{what if these are the deleted parts?}
Kimberly Brooks = Allura
A.J. LoCascio = Lotor
Lotor's ship lands back inside Princess Allura's castle-ship. As a gentleman raised in the royal world, he helps her down. The feel of her catching herself against him, swells his senses like never before. Soft physical touch is not something he is used to. Sure he has extended a hand to a fellow soldier during a spar and even rescue, but to hold someone in a dance or in comfort? No. Not even his mother or governess cuddled or coddled him. Those touches are left for lovers or... others. Weaker cultures? How did his father say it?
"Lotor?"
The elegant tender voice says his name. No one has ever said his name so kindly. If his mother had not been tainted by his father's greed for THAT poison, would she have said it this way?
"Are you alright?" She touches him softly once again, right over his heart. It feels so...good.
He looks down to her sweet compassionate face. Her beautiful, beautiful trusting face. No, it's not just her face. Her soul. She's trusting him and all he has told her.
Should he tell her his whole plan? Will she understand? Would she continue to support him? Would that light of trust in her eyes go out?
"Hey," she touches his cheek then nearly giggles pushing that long rogue lock aside. "Are you here?"
With a smirk, he nods softly trying to swallow down all the questions and doubts that want to escape his mouth. "We accomplished so much today."
"We sure did," she smiles ever so softly.
She has to admit, being this close and alone with him is magical. When Altea died, she figured she would never ever find anyone who could actually accept her as a woman of dignity and brains. The others in the Coalition certainly respect her advise and her ability to mediate politics, but so many forget that she is also a trained pilot and fighter. On top of that, has an investigative mind that has come in handy in all other her royal duties.
And still very much a woman, not just the child of a king.
Has her investigative mind lead her here now? Or is it the woman in her that is enamored by the skilled-strong and very handsome tall striking gentleman before her now? She watches her finger tip trace the bold stripe on his arm hoping he will speak, but not step away.
He watches her stay close to him, toying with his uniform. She is in no rush to step away from him. So he slips his hand under hers. It lifts her eyes from his arm to his own longing eyes. Like a magnet drawn to his steel charm, she arches to her toes sliding her hand up past the blue star on his chest and over his bending shoulders.
Knowing he is being drawn like delicate material into the flame of her hope, he leans in to close the gap between their lips.
Their lips' touch is perfect.
His attempt of a kiss with a garrison-whore never felt like this. Her rebuke was enough that he cut his losses, and left his skills to piloting, plotting, and sword strikes. He did not need to be a sex symbol to attain his power. And considering it was whispered behind too many hands that he was 'an undesirable mate' it only honed his desire to be more deadly and skilled on field. It also leads to his desire to understand his heritage that his father once found worthy enough to ally and mate with, but in his madness decide was an abomination. So much so, that he turned his back on his only heir. Rather than support and encourage a child that lost his mother to her own madness, he further shamed the whelp for not having more Galra-traits.
But here, the taste of Allura's lips is a sweet nectar ever so desirable and taking all that Altean-blood-shame away. The touch of her fingers spanning over his nape, her other hand panning against his taught belly, thumbing the grey V's seams, has him gaping to draw in more air, and clutching her waist for stability. He's losing himself to her. He needs to hold onto her, or topple over to his knees before her.
Is this the love his parents once had that had created him? How could they ever forget this sensation? How could they abandon the product of such joy? Is quintessence really more addictive than pure love?
The gape in his kiss, sends her belly fluttering. An awkward kiss from a young admirer in her preteens didn't feel anything invigorating and thrilling like this. After that one innocent kiss, she became of an age that she always had a chaperone and was considered 'above everyone's stature' to even considering courting.
Lotor doesn't seem to care she is inexperienced in the ways of a kiss. Certainly a man of his physical stature has kissed more than one woman breathless! This kiss of his now is as devastating as any one his sword strikes she has witnessed.
A near break in the kiss, has her giving a soft whine and stretching to get more. He feels the pull on his neck and the harder press of her body against his.
She WANTS him to kiss her! His mind spins happily and swiftly he clutches her tighter against himself and pressing into the kiss once more. She parts under his lips, in hopes of getting a better grasp, and accidentally flicks her tongue against his lip. He moans this time, pressing them together even more.
