No matter where Coran went in the Palace, there was a tension in the air. None of the Alteans could look another in the eye. Heads were hung low as people scampered by. It was painfully obvious which ones were oblivious to the recent news because they all seemed confused by the behavior of their fellows. The warm greetings of the unsuspecting Alteans would be met with dejected shaking heads and nothing more. They wouldn't remain naive for long. The death of Zarkon and the destruction of the Galra homeworld was a dark twist of fate that no one had seen coming. Now Coran had been tasked with preparing a royal funeral before Alfor returned home with the remains of his old comrades.
He was almost certain that Nayni and the Princess hadn't received the news yet. It wasn't the only reason he was walking briskly to the Princess's quarters. When he'd received Alfor's transmission, they were the first two Alteans he thought of. A primal fear drove him to get to them as soon as he could. It didn't matter that Nayni had rejected him. He needed to see her. He needed to see her face and take comfort in her presence. Coran needed to feel that sense of hope that he always felt when he looked into Allura's eyes. The Black Paladin had been lost to the universe and an entire race was left without a home. He needed every ounce of hope that he could find.
Coran rounded a corner and narrowly dodged one of the servants who was running down the hall. Neither of them took a moment to apologize. They were both so wrapped up in getting where they needed to go. He hovered in front of the elaborate doors to Princess Allura's room. There had been a few occasions when he'd done the very same thing because he could hear music blasting from the other side of the door. Coran was well aware of the habit that Nayni and Allura had of dancing away their troubles. If the bodyguard found that out she would be absolutely mortified.
Coran entered the security override code and the doors swung open. Allura was hunched over her desk engulfed in her own studies. Her pink streaked hair was loose about her shoulders. The Princess tucked a strand behind her pointed ear. Nayni was perched in a corner, her nose buried in a datapad. She was likely reading one of those sweeping romance stories that she loved. It had been one of the few guilty pleasures that she'd actually admitted to him. As soon as Coran entered, Nayni's gaze shot up to meet his. She was so quick to notice even the slightest change in the environment but his arrival had not exactly been secretive.
He felt like she was looking right through him. Her expression fell. Coran couldn't hide the grief and fear he was feeling. His shoulders were drooped and his heart was heavy. Allura barely acknowledged Coran's arrival. She was too absorbed in her studies. Nayni set down her datapad and approached Coran. She barely made a sound as she crept across the plush carpet. The Guard Captain gingerly rested her hand on his forearm. She'd been afraid to touch him ever since their game of muril so this was a drastic shift in her behavior.
"Mister Smythe, you look as if you've stared death in the face," Nayni said.
Nayni had no idea. Her statement finally caught Allura's attention. Coran wasn't ready to tell Allura. He needed to build back up that strength and warmth he was going to need to comfort her. Dropping the news on Nayni in front of her wasn't exactly the best idea either. He wasn't sure how Nayni would react. Her interactions with Zarkon had been rather minimal but that didn't matter. Zarkon had been a part of something bigger than himself. Voltron was the most powerful symbol of peace and hope that the universe had ever known.
"Can we talk in private, Nayni?" Coran asked.
Her eyes widened. Coran realized he hadn't addressed her by her proper title. Nayni nodded grimly. He'd given himself away with that little slip-up. Coran desperately wanted to wrap his arms around her and take in the scent of her hair. He wanted to feel her warmth against him so he could cherish her existence. Coran was certain that Nayni wouldn't allow that. Allura furrowed her brow in confusion as the two of them slipped out of her room.
Nayni leaned against the wall outside. He needed to lean on her too but he couldn't. Coran ran his fingers through his slick red hair. There had been quite a few ups and downs in his life but there had been nothing like this. Nothing had left him so shaken. He kept searching for the right words. He was trying to find the most graceful and delicate way to give the news. There was never a good way to share news like this. Now that she was standing right in front of him, Coran was struggling not to fall apart. Nayni gripped onto his arm. Her touch was so firm and reassuring.
"I know what it looks like before someone is about to tell me something rather bad," Nayni said. "So just spit it out, Mister Smythe."
