A Crown of Flowers
Growing Up
"HE DID WHAT?!!!" Lance couldn't believe what he just heard. He couldn't deny the look on Allura's face and the fact she had not stopped laughing since her encounter with Lotor, but it was just so hard to believe.
Tears were streaming from Allura's eyes, "He kicked Lotor in an, um.... VERY... sensitive area."
"Keith kicked Lotor in the nuts? Ummm... sorry princess." Hunk didn't know whether to laugh or wince. Pidge on the other hand was giggling so hard he imagined he would soon wet his pants.
Koran just shook his head. The young man in question had been taken by Nanny just as soon as he got back to the castle. They had just finished eating dinner (except for Allura who couldn't stop laughing long enough), and a protesting Keith was put to bed an hour ago. The remainder of the force was on the observation deck talking about the day's close encounter.
"I just can't believe he did that," Lance said for the twentieth time, "Ouch!"
"Well, I guess that Keith's martial arts training began long before he started attending the academy," Koran finally spook up, "It is a good thing too. If he hadn't kicked Lotor you and Keith might be on planet Doom right now, Allura."
Allura stopped laughing, "I know Koran and I'm sorry, but it was funny. I guess a part of me wanted to be the one kicking Lotor."
"Ouch!" Lance winced again.
"Well next time be careful," Koran tried to sound stern but it wasn't easy, "Well I suggest you all get to bed, tomorrow we have a lot of work to do." With that the force left the room and went back to the own quarters for some much needed rest.
Allura went over the day's events in her mind again and she knew that she was in real danger from Lotor. Keith was so small and young; his kick was probably a fluke. Lotor let his guard down and he suffered for it. Still, one thing hadn't escaped her mind... Keith saved me again!
As she passed the kitchen her stomach growled. She remembered that she hadn't eaten dinner with the others, she was so afraid she'd choke. She was hungry now though, and her talk with Koran had sobered her up.
She scrounged herself some leftovers and ate quickly. After she was done she put the dishes away and quietly walked back to her room. As she past Keith's room she remembered what Dr. Gorma had told her earlier...
~`@'~
"Princess, if this is as you suspect an 'allergic reaction' to the flower he picked for you earlier, than their really isn't anything I can do."
"But surely you can do something," She was almost pleading, "What do you normally for people with allergic reactions?"
"Well normally I would prescribe an antihistamine and let their system battle it out. This case is far from normal though princess. Keith's biochemistry is the weirdest I have ever seen and I'm afraid that if I meddle with his body, I will do more harm than good."
"What do you mean his biochemistry is the weirdest you've seen...? He is human isn't he?"
"Yes princess, he is human, he's just... special." The doctor sighed. "I'm sorry princess I wish I could do something, but for right now the best thing for any of us to do is wait. That is until we learn more."
~`@'~
Just wait... the princess sighed as she entered her room. But what if Lotor comes back? She thought with a shudder. Without turning on the lights she walked across the floor to the window and looked out. It was a beautiful night, she could see clearly out across the moat and at the statue where Black Lion stood silent, in his perpetual silent vigil. She sighed again. As much as the younger version of Keith had touched her heart, she missed the older Keith, the one who always kept her safe. Keith the protector, noble and strong. The princess was convinced that nothing in the universe could waver his resolve. He was always the one she relied on the most. He could be so kind and calm, and he was her closest friend and she missed him terribly.
She turned around and made her way toward her wardrobe, but something made her pause... someone is in the room with me, she thought. "Whose there?"
"'Lurra?" A soft little voice came from the side of the bed.
"Keith?" She turned on the small lamp by the bed, "Are you pretending to be a space mouse again? You young man should be in bed."
"I can't go to sleep." His eyes looked up at her pleading, "I hadda bad dream, can stay here?" Her heart broke when she saw the look in his eyes.
"Keith you really can't..." She broke off when he started to cry. His little body started to shake. Oh my... he's terrified! She thought. "O.K. Keith, I'll let you stay, just let me get changed." She watched Keith's shaky smile, "Get into bed I'll be right back."
Keith crawled up unto Allura's bed and wriggled his little body under the covers. He was still awake though when Allura came back, dressed in her favorite pale blue nightgown. She got into the bed and lay down next to him.
A few moments had past when Allura asked him, "Keith do you want to talk about your dream? It might help you calm down."
"Do you think?" He asked softly, "I don' know..."
"Do you trust me?" She asked.
