Okay, so Day 2 of Kallura week 2022 with the prompt 'Quiet Moments'. I realise this is probably not the traditional way to use the prompt but I had fun with the story.
"Hailing the Castle of Lions, this is Keith."
As the signal connected, something churned inside of Keith's stomach as he watched Lance and Allura pull back from an embrace, but his gaze locked onto Allura, his heart skipping a beat. Had she always been this beautiful? Had her eyes always shone this bright like diamonds – the bright spark that even Lotor had not been able to snatch from her even with his lies. His mouth felt dry suddenly and he could not remember for a moment why he had contacted them – he had already told them about Lotor, after all. Lotor! Right? Also, Allura had asked a question – well, he had seen her lips move…her lips were so breathtaking, so innocent even as she spoke.
"I'm sorry, Allura, did you say something?" Keith asked quickly, his heart beginning to race slightly as he didn't understand these feelings – why he was what he was feeling so strange? He focused on her lips – on the words she was saying instead of how perfect they were.
"I was asking if you were able to find Shiro and whether you're alright or not," Allura spoke again. "You seem a bit in shock, what happened?"
"I found him," Keith said, although almost wished he hadn't attempted to focus on what she was asking him because having to fight his brother to free him and discover the truth wasn't a moment he wanted to relive. The reminder that he had not only failed his team by not protecting them from Lotor – but he had also abandoned them and left them in the hands of a clone. "But it's not the real Shiro – not the one we know."
Lance and Allura glanced at each other at these words – when had they gotten so close? And why did their closeness make him feel oddly lonely? Was it because they were together, and he was flying back by himself? No, it felt like there was something more. He wanted to be the one beside Allura, to be her confidant but had he already ruined that by leaving her to Lotor? That had been his fault, hadn't it?
"Then where's the real Shiro?" Lance asked and Keith sighed.
"It's a little complicated," Keith admitted. "I'll explain everything when I get back but right now, I need you to focus on Lotor – he's headed your way."
Allura's face fell, her eyes dulling, and Keith wished he could take those words back and change the reality they were presented with. That somehow, he could make things easier on her – make amends for leaving her vulnerable.
"He needs to get into the quintessence field," Allura said, her fists clenching. "The real reason he tried to get close to us."
The real reason he had been able to get close was because Keith had abandoned his team – or rather left them in what he considered to be the safe arms of his older brother. His heart clenched at the thought – Lotor had seen Allura and her power, which was why he had taken that advantage of a moment of weakness within their group.
"I'm on my way to you guys now but without a wormhole, it'll take me awhile," Keith admitted, hoping to give some reassurance to Allura and Lance of course because he knew as right hand, he probably had to do a lot to cover for the clone. Especially given how much his friend admired Shiro – speaking up against him or questioning any decisions that were made would have been difficult. "You'll have to hold off until I get there."
"We'll do what we can, don't worry," Lance said, taking Allura's hand. "Let's go."
There it was again – a burning sensation that made him feel as if someone were squeezing his heart tightly and he quickly cut off the connection but the image of Lance taking Allura's hand and her leaning toward him would not vanish from his head. It felt as if there were knives cutting through him and the pain of it was enough to make his eyes water a little. He shook his head. He had to focus – he needed to get back to them somehow.
Maybe once Lotor was defeated, he could figure out what these feelings meant. Because even though there was a burning sensation seeing Lance this close to Allura…it completely faded whenever he looked upon her. The burning sensations were replaced by his stomach fluttering. A desire that when they returned to Earth, he would take Allura to his favourite place if she agreed to go where they could have a beautiful view of the stars.
It would just be the two of them – in the quiet of the night, no one else. His cheeks flushed at the thought. He wanted to see her relax a bit – to help her see that there was an end point to the war, an end point that he wanted to help her reach. He couldn't change her past, but he could change her future.