He'd almost forgotten that she'd received news just like this so many years ago. Hers had been far more personal. This was a tragedy on an intergalactic scale.
"The mission to Daibazaal went wrong," Coran said.
He made it sound so small and insignificant. Nayni just narrowed her gaze. Her eyes were locked on his.
"Zarkon and Honerva are dead," Coran said. "Daibazaal is gone. They managed to evacuate the Galra but-"
He thought of all the refugees that would be flooding the ports across the universe. All the families that had lost everything they'd ever known. Their leader was gone. All that remained of their home was now carried in their memories. Coran could barely wrap his head around it. Nayni just nodded. She and the Princess had been cooped up all day so they hadn't seen the story looping endlessly on all the newsfeeds. Voltron had been known as the weapon that could do anything. Any impossible problem that had ever existed had been resolved by Voltron. Now, Voltron had finally failed them and on a devastating level.
Nayni took Coran's face in her hands. It shocked him. His heart stopped. Her expression was still cold and grim but something else was hidden in her gaze. Coran couldn't quite place it. He finally felt himself starting to tremble.
"I never thought this would happen," Coran confessed. "Things were going so well."
The warmth of her touch was so overwhelming. He wanted to nuzzle his face into her hands. He needed to fall apart. He needed to let go. He was struggling to hold it all back.
"I have no idea whats going to come of all of this. It's terrifying. I've always had the answers but not for this," Coran went on.
She pulled him close. She wrapped her arms around him. It felt like he was being engulfed by a warm blanket. He needed this. This is what he so desperately wanted. Someone to hold him. He wanted her to hold him. Coran held onto to the back of her head. Her brown hair was brushing against the tip of his nose. He took such comfort in that scent of shoe polish and old leather.
"No one can predict what will come after something of such a magnitude," Nayni said. "Not even you."
She'd fallen apart in front of him once. And now she was returning the favor. He clutched onto her more desperately. Coran couldn't stop shaking. He felt his words catching in his throat. All of this death and destruction had disturbed him. He just wanted to hold onto her until night fell upon them and the dawn came again. It was so rare that they were this close to one another and after their muril match, he never thought it would happen again.
Nayni stroked his red hair. With every touch, he felt that warmth spreading throughout him. She was still here. Coran was in her arms even if her heart was out of his reach.
"They're going to need us now more than ever before," Nayni said.
Feeling her fingers run through his hair and brush against his scalp made the back of his neck tingle.
"We have to be strong for them. It's our duty," Nayni said.
She was right. They'd have this moment right here where he could let all his fears run wild but as soon as they stepped back into Allura's room they'd have to be the pillars of the Royal family. The rest of the universe would have all eyes on Alfor and Allura. They would have the pressure of all of those races looking to them for some kind of answer. It would be up to Coran and Nayni to give them strength behind closed doors. But who would be there for the two of them?
"I don't want to be alone," Coran confessed. "I couldn't bear being alone tonight."
He didn't care if they just sat around staring out a window in an awkward silence. The thought of laying down alone in his cold empty bed with nothing but his thoughts terrified him. Nayni sighed. She stroked his cheek with her thumb.
"You can sleep on my couch," Nayni said. "For as long as you need to."
Her couch was horribly uncomfortable but he didn't care. Coran pulled away from her. He needed to pull himself together for now. Maybe tonight he could fall apart again but for now, he had to put on a facade of strength for the Princess. His personal conflict with Nayni would fall to the back burner. For how long, he had no idea. Nayni grabbed him by the hand. Her grip was so tight that he thought she was going to break the bones of his fingers. She looked him right in the eye. She was so full of determination.
"We will get through this, Coran," Nayni said.
She had never addressed him in that way. It felt as if the ground beneath his feet had given away. Coran nodded weakly.
"Alfor is a strong leader, if anyone can help the universe heal from this, it'll be him," Coran said.
After the years of peace and prosperity that Voltron had brought to the universe, it would take so much more than this tragedy to undo it all. It was a terrible obstacle to overcome but they could overcome it. It would be a rough road and there was much work to be done but they couldn't fail. Coran felt it in his very bones. With Nayni by his side, he'd be able to survive this. It didn't matter if her heart was just out of his reach.
