and capture their base."

Just as the team began nodding in agreement, a loud noise was sounded through the forest, signaling the start of the game. Lance looked up briefly, and then back at his team. He smirked confidently, and saluted them.

"Godspeed, my friends. May your feet be swift and you're shooting be fuckin' badass."

Pidge smirked and saluted back with the rest. Lance nodded to her and began moving towards Red territory. She waved goodbye to Hunk and Allura, and stepped deeper into the forest. For a few minutes, she followed the familiar outline of Lance's back through the shadows of the dense trees.

The air was tense, and they didn't dare speak to each other in fear that the enemy would hear them. Lance suddenly stopped in front of the line that separated the two territories, and glanced at Pidge. She silently smiled at him, and reached out for a fist-bump. He grinned back and knocked his knuckles against hers. Then, without a sound, they each ran different directions, right into enemy territory.

At that same moment, yards away, Hunk is sneaking cautiously through the trees, listening to the unnerving silence. After Lance and Pidge disappeared, he left Allura to guard the base while he surveyed the area around it. Now, walking alone in a dense forest while the enemy was prowling around, the feeling of unease was setting in. A birdcall that sounded suspiciously like a crow pierced the quiet, followed by rapid flapping of wings. Hunk swallowed nervously, and readied his gun. The trees around him were tall, and the shadows they cast were dark. Dark enough to easily hide a human being.

A twig snapped, and he flinched. He jerked his head around, and backed up so he was slightly behind a tree. His eyes scanned the forest, only to see no signs of the enemy. His heart hammered in his chest, and his throat bobbed as he swallowed nervously.

The feeling of eyes on his back made him turn slightly. In a flash, he leapt to the side, and bright green paint splattered against the tree, right where his chest was a few seconds ago. He lifted up his gun and fired, missing the shadowy figure as it ran behind a tree. Hunk ducked behind his own tree and readied for another attack. He looked around the trunk, only to immediately pull back when several paintballs whizzed by him.

He cursed silently to himself as he looked around. A large rock caught his eye, and he peered around to make sure the enemy was still behind their tree. Taking a deep breath, Hunk sprinted out of his cover. A paintball gun fired, and he dove to the ground in a summersault, only to pick himself back up and dive behind the rock. He had a clear shot of the enemy now. He shot his gun three times; each paintball whizzing by the figure's body as it ducked and weaved. They fired again, and Hunk immediately crouched down.

The gunshots stopped, and the uneasy silence returned. Hunk warily peeked over the rock, and stiffened when he saw no sign of the figure. He looked around frantically.

"Wha-?"

A paintball exploded right next to his arm. He gasped and whirled around, gun at the ready. The figure was right in front of him. Its dark outline was eerily familiar. Hunk's breath caught in his throat as the figure stepped out of the shadows, and sunlight revealed the one person he thought would never betray him.

"Shay." He breathed, voice shaky, and he slowly stood up. The love of his life was pointing her gun at him, eyes glinting. "Shay!" He repeated desperately. "How could you do this to me? I thought you died in the Battle of 04'?!" Shay shook her head, and stepped closer to him.

"You were wrong. The Dark Lord Sauronmort had saved me, and I've spent that last five years planning my revenge. Revenge on your country, your king, and yes, even you." Hunk looked shocked.

"B-But.." he stuttered, "why? I've always loved you! I've done everything for you! Does that mean nothing?" Shay shook her head and stepped closer, making Hunk step back and ready his gun.

"Oh, Hunk. Hunk, Hunk, Hunk…" she said in a patronizing tone, "I never loved you. It was all an act!" Hunk gasped, flinging a hand to his heart, and Shay continued. "In fact, I love someone else!" Hunk fell to his knees.

"You…You don't mean...?!" Shay smirked at him.

"Yes! The one I love… is Platt!" Hunk stared at her, and then his shocked grimace wavered as giggles broke through. His body shook with restrained laughter.

"Platt! That…that rat!" He cried, trying and failing to look outraged. Shay's menacing look disappeared for a second as she tried not to let her boyfriend's giggles affect her.

"I knew it!" Hunk yelled, laughing through his words. "I knew you and Platt were up to something! He's always wanted you ever since you gave him that piece of cheese!" Shay was leaning on a tree trunk, stifling her laughter with her hands.

The sudden sounds of distant paintball guns shook them from their amusement. Shay blinked, and then quickly put on her evil persona.

