Chapter 2
The second sun hasn't risen yet over the horizon, and the sky is painted orange and pink heralding its arrival. The morning lake fog is wisping away with the heat of the first sunrise. Soft light brightens the exercise room casting shadows of the equipment on the wall.
Keith paces the exercise room anxiously waiting for the Princess to arrive. He strides from the wall of windows to the door. He checks the time and watches the light grow brighter and harsher with the imminent rising of the second sun. He knows that anyone can enter the training room, and he doesn't want to share this early morning time with anyone but Allura.
Meanwhile back in her suite Allura is trying to escape Nanny.
"But Princess, you don't need to train with those boys anymore! You can take up your royal duties like you should have been doing."
Allura calmly dresses in her exercise clothes ignoring the heavy formal gown that is being prepared for her to wear. "Nanny, even though the war is over, Arus is in ruins." Allura points out. "I am going to need all my strength to help my people rebuild." She draws on one her older memories to make her point. "I remember Father always took time for exercise." Since Alfor taught his children archery and how to swim, Nanny can't argue.
Nanny nods reluctantly in agreement. "Yes, the King did. But..."
"No, buts." Allura interrupts. "You seem to forget that I am the Princess of Arus and do not need your permission to walk around my castle."
Stunned at the rare rebuke Nanny steps back in shock. With a red face she bows her head and curtsies to the Princess. "Yes, Your Highness."
Allura sighs at the slight guilty twinge she feels. Nanny is devoted and she loves her dearly, but the overprotectiveness and the demands in the last few years has grown suffocating. More and more Nanny has tended to overstep her authority as a royal governess, especially in public. Even Coran has commented on it.
As Nanny leaves the room, Allura sighs again, this time in relief. She checks the time and hurries out the door. Quickly she covers the ground from her quarters to the un-used public wing of the Castle where they set up a training room for the residents.
She slows when she gets to the door of the gym. Hearing nothing she hesitates.
Keith looks up from his pacing when he hears a footstep.
"Allura?" He goes to the doorway. "What are you doing out there?" Smiling, he pulls her into the room and closes the door.
She giggles at his actions. "Hi." she whispers.
He quirks one eyebrow. "Good morning." Without waiting for an answer he swoops down and kisses her.
Allura's arms find their way around Keith's neck and he pulls her close to him as he explores her mouth in all the ways he has dreamed of for years.
Allura moans and strains to be closer to him. Keith runs a hand down her hair and wraps his arms around her. Resting his hands at the base of her spine, he pulls her up against him. The full body contact electrifies them both. Keith feels his body surge at the feel of her hips cradling his.
Allura is amazed at the sensations she feels. She wriggles closer to him pressing her breasts even closer to his chest. The feel of his hard chest excites her and she plays with his hair curling at the back of his neck.
Keith moans at the intimate move and trails his lips down her cheek and neck to the notch in her collarbone. The soft, spicy, exotic scent she uses fills his senses as he kisses her there. He can feel her heart racing with excitement underneath his lips.
Another gasp sounds in the quiet room as he gently nips her.
Allura winds her arms around Keith's neck to support herself. The intense passion she feels is beyond any of her imaginings. She moans again and leans totally on him.
The full body contact shocks Keith to his senses. He pulls away from her and runs a hand through his hair trying to regain some semblence of control.
He laughs shakily. "First chance I get, I practically attack you. Nanny was right to not trust me."
Allura steps in closer. "Am I complaining?"
Keith steps back keeping a distance between them. "No, but that's not the point."
Allura chases after him. "What is the point, Commander?" she asks teasingly. She has closed the distance between them again.
Keith groans. "You spend way too much time with Lance," he tells her. His tone turns serious. "The point is, that I wanted to spend time with you. Not talking about the lions, training, duty schedules, battle strategy, or any of the other things our conversations revolved around these past few years. And then the first time I get you alone, I nearly inhale you."
Allura studies his lean, tanned face. She realizes that he is upset with himself.
She reaches out to touch him and he lets her. "I wanted this, Keith," she says gently. "To be honest, I want more."
He flinches at her words. "Don't tell me that," he warns. "It's too soon." The passion in his eyes turn them dark blue instead of the pale color she is getting accustomed to.
