Aiko Shirogane considered herself fortunate enough to never feel the economic burden of society. Having come from a well off family gave her that privilege. Even now, with her and her husband's combined income, they were able to live comfortable lives in their new home and city. They never had to worry about utility bills, surprise expenses, or even their child's future education. She was always grateful for her possessions and even more grateful for her family. She never once questioned her financial status because she knew that she made the middle class her bitch.
But Holy Shit.
What was once confidence turned into humility. As she drove up the driveway of the Altea household, she never felt so underprivileged in her life, and that was just by looking at the house that could technically classify as a mansion.
The two story house wasn't as grand as the other showboating houses that surrounded it, but it was still pretty damn impressive. It was exactly the kind of house in which most American kids dreamed of growing up in. Dark bricks expertly layered with stone made up the exterior of the house, while wooden beams added an offset accent and the side of the house was covered in a thick veil of vines. The house had beautiful high arched windows each framed with dark drapes drawn back, allowing the afternoon daylight to flow in. Three steps made of stone led to a front door tall enough to accomodate a family of giraffes.
Aiko couldn't stop her jaw for falling open in amazement. She looked into her rearview mirror to see her son looking just as impressed as she was. His stormy eyes sparkled with amazement as he took in the massive house. He craned his neck as far as it could before his car seat harness prevented him from leaning up any further. When he could no longer hold his stressed position, he slouched back into his seat and began to kick his legs in excitement. He was eager to see Allura for their first playdate outside of the daycare. Aiko laughed to herself at her son's display. He could barely contain his excitement.
Three months passed since her first day at Voltron Tech and so far, she was extremely happy with her new job. The hours were good, the benefits were amazing, the morning commute was a bitch, but her overall satisfaction with her new job exceeded her expectations. When her eyes met Shiro's in the rearview mirror, she knew that she wasn't the only one happy with their new life in The States. She could physically see her son's patience thinning as his excitement overflowed. His tiny hands gripped at the harness over his chest and his feet continued to shuffle. The action produced a steady drum on the bottom of his carseat. Aiko had never seen him so excited.
For literally anything.
Aiko was overjoyed to see her son so happy. Over the months, she could see that Shiro and his "princess" develop a friendship that ran deeper than any friendship Shiro had back in Japan. The two were inseparable in the daycare. Where one was, the other was sure to be close by.
Zarkon was right when he told Aiko that Allura frequently left the daycare and now that she had Shiro, he was always dragged along with her. It wasn't an everyday occurrence. However, they left the daycare often enough for other parents to warn their children about the dangers of leaving adult supervision out of fear that Allura's rebellion would also rub off on their children as well. They all saw the picture circulating the office of Zarkon tangled up with two toddlers - one in his arms while the other tugged at his leg. Aiko was mortified that her son's first impression to her boss was him trying to tussle him up.
Aiko knew that Alfor had given Allura the same speech about leaving the daycare multiple times before the incident that almost tarnished Zarkon's intimidating image. She was sure that Alfor had given up trying to control his daughter's thirst for adventure. Instead, opted to lectured her on the dos and don'ts of Voltron Tech. #1 was to not take any other children with her. A rule she had broken as soon as she laid eyes on Shiro.
On his first day.
Within an hour.
Aiko remembers the lengthy apology email Alfor had sent her later that day. It wasn't how she planned on ending her first day at Voltron Tech, but she was happy with the outcome of it. Her son found a friend that gave him the confidence to be himself. She'd never seen him smile as much as he does now. The snow-haired child left adult supervision whenever she saw fit, but she kept Shiro happy, which was more than she could ever ask for. Each day they left the daycare, her son would fill the commute home with details about his day with his friend.
Both parents knew of the strong bond between their children. A play date was set and here she was, contemplating her life choices while her child was close to losing his fucking mind in the backseat if he wasn't unbuckled soon.
Everything was perfect.
She parked her car behind the dark SUV in the curved driveway she immediately recognized as Zarkon's. She had no idea that he would also be in attendance. She felt her nerves begin to bite at her fingertips. She had no idea why she was nervous. She was just dropping off Shiro and leaving for lunch date with a couple of coworkers. But still, the thought of Zarkon in...casual clothing made her uneasy.