"Ah, well, I'd better get to killing you then." She smirked. Hunk couldn't help but give another laughing smile and dove out of the way as his girlfriend tried to hit him with paintballs. He swung his gun up and fired back, missing her by a few inches. Slowly, he was backed up against a tree, and was cornered. Hunk looked around for an escape route, but found none. He looked up at Shay, and sheepishly smiled.

"I supposed I can't use my devilish good looks to convince you to let me go?" He asked, making Shay grin.

"Sorry, hon, but I still need my revenge on you. You ate the last cookie yesterday." She then promptly shot Hunk in the chest.

Hunk gasped dramatically and collapsed onto the ground. He looked at her, and let his head go limp.

"I can't believe my girlfriend just killed me in cold blood!" He whispered. Shay laughed and walked over to pat his head.

"I'm afraid I don't regret it." She stood up and blew him a kiss. "I'll see you later, hun bun." She then disappeared into the trees. Hunk sighed and hoisted himself up. He brushed the grass from his pants, and began walking towards the edge of the paintball range, where he would wait with the others who got out until the game was over. He just hoped Allura would be able to protect their base.

Many yards away from where Hunk was standing, Keith was crouching behind a particularly mossy tree trunk in the Red Team's territory. He didn't know how his team members were faring; all he knew was that if he didn't get out of there fast, he would be decorated in splatters of paint.

He had previously been talking in hushed tones to Coran about their battle plan, and they were about to go their separate ways when gunshots rang out. They yelled in shock and dove behind separate trees.

Cursing silently, Keith scanned around, but saw no one. He glanced over to Coran, who was looking around frantically. He too had no idea where the shots were coming from. Keith sighed and slumped further down his tree. At least they were in an area where there was a lot of cover. They were in a dip in the ground, and had a clear shot of anyone who was standing on the elevated ground above them. The dense tree branches would also prevent anyone on higher ground from successfully firing back at them.

He flinched when shots were fired again. Several branches above him were hit, and they fell to the ground in muted thuds. He leaned around the tree again. A paintball whizzed by his arm, so close that if were a centimeter further out, he would have been hit. Keith yelped and dove back behind the tree.

"Keith! Get over here!" Keith's head whipped around, and saw Coran quickly beckoning him. Keith hesitated for a second, and a low-hanging branch next to him cracked as a paintball collided with it. The sound prompted Keith to sprint to Coran, and he slid into position next to him.

"Can you see who it is?" Keith whispered, gun at the ready. Coran shook his head.

"No, unfortunately, but I have an inkling who it could be." Another paintball splattered inches from them, and Coran gulped nervously. "Though I seriously hope that I'm wrong." Keith opened his mouth, but shut it as a paintball hit a tree trunk next to him on the opposite side.

"Shit." He cursed. "We're pinned!" Coran nodded in agreement.

"Aye, we're like a dunsnout in a sneakle's cave." Keith paused his shooting to look over his shoulder at the man.

"What are you even- you know what, never mind." Another shot whizzed over their heads, and they quickly ducked. Keith let out a string of angry curses. "Who the hell can shoot through this mess?" He gestured angrily at the plethora of branches above him. Coran turned to him, and Keith saw his face turn white.

"Get down!" He yelled, pushing Keith to the ground. There was a sound of something splattering against a solid surface, and Keith froze. He looked up, and saw Coran with his hand on his chest. The older man's expression was of one of shock, and he slowly lifted his hand up. Bright blue paint dripped from his fingers, glittering menacingly in the light as a drop fell and landed on Keith's cheek. Coran gazed down at Keith's stunned face, and grinned, mustache twitching slightly.

"Well, looks like I'm out."

His gun fell to the ground, and his body followed shortly after. After a second of stunned silence, Keith scrambled to his knees and to Coran's side.

"Who is it?" He asked frantically, lifting Coran's head up. "Did you see who's shot you?" Coran's eyes fluttered open, and he slowly lifted his head up to Keith's ear.

"It's…El Diablo." He whispered. Coran's hand then slid from Keith's shoulder and hit the ground. Keith furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

"What? What kinda stupid name is tha-?" He trailed off as Coran opened one eye and gestured behind Keith, then fell limp again. Keith looked behind him, and his eyes widened.

A familiar shadowed figure was on top of a small hill that looked down on them. Their gun lowered, and the clouds drifted away from the sun, dramatically revealing who it was. Keith wasn't surprised to see that it was his boyfriend. Lance stared down at him triumphantly; his body tense like a predator whose prey was in sight. His mouth drew up into a dangerous smirk, and he slowly dragged his thumb across his throat in a threatening gesture.