Nayni was rather cross. Allura and the Paladins had been avoiding her for a good chunk of the day. She'd been stuck on watch on the Castle's bridge and waiting for a transmission from the Blade of Marmora wasn't the most thrilling of things to do. She'd barely seen Coran at all. She knew he was up to something. She had known for a while but now it was just irritating. She wasn't going to find out until he was ready though. The showman in him loved to build up the suspense. The extra lengths he was taking to maintain the secrecy was entirely due to her natural abilities to uncover what was actually going on. It was definitely why he was avoiding her.
Everyone was avoiding her though. It was a grand conspiracy that she was left out of. Nayni flicked her finger across the surface of the control panel. She was searching through the Castle's collection of Altean literature. Most of it was just the classics, things they'd been forced to read during their schooling. Most of it was nothing she was particularly interested in. If she could read that Earth language, she would've just raided Lance's library instead. Nayni let out a sigh of aggravation. There had been quite a bit more dull moments on the Castle than she had expected. They were at war after all and this was Team Voltron. She felt as if things should've been more hectic than this.
The doors to the bridge slid open. Nayni glanced over her shoulder. Allura stepped through the doors. Her silver hair was pulled back neatly in a bun. Allura was putting on quite a show. Her posture was rigid and her chest was puffed out. She was trying to maintain a rather serious expression on her face. Of course, the Princess would be in on it too. Allura was carrying the very familiar regalia of the Captain of the Royal Guard. Nayni knew it wasn't hers but the overly polished gold embellishments and the deep navy blue hue were uncanny.
"Madame Nordontu," Allura announced.
The Princess tried to sound as pretentious as she possibly could. Nayni couldn't help but smile. So this was to be the start of Coran's plans. That was very clear to her.
"You've been cordially invited to attend a private dinner on the Holodeck with Mister Coran Heironymous Wimbleton Smythe," Allura said.
Of course. Nayni couldn't hold back the smile. Her overdramatic idiot boyfriend was being a romantic fool. She loved it. She loved every dobash of it.
"I see," Nayni said.
Allura let her performance slip and she started to giggle a bit.
"I was going to try and find you a dress but I knew this was more your style," Allura said. "The Castle's tailoring program should've made the proper adjustments so it should fit you nicely."
Nayni took the regalia from Allura's hands and looked it over. She was stout and rather wide now so she would definitely have needed those adjustments made. Even during the big events back on Altea, Nayni rarely wore this. It was rather plain compared to the outfits Coran would come up with but this still seemed a bit much to her. She admittedly liked the idea of being a bit sparkly on occasion though.
"It was a wise choice," Nayni said. "I assume I should go get ready now?"
Allura nodded with a great deal of enthusiasm. Allura dismissed Nayni with a curtsy. She was already smiling like an idiot. It all was very stupid but the lengths he was going to were incredibly sweet. She felt like squealing a bit. Coran had a terrible habit of making her feel like a hormone filled teenage girl. Nayni rushed back to their quarters with a bit more enthusiasm than she was willing to own up to. Coran and Nayni had managed to miss out on all of the traditional Altean acts of courtship. It'd been quite a bit of time since she'd had an occasion like this. It was rather thrilling for her.
Back when Nayni was still young and wild, Tomyko would take her out and about. Tomyko would style Nayni's hair and took great joy in dressing her up. Then her wife would parade her around with such pride in her eyes. Nayni didn't have her around to pretty her up now. Nayni had never been particularly gifted in the style department. She skidded by the door to their quarters and typed into the console. She felt like an idiot for getting excited over this but she was. So she'd be an idiot for the evening then. She tossed the glittering regalia on the unkempt bed.
As she scrubbed herself down in the shower, she remembered how she'd spent some lonely nights thinking about all this. She'd concocted all these fantasies in her head about waltzing around the Palace with Coran on her arm. She'd never acted on it though. She'd always kept those secret dreams to herself and let them carry her off to a restless sleep. He was doing all of this for her now. It was an incredible feeling to realize that her fantasies had finally come true.
