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Lance is 6 years, 2 months, and 17 days old the day he meets Rangi "Hunk" Galeai outside the small middle school playground, spitting distance from his house. He’s large. Bigger than any other 6 year old Lance has ever met even though Hunk isn’t that much older than him (Hunk is 6 years, 10 months, and 1 day, Lance had calculated proudly). It makes him stand out amongst the other kids crowded around the swings and jungle gyms.
It makes Lance curious.
His brother, Alex, pats him slowly on the head, already typing something on his phone. Mom had said to make themselves busy. Lance had wanted to go to the park. So here they are.
“Hello,” Lance says, holding out his hand, palm side up. The giant turns, large brown eyes wide and confused. He’s sitting on the floor outside the playground chips and the grass looks soft and Lance can see the green of the grass is starting to stain the tan of his shorts. The giant has a flower shirt on, red and white. He stares at Lance’s hand and then his face until it starts to border on awkward and Lance feel himself start to fidget before straightening his back. “My name is Lance. What’s your name?”
“Rangi,” the boy mumbles. “It’s nice to meet you.”
Its then Lance notices, with very little fanfare, he’s crying.
“Are you hurt?” Lance asks, rushing forward to pull at the sleeves of Rangi’s red and white floral shirt. The other children are still playing and when Lance looks his brother is still scrolling passively through his phone.“My brother is over there! He can help if you’re hurt.”
Rangi the Giant does not budge, instead staring at Lance with those same eyes until they start -- to Lance’s growing horror -- to leak again. “You’re weird.”
Lance freezes, frowns, and then huffs, letting go of Rangi to drop down next to him. Reaching into his pocket Lance pulls out the slightly sticky used napkin he’d gotten with his ice cream and pouts. “That’s not a nice thing to say.” And then, “You’re crying.”
Rangi shrugs, takes the napkin, and blows his nose. “My mom will be back soon.”
“Do you cry often?” Lance asks.
Rangi shrugs again and wipes at his tears with the back of his hand. He doesn’t look sad, not properly. He’s not screaming or throwing a tantrum. But he’s leaking. Lance frowns and pokes at his side. “Why are you crying?”
“I’m sad,” Rangi says, sniffling. He wipes softly at his cheeks again before letting his hands drop. He pulls out a few strands of grass and starts twirling them together. “I don’t know anyone here.”
“You know me,” Lance argues, a bit hurt. What was he? Chopped liver?
“I do?”
“You do!” Lance states, proudly. “Now come on. No more being sad.” He says standing up and patting his knees to get the grass off. “Let’s go play on the swings.” He starts walking, “I bet you can push really hard bc you’re all big and stuff.”
It takes far too long for Rangi to start following him.
This is how Lance and Hunk become friends.
.
Lance is 6 years, 9 months, and 4 days old when he asks Rangi, Hunk as the kids in their class had named him after Hunk Garrett from the new popular TV show after Rangi had lifted the falling bookshelf to save their class hamster from getting crushed, to marry him.
They’re on the playground again, this time the elementary school playground not so close to his house, and Mary Anna Johnson had decided to start pairing off their classmates into ideal matches. Apparently, her big sister had gotten into fortune telling which made Mary Anna somewhat of an expert on the whole thing.
“And of course,” she snaps, pointing to Hunk with one delicate little finger. “Hunk will go with Katherine D.”
Katherine D. blushes and goes to stand with Hunk, rather pleased to be paired with the class hero. Lance, though, is furious. His stomach rolls and his heart feels awful when he watches Hunk take Katherine D.’s hand. He’s sure the only reason Mary Anna had put them together is because they were the two tallest kids in their class. But he keeps his mouth shut for the sake of the peace and lets Mary Anna’s brother Jacob J. take his hand as they walk to lunch.
When Katherine D. tries to take his seat, insisting married couples have to sit together though… Well, she was lucky the teacher was present.
“It’s not fair,” Lance states, loudly for the whole bus to hear after class lets out. Katherine D. sits in the back. Lance doesn’t care. She probably won’t hear him.“I don’t see why you two got paired off when I know you so much better.”
Hunk doesn’t say anything but he’s looking at Lance.
“I’m your best friend you know,” Lance continues. “I knew you and liked you way before you were the class hero. I don’t see why Katherine D. gets to hold your hand at lunch now.”
“I know,” Hunk says.
Lance frowns.. “Are you making fun of me?”
Hunk shakes his head and holds out his hand, palm side up, “Never.”
“I’d make a way better bride than Katherine D.,” Lance finishes, taking Hunk’s hand quickly. “We’d have the best wedding and it’d be space themed.”
“I know,” Hunk smiles.
This is how Lance and Hunk fall in love.
.
Lance is 26 years, 4 months, and 19 days old (according to the strange calendar Pidge and Hunk had managed to rig up all those years ago) when he realizes he’s been a fool.
He’s halfway through getting dressed for his date with a princess -- Hunk standing in front of him struggling to tie the same piece of fabric for the last 10 minutes --when he realizes with a stark, stabbing pain in his stomach that he does not want to do this. He does not want to dress up to impress a beautiful alien princess on the edge of outer space. He does not want to be going to a ball and entertaining guests with a beautiful alien on his arm. In all honesty, he barely wants to leave this room.
And, he realizes with very little fanfare, the reason is standing in front of him.
This realization, strange and almost random, leaves his knees weak. He stumbles, Hunk lets go of his tie, and he makes his way to the dresser only to collapse into the chair.
“Lance?” Lance watches Hunk walks over and marvels at how handsome he is in this new light. “Lance?”
It must be the ordinariness of it all, Lance realizes. They’ve never had the chance to do this before. Back at the Garrison, Lance hadn’t been much of a lady killer despite his best efforts. Hunk had never had the chance to come to his room and help him get dressed as he teased him about a pretty girl. That was something teenagers got to do, something young adults got to do. Lance had never been a proper young adult. He’d been a paladin.
How long has Lance known Hunk now? 20 years, 2 months, and 2 days? Give or take a leap day here or there. And what have they done in that time? They’ve grown up together: from elementary students to adults to veterans. They’ve fought a war together. Of all things, Lance had never expected to fight a war, to almost die every other day and get used to the idea. Lance is certain Hunk had never either. The war had left scars, physical and emotional. It had to. Sometimes, Hunk had been the only reason Lance got out of bed in the morning. But they had made it and they were here. Alive.
(Not everyone had made it out alive.)
“Lance, buddy?” Hunk asks, now kneeling in front of him. Lance watches as Hunk takes his hands in his and squeezes. “You with my buddy?”
Lance feels tears start to gather in the corner of his eyes.
“Are you hurt?!” Hunk cries, daring to let go before Lance reaches out and snatches his hands back. “Hey. Come on. Let me go get some help okay?”
Lance chuckles and shakes his head, feeling the tears drip down his cheeks. “I’m fine, Hunk.”
Hunk pauses and kneels back down. “You’re crying.”
Lance shrugs, “I’m happy.”
“You’re happy,” Hunk echoes. He’s got one eyebrow raised like he doesn’t quite believe it.
Lance laughs louder and throws his arms around Hunk’s shoulders so he’s half sitting off the chair. “I’m so glad I got to meet you, you know. All those years ago.”
Hunk cautiously hugs back. “I’m glad I got to meet you too.”
This is how Lance realizes he’s in love.