Keith, Her Teacher
Written July 13, 2015 for the Keith's mouth challenge. I own the plot, the rest is not mine. Dedicated to my sister and her choice of instrument. Rate M for heavy innuendo usage.
The new shipment from Earth had arrived. Keith, leader and captain of the Voltron Force, had been eager for its arrival and his team was hyped up on his anticipation.
As the ship landed, Keith could barely stand still as he bounced on the balls of his feet. The action was not lost on the rest who were also gathered on the tarmac.
"What do you think it is?" Pidge inquired with a hushed voice.
"Some of his sword collection? You know how much he pines to practice with a real sword," Hunk replied.
"Swords? I didn't know he found ours lacking." The princess's face pouted. She didn't like the idea of anything not being up to the commander's standards.
Lance saw an opening and took it. Draping an arm around her shoulders, he pulled her closer. He pulled out Allura's bottom lip which she had started to chew on. "I wouldn't worry about your armory. Those swords are amazing and almost rival his own. It's almost like they were made from the same hands. It's just Keith. He likes to practice with his own sword. He would have brought it, but luckily, he didn't. Otherwise it would be a Drule War Prize. No, he kept them safely at home, Princess. And even though he may grumble to us..." Lance took a moment to shoot a pointed look at the other two, who looked quite chastised. "...he really does admire the Arusian swords. Keith is just being Keith." Lance tipped her chin up to look into her eyes and drive his message home.
Watery eyes met his and Lance cursed both Pidge and Hunk, then cursed his commander who should be here instead of him. A loud hiss brought all their attentions back to the landed cargo-craft.
Lance squeezed her shoulders in a one sided hug and turned them both to view the opening hatch. Keith was so lost to whatever shipment was in it that he was completely oblivious to Allura's distress, a first really.
Lance forgave his commander, just this once. It wasn't every day that you saw your commanding officer acting like a child at Christmas. Keith was so wrapped up in this shipment that he was blind to his surroundings. This better be good, Lance thought.
Before the cargo hatch door even touched the pavement, Keith was inside searching. The Voltron Force stood, peering into a black hole when they heard the commander whisper, "There you are. I've missed you."
Missed you? MISSED WHO!? The question was in all their minds. Keith strode past them with a renewed purpose and into the castle, the package in his arms. "Practice will be postponed until this afternoon. Lance, it's your turn on inventory."
Lance gave Keith's retreating form the stink eye. Perhaps, he wasn't as oblivious as the Lieutenant thought.
Keith was in good spirits that afternoon when they assembled for Lion practice. He wasn't barking orders or as short with them as he usually was. Lance was about to retort some snarky comment about the contents of his dearly missed package, but he bit his tongue. Literally. He didn't want to find himself on the roster for back to back night duty for a week or worse. His commander could dream up some horrible punishments.
"Good job today, team. Let's put these Lions in their lairs and call it a day. Princess. I would like to have a conference with you in Meeting Room six."
That was odd. Allura had flown just as well as the others today. Surely, she wasn't in trouble. "Stop overthinking it, Allura. You're not in trouble." Keith's image popped up in a private screen. He even winked at her!
Surprised by this turn of events. Allura put an extra burst of speed into her kitty and was the first one back.
Keith ushered Allura into the rarely used meeting room. There in the back of the room stood two music stands next to two chairs. A simple case lay upon each of their cushions.
Curious and more curious, Allura followed Keith way back into the conference room and stood beside a chair. A confused expression crossed her face as she looked up and into Keith's. What she saw surprised her greatly.
Keith was beaming. It was, what did Hunk call it, a 'thousand watt smile'? Allura decided then and there, that she would do anything to see that smile again, even though she had no idea what caused it.
"Princess, I've decided to take up your challenge," Keith declared.
Challenge! Challenge? What challenge? she thought furiously.
Seeing the distress in her eyes, Keith decided to remind his princess. His Princess? When did she become his princess? the commander thought.
"A while back, you gave the team a challenge. It was about the time you started learning to fly Blue. You told us that it was no fair that we only got to share flying with you. Instead you expressed a desire for us to share something more personal, a hidden skill or talent. I've thought long and hard. Today I'm going to teach you how to play the clarinet."
"The clarinet? What's that?" the princess asked, her interest piqued.
"It is an old Earth instrument. Usually made out of a hard, dark wood with a hole on top where you put your mouth and keys along the side you play," the commander explained.
