stainless steel

by Tybalt-tisk

Sometimes, Allura's biggest threat is herself. Protect Au.

Shiro thought he was master at reading people until he met Princess Allura. From the day he was assigned to her, he realized that she had walls up in the form of a pretty face that masked her emotions, and innocent banter that masked her true intentions. Her playful eyes always betrayed her seemingly innocent words and those words always betrayed regal her mannerisms. Shiro had always prided himself on his unmatched ability to read people, but leave it to Allura to challenge his pride every chance she got.

He can proudly admit that he's gotten better at reading her; he sees all the little quirks and traits she has. He's by no means an expert considering it's not always an immediate recognition, but he can tell when she's teasing him just to see him go red or when she's being sarcastic just to piss him off. He can tell when she's nervous because of the way she tends to absentmindedly fiddle with the ends of her hair all while carrying a normal conversation in an even tone. Or when she's agitated, her answers are short and her tongue is sharp, but never aggressive – an impressive balance.

However, these are simple characteristics that she merely allows him to see. When she's upset or hurt, her walls are reinforced with stainless steel and it's damn near impossible to get a good read on her. The only thing he can rely on is her eclectic eyes. They are always a dead giveaway when she's set in one of her moods. They lose all of the playfulness that he secretly loves and harden into something he still can't quite decipher. Even though she keeps her tone light and professional as if nothing is bothering her, he can always tell when she loses her fire.

Unfortunately for him, today was looking like a stainless steel wall kind of day. He can't get a read on her to save his life. She smiles like she always does, greets him like she always does but the light isn't in her eyes. She's been quiet for way too long but to her credit, tonight is also the night of an important charity event where she was scheduled to deliver a speech in front of hundreds of the nation's elite. Maybe it was the stress of the situation that was getting to her.

He looks over himself in the mirror to check over his black suit again. On second thought, he's seen her deliver a speech in a language that wasn't her own in front of thousands with a tongue as silver as her hair. Trying to figure her out was something he knows he'll never fully understand but for now, he just wants to keep a watchful eye on her so he can study everything about her.

.~.xXx.~.

Night came quickly and he was no closer to getting to the bottom of her behavior than he was earlier. She was quieter than she's ever been and her gaze is a million miles away.

On the drive to the event, he finally voices his concern. "Princess, if there's some–"

"Allura," she interrupts him gently without taking her eyes away from the window. The partition is rolled up and it leaves the two of them isolated from the driver. She always hated when he used her title when they were alone.

"Allura," he corrects himself quickly, "Are you feeling alright?"

She takes a moment to process his question before she answers. "I'm fine." Her tone doesn't convince him and it makes him think that she's trying more to convince herself of her well-being instead of the other way around. As if she read his mind, she continued to speak.

"I just nervous, that's all." It's a bold-faced lie and Shiro knows it because if she were nervous, she would be playing with the ends of her loose curls that draped over her shoulders. She would also be fiddling with the charms that hung from the bracelet her father gave her. But she does neither. She only stares out blankly out of the window as the city rushes by in a whirl of blended colors.

He's never seen her like this before and it's unsettling. He wants to help her but there's only so much he can do if she doesn't meet him halfway. He reaches out a hand to her. "Allura, c'mon. Talk to me. If anything is–"

She flinches away from him before his hand could make contact. "I said I'm fine, Shiro," she tells him abruptly. It's a tone that she's never used with him and he quickly retracts his hand. She clearly doesn't want to talk about whatever it is that's bothering her. He respects her boundaries and decides not to push her any further before he starts something he knows that she'll finish.

Silence settles over them and the only sound is the muted radio that filters through the partition that separates them from the driver. The tension for the rest of the ride is thick with unspoken words and unanswered questions.

By the time they reach the event, her walls are up, standing tall and sturdy, blocking out the world. As soon as she enters through the extravagant double doors, she is Princess Allura. She holds her head up high and exudes regal elegance that the masses adore. Her smile is as perfect as it is gilded and Shiro sees right through it. Physically, she is the definition of absolute perfection – perfect hair, not a curl out of place, the perfect dress, one that's form-fitting but modest for an event like this. She has the perfect comedic timing, and the perfect responses that make generous potential donors swoon. She is a goddess in the form of a princess.