She fixed her hair before she got out of the car. She then made her way to the back to unbuckle Shiro, who was shaking with excitement. If he had a tail, he'd be wagging it like a dog getting a pat from its owner. She quickly unbuckled him before she set him down on the ground. Just as she closed the door, Shiro grabbed her by the hand and made his way up the steps to stand in front of the towering front door. He eagerly reached towards the doorbell that he knew he was too short to reach. Aiko roller her eyes before she rang the bell herself.
A sweet, although muted, melodic tune could be heard behind the door, only to cut short by a loud, high pitched squeal. "Allura, hold still!" Zarkon's voice roared over the controlled chaos. The pair could hear rapid footsteps before the door swung open to reveal Alfor. He was wearing tan slacks and a powder-blue golf shirt. Typical dad attire.
Alfor greeted them with an exhausted smile, which was weird because it was only 12:32pm. "Good afternoon Mrs. Shirogane," he addressed Aiko before he stooped down to Shiro's level and ruffled his hair. "I am so glad you're here, buddy," he sighed before running his hand through his silver hair. "Allura has been bouncing off the walls since 8am."
"Papa!" Allura yells from somewhere in the house. "Is Shiro here?! Papa!" Aiko could tell that she was giddy with excitement just as much as Shiro. Her son always had a way of concealing his feelings, although those emotions tended to seep through now and again, especially now that he met Allura. The child wore her heart on her forehead and painted it purple.
"I'm here, Princess!" Shiro answered her call with a screech. The excitement in his system finally got the best of him and without waiting for his mother, he bolted into the house using Allura's laughter as a guide. His rapid footsteps echoed off of the polished wood floors as he disappeared deeper into the house.
"She's on the right!" Alfor called after him. Shiro either didn't hear him or he did not know his right from his left because he definitely made the left that filtered into Alfor's home office.
"That's a left, Taka-chan," Aiko called after him with her hand over her mouth to project her voice. "Make a right."
A flash of black and white rushed passed their vision again in the opposite direction. "I knew that!"
Alfor shook his head with a light laugh before he stepped aside to invite Aiko inside. "She's been raving all morning, Mrs. Shirogane. And by the looks of it, Shiro has too." Aiko nodded her head confirmation while laughing along with her boss before she entered the house. "Allura naturally has the sleeping schedule of a farmer. She woke up earlier than usual this morning just to ask me what time Shiro was coming over and has not stop asking me since. I've honestly never seen her so excited for a play date. Not that she's had many - she's never taken a liking to anyone as much as she's taken to Shiro."
Aiko sighed lightly and smile tugged at her lips. "Takashi wasn't any better. I could barely get him into bed last night, he was so excited." Alfor shut the door behind Aiko and led her through the foyer.
Aiko let her eyes roam the room she found herself in. If she thought the exterior of the house was amazing, then the interior was exquisite. The walls were a warm, inviting color moderately covered with oil paintings and various pictures. She recognized some of the people in the pictures as some coworkers at company gatherings, some even had Allura in them. There was a family photo with Alfor, an infant Allura, and a woman she didn't recognize. She knew about her boss' late wife, so she didn't let her eyes linger on it for too long, afraid that it might cause Alfor some discomfort.
As she continued to follow Alfor through the house, she allowed her fingers to trace over a graceful banister that curved up towards the second floor. "Your home is lovely, Mr. Altea," she said in awe still taking in her surroundings. A high ceiling that effortlessly bled into a mosaic, sculptures embedded into the walls protected behind glass, a gorgeous low hanging chandelier that made the room dance when the sun hit it just right. He was truly a man of great taste.
"Thank you. Although I must admit that Zarkon handled most of the decor."
Or maybe not.
"And please, refer to me as Alfor outside of work," he requested the drop of formality with a smile. He could hear Allura's excited laugh along with a shout of her friend's name. Shiro must have found her. "Besides, if our children are as close as I think they are, then we'll see a lot of each other outside of work." A thought suddenly came to Aiko. Her, Alfor and maybe Zarkon, could actually become friends. She was sure there was some rulebook somewhere that prohibited this exact type of relationship between employees and their superiors. However, something was bound to form because of their children.
"Then you must call me Aiko," she countered evenly, putting her mental rulebook aside.
