A/N- Thanks for all the great feedback! I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter. This one was the first thought I had when I started writing this fic, and I built the entire story around this idea! It's short, but I'll try to update a new chapter sooner to make up. The sequel to "Waiting for Now" in Keith's POV is finished and all probably be updated after this story is done. Thanks for your patience, and enjoy!
Disclaimer: I don't own Voltron, just my imagination.
Keith watched the door open on the elevator and he peaked his head into the cockpit of Blue Lion, hoping he wouldn't be kicked out on his ear for coming in without Allura's permission. He found her standing near her chair, facing him but looking at the monitors and rubbing her hand absently on the control panel beside her. "Oh, Blue. You are so fired." She said, smiling ruefully at the blinking lights and the rumble that accompanied her statement. She let her hand drop from the panel, and turned her full attention to her commander.
Keith just stared at her for a moment and the tension that he had been holding since he had seen her room left him in a moment. She was safe. She was healthy. He felt an overwhelming urge to grin like an idiot, in relief, but he held himself back and simply cocked his head to the side. "Can I come in?"
Allura sighed. "Of course, Commander. You are always welcome in Blue." Of course, that was true of all of the pilots of Voltron. Although each lion had bonded with their own particular pilot, they were not precious to that one pilot alone, and would welcome all the Lion pilots to fly them or work on them if the need arose.
There were teams of men and women who had overseen the upgrades to the lions for the past few months, but only members of the team had been allowed to adjust the Lions' core programs. It had been the only thing that the lions had been unbending about when it had come to the upgrades. Pidge and Hunk would have had a terrible time fixing and improving the lions if they only would allow their own pilot near them. Keith was particularly welcome, as he was Black's pilot, and the leader of the team.
"Am I interrupting anything?" Keith asked in a quiet, slightly amused voice, walking over to her and sitting down in the secondary pilot's seat.
"No, not really. I've just been sitting here, having some bonding time with Blue, thinking about how I may never be able to show my face in the castle again." She pushed some levers on her console and had the pilot's seat turn to almost one hundred and eighty degrees so that she faced the Commander, and sat down. "How is your arm?" She asked quietly, gently touching the device that circled the upper part of his lower arm.
"It itches." He complained, making a face. "Otherwise, it's okay. There is no portable device for Pidge, so he's stuck in the medical wing overnight, but he was in good spirits when I left. He had his data pad with him." He grinned at his subordinate's love of technology and his creativity.
"I'm sorry Keith. It's just one more thing that this has caused." She gestured to her face and body in a broad gesture.
Keith frowned at her in confusion. "I don't understand about that. How has this caused anything?" He gestured to her the same way that she had.
"Oh, just everyone's been calling me beautiful recently, and the compliment is really starting to get a little thin. I can't help but think that it's part of the reason that Lotor keeps attacking us; that he wants me to be the "pretty" thing in his collection. Oh I know," she held up her hand to forestall the words that Keith had opened his mouth to say, "Lotor wants Arus, and Voltron. I'm just the prize at the end of the game. Still, I can't help but feel responsible for the number of times you get hurt trying to keep me safe. It would be easier for you all if I wasn't so attractive to him."
She looked down and flushed a little at her speech. She felt a little disgusted with herself that she was complaining about something that most people desired. It was like complaining that you're body was too fit and toned. It sounded spoiled and entitled. She was at a loss as to how to express herself without it sounding like that, however.
She looked up when she heard Keith laugh at her explanation. He gazed at her fondly and grabbed her shoulder for emphasis. "Allura, you don't understand. It's never been about your looks. Lotor would still want to come after you no matter what you looked like. You could look like Haggar, and you still would be beautiful."
Keith huffed a laugh again and shook his head at her confused expression.
She really didn't see it.
"Allura, it's your personality that's attractive. Your smile lights up a room. Your enthusiasm makes everyone around you happy." He tilted his head again and his expression softened. "The way you care for others makes your people feel special and loved. Your ability to see the good in others, makes people want to be better; to not disappoint you." He gazed at her deeply and, with some trepidation, took her hand into his and squeezed it, his voice becoming husky and rough. "All that isn't your face Allura – that's you."