"Here sit down. I'll show you." He pulled both cases off the chairs and they both sat down. Keith on the right, Allura on the left.
Handing her the simple black case, Keith held onto the dark blue one with black edges. "Put the smaller edge up and open." Mimicking Keith, Allura did as she was told. There inside was the instrument, all snuggled together in between bits of black velvet. Allura traced a finger over the shiny wood. It looked new.
"That one is a Yamaha. I had a friend pick that one up. This one is a Buffet and it was my aunt's."
"Your aunt's?" Allura prodded.
"She's the reason I learned in the first place. I had just lost my parents. I had been moved to a foreign country with a new language to learn as well as culture." Allura's hand instinctively reached out and touched the commander's arm. She wanted to comfort him, by doing so he stopped talking. At first, Allura didn't notice. She was just so ecstatic that he was spending any alone time with her. Then there was the fact that Keith was opening up like this, that he had lost his parents was too much to do alone. She wanted to be there for him. Looking up into his eyes, she noticed that the gesture not only did NOT go unnoticed, but Keith was staring at her most oddly. Snatching back her hand, she cleared her throat. "I'm sorry. That must have been difficult. Please continue."
Taking a moment to collect his thoughts, Keith opened up the case in his own lap and started to talk, absentmindedly tracing his fingertips over his own instrument.
"My uncle had been taking me to the dojo every spare moment I had. He was afraid that the new foreigner would be an easy target. He wasn't about to have that. So every morning, noon and evening I was there, training, learning a new language as well as everything else a six-year-old sponge could absorb." Keith grabbed a smaller case, opened it and took out two, thin wooden sticks. Holding out one to Allura, Keith said, "Here, put this in your mouth."
A delicate hand reached out and plucked it from his own. Looking at the thin slice of wood, she noticed that it was different on one side than the other. "It's called a reed. It is what vibrates giving the clarinet its sound. But you need to get it wet for it to work. So stick the thin end in like this."
Keith took a moment to show the princess how it was done. He opened his mouth, stuck his tongue out slightly, placed the uniformed, thin side down on his own wet, pink tongue, and closed his mouth. Taking it out a moment later, he looked at her eyes to see them slightly glazed over. Perhaps this is one of the worst things I could be teaching the princess, Keith thought. She already seems bored with it, his thoughts turned sour.
Allura blinked three times and finally focused on the downcast gaze of her prince charming. Her prince charming? Allura thought with a start. Her cheeks blushed a delicious pink and she quickly placed the reed in her own mouth. She then asked, "Wha Wheck?"
Keith then looked up to see a very rosy cheeked princess with a reed sticking out of her mouth. She's so cute and… Keith let that other thought side as he motioned for her to take out the two bigger pieces, carefully.
Setting his reed aside, he spoke, "First things first, you need to lubricate all openings and ends. And you can't just use any old lube, it's got to be grease, cork grease." Keith dug into his case. Unbeknownst to him, Allura had turned a very red color. She had been spending way too much time with Lance. Eventually, Keith produced what looked like chapstick. Popping off the cap, he grabbed one end, pointed to the thin strip of cork and placed a thin layer of cork grease upon it. Then he went to the next piece in the case, indicating that Allura should do the same. By that time, she was much calmer and ready to do anything to get her mind into cleaner places.
When that was done he turned to Allura, "I can model how to put this together, however, you would probably bend something wrong. It's better if I walk you through it so we keep it safe. It's kind of like you need a firm yet gentle grip on the barrel. If you bend it wrong,it won't play nice."
Taking the upper and lower sections, he explained how to press the bridge key on the top part and line it up just so with the bottom edge explaining as he did. "This is an extension for some of the keys you will play later on, so you see why it needs to be aligned or it won't play."
Next, Keith added the bell and barrel saving the mouth piece for last.
"Now we add the mouthpiece." Keith held his out and described how it went together. How the hole was covered by the reed and a metal clamp called the ligature would hold it all together. "Take the flat side that was against your tongue and place it here." He went to grab his own reed only to discover it had dried out with what little saliva he had used. "Just a second", he mumbled as he took his reed and found the flat thin side. Once again, Keith opened his mouth, stuck out his tongue out and placed the reed on the tip, inserting it into his mouth to prepare the instrument.
Allura was mesmerized by the action and confused at the conflicting thoughts and emotions. She wondered what he tasted like, but then felt jealousy of a thin strip of wood. Clearing her throat, she decided to not get caught gawking this time. "I've been meaning to ask. Why this room?"