Alfor let out another chuckle. "Fair enough, Aiko." He turned down a wide hallway that led closer to the giddy laughter from the pair followed by an annoyed grumble.
It wasn't long before they entered a spacious room of what looked like the living room. This room just as grand of the area she saw before, just without many of the priceless, easily breakable items. This must be on purpose considering he had a bossy, hyperactive toddler roaming the house on a daily basis.
She saw Shiro sitting on the floor on his knees in front of Allura. He talked to her in a breathy explosion of words while she listened closely to every word as her eyes shined brightly. They were most likely going over their plans for the day because Allura would nod her head enthusiastically every few moments and she would lean in closer to catch every detail of their day.
To see Shiro talk so much surprised Aiko since her child preferred to be a listener rather than a talker. Seeing him openly express his thoughts without the fear of being annoying or saying the wrong thing pulled at her heartstrings because she knew it was Allura who gave him that confidence.
Allura tried to lean in closer before she was firmly, but gently pulled back by her silver locks. "Allura, can you hold still for just...two more minutes?" Zarkon's tone walked the line between desperation and irritation - a tone solely reserved for his godchild. Asking Allura to sit still when she was this excited was like asking a fire not to burn. The child sat on the floor between Zarkon's legs while he sat on the couch hunched over her. He was in the process of wrangling her thick, curly hair into two neat braids that ended with a floof of her silver hair. The braids were far more neater than Aiko would have expected from him. He must do her hair quite often for him to be this good at it.
"Uncle Zarkie, hurry!" Allura stressed out the last word so it could tug at the last ounces of Zarkon's nerves. She threw her head back so it rested on the edge of the couch as she peered up at him with folded arms and impatient eyes.
Afraid of losing his grip on the braid and having it unravel, Zarkon's hands followed her movement. His hands now at an awkward angle pinned between her head and the couch. Zarkon felt his eye twitch. Allura always tended to wear Zarkon's patience thin, but never thin enough to break.
Zarkon took in a deep breath to steady his voice. "Listen, kiddo," he said sternly with stiff shoulders. "Do you want the sparkles in your hair or not? Because the first one is already finished and if I don't finish this one, it'll look half done. You'll look stupid and the neighbors will see and then they'll think that we do things halfway. Do you want that? Do you want the neighbors to think that we do things halfway? Hmm?" Zarkon questioned her with raised eyebrows waiting for an answer. He felt his left hand going numb because it was wrapped in her thick hair while being simultaneously pinned to the couch.
Allura looked unnerved. "Depends on which neighbors."
"The Wilsons."
Blue eyes widened a fraction. "The Wilsons?"
A smirk. "The Wilsons."
The fucking Wilsons. Allura has absolutely no reason to dislike the Wilsons, but her Uncle Zarkon didn't like them, so neither did she. Allura was only loyal when she wanted to be. She was a ride or die. She immediately lifted her head to an angle Zarkon could easily work with, straightened her back, and sat as still as her hyperactive body allowed her. "But hurry...please."
"Then keep still." Zarkon knew he had exactly 2 minutes and 14 seconds before Allura would start to fidget again, so he immediately put all of his attention into finishing the braid before brushing and smoothing out the back.
This was surreal. Aiko had never seen Zarkon look so focused. Not even at the office when they had a serious deadline approaching, did he look this focused. He was her incredibly powerful, ridiculously wealthy, and downright intimidating boss. He was respected by most and feared by all. And yet here he was, racing against time to avoid a tantrum. Aiko knew that Allura wasn't going to throw a tantrum. Zarkon knew that, Alfor knew it as well. Hell, even Shiro knew that she wasn't going to throw a tantrum.
Allura Altea was too good for that.
There were plenty of ways to get what she wanted and a throwing a tantrum was not one of them. Aiko didn't know if that was something she should commend Alfor for or be terrified that a child had mastered it.
Zarkon let out an exhausted breath before he slouched back against the couch. He finally let his shoulders relax and began to flex his aching fingers. "There." His tone was flat but content. "I'm finished. Go. Be free." He waved her off with his hand.
