It had been a dangerous battle. More dangerous and terrifying than any of the battles that had come before. The Galra had attacked without warning, Voltron's alert systems being the saving grace that got them to their lions just as the ominous battle ship had arrived. They had been sleeping, and were groggy. They made mistakes, they got stressed. It was terrible.
It was only natural that this terror, combined with the stress and panic he had been forcing down ever since the start of the garrison, had pushed Hunk over the edge into dangerous levels of panic. Levels Hunk knew pre-warned an attack.
He hadn't had a panic attack since the second night of the garrison, but that one seemed small in comparison to what Hunk was feeling now. And there was no concerned Lance to help him through it this time.
"Alright team, good work. Get back to the hangars." Shiro ordered.
Breathe in
Breathe out
Hunk struggled to take in air, feeling as if the world was twisting and turning as he tried to guide Yellow into the hangar. The world lurched again, as if someone had ripped the ground out from under his feet. He wanted to scream.
Breathe in
Breathe out
"Is everyone okay?"
He wanted to reply, to scream for his team to help him. For anyone to help him get rid of the horrible twisting in his gut, but he couldn't form the words. Only managing to elevate his panic further.
Breathe in
Breathe out
"Hunk, buddy? Are you good?"
Hunk tried to focus on Lance, but he couldn't. His knees gave out and he crashed harshly onto the metal flooring. He could hear voices, shouts of concern. But they were too far away.
Breathe in
Breathe out
Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out.
Breathe in--
He couldn't breathe.
The other paladins rushed to the yellow lion's hangar. Lance being the first to arrive.
"We need to get to him." Pidge said, looking up at the hulking yellow robot. They tried desperately to pry open the door, trying to reach to their friend through the comms channel. But he didn't respond, oblivious to the pain and heartache his laboured breathing was causing the rest of the team.
"Please Yellow, let me help him." Lance begged, pleading with the yellow lion.
Yellow seemed to stare straight through him and into his very soul, testing his worth, confirming his intentions. After a few moments the lion reached a decision and allowed them entry.
Lance immediately rushed in, heading for the cockpit. Upon spotting Hunk knelt on the cold floor he rushed forward. Throwing his arms around the other paladin. Determined to bring him back from the pain and panic Lance knew was clouding his mind.
"A panic attack?" Shiro questioned, shock evident in his voice.
"Yeah." Lance answered, tilting Hunk's chin so the bigger paladin was looking directly at him.
"Hunk- hey, listen to me buddy, we're going to breathe okay?" Lance said. Hunk remained silent, and Lance forged on.
"Follow my breathing pal, nice and slow okay?"
Hunk started at the familiar warmth that encased him. Listening intently. Slowly he followed the instructions.
Breathe in. Breathe out
Slower
Breathe in
Breathe out
That was better, he returned his friends hug, craving emotional support.
Breathe in
Breathe out
His breathing evened out and he pulled away from the hug. The hand twisting his inner organs lost some of it's tension and he breathed a sigh of relief and exhaustion. He took Shiro's extended hand and let himself be pulled to his feet.
"Are you okay?" Lance asked, looking directly into his eyes.
"No." Hunk answered truthfully, staring at his feet. He looked up to them and smiled tentatively.
"But I'm better than I was." He finished, giving Lance one last hug before rushing from the hangar. Shiro made to follow him, but Lance held him back.
"He needs space, to gather himself for a bit." Lance explained, shaking his head at the team's muffled protests.
Hunk collapsed on his bedroom floor, still panicked. He automatically reached for the closest sheet of paper, a blueprint for a garrison project he would never need to finish, and began shredding it into thin strips. His fingers selected a strip, and began expertly folding it into a small and delicate star. His childhood coping mechanism occupied his hands. It gave his spiralling thoughts and feelings a direction, calming both his mind and his heart.
He wasn't okay, not really. But with a few paper stars?
He would be better.
YOU ARE READING
Paper Stars -- (VLD)
Fanfiction*・°☆* Although they were in the depths of space, the stars were made of paper 。.*°☆.。 Hunk teaches the rest of the team to make origami stars -- By PenMelody, beta'd by Skarmoree
