Written for Day 26 of Sheith Month: Pirates.
I had to revisit this 'verse for that prompt, I mean, obviously!
My friend M asked for how they met, or how Shiro lost his arm, but I wrote this starting less than 48 hours ago and I really didn't have time for either of those stories. XD
A gleam of soft pink ghosted past at the corner of Shiro's eye, and he turned slightly.
"You seem happy." Allura said, coming up behind him, her tail - she must have flashed it as she approached - sliding along his own and her hands splaying across his shoulders.
Shiro grinned, twisting over and facing his friend, releasing one of the shells he had been threading into place on the seagrass rope he was braiding, adding bright colours and sparkle with the shells between its tiny flowers. "I," he paused, his fins curling, "I am, Allura." he told her.
Allura smiled, her eyes sparkling. "It's good to see it return so bright." she said, trailing one fingertip down his cheek. "That smile of yours."
Shiro raised his eyebrows.
"You have always been a happy person, my friend," Allura said, loosing her grip and circling him idly, "but I am afraid your smile had become less cheerful. You seem different now, however. Is it. . ." she trailed off, eyeing him sidelong.
Shiro toyed with the slender rope, smiling shyly.
"The man you've been courting with?" Allura asked, one of her fins tickling under his jaw, making him look at her again. "Truly, Shiro? A human man is putting that shimmery look on your face? A pirate?" she asked, with a touch of playfulness leavening her serious, concerned tone.
"I. . ." Shiro's tail curled tight, his scales rasping very softly against each other. "He really has, Allura." he said softly, trilling contentedly. "He's so . . . lovely."
Allura giggled, the concern fading, and pulled his tail fin gently, darting around him. "I am happy for you." she said warmly, and hugged him tight for a moment. "Shiro?"
"Aa?" Shiro said lightly, sighing and letting the strand of braided seagrass slide through his fingers.
"I am pleased that you are happy," Allura said, and tilted her head, "and I am happy to allow the Crimson Lion to make its home in our territory, in that cove. . . To make peace with its Captain, as we have not with any humans in many years." Shiro nodded, waiting for her to remind him of their laws or warn him to be careful.
"If he is not good enough to you, if he hurts that soft heart of yours," Allura trailed a fingertip over his chest and tapped lightly, the pale pink markings on her face and shoulders glowing with power as her eyes sparked, "I will kill him and his crew, rend his ship to shreds, and send all of them swallowed to the deeps of the Arus Trench."
Shiro's eyes widened. "Allura!" he protested, and Allura curled her tail around his, leaning against his chest and sliding her right arm over his left shoulder to wrap behind his neck. "There's no need for that!" he said, shaking his head.
"You are one of my very oldest and dearest friends," Allura said fondly, with a gentle tug at his forelock, "and yes, it is entirely reasonable, I want to be quite clear. But I hope it will not be necessary to carry out such a threat."
"You won't have to." Shiro said confidently, and Allura nodded, though he knew she would draw her own conclusions. "I really do care for him, Allura. And he. . ."
"Hush." Allura kissed his cheek, sliding free of him and plucking a bright pink juniberry bloom and a handful of shimmery seagrass, beginning a twisting decorative rope of her own. "I believe you." She hummed companionably as she curled her tail beneath herself to press the seagrasses flat against her scales. "And I do like him." she admitted, looking over at Shiro. "If he makes you happy, even more."
He grinned, and flicked Allura's shoulder with the tip of his tailfin, making her smile.
Shiro crept up to the water's edge and trilled hopefully, drawing the sound out to a loud and piercing call. It took a few minutes, but Keith soon appeared, looking out over the waters of the cove. His gaze found Shiro, and he trotted down to the shore, leaving his shirt and boots behind and splashing in towards Shiro.
"Shiro!" Keith said happily, and Shiro chirped a wordless greeting.
"Keith." Shiro replied, flicking his tail. He smiled, reaching out and curling his fingers into Keith's breeches, pulling him deeper into the water. "Was your day busy?"
"We're still working on restoring the living quarters and some of the salvageable buildings beyond the berth itself, and it's hard work." Keith said, curling his hands around Shiro's forearms and pulling him back, closer to the shore. Shiro chirruped softly, curious, but let him do as he pleased.
Keith settled into the sand under the water, pulling Shiro close. Shiro hummed happily and let himself settle there, tail and one arm brushing Keith's legs. "Is the work going well, at least?" he asked, one hand smoothing over Keith's side.
"It is." Keith said with a smile. "And it is well worth it for this place, it is a beautiful home - and a wonderful retreat. We don't mind the work."
Shiro reached up, pulling Keith's hair free from the tail it had been drawn into at the nape of his neck. He laughed as it fell around his face. "I'm glad you like it here." Shiro said, fins fluttering lightly.
"I like it even more that you are here." Keith said softly, and tentatively stroked one of the fluttering fins just below his hip. Shiro tensed, startled, then trilled softly and melted into Keith's hands. ". . .good?" Keith questioned, smoothing his hands over Shiro's tail and lightly caressing another of his fins, fingertips tickling down the sensitive valleys.