However, mentally, Shiro can tell that she isn't all present. Through the wit and the melodic laughter, he can see that none of that joy reaches her eyes. Something is up and by the way she refuses to meet his gaze for most of the night tell him that he's right.

He's at a respectful distance and his eyes don't leave her all night. For one, it's his job to always be aware of exactly where she is at all times and two, because he's studying her body language, looking for the tiniest chink in her armor. He's trying to decipher a code that's meant only to be read by her and so far, he's doing a terrible job.

Just when he thinks that maybe it's nothing, that maybe she was telling the truth, and that maybe she just was just nervous, he notices the subtle tremble of her hands as she holds onto the delicate stem of a champagne glass. His eyes narrowed.

She's never done that before.

It's such a small movement, barely noticeable to the untrained eye, that he's actually surprised that he picked up on it. He takes a closer look at her and he takes note of how deep and uneven her breathing is. Once again, her demeanor is hidden under the facade of a smile, joyous laughter and wit. It's hard for him to see through to her but wheni she suddenly falls quiet in the midst of an animated conversation that she once ruled and the same faraway look once again finds a home in her eyes, he knows that something is terribly wrong.

He feels concern rising within him as he watches her on the edge of whatever it is she's going through. The exact moment he decides that he needs to get to her, she excuses herself from the conversation with a light-hearted joke that leaves the others in high spirits in wake of her absence. Wordlessly, he follows behind her and the sound of her heels on the expensive marble floors are uneven enough to make him pick up the pace. Like there's a rhythm that doesn't quite flow right to him and it sets him on edge. He picks up the pace as he moves fluidly through the crowd and says his apologies if he brushes up a little too hard against someone, but he doesn't once slow down.

He spots her as soon as she slips through the glass doors that lead to the outside patio and he curses to himself. It's an enclosed area that could potentially be dangerous if the wrong person were to target her and going alone could double those changes. It was also one of the few rules they both agreed that she would not break when they attended events like this. He gave her the space she wanted but in return, she needed to follow his rules.

He makes it outside just in time to see her close her eyes and take a deep, uneven breath of the cold, night air. He slides the patio doors shut silently behind him before he steps towards her, his frown still firmly in place. He's dead set on giving her the lecture he knows she despises for breaking his rules, but his words die in his throat when he sees her condition.

She looks much worse than he previously thought. Without the confines of peering eyes, her hands tremble even more than before as they blindly reach out to find anything stable enough to keep her upright. Her breathing pattern is still off, not in a way that it's heavy, but in a way that its uneven and shallow as if she's trying to subtly get it under control without using too much energy.

Immediately, he's at her side, and with a voice full of with concern, he calls out to her. His voice snaps her out of her whatever spell she's under and she instantly straightens her posture and gets her breathing under control.

She stares at him wide-eyed and does her best to put distance between them. "S-Shiro!" Whether she stutters his name out of surprise or anger is lost to Shiro, but he knows that she is hiding something from him. "What are you doing out here?" she asks, as she flips over one of the charms on her bracelet.

He takes a step forward, voiding the distance she tried to put between them. "I'm your bodyguard," he answered her bluntly with another step. "Wherever you go, I go." When he finally reaches her, his dark eyes look over her form and she refuses to meet his gaze.

"Allura…" he called out to her gently. "Allura, honey, Iplease talk to me. What's going on?" He only talks to her like this when it was just the two of them. He was always so soft and gentle with her, but when alone, it always takes on the tone of something more personal – more domestic. It's a tone that's meant only for a world of 'what ifs'. Every time he allows himself the luxury he knows he can't afford, he's treading dangerous waters but he's too stupid and too in love to turn back.

She sinks into herself further, and sure enough, her fingers go from her charms and find their way to the ends of her hair. "Its nothing, I'm fine, Shiro." Her lie isn't as smooth as it usually is and the way that her eyes are focused on anything but him tells him so.

With stiff shoulders, Shiro exhaled through this nose when he felt his irritation spike. She was so goddam stubborn and it was one of the few things he hated about her. If she wanted to keep a secret from him, she'd rather take it to her grave than to share the burden with him. She was always so selfless. She always wanted to protect him from the things she's confident she can handle on her own, but every time she does, it takes a part of her as compensation.

