Work Text:
The Paladins’ makeshift campsite on Celadon IV was quiet when Allura awakened from her exhausted slumber. In the early morning light she saw that Shiro, Coran, and Hunk were still sleeping peacefully. Romelle and Pidge were sitting on a fallen log at the far end of the camp site, silently enjoying a light breakfast of nutrient bars and dried fruit. Allura scanned the campsite, searching for the others. Her brows knitted when she realized that Lance and Keith were no where to be seen.
The Altean princess rose and made her way toward the two girls. Pidge smiled at her and offered her a breakfast bar and a hydration pack.
“Where are Lonce and Keith?” Allura whispered.
“Keith just left right before you woke up, and I think Lance was awake before any of us,” Pidge replied in a low voice. “I don’t know where he went, but my guess is that he went off somewhere to do his morning beauty routine.” Allura and Romelle grinned at the thought of Lance wandering off into the wilderness to give himself a spa treatment.
“Well, if that’s the case, he might be gone awhile,” Romelle whispered. Allura tried not to giggle too loudly, for fear of disturbing the others who were still asleep. Pidge gave both women a knowing grin.
“A spa day isn’t such a bad idea,” Allura said to the other two. “I think we girls should stick together in case this place isn’t safe.”
“The water here is safe for bathing,” Pidge said. “And I really want to wash my hair before Coran cuts it again.” Pidge’s long hair hung in matted tangles that had worked their way lose from her messy bun.
“Oh, don’t cut your hair, Pidge. I’m sure it will be lovely once you’ve washed and combed it,” Romelle observed.
“I agree,” said Allura. “And I have plenty of Essence of Juniberry shampoo you can use if you’d like.”
After finishing their quick meal, the three girls gathered up clean clothing and supplies for their morning ablutions before they set off in the direction of the nearby stream.
Allura and Romelle walked side by side, engaging in small talk about the beauty of the local flora on this lush green planet, while Pidge, still dressed in her black under suit, carried her clothes and supplies on her back as she scouted ahead for a private place for them to bathe. She waved to them and then turned toward an isolated bend in the stream, which was concealed by thick foliage. At first glance it seemed to be a location that would be suitable for their needs.
Allura followed Pidge as she hiked down towards the water. Romelle was trailing far behind them. She watched as Pidge abruptly came to a halt and covered her mouth to silence an outburst. Allura heard water splashing and the sound of a very pleasant male singing voice. Lance, she realized. As Allura approached she saw that Pidge was just standing there, transfixed at the sight before her. Lance was singing to himself as he lathered up his slim-but-muscular torso and scrubbed away at his exposed skin. He was as naked as a newborn, and thankfully, he had his back to the shore. He was not quite hip deep in the water...
Pidge’s barely suppressed giggle brought Lance out of his reverie. Instinctively, Lance had sunk down deeper into the water, with his back still turned toward them.
“Who’s there?” he asked in a panicked voice.
Pidge could not hold in her fit of giggles. Allura saw that Lance turned toward the the sound he had detected, but Pidge was already scampering away. She nearly collided with the princess in her hasty retreat.
“We will have to find another spot,” Pidge announced. “Lance is down there.”
Pidge lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “He’s taking a bath.” Pidge was blushing and grinning ear to ear. Allura gaped at her in surprise. Apparently Pidge liked what she saw.
“Ugh! The last thing I want to see is Pointy Chin without any clothes on,” Romelle declared loudly. She had finally caught up with them.
“Indeed,” said Allura at the same volume. “I wouldn’t want to have to look at that either.” She said this with a mischievous grin, and noted Pidge’s gasp and guilty expression. Allura folded her arms and gave Pidge a knowing look. The younger girl grinned impishly.
“I wouldn’t mind,” Pidge admitted, loud enough for Lance to hear. “I actually think he’s pretty cute.”
The burst of laughter from all three girls echoed around the valley.
As soon as they were far enough away that Lance could no longer hear them, Romelle squealed, “How much did you see? Was he really naked?”
“Romelle!” Allura chided.
Pidge had been unable to stop grinning. “I saw enough. I mean, I’ve seen him with his shirt off before—-“
“Pidge—“ Allura began.
“Let’s just say my hypothesis about how symmetrical his buttocks are has now officially become my Lance Has a Cute Butt Theory. Of course, the scientific method demands that I will have to continue to gather more evidence in support of this theory...”
