Atonement
Prompt: Keith and Allura sparring.
Version of Voltron preferred: VF or VLD.The setting for this is VLD.
Beta: A big thanks to Cubbie for reading for flow, some grammar, and to help me with those last two lines of the story. I couldn't have finished the story without those two lines!
Author's Notes: Done for the KAEX Spring Gift Exchange. I have done a sparring story before, but this one IS different. ;-D
Chapter 1: Takes place AFTER the 'Blade of Mamora' in Season 2 but BEFORE 'Best Laid Plans'
Blood flew from Keith's mouth as the Gladiator hit him with a closed fist. Keith rotated his body and kicked his opponent in its metal alloy encased abdomen. I wish it could feel the pain like I do, Keith thought bitterly as he did a back flip to avoid a powerful kick from the robot. Allura had told them that the Gladiator setting she had given them when they first arrived was a level for Altean children. He had been working his way up the levels but after the recent revelation that he was Galra he had pushed faster than his learning curve and had skipped a few levels.
The disappointment and distrust in Allura's eyes when she learned… This time Keith didn't dodge in time and the Gladiator swept Keith's legs out from under him and moved to a dominant position over his prone body. The robotic hand reached for his neck as Keith struggled to catch his breath.
"Pause program," a lilting autocratic voice called from the entry.
The robot paused in place while Keith tilted his head to the side to see Allura dressed in her jumpsuit. He pushed himself out from under the Gladiator. "Why?" he asked as he stood and wiped the blood from his lip. She had no feelings of compassion for him. Not after her response to his heritage. So why did she stop the Gladiator?
Allura punched some codes into the wall panel and the Gladiator disappeared through the floor as the center of the room became bathed a brighter light while the edges of the room disappeared into shadows. When it seemed she was satisfied, she turned to face him and stepped into the bright light of the center. "I monitor all the training programs. I saw that over the last week you have gone up five levels but mastered only two of those."
Keith's chin tilted up in open defiance. "I wanted to push myself. See what I could handle. The safeties would make sure there were no fatal wounds."
A frown drew Allura's brows together. "You do NOT have the luxury of having a 'near-fatal' wound. WE do not have that luxury."
Because of the Galra. The words weren't said but Keith could hear them plainly in his mind. His eyes narrowed as he looked at the princess. "Your medical facility can more than handle a wound I would receive in here. And I can't imagine YOU of all people would even care if I had a wound like that." Keith had started walking in a circular manner and Allura matched him going in the opposite direction so that they were circling each other. When she didn't say anything to rebut him, he laughed. "It galls you that Red chose me, doesn't it? That a Lion of Voltron could still choose a GALRA after what—"
"Enough!" Allura shouted and the distain for Keith was clear in her voice. "You are necessary and needed—"
"But not wanted!"
Allura stopped her circling. "Are you tired out from your self-righteous yammering?"
Keith stopped and glared at her from under his heavy brows, the color of his eyes almost deepening to match the shadows of the room. His voice was soft but yet menacing as he asked, "Why did you come here, Princess?"
Her voice answered in a matching tone. "You've been coming here to atone for what you are. I'm just here to help you out."
"By doing what?"
Allura didn't answer as she launched herself at Keith. He was ready for her. He had read the bloodlust in her eyes and knew that she saw him as the only physical representation of the culture that had wiped out her world and her life.
Catching her around the waist he flipped her over his back but she didn't land on the floor but on her feet. She immediately rounded on him and hit him on the jaw with her fist. It was just by luck that it was the same spot that the Gladiator had hit and Keith suffered another cut to the inside of his cheek and once again he had to spit out blood as he dropped to his knees.
He looked up at her, his jaw now discoloring from the two hits and blood trickling from the corner of his lip. "Go ahead and do what the Gladiator would have done," he said angrily. For he was angry. Angry at himself. Angry at the Galra. But he wasn't angry at Allura even though she was furious at what he represented. She deserves a chance to get her anger out. There's no Galra here for me to take my anger out on… but there is one that she can. And Keith closed his eyes and waited for her fury to rain down on him.
But it didn't.
He opened his eyes to see the door closing behind her.