Having caught a couple lovers in the hangar bay, he's always wanted to kiss someone so heatedly that the universe could just implode and he would not give a damn. Now not only is Allura kissing him, but she has stated that she is proud of him. She trusts him. If he is reading this kiss right, she feels the same way he does!
But he has to be sure.
He yanks back, and cups her face until she open her eyes and looks to his. They are drugged off his kiss as much as he is. "Allura-"
"Please...," the hand leaves his belly to slide around his waist, gripping tightly as far as it can to the other hip, "...can't we have a few more moments?"
"You want to keep kissing me?!" His eyes go wide.
"By the cosmos yes!"
For so how strong and in control he normally is, his smile is so cute topped off by the slight embarrassed blush.
"Who am I to deny a Princess," he drops an octave, "her wish."
"Damn right," being with him has emboldened her into cutting of his chuckle to her reply by twisting a handful of his long hair and pulling him back down to kissing her.
He moans against her lips and then grows bolder himself. The Emperor first pulls on the kiss and then flicks his silver tongue against her own lips, and smiles when her hand digs into the strong muscles of his back. She flicks her own tip back, and grazes it against one of his sharp fanglike-incisors. Feeling him stiffen, she does it again this time more slowly, sending the kiss into a more intimate and exploring one.
Of course they both know that the rest of the team is waiting for them, but to be honest, what are they fighting for? For the rest of the universe's occupants to be able to have peaceful and private moments like this? Is it selfish of them to put the war on hold for a moment so that they can have a moment of their own? Of all the people in the universe, they never ever thought they would find someone they could just be comfortable and merge with. Someone who completely understands.
Its more than that.
This is passion.
In her desire to close the distance of their height, her arm goes to wrap around his neck, but her hand brushes against the catch of his collar. In her curiosity, her deft fingers flick and release it. More than a moan comes from him, more of a groan. With one arm bending to hitch under her rear and pull her tighter against himself, he pulls her other hand down, pushing the thumb along the black seams where she is welcome to release the chest and waist clasps to his outer cloak and their elegant tails.
She pulls back only enough to check if she is reading his hand's intention right.
He gives her a soft smile, "Only do what you are comfortable with."
"Really?"
He nods, "Yes. I let my guard down... only with you."
"Lotor….," she says his name in that reverent sweet way once again, making his belly heat and he smiles giving her nose a peck. "Show me how to...?"
"Alright," his voice alone can release her own tight armor.
Hands of a swordsman take her dexterous piloting fingers in his and he presses her fingers along the string of strong snaps that trail against his pectoral muscles, and under his arms, against his strong ribs until they run out. Then he leans in to continue their kiss while setting her hands to the orange V on his chest. There he releases her hands, leaving the decision to trail her hands against the rest of his torso and down to his hips completely in her care.
His own hands resume lifting her by hooking his forearms under her rear and carrying her behind his ship and to a storage crate against the wall. Here he sits at the corner and scoots back so that her knees straddle his hips comfortably on the chest top, once more leaving the decision to her as to settle in his lap or to move away.
Her mind returns to reality for just a moment: Coran will have a heart attack if he finds her snogging let alone undressing a man so out in the open! Lance will (or at least try to) slaughter Lotor. Pidge and Hunk will probably run and hide in a pair of flaming cheeks.
She knows she and Lotor may only get this one chance.
She pushes her thumbs against the clasps and pushes the fabric away. Lotor releases one more set of snaps, and the piece is a puddle on the locker. She pulls back from the kiss that is making it hard to breathe, to get a good look at him. It's simple enough to see how to release his shoulder and arm armor, she does so slowly pulling it away and setting it to the floor.
"Shall I remove my boots?" He asks, with that roguish smirk and glint of his.
"Well, since we are going to be here for a few moments, why not be comfortable?" She can feel her blush burning down her throat making it sound more husky than she intended.
"Very wise," he teases and leans to one side and with a few flicks and tugs, one boot is thunked softly to the deck. As he tips the other way, he keeps his eyes on her face enjoying her darkening cheeks.