Before he could finish relieving her of the sweet torture of patience, Allura was already launching forward. "Yes!" she squealed out before she tackled a surprised Shiro to the ground in a hug. She was always so aggressive. He wrapped his arms around her before his back met the carpeted ground. Over the months, he grew accustomed to her surprise tackles and took her weight like a champ. There were times at the daycare where Allura would often turned a game of hide-and-seek into a game of cat and mouse. It always ended with a crushed, floored Shiro and a giggling Allura who didn't know how strong she was. "C'mon Shiro! We have so much to do!" She scrambled to her feet before she used both of her hands to tug a winded, but smiling, Shiro up to stand beside her.
Before she ran off with Shiro, she climbed onto the couch to stand next her somewhat exhausted uncle. He glared at her with an empty threat. "What?" he said slowly in a hollow voice. "You want me to paint your nails too, brat?" His voice was laced with obvious sarcasm but knowing Allura…
"Yes, but after Shiro leaves. We can match. We can do pink this time - no, purple because it looks good on you."
Fuck.
"Thank you, Uncle Zarkie!" She beamed at him like a full moon before she planted a firm kiss on his cheek. She then hopped down be with Shiro. "Let's go! I want to show you my room!" Zarkon tried to look annoyed, he really did. But he couldn't help the ghost of a smile that inched on his face at his sunshine's actions. She was going to be the death of him, he just knew it, and he accepted his fate.
Aiko smiled warmly at the exchange between the two. Allura brought out a whole new side to Zarkon that she nor any other employee at Voltron Tech ever saw. She once heard a rumor that Sendak caught the pair having a tea party in his office during the lunch hour. At the time, she laughed at the idea thinking it of it as blasphemy. However now that she witnessed her boss execute a hairstyle that border lined perfection, she thinks otherwise. She knows for a fact that they had a tea party.
She could also bet her left pinky finger that Zarkon's toes are painted.
A flash of white interrupted her inner betting pool and she found herself being tugged down to her son's height. "Bye, Mama!" Shiro said, in a rushed breath. His arms encircled her the best he could in a tight hug. "Have fun with your friends and don't hurry back, okay? Okay." And then, in a blur, he followed Allura up the stairs.
"Bye Shirogane-san!" Allura yells politely as possible, already halfway up the stairs with Shiro hot on her heels.
"Goodbye Allura, you two have fun." she calls after them. "Shiro, you be good!"
"Yes ma'am!" Came the distant reply. They were already in Allura's room.
Aiko turned to Alfor. "I should head out. You think you can handle those two?" she questioned him playfully. Her son was easy to handle, but with Allura, he was more likely to follow her lead...regardless of what it was. He just couldn't seem to tell that girl no.
Alfor scratched the back of his head and let out a hearty chuckle, "Let's hope so. I think I'll be okay. Zarkon is here for the day and Coran will be arriving soon to go over numbers."
Before she turned to leave, Aiko bid her goodbyes to Zarkon, who waved an exhausted hand somewhere in her general direction. "Allura was more of a handful than usual today. I blame your son for that." Aiko laughed before Alfor led her to the door then walked her to her car.
"I'll be back to pick him up at 6," Aiko informs Alfor while fastening her seatbelt. "Hopefully, he won't put up a fight." They both knew they were destined for groans and whines when Shiro had to leave, or even worse...hide-and-seek. Normal children giggle while they are hiding because they were unable to contain the exciting thrill of the potential of getting caught. Allura and Shiro weren't normal children. If they didn't want to be found, then that's exactly what was going to happen. It usually took bribing or security cameras to find the missing duo.
"Alright Aiko, I'll be sure to have him ready for pickup. Wish me luck."
"Will do." Alfor waved goodbye to her before she drove off towards her lunch date.
/
"Wow, Allura!" Shiro says as he looks around the room wide-eyed. Her room was as bright as she was, just as Shiro expected from a princess. The bedroom was very spacious. It had pale pink walls with white accents. The white shelves had a variety of books and small trinkets she enjoyed. Toys were hastily put away in a chest in the far corner of the room next to a neat closet. Next to her wardrobe, there was a queen sized bed with a variety of stuffed animals and pillows over a yellow comforter. Large windows flooded her room with the warm afternoon sunlight.
Shiro's favorite part of her room were the crystal butterflies hung from the ceiling. Their glass wings caugh the sun's light making them sparkle and reflect on the walls. It made her room look enchanted.