Allura, in spite of herself, joined in with Romelle’s hysterical laughter. It was most unseemly for a princess, really.
She couldn’t remember the last time she had laughed this way. Perhaps that was because she hadn’t. Unlike other princesses, she grew up without any royal siblings or ladies-in-waiting. He whole life before her long sleep was a life of isolation. Her only companions had been her parents, her nanny, Coran, and her royal tutors. She studied alchemy and statecraft, culture and history, languages and diplomacy, and so many other things. There was never any time for simple fun like this.
Maybe that was why her friendship with the other Paladins meant so much to her. Pidge had become the fun-loving little sister she had always wanted, and Shiro, Hunk, and Lance were as dear to her as brothers. As for Keith...
“You have a crush on him, don’t you?” Romelle asked, and Allura blushed. How could she have known?
Pidge looked worried. “Am I that obvious?”
Oh, thought Allura. Of course, Romelle hadn’t been talking to her.
“You know, if you like him so much, you should just tell him. Pointy Chin does seem pretty desperate for female companionship.”
“Gee, thanks, Romelle,” Pidge said grumpily.
“Oh, I am sorry, Pidge. I didn’t meant for it to sound that way. It’s just that—“
“Lance has a tendency to flirt with girls and then forget about them. I am not the sort of girl that he can have a fling with and then move on. I have too much self-respect to let anyone treat me that way.” Pidge declared. Allura gaped at her in astonishment. “If he’s too immature to make a commitment and be in a real relationship with someone, then he doesn’t need to know how I feel about him.” Pidge had just found another secluded area beside the running stream of water and stomped off toward it to have her bath.
“I didn’t mean to hurt her feelings,” Romelle said softly.
“I don’t think it’s you she’s upset with,” said Allura, thinking of all of the girls Lance had flirted with over the years, and how Pidge must have suffered having to watch that again and again. Allura’s heart broke for her.
Romelle had found her secluded bathing place just upstream and left Allura to her thoughts. Pidge’s words regarding Lance haunted her: “If he’s too immature to make a commitment and be in a real relationship with someone, then he doesn’t need to know how I feel about him.”
Commitment.
That was why she had been so angry at Keith for so long. It wasn’t a lack of maturity exactly. It was more of a lack of commitment, not to the Blades, of course, but a lack of commitment to the team. How could he deny the honor of being the pilot of the Black Lion and the leader of Voltron? How could he just abandon them in the middle of a war?
And how could he just leave her? The greenery around her turned into a great blur before she closed her eyes for a brief moment. She felt her cheeks dampen. She was being silly, standing here in the middle of a wilderness on some alien planet, crying over a boy.
No, she corrected herself, not a boy. When Keith had left them, he had indeed been a stubborn, reckless youth. But after spending two years with his mother in The Quantum Abyss, he had come back to them as a man.
He was an older, wiser man who kept her at a distance. Keith was respectful to her as he had always been, but he was also colder.
Aloof.
Angry that she had been foolish enough to lead them into a disastrous alliance with Prince Lotor.
Furious that she had been naive enough to entertain the possibility of being in a relationship with Lotor.
Jealous.
Allura wiped her tears away with the heel of one hand.
Jealous.
She walked along, lost in thought, and she found herself remembering Pidge’s jealousy of every exotic female Lance had flirted with on their travels. Her heart began to beat faster. If Pidge had secretly fancied Lance all these years then of course she wouldn’t want him to spend time with some other girl, just like Keith despised the idea of Allura spending time with Lotor. Was Keith jealous of the Galran Prince? Did he hate her for allowing Lotor to get close to her?
Allura had at last found her own little private place to bathe. As she unpacked her rucksack, she realized that Romelle and Pidge were much further upstream than she was. Well, no matter. This world was uninhabited. What dangers could their possibly be? Allura carefully removed her jeweled royal circlet before she unpinned her hair, hastily undressed, and then lowered herself into the water. Maybe a relaxing bath would help her clear her mind. She opened her bottle of Essence of Juniberry shampoo and lathered her damp hair with it. She found herself thinking of Lotor, how cultured and charming he had seemed at first. She had been so blind to how deceptive and cruel he truly was. He was violent, barbaric, vengeful, and murderous. How she hated him for his treachery! For a brief moment, Allura even hated herself for allowing him to get close enough to her to steal her heart, or at least to steal a kiss. Her eyes watered again. If only Keith had stayed with them, maybe none of it would have happened. But he was not to blame. Lance and Pidge had been there and they had immediately disliked Lotor. They warned her not to trust him. Why didn’t she listen?
