((A Kallura request for eastofthemoon as well as an anon who both wanted to see the space mice playing matchmaker with Keith and Allura.))
It had started with the mice.
Princess Allura's little pets were notorious snoops and made it a point to know everything that went on in the castle. This worked very much in the princess's favor as the mice kept tabs on the team's status, as well as the general condition of the castle. It also helped to have someone to confide in.
There were doubts and fears that haunted Allura's mind. As well as secrets and private feelings that went unexpressed and piled up inside her until she felt ready to burst. Her ever attentive friends gave the princess a relief of sorts. Someone, she could share her most intimate secrets with whom she could guarantee would never repeat them.
Unfortunately, she did not account for the possibility of her confidantes acting on her feelings.
"I really do wish our meeting had been different." Allura had sighed as she slumped forward onto the vanity. "It's a silly thing to say, I know. If I had not been in stasis for 10,000 years I would never have even met him. But I still can't help but wish our positions were different."
The mice had been playing with a few pieces of jewelry from Allura's jewelry box, but as the princess's dreamy voice floated through the air they stopped and gave her their attention.
"I… I wish I could have met him on earth. Or in space somewhere. Maybe someone could have introduced us. Perhaps we could have met suddenly while rounding a corner." Her eyes stared into the mirror at her saddened reflection. "But we didn't meet like that. I'm the heir to my father's legacy, and… and he's one of my paladin's."
The smallest mouse moved forward and placed its tiny paws on her arm in order to look up into the princess's face. She looked down at her small friend, giving them a half-hearted smile.
Petting the small creature's head with her finger, the princess said to herself in a quiet voice. "It was likely never meant be."
She then rose and headed out of the room.
The mice looked at one another. In a moment they made their decision and scurried away into one of the vents.
There was a lot of work to be done.
Keith didn't know what it was he'd done.
One day, he, Lance, Hunk, and Pidge had been the best of friends (Shiro existed in his own category). The next, all of the other paladins would regularly give him odd looks, nudge him suddenly, and vocally groan without warning. For the life of him, Keith couldn't understand the change.
When he'd voiced these concerns to both Shiro and Coran they'd both asked the same thing.
"Was the princess in the room?"
Keith had replied that she had.
After that, things got… weird.
Shiro tried to awkwardly give him some spiel about the birds and the bees (a conversation Keith readily escaped) and Coran just went off on some random diatribe about "the ladies in my day" (again Keith couldn't find the exit fast enough).
The whole situation was just confusing.
What had they meant by asking about Allura? What did she have to do with anything?
Keith liked Allura. In fact, he liked her enormously.
So much in fact that it irked him how the others seemed to act out while she was in the room. Getting all shifty eyed and shuffling their feet.
The red paladin paused for a moment.
Was the cause of all the other paladin's behavior as result of, not him, but the princess?
It would explain a few things. It was true that he had first noticed the odd behavior of his comrade in arms whilst in the princess's presence.
Allura had been going through old things in her room looking for some kind of keepsake. Only to come across an old formal dress she had worn to a wedding on some far off planet before the war with the Galra.
Perhaps out of some sense of nostalgia, the princess had donned the dress and shown it to the paladins with pride. Her eyes shone as she showed off the altean craftsmanship.
The dress had vaguely reminded Keith of something straight out of a fairy tale. All lace and satin with an attractive mix of whites and blues. The main piece was blue with some kind of floral brocade bodice and a flowing white skirt with light blue lace sleeves detached from the main garment leaving the princess's neck and shoulders fully visible.
On any other woman, Keith would have called the dress pretty.
On Allura, it was downright magnificent.
"So?" she'd asked with a look of embarrassment. "What do you all think?!"
"I think you look drop dead gorgeous!" Lance's usual stream of light-hearted flirts came pouring out but was thankfully stopped by Pidge.
"It looks nice, but isn't it kinda uncomfortable?" she'd asked.
The princess raised her head proudly. "Not at all."
"It's wonderful princess." Shiro was quick to quiet Lance's oncoming assault of praise before placing his hand on Keith's shoulder. "Right Keith?"
All eyes were now on him. Including the princess. Who'd approached him with a hesitant look in her eyes.
