Written for the Hunk's Corner (thenewhrh dot weebly dotcom) drabble challenge using the prompt "candlelight"
Without a sound, castle control was suddenly plunged into darkness. Keith reached out, pressing buttons on the console before him, trusting his memory to lead him to the right ones. When nothing happened, he swore under his breath.
A quiet hiss broke the near silence and was followed almost immediately by a bright flare of light that quickly resolved itself into a small flame. Allura held a candle before her, providing a soft flickering illumination to their small portion of the cavernous space. Keith turned to face the princess and froze. The sparkling candlelight danced in her eyes, brought out a subtle glow in her skin and he suddenly found himself speechless, his mouth utterly dry.
She blinked, tilting her head and searching his eyes in concern. "Keith? Are you alright?"
He nodded, gulping quickly. "Yeah," he whispered, "I'm fine." His eyes explored her face and when a slight shift in the air currents sent a few stray tendrils of hair fluttering onto her cheek, he swallowed hard.
Her brow furrowed, the shadows exaggerated by the small flame lighting the room. "What is it?" she pressed, unsure how to interpret his unusual behavior.
"I've…" he started, his voice fading into silence.
"You've what, Keith?" Allura took a step closer, growing worried.
"Huh?" he breathed, his eyes shifting to find hers.
She met his gaze steadily, her concern escalating.
"You..." he whispered.
"Keith, you're not making any sense."
His eyes lowered to her lips, mentally tracing their lines and curves. Without thinking, he reached out, one finger following the same path his gaze had just completed. Allura's breathing quickened in response to his touch. Her heart pounded in her chest.
A slight flicker of the candle tore her attention from the man before her to the danger presented by the open flame. She carefully placed the burning candle onto the surface of the console, taking a moment to study it and settle herself again before turning back to Keith.
He closed the small distance between them, his eyes roaming her face once more. She could feel the heat of his gaze as it moved from feature to feature, burning a path along her skin. "Keith?" she questioned again softly.
He didn't reply. Instead he leaned in further, his breath moist and warm against her lips. She watched as his eyes drifted closed, her own following suit as his mouth met hers. They didn't move for a few heartbeats, just stood there, lips pressed together gently. When the embrace ended, he smiled at her shyly, the candlelight masking his blush with its ruddy hue.
"What brought that on, Keith?" Allura asked quietly. "Not that I'm complaining," she finished, her words coming out in a rush.
"I'm not sure, exactly. I just suddenly saw you in a whole new light…" Keith breathed, leaning in for another kiss.
Allura obliged him gleefully. Thus occupied, the couple didn't notice when the lights came back on or when Lance and Pidge slipped from the room.