They have not said how far this intimate exploration will go but he will not lie, he wishes they were lost on some forgotten world were no one would ever find them. Where he doesn't have to worry about a blade to the back or Allura being ripped from his arms by some Paladin Protector. He wants her to be at peace with him.
She gives a soft frown stroking that stray lock of his again. "You look like you are thinking hard again."
Releasing the other boot, he brings his hands up to cup her hips, and play his thumbs along her spine. "I wish the war was over, so we don't have any worries ever again."
She pans her hands up his chest and over his shoulders to ease his tension. He does sigh softly, continuing to play with her strong back. It feels so good to be held, and yes, she can understand what he means. With one hand tracing the seams of his undersuit, the other reaches to comb through his hair and then release the barrette letting all his hair hang loose. His beautiful Altean hair.
"We will get there," she hopes.
He reaches up to release her own long hair. "I don't want to talk of the war right now, please?"
"Alright," she combs his hair once more leaving her hand to cup the back of his head and pull him close for another kiss. This is one slow and burning with passion. He doesn't mean to do it, but cups her rear and with an adjustment of his own hip, fits her nicely into his lap.
"OH!" she cries into his mouth. He grunts an apology, but she nips his lips for that instead, and grinds herself into his lap further.
"oooooh," it is his turn to pant and when she takes his hand to the front clasps of her own flightsuit. He swears, then grunts, "Are you sure?"
"Yes, Lotor," and leans back just a bit to watch his expression as he releases her hard outer suit. His eyes may widen, but his chest is hitching in want and need to be even closer to her. "Yes?"
Dumbly he nods his approval, and his throat bobs helping her out of the pink and white shell.
Both of their undersuits are a standard one piece 'sock'. It hides nothing of their shape and form, but is a thermal and moisture protector. His is of course standard Galra black with accented grey. Hers is a royal white. But here they both are, nearly bared to each other, at any moment they could be exposed by other members of the castle. At any moment their little sacred world could shatter or passionately come together.
But nothing has felt better than when they are alone together. Nothing has felt more perfect than touching each other... alone.
Allura pulls at her undersuit and he nearly shreds his. The hangar maybe cold, but she feels like she is blushing from head to bare toe. Lotor has always hidden his body from others, whenever he could, but the way she is looking at him right now, gives him another boost of confidence. With a hand held out to her, he lays back to the smooth topped locker.
Damn he looks like some pin-up she has caught a peek of in the more 'racey' outpost shops. Shops that Coran forbid her to go to and now she just has to ponder, "Ancients! Lotor, you could a stall a war-"
His cheeks burn a darker shade of purple and his Altean markings becoming more prominent. The change has her realizing she said it out loud. "Shit!" She clamps a hand to her mouth.
But he leans up and slips his claws between her palm and lips to pull the hand, drawing her closer to himself. "You are too kind." His teeth rake her knuckle in a most sensuous way, "The rumors of your naked beauty pale to the truth."
"Whaaaa?" She tries to ask.
But he is nipping her wrist and then licking the nip in a way that makes it clear he would like to nip and rake his teeth and lips all over her body. "What I would give to properly make love to you." For one not versed in the art of sexual seduction (just political seduction) his tone is enough to have her mewling. Music to his ears.
But the truth of his statement are a reminder that time is short and she makes the move before anyone can destroy it.
"Ufff!" he is taken off guard by Allura straddling his hips, purely naked this time. And this time she can touch all his toned muscles with her bare hands.
She has no idea that she should be horrified by his half-Galra body. Instead, to her it's actually invigorating that his body has such an Altean beauty mixed with a bit of his Galra ancestry. Unlike his father (who's body has been enhanced if not mutated by the quintessence) Lotor's muscles are purely from his drive to be naturally skilled and honed. His purity to be the best, and by the Ancients she can not get enough of him.
"May...I...?" She has no idea how to ask what she wants to touch.
His neck arches back exposing himself fully to her whims, hair panning out deliciously. Her firm touch has him arching his back up further pressing them pelvically and leaving him breathless, "Anything, Allura. Do whatever you please! Please, touch me!" He hates how it comes out as a wonton plea, but it's too late to take it back.