"Too soon! We've known each other for years!" she yells.
"And those were ideal circumstances?" he bites off. "In the ruined and bombed out castle where I pledged to protect you? When you stole Black Lion? All the times you were kidnapped and threatened by Lotor? Damnit, I couldn't even ask you to dance with me at a reception!" his voice rises to a shout with each question. "Is it too much to ask for we have some type of normality for once in this relationship?"
Keith stalks over to the exercise bag and slams his fist into it. It swings back and he kicks out at it.
"No," she says after watching him regain his control.
"No, what?" he snaps.
"No, it's not too much to ask. And it's kind of nice in a way. I've heard some of the castle staff talk about their relationships and wondered what a 'date' would be like." Those deadly emerald eyes peer up at him innocently.
Keith sighs. He knows when he's beaten. And he isn't complaining about it. "Allura, would you like to go on a date with me?" he asks smiling down at her.
She giggles. "How nice of you to ask," she replies with a grin. "Yes, I would."
"Yep, waay too much time with Lance," he mutters shaking his head. "So, Allura what would you like to do on our first date?"
Her eyes widen. "Is this normal?"
"Asking a Princess on a date? No, not for me." he answers with a grin.
She blushes. "I meant you asking what I wanted to do?"
Keith is startled. "I know you've never been on a date, Princess, but listening to the staff and no doubt, Lance, didn't you know it's something we both enjoy?" As soon as the words are out of his mouth he knows it was the wrong thing to say.
The sense of humor that is one of his favorite things about her comes into play. "Hmmm, is kissing considered a whole date? If so, what about today? Maybe this is..." Keith shuts her up by kissing her again.
"No, it's not a whole date, which you know. Maybe a picnic? Swimming would be nice." One eyebrow quirks as he continues, "I always did like that bikini you have." Allura blushes remembering the time she wore it and lost her top.
"But a normal first date on Earth is coffee or lunch." He shrugs, "Would you like that?"
Allura wrinkles her nose and shakes her head at that suggestion.
"There's always dinner," he suggests.
"We have dinner together every night, Keith," she protests.
"Not alone," he points out. "Not together. I could cook," he offers.
"Can you teach me to rock climb?" she asks.
"What? How did you know?" Keith is startled that she knows he climbs. Not even the team knows how often he climbs and how long he's been doing it.
"That flower you gave me on your birthday. They only grow in the cliffs of Arus. You had to have climbed up or down to get it. Besides Hunk mentioned you used to climb on Academy breaks. I think it's fascinating."
Keith hesitates. He knows Nanny will throw a fit when she hears of Allura doing something more dangerous than knitting.
"Please?" She kisses him on the cheek.
Keith smiles down at her. "You can do better than that, Princess," his eyes dare her to come closer.
Allura blushes. Despite her fantasies and the last few minutes she's never initiated a kiss.
She moves closer to him and quickly kisses his lips.
"Hmm, not a real good convincing kiss," Keith teases. "I thought you liked me." He grins down at her.
Allura laughs. "You never teased me before!"
Keith shrugs. "Not much anyway. I couldn't really."
She nods, understanding the barriers the war and her station and his duties placed between them.
"So are you going to kiss me?" Keith wonders.
"I did!"
"That? I got better kisses from my cousins in Japan." He waves off the kiss. "That's not gonna convince me to brave the wrath of Nanny and take you rock climbing." Keith retorts.
"Ooh!" Allura stamps her foot. Keith waits quietly with his arms at his sides. Allura steps closer to him. She reaches up and brushes his lips gently. She tries to remember how he kissed her night before and to replicate how. She slides her arms around his neck and threads her fingers through his hair bringing his head closer to hers.
She nips his lower lip before breaking the kiss.
Keith is breathing heavily. He shakes his head. "That's a-" he shakes his head again. "So rock climbing? What about tomorrow?"
Allura saunters out of the exercise room. "I'll check my schedule, Commander." She shoots him a grin over her shoulder.
Keith groans as he watches her walk away from him. "Oh yeah, way too much time with Lance. Gonna have to do something about that."