Allura intertwined her fingers with Lance's as best she could given her bandages as they walked from lunch to the Control Room. They had spent the morning running through simulator drills with Vince and Larmina, followed by a lively class Lance taught on tactics to all three cadets in Daniel's room in the infirmary. There had even been a minimum of awkward moments caused by her unavoidable presence and mostly connected to Daniel's question about applying battle tactics to picking up girls. Even then, Larmina had done most of the blushing.

Allura leaned into Lance as they entered the portrait hallway. Have I ever told you that you're a good teacher?

The corner of his mouth quirked upward. What, you thought they made me the Flight Academy's youngest head flight instructor in history just because I look hot in a uniform?

I didn't mean it like that. I just…you do look hot in a uniform. She tugged on his hand to get him to stop so she could look into his eyes and prove she was being serious. I don't know if I ever really thanked you for the way you taught me to fly. You were hard on me, but that was what I needed. I'd been coddled my entire life. No one had ever really challenged me like that before you did.

You had a lot of natural ability.

Liar.

That's the second time today you've called me a liar. He grinned as he leaned toward her and pressed his lips against hers. And the second time you've been wrong. You and Blue took to each other right off.

You always try to make me feel better. She deepened the kiss, tasting the spicy sauce from their lunch in his mouth. It wasn't an insult. I know I was terrible when I first got into Blue. You did so much to help me. I want to make sure you know I know how much you did for me. She felt her free fingers tangle in the hair at the base of his skull. Without you, I would never have had a place on the Voltron Force.

Don't make it sound totally selfless. We needed Voltron, so we needed a pilot.

And the GA wouldn't have sent one?

He broke away from her lips and whispered into her ear, "Even if we didn't know it at the time, it's important to maintain a connection between Arus and the Lions. You were well worth training. Besides, it meant I got to spend more time with you."

Thank you. She didn't trust her voice as she blinked back something that was definitely not tears. Listening to you with the cadets today…you were so…I want you to know that I appreciate your ability to educate. She made an effort not to tell him, either out loud or mentally, that it made her think about what a wonderful father he was going to be. It was so easy to picture him holding a child in his lap, pointing out the different controls in Red's cockpit.

Not while flying, of course.

Her eyes shot open to meet his smiling ones. I didn't mean to share that.

He chuckled. At least we're both thinking about raising at least one little Lion pilot.

Not too soon.

Nope. We need to have a lot more practice sex before we try any conceiving. After a final bump of his nose against hers, he took her hand and started walking toward the Control Room again. "It's funny I ended up teaching, because I hated going to class when I was at the Academy. Well, any class they didn't let us get on the stick. Sitting in a room and talking about flying is pure torture."

"It doesn't show. You have a way of getting them excited even when they aren't in the Lions. And Daniel couldn't stop talking about your moves through the asteroid field a few days ago." She squeezed his hand as tightly as she could. "I wish I could have been there."

"Trust me, you don't." He paused in front of the portrait of King Storos. "I think I've walked by this guy every day since I've been here without realizing who he was. Look, he's even wearing the armor." Lance held up his arm to compare the gauntlet on his wrist to the one in the painting. "Whoever painted this did a pretty good job."

An unexpected voice joined the conversation, "Actually, he didn't. The painter included Voltron on the breastplate, when it should just be the Red Lion." Allura turned her head to the source of the interruption and narrowed her eyes as she recognized the disagreeable woman from the falls. The woman didn't acknowledge Allura's displeasure, but waved her hand dismissively at the portrait. "I think that may have been added later to make King Storos look a little less…I mean, Red Lion was his, but it's not like he could have accomplished anything without Voltron."

"While I absolutely agree the Parlissian Wars would have been lost without Voltron, I think you're underestimating how much a single talented pilot can accomplish with a Lion."

"Of course, Princess. I've studied the history of the Lions for years. I just thought that the king would give a little more credit to the rest of his team, although it's pretty characteristic of Red Lion pilots to be self-centered and…"

Allura folded her arms over her chest. "You do realize the line of inheritance leads directly from Storos to…"

"I meant no disrespect to your ancestors, Princess. It's just that when you spend enough time studying Lion pilots you really start to see the patterns pretty clearly, good leaders in Black, reckless Reds, intellectual Greens. Blue Lion pilots have had the reputation for being diplomatic peacemakers, so that's lucky for Arus right now with you as our future queen." The woman, Rina if Allura remembered correctly, stopped rambling and bowed briefly. "I was really just noting the differences between the portrait and the armor Commander McClain helped to recover yesterday. We are missing one piece…"

"Oh." Lance was reluctant as he unclasped his gauntlet. "Yeah, I've been carrying this thing around until I saw one of you university people."