Nayni slipped on the tile as she scrambled out of the shower. She was already shaking. She witnessed him plan so many grand events over the course of their lives. She knew the lengths he'd go to and just how capable he was of creating a theatrical moment just for the sake of romance. It had never been just for her though. Nayni glanced at herself in the mirror. Her eyes still looked so tired. Her crow's feet and worry lines made her look so worn out but she felt so young tonight. For some reason, that beautiful man was interested in a frumpy old woman.
Nayni pulled her hair back into a bun. It was honestly the only way she knew how to style her hair on her own. The uniform that Allura had put together was just a tad bit tight. Nayni had to suck in her gut to button it up fully. Nayni adjusted the collar and tugged on the ends of her sleeves. There was a comforting familiarity being stuffed into this outfit again. She'd only ever worn it to funerals or weddings. With all the gleaming gold trim and twinkling buttons she actually felt beautiful. The truth was it was Coran that had made her feel beautiful for the first time in years.
The buzzer for the door rang out. What was to happen next? The mystery of it all was both maddening and delightful to her. Nayni typed into the control panel and the doors to their quarters slid open. The young Green Paladin was standing in the hallway with a bright smile on her face. Pidge adjusted her glasses and cleared her throat. She was taking just as much delight in the theatrics of all of this as Allura had. It wasn't exactly what Nayni had been expecting of her.
"Good evening, Madame," Pidge said with a little bow.
This was so stupid but she was living for it.
"I'll be escorting you to the Holodeck now if you're ready," Pidge said.
Nayni couldn't hold back the smile on her plump face. Her heart was already racing.
"Lead the way, Miss Holt," Nayni said.
Pidge marched down the hall with great enthusiasm. Her posture was flawless really. The Green Paladin would've made a fine Guardsman. Nayni's steps were a bit clumsier than normal. She was a tad too nervous and excited to be very coordinated. They reached an elevator and Pidge typed into the control panel. Her posture was still rigid and she kept one arm neatly folded behind her back. Pidge had that delighted grin still plastered on her face. Nayni was practically bursting with anticipation. She fiddled with the fabric of her gloves nervously.
"What's he cooked up this time?" Nayni pried.
She didn't think she could possibly wait to find out. This journey to the Holodeck was already tortuous enough. Pidge flashed her a smile.
"Sorry, I've got strict orders not to tell you," Pidge said.
Ruggle. She would have to endure the wait. Nayni let out a frustrated sigh. When the doors to the elevator opened, Pidge made a rather dramatic gesture for Nayni to enter first. Nayni swallowed hard and stepped onto the platform. It had been rather agonizing to wait all these years to have him but these few dobashes were so much more tortuous than all of those years combined.
Coran rubbed at his dry eyes. His joints were aching from all of the running around he'd had to do that day. The Palace was in a state of chaos since the news of Zarkon's death had spread. There had been so many questions he'd had to answer to all those prying minds. He'd already started making the arrangements for the funeral. All of this had left him feeling completely drained. Maintaining the delicate balance of formalities and being sensitive to the emotions of others was particularly taxing in this instance.
He was hunched over on Nayni's couch. She'd laid out a thick gray blanket made of some awful scratchy material for him. The crisp pillow she'd given him was flat and rather uninviting. If it had been any other night he would've teased her about it. Tonight he just didn't want to be alone. He'd been so desperate to get away from all of the madness that he hadn't even stopped to grab himself a set of clothes for the next day. Nayni had been in the kitchen. He could hear the sound of ceramic cups clinking together and the soft hum of her stovetop as it heated up.
It was already so late. He would barely get any sleep tonight. Neither would she. She'd stayed late with the Princess until Allura had drifted off from pure exhaustion. The girl had been too distressed to continue with her studies. Nayni had said a great deal of talking and reassuring had been involved. The Guard Captain still had her radio clipped to her collar. She was ready to rush back to Allura's side on a moments notice.