"Yeah, I trust you." He told her softly and he began to tell her of his dream. It was like the last battle that they fought as Voltron, but for the little boy, the robeast and the violence of the fight had affected him, making his memory a nightmare. Poor guy... at least he does have memories of his life as an adult, She thought. It didn't take long for Keith to finally fall asleep as she watched over him. Her hand reached out to brush back a lock of hair that had fallen over his face. She smiled as a weird feeling tightened in her chest.
She eventually fell asleep too, curled up next to Keith, his warm little body snuggled up to her own.
~`@'~
For some odd reason he was exhausted; the more he slept the more tired he became. He hadn't been sleeping long, he knew that much, but... Where was he? He couldn't remember. His mind flashed scenes from his childhood... scenes of him laying next to his mother and father, curled up in their protecting arms, keeping the bad dreams away. The soft form next to him was too small to be his mother though, but like his mother, protecting arms kept him safe from the nightmares that usually plagued his nights. He was uncomfortable; his clothes were pulling across his chest making it hard to breathe. He tried to shift a little but it didn't help, his clothes only got tighter. He didn't want to wake up, he wanted to sleep, but as hard as he tried he knew it wasn't going to work. Reluctantly, he opened his eyes.
What he saw nearly shocked him out of the bed.
What the hell was he doing in Allura's bed? Then he remembered. The flower... waking up to the mice... how he played under the bed... the fight with Nanny over the bath and then over playing outside... the fight with Lotor... (Did I really kick Lotor in the groin?) He had to smile at that. Then... he remembered the dream and how he came to Allura's room, hoping she could help him. He looked down at her sleeping form. She was so beautiful and he owed her so much. He looked down at the thing that woke him up; his clothes were to small for him... shreds of what was left of his pajamas pulled across his body. He was back to normal. He sighed. Well I better get back to my own bed before Nanny finds me. He thought. He slipped out from beneath the covers and out of the bed. She moaned a little and reached over to where he was. He tucked the covers under her chin and kissed her softly on the forehead.
"Thank you princess," He whispered softly. She sighed contently.
He left the princess's room and quickly ran through the halls, wishing from the bottom of his heart that no one was up and around to see him in his shredded clothes.
~`@'~
The next morning the team met for breakfast.
"Keith's late again." Pidge noticed.
"O.K. who wants to go get the little tike." Hunk replied. Just then Nanny entered the room. "Nanny, did you check up on Keith? Is he awake?"
Nanny frowned, "I thought one of you woke him," She said, "Went I went to get him he wasn't there." Allura was concerned about Keith as well. She was surprised when she woke and he was gone. She was not going to tell them that he had spent the night in her bed however. She stayed quiet.
"Oh man, that little pain could be anywhere in the castle!" Lance moaned.
"Or outside," Pidge pointed out.
"We better go look for him before he gets into trouble." Lance stood from the table.
"Look for who?" They all turned towards the voice.
"Keith!" They all exclaimed at once.
"Your back to normal!" Pidge squeaked.
While the others teased Keith and told him how glad they were to have him back to normal, Allura just watched. True she missed him as a man, but somewhere in her heart, she missed the sweet little boy that she only had one day to get to know. After breakfast she found herself looking out the window of the lounge. She turned when she heard the door open.
"There you are. I was looking for you." Keith walked across the room to stand beside her, holding something behind his back.
"What did you want?" She asked, she was a little curious as to what he was hiding, but she tried not to let it show.
"I... um... made something for you. It's the reason I was late for breakfast." He pulled the object from behind his back and handed it to her. It was a crown made of flowers. Allura smiled.
"That's not how it goes," She said, as he waited for her to take it.
A light went on in his head as he remembered, "Kneel down." He said solemnly. After she did so he said, "I crown you Allura, Princess of Arus."
She giggled, "You may kiss the bride." She stood.
Keith blushed. He cleared his throat. "I wanted to ah... thank you."
"For what?" She looked into his black eyes.
"For understanding," He blushed a little more than gazed out the window.
She looked at his profile and smiled. The little boy who had touched her heart wasn't gone. He was standing right beside her in the man she called her friend, and she was very proud of that man. She learned more about the quiet captain in the past three days than in the long time he served by her side and for that she was grateful.
~~End~~
Oh yes I am so evil. Not only did I kick Lotor in the nuts, I had Keith and Allura in the same bed! It's good to be a fanfiction writer.
So go ahead and tell me what you think.
This story was first posted 5 years ago under the persona of Ssaturne, but it is still mine. Voltron however is not.