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Hunk was currently at his house with Pidge. They had been recruited by Lance to help with his date. So here he was, during the designated date night, getting all the materials to set things up with Pidge.
He went into his garage to get the fireworks, or more, Pidge got the fireworks and Hunk stood on guard, nervous that his parents would come home and see what they were up to. If his parents knew about any of this they’d put an immediate stop to it.
Which they should. That only made sense. This was dangerous.
He looked over at Pidge in concern. “Hey Pidge. I’m not sure about this. What if we burn down the forest? I’m pretty sure that fireworks aren’t supposed to be set off in a forest. Or even near a forest. This is a really bad idea.”
Pidge rolled their eyes, pulling out firework after firework that had been hidden around the garage like eggs on Easter. “It’ll be fine. The clearing in the woods is big enough and these are fireworks that only go off really high in the sky. The sparks will be turned to ash by the time they get to the treeline.”
Pidge said that, but how did they know? Did they ever try using fireworks before? “But how do you know? And what if the wind blows the sparks to the side of something? Or blows the fireworks off course.”
Pidge chuckles a bit, “Yee of little faith. I’ve got it covered Hunk. Besides, there’s almost no wind tonight so you don’t have to worry.”
Oh, but he did worry. “Also, isn’t it illegal to set off fireworks when it's not some special national holiday?”
Pidge looked at him and grinned devilishly, “Only if you get caught.”
They were going to get caught. He just knew it. “I really don’t think this is a good idea Pidge.”
Pidge put the last of the fireworks in a pile. “Fine. Then all you have to do is help me carry the fireworks to the clearing and I’ll do it. We promised Lance we’d help. So I at least won’t back out.”
Oh yeah. This was for Lance. He sighed, “No. I’ll help. I don’t know why I agreed to this though.”
Pidge looked at him softly, “Yes you do. He’s your best friend. You’ve been friends since what? Since you were like…. six?”
Hunk chuckled a bit, “Five actually. First day of kindergarten.” He grabbed a box that was laying around and started filling it with the fireworks, “He asked me to be his wingman while he tried to woo one of the girls. To this day I have no clue how he knew about wingmen at the age of five.”
Pidge chuckled a bit, “Probably something to do with the influence of his older brother. That’s how I knew about multiplication tables at that age. Older brothers are great influences on young minds!”
Hunk looked at them skeptically, “I’m pretty sure those aren't the same things Pidge.”
Pidge shrugged, “Point being, siblings have a huge influence on each other.”
Hunk finished stacking the fireworks and lifted the box, “Maybe? But Miguel never struck me as the player type.”
Pidge rolled their eyes, “Lance isn’t either. Once he’s in a relationship he’s really dedicated and loyal. He only flirts with everyone while he’s single… and sometimes a bit unintentionally after that.”
Hunk nodded, “Yeah. That’s true. Still, Miguel doesn’t strike me as the type to flirt with everyone either.”
They started walked out towards the forest, “Well he has to have at least some flirting skills. How else did he score a girl like Trish?”
That was true. Trish was easily one of the sweetest girls he’d ever met, “I guess so.”
They continued walking, each step feeling heavier than the last, and it wasn’t because the fireworks were heavy. Each step was heavy with dread.
They got to the designated area and set the box of fireworks down.
Pidge grinned widely, “Lance so owes us for this!”
Hunk shakes his head, “You know he’d do the same for us. I think after all these years we’re past the point of owing each other anything.”
Pidge shrugs, “Maybe you are but I’m not.”
Hunk chuckles a bit, “Of course you aren't.”
Pidge smiles, “I’m just kidding. I want them to be happy. So I’m glad to do this for him. Keith’s probably the first person Lance has dated that I approve of.”
Hunk chuckles a bit, “The other people he’s dated haven’t been bad. You just like that he’ll make fun of Lance with you.”
Pidge shrugs, “It’s a necessity. It’s good to have a guy around who won’t just try and act like the person Lance wants him to be. It’s why all of Lance’s other relationships have ended so poorly. People just pretend and act so fake around Lance just because he has a bit of a rep at school.” They look at Hunk seriously, “Plus, Lance needs someone to keep that ego of his in check.”
Hunk sighs, “Yeah, I guess that’s true.”
Pidge was quick to add in, “Plus he fits in well with our group! Lindsey was always so stuck up. I hated her.”