*V*V*V*V*V*V*V*V*V*V*V*V*V*V*V*V*V*V*
Allura leaned against the wall outside the training room. She had gone in with vengeance in mind. It seemed as if Keith wanted to punish himself and she had been more than willing to help him. But then he had bled… from a wound that she caused. He had done nothing but give of himself since he had arrived and she had attacked him. Wounded him. She glanced down at the blood on her gloved hand and let out a pained whimper. She had hurled accusations of genocide at him in her mind but it wasn't Keith with Altean blood on his hands. "No, I have his on mine," she whispered aloud and then left the corridor with much to think about.
Chapter 2: After Season 2 ends
Allura looked at her visual display. Keith was back on the Training Deck but he wasn't at the level that she had fought him on that ill-fated day. He had gone back to the level he needed to master. She shut her display down and left the command center.
She waited outside the Training Deck debating whether she should enter. "You're a princess and a diplomat, Allura. You. Can. Do. This." She said this out loud to herself and placed her hand over the sensor.
Keith didn't even look at the door as she stepped inside and it closed behind her. She stayed silent with the knowledge that he knew that she was in the room but would complete his battle with the Gladiator before acknowledging him; if he chose to acknowledge her at all. She watched him as moved fluidly in his battle. He had come the farthest of the Paladins in his training. At one point, not long ago, she would have felt that his skill was because he was Galra. Now she just believed it because he was skilled and driven. Not so unlike herself.
The battle ended and Keith turned toward her and she burst into laughter. She thought she had seen something but to be honest she had been more interested in the movements of his body than his… hair. She laughed as she walked forward. "What are you wearing?"
Keith scowled and then he joined in the laughter.
It was a sound that Allura had heard all too infrequently from this mercurial paladin.
"This little thing?" Keith asked with a smile as he pointed to the band around his forehead. "I borrowed it from Hunk. It really does make sparring with the Gladiator a little easier; keeps the hair out of my eyes."
Allura stopped a few feet in front of him as he deactivated his bayard and stood smiling in front of her. She crossed her arms and surveyed the headband critically. "Well you could cut it. Your hair I mean."
He glared and pulled the band off his head allowing his bangs to fall back into his eyes.
As he looked at her through the long thick bangs, she realized that was the last thing she wanted. "On second thought, wear the band. I like your hair like the way it is." At his surprised look, she cleared her throat and said, "But that's not why I came here. I thought you might to spar in a paired battle."
"Paired battle? You mean like what you did to us when you introduced us to the Training Deck?" Keith's tone was irritated and she knew that the poor performance of the Paladins and him in particular still grated on his nerves.
"Somewhat, but it will just be the two of us against two of them. We work together and watch each other's back."
Keith nodded and she knew that he sensed the meaning beneath her statements as he said, "We protect each other."
"Yes," she said with a false brightness to hide her nervousness. She was a princess who had traveled across the galaxy. Why was she getting all nervous around Keith with his dark eyes, thick bangs, and brooding moodiness? "Computer," she said quickly as she knew in her heart why she was nervous. "Duo training situation at the current skill level. Please provide my training staff."
"Acknowledged," the voice of the ship replied. Two gladiators dropped from the ceiling as a metallic silver staff appeared on the floor in front of Allura.
Picking it up, Allura called, "Ready or not—."
Keith immediately pivoted so that they were looking in opposite directions.
Allura flew into a series of moves that showcased her flexibility and up-close combat skills. She could hear Keith fighting behind her and she had no doubt that just as she would stop an attack on his back, he would stop one on hers. This fact was soon proven as she watched the body of Keith's gladiator fly past her. It had obviously gotten past him but he had kept it from landing a blow on her. Now they stood side by side both breathing heavily.
"Let's get back to back—" Keith began.
"We've already done that," Allura responded as the Gladiators approached.
"No, I mean literally back to back. Lure them in. Get them both to strike—"
"And they knock each other out," Allura finished with a smile. "Let's try it."
They had to engage their individual Gladiators head on at first and then maneuver so they were back to back.
"Ready?" Allura asked.
"Ready," Keith replied.
"In three, two, one, duck!" she cried.
The Gladiators struck with their weapons and electrical current arced between the two robots over the two humanoids crouching below. In just a few seconds, it was over and the smoking and sparking Gladiators disappeared through the floor leaving Keith and Allura exhausted and panting.
Keith and Allura sat up on the floor and smiled at each other. They were physically very close due to the way the battle ended.