"Hmm? Oh, it not only has the best acoustics, but also has best insulation and noise control. No one will hear us practice."
"Why? Is that a problem?" Allura asked.
"They can be loud and if not played right can sound…interesting," he replied.
Allura smiled, wondering what sounds she was about to make.
Keith then showed Allura where to place the reed and tighten the ligature. "Now, here is the tricky part," Keith told her.
"Now? You mean piecing together? That wasn't the tricky part?" Allura jested.
"Very funny. No, it's where you place your mouth on the mouthpiece. Too hard and no sound will come, too soft and nothing happens." Keith brought the completed instrument to his open, delicious mouth and Allura knew she was lost. Shaking her head to clear it, she got a devilish idea.
Carefully setting down her own instrument, she scooched her chair a lot closer to Keith's. Her knees were now touching the edge of his own chair.
"Can you show me that again? Please, Commander?" She batted her eyes once. She wasn't one to openly flirt, but she couldn't help it. Keith's lips puckering around and enclosing that clarinet's mouthpiece was intoxicating. It made her wonder what else it could do. She decided on a plan.
Keith, who was completely unaware of what had just transpired, kept going. "Like this, place your front teeth right here. You can see where my mouthpiece has marks there from my own. Then tuck your bottom lip over your bottom teeth and rest the reed against it to create a pucker look, almost like you ate a lemon. Then blow gently."
Listening to Keith and watching him was killing her, but then the most amazing sound came from the clarinet and Allura almost forgot her plans...almost.
It was sweet, melodious and haunting. Whatever music Keith was playing right now made her melt.
When the music stopped, Allura felt cheated out of a very special treat. "Why did you stop? It was beautiful."
"It was the first thing my Aunt Mae taught me. A simple folk tune from her region of Japan."
"I must thank her. When did she start teaching you?"
Keith laid the instrument down on his lap. "It wasn't so much a when as a why. As my uncle was afraid for my physical safety, so too was my aunt afraid for my mental well-being. Too much fighting and nothing to nourish my chi? After three months of living there,my aunt put her foot down and demanded the evenings with her. She partially used the rouse that she never saw me, which was true. I lived and breathed the dojo. So while my uncle went to teach his second love, she taught me her passion: music, more specifically the clarinet." He smiled. "Your turn, Princess."
Taken aback, the princess squeaked a very dignified, "Huh?"
"It's a lot easier than you think. Just place your teeth here." Keith continued his instructions, and then Allura took a deep breath and blew.
It sounded like she just sat on a duck, a dying duck.
Allura turned a deep, beet red while the commander just scratched the back of his head.
"Perhaps you…" he said.
"Maybe I should…" she said and they both realized they were talking at the same time.
They froze, and then started to laugh.
"I think you just killed it." Keith got out in between guffaws.
"Now I know why we needed this room. Just a sec." Allura got up and ran to the door, locking it. "That sound was more than 'interesting' commander. I don't want Nanny thinking we smuggled in livestock! She would hang us." Allura took her seat.
"Hang me, not you. Never you." Allura looked up and into Keith's eyes. Again, his eyes seemed to express more today than ever before, a small chink into his armor that he wore like a cloak, concealing the rest of Keith. It was a side of him that Allura was desperate to reveal.
"Can you play something else for me?" she pleaded.
Keith shook his head from where ever he had gone to, clearing it and raised an eyebrow.
"Please? I mean, that first tune was amazing, but perhaps if I watch you more… and hear you. I might understand how to do this?" And what to do to you, she most mischievously thought.
Keith sat back, wondering if he should play it. There was an amazing jazz piece that was, well for lack of a better word, wild. Throwing caution to the wind, he closed his eyes, took a deep measured breath, and began.
The next notes from Keith flew out of the clarinet like bees in a hurricane. They were everywhere and yet seemed to be pulling in one direction. The music was vastly different than the first piece. This one made your heart pump and your body want to move fast. A whirlwind of thoughts and emotions pulsed inside of Allura as her heart, mind and body fell into sync. As the music pitched to a climax, so too did Allura's decision.
When Keith finished, he opened his eyes to peer at Allura. Her face was flushed, her hand over her heart, her eyes wide with excitement. Smiling, thinking that he finally had done the piece justice, he lowered the instrument into his lap.
"What did you just do?" Allura quickly asked.
"It's a piece called—"
She interrupted him. "No, your fingers. What is that called?" There was impatience in her words.