"Allura, something is clearly wrong!" he counters strictly. "You're…" This time when she tries again to take another step back away from him, his hand shoots out to grab ahold of her arm to keep her still. As soon as his hand makes contact with her skin, everything finally falls into place. With a frown, his hand travels up her arm to her cheek, and finally, he rests the back of his hand on her forehead. "Jesus, Allura, you're burning up," he whispers almost in disbelief. Guilt rushes over him and he feels like such an idiot for not realizing earlier that she wasn't upset, she was sick.

She looks ashamed at his discovery but she can't help but lean into his cool touch with a content sigh. His hand is almost a sweet relief from the burning sensation that's consuming her.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" he asks as he takes his hand away from her and if he wasn't so upset, he would have laughed at the way she hazily chased his hand.

"Because you would have blown this entire situation out of proportion," she confesses, slightly disappointed at the loss of contact. Her tone is more sluggish that he would have liked but it's proof that she's finally letting him in. Her walls are crumbling down brick by brick and she's desperately trying to pick them up.

"You're absolutely right," he tells her ironically. "I would have definitely made this a big deal. Which is exactly what I'm doing now. We're leaving." He turns away from the wind so he can speak clearly into his earpiece to call the car around.

Allura lunges forward to slap his hand away from his earpiece. "No, no, no! Shiro, we can't leave. I still have a speech to deliver," she tells him urgently.

"Allura, I'm no doctor, but I'm pretty sure you have a dangerously high fever and that definitely isn't something we can just ignore for some speech."

"It's not just some speech," she says, imitating his words sarcastically. "It's the speech that I know will persuade those who are undecided on the vote to help me move forward with my plans to clean the Aguirre River and ban the commercial use of corporations dumping their toxic waste into it. Do you know how many people depend on that river as their only source of fresh water? Far too many to count. I absolutely have to deliver this speech, Shiro, because it could be the difference between life and death for those people." Her words have an unexpected negative effect on him.

She was always so fucking selfless.

He may not show any signs of giving in; his mouth is in a tight line seemingly set in stone and his hands find a semi-permanent home in the crooks of his arms, but through all that, Allura sees how soft his eyes have become as he thinks over her words. He may have a hard time reading her, but she can read him like an open book. She could decipher him in 8 different languages, translate it back to her own just so she could use his own code against him without him even realizing that he gave her the blueprint.

Now was the perfect time to put up a fight, and at least offer a plea deal to just to tip the scales in her favor. She averts her eyes and sinks slightly into herself while she played with her finger. Shiro recognizes it as a top tier tactic to make her seem small and vulnerable.

"I-I just need to get through the speech and then – and then we can leave."

He stared at her blankly. He knows exactly what she's doing but he still finds himself giving into her and a mental debate still finds a way to rattle through his head. "What time are you supposed to give your speech?" he finally asks.

"9:30," she answered quickly.

He looked at his watch with a frown. "It's 8:02."

"I can make it," she says determinedly. Her eyes look up at him as if they are silently pleading. It's the look that they both know will always make her get her way and tonight is no different.

He raised a brow. "And as soon as your speech is over, you promise that we're leaving?" It was funny considering she was his boss, but she's the one bargaining with him.

She raised her hand and stuck out her pinky finger towards him and he has to stop himself from rolling his eyes. "I promise. Just let me get through this and then we can go home."

"On one condition," he says after a moment of thought.

"Name it." She going to get getting her way and if that meant she had to give something up in return, then so be it.

"I don't leave your side for the rest of the night."

Wait, no.

She immediately withdraws her pinky. "Shiro, no, you-"

"I think I saw that Coran just stepped in not too long ago." Shiro is definitely not above blackmail when it came to her. She was stubborn as all hell and if blackmail was the only way to get to her, then he'd gladly take that dirt road. He smirks at her reaction because he knows he has her backed into a corner she can't bargain her way out of. Not this time.

"Fine," she huffed bitterly as she brings her pinky out again. "But no hovering, Shirogane."

"That's fine with me, Princess," he says her title as if it were a condescending nickname before he interlocked their pinkies and shook once.

After the deal was set, she tilted her head towards the night sky and took a few more deep breaths. He leaned against the banister casually, watching her compose herself and taking the opportunity to make a mental checklist of her physical status – only subtle trembling, no sweat on the forehead, at least not now. Her hands weren't clammy either.