Shiro was too busy admiring her bedroom to notice that Allura had left his side to retrieve something. When he came back to reality, she was standing in front of him with her hands behind her back and a sly smile spread across her face. Shiro narrowed his eyes. Nothing good ever came from that smile. "What are you hiding?" he asked cautiously while shifting to peek behind her.
Shiro was quick, but Allura was quicker. She ducked out of the way, using her body to continue hiding whatever it was behind her back. Her eyes shined their usual brightness and she flashed him a smile. "It's a surprise for you." His eyes lit up and his shoulders stiffened. "But you have to guess," she told him playfully.
All of his excitement drained as fast as it came. Shiro dropped his shoulders and let his head fall back. "You know I'm not a good guesser," he groaned out dryly. Almost every surprise she had for him, he had to guess it in order to get it. Problem was, like he said, he was a horrible guesser and Allura never took that for a good enough reason to just hand things over. No, always he had to work for it.
"But you're a good tryer," she countered. "So try." It was no longer a request.
"Fine," he said with his tone flat as a board. He looked around her room for a clue. Maybe he had somehow spotted it on his first take of the room and whatever she hiding was something that was now missing. He scanned over the area quickly, using his memory to his advantage to spot the difference. His eyes landed on the bed behind her. He noticed that her stuffed animal collection lost some of its volume that it had before, but couldn't quite pinpoint what exactly was missing.
"Did you get me a toy?" he asked. Allura nodded her head rapidly in confirmation while rocking on the balls of her feet, but she still hid the item.
"Keep going," she urged.
"Is it a pillow?"
She gave him a look. "What? No. A pillow is not a toy, Takashi." She only called him by his birth name when she was disappointed in him.
"It is if you like naps a lot," he argued back.
"You don't even like naps!"
"I do too like naps but you never let me take one." He folded his arms. "You always want to do something."
"Fine." She rolled her eyes with a pout. "We'll take a nap on Monday.. but I won't like it." Even when she let Shiro have his way, she did it in the bossiest way she could manage.
"I want 45 minutes, Allura!" Shiro bargained.
"Okay, alright, fine!" Allura yelled. "We can take a 45 minute nap. Now, can you pleeease go back to guessing your surprise? My arms are getting tired." Her feet started to move in place showing how she was she growing impatient.
Shiro couldn't believe that he won. Then he realizes that he never actually tried to go up against the princess. He could have gotten so much more if he just asked for it. A nap was a small victory, but he'll take it.
He placed his finger against his chin to show that he was thinking. After a moment he said, "Is it a stuffed animal?" She nodded again, barely holding in a giggle this time.
She shook her head then leaned towards him. "Okay, that's good enough," she told him before she shoved the plushie in his face. Lucky for him, these guessing games never lasted long because her impatience always got the best of her.
His eyes crossed for a moment before he took a step back so his vision could focus on what exactly it was she had given him. It was small black lion plushie. His eyes widened and his cheeks took on a pinkish hue as he took his gift from her.
Allura watched his face carefully, searching for a positive reaction while her fingers fiddler with the hem of her dress. "I thought you would like this since you never got to finish your lion picture...for some reason," she said, dropping last three words of her sentence to a grumble. They never did get that black crayon back.
Shiro stared at the plushie for some time. He looked back up to Allura to see her eyes averted as if her socks suddenly became the most interesting thing in the room. "Allura…" he started in a small voice.
"Its okay if you don't like it. I just thoug-"
"I love it." He spoke the words in a hoarse whisper. He crushed the stuffed animal to his chest determined to never let it go. This was the first time he ever received a gift from someone who wasn't his immediate family and he was going to treasure it forever.
Allura's eyes sparkled with joy before she darted off towards her bed. She soon came back clutching her own lion, however this one was pink. "Look, I have one too! We match!" she told him, holding her pink lion out towards him. "They can be best friends like us, Shiro!"
Shiro looked at her frozen with disbelief. Had Allura just called him her best friend? When did this happen? Had he been her best friend from day one, or did this just happen today? He never had a best friend before. He didn't know what to do different with this new information. What if he messed it up? Sure, they were basically inseparable at the daycare, but out of all of those kids, she had chosen him to be her best friend. He must be dreaming, because there was no way that she ha-
"You're doing that thing again," she said cutting off his racing thoughts with a bored tone.