Allura held her breath as she submerged herself to rinse the lather away. After a thorough wash, she relaxed and swam for a bit, enjoying the cool water as the sun rose higher in the sky. It was going to be a lovely day, she thought, a perfect day, whether Keith wanted to share it with her or not...
Suddenly there was a loud splash, as if something had broke the surface after falling from a great height. There were a number of large mossy, vine covered tree limbs that were hanging over the stream. Had one of the limbs snapped and fallen into the water? Or had some animal leapt down from above? She hoped it wasn’t dangerous, whatever it was. Then she saw its location. Her heartbeat quickened as she realized that there was something unseen that torpedoed directly toward her. She had no armor, no weapon with which to defend herself. Now it was rising up to the surface! Without time to form another coherent thought, Allura screamed.
The creature that surfaced had pale skin and long black hair.
Keith heard the scream as he gasped for air, and then he yelped in surprise.
She gasped as she recognized him.
“Allura?!” He stared at her in shock.
The princess crossed her arms over her bosom. “Keith Kogane, what do you think you are doing? How dare you sneak up on me like that?!” Her face felt hot with anger and embarrassment.
“I have been training all morning and decided to cool off with a swim. I didn’t know you were swimming here too—“
“Not swimming,” she began shakily, hoping the water was opaque enough that he hadn’t seen anything. “Bathing.” She glared at him.
Keith’s cheeks reddened from mild anger and annoyance, then paled with his eventual slack-jawed comprehension. He finally turned pink with embarrassment.
“Oh!” He exclaimed. “I-I’m sorry, Princess. I had no idea you were, uh...”
“Well, I am nearly done, so if you please, I would like some privacy to dry off and get dressed.”
Keith turned his back to her. “My eyes are closed,” he added to reassure her.
Well, at least he was a gentleman. She hastily swam to the bank where her towels and clean clothes awaited her. She wrapped the larger towel around her torso.
“Allura?”
“What?”
“Do you have any soap?”
“Of course.”
And a towel,” he added.
“Didn’t you think to bring any?”
“I was just going to go skinny dipping. But right now I am thinking this actually is a good place for a bath.”
She sighed. Then, clutching the towel firmly to her bosom, she walked back to the edge of the water to hand him the gel soap and shampoo she had brought with her.
“You can wash your hair with that if you don’t mind smelling like Essence of Juniberry,” she teased.
“Oh, I don’t mind,” Keith said meekly. “Your hair always smells really nice.” She noticed that he was still blushing. Allura bit her lip. She realized that Keith was very cute when he was embarrassed, not to mention very attractive when soaking wet. Naked and soaking wet, she reminded herself, and then she suddenly felt very flustered.
Hastily leaving her spare towel with Keith, Allura gathered up her clothing and dashed behind the thickest, tallest bushes she could find in order to get dressed away from any more unexpected visitors. Her heart was beating so fast. She tried to convince herself that Shiro or Hunk weren’t going to fall from the sky or pop out of the ground at any moment as she hastily donned her undergarments, below-the-knee length summer trousers, and a short-sleeved embroidered tunic. If the others did abruptly appear unannounced, she hoped that they would be wearing more clothing than either Lance or Keith. She had definitely had enough accidental encounters with naked Paladins for one day.
And then Allura noticed that Keith’s clothes were still hanging from the tree he had jumped out of, and if she hadn’t loaned him her spare towel he wouldn’t have had a thing to wear. She was suddenly overwhelmed by a fit of giggles.
Trying to keep a straight face, Allura returned to her secluded place by the water. Keith was done with his bath, and she was relieved to see that he had the decency to wrap the towel around his waist.
“Your clothes are still up in that tree over there,” she announced as she dried her long hair.
Keith stared at her, blushing once more.
“When you left your clothes up on that tree limb, did you have a plan for getting them down?”
He looked at her sheepishly. “I had a plan,” he began unconvincingly.