When she was finished with whatever deep exercises she was practicing, she straightened her back and held her head high. "I got this. Shiro, tell me I got this."

He doesn't want to encourage her dangerous behavior but he does want to encourage her self esteem. "You got this."

"Fuck yeah, I do," she says to herself before she re-enters the party with Shiro right on her heels. "Besides, I think I'm feeling better. I'm sure this is just something that will quickly pass and I'll be 100% by the time I have to give my speech."

.~.xXx.~.

She doesn't get better.

In fact, Shiro's never seen her look worse. Sure, to others, she looks just as amazing as always but now that he knows what to look for, he sees all of the flaws as if they were on display at the Smithsonian. Her breathing is labored and her trembling is deeply concerning. Every now and then, he sneaks a solid touch to her arm to check her temperature and when she feels hotter than before, he can't help but voice his concern.

"You're hovering," she reminded him silently while in the middle of a conversation with the district attorney.

"Well, I wouldn't be if you had just listened to me for once." They both have mastered the art of talking to each other without the world around them realizing it. It's a clever illusion as they keep their focus elsewhere while they continue their conversation.

"We had a deal," she mumbles immediately before she poses for a picture coming in from her right. No doubt, they were going to be the cover photo for the newsletter.

"We had a deal that you could make it to your speech but you look like you're about to pass out at any given moment." He didn't like the road she was going down and there were warning signs everywhere – her delayed reactions, her clammy hands, her unfocused gaze. Sometimes she would sway as if her core wasn't strong enough to keep her upright and more than he was comfortable with, he had to reach a hand to steady her from falling over. Everything about this situation screamed to him to get her out of here and get her a doctor.

She answered her companion fluidly before she effortlessly answered him in the same breath. "Everything is fine, Shiro."

"You keep telling yourself that."

She made a displeased sound only audible to him before she answered curtly. "I will." With a flip of her hair, Shiro knew that it was the end of their secret conversation.

.~.xXx.~.

By the time it was time for her to speak, Shiro was pretty sure that she definitely shouldn't give a speech in front of the nation's most elite. She could hardly keep her eyes open as if she took every blink as a reason to keep her eyes closed. Not to mention that her words are almost incomprehensible to him. They stood off to the side of the stage as they waited for the current, long-winded speaker to wrap up. As soon as he finished, Allura was due to present.

He lost count of how many times the back of his hand found its way to her forehead but every time he does it, he knows that she's getting worse. "Allura, I don't-I don't think this is a good idea," he warns her. The last thing he wanted to happen was for her to go on stage and completely embarrass herself.

Her hands reach out to him freely without hesitation to keep her balanced. "No, no, it's a great idea." She's speaking to him in a tone that makes him question her sanity. She looks up at him with unfocused eyes and Shiro is positive that she's half-passed delusional. "We just need to ask someone to make the room stop spinning. I'm sure it's one of the features of this ballroom."

Yeah, she was definitely delusional.

His hands tightened around her wrists when she leans a little too far back for his comfort. "I just don't want you to…" he paused to search for the right words, "look bad." That wasn't the word he wanted. Not in the slightest.

She feigned a surprised look. "Look bad?" she says louder than she intends to and it gains the attention of a few of the waitstaff. "In this dress?" She gestured down to the dress that fit her right in all the right places. She was never one to be narcissistic but now, when her head was swimming in foggy thoughts, her mouth wasn't holding back.

If the situation wasn't so serious, he would have laughed, but now was not the time to let himself enjoy such luxuries. He shook his head and then lightly shook her shoulders. "Allura, focus. I know that you want to give this speech and that it's important to you but right now, you are absolutely not in the right headspace to do so. Maybe Coran could give the speech?"

She looks up at him for a moment and for a second, he thinks he's gotten to her. "You have...absolutely gorgeous eyes. They are my favorite part of you."

Shit.

He has to fight down the blush from her unexpected confession and quickly looks around for Coran. If he couldn't talk some sense into her, maybe Coran could.

His search is cut short when he hears a steady applause from the crowd and the long-winded man who he hoped would buy him more time is gesturing formally towards them. "Don't let me take up any more of your time. It's with great honor that I present to you, Princess Allura!"

Oh shit.

Dread fills him and it completely counteracts with Allura's excited expression. "That's my cue, Shiro!" She turns to walk towards the steps that lead up to the podium, but Shiro's grip on her is firm and refrain her from doing so.

