Written in response to the drabble challenge "a favorite song" at Hunk's Corner (thenewhrh .weebly dot com)


Keith stood in the shadows near the castle doorway, watching in silence as she worked in the garden. He marveled at her inner strength, amazed once again at how deeply those reserves seemed to go. He stepped quietly onto the stone pathway, noticing that not a single stem grew between the rocks. Allura spent so much of her free time here, tending to the flowers and shrubs. This was her sanctuary. She'd begun planting it seed by seed after Hagar's white lion robeast forced her to come to terms with the loss of her parents. As each seedling sprouted, she too seemed to stand taller and more self-assured. His boots clicked against the stonework, announcing his presence as he closed the distance.

In just a few steps, he was near enough to hear her humming as she worked - weeding, fertilizing, watering. He didn't know the tune, assumed it was some Arusian song from her childhood. All Keith knew was that she often sang it under her breath or hummed it while she worked and that it was fast becoming his favorite song. It has begun popping into his head at random and unexpected times, catching him off guard at first until he began to recognize it. As he slowly crossed the last few yards to her position, his remaining anxiety and nervousness melted under its soothing melody. It was like a balm for his soul, a beacon for his heart, and with a sudden clarity that nearly stunned him in its intensity, he understood how much she had come to mean to him.

Hearing the approaching footfalls, Allura looked up from the flowerbed she was tending and smiled broadly. Trickles of sweat left lines in the streaks of dirt adorning her cheeks and forehead. Her hair was disheveled, tendrils escaping the neat bun she often wore. She was a mess, but to Keith, she was the most beautiful, radiant sight he'd ever seen. He drank in the sight of her and it was as if she quenched a thirst he'd been unaware of before. Grinning he held forth the potted plant he carried. She looked at the delicate pink blooms, delight lighting her eyes. "They're beautiful, Keith. Thank you," she said quietly, almost reverently, as she accepted his gift.

"Almost as beautiful as you, Allura," he whispered, surprised that he didn't feel the heat of a blush rising on his cheeks to match the rosy hue now visible on hers. He closed the gap between them, gently cupping her jaw, brushing dirt from her cheek with his thumb. He lost himself in her eyes, drowning in a sea of blue. Then, just when he thought he'd never breathe again, his lips met hers and he'd never felt so alive, so vibrant, so complete. Like the plants she so tenderly nurtured, he basked in her care like it was sunlight. Unconsciously, he began to hum, standing with her in his arms. Her voice joined his, the song now a duet.