“It must have involved naked tree climbing then,”Allura smirked at him as she combed her damp locks.
Keith looked absolutely mortified. He glared at her, and just as he opened his mouth to give an angry retort, Kosmo appeared out of nowhere and knocked Keith on flat his back, happily covering his master’s face with slurpy space wolf kisses while wagging his fluffy tail. Keith’s irritation faded as he was overwhelmed by his pet’s affectionate enthusiasm. “Down, Boy!” He laughed heartily, a sound that Allura rarely heard but always secretly enjoyed. She smiled at the scene, gazing on wolf and warrior with great tenderness.
Before her was a nearly naked Keith pinned to the ground and covered with wet kisses. It occurred to her that she was a bit jealous of the wolf.
Her face definitely felt warmer than usual.
Keith rose to his feet while hastily rearranging the towel that had begun to slip from where he had secured it around his waist, then mumbled something to the massive animal that Allura wasn’t meant to hear. He pointed toward the tree in the distance. After that he shouted, “Fetch! Go on, Boy!”
Kosmo disappeared and returned a moment later with a mossy, lichen-covered branch in his mouth.
“No, no, not the stick. My clothes. You’re supposed to fetch my clothes!”
Kosmo dropped the branch and panted, wagging his fluffy tail once more. Allura couldn’t contain her laughter any longer.
“Well, you could always make yourself a loin covering out of bark and lichen, or maybe a bit of strategically placed moss...”
“Allura!” Keith had turned the color of that cropped high-collared jacket he used to be so fond of wearing.
“Or I could loan you one of my spare tunics, maybe the white silky one with the pattern of pink Juniberry flowers embroidered at the collar, but don’t think it’s quite long enough to cover your—“
“Princess!”
Kosmo suddenly bounded over to her to give her an unexpected, slobbery space wolf kiss. Allura giggled and gave his soft fur a pat. She sensed the creature’s quintessence, which was powerful indeed. She calmed herself, closed her eyes, then released a tendril of thought to the gentle beast and filled the animal’s mind with an image, attempting to communicate with the wolf as she did with her beloved mice. Kosmo tilted his head as if listening to an inaudible melody, then blinked out of existence momentarily. When he returned, one of Keith’s boots was clutched in his jaws. Kosmo dropped it at Keith’s feet and then padded over to Allura to receive a well-deserved reward.
“Who’s a good boy?” Allura cooed as she scratched behind his ears. Kosmo shut his eyes happily to receive petting and praise.
Keith picked up his boot and sat down on a large stone. He chuckled softly at Allura’s interaction with the wolf.
Kosmo teleported away, and Allura began rummaging in her rucksack for more supplies. Keith watched as she unpacked several small items she had saved from before the Castle Of Lions was destroyed. She finally stopped when she found what she was looking for: a small container of round, clear, pink pellets. Kosmo reappeared just then, this time to deliver the other boot to the princess. The wolf licked Allura’s cheek as she laughed and petted him once more. “Good boy! Well done, Kosmo.”
“I’m glad to see you two are getting along better these days,” Keith observed with a smirk. Kosmo blinked away again.
“He’s a headstrong creature, a noble, proud, stubborn male, and one who is not easily controlled. Yet he responds favorably to encouragement and a woman’s gentle touch,” Allura explained, gazing deeply into Keith’s eyes, which were wide with wonder and perhaps a bit of fear. His breathing quickened. He seemed uncertain if the princess was describing his animal companion or himself. He blushed again but did not avert his gaze. He allowed himself the luxury of staring longingly at the princess, not even attempting to hide the fact that he was entranced by her beauty. Embarrassed by the intensity of his gaze and his near-nakedness, Allura turned away from him and busied herself with repacking her bag.
Kosmo returned just then, with a black pair of shorts in his mouth. He dropped them before Allura, and she snatched them up before Keith could grab them.
“Um, Princess, those are my, uh—“
“I know what they are.” She caught a whiff of them and wrinkled her nose, holding the sweaty undergarment at arm’s length. “This needs laundering,” she declared primly. She handed him one of the clear pink pellets, then she dunked Keith’s underwear in the stream. “Smash the pellet with your fingers and rub the contents on your wet clothing.”
Keith knelt beside her at the edge of the stream. She handed him his wet shorts, and Keith followed her instructions. The sweet aroma of Essence of Juniberry perfumed the air as a thick, pink foam enveloped the soiled garment.