"Allura, please don't-"

"I can do this, Shiro," she tells him in a tone that is more sound than it has been for the last hour.

He searches her eyes and he realizes that by this point, there is nothing more he can do to stop this from happening. He ran his hand through his hair with a defeated sigh. "Okay, I believe you."

Even in the midst of a delusional fever that might tank her charity event, her smile is breathtaking. She turns towards the steps again and she before she ascends them, she stops and reaches her hand out her towards him. Within seconds, he is by her side and she holds onto his bicep.

"Everything okay?"

She nods. "Yes, I just need these steps to stop shifting." His confidence in her dwindles to almost nothing and he has to hold back an audible groan. He stabilizes her then leads her slowly up the five steps.

"Back straight, head high, perfect smile," she whispers lowly and Shiro doesn't know if she's speaking to him or to herself. "I got this." Her grip tightened on his arm. "Shiro."

"You got this."

"Just don't let me fall."

"I would never."

Once up the steps, she lets go of him and he stands a few paces behind her off to the side. It wasn't uncommon that he joined her on stage when she spoke publicly, so there were no concerned looks about his presence. To everyone else, he was simply doing his job. His eyes are sharp as he watches her approach the podium and he's silently praying to whatever god that is listening that she doesn't make a fool out of herself.

Allura shakes the hand of the previous speaker and followed it by a well-rehearsed modest hug before she approaches the podium. Her hands reach out to the edges of the stand and she holds on to it like a lifeline, both to ground her to reality and to keep her standing upright. The sight of it makes Shiro's nerves flare.

She forces herself to take a deep, steady breath while the applause dies down and in that exact moment, Shiro watches in amazement as she picks up the fragmented pieces of her wall and sets them back firmly in place, brick by brick. The trembling in her hands are almost nonexistent and her eyes are clear and focused.

When all falls silent, she opens her mouth to speak and Shiro holds his breath. "Thank you, councilman Bellam for that lovely introduction. Although it will be quite the challenge to follow someone who is notorious for hogging the spotlight." The crowd laughs in unison at her light-hearted joke and she sends a wink towards the councilman who raises his wine-filled glass in return. "I come before you today to urge you to turn your attention towards the man-made epidemic that pollutes our rivers and stunts our growth as a country..."

Shiro stares in amazement at the way Allura immediately has complete control over the crowd. Her words are clear as they are spoken gracefully and concise as they flow effortlessly from her lips. Her presence demands the crowd's full, undivided attention as she delivers a speech that is full of conviction and her wit gives it an exquisite balance of power.

He didn't think she could do it.

But holy shit, she did.

By the end of her speech and before she can properly thank them for their time and their generosity, everyone is on their feet giving her the praise she deserves in the form of a deafening applause. She gives a respectful bow and behind her, her hand is signaling for Shiro. He's there within moments but he keeps his distance to not alert suspicion and they leave the stage together.

As soon as she is out of the spotlight, she reaches out towards him and he firmly takes her hand in his without a second thought. "How did I do?" she asks him slightly out of breath.

He runs his thumb over her knuckles. "Absolutely amazing," he answers her honestly. He knew she was a brilliant speaker but tonight, she really outdid herself.

They walk hand in hand to the edge of the stage, away from the applause that still resonates throughout the venue. When they approach the dreaded steps, Allura stops and looks up at him expectantly. She barely made it up the steps last time. There is no way she could make it down, not with gravity plotting against her.

Understanding the look in her eyes, he takes a few steps down before he turns back and lifts her by the waist. He makes sure not to ruffle or snag the expensive fabric of her dress. Her hands cling to his shoulders for balance as he turns his body so he can descend down the steps. The turning motion has her head spinning and she has to close her eyes to get her bearings back. He sets her down but doesn't let her go until he's confident that she has her footing.

He planned on leaving the event immediately after her speech but by the sound of the applause still going on, they both know that she has an obligation to mingle back with party goers and answer any follow-up questions they may have to make her dream a reality.

Reluctantly, they put distance between them as they re-appear to the still cheering crowd. Before she leaves the confines of the curtains, she whispers to him, "Just give me ten minutes, and then we'll leave."

