Chill (Klance Warmth series Book 2 of +4)

17: Fog of Distraction

"Okay, what are you up to?" Hunk said, striding boldly into the Green Lion's hanger.

Pidge jumped a good foot in the air and quickly hid whatever he'd been hiding behind his back. She, Hunk corrected mentally. She. She flushed and shifted from foot to foot guiltily. Hunk crossed his arms and just waited. It didn't take long before Pidge finally caved.

"Ugh," she groaned. "I was probably going to ask you about it anyways." She pushed her glasses up her nose and glared at the yellow paladin. "You can't tell Lance anything, Hunk. You have to promise."

"What?" Hunk gasped, laughing in disbelief. "Why? I saw Allura slip whatever you're holding to you by the fire."

"You saw that?" Pidge cried. She leaned forward, her eyes darting to the shadows in the hall behind her friend suspiciously. "Did Lance see? Please tell me he didn't see it."

Hunk sighed. "I doubt Lance saw anything," he said. "He... hasn't been himself today."

Pidge slouched. "Yeah. I know." She sighed through her nose and pulled the object out from behind her back. She fiddled with it for a second before holding it out for Hunk to see.

"Is that an eyeball?" Hunk gasped, recoiling from the round thing in the green paladin's hand.

Pidge rolled her eyes. "It's a cybernetic eyeball," she corrected. "Allura traded some of her contraceptives for it."

"Allura has contraceptives?" Hunk asked. He quickly held up a hand. "You know what? I don't want to know. So she traded her... stuff for a cybernetic eye. I'm assuming it's for Lance."

"It is," Pidge said, sitting back down on the hanger floor leaning against one of the Green Lion's giant paws. "She's letting me tinker with it before she gives it to him though. It's going to be a surprise so no telling him, Hunk."

Hunk groaned and sat in front of his friend. "Why are you saying it like that?" he said. "I know how to keep a secret. I kept yours, didn't I?"

Pidge pursed her lips and stuck her tongue out at Hunk. The yellow paladin just snickered and Pidge eventually smiled. "Yeah, you did," she admitted. "Thanks for that, by the way. If the Garrison had found out who I was, they would've kicked me out and probably brought federal charges against me. It wouldn't have been pretty."

"Look, Pidge, someone else's gender or sexuality has nothing to do with me," Hunk said with a smile. "I may be comfortable in my birth gender and like only girls-"

"Or rocks," Pidge teased with a sly grin.

"Rocks that I admire," Hunk emphasized, ignoring his friend's snickering, "but I'm fine with that. You do you. I won't judge. Unless you start sexing up a robot," he said, holding up a hand. "I draw the line there. You cross that line, I'll officially think you're weird. I won't hate you, but I'll think you're weird and avoid you if I see you anywhere near technology."

Pidge cackled. "Well then maybe I shouldn't tell you about my escapades in the air vents with Rover," she said with a suggestive wink.

"Oh god," Hunk groaned.

"Or should I say sexcapades?"

"Oh my god, no," Hunk groaned louder, burying his face in his hands. "Pidge, no. Please, my ears are still recovering from that whole," he waved his hand around, "thing with Allura and Nyma earlier today. I do not need more of this."

Pidge closed her mouth but continued to struggle with fits of giggles as she poked and prodded the eyeball.

"So," Hunk said when he finally deemed himself as recovered as he could be, "what are you planning on doing with that thing?"