How could she say no to that needy voice?! She slides from his lithe and lethal hips, up that skilled and toned torso, to that strong and lean (panting) chest. But his arms! Arms with muscles strong enough to slay, but are right now holding her safely against him, and caressing her own body.
The claws that have scarred and damaged many, are now tracing and tantalizing her own belly and chest. Up her own limber body and to touch her beautiful breasts.
"Allura?" he pleads her to make him a promise.
She has been watching his expressions as she has touched and caressed his body, so to see his eyes go so dark and needy has her nodding that she has heard him.
His hands gently hold her breasts while the thumbs play about those dark nubs of her areolas. As tantalizing as it is, and lust driven as they are, she can see there is something serious on his mind. "Yes, Lotor?"
He swallows and then pleads, "Allura, promise me that when you have a child, you will take the time to nurse it. Do not pass the youngling off to some wet nurse or governess to make this Coalition a priority."
Her brow furrows, "Lotor? Wha-"
The shake of his head cuts her off. "Just promise me, that when the time comes, and you find a proper mate, you make the child you create a priority."
She starts to say something, but he tips his head to remind her, he is dead serious and will not tolerate a lazy placating promise. He wants a dead serious one.
"I promise you, Lotor. Only if you make your children your priority as well."
He is the one to turn flippant though, with a snort and dejected jerk of his head his hands fall to their sides, "That won't be a problem."
He forgets her strength until she grabs his chin and jerks it back so they are facing each other. More than that, her hips are now grinding, down wetting his male organ of mixed biology. "No, it won't, you gorgeous bastard," and crushes his mouth in a hot kiss. "You really have no idea how handsome you are, do you?"
"Show me," he demands, but nearly pleads.
"As you wish," her hips rise and her hand slips between them.
As a human or even an Altean, his testicles would be external, but if the head of his penis is any indication, his testicles are probably internal and tucked safely behind his pelvic bones. A warrior race would never be so carless to have reproductive gems in such a vulnerable place. As for the organ that delivers said reproductive fluids, it is nice and wide at the base tapering to a narrow but blunt tip that will swell in climax, sealing the mate's womb. This ensures that the sperm have a chance to be absorbed by the partner, and nothing is wasted.
She tips her hips, and in three thrusts has him seated fully inside herself. There she just sits for a moment to catch her breath and let her own body adjust to his full length. Unlike a human, there is no hymen for her to break, just the sheer physicality of taking him in.
It's just as well that she is resting a moment, because he has completely lost his breath. Allura! Allura, Princess of Altea. The woman, that since he first talked to her, her voice has been a song in his ears. Since accepting his help, has been an answer to his prayers. And now, here she is! Making love to him!
"Oh my stars, Allura!" He gasps!
"YES," she grinds her hips, further sealing their connection and getting his tip to rub just that right spot. "Lotor," she lowers her chin and bores her gaze into his. "I've wanted to strip you bare and hear you say my name for so long. I've wanted to be in you arms for even longer."
His eyes once again are blown wide. "ME?! With all those Paladins at your knees?!"
She leans over pressing her chest to his, "They are not you. They do not understand me like you can and do. Please, Lotor, make love to me."
He rolls them over, letting his whole length press her under his gentle weight. "I promise you this, Allura, when this day is over, I will make proper love to you! But I am too impassioned right now to wait!"
"I will hold you to that." She smiles, hooking her ankles to the small of his back, just above that tight ass of his.
It is a wickedly devious grin that tops off the devious cant of his hips and the continuing of their joining.
At first he is slow and gentle wanting to savor the intense feel of their connection. So soft and yet so firm is her hold on his maleness. It's enough to drive him mad!
She arches up under him, grabbing hold of his hair again, pulling him down for more of those kisses. He kisses her for a moment, but he needs more air and so his mouth moves it's attention to her neck and shoulder. Allura reciprocates the nipping.
The nipping and biting sends his hips curling and thrusting deeper and harder. The whines and sharper nips help him know just how she likes it, and he strives to send her closer and closer to that edge he is reaching himself.
"Yes! Please!" and then she says his name in just THAT way. "Lotor!" She can't name what is happening, but it is clear something is in her body is changing. It's getting harder to breathe. The muscles in her belly and lungs are in a fluttering cringe to hold him deep and tight within. It's scary, and hot, and, and, and she likes it! "AH! Um!" And there it is! A passionate release!