He nods and then she's back to herself within seconds but this time, Shiro can tell that it's taking more energy than she has to keep up appearances. He keeps his eyes on her and on the clock. Ten minutes isn't so bad. He could wait ten minutes.

.~.xXx.~.

Apparently, he and Allura didn't share the same definition of what classifies as 'ten minutes' and it leaves him more stressed than he's been in a while. He stands off to the side, almost in the shadows with an unreadable expression. He's suspiciously still with the exemption of his fingers tapping impatiently against his pant leg. His eyes haven't left her since her speech and he knows that the longer she's here, the sicker she'll become. It was picture after picture, question after question and she neither welcomes nor dismisses them. She was always carefully neutral when she needed to be.

When she stumbles over her footing and jokingly blames it on her long gown, Shiro decides to make the executive decision that it was time to leave. He approaches her casually with a smile. "May I have a word with you, Princess?" Her face tells him that she knows exactly what he wants to discuss. Her ten minutes was up almost an hour ago.

Nevertheless, she puts on a brave face and completes it with the charming smile that hasn't reached her eyes all night. "Of course," she tells him before she turns towards her company. "It seems that something came up that needs my personal attention. Please excuse me, gentlemen." She takes his offered arm and allows him to lead her away from the main ballroom and into a quiet hallway just outside.

Once outside, she leans heavily against the wall on the verge of exhaustion and he folds his arms over his chest at the sight. He doesn't even open his mouth before Allura is already trying to defend herself. "Shiro, I know that I said that we–"

"I'm not saying that you're a liar, I'm just saying that the last time I broke a pinky promise, you didn't speak to me for four days," he tells her dryly. "But I guess you aren't obligated to keep your promises when it's for your own selfless needs."

She flinches at his tone but stands her ground. "I know...I know. I just need to finish things up here and then we can leave."

He shook his head. "No."

Her brows furrowed at his tone. Who was he to defy her request! "What do you mean, 'no"?"

"I mean no." He took a step forward, effectively invading her personal space. "I mean that we're leaving and we're leaving now. No more pictures, no more questions, no more, Allura."

His tone has her infuriates her and she brings her hands to his chest to push him away but he catches her wrist before she could make contact. His anger at her stubbornness flares when his flesh hand feels just how feverish she is at this point. She struggled when he took another step forward to back her into the wall behind her.

"Let go of me, Takashi!" He always loved it when she said his name but now it sounds like poison and it makes his blood run cold.

"No," he tells her in a gentle but stern voice. His grip on her is firm but not painful. "We're leaving."

She shook her head frantically. "I'm fine!" She's talking to herself again.

"Allura, listen to me." Her struggle dies down, but she refuses to meet his gaze. "You are not fine. We need to...I need to get you to a doctor, but I cannot do that if you won't let me."

She sucks in a shuddering breath. "But they need me."

"No they don't," he argues. "Not now, at least. They are more than capable of handling things on their own." When he's sure she won't try to push him away, he releases his hold on her wrists before he pries open her balled fists so he can thread his fingers through hers and she lets him as if it's something she's always wanted. "Allura, it's okay to be selfish sometimes. It's okay to have to take a step back and take care of yourself first. You have done more than enough for your country; for your people. You have made drastic changes within months that not even the greatest king could do in his entire lifetime. Your sheer willpower and your relentless drive to constantly prove yourself is absolutely phenomenal and I've never seen anything like it before.

"Your job is to protect them as a great leader should, but Allura, my job is to protect you and that's exactly what I'm going to do even if I have to protect you from yourself." Her eyes glossed over with unshed tears at his words.

"Look at me," he says. It takes a moment for her to comply because she knows that she'll loss the battle if she dies. He lets go on her and brings his hand to rest under her chin so her can firmly force her to look at him. She barely puts up a fight. When she finally does meet his gaze, her eyes shine like the night sky over the ocean and it's an image that he knows will haunt his dreams for the rest of his life and he gladly accepts his fate. Her unshed tears finally fall and he releases her other hand to wipe them away. "Let me protect you. We're going home, okay?"

She doesn't fight this time. She only nods her head and follows it with a whisper.

"Okay."

It isn't hard to sneak her out of the venue without anyone noticing. He just leads her through the kitchen and they go through the back to the loading dock where he instructed the driver to wait for them. The poor soul has been waiting for nearly an hour before they finally arrived.