Keith didn't know whether to be scared or turned on. As a paintball missed him by a centimeter, he definitively decided that he was both. He leapt to his feet and quickly sprinted away, hoping to get away from Lance's deadly aim. Behind him, Lance let his gun rest at his side as he watched the lone figure retreat. Shaking his head, he tightened his grip on the gun and left himself slide down the side of the hill, clouds of dirt following him as his heavy boots scraped against the earth. Lance effortlessly landed on the bottom of the hill, dirt and rocks falling in his wake.

Pleased with his landing, Lance dusted off his shoulders and began walking in the direction where Keith disappeared. He paused for a second to offer Coran a hand. The older man took it and heaved himself off the ground. Chuckling to himself, Coran clapped a hand on Lance's shoulder.

"That was an excellent shot, lad! But I'm afraid you're going to have a bit of difficulty catching up to Keith." Lance laughed.

"It wouldn't be fun if were easy though!" He then used his fingers to give a mini-salute to Coran. "See you later man!" With that said, Lance sped off after Keith, the soft dirt muffling his footsteps. Coran watched him go until he was no longer visible. Sighing, he picked his paintball gun off the ground and began walking to the exit, where he would meet up with the others who were out.

Keith's feet pounded heavily on the ground as paintballs exploded on the ground behind him. He didn't have to look around to know that Lance was hot on his heels. Several feet in front of him, he spotted two large trees, whose low-hanging branches were twisted in what could be used as cover. He made a sharp turn and dove behind the trunks, slipping a little on the leaves that coated the ground. He then swung his gun around and fired at the Lance. His boyfriend fell to the ground in an impressive roll and crouched behind a tree several feet in front of Keith's.

Keith fired his gun again to make sure Lance stayed behind cover. He ducked behind the trunk and pressed his back against it, ignoring the little twigs that poked his neck and sides. A bead of sweat dripped down his face, and he quickly swiped it away. Keith risked a peek around the tree, and immediately had to duck back before he was hit. He heard Lance laugh.

"I think I like it when you play hard to get, babe. It'll make it even more fun when I catch you." His boyfriend taunted. Keith gave a bark of laughter.

"Prepare to be disappointed then." He called back. In his mind's eye, he could see Lance's smirk. There was a rustle of grass, and Keith saw Lance appear next to him. Thinking fast, Keith jumped to the side and fired his gun several times. Lance was forced into an awkward hop-skip to avoid the onslaught of paintballs.

Keith watched as Lance looked around, apparently searching for cover. Keith tried in vain to shoot him before he could get away, but he was slippery as an eel. Lance shot him a quick smirk before retreating into the trees, in the direction of Red Team's base. Keith quickly shot after him, determined to get him before he could get to his base. He knew that if he followed Lance directly, he wouldn't catch him in time. That fucker was too fast with his long gangly legs. He looked to his side, and saw a possible shortcut. It would either lead him right in front of Lance, or he would run smack dab into a dead end. That, or he'll fall and break something.

However, Keith was competitive, and he would be damned if he got stuck with litter-box cleaning duty for a month. So he decided to take the risk. He sharply veered off the path, and leapt onto several rocks, bounding from one to another. Some shifted underneath him, but he didn't lose his balance. Keith leapt to a fallen tree trunk and sprinted across it, then jumped and vaulted off a large rock. He flew through the air for a second, and then landed heavily on the ground, dust and leaves scattering around him.

He looked up, and Lance was right in front of him, whose mouth dropped in surprise. Keith straightened and pointed his gun at him, but Lance didn't give him the opportunity to shoot. He sprinted towards the trees, shooting as he ran. Keith twirled to dodge, and followed him.

For a second, he lost sight of Lance. Keith slowed to a stop, and looked around warily. He could handle the other man when he was visible; it was when Lance disappeared it became a problem. He took a few steps forward, and finally spotted the blue armband through the trees. Lance had climbed on top of a pile of large rocks, shielded by thick trees. Keith tried to fire at him, but the paintballs bounced harmlessly off the tree branches. He snorted in frustration, and let his gun fall to his side. At least Lance couldn't shoot at him from where he was. All Keith had to do was step a few paces further, get a clear shot, and shoot first. Lance would have nowhere to run.

