AN: Post Canon setting, will probably add on more drabbles.
DW
DW
DW
Allura woke up cold.
Her body was shivering despite the blankets and warm pajamas on. Her legs came up towards her chest as she curled into a tight ball.
"Allura?" came Curtis' drowsy voice.
She wanted to tell him it was nothing, to go back asleep but she felt so tired. They all agreed to work on not lying about how they were feeling when it came to situations like this.
Situations like the nightmares.
The lingering phantoms of the past that still lingered like smoke in a closed room. Except the room was her mind, her memories, the shadows that refused to disappear despite being awake.
She merely ducked her head under the sheets so she could hide her face against her knees. His hand gently laid on her shoulder.
"…Was it Altea on fire?"
She shook her head. "The void," she whispered.
That empty space of whiteness, where she restore all realities. If it weren't for her mother and father's spirits intervening at the last second…
She technically did die but her parents wrapped her broken body into a cocoon of their own Quintessence and expelled her into the stars. Healing in the stars was a vague memory. It was as if she was in a cryopod again until the Atlas found her and pulled her out from the center of the Nebula.
But that void of white she remembered. The infinite emptiness. The ache of her soul as she tiredlessly worked on healing all realities as it slowly broke her body down -
She shuddered out a choked breath.
"Hey, it's ok," he murmured softly. "You're not there anymore."
She felt him at her back as he held her from behind. Tears leaked out of her eyes. He rubbed her arms as he continued to murmur softly. She didn't quite grasp what he was saying. She was drawn into her own mind but she liked the soothing sound of his voice. She wasn't curled so tightly.
She felt him shift away from her. She grabbed herself again. He was talking not to her and then he came back around her. He shifted the blanket so she could see the communicator he placed in front of her.
On the holo screen was Shiro.
He had on a sleep tank and his silver hair was messy probably from sleep. He wasn't on New Altea right now. The Garrison had asked him to stop by to give some training lessons.
"Morning princess," Shiro sleepily smiled.
She was queen now but she loved it when he used that old nickname. She tried to smile back but the coldness inside was too much right now.
"Takashi," she nearly sobbed out. "I just wanted to come home."
Curtis held her tight.
Shiro softly sighed. "I know hun," he quietly murmured. He too, had felt that deep ache while in the Black Lion. "And you are now. This is real. This isn't the dream."
She wept into the pillow. It always broke a part of Shiro and Curtis to see her like this. She was so strong and caring. She didn't deserve this pain. Curtis felt for her hand and then rubbed her knuckles.
"Do you feel that?" he quietly asked.
Her crying was now small hiccups. His thumb was rubbing little circles against the back of her hand.
"Yes," came her weak reply.
"Can you smell the juniberries I left you by the side table?" Shiro gently asked.
She rubbed her nose a little. "Faintly."
"Then this isn't an illusion."
Shiro decisive statement cut through her emptiness. He had been there when her father's AI has been corrupted. When she was stuck in an illusion it had been the lack of scent that drew her out of the trap.
"This is real," she whispered. She turned her head and brought her hand to Curtis' warm cheek. "You're real."
"Last I'd checked," he lightly joked.
She kept her hand on his face as she turned back to Shiro on the holoscreen.
"You look real in the screen."
"I can prove I am." Shiro grinned. "You like it when we nibble the tips of your ears and that one long marking that runs along the curve of your -"
"Shiro!"
Curtis was blushing along with her. Shiro heartily laughed at his two partners.
"I can't wait to fly back. I miss you both."
"We do too." Curtis sighed into Allura's hair as she answered in the positive. "You probably need to go. 'Lura, do you think you can sleep?"
"Rest my eyes at least," she answered. "I don't feel so cold. Thank you Shiro. Curtis."
"Anytime Princess."
"We're in this together."
She turned around to snuggle into Curtis as he turned off the communicator.
DW
DW
DW
AN: I couldn't resist. They are my new ot3 and I want content for them!
I wanted Allura's parents to have done something since at least Alfor was there in the void with her. I added Melenor because she's her mother darn it and Allura should have some positive memories of her.
There will probably be more Allura/Curtis centric drabbles since they are the new pair in the trio so they need more bonding/fleshing out. But I'll try to include all three or mix it up.