"Carrying. Right." She accepted the armor with a wry smile. "Well, thank you. I'll bring this back to Dr. Tag so we can study the armor as a full set, although," she paused as she squinted at the gauntlet, "it looks like more Red Lion worship than…I should really get this back to the room you've so graciously provided for our use. Have a pleasant day, Princess."

Allura was about to comment on her dislike for the woman when Lance pulled her into a warm embrace, dipping her from the waist as he kissed her. She felt much better when he lifted her back to a standing position. "You looked like you needed that."

She couldn't help but smile in response. "I doubt there will ever be a time when I don't want a kiss from you."

"Mmm. Sounds good to me." He glanced over his shoulder in the direction where Rina had disappeared. "Is it just me, or is she kinda…"

"Bitchy?"

"I was gonna try to use a more Blue-approved diplomatic word, but…yeah."

"She seems to have a problem with Red Lion pilots, particularly you and Storos."

"Probably just mad that her metal detectors didn't work. Does she realize we're…uh…"

"I'm sure she'd have something more to say about Red Lion pilots being kings if she did."

"Hm. We should probably get to the Control Room." Lance pulled her the rest of the way; she was content to hold his hand in both of hers. She thought about other things she'd like to hold as he said, "Hey, Hunk. I told the cadets that you'd meet them in the hangar for a lesson on Lion maintenance this afternoon, so you've got about an hour for lunch right now."

Hunk stood and stretched, his large frame expanding as he did. "Great. Pidge and Keith should be getting to Eris in the next hour or so. Better you being here than me when they do. Anything good for lunch?"

"Some kind of spicy meatball thing with pasta stuff. It was pretty good."

"I do love meat in ball form. I haven't seen anything interesting in the area. Nothing around Qirillian territory either. Keith calls in every quarter of an hour or so to make sure. Have fun with that." He stood beside the holoscreens expectantly.

Allura squeezed his shoulder. "Hunk, I know Lance and I haven't exactly been involved with Voltron Force activities over the past few days, but…"

"No need to explain. I did a little reading up on bonding…or Pidge did and told me about it, so I know how important it is for you guys to focus on each other while it's going on. No offense taken for not coming to my movie night. I would like to say that I'd be a real good babysitter, and I can clear some space in my schedule if you need one in nine months or so."

Lance spoke up first, "Definitely not that soon."

"Just thought I'd throw it out there. I'll be eating or in the hangar if you need me."

"Thank you, Hunk." Allura waited until the Control Room door had closed behind him to give Lance a kick in the rear as he hunched over the control panel, pretending not to laugh. "I can't believe you put that image in my head."

His face was contorted in barely contained laughter as he stood. "Come on. Nanny Hunk? With the apron and the puffy hair thing? Freakin' hilarious."

"So you wouldn't trust Hunk as a babysitter?"

"'Course I would, just not dressed like that." He plopped into a chair, pulling her into his lap as he did. "Not that I really see how it's relevant at the moment. We're supposed to be monitoring the scans, not making babies."

"Don't start right now…" She could feel his intentions as she maintained her seat. Still… She could no longer taste lunch on him. I really, really hope I'll be able to be around you without being constantly turned on once we've finished bonding.

Can't promise anything, considering I've been turned on for years every time I've been around you.

They were saved the trouble of explaining to anyone why they were naked in the Control Room when a beep from the instrument panel interrupted them a moment later. Allura extracted herself from Lance's arms and stood to answer the comms. "Keith."

"Allura."

She self-consciously tried to flatten her hair where she knew Lance had been playing with it. "Have you arrived at Eris?"

"Just entering orbit now. Where's Hunk?"

"Lunch, then class with the cadets."

"Right. It looks like the ardillium really isn't here anymore, but that's no reason not to check out what Wade was up to. If he was close to an ardillium weapon…"

Lance suddenly joined the conversation, "It's not gonna be pretty when it goes off. Do you have a likely location for this base?"

"Pidge is pinpointing it now. Anything new we need to know before we check this place out?"

Allura could see Lance scanning data in her peripheral vision, but answered, "Nothing has pinged on Pidge's scans since we've been here, so you should be clear to move in. Just…be careful, Keith."

"We will. Keep your eyes on us."