Lance, however, was not daunted by the situation. He watched patiently as Keith crept closer. Then, he raised his gun. It would be a difficult shot, but he could make it. He had to make it, or he was a goner. Taking a deep breath, Lance steadied his hand, aimed, and applied pressure to the trigger. The gun jerked as it fired. The paintball shot through the air, directly at its intended target, and then harmlessly collided with a branch. Keith froze, and Lance frowned slightly. Lower- he had to aim lower. He pulled the trigger once more, and this time his aim was true. Faster than the eye could follow, the paintball whizzed through the air, through the branches, and collided with its target.

Keith grunted with shock. He looked down, and over his chest was a splatter of red paint. He slowly looked back up at Lance's triumphant smile. Lance swung his gun over his shoulder, and climbed down the rocks, taking his own sweet time. He sauntered up to Keith, giving him a saucy wink.

"I win, pretty boy. Have fun cleaning the litter boxes."

Then, without warning, he stepped closer, until their noses were nearly touching. Keith didn't know how to feel about the gleam in his boyfriend's eyes. "But you know," Lance whispered, reaching up and letting two fingers slowly walk up Keith's chest, until they were gently lifting up his chin, " back there, when you were dodging and acting all 'warrior-boy'," his breath ghosted over Keith' lips and purred", it was really sexy."

Keith gulped. But just as he leaned in, Lance pulled back. He teasingly tapped a finger on Keith's nose, laughing at the scowl that appeared on his boyfriend's face. "See you later, babe." Lance chuckled, and stepped away. "Don't worry, I'll let you get your revenge later when you come over to my place tonight." He winked again at Keith's reddening face, and sashayed away, putting more swing in his hips than necessary. Keith was left staring after him; feeling a mixture of dazed, irritated, and aroused. Shaking his head and scowling, he whipped around to walk away, only to run straight into a tree.

Yards away, dirt crunched under Pidge's boots as she weaved between trees and jumped over protruding rocks. Somewhere in the distance, she could hear yells and paintball guns firing. She smirked; the war was escalating. Prowling through the shadows, she went deeper into Red Territory. She had already sneaked past Shay and Keith with ease. However, she had been a breath away from getting caught by Coran. Luckily, her stealth did not fail her, and she was able to escape the man, and now was nearly at her goal.

Finally, she saw a splash of red amongst the dark green trees. A bright red flag was tied to a metal pole, similar to the one in the Blue Team's base. Pidge peeked from behind a tree. She was so close to the flag, all she had to do was run a few feet and seize it, and the Blue Team would win. There was just one, teensy problem.

Shiro was standing right in front of it.

Pidge silently cursed to herself and ducked behind a tree. He hasn't seen her yet, and she would prefer to keep it that way. For a moment, she wondered if she could get Lance to help her. He could distract Shiro while she grabbed the flag. This idea was dashed as soon as she heard Lance and Allura's distant yells. Paintball guns were fired, and more yells carried though the forest. Pidge sighed to herself and shifted her position. It looks like they were busy, so she would have to do this alone.

A small amount of reluctance pricked the back of her head, and her heart jumped at the thought of her going against him. Pidge tightened her grip on her gun, and forced these thoughts to retreat. This was war, and she wasn't going to fail her team.

After psyching herself up, she quickly glanced around for any Red Team members before running to the next tree over. Her light feet made no noise, and Shiro didn't look her way. She had to be careful though, he was looking around the area in a complete circle. Timing it so she would move when he looked away, she ducked behind the next tree. Slowly, inch by inch, she made her way closer to her goal.

She narrowed her eyes at the man in front of her. He was standing close to the flag, so it would be hard to snatch it from behind him. She would have to draw him away from it somehow, and she had a feeling that it would not be easy. Perhaps she could shoot at him from one side, and while he was distracted, she could run over to the other side and try to sneak up behind him…No, that wouldn't work. She didn't have enough time, and he would see her.

A paintball exploded against the tree next to her, and she nearly leapt out of her skin. She's been spotted! She ducked behind a tree and peeked out. Shiro was standing with his gun at the ready, smiling slightly at her.

"I'm afraid you won't be able to get the flag that easily." He called out. Pidge's adrenalin was now pumping through her, giving her a boost of confidence. She smirked, and her gaze flickered to his gun, and then back up at him.

"Oh? And here I was thinking that you would just give it to me." Shiro laughed.

"Unfortunately, that won't be happening any time soon."

"'Soon' is a relative term, y'know." Pidge replied. She didn't give him a chance to answer, and sprinted out from the cover of her tree. She swung her gun and shot as she ran. Her aim was way off, but it got Shiro to go on defense. She didn't have a plan, so she would have to wing it. She knew Shiro was going to shoot at her again, so she put on an extra burst of speed and literally dove for a tree.