Coran felt the familiar scent of his favorite spiced tea tickling his nostrils. Nayni left her kitchenette with a steaming cup in her hands. She gingerly slid the cup onto her coffee table. Coran just stared at the piping hot red liquid in shock.
"You hate this," Coran said. "I didn't realize you'd have any."
Nayni sat down on the opposite end of her couch. She laid back in the seat and rubbed at her temples.
"And now my apartment smells dreadful so please enjoy yourself," Nayni said.
Coran clutched the cup in his hands. The heat seeped into his fingers and ran up the bones of his hand. He brought the cup to his lips. The fragrant steam relaxed him. He took a sip. The familiar mingling of sugar and exotic spices tingled on his tongue.
"Thank you," Coran said.
She'd run away from him quite a few times over the years but she'd been here when he'd needed her the most. Nayni was such a curiosity to him. He cherished her even more tonight. It was all this death and sadness that really made him see it. She was so calm and collected. She hadn't shown a single ounce of fear the entire day.
"Are you all right?" Nayni asked.
Things were always tense with them but it didn't feel that way tonight. Amidst all the hysterics, those old fears seemed to have slipped away. At least he didn't feel held back. She was still acting so formal though.
"I'm not sure," Coran admitted.
He wondered how she was doing too. Behind that wall she put up he knew there was a woman full of passion and loyalty. She was probably just as upset as he was but it was her concern for others that was preserving that stone cold facade of hers. She felt so strongly that she needed to be strong for everyone. She leaned over and gently rubbed his back. They'd broken so many boundaries tonight. He'd always been so worried about respecting them. Coran had never wanted to push her to do anything that she wasn't ready for. Even if it had taken years, he would wait and would keep on doing so.
"As I said, you can stay as long as you need to, Mister Smythe," Nayni said.
When her hand pulled away from his back he felt like he was losing a part of himself.
"Just don't go dragging any Alteans into my quarters and having your way with them on my couch," Nayni said.
She was trying to make him laugh but all he did was smile weakly. She always acted as if he had legions of people falling all over him. Coran took another sip of his tea. It made his belly feel warm and it soothed him.
"I haven't brought anyone home for quite a bit of time. I think those days are behind me now," Coran said.
She seemed rather surprised by his confession. Coran had plenty of opportunities over the years to bring someone home but he hadn't been able to follow through with them. Not since she'd come stumbling into his life. He'd had one of her very own Guardsman trying to slip into his bed. Coran had been tempted by the dashing young man but he couldn't bring himself to do it. The more time had gone by, the harder he found it to notice anyone but her.
"Well, I'm afraid it's going to be rather boring around here," Nayni said. "I've got a mountain of sweets and a substantial library of very bad teledramas. So there's that at least."
The idea of cuddling up next to her on this couch and spending any kind of time with her was very appealing to him. She always poked at herself for being boring and dull but he loved that about her. And after today, boring and dull sounded like paradise to him. Nayni reached for her remote. The display of her entertainment console flickered on. She ran her thumb along the surface of her remote and scrolled through the endless rows of shows. Unsurprisingly, a large amount of her collection was romances.
Nayni tossed him the remote. It landed on the cushion next to him. He stared at it for a moment before he scooped it up. Coran didn't really care what they watched. He just needed something to distract him. Anything to take his mind off of the coming storm. He picked a drama at random and set down the remote. The opening sequence was cheesy and the soundtrack was overly saturated with cheeriness. The blue glow of the display illuminated Nayni's round olive face.
He wanted to tell her how beautiful she looked. He wanted to grab her by the hand and tell her everything. Coran wanted to wrap his arms around her and tell her how much she meant to him. He wanted it so desperately that he thought he was going to burst. An entire planet had just been wiped from the face of existence and his first instinct had been to turn to her. He ran his finger along the rough fabric of her couch cushion. As desperately as he wanted to be selfish right now, Coran couldn't do that to her. She'd gone to some lengths to be there for him and he didn't want to betray that trust.