Allura's smile faltered. "Keith, I just wanted to say—"
"No. You don't have to say anything more. You've already apologized. I don't think that friends need to constantly apologize."
"Friends?" Allura said in a surprised tone and then she repeated it this time with more certainty. "Yes. Friends. Definitely friends." She had thought that maybe they were something… more? Did he not feel it? If he didn't then she certainly wasn't going to bring it up. She hurriedly stood and brushed herself off. "Well, I'll just go now," she said quickly and left the room before anything more was said.
Chapter Three
The following week was stressful. The search for Shiro continued with no luck. However, Zarkon's forces were in disarray and this gave the team a reprieve to work on the Lions and on the castle; all of them had taken a beaten in the showdown with Zarkon.
During this time, Allura noticed that Keith looked at her a lot and often stood beside her whenever the group was going over maps or providing updates on repairs. He also looked stressed as the team looked to him for direction during Shiro's absence. She also felt the need to lay a hand on his arm or shoulder as a form of encouragement and comfort. At least that's what she tried to tell herself. When she did touch him, he didn't shy away and sometimes gave her a small smile which just encouraged her to do it more.
She stood outside the Training Deck again; it seemed to be the one place where they could talk without others watching. Keith was once again inside but this time he hadn't engaged the Gladiator program. He's stressed. He has enough going on. What if he doesn't…. "Time is too short," she told herself and activated the door. Keith stood inside in his regular clothes minus the jacket and the boots. He was going through a series of moves with his bayard and he stopped when she came in.
"I was hoping you might stop by," he said as he deactivated his bayard and walked toward her.
"Really? You were?" she asked in pleased surprise.
"Yeah, I could use a real-life sparring partner," he said as he walked past her to put his bayard next to the wall.
"Oh," she said in a deflated tone. She knew he was stressed. This wasn't the time to think of… feelings.
"So?"
"So what?" she asked in confusion.
He laughed as he walked back to her. "Do you want to spar?"
"That is… fine."
"Great. Do you want to take off your shirt?" he asked casually.
"What?" she asked in a shrill voice.
"For the hand to hand. I thought you might be more comfortable without the overshirt. I know that you have a tank top under it. I just thought that you might be more… comfortable." His tone and gaze were calm.
Allura was flustered as she took off the overshirt leaving her in a white tank top. As she tossed it to the side of the room, she said, "Hand to hand? You don't want to do a duo spar?"
Keith smiled. "Not afraid of a little skin to skin contact are you, Allura?"
Now she was getting completely off her game. Just what is Keith up to? Is he… flirting with me? No. Not, Keith. "Of course not," she replied in a lofty tone and dropped into a fighting stance.
"Begin," he said and immediately launched an attack at her.
If she was off her game at his comments, she didn't know what she was now as Keith's bare skin came into contact with hers. Several times he had her by the waist but she managed to get free with her superior strength but she wasn't sure that he wasn't letting her go. After fifteen minutes of sparring they were both breathing heavy and she was irritated at her performance. Centering herself, she launched an attack on Keith that had him backpedaling. Then she spun around and hit him in the chest with the palm of her hand. It should have been the ending move but he grabbed her hand and as he fell, she fell with him.
… and landed on top of him in a very intimate and compromising position. And she had no desire to move.
After a moment, she pushed herself up on her elbows and looked at him. Her hair had come loose from its binding and it now hung down around her face and it framed his, mixing with his black as the night hair. Her nose was inches from his and she felt his hands go to her waist and one hand traveled under her tank and onto the bare skin of her back. Her breath caught in her throat at the sensations she was feeling.
"Time is too short," she whispered and then leaned down to kiss Keith. There was no hesitation from him and as he responded to her kiss she knew that he felt the same.
After what seemed an eternity but at the same time not long enough, Keith broke the kiss and rolled over so that he was now on top of her. As he smiled down at her, he said, "I'm glad to see that you're not afraid of skin to skin contact."
She smiled up at him and pushed his thick hair to the side. "Not at all." Her eyes clouded as she thought back to the state of uncertainty they were in. "With the way things are maybe this isn't—"
Keith cut her off with a kiss. When he lifted his head, he said, "Someone once said, 'time's too short.'" His eyes also clouded momentarily as he added, "And Shiro would be the first to tell us that."
She nodded and didn't protest as Keith kissed her again.
The promise of more hung in the air, unsaid.
The possibilities for them were endless.