Her hand hasn't left his once even as they sit in the car and travel back to her home. The driver raises an eyebrow at the display but stays silent. Shiro runs his thumb over her delicate knuckles as he makes a call to her faithful doctor and instructs the woman to meet them at the house.

The drive back is silent and it's then that Allura really feels the consequences of her actions. Her limbs feel heavy and ache, especially her legs, and her head is pounding mercilessly. Her trembling is back and she doesn't even try to suppress them this time. She closes her eyes before she leans into his side and lays her head on his shoulder to try to absorb some of his heat. "I'm cold."

"I know," he says. "It's colder in here than usual but I just need to at least try to get your fever down a bit. We're almost home, I promise."

She only makes a small whine as a reply.

When they arrive home, she barely has enough strength to sit up without his help. He lets out a sigh of relief when he sees the doctor's car is already parked out front. The driver opens the door and Shiro shuffles out and brings her along with him through his side. Maneuvering her body carefully, he manages to get his arms under her so he can lift her up and out of the car.

With her in his arms, he walks quickly to the door where one of the maids and the doctor is already waiting for them. "Oh, the poor dear," he hears the maid say. "Take her in her room and we'll take care of the rest, deary."

He does as he's told and walks through the giant house towards her room. He can't help but notice how many of the staff members are up this late following him through the halls with concerned looks. No doubt they all care deeply for the princess they all helped raised.

When he gets to her room, he places her on the bed and the maids and doctor take over. Before he leaves her room, he looks back at her once more and he almost laughs at her annoyed face. She hated being coddled and now that she was sick, they weren't holding back. She met his gaze and mouthed a subtle 'Thank you' for taking care of her. He nods his head in return before he leaves her to get treated and most likely pampered.

He wanted to go back to his room, but knowing that she's dangerously under the weather, he can't bring himself to do so. So he waits. He waits out in the kitchen and he's surprised to see Allura's favorite chef there chopping up various vegetables. He wasn't usually up this late, let alone in the kitchen preparing food.

"I'm prepping for a soup," he explains simply with a thick Mediterranean accent. "It's a family recipe as well as her favorite. She's going to need to eat something light but hearty once she's better."

Shiro talks with him for some time while he continued to prepare Allura's dish. He's come to like the staff, they were all friendly and each one loved their job working under King Alfor.

He understood why this chef was Allura's favorite when the man let Shiro taste the broth. "Yes, it will make her strong. I used to cook this all the time for her when she was younger. It's hard to see her grow up. She's no longer the little girl who used to bang pots and pans because she thought she was a one of those...uh...street performers." Shiro laughs at the thought of Allura wreaking havoc in the kitchen just for the attention.

"I bet she was chaos."

"Hellfire," he clarifies as he stirs the pot and adds some saffron and basil leaves. "But she is our sunshine. Always laughing. Always smiling. Although," he takes another taste sip. "I've never seen her smile as much as she does when she's with you."

Huh?

Shiro felt his face heat up. "I'm sure she smiles with everyone." He really didn't like where this was going. He wasn't about to confess his love for Allura to a chef in the middle of the night while they tasted soup together. It simply wasn't an option.

"Oh, she does," he said slowly with a hum before he placed his hand over his chest. "It's just not from the heart."

Shiro thanks the good Lord above for the doctor appearing right when she does. She folds her glasses before she places them into her breast pocket and adjusts the grip on her briefcase. "She should be fine now. I gave her some antibiotics and fever reducers. Just makes sure she gets plenty of rest. I see that she'll eat good in the morning." He said at the scent of the savory soup. He turned his gaze towards Shiro. "Well done, young man on getting her here when you did." She leaves something unsaid and Shiro knows it and guilt fills his chest. She should have been home hours ago. "You all have a pleasant evening. I'll be back in the morning to do a follow up exam. Goodnight, Gyrgan."

"Goodnight to you as well, Dr. Ryner." The doctor gives a final bow before she turns to leave.

He slid off the bar stool with a stretch and faked a yawn. He really didn't want to finish this conversation. "Well, I think I can sleep easy now that I know she's okay. You have a good night. Can't wait to taste that soup in the morning," he tells the chef before he quickly leaves to his room.

Gyrgan only smiles. "I'm sure you can't. Tell the princess that it'll be ready for her when she wakes."