She hit the ground hard, and skid to a stop. Pidge winced, and scrambled to stand. Her jeans were now ripped at the knees, and large green stains covered the legs. At least they were an old pair. She risked looking down to inspect her knees, and breathed out a small sigh of relief when she saw no blood.

"Pidge, are you ok? That looked pretty rough…" Shiro asked from behind the tree. Pidge nodded, even though she knew he couldn't see it.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just worry about your own sorry ass, because I'm gunna be kicking it in a second!" That got another laugh from Shiro, and Pidge momentarily felt proud of herself. She grinned and swung her gun around to fire at him. She missed, but it was close. Shiro leapt out of the way, and fired back.

Several minutes of firing back and forth later, Pidge realized that they were in a stalemate. If Shiro tried to run around the tree and get her, he would leave the flag open for Pidge to take. If Pidge left her spot from behind the tree and tried to rush the flag, she would be an open target. Her mind buzzed rapidly as she thought of possible solutions. After a quick glance around the tree one more time, a plan formed in her mind. Shiro's aim was better than hers at a long distance, but movement wise, he wasn't as fast. This weakness could be exploited to her advantage.

She bent her legs and pushed off the ground. Dirt flew from underneath her shoes as she sprinted along the edge of the clearing. Paintballs exploded behind her. She swiveled around and shot at Shiro, who was forced to lower his gun in favor of dodging. At this moment, Pidge skid to a stop. As her heels buried themselves into the ground, Pidge pointed her gun and fired. The ground slid from under her, and she was forced down.

Her knees once again hit the ground, but she didn't notice the sting. Shiro stood frozen several feet in front of her, mouth open slightly in surprise. Out of pure dumb, incredible luck, a paintball had hit its mark. Green paint was splattered against Shiro's left side, inches below the general area of his heart. Pidge let her gun fall to her side.

"Holy shit. That actually worked." She said in awe. Shiro blinked, looking at the paint, and then back at her. She grinned at him, still a bit dizzy from the lack of oxygen after running. Clumps of dirt fell from her knees as she stood up. She jogged past Shiro and toward the flag, and victoriously plucked it off the pole. A sound similar to an air horn echoed through the range, and the game was officially over.

Pidge felt a sense of pride as she gripped the red cloth. Her team won their first game, and she was the one to get the flag! A hand reached into her field of vision, and her gaze trailed upwards, across an arm, shoulder, neck, and then eventually met Shiro's eyes.

"Good game." He said. His eyes shone with something that looked like looked almost like… admiration? Pidge's stomach flipped as she grasped his hand, giving it a shake.

"Thanks." She replied, and if her hand lingered a bit too long on his, Shiro didn't say anything about it. Pidge was forced to reluctantly release his hand when she couldn't hold it any longer without making it weird. Shiro let his hand fell to his gun and his shouldered it with a huff.

"We'd better get going. The others are probably already back by now." Pidge nodded in agreement, and they stepped through the trees and onto a small, distinct path on the edge of the forest.

They walked side-by-side in complete silence for a moment, and then, with her brain still buzzing with adrenaline, Pidge's gaze flickered up at the man next to her.

"You know," she said, making him quickly glance down at her, "the flag was easier to get than I thought it would be." Shiro's mouth twitched into a smile.

"Hey, in my defense, it's really hard to hit a moving target." Pidge let out a small snort of laughter.

"By that you mean you're slow, old man." Shiro suddenly increased his strides, leaving her behind. Pidge yelped and had to jog to catch up to him.

"You were saying?" He asked, not looking at her but smiling. Pidge huffed at him.

"There's a difference between sprinting short distances and keeping up with someone walking faster than you!"

Shiro didn't say anything to that, but he did slow down; looking pleased with himself. Grateful for this, Pidge was able to fall into an easy pace next to him. Just not too close next to him. They slipped once again into silence, and Pidge didn't know what to say to break it. She opted for looking around and surveying the damage they did with their paintballs.

Paint splotches littered the ground and trees, giving the allusion that someone had taken a dripping paintbrush and waved it all around. Most splatters were old and dried, but some were gleaming fresh. Briefly, she wondered who got hit. Obviously, there were members of the other team still in play before she got the flag, or else the game would have ended sooner.