The silence, the heat! The need to clutch on to something, her fingers dig sharply into his muscled arms as she silently cries out.
Part of him wants to stop and savor this: She's never been more beautiful than here she is clutching on to him, letting go of everything, so breathless she can't even make a sound. And it's with him! It's BECAUSE of him- well them- together.
The beauty of them together is all it takes to tip him over his own passionate edge. With a grunt and then a soft roar he is releasing. The sudden surge of blood to inflate the head buried deep in his lover, and then the pulsing release of his seed leaves him a bit dizzy. Luckily she is hanging onto him by both hips and arms, because he is sure he would topple right off the locker. Instead he gracefully, bows his neck until his head rests in the cup of her neck and shoulder. "A-allura….," he fights to speak clearly.
"Shhh," she massages into his long hair, but fully enjoying the tight feeling of them sealed together. She's actually grateful for his swelling, because she wants to hold him a bit longer. "I've got you," she whispers.
He lets his eyes close of their own will and presses an ever so tender kiss to her throat. "Sometimes I think you are the ONLY one who gets me."
She giggles lightly, "Lotor, you are a hard one to get. You don't let anyone in."
This does have him lifting his head slightly, propping himself up by just an elbow. He doesn't mean to, but it's a dangerously seductive pose, that she promises to forever burn into her memory.
"Can you blame me?" It's his turn to play with her hair and enjoy the way she looks at him.
She takes a moment to ponder what he means.
He frowns, "Sorry, didn't mean to blow the moment."
She takes a lock of his own hair and pulls him closer. "No, I don't blame you. I'm blessed you let me in. I'm honored that you trust me."
Guilt shivers through his whole core weakening their seal. The need to tell her everything is enough to kill his libido. He sighs heavily and shifts his gaze to the way her fingers play with his hair. "Listen, Allura... there is something I -"
"HEY! Are you guys done geek-talking down there?" It's Lance calling through the hangar intercom.
"Shit!" Lotor hisses. As if his own thoughts weren't enough to deflate him, Lance's call sure finishes him off. He rolls and then carefully disengages from her.
Allura is all in a panic of the Paladins finding out about this that she does not even see Lotor's expression or even realizes he was trying to say something. She pulls on her undersuit and palms the intercom. "Ye-yeah, on our way. Sorry, just got...distracted."
Tugging on his own undersuit, Lotor spares a moment to snort and smirk over his shoulder. Her glare of a warning only encourages him further. Anything to punch down that knot of guilt in his chest.
Once they are dressed, he turns to her. Their moment is over, and yet he really doesn't want it to ever end.
He cups the back of her neck and in an old fashioned romantic way, bows her back and kisses the daylights out of her. Slowly he pulls back on the kiss, but not on his hold of her. "How is that for a distraction?"
Once more she teasingly-glares at him. "Lotor, you are an evil, evil man."
"Yes, I am. But you like that about me too. Admit it."
"Never," she whispers looking away, blushing furiously.
In a sweet roll of laughter he lifts her back to her feet, and hands her a pink chest piece. "You have your own evil ways, Allura. And I intend to explore and find them all when this is all over."
That leaves her blushing and needing to turn away from him. The man is a sexy rouge and a heart breaker. If only the poor guy knew just how many want to be bedded by him. Her blush deepens knowing she can secretly count herself as one of the lucky ones and will get to do so again.
Not knowing she is the only one.
He watches her put on the last piece of armor over her heart. Sealing away their secret. "Ready?" even though he is not.
His question breaks her from those thoughts of future tangled sheets with him, rather than just a stolen moment on a hangar trunk.
"What if I said no?" She looks up to him.
The last thing she expected was for him to fold his arms around her and pull her safely into his embrace. It's his turn to thread his hands through her hair. In fact, he is twisting it back up the way she likes. "I got you," he whispers this time.
She buries her face into that blue star on his chest, just to soak up one more minute of his scent. It's unbearable to considering letting him go. But holding his hand up to the blast doors helps.