He wants to tell her that he doesn't see Allura during the night. Well...most of the time. But he keeps his mouth shut and ventures towards his room to turn in for the night. Once in his own room, he takes a shower and gets ready for bed.

He wants to sleep, but as always, it doesn't come easy. He tosses and turns through the night. His bed here is probably the most comfortable he's ever slept in but he still always found himself chasing his dreams but always falling short.

Just when exhaustion is about to claim him, he hears his door creak open. Relying on his pure instinct, he reaches for his gun at his bedside but when he hears her labored breathing, it stops him in his tracks. He turns to see her shadowy figure leaning heavily against his door. Even in the dark with only the digital clock as his light, he can make out her distressed face. Immediately, he's out of bed and by her side just in time for her to wrap her arms around his shoulders and burying her head in the crook of his neck. She's still burning but not as much as she was earlier and that's somewhat of a relief.

"What are you doing here?" he asks her. "You're supposed to be resting."

"I plan on it," she says tiredly. She doesn't need to explain more because Shiro knows exactly what she wants. He squats down slightly so he can grab ahold of the underside of her thighs then he lifts her so she can wrap her aching legs around his hips.

"You're going to be the death of me, Allura," he says as he walks them to his bed. This was definitely against protocol and against everything he knows he's not supposed to do. He's wasn't supposed to let her into his room in the middle of the night. Sure, he knows that she was always careful when she does this, but he also knows that she's delusional with fever and she probably walked passed ten people on the way here without even realizing it. He's not supposed to feel for her what he tries to deny every single day. The first rule of his line of work was to never get attached, yet here she is, literally attached to his hips.

"I know, I just couldn't sleep," she mumbles tiredly into his neck.

He smirks. "How do you know I wasn't already sleep?"

She laughs under her breath. "You don't sleep, you just lay there until you pass out." Ah, she knew him so well. He moved his metal hand to the small of back so he could lower her onto his bed and she doesn't let him go. She's weak, but not weak enough to still be stubborn apparently. Still attached to her, he gently pushes her body over so he can slip in under the covers beside her.

Her hands move from his neck to waist and she curls up against his chest. She is like a burning furnace against his skin and its almost uncomfortably hot but he finds solace in her presence. He wraps his arms around her and brings her closer and his hand runs soothing circles in her back. "You can only stay for an hour, then I'm taking you back to your own room, okay?"

"Okay," came the sleepy reply. "Thank you for taking care of me."

"Of course. Just doing my job." He wasn't just doing his job.

"Is holding me in your arms just doing your job as well?" And she fucking knew it.

He chooses not to respond to her because they both know the answer to her question. It isn't long before her breathing evens out signifying that she's asleep. He's being selfish because he knows that he should immediately take her back to her room, but he can't help but feel content with her in his arms. If she wasn't so hot, it would have been damn near perfect. For the first time in a long time, he falls asleep effortlessly and he can finally catch his dreams as he rests easy.

By the time morning comes, he's relieved to feel that her fever has gone down significantly from the night before, but panic replaces the feeling when he realizes that he let her stay in his bed all night. His eyes dart to his clock.

"5:34," he thinks to himself. "I still have enough time to get her to her bed before anybody realizes she not where she needs to be." Quickly, he gets out of bed and peeks his head out of the door to make sure the coast is clear. When he doesn't hear any of the usual rustle of the staff walking the walls, he returns to his bed and gathers Allura into his arms. With skills he knows that will make his mentor proud, he sneaks out of his room and quickly makes it to her room just down the hall. It was tricky getting her door open, but he manages to get it done without making too much noise or without waking her.

He gets her into bed relatively easy and he tucks her in before he sneaks out and closes the door as silently as he possibly could behind him. As soon as he turns, he's greeted by Gyrgan. The chef has his arms folded over his chest and a knowing smirk planted on his lips. Shiro opens his mouth to defend himself but Gyrgan only raises a hand to silence him. "I didn't see nothin'."

Shiro sighs in relief and heads back to his room and he hopes that he doesn't run into anybody else. Just as soon as he turns the corner, he hears Gyrgan from down the hall,

"She smiles even in her sleep when she's with you."

And then Shiro slammed his door much louder than he should have and sinks to the ground with a groan.

Did no one want him to live in ignorant bliss?