Peeling Covers: Lance

Late Night Entry & Prologue

What do you need in someone?

This was a question he often asked himself. And honestly, Lance still didn't know the answer.

Did he really need anyone anyway?

The blue paladin sighed quietly. Deep down, Lance knew he did... 'I'm weak.' he thought. It wasn't fair.

Even if it was normal to want to rely on someone, since humans are social creatures, everyone else seemed to find what they needed.

Shiro and Keith were really close. Best friends. More like brothers, actually... And Lance had a best friend too...

Or, used to...

The matter was still up for deliberation.

Hunk and he had met on Hunk's first day at the Garrison. They were bunk mates. And they did almost everything together. In their first year, they had almost all the same classes for basics. They ate every meal together, studied together, slept together, even shared secrets. They had been really close. 'Hunk must've liked me more then.'

So...

Maybe I held on too tightly.

Prior to their second year, they were given separate occupations. Lance was a cargo pilot cadet and Hunk was an engineer.

But that hadn't deterred their friendship. If anything, it made them appreciate the time they could spend together even more, they helped each other relax and focus. Even with the addition of a new member bunking with them in the bigger dorms, Hunk and he stayed close.

For a while.

When Pidge first arrived, Lance wanted to be friends with him - pardon, her- badly. Pidge reminded Lance of a friend he had back home; and Lance had wanted to help her be less lonely.

Lance could tell by how she kept herself busy in a room full of people or at chow, that she was. And Pidge didn't do it because she was always that interested in whatever gadget she had acquired.

She had even told him that herself. No, what she didn't say - what he could see - was that nobody would approach her: the youngest, genius cadet. And being alone with nothing to do in a room full of people who just watch you be alone is awkward.

Lance knew. He'd been there.

So, the boy had wanted to help her.

In the process of getting close to her, it became apparent to Hunk and Lance both how she had managed to place out of certain classes and move up so quickly: she practically breathed electronics.

Spending so much time with it, the girl had developed a ridiculously extensive understanding and familiarity with it. And had learned math, science, and history that was way ahead of kids her age.

Heck, of most cadets in their year.

She didn't even realize how ahead she was half the time either. Or why that pushed many cadets away. By the end of the first year, Pidge had completely secluded herself from all other cadets.

This was before Lance and Hunk had met her of course. So, by the time they had, the girl had become very self-sufficient... and written off as an outcast. Her personality had basically put knowledge and 'drama' (society) in two different places in her mind; and her character chose knowledge over drama.

Not a bad choice.

Lance had to admit, he could relate in some ways. Keeping yourself productive was a good way to ignore the fact you didn't have friends. And if all you're going to have is yourself, might as well learn and make yourself into what you want. To Lance, it seemed that she wanted to master her science.