Prompt: "I will treasure everything that you are" , with insecure Kagome
Warning: Dark implications

She was so beautiful.

All eyes were on her.

Rightfully so, Kagome thought, she is the Princess Allura. Tugging at her coiling hair over her shoulder she sighed when once again another crowd gave her another wide berth. Their faces were pale at the sight of her.

Kagome wasn't stupid—it was obvious she was damaged from her unwillingness to show her grey-white right eye from underneath her mane and the war-weary air she was carrying like a halo. Her outfit hid much of her toned, imperfect frame where there still remained dents of old wounds left behind by years of abuses and battles. What person would be attracted to someone like her, so heavily damaged and almost broken?

The thought alone burned.

Biting back a sigh Kagome slunk her way to a buffet table, feeling famished of the long day she had. She wished Allura hadn't accept the invitations on everyone's behalf, though she understood her reasoning. The Paladins needed more allies in the war against the corrupted Zarkon and his heir, Lotor.

The ball was filled with political and powerful monarchs and warriors, making it a perfect domain to lure in allies the Paladins so desperately needed.

Even now these Paladins were doing their damnest to impress the people they needed on their side. With a swift scan she spotted Lance flirting up a storm with women and what looked like women (it was hard to tell with some alien species), there were even some who were already charmed by the Blue Paladin's antics.

An impressive feat as Pidge would say. With another turn of her head she saw the Green Paladin demonstrating her knowledge and handmade technologies with a crowding circle of curious, amazed people. Hunk was nearby, showing off his cooking skills and even manipulating the fire he was using to heat up the said meals.

An echoing grunt and the following roar blaring over the sea of voices told Kagome Keith was likely fighting with some warriors in the arena just beyond the ballroom, to literally win allies. Allura did inform them that in some worlds, their cultures allowed for physical fighting as a way to settle a debate, to win a suitor, and so on, to even more petty matters. Because the ball was for political topics, the arenas would be freely available.

It was disconcerting toward more naive humans, as their understandings of balls differed and were only for celebrations, dancing, and to charm suitors. But, they were quick to accept the differences and moved on from it, to quickly gather as much allies as they can get. Kagome spent half of her years with species so far from being humans that she no longer asked questions, in regards of aliens' cultures.

The Black Paladin was much like her but in some ways he was still more human than she was and sometimes ask questions just to sate his curiosity.

Speaking of which where was Shiro?

Kagome stretched her neck and pushed up her toes to look for a familiar turf of white hair among countless heads. Only white hair she saw belonged to Princess Allura, as she got caught up in a heated debate with another monarch, with the poor Coran trying to calm both down. The disappointment drenched her insides Kagome decided that perhaps she should leave the ballroom, seeing no reason to mingle with strangers.

The said strangers all looked more beautiful than she was, less imperfect.

And she could barely talk to them, much less trying to pull someone on their side, because they refused to face her. There was no point for her to even go. She only went because everyone asked her to—especially because of Allura, that sweet girl, and Shiro.

Quickly she retreated to somewhere more isolated, someplace where she can be left alone to her ugly thoughts.

Shiro hated the ways they gazed upon his Healer, not blinded to their lustful and stunned expressions. His Healer isn't someone to be showcased—nor was she available to be taken! These aliens felt his possessive air and scurried away from him, leaving her confused. Bolder ones he cornered away, with a searing sharp smile and a slight noise of electricity crackling from his arm.

He was always close-by, though he never intended to avoid her. These damned arrogant assholes blocked Kagome from ever seeing him, which worked too well for her petite height. Shiro was already stuck in a maze of people when he caught his Healer looking for him, with her furrowing brows.

She was mouthing his name. When Shiro pushed his way through the swarms of bodies to reach her his Healer skittered away with her shoulders hunching into her body. His throat went dry, when he realized Kagome was hurt. Perhaps by lack of his attention?

Darting after her he sought to remedy her hurt feelings.

Voices faded from his ears deeper he followed her into the dimmed hallway. Eventually only things he can hear were her quiet footsteps among the silence and the crackling of candle lights.

For a tiny woman Kagome was rather quick, that Shiro had to rush to catch up. He slowed when a warm glow crept in the corridor, pushing back the fragile shadows and coated her slender frame black from the open-air balcony. With his heart in his throat at the sight of her gazing at the orange sky where twin suns were circling over Shiro stepped closer, "Kagome?"

Startled she turned, her wet eye wide at his presence. Hurriedly Kagome wiped away the lingering tears with her sleeves and placed on a bright smile. A fake smile. "Shiro! What bring you here?"

Grimacing at that fake smile Shiro approached before his Healer and took her elbows into his mismatched hands, "Kagome, what's wrong?" He crossed his brows at the sight of lingering tears—he hated her tears. Always have.

"Nothing's wrong!" Kagome gave a weak grin, her grips on his chest fell lax.

Disbelieving her lies Shiro slumped, "Kagome…" He said slowing, disappointment creeping in his voice. "What is wrong, Kagome? Please don't lie to me."

Kagome was rather a poor actor—there had been times where she can pull off a perfect lie, but never when she or anyone she held close to her heart wasn't in any danger. It was easy to catch her lies. Shiro was very sure he could catch it even when his Healer is successful at fooling everyone else.

Her smile fell into a deep frown at the Black Paladin's stern words and Kagome downcast her eyes. After a brief moment of silence she nibbled at her lips. She wasn't sure what to say.

Tightening his grips at her elbows, Shiro nudged her gently, "Kagome?"

"Just…" She sighed, pulling back her hands at her bosom, "nobody wanted to talk to me. I guess because I am…" Kagome lifted her eye to meet Shiro's, "damaged?"

Flinching at that word, Shiro barked out, "Damaged!?" Horror dawned on him and he realized at what he had done. He didn't like people—strangers especially—looking at his Healer, so he intended to scare all of them off. But, Shiro never intended to make Kagome feeling…ugly.

Not when, to him, she is the most beautiful person in the entire universe.

He did not want to isolate her, just from other suitors.

Shiro just wanted to be selfish of her.

"Kagome," his breath hitched, and his hands loosened, "no. You are not." Shiro jerked her into his arms. Ignoring her squeal of surprise he rested into her mane and took a deep breath of her soft floral scent, "Why would you think that? They might've been intimidated by how beautiful you are." He reasoned.

Stiffening into his embrace, she shook her head and patted a hand underneath her hair that hid half of her face, "N-no…I have too many scars and one of my eyes are…"

Shiro pulled back so to see her face, and shushed her, "I thought everything of you were beautiful, Kagome." His lips thinning, he pulled aside her bang to see her blinded eye. Shiro swept a thumb on the cheek underneath it so tenderly that Kagome flushed brightly red.

Smiling softly Shiro cupped his Healer's face, "Whenever you started to think negatively of yourself…please remember there are those who treasure you."

Before Kagome could reply to disagree, she fell mute when she felt Shiro's warm lips pressed a kiss onto her forehead. Parting from her skin he sighed and rested his brows upon hers and stared deep into her mismatched eyes, "No matter what, I will always treasure everything that you are."

It was so hard to resist not to steal a kiss on those beautiful lips…