Nayni's jaw dropped as she looked upon the Holodeck. Pidge slinked away as soon as the doors slid open. It was as if she'd just set foot on Altea again. The ceiling above looked like the deep violet night sky with the same twinkling stars. The lush emerald grass of her homeworld was spread out around her. A purple, silken canopy had been set up in the middle of the Holodeck. Strings of red paper lanterns were projecting a soft warm light beneath it. A simple round table, draped in a purple cloth sat in the center, flanked by two chairs. And illuminated in that red glow was Coran. He'd stolen her breath away again.
He was clad in a violet and red monstrosity. His cape was glittering like a jewel and his ridiculous white ruffled collar swayed as he walked towards her. She felt her knees growing weak. Even his eyes seemed to be sparkling. Coran bowed before her. He took her by the hand and planted a tender kiss on her knuckles. She could feel the coarse hair of his mustache brushing against her glove. She wanted to have him right here in the middle of the Holodeck.
A strange creature brayed from the corner. It was massive and round with a large pink nose. It was white and covered with large black spots. Its eyes seemed to be completely devoid of any type of intelligence.
"What is that?" Nayni asked.
Coran smiled sheepishly.
"That's Kaltenecker, just ignore her," Coran said.
The creature brayed again. Coran took her by the hand and led Nayni over to the table. Soft music was playing over the sound system. Nayni immediately recognized it as some of the Earth music that Lance had shown her. Now she knew his hand in all of this. Coran slid into the chair across from her. Her cheeks were already flushed but she was rather excited.
"You look lovely," Coran said.
Nayni couldn't take her eyes off of him. He was perfect right down to that neatly coiffed red curl on his forehead.
"I feel a bit underdressed now," Nayni said.
She always felt underdressed around him but competing with him was nearly impossible. Coran had always been the talk of any Royal gathering. No one ever came close. He reached across the table and took her hand in his. She felt like squealing but held it back. If this was how he'd wooed every Altean he'd been interested in she had no idea how he'd never gotten snatched up. She was already sold on having him for the rest of her life.
The doors to the Holodeck slid open again. This time it was Shiro who entered. The Black Paladin seemed to be completely out of his element. He was grimacing as he tried to balance the two plates of food in his arms. Nayni was certain that's how she would've been reacting to all of this so she felt a great deal of sympathy for him. It was quite obvious that he rather be anywhere else on the Castle then the Holodeck right now. Shiro set the plates down before them rather stiffly.
The smell of the food was divine. The white plate was full of some succulent looking meat that she'd never seen before with yellow tube-like vegetables. Nayni was already drooling over it. Shiro tried to sneak away but Coran let out a very forced cough. Shiro's shoulders sank and he sighed. It seemed not all of the participants in Coran's plans were particularly willing.
"I hope you enjoy this splendid meal that our chef has prepared for you," Shiro said dryly. "And if either of you need anything, please let me know."
Shiro looked like he wanted to throw himself out of the airlock. The Black Paladin's eyes darted over to Coran. He was silently begging to be free of this.
"I believe that we're fine, thank you," Coran said.
He unfurled his napkin rather dramatically and laid it across his lap. Shiro tried to sneak away again. Coran forced an even louder cough this time. The red-head shot Shiro a dirty look. The Black Paladin let out a long tortured sigh and shook his head. Shiro gave the most awkward and stiff bow that Nayni had ever seen. She couldn't help but cringe. Coran didn't seem completely satisfied with this outcome but he finally let Shiro escape from the Holodeck.
Coran snapped back to his cheesy, romantic self. He flashed Nayni a devilish smirk as she took a bite from her food. The tender meat seemed to melt in her mouth. It would take a great deal of self-control for her to not shovel the meal down her gullet like some kind of barbarian.
"Do you like it?" Coran asked. "Hunk's quite the talented gourmand."
All of the pieces had come together now. He really had dragged everyone on the Castle into this.
"It's delightful," Nayni said.
She was so happy she felt as if she were going to die. Coran chatted her up while they dined. He'd stroke the end of his mustache, listening intently to every word she uttered. Nayni confessed to him how she managed to get a hold of that old recruitment pamphlet. Her Guardsmen had found a box full of them in one of the old storage closets. They'd all been giggling about it and how ridiculous the Royal Advisor looked. Nayni had slipped one of them in her pocket when no one was looking. Coran found this very amusing.