Hunk nods, “Yeah. So I guess we should do our part to make this work!”
They spent a bit of time setting up a good display in the order they’d be lighting them up in. They’d designed the fireworks themselves. With Hunks technical skills and Pidge’s surprising expertise in pyrotechnics, this would be a show that no one was likely to forget.
As Lance would say, it would really bring on the razzle dazzle.
They waited there as the sun started to go down. It was getting colder and colder but Lance said that as soon as the sun set he should light these things up.
He felt his phone buzz and quickly and looked down at it.
(18:13) Lancelot: Abort!
(18:13) Abort what.
Why was Lance messaging him mid-date.
(18:13) Lancelot: PLAN RAZZLE DAZZLE!
(18:14) why?
(18:15) Lancelot: Just cancel it!
(18:16) Sure. Do you need me to get the ice cream ready?
Hunk was genuinely confused. What had happened? Did Keith flip out? Was this date a bust? Is everything okay? Should he go to the store and pick up cookie dough ice cream and cue up Lance’s favourite romcoms?
Pidge looked up at him in concern, “I don’t like that look on your face Hunk. What’s up? Who was that?”
Hunk looked over at them, “That was Lance. Plan Razzle Dazzle is cancelled. I don’t know what happened but he’s not texting back so I’m thinking we get the ice cream ready.”
Pidge crosses their arms in contemplation, “I hear what your saying Hunk, but isn’t there a possibility that Keith just didn’t want the whole ‘razzle dazzle’ experience? And maybe Lance, as dense as he is, somehow picked up on this fact? And maybe he’s respecting that fact by calling off the whole thing?”
Hunk thought for a moment. That did sound like something that could happen, “Yeah. Maybe,” but he was still a bit worried.
Pidge continued, “Also, if Lance really was getting his heartbroken right now, he’d be texting you constantly to complain. He’s pretty vocal about these things.”
Hunk nodded along with their words, “Yeah. That actually made a lot of sense. I guess you have a point there Pidge but what do we do with all these fireworks then?”
Pidge gave him the look and Hunk got shivers down his spine, “That’s where things get interesting.”
Oh no...
They continued, “I was thinking. It’d be a waste to just get rid of all of these. And we put so much preparation and effort into plan Razzle Dazzle already, why would we just throw it all away like that?”
Hunk did not like where this was going.
“So I was thinking” Pidge? Thinking? That never resulted in a good outcome for him. “That we should in fact use plan Razzle Dazzle.”
Hunk chuckled nervously, “But Lance just said that we needed to call it off.”
Pidge smirked and looked at Hunk confidently, “He meant to call it off for him.”
Hunk didn’t get what they were getting at here, “Yeah. Exactly.”
Pidge groaned, “Do I need to spell it out for you? I’m thinking we don’t call it off but instead just redirect it’s target audience.”
Hunk had a really bad feeling about this, “To…?” his voice trailed off.
Pidge grinned widely, “You and Shay.”
Hunks eyes widened in alarm and he backed away from the gremlin, “That’s really not necessary.”
Pidge smirked, “Oh yeah it is. You two have been jumping around each other since grade ten! You clearly like each other! It’s time to man up! It’s razzle dazzle time!”
Sometimes he hated being friends with Pidge, but he wasn’t quite sure if now was one of those times.
They ended up spending a good portion of the evening lugging everything over to Shay’s backyard and letting all the neighbours know what they were doing. Hunk hated the idea of disturbing them but they all knew and loved Hunk so they said it’d be okay, and that they’d actually enjoy watching the fireworks as well.
With that off his plate, he was left to stare at the balcony facing towards the backyard. Shay’s balcony.
He could do this. He just had to man up.
He grabbed the ladder from the shed and propped it against her balcony, climbing up it nervously. His hands shaking so much that he was scared he’d shake right off the ladder.
Once on the balcony he took out his phone and texted Pidge worriedly.
(21:48) I don’t think I should be doing this.
(21:49) Pidge: It’s sort of too late for that. You’re already on the balcony and everything’s in place
(21:50) Pidge: you just have to knock on the window
(21:50) I think we should call the whole thing off
He hears a loud thunk on the ground beside him and he has a sneaking suspicion he knows what it was. He checks his phone again.
(21:52) Pidge: It’s too late.
(21:52) Pidge: You’ll thank me later.