"Shiro, why am I feeling like this right now?" Keith asked, knowing Shiro could hear him but in this moment, he felt like a cadet again when it was just the two of them, silently asking Black to let him talk to his brother again. This was not the time for such feelings to arise, regardless of what they were. Luckily, Black listened though and tossed him back into her consciousness. It took him a couple of tics to gather his bearings, but Shiro was smiling at him gently. He had a knowing look in his eyes causing him to shift a bit.
"Keith, are you alright?" Shiro asked him.
"I don't know," Keith admitted. "Why am I feeling like this? When Lance is close to Allura, it makes me feel like there's something burning inside of me. But when I look at Allura, its different…what's happening to me? This is not the time."
"Well, what goes through your mind when you think about Allura?" Shiro asked him and Keith paused.
"I want to make her happy," Keith said softly. "Take her with me to see the stars when we get to Earth. A place where she can enjoy the beauty and relax. But I…I want it just to be the two of us, no one else around." It sounded more like a dream than a reality – a place where it was just the two of them, where they could enjoy the quieter moments together, moments that no one could interrupt.
Shiro chuckled a bit. "Oh Keith…"
Keith flushed. "What? What's so funny?"
"Keith, I think you may have fallen in love with Allura," Shiro said softly.
Keith's face somehow turned redder. "What? How do you figure that?" He supposed it didn't sound too far-fetched, but he had never considered himself the type to fall in love at the present moment.
"You want to make Allura happy, but it makes you feel strange whenever she's close with Lance," Shiro pointed out. "That could be jealousy, don't you think?"
"I mean, I don't wish anything bad upon Lance," Keith quickly clarified before the thought that came into his mind made him want to hide his face in his hands. "I just wish I could take his place…beside her." Maybe he had fallen in love with Allura without realising it because he did want to make her happy and be the one to bring happiness to her. "Have I fallen in love with her?"
"Only you can answer that question, Keith," Shiro said to him gently. "To me, what you describe feels like love, but what do you think?"
Keith went quiet at that. Making her smile – wanting her to have a home after the war, wanting to enjoy the peace with her and more importantly than all of that, putting her happiness above his own because she deserved the world after everything she had been through.
"I think maybe I have fallen in love with her," Keith said softly. "But what do I do? Do I tell her?"
Shiro smiled, tousling Keith's hair. "Tell her when you feel it's the right time. Now, we need to get to the others before Lotor does, right?"
Keith nodded slowly, before tensing. His comms device was on, and he was beginning to hear the struggles of the other Paladins. Lotor was hurting them – he was speaking to Allura like that as if she should still forgive him. His heart surged with a sense of pride at her response though but although clenched a bit. He understood why but it was still reckless, even though he would have done the same thing had he been in her position. Their screams…Allura's screams, and struggles cut through him. His fists clenched, palms beginning to sweat as his breathing to shaky.
"Dammit, dammit, dammit," he swore, beginning to pace in Black's consciousness back and forth. He had to do something, he had to help them. "Shiro, what do I do? They can't form Voltron without me. How do I get to them faster?"
Shiro's hand came to rest on his shoulder, and he gave it a gentle squeeze. "Keith, you can get to them," Shiro soothed gently. "But you have to see them first."
"But how?" Keith asked confused.
"Look through the lion's eyes, focus on your connection with Black," Shiro said simply. Keith frowned but focused on the bond he shared with Black – how she had opened up to him so easily despite her past with Zarkon – how they had kept in touch even when he left for the Blades.
The bond they shared with one another was made in quite a short time, but it was nonetheless more meaningful than he could have even imagined. He wouldn't trade it for the world. As these thoughts merged, he began seeing what Black was seeing. He saw the other Paladins' struggles, the desperation on their faces and a scowl appeared on his face.
"I can see them," Keith admitted honestly, the words becoming a growl and he wasn't sure if the furious scream was his own or Black's, but it felt as if it was both in sync as their speed increased. They would reach their team in time. They had to.