"W-well?" her voice was quiet and, dare he say it, downright shy. "What do you think?"
Keith could feel his face grow hot at the sight of her. He'd averted his gaze before answering.
"I-it's… beautiful… on you."
Raising his eyes at the sound of her giggle he got hit with the full force of her radiant grateful smile.
It was then that the strange behavior started.
But it didn't make sense. There didn't seem to be any kind of cause.
Sighing as he arrived at his bedroom, Keith opened the door determined to collapse onto his bunk and sleep on the whole issue. Hoping that maybe some rest might help him figure all of it out.
But just as he stepped through the door, the red paladin stopped at the unexpected sight that lay before him.
One of the mice, one Allura's own little friends, was passing his Mamora blade from its place under the pillow to the other mice down on the floor. They paused when they noticed the paladin and looked at him.
Keith's mouth dropped open and stared in shock at the sight, barely able to form words.
The mice took their chance and dashed between Keith's feet and out of the room. Blade in tow.
The theft of his father's memento snapped Keith out of his stupor and spurned him into action. Dashing back into the hallway, the paladin caught sight of the pastel colored rodents rounding a corner and gave chase.
Even if they were the princess's beloved pets they'd still have a lot of explaining to do when he got his hands on them.
Allura yawned.
Running diagnostics on the castle had taken longer than she'd expected. Now she felt exhausted but a nap wasn't possible just yet. There was still a lot of work that needed to be done.
She considered running by the kitchen to get a quick snack but firmly decided against it. Food would likely just make her even more tired at this point.
Allura was SO tired, in fact, that she was hallucinating the mice running past in the hallway adjacent to the one she stood in. Running past while carrying Keith's ceremonial blade. With the red paladin in close pursuit.
The princess blinked as they disappeared from view. Only convinced of the scenes reality when she peered around the corner to see their retreating backs.
Pinching the bridge of her nose Allura muttered "if it's not one thing it's another." before giving chase.
Keith didn't realize the princess had joined in until she overtook him and gained ground shouting, "You four give that back this instant!"
Her words only seemed to make the mice quicken their pace. Which made Allura quicken her pace. Which left Keith running like a madman just to keep up.
Eventually, the mice diverted their course into one of the castes dark unused rooms prompting Allura to skid to a stop in front of the doorway. Which, due to the universal laws of forced, caused Keith to careen straight into the princess knocking them both to the floor.
Keith recovered first.
"Oh god! I-I'm so sorry princess I-"
"No time!" Allura got out from under Keith with nary a blush and headed into the room. "After them!"
Stunned, Keith could only dutifully follow.
The room looked almost dome shaped given the curved arches that the light from the hall exposed. As Keith inspected the architecture Allura strode in, hands on her hips, and a very displeased look on her face.
"Well?" she called to the darkness. "Come on out! It's been a fun game of keep away, but it's over now. Give Keith back what's rightfully his."
The red paladin watched her in fascination. The whole scene reminded him of a teacher scolding a couple of kids. Which, in hindsight, the mice sort of were. If their behavior was any indication.
Almost on cue, one of the mice stepped into the light on the far side of the room. Dragging Keith's blade behind it.
"There," Allura said pointedly as she picked up the knife and the mouse along with it. "Now was that so hard?"
Turning to Keith, Allura offered him the blade.
"I'm very sorry." her voice was apologetic. "I promise."
"It's fine," he said taking the old knife back. "No harm done."
Suddenly the door slammed shut throwing the whole room into darkness. The sound of machinery revving to life surrounded them. The ceiling above them parted, and a dim cool light washed over the room.
A blanket of stars stretched over them. Each individual light looking down on the princess and the paladin.
Keith gaped. "Whoa."
"It's the observatory," Allura whispered gently. "I used to come here when I was little."
As if bowing to some unknown force, the princess's knees bent and she took a seat on the floor. Pulling Keith along with her.
The red paladin obediently took his own seat and gazed at the sight above him. When his hand, unbidden, laid itself over the princess's he was surprised to find that she did not pull away.
Instead, Allura leaned over and rested her head on his shoulder.
Interfering little mice, The princess thought smiling to herself. I'll always be grateful to them for this.