Klanceweek 2018 - Day 4: Garrison/Pilot

Disclaimer: I do not own Voltron: Legendary Defender

"I hate him."

Hunk looked up from his textbook curiously. He peeked up from his spot on the bottom bunk and caught sight of Lance lying sprawled on the top bunk and staring angrily at the ceiling. "I'm sorry?"

"I hate him. Keith Kogane."

Hunk knew the beginnings of a rant when he saw one, so he put a florescent sticky note onto his book and closed it. "That pilot guy?"

"Yeah, the pilot guy," said Lance bitingly.

"You mean the one that you called 'the most amazing freshman pilot since Takashi Shirogane'? That one?"

"Yes, Hunk, except I've seen his true colours and he isn't amazing. Not even a little bit."

"And where exactly does this change of heart come from?" asked Hunk. The first time they had seen Keith Kogane fly, Lance had been in awe. He'd been reprimanded when he cheered too loudly at a spectacular dive from Keith, but, though Lance feigned guilt for Commander Iverson, he'd clearly admired Keith skill and technique. Hunk had no interest in flying, but even he could tell that Keith had a raw talent for someone who had never flown an actual craft. Some of the other students at the time had whispered among themselves about how Keith was destined to be a fighter pilot, that he was born to fly. Hunk couldn't find any evidence on the contrary, and that was that.

Lance had gushed about Keith Kogane's flight until Lance had his own turn in the simulator. Lance had not lasted as long as Keith, totaling less hits on the enemy and ending in an emergency crash landing. Hunk remembered Lance being embarrassed about it, and Keith Kogane's name was never brought up again unless it was accompanied by a longing sigh.

Until now, apparently.

Lance groaned loudly and the sound was sharply muffled by what Hunk could only assume was his pillow.

"Lance?"

"He's a jerk, Hunk. Oh my god, he thinks he's better than everyone else. He walked out of the simulator today with this expression on his face; it was like he was bored and the set was too easy. The instructors were complimenting him on all the crazy stuff he did in the simulator and he just brushed it off! Are you kidding me?"

"Maybe he just doesn't like to brag."

"A guy like that?" Lance's head appeared over the railing of the top bunk to glare down at Hunk. "He's got so much going for him and it's like he doesn't even care. God, I bet he's here on a scholarship too. Probably so good at flying that the Garrison paid him to attend."

Hunk's brows furrowed naturally. "I can't tell if you're complimenting him or hating on him."

"Hating, Hunk," said Lance insistently, "definitely hating."

"Lance-"

"No, Hunk. I hate him." Lance's face disappeared as he flopped back onto the bed. "He's the worst."

"He didn't seem like a bad guy when we watched him before," said Hunk slowly, "but maybe you're right. I don't know. I don't get a bad vibe."

"That's because you're far away from him, Hunk," said Lance, "and I don't want to expose you to someone that cocky and arrogant. We have so many classes together but he doesn't even blink at another person."

As far as Hunk could tell, Lance was jealous, hurt, and (if his last comment was anything to go by) he craved Keith's attention. Instead of confronting it, Hunk stayed silent at that comment and let Lance continue to vent, to rant about this strange and apparently aloof boy that aced the simulators and wriggled under Lance's skin. He waited until Lance was out of breath with his topic so far away from his original description of Keith that mentioning the quiz they had in "History of Space Exploration" effectively derailed him.

Hunk hoped that that was the last he would hear of Keith Kogane.

He really should have known better.

"I hate him, Hunk. I do. I really do."

"We're talking about Keith again?"

"Hunk, don't say it like that," groaned Lance and he slumped into the seat next to Hunk. The library was quiet and filled with other Garrison students studying away. Hunk was just as tired as they no doubt were, and Lance was supposed to be his lunch break.

"Like what?"

"Like I talk about him too much and you're sick of it."

"Lance, I appreciate that Keith is inspiring and you're all motivated to do well in school; I get that. My problem is that you were supposed to bring food with you and all you brought is Keith gossip."

"He is not inspiring. Also, gossip implies rumours and slander."

"And that's not what you do?"

"No, of course not." Lance unzipped his backpack and pulled out a large paper bag. "Also I do have food. I'm not going to gossip without food."

"At least one good thing will come out of this," said Hunk. He reached into the bag and munched on some of the fries as Lance pulled put a wrapped burger. "Go on, then. What's the latest scoop?"

"Okay, so don't say anything yet, but Keith got kicked out of the Garrison just before the break, right?" Hunk nodded. "But the real question is why. The dude loves flying, and the Garrison's current statement doesn't sound legit."

"Maybe it's because he almost punched Commander Iverson in front of the senior flight class? Or because he broke protocol during a simulator because he was too distracted?"

"Hunk, there's no way. He's got a temper, we all know that, but Keith wouldn't punch a teacher in the face."

"Lance, we don't know Keith well enough to know what he would or would not do."

"Yeah, but there's got to be more to it. It's killing me that I don't know."

"Lance, I thought you were happy about becoming fighter class?"

"I am, I am."