"Fingers? Oh, the different notes require different fingerings," Keith automatically explained.
"You fingered the clarinet to make that music?" Allura asked.
"WHAT!?" Keith yelped, as though Allura had stung him.
Not one to be derailed in her mission, she ignored his outburst and kept at it. She moved closer to him and spoke, "Can you play again and let me see what you do. I think I might get it this time."
"Um, sure, princess." Keith told her with trepidation in his voice.
After playing another tune, which was just as vastly different and just as incredibly amazing, Allura brought up the clarinet to her own mouth and blew, hard.
It just seemed that that duck was bound to die.
"I just can't seem to get that thing you do with your mouth. Can I sit closer, please?"
Keith nodded, woodenly and Allura inched even closer, invading the personal space bubble.
Keith played again, but this time, his notes were too bright as a new level of tension entered his mind and playing. How can Allura derail him like this with just her mere presence? She wants to learn to play better. The princess is very competitive. She just wants to succeed, nothing more, Keith told himself.
Allura brought the clarinet up and tried again. At this point, she was almost in tears. She was still squeaking.
Wiping the tears away from her face, Allura put on her princess face. Keith wondered what she was up to now. "I will get this," she said determinedly to the commander.
"Here, I have an idea. Let me touch your face, right here." She pointed to her own face a half inch above her lips. "Maybe if I can feel the muscles work, I might get an idea on what I'm doing wrong," she stated, her resolve firm.
Keith turned red and again, chose not to talk, but rather nod his head in agreement.
Allura got up and moved her chair one hundred and eighty degrees so it faced backwards. She sat in it, facing the commander, thighs touching, and raised her hands to get them in place.
Keith opened his mouth, set the clarinet in, and started in on another shaky song. Allura's fingers gently pressed into his upper lip, millimeters from his pinkened lips, waiting.
As Keith finished his song, he lowered the instrument. Turning to look at Allura, she lowered her fingers from his face only to wrap them around his neck. Taking a quick look up, Allura saw what seemed like a happy surprise. She really hoped she was right. She leaned in and stopped a breath's space from his face. Closing her eyes in a hushed voice, she asked, "Can you teach me to play this too?" as she closed the gap and their lips met.
Warm, supple firm lips embraced her own, letting Allura know, Yes princess, with pleasure. Keith's mouth was as magical as his music, creating their own melody to follow.
Keith's mind was blown away. Setting the clarinet down blindly, he was finally able to pull Allura closer to him. Her heat was comforting, her taste intoxicating. Before he knew what was happening, she was straddling him. It was a glorious torture. He moaned in her mouth. Allura pulled back, concerned that she had hurt him.
"What did I do?" she whispered breathlessly.
"Nothing, everything," Keith mumbled.
Not happy with his reply, she unhooked her hands from around his neck and plopped them on her hips, inadvertently pushing her nether regions lower. She felt movement. "What's that?" She looked down, shifting her hips forward.
Keith groaned again, "Another instrument that begs to be played."
Rolling her hips back again, she felt Keith grab them to keep her still. "Please, hold still."
Allura looked back up, her boldness not abating. "You have much to explain, but first." Grabbing his face, she attacked the commander's lips. They were defenseless against her own. She threw in a good hip thrust, just to make sure.
Once the team had settled for dinner, Lance couldn't hold back. He was dying of curiosity. He started to pelt the two with questions. "Where have the two of you been?"
"Meeting room six," Keith said.
"What have you been doing?"
"Practicing," Keith replied impassively.
Lance was getting nowhere with questioning his commander. Turning to the princess he asked, "What have the two of you been up to for the past three hours? Hmm?" Lance asked, his eyes dancing with unsuppressed mirth.
"Keith was teaching me to play his clarinet." Allura said immediately, a huge, sweet smile across her face. "It's really fascinating, this thing is long and hard and made of wood. You put your lips on the tip and blow!"
Hunk spewed coffee all over the table.
"It's really quite interesting, how you have to have a firm yet gentle hand to make it play nice. And the fingering. I didn't know my hands could go so fast!"
Pidge spewed his drink all over the table.
Keith ignored his privates' outburst. "You know, princess, it's yours now."
"You mean it? Wow, I can play it whenever I want to? Nanny and Coran won't have to know! This is great. Thanks Keith. That means if I have an urge to play it in the middle of the night, I can!"
"You think you would want to do that?" Keith asked.