All too soon, they are stepping away from each other as the blast doors part. Here they open to a set of very very angry and armed Paladins and a scorning Coran.
Then come the accusations from Keith and an actual living Altean from a colony of LOTOR'S no less. Half truths come from both the accuser and from the defendant.
The pounding in her ears blots out the yelling. The only thing louder is the breaking of her heart. Only to be followed by Lotor's utter surprise of being picked up and thrown as far and as hard as his lover can! The crunching thud of the new Emperor's body being knocked out cold on the floor, is nothing to the ice now running through the Princess's veins.
The ensuing chaos is a blur for both.
It is one thing to be thrown across the room by the woman who just made love to him, But to wake up and be dragged before the Bitch claiming to be his mother, does not help one bit.
If anything, seeing the Witch who destroyed his mother, drives him to try making amends with Allura. If he could, he would be on his knees, but all he can do is plead through the com-line. He is so lost in his need to reach Allura's hear behind that armor, that he does not realize his folly of turning his back on the Generals who had been so loyal to him.
But Allura saw it. Her broken heart might fuel a lot of her rage, but she was clear enough to be afraid that if he could turn his back on his long-time Generals, he could probably do it to her and the Coalition, too.
As smart as she is, she knows she should not be the one leading at this time, but it's too hard to let go of her pain.
His pleading for her to remember what they had is like his sword to the chest.
She reacts.
Her rejection of his love is a last straw:
His mother abandoned him before he was even born.
His father saw only his imperfection, not all he had accomplished. Rejection, exile. Death sentence of his own son!
The Galra have constantly rejected him as heir. Even after accomplishing the impossible: killing his own father AND the Great Zarkon and lighting the flame of Kral Zera…. more rejection.
The Alteans who he saved for his own goals, turned to worship him. Not at all what he expected! They had given him a hope and a chance to rise. Along with the trust and hope Allura had given him, he saw a chance to prosper not only politicly, but privately. He could finally do something right!
And now she has yanked the rug out from under his feet. She rejected his love.
It's over, he had nothing left to lose now.
And then, the quintessence field reveals a truth to her.
Allura can feel how she has wronged Lotor by not listening completely. She can see that his hurt has left him vulnerable to the promise of the quintessence's power: like his parents fell for. The same quintessence-poison that had his mother abandoning him and his father hating him for it, has turned him into this monster.
She chokes. All he ever wanted was love. Acceptance.
And when she had given him that, he never looked more peaceful. So much so, that Lotor had her make a promise about her future. A future she would like him to also have.
"Please, Lotor, we must leave!" She pleads and begs with all she has.
"NO!" He roars. This is all he has left to prove himself with.
Viciously she tries to reach him over the com-lines, just as he had earlier tried to reach her. But the results are the same.
And Keith makes the fateful decision. It kills her to leave Lotor to the same poison that had consumed both his parents. But she... she has no choice.
As they go to the castle to clear it before closing the rift and sealing Lotor inside, she heads to the hangar. It might not make sense to anyone else, but she puts all the notes she and Lotor had gathered inside THAT storage trunk and loads it into Blue.
As the rift closes, and the explosions ensue, Allura sobs feeling as if she has killed Lotor without giving him a chance to explain. There is no way she can tell anyone. It will be her secret alone to carry.
~00~
After healing Siro, they all agree to get some sleep before making the long journey to Earth. Coran tries to talk to her, but she pushes him to just let her rest. He finally does, noticing she really does look tired.
Allura climbs inside her tent, grateful that her status as Princess, means she does not have to share tonight. It's been a rough few days and she could really use the rest.
She lays down to finally sleep except, Lotor's voice keeps haunting her. Something he said: "..the child you create...", rolls over and over again in her head.
"No...," it finally comes to her why his voice will not go away. She knows the percentage is very low that anyone could conceive with just one take. After all, it took her parents a very long time to conceive her, and even then, they could only have her. The chance of Lotor's biology and her own heredity problems? "Still, what if..."
She lays there a bit longer trying to push the thoughts aside, but the memory of them making love and the pleading of him to accept her love is just too much. Finally she get up and gets the medical scanner. She finds the setting and takes a sample.