Shiro squirmed and nodded, splaying one hand over Keith's chest. Keith smiled, his hands gentle as he kept exploring, telling Shiro about the progress they had made and their plans to continue.
"I have some special plans made up for my own quarters, once we have time," Keith said idly, "but anything so involved will have to wait, of course, until the crew are all comfortably housed." Shiro smiled, nodding understanding.
"What did you do today, Shiro? Were you busy as well?" Keith stroked Shiro's arm, trailing up from his fingers. He stretched, trilling quietly and closing his eyes, and Keith dropped a hand to Shiro's hip, gently toying with one of his fins and making Shiro giggle and squirm.
"Not so busy. I was not with those hunting today, but the aid the builders asked for wound up being easier than they expected, so we finished easily, leaving me free to do as I pleased instead. I spent the day over the flowering sandbeds. Allura joined me there for a while. She threatened to destroy you and your ship." Shiro said absently. "I was talking to her about-"
"Your Queen? Wait- What did I do?" Keith yelped, and Shiro startled at the alarmed cry, jerking upwards and rolling clear out of his lap. Shiro splayed his fins and stared up at Keith, blinking.
"What?" Shiro said blankly. "Keith, what's wrong?"
"What did I do wrong?" Keith lunged to his feet, looked distressed.
"Nothing, Keith!" Shiro said, thrashing his tail, upset and confused. "What would you have done wrong?" he asked, now upset himself.
"Queen Allura wouldn't threaten me for nothing, surely, we've been peaceful and I've made sure all the crew respect-"
Shiro surged up and caught Keith's shoulders, tugging him down a little. "Keith. She wasn't really-" His tail twisted. "She didn't threaten in that she would come and do it now, or- or really at all. I was just . . . talking to her about you, about us, and. . ."
"What did you tell her that would make her want to declare war?" Keith asked, dropping to his knees in the water and cupping Shiro's jaw, quickly adjusting his hands away from Shiro's gills. "I haven't hurt you or anything, have I, precious?"
Shiro's fins fluttered at the still-new endearment. "No, baby." he said, curling himself closer, his tail looping around Keith's thighs. "Allura has been my best friend for a very long time," he said gently, "she is just being protective."
". . .that's quite protective." Keith said, and Shiro tightened his tail. Keith smiled faintly, his eyes warming. He dropped a hand to Shiro's tail, but only trailed a light caress over his scales, affectionate.
"Allura is a rather intense person." Shiro said apologetically. "I'm afraid I'm rather accustomed to it, but perhaps I forget not everyone is." He laughed softly.
"So your Queen does not intend to wreck my ship or kill me or anything, then?" Keith asked, lips twisting wryly.
"Not unless you, uh-" Shiro broke off shyly. Keith hummed encouragingly, looking inquisitive. "Not unless you break my heart or . . . something."
Keith's expression softened, and he leaned into Shiro's body, ruffling Shiro's hair. "I certainly have no intention of doing that." he said quietly, nuzzling Shiro's cheek, kissing him lightly.
"I, er, I'm glad to hear that." Shiro said, with an embarrassed clicking noise. He kept his tail coiled around Keith's legs, fanning his tail fin wide. He returned Keith's kiss, sinking one hand into his wild hair. "I've been," he paused, tail wriggling, "happy, since you came here."
Keith smiled against his mouth, gently teasing him into deeper kisses. "I'm happy to have you in my arms, precious." he murmured, between kisses, and pulled Shiro in against him, one hand dropping to smooth over one of Shiro's flaring fins.
Allura smiled, watching them across the water. The captain might be a human, but he didn't quite act like one - not like most of those she had met - and Allura liked the way he treated her dear friend.
"Queen?" Coran came up beside Allura, startling her - she had been so focused on Shiro and his pirate captain she hadn't noticed the currents in the water - and she hushed him hurriedly, eyes darting back to the couple entwined in the shallows. "Is anything wrong?"
"No, no, it's fine." Allura said softly, and smiled again. "I was just . . . checking on something."
Coran looked, following her gaze, and made a low sound of surprise. "Is that. . ."
"Yes." Allura nodded, bringing her tail under herself as she watched Shiro tumble sideways, bringing his human mate with him, though gently.
"And you're. . ." Coran was looking at her, now, Allura realised.
"They seem to suit well." Allura told him, turning her focus away from the couple. "I am happy for Shiro to be happy, even if it is with a pirate captain." she added. "And," she glanced over her shoulder as she shooed Coran ahead of her with a gesture, "it looks as though I may not have to curse his ship after all."
"My Queen?" Coran said tentatively, mostly under the surface again.
Allura shook her head, with a low laugh. "Let's go, Coran. All is well."
Coran nodded and sank under the waves, twisting with a flare of his tail.
"Treat him well," Allura said softly, breathing gentle magic - not quite a spell - that drifted over the waters of the sheltered cove towards the couple and the ship above, "and as long as your heart is true, may the winds and waves bring favour to you."