Chosen
The fire cracked in front of him. He sat very still, reclined on the loveseat before the hearth. The Castle of Lions was quiet tonight – most of the staff had gone to bed, including the rest of the Voltron Force. He sat in the library, reclined in the loveseat with his feet propped up on an ottoman nearby. Realistically he was probably the last one awake in the castle, but he wasn't tired.
Stars glittered outside, twinkling peaceful promises to the verdant planet. A book on Arus' history lay open at his side, forgotten in the moment. A warm blanket was draped across his lap and wrapped securely around the bundle of sunshine tucked against his side.
Allura slept peacefully, bathed in firelight and tucked against the security of her husband's body. He didn't dare move and barely breathed, simply content to sit beside her, his left arm wrapped around her body protectively.
The last year after their betrothal had passed quickly. There were many mixed opinions on their union, ranging from ecstatic and optimistic to absolutely furious. With Allura taking the throne and becoming the Queen of Arus, the Drule Empire had backed off, leaving the planet free from Zarkon's touch.
She had chosen him.
The thought occasionally struck him and caused him to reel. After everything they had endured together, after all the combat, all the pain and suffering – she had chosen him in the end. He might have been able to argue that because of all they endured together, it had pulled them closer, but he couldn't be sure.
He watched her as she breathed deeply, her lips parted slightly as she slept, head resting against his chest. Her golden hair had fallen free of the bun she wore with her flight suit and it pooled around both their bodies. Her pink boots sat nearby on the floor, her socked feet tucked somewhere under the blanket.
She slept peacefully. Ever since their engagement, the nightmares of Zarkon had stopped. Allura was able to rest fully at night and no longer live in constant fear. He felt a sensation of pride in his chest as he realized that he had done that. He had managed to give her the one thing she craved more than anything else in the galaxy. And in return, she had given him the same.
She had chosen him.
It wasn't from a bargain or out of need in the end. It wasn't a demand or even a request, either. It had simply been too hard to ignore the swelling heat between them. Too long they had both fought to control it; Allura more than himself. When she had finally released her hold on her emotions, a volatile reaction resulted.
It had started in the darkness one evening on Arus when he had been hoping to cross her path and got his wish. He had even found her alone, much to his relief. In that moment, he did something he had never done before out of sheer desperation: he had confessed himself to her. He still remembered the surprise etched on her face and the confusion in her eyes. There had been concern, wariness, and fear in her voice as she responded.
At first her response was like it always had been; calculated and contained, ever the prim and proper princess. As she continued to talk, her voice cracked and before he knew it, she had collapsed into his arms. She had been shaking with fear and sobbing with heartbreaking confusion. She couldn't understand why she felt the way she did – it wasn't the feeling she thought she was supposed to have. But it was there and it was no longer dormant.
He had sat with her for hours, hidden in a dark recess of the castle, just talking quietly. The entire experience was surreal and Allura had taken comfort in the gentleness. It had emboldened her to be honest with him.
It had taken another couple weeks of keeping everything secret before she had announced that they were becoming serious. Shock and concern were common reactions, but for many in the inner circle, it came as no surprise. Nanny had been especially upset.
Allura stirred, drawing his attention from his memories. He glanced down to her and adjusted the blanket to wrap around her more securely.
She had chosen him.
Of all the unlikely couples, out of everyone in the galaxy, she was here beside him. Two years ago, he had entertained the idea of being at her side but the practicality of it had never been feasible. He had definitely dreamed of having her, but he would be hard-pressed to admit that it could ever happen. He certainly never imagined he would be lying next to her in a library of all places. He had pictured them standing side by side in a command room, on the battle front, or at meetings with other rulers. And while those moments did come to pass in her daily duties as Queen of Arus, it was the small moments that often surprised and delighted him the most.
She had softened him from the soldier he had been trained to be. He still had an eye for combat and was quick to survey a new room for any threats out of habit and he put those skills to use protecting her. She was still a coveted piece, either dead or alive, to many. While she didn't govern the same number of planets Zarkon did, the loyalty she had inspired from many nations made her arguably as powerful, which came with its own heightened level of danger.
He had always kept her safe as best he could in the past and he felt a sense of honor to be able to do so in a much stronger capacity now. Having her at his side constantly made it much easier to defend her, and he would move mountains and burn heavens to keep her safe.
She stirred again and he watched with open fascination as her legs stretched from their curled position. A yawn roused her, and she looked up at him. Her sea-blue eyes blinked sleepily before a smile broke out across her lips and it felt like the dawn itself was gracing him with its presence. She snuggled closer into his side and he greedily obliged, wrapping both his arms around her as she smiled shyly up at him.
"What are you thinking about, Lotor?"
"Just you," he said softly, kissing her forehead in response. Just the single most important thing in his universe.
She had chosen him.
Thank you for reading! This was a fun little one-shot to write to prep myself for a new story idea coming up. Feel free to leave me a note!