"Of course! There are some days that it's too stressful and I can't sleep. Why these last three hours have been so fun and fulfilling that I can see that it would calm me when I can't go to sleep."
Lance started to choke on something he had eaten. Banging his own chest to dislodge it, he let his mind go wild, Keith taught her… his commander… the princess...
"Did you know that you have the cutest dimple when you play your clarinet?" Allura beamed at her teacher.
"What? Wait a minute." Lance had finally gotten the food particle, dislodged out of his throat. "Do you mean that our commander actually plays the musical instrument, the clarinet?!"
"Yes." Allura blinked up at Lance with large innocent doe eyes, confused as to what all the fuss was about.
Pidge and Hunk retreated to the buffet line to grab more grub as Lance turned red and faced Keith. A very, imposing, strict, commanding officer, I'm-more-than-pissed-off Keith turned his gaze to his second in command.
"Yes. Lance." The words were biting. "The clarinet that my Aunt Mae taught me to play when I came to live with them. THAT, clarinet."
Lance really wished that the floor would open up and just eat him whole. The princess looked so adorably confused right now and his commanding officer was about to use him as robeast bait.
Keith sat back in his chair, crossed his arms and stared down his Lieutenant. Lance was screwed.
"Pidge, Hunk. You know you have been asking for a little more R-n-R lately. Consider it granted. The next week starting today is yours. Keep your comm nearby and if you leave past the castle grounds keep us posted in case Doom shows up. Dismissed."
Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, Hunk and Pidge grabbed their plates and left the dining hall post haste. They knew exactly what they wanted to do, did not want to waste any time dilly dallying and more importantly, they did not want to get in the crossfire of whatever punishment Lance was about to receive.
With that settled, Keith stood up. "Lance. My office. Now."
""Keith?" the princess asked.
"Not now, Princess." Allura knew better than to cross him when he used that tone of voice with anyone.
Keith's pace to his office was relentless. Lance practically had to jog to catch up, and that's saying something as his commander was the same height and all. Once they entered, Keith turned to his second-in-command and with a low deadly voice said, "Nights. Three weeks."
Lance's mouth popped open. "No way! I don't get it. All it was was a bunch of harmless little…"
Keith interrupted, "Innuendos. Yes, Lance, I know. And I also know who has to be the one to explain it to a very confused princess. Coran and Nanny would castrate us, you can't manage without visuals, so that leaves me to explain it. Consider this a gift from me." Keith strode past a defeated second and paused at the door. "By the way, your shift does start in about fifteen minutes. You might want to hurry it along," he added as he left.
Lance mumbled to himself about asshole commanders that need to get laid and left. He needed to get himself prepared for three long, horrible weeks of torture.
Keith made his way back to his own quarters, his evening meal forgotten. Punching in his code to unlock the door, harshly, he entered, locking the door behind him. Keith slowly retreated to his bed. Taking off his boots and uniform, he lifted the covers and lay down next to Allura.
"Did he buy it?" Allura asked.
"Hook, line and sinker." He opened his arms and she snuggled in.
"Hmmm. This will be nice. He will be too tired to…" Allura's words were cut off by a very eager Keith, who didn't forget the naughty student's tricks from earlier.
Breathless from the kiss Keith had just ended, Allura barely caught the words he was whispering to her.
"Hmm? What was that commander?" Her wispy voice inquired.
"You know, Your Highness, there are other clarinets that can be played. There is one in particular that would love to make your acquaintance." He shifted his body towards hers, allowing his whole hard length to press into her.
"I'm so glad you were thorough with teaching me all those insinuations. That was quite fun. Poor Nanny though, she—"
Allura was once again stopped by Keith's luscious lips as they played across her collarbone, eliciting a moan from her.
"No more from you. I don't want to hear anything else unless it's 'more' moaning or my name." Allura stared wide eyed at Keith as he lowered himself down the bed until he was level with her navel.
"But more importantly, I think I want to be your teacher one last time." Keith's smile was impish.
"Oh?" Allura raised an eyebrow in challenge.
"Oh, yes." Keith didn't bother to look up, his face was focused much lower.
"One last time? Tell me what will you be instructing me in this time, oh teacher of mine? How to play your personal clarinet?" She threw a breathy challenge at him as her heartbeat raced in anticipation.
"Eventually. But first, it starts by me teaching you how I play the Allura." Keith nibbled her near her hipbone and descended.
Allura's eyes fell back into her head as she let Keith tutor her in playing her G-string and much, much more.