It'd been a month since they defeated Zarkon and freed the universe from his control. Now, they were finally returning the paladins back to Earth. Allura was watching them all leave from the window in her room when there was a knock at her door.
"Come in," She sighed. She expected it to be Coran, and so she responded as such. "Coran, prepare to take off in an hour."
"You're leaving?" Shiro asked. She turned to face the paladin she'd grown to love as he stared at her in disbelief.
"There's nothing for me here. I've turned your lives upside-down enough for one lifetime. It isn't fair for me to impose upon your planet," she explained. Shiro crossed the room towards her and pulled her into him.
"Allura, I want you to stay. No, I need you to stay," he whispered.
"Shiro…" she began.
"Allura, I don't have anyone. The paladins all have families, even Keith got adopted into Lance's family as his 'plus one.' Pidge has her father and brother back. Hunk has his family. Me? You're all I have. You're my family, and correct me if I'm wrong, but Coran and I are your family, too. I'm asking you to stay here, with me," he said as he held her tightly.
"Alright, I'll stay," she smiled. Maybe Earth wouldn't be so bad.
And it wasn't so bad. Allura found that there were a lot of things about the planet that she liked. She loved fireflies and star gazing at a different set of constellations. Shiro had taught her all about the constellations. However, she just didn't feel like she fit in anywhere. It wasn't her planet. Everything was new and different. She found herself messing up, even being made fun of by the earthlings who lived there. She just didn't belong, and she didn't know where she would ever belong. Her planet was gone; her people were gone. It had been such a hard week that Allura thought that maybe she should join them. Earth had no need for an Altean princess. It was that thought that sent Allura back into the castle of lions, about to board one of her transport vessels. Her foot had barely touched the bottom step of the entrance when she heard footsteps running towards her.
"Allura!" Shiro called after her. She paused and turned to face him with all the courage she could muster.
"Shiro, what are you doing here?" she asked.
"What the hell is this?" He asked as he held out the note she'd written and began to read, "'Shiro, I apologize, but this just might be too big of a change for me to handle. I'm only holding you back, you'd be better without me.' Allura, what is this?" His voice was sad. She could sense it. The hurt, the disappointment.
"Shiro, I'm just making life difficult for you. I started a fire in our kitchen yesterday," she said pointedly.
"Lance has done that before. That doesn't mean you have to go away," Shiro replied. "Look, Allura, I know it's a big change to be on a permanent planet, but you're more than up for the challenge."
"How do you know?" she whispered.
"How do I know? Because I know you. I know the strong princess that whipped us all into shape to fight Zarkon, the fearless woman who wasn't afraid to be captured by the Galra if it meant saving me," he responded. His voice got softer as he walked towards her. He pulled her into his arms and held her close, drinking in the smell of space flowers. The scent was fading, but it was still there. "I know, it's difficult, but don't think of it as a change. Think of it as a beginning."
"The beginning of what?" she asked as she looked up at him. Shiro smiled and got down on one knee, pulling a box out of his jumpsuit. He opened it to reveal a small triangular pink diamond.
"The beginning of us. Allura, will you marry me?" Shiro asked hopefully. Allura stood there for a moment, stunned. She loved Shiro, and she knew Shiro loved her, but she hadn't expected this. She hadn't expected him to be willing to fight for them to be together. Silent tears began to stream down her face as she realized how stupid she'd been. She was about to give up a lifetime of happiness with the man she loved over a week of failed adjustment. Shiro's brow crinkled in worry as he stood up, pocketing the ring. His gently placed his hands on either side of her face and used his thumbs to wipe away her tears.
"Hey, it's okay. It'll all be okay," Shiro said softly before kissing her forehead. Allura's hands moved to cover his as he rested his forehead against hers.
"Shiro, I'm so sorry," she whispered, "I love you so much. I just thought I was being a burden. I know it's been a hard week for both of us."
"It'll get better, Allura. It was only the first week. That is, if you'll stay," he said.
"Shiro, I'll stay, and I'll marry you. I know I'll be able to make it living here if I have you by my side," she smiled. Her words finally sunk into Shiro as he smiled a wide smile before kissing her deeply. His arms wrapped around her waist as her arms wrapped around his neck. They broke apart and he spun her around, causing them both to laugh.
"Allura, you may not be a princess of Earth, but you'll always be the princess of my heart."
A/N: And that, my lovelies, is how I'm ending the week. See you all in a week when I update Lions Among Men.