“Now rinse,” she said gently. Keith followed her instructions and wrung out his sodden underpants.
Just then Kosmo had reappeared with Keith’s black T-shirt. After receiving a quick pat from Allura, the wolf disappeared once more.
“Great. Now my underwear smells like flowers,” Keith said sarcastically as he surveyed his handiwork.
“Which is considerably nicer than the previous aroma,” Allura declared haughtily. Keith chuckled again, and Allura felt her cheeks warm when her gaze met his once more. He was looking at her both fondly and apologetically.
“Sorry. I was all sweaty from training and—“
“I know,” she said simply. She dunked his soiled T-shirt in the water and rubbed the contents of another pellet against it.
“You don’t have to wash my clothes, Princess.” Keith said softly. “It’s beneath your dignity.”
“Am I wearing a crown right now?” she asked sharply. Her jeweled circlet gleamed in the sunlight right where she had set it down before her bath. She rinsed his shirt and wrung it out, then handed it to him. He laid it out to dry beside his shorts on a flat, sun-warmed rock near the shore.
“No,” he began as he stood up, “but that doesn’t change the fact that I’m a poor man from a primitive planet with nothing more to offer you than my loyalty.”
“Maybe that was the very least I was hoping you would offer me,” she said, rising. Tears welled at the corners of her eyes. “Loyalty,” she added softly. She could no longer conceal what she felt. Her eyes betrayed her, and when she dared to meet his gaze two silvery trails dampened her cheeks.
“Allura.” He said her name in a soft, broken voice, as if praying in supplication. “Please forgive me. I never meant to hurt you. If had known that leaving you for the Blades would have upset you so much, I—“
“You had every right to go. I was being selfish,” she said, wiping away her tears and trying to regain her composure.
“I have accepted that my destiny is here, with the team—“
“You were always meant to be the Black Paladin.”
Kosmo reappeared with Keith’s utility belt clenched in his mighty jaws. He dropped it beside them, unnoticed. The blade that once was Krolia’s was still secured safely in its sheath.
”But I had to go. I had to find out who I am.”
“And what did you discover?”
“I learned that I am proud to be human, and a Galra too. I learned that I have a mother who loves me every bit as much as my father always did. And I realized that I am not alone. I’ve never been alone, I only thought I was.”
His words touched her heart. “I missed you terribly, but I am truly glad you were able to bond with your mother.”
“I learned a lot about combat, strategy, and honor with the Blades too, but I also realized that my commitment will always be to Voltron. Shiro is as much my family as my mother is, and Hunk, Lance, and Pidge are like the younger brothers and sister I wish I would have had while growing up.” Keith hastily rubbed the corners of his eyes, hoping she wouldn’t notice the tears that had gathered there.
“You love them,” she sniffled. “And they love you. We all missed you so very much.” Allura voice cracked with a slight sob. “I know I missed you most of all.” She then wept openly and unashamedly.
“I’m sorry I blamed you for what happened.” Keith wrapped his muscular arms around her as she cried. “Hunk said that Lotor was so charismatic and persuasive that he had everyone fooled. It wasn’t your fault, Allura.”
Allura wanted to stay like that forever, bathed in sunlight and held by Keith’s strong arms, For a long moment there was nothing to be heard except their ragged breathing and peaceful the sound of the running water.
Kosmo had disappeared and reappeared once again, this time retrieving Keith’s trousers. He whined softly to get Keith and Allura’s attention, but they continued to hold each other as the sun rose higher in the sky.
After that long moment of stillness, Allura wiped her eyes again, then pulled away from Keith.
“Lotor fooled everyone except Lance and Pidge,” she began softly. “They didn’t trust him from the very beginning, but I was the biggest fool.” She frowned, her eyes downcast. “I didn’t listen to them. I allowed Lotor to seduce me with sweet words.”
Keith stood still, his head bowed and jaw clenched for a long moment until he finally lifted his head to speak. “I don’t want to know. It’s really none of my business.” He said this with a renewed coldness.
“He stole a kiss from me, but only one.” She said, hoping he would look at her and see the truth in her eyes. “I found out what he was, and I was absolutely disgusted by him. I truly despise him, but sometimes I hate myself even more for even entertaining the notion that Lotor and I might have—“ Her voice broke again. “We might have—“
Keith finally gazed at her, unable to hide the hurt in his eyes.