"What thing?" he asked clutching his lion harder than you wanted to.
"That thing you do," she told him as she gently pried his fingers away from his new toy. He reluctantly let it go and she took his lion from his arms and placed it beside hers on the bed. "Where you think too much. You're my best friend and I want no one else to be. I want you. Unless…" She looked bashfully down at her feet while she put on a fake pout, knowing exactly where she was taking this conversation. "Unless you don't want to be my best friend." Her eyes watered over with false sadness. Now she was doing that thing, where she was getting her way.
Like always.
And Shiro was going to let her.
Like always.
"W-what, no, no, no!" Shiro stuttered. "I want to be your best friend!"
Allura's charades immediately let up and her eyes lost their glossy look. "Good! Now c'mon, I think Coran is here!" she told him before she left the room and headed down the hallway. He took one last look back at his black lion sitting on the bed next to her pink one before he followed her downstairs.
He made it downstairs just in time so see Allura tossed into the air by the eccentric red-headed man. She let out a giddy laugh as she was set down on the ground. "Hello there, Shiro my boy!" he addressed Shiro with his thick kiwi accent. Before he met Coran, he'd never heard anything like it. Sure, Allura and Mr. Altea had an accent, but it was not as...lively as Coran's. "Now, your father informed me that you two already had lunch, so that means that we can have some dessert, yes?" As expected, both children nodded their heads eagerly at the promise of sweets. "Alrighty-o then, what do you two say to my famous lollies?"
Allura's face immediately faltered while Shiro continued to beam up at the man with wide sparkle filled eyes. Shiro has no idea what they were in store for. She couldn't let these lollies see the light of day. "No, no, no," she mumbled so softly that her mouth didn't move, but her words were loud and clear enough for only Shiro could hear.
Out of the corner of his eye, Shiro saw Allura barely shaking her head in protest. He didn't understand what was the big deal. Shiro's parents were pretty strict when it came to sweets. He rarely got to enjoy them and if he did get candy, it was often, if not always, sugar free. Free of fun. He couldn't let Allura ruin his one chance. He never told her no, but it felt like today was going to be the day.
"Yes, we want candy, Coran!" Shiro shouted over Allura's mumbled protest excitedly. His shoulders were stiff and his fist shook like the wings of a hummingbird. He could feel the heat coming from Allura, her glare almost cutting his excitement short.
"Yeah, great," Allura said through clenched teeth, still giving Shiro a wicked side eye. "Coran we would love your famous lollies." Each syllable left her mouth in separate parts, emphasizing how much she didn't want any part of this.
Coran flashed them a toothy grin. "Splendid! Now you tikes scurry along while I prepare the lollies. They should be ready faster than you can say 'sprightly globinheffer'!" And then the man was off into the kitchen to gather ingredients.
Shiro didn't even begin to try to repeat what he had said. Although slightly terrified, he gathered his courage to turn and fully look at Allura. Her eyes held an emotion he couldn't decipher. Probably betrayal. But it was for the good of candy - a treat he hardly got the luxury of enjoying. She'd understand.
To Shiro's surprise, she broke into a smile before grabbing his hand and leading him into the living room. "Let's watch a movie while we wait for those famous lollies." Her tone was still slightly off. It was laced with mischief and something else he couldn't understand.
He put his worry aside and let her pick a movie. While she filtered through the list, Shiro went upstairs to grab both of their stuffed lions so they too could enjoy the movie. Allura settled on Beauty and the Beast and they both sat on the couch with their respectives lions in their laps while Coran worked his magic in the kitchen.
They both sang along to the songs. Allura knew every song word for word, however Shiro had only seen most, if not all, of his disney movies in Japanese. It wasn't that he didn't know the songs, he just didn't know them in English, so he opted to hum them instead in time with the harmony.
Halfway through the movie, just when Belle and Beast entered the gorgeous ballroom, Coran appeared in front of them holding what appeared to be translucent blue disks with white sticks embedded into them. "Ah, here we are, children," he said offering one to each child.
