His Rival

Ultimatum

Hello everyone, Jess here!

I haven't released a chapter this long in a while (45.7 pages/16,424 words) so be sure to take breaks as needed.

If you have any questions or comments about this chapter, let me know; I'd like to hear from you!

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Your team was heading from lunch when your stomach lurched at the sight of Coran and Lance's next bright idea.

"Oh my gosh, Lance!" Hunk exclaimed, deathly silent lest James turned around and saw who was flipping him off. Everyone else had their hands clamped over their mouth, stifling what could've been mortification, amusement, shock, or all three. You merely sighed with a shake of your head, shooting the whole group straight down to headquarters as soon as possible. Your creased forehead and dead-eyed stare were enough for the guilty party to recoil backwards, the others hardly daring to spare them uneasy glances after yet another round of insubordination.

"Now don't you go looking at me (Y/n), Lance here started it" Coran warbled with a wave of his hands.

"Yeah, so what?" Lance snapped, his indignant look reminding you of that a kindergartener who saw no shame in stealing someone's toy. Despite his best efforts to stay complacent, James had worn everyone's patience down to a thread. Yours was only a nanometer thicker, but it was enough that you could feel your blood broiling through your veins under the stress of it all. "He's the a-hole whole locked me and Allura in that storage closet." You inhaled deeply at that reminder.

"I understand your frustration with him Lance, but this isn't the time." If it had happened months ago you would've been reeling with laughter, but it just didn't feel right. Nothing could possibly ever extinguish the burning flare of hatred towards him nestled in the core of your being, but for the first time, a dark, heavy smoke was obscuring that inner chamber.

Perhaps it was the looming threat of the weapons Sendak had readied to obliterate your beloved home, or maybe even the horror that was last night that was weighing you down. Either way, it was enough for your gaze to shift elsewhere, confused by your strange feelings now more than ever.

"When will be the time?" Lance entreated, drawing your face back to meet theirs.

"Once Sendak is defeated. Only then will I give the order for you and Pidge to reveal the truth to Nadia and Aiden. After that, I'll go straight to administration and expose James."

"Wait, so you're not going to try to reason with him anymore?" Pidge faltered.

"I already have." With the way you said it, anyone could've thought that someone had died. And if you were totally honest with yourself, that might've been the case. After everything, who knows if you'd ever see your childhood best friend again, the version of James you had fallen head over heels for? That James could've been dead and buried long ago, but that did little to ease the tension gripping your shoulders.

"How?" Romelle wondered. You bit your lip, straining to shove all that turmoil into one tiny package.

"I encountered him after we returned from that mission. Our past together was brought up, and I took that opportunity."

"Did it not go well or something?" Hunk lifted again, their eyes glimmering with concern just at the sight of the hollow look in yours.

"He was too stunned to give me much of a response, so I'm giving him some time to make up his mind. Who knows, this war might end up bringing out the best in him, we'll just have to wait and see." Perhaps wishful thinking, but you had to stay strong for your team. "In the meantime, I've been compiling my presentation for the Garrison. Here's what I have so far."