(21:52) Pidge: Knock her dead Romeo!
Hunk sighed. There was nothing else he could do. He went over to the balcony door. There was a million things that could go wrong from the get go. She could be out, or not in her room. Her parents could’ve come back home from their business trip, because last he checked they were out, but what if they weren’t? What if they saw this and thought Hunk was a bad influence and he was never allowed to see Shay again!?!
But even if the option remained to him, he wouldn’t back out. Pidge was right. It was time to man up.
So he knocked on the door.
For a moment, everything was silent. He went to knock again just as the door was being thrust open, subsequently hitting him in the head.
Shay came out and gasped, “Oh my gosh, Hunk! I’m so sorry!”
She was sorry? He was the one who knocked on her door late at night, totally out of the blue. “Don’t worry about it.”
Shay looked at him, face filled with concern, “Are you hurt? Need me to get you an ice pack.”
He gave her an easy smile, “Hey. Shay. Don’t worry about it okay? I’m perfectly fine.”
She looked at him skeptically but she let it go, “What are you doing out here?”
Hunk grinned sheepishly, “I um… I wanted to surprise you.”
Shay was clearly confused but gave him a small smile, “Well I’m certainly surprised.” Then added while looking into his eyes, “So why are you here?”
Hunk chuckled nervously. He had to do this. “I um.. You. Dance? Me?” He stumbled through his words and Shay just giggled a bit.
That noise was so beautiful coming from her lips. “Okay. So is there music involved as well? Or do we have to make our own?” she smiled kindly and Hunk fumbled with the button pad in his pocket.
He looked at her nervously. They talked all the time at school. With Shay it was so easy but tonight, with the evening sky reflecting off her beautiful brown eyes and that small genuine smile of her… it was was all too much.
He couldn’t think, couldn’t breathe. He went to press the button that would trigger the music but between his shaky hands and his nervousness he pressed the wrong button.
Oh no. He was messing everything up.
The fireworks started to go off above them and Shay immediately turned to stare at them, “Woah! Did you do this Hunk?”
Hunk couldn’t help stare at her as all of the colours bounced off her dark skin. “Y-yeah?” He wasn’t sure what he should say.
How could he mess up plan Razzle Dazzle? It was simple. Climb balcony. Sweep girl off her feet with romantic song. Trigger fireworks. Confess.
That was the order of things and he’d messed up so bad. He can just imagine what Lance would be saying about all this right now.
That faded away the moment Shay turned her attention away from the fireworks and fixed her hazel gaze on him. “Was this… for me?” It could just be the hue of the firework lights but he could swear that there was a light dusting of red on her cheeks.
He nodded, “U-uh. Yeah.” He didn’t know what else to say.
She leaned in a bit and Hunk found himself doing the same, distracted by this girl’s beauty. “Why?”
Why? Because I love you, he thought to himself. But the fact that Shay’s eyes widened as she blushed deep red might signal otherwise. “Did I say that outloud?” He started blushing as well when she nodded.
Well… that was definitely not how it was supposed to happen… but at least it was finally out there. He’d finally said the words that had gone unspoken since grade ten.
In the next moment she leaned in and he felt a pair of soft lips pressed against his cheek, pulling away a moment later to look him in the eyes and smile shyly, “I love you too Hunk.”
Hunk was over the moon. He couldn’t stop grinning down at her. He wrapped an arm around her and she leaned into him, both turning so they could watch the rest of the fireworks.
So he mixed up the order of the plan? It still got them to the same result. The fireworks faded away and Hunk turned towards Shay again, she smiled up at him, “So do I still get my dance?”
Hunk took out the switch and pressed another button, slow romantic music started playing over speakers located just below the balcony. He pulled Shay into his arms and started swaying back and forth.
He wasn’t much of a dancer, but in this moment, he didn’t have to be because his heart was racing and the smile he wore was hurting his face and the soft look in Shay’s eyes… it all made this moment perfect. Even the clumsy movement of his feet as he tried to not step on her toes. For them, it all just seemed so right.
There was only one thing that could make this moment anymore perfect. He leaned down just slightly and ghosted his lips against Shay’s.
It was a feather light kiss. He was too nervous for anything else but she smiled shyly up at him and he knew that it was just right for the two of them. He didn’t know where this would lead, but he knew that as long as Shay was by his side, he’d be happy.