Allura reluctantly paused the movie and took her candy with scrunched eyebrows and a forced grateful smile. Shiro's approach was undiluted eagerness and his craving for candy came back full force. He all but snatched it from Coran's gasp, movie and lions forgotten. Both stared at the candies in their possession, but with complete opposite reactions. "You can have another one after dinner," Coran told them before he ventured back into the kitchen where Alfor and Zarkon were holding a conversation.
Shiro looked at the strange candy in his hand. He'd never seen one that looked like this before. It was a clear light blue disk and it was almost as big as his hand. He could feel Allura's eyes on him, waiting on him to make a move. He hitched his left knee on the couch so he could easily face her. She had made no effort to enjoy the treat Coran had given them, instead she continued to stare at Shiro with the same expression she'd given him earlier, just as unreadable as before.
A small smirk came to Allura's face as she watched Shiro. "Go ahead, Shiro," she urged. The look in her eyes was telling Shiro that she was holding something from him. "Try it. It's really good. Go on! Put it in your mouth." Her tone had a bitter edge to it. Shiro narrowed his eyes at her then at the alien candy in his hand. He wasn't going to let her ruin this for him with whatever game she was playing. He wanted so little in life.
Shiro tentatively brought the candy to his mouth giving it a small lick. He couldn't exactly get a taste from the sample, so he took a more confident taste. His eyes bulged before they shut tight and his face scrunched up. He jacked the candy from his mouth just as a shiver ran down his spine.
When he opened his eyes, he met Allura's once again. She had the smuggest grin on her face. "Isn't it the nastiest thing you've ever tasted?" Shiro now understood the look she gave him from earlier.
It was pettiness.
Because he didn't follow her lead like he always did. Well, he wasn't going to let her get the best of him. No. He could make his own decisions...and his own mistakes. This candy, if it should even be called that, was probably the grossest thing he's ever tasted. If Coran wanted candy to taste like toothpaste, soy sauce, and orange juice with just a dash of disappointment, then he nailed it. If this is what real candy tasted like, then he never wanted it ever again.
It was his biggest regret of the week. He hoped his face didn't reflect his bad decision because there was no way Allura was going to give him the, "I told you so," speech. He witnessed his dad get that speech time after time and that was the one thing he didn't want to follow in his dad's footsteps.
"Well, do you hate it or do you really hate it?" Allura asked, leaning towards him waiting for his answer.
"...No," he said slowly trying to hide his disdain of the abomination Coran dared to call a famous lollie. "It's good...really good. I could eat this everyday for the rest of my life." He stuck the sucker into his mouth hoping to sell his fabrication. He felt he eye twitch but he hoped that she was buying it.
Allura watched him again, her eyes dissecting every sentence. Her eyes narrowed slightly and a wicked grin took over her. She scrambled to her feet to look over the back of the couch towards the kitchen and she yelled out, "Coran! Shiro says that he just looooves your lollies and wants you to make them for his birthday party next ye-ah!" She was cut off by the sudden weight of Shiro tackling her to the couch with his hand over her mouth. If this is what Shiro went through with all of her sudden tackles, then she might have to let up.
Just a bit.
"Allura, don't," he begged in a hushed whisper. His ears strained to pick up any movement from the kitchen, just in case Allura's outburst alerted them. There was no way he ever wanted anything to do with those candies ever again.
She pried his hand from her mouth, and her tone became threatening. "Then admit it."
As stubborn as he wanted to be, her eyes pierced his soul and reluctantly brought the truth forward. "Fine, it was the grossest thing I've ever licked. I never want to go through with that again. Ever."
"Ha! I knew it!" She was elated. Shiro didn't know whether it was because she knew she was right or because she made him admit that he was wrong. Knowing her, it was probably an equal combination of both. "You have to make it up to me now. For lying."
"You lie to me all the time."
"Not all the time," she argued back. "Just when I know that you can't lie for yourself." She pushed him off her before she sat up. Maybe she pushed him a little too hard because he almost lost his balance and fell completely off of the couch before her hand quickly reached out to steady him. Once he was steady, she took the blue abomination from his hands and took them to the farthest downstairs bathroom. She didn't bother to turn on the lights while she took the toilet paper and wrapped it around both of them. She then disposed them into the trash, hiding their lies away.