Something brushed her arm, and she flinched slightly. She was slightly dismayed to see that Shiro's arm was the culprit. It appears that the path had narrowed without her knowledge, leaving just enough room for two people to walk closely side-by-side. Shiro must've not noticed either, or else he would have either walked in front or behind her to make more room.

Pidge risked another glance at him. He wasn't looking at her, instead he was focused straight ahead. His arm brushed hers again, and she was immediately aware of how unnatural his arm felt. She involuntarily looked down, and saw that it was his arm that was made of metal. Or well, it looked like it was made of metal, which was highly unlikely. In this day and age, it's near impossible to get a fully functioning, titanium prosthetic arm that was connected to the nervous system and everything. Most of them were still experimental, and certainly not ready for commercial use. So, the chances of a normal guy getting one is next to zero.

And that's why, at first glance, Pidge thought it was some sort of fashion statement. Now that she's got view of it at a close distance, it looks…pretty real. But, what if it really is real? She couldn't just ask him how he lost his arm in the first place and where he got the replacement. That would be acting too...familiar with him. Besides, it can't be real, the functions are way too realistic, certainly nothing like all the titanium prosthetics her dad has shown her.

So, that only leaves one option: it was some sort of an elaborate…costume, of sorts.

Pidge studied the man next to her. He didn't strike her as the type to incorporate cosplay into his daily life. At the veterinary clinic, he wore a long-sleeved lab coat and gloves, so it was impossible to tell if he was still wearing the costume while at work. But every time she saw him outside of work, he was wearing it.

Well, what was she to judge? If he had a… peculiar fashion taste, she had no right to stop him. And it wasn't like it looked bad or anything. It actually looked quite appealing. He's certainly able to pull off the "Winter-Soldier" look.

She didn't know how long she was staring at him, but apparently it was long enough to grab his attention.

"Is something the matter?"

Pidge snapped to attention so fast it nearly hurt.

"N-No, I just-"

"There you two are!"

Allura's timing couldn't be more impeccable. They made it back to the designated waiting area just in time to save Pidge from another embarrassment. Pidge breathed a silent sigh of relief as she and Shiro stepped into the clearing. Allura was walking over to them. "I was worried you got lost or something!" She said with relief. Pidge blatantly ignored the way Lance was wiggling his eyebrows at them.

"Oh please, we're not Lance." Pidge sniped, giving her childhood friend a quick smirk. Lance got his petty revenge by marching over to her and hoisting her over his head. She shrieked and he cackled.

"Such disrespect! How dare you talk to your fearless leader like that? Ans after all I did to lead us to victory?" He grinned as she struggled in his arms.

"In case you haven't noticed, I'm the one who got the flag!" Pidge rolled her eyes. At this, Lance's grin softened and he pulled her into a crushing hug.

"That you did, my petite kumquat, that you did!"

Pidge could barely breathe in his hold, and once Hunk and Allura joined in, she decided to give up on it altogether. When they finally let go a few seconds later, she spent the next minute sucking precious oxygen into her lungs. She nearly chocked on air when Hunk clapped her on the back.

"I wish I could've seen it!" Hunk said with pride. "You'll have to tell me all about it after this!" Pidge smiled at him once she was sure she wasn't going to pass out.

"Don't worry big guy. We'll have plenty of time to talk about everything later."

A staff member walked up to their group, silencing any chatter.

"Congratulations, Blue Team! You're the winners for this round!" Lance cheered obnoxiously, but was quickly silenced by the rest of the group. "Now, the next round is beginning!" The man continued. "Everyone, please follow me to the next area, where Round Two will be held. There, you will trade out your paintball guns for new, fully loaded ones."

The man turned and walked down a wide pathway. The two teams watched his back for a moment, and then looked at each other. The Blue Team smirked at the Red Team, who grinned challengingly back. Then, without a word, they quickly followed the man down the path, ready for the beginning of another battle.

Eh? Eh? Whaddya think? A high 'meh', or a low 'meh'? Well, I think it could've been worse. Whew, this was a looong chapter, the longest I've ever written I think. Hopefully this will hold y'all over until...whenever I update next. But hey, finals are coming up, so after that, I'll be able to write some more! Now if I only had an idea of what to write...Welp, back to the drawing board I guess.

Also, it's almost CHRISTMAS! I absolutely LOVE Christmas, and I hope all of you beautiful people have a very merry Christmas season this year! Well, I gotta go now, but remember to review, or not, it's you're choice! This is ArtistFox signing off, and I'll see y'all in the next chapter!.