Positive for pregnancy hormones, very low at this point, but yes, she has conceived. She takes a second and then a third just to be certain. But there it is, all three came out positive with increasing percentages of hormones.
Allura curls into her cot and burying her face into her pillow. "I will keep my promise to you, Lotor."
~00~
Hunk taps Lance on the shoulder, "I got the next watch. You go get some rest."
Lance nods, "Thanks, Hunk. I might check on Allura first."
"Yeah, that would be a good idea. She looked pretty shaken up earlier."
With that, Lance heads over to Allura's tent tucked between Blue's paws and chin. He taps on the metal giving off a welcoming 'ting, ting', "Hey, it's Lance, just checking on you."
"Come in, Lance," she very softly welcomes. He parts the insulating fabric and stops to access her. "Hey," she weakly responds from her snuggled spot.
Lance settles down on the floor beside her. "Hey," he just as softly replies. It's clear she is emotionally bruised, and physically tired. Sure it would be easy to ask the standard question 'Are you alright?' but she would just as easily respond with the standard, 'Yes'. They both know she is not, and he makes sure his facial expression says so.
"Façade aside, how bad is it?" He starts.
"I appreciate you not starting with, 'See, I told you so'." She sighs and pulls the blanket up under her chin.
"I think that is Keith's line," he smirks. She smirks back until he reaches for her hand. "Look, you and I both know I care about you, but here's what you don't know." She squeezes his hand to encourage him to continue. "My sister Maria fell for a guy that we all knew was bad news. She saw something in him, none of us could see. She trusted him."
"Like I trusted Lotor?"
"A lot of us trusted him, but to be fair, you knew the world and life he came from far more than any of us could ever comprehend. The political, royal, and even technical aspects of this universe, we just can't completely understand. Besides, your family has a history of trust. There is an even deeper reason to want to heal that rift."
Allura grips his hand tighter. As much of a daft bunny he can be at times, he can also be very emotionally intuitive.
So he smiles, and continues his story. "Any way, Seth was a addicted to drugs, and abused her trust and money."
"Drugs? Wouldn't medication heal him?"
He scratches his head and ponders how to explain. "Forget the term 'drugs', and just keep in mind Seth had an addiction. Addiction can be different for each person. Depending on their body chemistry and social experiences. Addiction can drive someone to sell their soul, betray the ones they love most, and leads them down a path of destruction. Physically and socially."
"And Seth was addicted to something and your sister knew this?"
"We all knew he was addicted, but she was sure she could help him break the addiction. Maria was sure that the power of their love would be stronger than the pull to the addiction."
This brings Allura to sit up. "What happened?"
When she sits up, he gives her a soft smile. "She became pregnant." Allura pales and releases his hand. Lance doesn't notice it though, just recalling a memory. "She told me first and asked me what she should do. She wanted to tell him hoping the child would be one more reason for him to get clean. But she also knew our family would be quite disappointed that she had let him get so close to her and that she still had hope for him."
Allura turns her head away to pick at the hem of the blanket. Fear ripples through her that he knows she too is with child from one who has betrayed others and that she is foolish to still think there is hope for Lotor.
"Wha-what did she do?" She plucks again, "What did you tell her?"
"I told her that I would stand by her and HER child, not his. I told her that she may have to chose her priorities: the child, or the father. If I had to chose whom to protect, I will chose the innocent child over my adult sister. But ultimately, the decision is hers."
This brings her head up. Once more she wonders if he knows. He gives nothing away, though.
He folds his knees up and picks some dirt out of the creases of his boot. "She shared something else with me, that got me thinking about Lotor."
She blinks. "Lotor? Really?"
He nods, "Maria told me that Seth's mother had been an addict while she was pregnant. It could be one reason why he was so susceptible to the cocaine he tasted, and why it was so hard for him to kick it."
"How does that relate to Lotor?"
"Quintessence. His mother was an addict to the rift when he was conceived and then she continued to experiment while he grew. And his father was just as drawn to it. Then that suit of Zarkon's was infused..."
She holds a hand up to show she understands where he is going, but that she needs a moment to take it all in.
"I don't think he knew he was addicted. That's one of the reasons you could not get him out of the rift, and yes I do realize how hard you were trying. An over dose of quintessence becomes pure madness."
