I have to apologize for my incredible delay. I haven't any good justification. I simply suck at updating!

I hope you will forgive me, and will appreciate the next two chapters.

Many thanks to all those of you kind enough to let me a review. I really enjoyed them.

A special thanks to Nonny, who showed me some grammatical mistakes I made in the first three chapters: I did a minor re-editing, trying to correct them, but I'm not sure to have spotted all the mistakes.. Never mind!

To Lance4Ever: it was kind of you to nudge me to update! I hope to not disappoint you with this little story of mine!

Before any of you could complain, I will warn you that this is a very simple story, maybe even silly. But I did love it, and enjoyed writing it. I sometimes tend to be very sentimental.

I don't own Voltron, ecc.

The day after – part one

Both had spent a sleepless night, repeatedly tossing and turning in their own bed, trying to find a way to make up for that situation that had arisen between them. But Allura was too mad at him and felt that she didn't owe him any apology. Her wounded pride said her that the first move was to Keith. After all she had done nothing wrong...
Keith, on the other hand, understood that he had made a mistake... and that he should find a way to mend the relationship with her, but he couldn't bear the thought of having to admit his fault. He had always been extremely proud...

At various times he had discussions with her (ever since she had almost forced him to give her a chance to pilot the blue lion), but he had always had his reasons: she usually understood them, and both ended up apologizing to each other and bonding with the other even more.

But this time his reaction was disproportionate: Allura didn't know the photograph portrayed his baby brother (maybe even Lance hadn't noticed)... but then, even if she had known? Keith had to learn to go ahead... The ghosts of his past were oppressing him for far too long. And Allura was only trying to help him to overcome them. This time he was completely wrong, but despite knowing it, he couldn't think of a way to get the courage to apologize to her.

The next morning things hadn't gone better: during lion practice Keith and Allura hadn't directly addressed each other and they had been in a very bad mood with everyone. Even their performance level was very low, much to the chagrin of their teammates. As if things couldn't get any worse, they both refused to have lunch with the others and retired to their apartments with the excuse of some important duties they had to attend to.

The situation had taken a turn that neither Lance nor the others were willing to bear for long, for the good of the team, but, above all, for the good of their friends. After noting that the evening before something bad must have happened and that the two must have seriously argued, Hunk, Pidge and Lance met up in the rec room to define a strategy to force Keith and Allura to talk again and make up with each other.
"Keith and princess' behavior today is really incomprehensible..." Pidge began.

Lance rolled his eyes and raised his hands to the sky in a gesture of impatience: "Oh, Pidge! There isn't much to understand: the two lovebirds must have had a fight last night, and since both are awfully stubborn, no one wants to take the initiative to make peace".

"You know what?" Hunk continued. "I'm not going to let them stew in their own juice, 'cause it may take days before they start talking again to each other... and with us". Then added: "And to think that in a week we would have celebrated one year since the princess joined the Voltron Force... We were arranging a so beautiful party: I had already planned the menu for the evening! Not to mention the surprise we had prepared for the princess: it's more than a month that we practice, using every spare time and trying not to be discovered by her! I won't give up our party because of those two pigheaded. We must find a solution".

Lance's eyes suddenly lit up at those words, and, resting both hands on his huge friend's shoulders, stared into his eyes and said: "But you know that this is a really fantastic idea!"

"Idea? But what idea are you talking about?" An astonished Hunk asked.

Pidge, who was observing the scene with questioning eyes, all of a sudden caught it: "Oh yes! How come hadn't it even occurred to me? The party!" Hunk shook his head: "I still don't understand."

Pidge continued: "We can advance the party to this night and spring a surprise on the princess! We could also give her our gift! This will only make her happy and she will start smiling again as before". Pidge was evidently more than delighted to have found that solution, but Hunk shook his head again: "I don't know... Our 'surprise' could raise her morale for a while, but if she is angry with Keith, I think that will not be enough to restore her smile. You know, when it comes to Keith... to the two of them... things aren't so simple".
"But this is precisely why I think our plan would work out!" Lance continued: "In case you didn't know, Keith had prepared his own surprise for Allura. Only he felt too embarrassed to show it to everyone. In fact, I think he meditated to not even show it to her. Well, I will convince him to do otherwise! If I know Keith well, he wants to make peace with Allura more than he will ever be willing to admit... Anyway, I'll see about it! You two will have to worry about the organization of the party, that would be held in our secret meeting place. Hunk, I put you in charge of food and decorations. Pidge, you take care of what we need for our 'surprise' and then, when it'll be 7.00 P.M., go and call the princess. Be sure that she doesn't notice anything before then". Then, looking at both of them, added: "Did you get it?"

"Roger!" the other two answered in unison. And then, they slunk off.

- 0 -

Lance hurried up toward Keith's room, but before knocking on the door, he mentally reviewed all over his speech. He had prepared a list of reasons which he intended to play on to convince Keith to comply with the project that he and the others had devised. He knew it would be a tough battle, but this time Lance was not going to lose. He cared too much for his friends and he wouldn't let their pride prevail over what they felt for each other.

Lance took heart and knocked on the door. After few seconds Keith opened the door and let him in.

"You don't seem very surprised to see me..." Lance noted.

"As a matter of fact, I thought you would have come long before... At least, this is what you usually do. What kept you so long today?" And so saying he sat on a chair and invited Lance to do the same.

"What I usually do... under what circumstances?" But Keith looked away and didn't answer.

"Ah... So you don't even try to deny it... that you've argued with Allura? What happened this time? It's been some time since you two last had an argument".

Keith leaned forward, rested his elbows on his legs and grabbed his head between his hands, digging his fingers into his thick raven-black hair, in a gesture that expressed weariness and sorrow: "I'd rather not tell you. After all it doesn't matter... It was a really stupid thing: I've been a complete moron. The problem is that this time it was all my fault and she will never forgive me".

Keith straightened his back, and Lance couldn't help but notice that his eyes were deeply sad. Keith sighed and cut short: "Come on, Lance, tell me what you wanted to tell me and then leave me alone".

Lance then started with his speech: "Okay. But you'll listen to me until the end. I'm not here to discuss the reasons that caused your quarrel with Allura, but to tell you that I and the guys have found a way so that you can be forgiven by her – see, you wouldn't think that we don't care for you. It's all planned: tonight we will celebrate in advance the first anniversary of our Voltron Force - the one with Allura - as the princess wanted to. It will be a beautiful party. And we'll give her our gifts, as settled. For her it will be a surprise... But for this surprise can truly be beautiful, you'll have to give her your present, too. I know that now you will tell me that it is not really necessary, but... "

"OK! fair enough! " Keith interrupted him.

"...but you'll have to agree with me that if you want to be forgiven... Sorry? What did you say? I misunderstood or did you just say that you agree with our idea... with me?" Lance was completely stunned. He would've expected anything but Keith agreeing with him so easily: he must have been really in despair!

Keith chuckled slightly at the sight of Lance's facial expression: "Yes, you didn't misunderstand. It's all the day long, and last night for the matter, that I'm trying to think of a way to apologize to her... to apologize in the right way. And I hadn't come up with anything... but this is a good idea. Thank you!".
Lance visibly relaxed and smiled at his friend: "You're welcome, buddy".
For the first time since that day had started, Keith's eyes lit up: "But now, tell me how you thought of giving her the 'surprise'".
And Lance, resting more comfortably against the backrest of the chair, began to explain him the plan.