Shiro sat on the couch waiting for her to return. When she came back, she stood in front of him, giving him a look that told him that she wanted his full attention. He raised an eyebrow in a question and got down to her level. She grinned before she grabbed the remote to unpause the movie. Belle and the Beast revealed themselves dressed like royalty. Belle in her famous yellow gown and Beast in deep blue coat. The characters began to cascade down the steps towards each other with gentle steps. It was Allura's favorite part of the movie. "You owe me a favor, remember?"
Shiro was confused to what she wanted. They weren't at the daycare, so there was no breaking out of the house considering they had so much space to play with. He eyed her skeptically before he asked, "What do you want me to do?" If it had been three months ago, he would have been terrified to ask her that question. To ask her what she wanted was like signing a waiver to sell his soul because she always had a way of shaving years off of his life with her stress inducing ideas. He grew accustomed to her antics and started each day mentally prepared to fully submit to her wishes. He'd put up a fight for show, but that's all it ever was - for show.
Unlike her other ideas, her eyes always gave away the level of trouble they'd get into. But now, her eyes were gentle and they etched away all doubt of a future lecture. She reached out towards him at the same time Belle and Beast met each other. Her crystal blue eyes met his stormy grey ones before she said in an even voice, "Dance with me." She took a curtsy at the same time Belle did behind her. It was only then that Shiro realized that he was wearing a yellow sundress.
She had this planned the whole time.
Shiro continued to give her a look, unsure of himself. He's never seen his dad dance, he didn't think it was something boys should do.
Allura tugged at his arms and pulled him towards her. "How about we take an hour nap instead of 45 minutes?" She always knew exactly what to say to get what she wanted, didn't she?
Shiro thought it over he gave her a warm smile. "As you wish, Princess." Shiro never danced before, but if it was with her, now was the perfect time to learn. Behind her, he saw Beast do a deep bow with his arm across his midsection. Although far from perfect, he did his best to mimic the jester.
He led her more towards the middle of the room then he let Allura take over. She moved his left hand to her waist while she took his right hand into hers. Shiro was still skeptical and kept his limbs stiff and unyielding. She then began to move them in a circular pattern throughout the wide room. She's had plenty of practice by herself, but never with a partner.
Soon, Shiro got the hang of dancing and he realized that it wasn't that bad! He didn't feel less masculine and he was starting to have fun. Their movements were awkward and clumsy, with the occasional step that landed on a toe that was always followed by an apology. However, both were too busy laughing to be embarrassed by it. They took turns spinning each other under their arms. However neither barely made the turn considering how small they both were, but they managed to make it work.
They continued to dance long after the movie ended, too wrapped up in the world they created. They only focused on each other and the joy that came along with it. Allura's eyes shined brightly and her smile made Shiro's heart skip a beat. He didn't know how to describe the new feelings she gave him whenever he was around her. It was like the crystal butterflies in Allura's room found their way to his stomach and made it their new home. Maybe he should ask his mama about it later.
Aside from that horrid candy Coran had given him earlier, this was the best day he's ever had. He received a new toy that he planned on keeping for the rest of this life and he danced with his princess. This day was absolute perfection. He hoped his mother took her time to pick him up because he wasn't ready to go home just yet. There was no place he'd rather be than here with his best friend dancing in his arms.
/
"Do you think next week they are going to have a pretend wedding, Alfie?" Zarkon teased cooly. He was leaning against the counter in the kitchen with his arms folded over his chest with a smirk on his face. Beside him, Alfor stared fondly at the two through the opening in the kitchen.
"As long as they don't play house, then they can do whatever they want to do," he chuckled lightly, eyes still glued to the children. Maybe Zarkon was right that Shiro would be his future son-in-law. Of course, it was too soon to tell with being only children in all. However, he was great potential for the idea to become a reality.
"Shh!" Coran hushed them waving his arm behind them in a flapping motion. "They are going to spot us if you two keep yapping your mouths away." He kept the camcorder steady while he secretly recorded the two children as they spun around the living room with laughter chasing them.
"I'm going to go throw the rest of those poison sticks you call candy away." Zarkon told him. "Actually I won't. Lotor likes them. He comes back with Honerva on Tuesday."
"You think he'll like Shiro?" Alfor asked finally taking his eyes of the spinning children.
Zarkon let out snort. "Absolutely not."