They shared all the little things that they'd tried to hide from each other. Nayni had failed to hide quite a few things from Coran. It made her cheeks and ears flush. She blushed even more furiously when Coran told her about all of his gestures that she had failed to pick up on. Nayni wasn't sure if it'd make that big of a difference anyway. If she'd really noticed she would've been too scared to say anything about it. Thinking about the way he'd been looking at her with those secret lurid thoughts made her heart race. She'd done the same thing to him for years.
Coran wiped the edges of his mouth with his napkin and set it on the table. Nayni was a bit unceremonious about it. She was terrible with table manners. She hadn't had the years of etiquette training that he'd had though. Coran rose from the table. His grand cape swept about his lithe body. He rounded the table. His eyes were gleaming. He looked so smug. Coran extended a hand to her. She already knew what he was about to ask.
"May I have this dance, Madame?" Coran asked.
He was very pleased with himself. She took his hand and let him help her to her feet.
"I would love nothing more," Nayni said.
Coran wasn't the only one with a surprise tonight. She'd been sitting on this one for many years. Coran escorted Nayni out into the middle of the Holodeck. The synthetic grass swayed in the air. It was Nayni who had the smug look on her face now. She got into position. She rested a hand on Coran's shoulder and let him grasp the other. He seemed quite surprised. Nayni got on her tiptoes to whisper in his ear. She could feel his sideburns tickling her cheek.
"The Princess ordered me to take dance lessons after I turned you down at that ball," Nayni confessed.
Nayni could never disobey a command from Allura so she'd followed through. Coran grabbed Nayni by the waist and pulled her against his body. She allowed herself to giggle like a young girl. They twirled around the Holodeck to the rhythm of the music. It had been quite some time since those ballroom dancing lessons so she was a tad rusty. Nayni only made a few missteps by some miraculous twist of fate. He took the lead first. Coran would twirl her around and nuzzled his face into her neck. He whispered racy and witty things into her ear and Nayni swooned.
Tonight they weren't at war. They weren't the last Alteans alive in the universe. There was nothing to fear. There was no Galra empire and there were no battles to be fought. His hips swayed with the music. Coran's grand cape swirled around them as they spun around. She started to let her hands rove down the curve of his back. Nayni grabbed his rear end and he smirked. Coran's hands slid down her side and came to rest on her wide hips. Their dance transformed from something more traditional into something quite a bit more flirtatious.
Coran gingerly tilted Nayni's head to the side. He brushed his lips along the surface of her skin. Nayni wrapped her arms around Coran's neck. Nayni felt his hot breath on her neck and the sensation of his mustache brushing against her flesh gave her chills. Nayni grabbed him by the large, bejeweled collar and a grin spread across her face.
"Mister Smythe," Nayni whispered in his ear.
Coran pulled her closer. He ran his teeth along her earlobe and Nayni let out a soft moan.
"Yes, Nayni?" Coran asked.
She ran her fingers through his red hair and nuzzled her face into his neck.
"I want you to take me back to our quarters right now and have your way with me until my legs give out," Nayni said.
Coran stirred on Nayni's couch. He was engulfed in that scratchy grey blanket. The dim light of the monitor flickered as the teledrama's credits scrolled across the screen. Nayni's head was lolled back and her mouth hung open as she slept. One of her thick arms was dangling over the back of the sofa and her fingertips were brushing against the tip of his pointed ear. Coran had rested his head in her lap. He must've crawled to her in his sleep. If she had been awake, she would've pushed him away.
Coran wiped the drool from the side of his mouth. He didn't dare move. He didn't want to disturb her. He also didn't want to be apart from her. Coran reached for the remote and turned off the entertainment console. Nayni's quarters were silent except for the sound of her soft breathing. Coran rested his head back in her lap. He felt so alive, feeling her warmth radiate into him. Nayni had been his dearest friend for years and he wanted it to be so much more than that.
