8 days later…

A hot kiss brushed over his dry lips and Lotor gasped…

The expected wave of agony didn't overwhelm like it did last time. No, it was a recollection. Flashes of memory and bits of conversation flooded his consciousness. His mouth screwed into a grimace as he struggled to open his eyes. Even the dim blue light was piercing to his recovering vison. A spike of alarm peaked as he gave up the struggle and focused on listening.

He lay in a soft bed with light sheets. His right leg was cold and numb. The tips of his fingers where frozen as well, moving them was painfully difficult. He groaned wincing at the phantom rush of discomfort that should have come.

His slow mind groggily moved through his mental checklist. He must be in the castle… The aseptic smell of the room reminded him of a medical bay. Yes, that had to be where he was. Lotor pulled up a fuzzy recollection of falling asleep next to Allura… Strong hands had gripped his shoulders sometime afterwards. Next, light had poured through the ceiling. The powerful smell of smoke assaulted his senses before he had passed out again.

Lotor's eyes moved under the lids as he attempted to piece together the strands of what had happened. The paladins of Voltron must have found them. Now, he was in the Castle of Lions.

Warily, he tried to open his eyes again. Once his eyes were acclimated, his amber gaze scanned the empty room for a few long seconds as his mind comprehended the scene. Glowing monitors swung over his prone form, no one else was present. He lifted his head only to let it come crashing back down because of vertigo. He sighed.

Without shifting too much, he reached to the bedside console. His finger found a button and he attempted to press it, hoping it wasn't the switch to his pain medications. He wanted Allura. Only her. He needed to know what had happened; if she still possessed the map they found. Is that the only reason, fool? Lotor ignored the voice.

Frustration mounted when there was no response to his pressing. His brow furrowed as he jammed the button next to the former. This time, the crackling of an intercom sounded. Lotor licked his parched lips before saying, "Where is the princess?" His question was direct and Lotor himself was surprised at the strength in his own tone.

Silence followed for a few seconds before Shiro's monotone sarcasm replied. "Glad to hear you are awake."

Lotor did not waste his breath but brought his hand back to his side. Moving was becoming easier and his hands were warming up. He concentrated on stretching his muscles for several minutes before the door whooshed open and Allura appeared in the doorway.

An unexpected, relieved, smile crossed his face and despite himself, he pushed up onto his elbows. He levelled his voice before greeting her. "Allura."

Allura ignored the blush creeping up her cheeks at Lotor's soft smile. It was so good to see him looking like one of the living again. Within the last week, the half-Galra had her and the other paladin's severely worried. He had lost a remarkable amount of blood from deep lacerations and shrapnel wounds, yet here he was. And she couldn't put into words how grateful she felt watching him right now. "You look so much better," she quipped with a sweet grin.

Lotor reflected her cheerfulness in spite of dizziness making his head spin. A weightless feeling was rising in his chest. It was that emotion specific to her presence. That one he relished. A rose tint he could not hide dusted his cheeks as the princess came forward and sat on the chair beside his bed. Damn, you need to get a grip. As if to respond to his internal reprimand, a splash of reality hit him when he shifted and felt stiff in his legs. "What happened?"

Allura folded her hands delicately into her lap. Her sapphire eyes became distant as she recounted the details. "You passed out shortly after we stopped for rest." She paused thinking back to how tightly he had held to her hand. It had broken her heart to feel his strong form slouched against her. She briefly wondered if he had ever been held that way. Probably not... She continued, "I attempted to dig through the cave in, alone, after that. It felt like an hour when the tremors finally stopped and shortly after that I received a message from the Paladins. They got through the cave within minutes with Hunk's bayard…"

The princess' eyes wandered to the floor as she recalled the feeling of fresh air hitting her face. She shivered at the thought. Tunnels were now definitely on the bottom of her favourite natural-locations list. "Shiro pulled you out and we immediately departed to the castle. You have been unconscious for eight days."

Lotor was too exhausted to hide his expression as the world stopped. Eight days… Wasted time. His lips compressed into a thin line as he thought of what to say in reaction to this.

"Do you still have the map we found?" He asked, deciding to get onto business. There was an inkling of yearning that flickered in the back of his mind, but he ignored it for now. Seeing her and being in her presence was enough to give him consolation; even if the distant memory of their kiss was returning to him… It floated to the present on the smell of her perfume. This is going to be difficult. He reeled in the stray thoughts."Have we made any progress?"

Allura perked up, noticing him having trouble being stoic. She didn't blame the half-galra. She was struggling to not bring up their kiss, especially since they enjoyed the luxury of being alone right now. To be honest, she had no clue on how to bring it up. Perhaps she would follow his line of thinking and get on to the easier plots running through her head. She would let it surface in its own time.

At least he seemed to have liked it, she thought, satisfied before replying. "Yes, I have loaded it into the castle's memory banks. It is incredible. I can show you most of it here" She stood up and started towards a console set in the far-right wall.

Lotor stalled her, snagging her hand. He had no idea why he was doing exactly what he had told himself not to, but it felt… right... Right? As her beautiful gaze flicked down to meet his golden irises, he was more uncertain. An abrupt flutter intensified in his stomach and suddenly Lotor was painfully aware that they were not in a dark cave, hours from death. This was real. It wasn't some impulse drunk on pain. A warning bell rang at the back of his mind, but he moved his dry tongue to blurt, "I am glad to see you."

The words sounded so hollow and fake to his jaded ears. He quickly amended, "You did well. I am glad you were not hurt." The slew of words was coming even more jumbled. His grip loosened on her hand. He blamed his state of health, though the accusation was a blatant lie…

She squeezed his hand gently, catching his lowering eyes. "Thank you," she gave him a warm smile that lit his heart. "I am just happy you are awake now. I was quite worried about you," she said genuinely. The words melted his composition. It made him happy. They took him higher.

He blushed. Damn, he blushed. She turned the conversation to give his pride some room. Watching him open up and accepting her caring was sending her spirit into bliss. He had to be saveable. "Let me show you the map and what we found," she said through a grin.