“Forgive me,” she pleaded. She was crying again.
“There’s nothing to forgive,” Keith began. “You’re a princess. He’s a rich, powerful, handsome prince. I don’t blame you if you loved him.”
Allura shook her head to deny that word, love.
“Keith, I have only ever loved one man, but he’s not a Prince. He’s a Paladin.” She dared to reach up to touch his cheek. Keith gaped at her in astonishment, as if he never imagined that she could have such feelings for him.
“Princess, I told you, I have nothing to offer—“ he began, but was silenced by how close her lips were to his own.
“You have yourself to offer,” she whispered, moving even closer to him, “and that is more than enough.”
The reflected sunlight on Allura’s discarded crown sparkled as Keith embraced the Princess, kissing her shyly with an awkward inexperience that surprised her, but his nervousness soon melted away as she kissed him back with gentle, but passionate tenderness. She ran her fingers through his damp hair and opened her lips to him...
*****
Kosmo turned in the direction of the sound of the approaching footsteps, his keen ears turned toward the soft crunching of the underbrush in the distance which would have hardly been audible to his master or his master’s female companion. Kosmo’s tail was swishing with happiness. He was quite fond of Allura, and was glad his master had begun courting her. The Princess would make an excellent mate for such a robust young male, Kosmo thought. And someday his master would sire offspring with her who would give him many pats and ear scratches, he was sure of it. The other two females were approaching, and Kosmo whined with anticipation of the pats he would receive, especially from the smaller one, Pidge.
*****
“Allura?” Pidge called.
“Oh!” exclaimed Romelle. “Oh my! Is that Keith? And is he naked too?”
Keith and Allura sprang apart, both blushing.
“Oh hello, Pidge. Romelle,” Allura nervously smoothed her clothes and hair. “We were just, um—“
Pidge giggled. “Yeah, it’s kind of obvious what you two have been up to.” Pidge was blushing too, partly because of Keith’s state of undress, and partly because of her own. She was wearing a modest green sports bra as a top and with it, a pair of once too-long navy blue Baltonian trousers she had cut down to a pair of shorts that showed off her slender legs. She had washed and combed out her hair, which had grown way past her shoulders. She looked more like a woman and less like a young girl than ever before, especially in her current state of undress.
Keith hastily grabbed his trousers and utility belt, then dashed off into the tall bushes where Allura had dressed herself earlier. Then, after a moment, he returned, red-faced and still wearing the towel. Allura giggled handed him his underwear and T-shirt, which were still damp.
While Keith was trying to figure what to do about this problem, Kosmo had attacked Pidge with wet space wolf kisses, and Romelle proceeded to bombard Allura with awkward questions about Keith.
Fortunately for Allura, Pidge interrupted Romelle’s interrogation. “It’s almost lunchtime.”
“Yes, you two go on,” said Allura. “Don’t miss lunch on my account.”
“Come on Pidge,” said Romelle. “The Princess clearly wants to be alone with her boyfriend.” The two girls giggled, and Allura sighed in relief as they headed back to camp.
Boyfriend. Yes, she definitely liked the sound of that.
*****
When Romelle spotted the Paladins’ camp, she saw Hunk, Shiro, and Coran eating the sandwich rolls Hunk had made with the leftovers from last night’s barbecue feast. Lance was nowhere in sight.
“Do you think Pointy Chin got lost?” she asked Pidge.
“Nah. He’s probably loafing somewhere. He’s avoiding doing any work, and maybe giving himself a makeover.”
“You know him so well. Maybe you should bring him some lunch.”
“That’s a good idea. I probably ought to get dressed first.”
“Oh, no! What you’re wearing is just perfect.”
“Romelle! It’s bad enough that Keith saw me like this, but Lance—“ Pidge blushed at the thought of it.
“Do you want him to notice that you’re a girl or not?” Romelle argued.
The shorter girl was lost in thought for a moment, then she said, “I suppose I could bring him some of those sandwich rolls. They say that the way to a man’s heart is though his stomach.”
“That’s a strategy that would definitely work on Hunk,” said Romelle, looking thoughtful.
The two girls giggled conspiratorially as they headed back to camp.