Her hand moves to cover her mouth. "Lotor," she nearly whimpers his name realizing just how out of his mind he really was. As healthy and put together as he looked, in reality, he was addicted to the need for quintessence.
"If what he told you was true, he had no emotional bond with his mother, because of her own addiction to quintessence. His father was busy being a leader and also addicted to the power and draw of it could give his empire. Child-Lotor had been abandoned by his parents. Quintessence was more important that their own child created in love."
Allura chokes, tears slipping down her cheeks as he continues. "He found a friend, someone who understood him. Someone who could understand the purity of his peaceful heritage. And someone who could understand the geeky science of quintessence."
Her choke this time is in humor and it brings out his bright smile. "It helps that you both speak that high society royal language. Hey and you are rather pretty, Princess."
She giggles and blushes this time.
And then he rolls his eyes and imitates playing with a rogue lock of hair like Lotor's. "That guy is wicked fighter and … damn if he isn't intimidatingly virile." He grunts looking away, "I hate that about him."
His grunt keeps him from seeing her look down as her hands lay against the new life she carries. "More than you know," she whispers.
"Allura?" He heard her say something, but not clearly. "What did you say?"
Her hand caresses, "I fell in love with him."
He lays a hand on hers, "I know you did, and I can see why. The guy is damn charming and all that."
She can't speak right away, just looking at his hand touching hers. Finally she takes his hand and lays it on her belly. "Lance... I love-d him."
"Yeah, I know-OH, ooooohhh!" It hits him what she fully means. "But, when?!"
She can't look at him. She doesn't want to see if he is ashamed of her, in spite of everything he just told her.
He knows this and lays his other hand over hers still pressing his to her belly. "Allura, it's okay." Still she doesn't lift her head, tears falling onto their hands. "You still love him?"
Her head nods. "I know I shouldn't. I am sickened by so much he has done, but...yes."
"There is more to him," he finishes. "More to him than we ever saw that only you could understand."
Her head nods. "And he brought so much out of me." Now she does lift her head. "You Paladins are my friends and siblings that I could only ever dream of having. But Lotor…."
"Is Altean. Is a galactic leader." She nods again. "These are things that are very attractive."
"Ancients he is sexy," she mutters, palming her face.
Lance grouses, "Well THAT I didn't need to be reminded of." But he smirks and pretends to flick long white hair over his shoulder. "You just have a thing for guys with long hair."
She thumbs her Altean marks, "Well you know..." Lance shakes his head to her tease.
But squeezing her hand he warmly encourages, "I'll stand by you and help you. If you want to keep this a secret, I will. If you want to pretend I'm your child's father-" And they both have a great big laugh at that. "Yeah, Keith would be a better choice at being able to cover for the Galra traits."
"Besides, who would ever believe you and me, hahahah!" she can't stop herself from considering the other's faces. He joins in laughing with her. He can take the tease knowing that he is being privileged with her private secret.
But when they do sit back and wipe their tears away, Lance sighs. "Do I even want to know how far along you are?"
She chews her lip a moment then shakes her head. "No, you don't. Just know it's recent."
He nods in understanding. "Well just let me know if you need more rest or extra rations. Stay healthy, alright?"
"And I need you to know, I might protect my body a bit more, but I will not fight any less. Please do not coddle me."
He nods. "You are far older than I and obviously understand Altean biology better, but please know, I will throw myself to protect an innocent life."
One long finger is held up in front of his nose, "Only if I am incapacitated, otherwise, I will punch your lights out and then the enemy who dares harm this little life."
He raises both hands in defeat. "Alright, deal."
"Thank you," she honestly sighs and settles back into her cot, pulling the blanket back up. "I need some time to get my head wrapped around all of this before I tell anyone else."
He takes the hint and rises. "Just be comforted that you don't carry the weight of this secret alone." She smiles and he gives her a kiss on the forehead. She closes her eyes and he leaves her in peace.
Stepping outside, he takes a heavy sigh and leans back against Blue looking to the sky and the dimensions beyond. "Lotor, hope you are alright, but know I will protect your child even from your madness if need be. But I wish you were healthy and here to hold them both. Familial love is all you should be craving."