"The way you're biting into that burger is anything but happy," said Hunk and Lance shot him a tired look.

"I just-" he stared at his burger. "I don't know. I wanted to show Keith that I could do it, but he's not even here to see it."

"So what you're trying to tell me is that you miss him?"

Lance's head shot up, his face flushed. "No! Hunk, what part of 'I hate him' isn't clear?"

"Sorry, man. Maybe I'm just reading too much into it. You just don't seem as happy about it as you did initially."

"I am happy about it, Hunk. I've been dreaming about being a fighter pilot since I was eight," Lance's frown seemed to deepen, "but I didn't want it to happen just because Keith's not in the picture."

"Is that the only reason?"

"I mean, no." Lance glanced up at Hunk, frown wobbling into an odd smile. "You know me too well."

"You're my best friend," Hunk said with a shrug. "It's a gift."

"You know how I had my first fighter class lecture this morning?"

"Yeah?"

"Well Iverson chewed me out in front of the entire class. He basically said that the only reason that I'm in fighter class is because Keith flunked out."

"What?"

"Yeah. Looks like it wasn't my skill that got me in. Keith freed up a spot and they filled it."

"Lance..." Hunk put a firm hand on Lance's shoulder. "You got into that spot with your own hard work. You wouldn't have been gotten into fighter class if you weren't good enough for it."

"Sure doesn't feel that way."

"I'm sorry."

"It's fine. That wasn't really what I wanted to talk about."

Hunk grew puzzled. "It wasn't?"

"No." Lance seemed to recover and shot Hunk a smile. "It was about how people are saying that Keith stole top secret Garrison files and ran off."

"Are you kidding?"

"No, man, some of the older fighter class kids were talking about it. They said that after the Kerberos mission failed, Keith seemed to get really flighty and would comments during lecture about how the Garrison couldn't be trusted."

"Whoa."

"Whoa is right. He went from the Garrison's prodigy to Fox Mulder in the span of 3 weeks. Just in time for winter break, really."

"That's crazy. Is it true?"

"I don't know, but Keith does have the whole 'the truth is out there' vibe. If anyone can figure out whatever he thinks the Garrison did, then Keith can." Something shifted in Lance's expression, but Hunk didn't have the heart to point it out. "Dude just has to blink, and the answer will come to him."

"That's high praise coming from you, Lance."

Lance's nose crinkled in disgust. "No, Hunk. No praise. Never praise. Just observations."

"Very objective observations," said Hunk playfully.

"Exactly. Now eat up! I booked us a set on the simulator before dinner, so we've got to finish all this boring studying stuff."

"Did you already ask Pidge?"

"Yeah, he said he'd be there." Lance chattered on about simulator scores, his conflicted expression dissipating completely.

"I hate him."

Hunk smiled down at Lance from the Yellow Lion's maw and waved him up. Lance began his ascent up the side of the Yellow Lion before plunking down next to Hunk in the Lion's mouth. "What happened this time?"

Lance launched into his story with vigor. "We were in the training room because Shiro thought we needed more practice-"

"You mean you needed more practice?" put in Hunk.

"Anyway," continued Lance pointedly, "we were working on the gladiator, and there were those weird shooty ball things, and Keith managed to slice all of them at once! One second they were coming after us and I was trying to stall the gladiator and the next, Keith's sliced and diced the floaty things. Man, it was crazy." Lance's expression grew fond. Hunk continued tinkering with the Yellow Lion and tried to suppress his comments.

When Lance had been quietly swooning for at least five minutes, Hunk called his name. "You okay there, Lance?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just really hate that Keith was showing off with his moves. Like, we get it; he's a good fighter. He doesn't have to rub it in."

"Of course."

"He knows that he looks cool doing it too. It's like he's trying to show off and steal the spotlight."

"Well, it was just training," said Hunk thoughtfully, "so maybe you're right. He probably was trying impress people and get them to pay attention to him."

"Thank you, Hunk."

Hunk brightened up and grinned at his friend. "And it worked! I mean, you were probably the only one in the room, and clearly he got your attention."

"Yeah, I-" Lance stopped sharply and narrowed his eyes at Hunk. "You're playing a dangerous game," he warned, although there was no heat to it. There was rarely any of the heat Hunk had long since grown accustomed to when Keith's name was brought up between them.

"I don't know what you mean."

"No, I don't know what you mean."

Hunk flashed Lance a disbelieving look before sighing and returning to his tinkering. "Of course not, buddy. But when you figure it out, come tell me."

"Sure." Lance let Hunk work in silence for a little before poking at his arm. "Hey Hunk?"

"Yeah?"

"You're on my side, right?"

"Lance, I'm always on your side. You know that."

Lance gave his friend a kind nudge. "Thanks man. I appreciate that you let me talk about Keith sometimes."

"What are friends for?"

"Yeah. I'm glad that there's someone on this castleship that gets why I hate Keith."

Hunk couldn't help the smile that slipped onto his face. "Yeah, I understand how much you 'hate' him, alright. No problems there."

"Thanks."

Hunk chuckled to himself. "No problem, dude. No problem at all."