He'd have to repay her for this someday. He didn't know how but he must. Coran tugged the atrocious scratchy blanket over his shoulder. He nuzzled his face against her leg and ran his fingers across the curve of her knee. Nayni's arm twitched in her sleep. She murmured something under her breath and her hand came to rest on his head. Coran's heart was pounding in his chest. She gave him a gentle pat on the head. Her chest rose and fell slowly as she slept.
There were so many things that he had wanted to say to her during the light of day. He wanted to reveal that one last truth to her but he didn't want to wound her. He didn't want to put this burden on her and force her to act. If Nayni were to be with him he wanted it to be her choice alone. The wait was pure agony but he couldn't bring himself to do anything else. She'd been so fearful and he didn't want to scare her. Coran tilted his head to look up at her. He could barely make out her silhouette in the darkness.
"I love you, Nayni Nordontu," He whispered.
She remained still. Her lips still barely parted.
"I love you and I will wait for you until the day I die if that's how long it takes," Coran said.
He kept his volume barely above a whisper. Finally saying it out loud was freeing. After all that had happened he needed to feel that desperate relief. The words had been on the tip of his tongue all day, trying to escape from his lips. He'd let it out now. He'd laid himself bare to the forces of the universe. At least this way it would do her no harm. He took in her scent for the last time and sat up.
Coran gingerly moved her arm back onto the back of the couch. He slid back over to his side. Coran tucked the wretched pillow beneath his head. The scratchy blanket wasn't quite long enough to cover his feet. At least now when she woke, Nayni wouldn't be horrified to see that they'd made physical contact during the night. He smiled as he remembered the first night he'd spent in this apartment. He could still taste that awful pungent flavor of the Pirate Gin. The way her face lit up when she laughed was still so clear to him. That was the night he found out that she actually quite enjoyed his jokes. That was the night he realized he wanted her.
Coran cupped Nayni's plump face in his hands. Their clothes were already in a heap on the floor of their quarters. She could still taste that exquisite meal on his lips. His kiss was slow and gentle. Coran lay Nayni on the bed gingerly. His hands ran along her curves and he gripped her thick thigh. She ran her fingers through his red hair. She took in a sharp breath as he planted buttery kisses along her neck. Coran pulled her against his body. She wrapped her legs around his waist. The thin patch of hair on his chest rubbed against the surface of her skin.
She wanted to absorb every detail of this moment. The slight curve of his lips as they parted in a smile. That scent of spiced tea rolling off of his skin and onto hers. She wanted to remember all of it. Warmth radiated from her core and made the tips of her fingers and toes tingle. His face was so flushed it was redder than his hair.
Nayni clung to him. She could feel the muscles of his back relaxing. She stroked his red hair as he caught his breath again. He couldn't stop smiling and Coran let out a soft chuckle. It was an odd time to laugh but it made her smile. Coran rolled on his side. His smile was bringing out the laugh lines on his face. He ran his thumb along the curve of her face. His smile softened.
"Why are you chortling like a schoolboy?" Nayni asked.
She was chuckling too mostly because his happiness was so infectious. She watched his eyes flicker all over her. His eyes were practically sparkling.
"I told you how I felt once, while you slept," Coran said. "Back then, I never thought this would happen."
Nayni brushed a red curl away from his face. The way he was smiling made her want to cry. She never thought she'd be the one to make him this happy.
"When was that?" Nayni asked.
She cupped his face in her hands and stroked the sharp angles of his jaw with her thumb.
"The day Daibazaal fell," Coran said. "You let me stay on your couch and we fell asleep watching that horrible teledrama."
Nayni remembered that day. It was the start of the end. They'd had no idea at the time though. Nobody could've predicted that Zarkon would come back to life and rain his wrath down upon the universe. It was terrifying. She'd been so uncertain of what the future would hold but she'd put up a front. She'd done it for Allura but more so for him. It had been one of the most trying and exhausting days of her life. She'd slept so deeply that night that it was no surprise that he could've said something and it wouldn't have disturbed her.
"I thought about telling you how I felt that day too," Nayni confessed.
Instead, she'd clung to duty out of fear. Coran pulled her close. He took in the scent of her hair and she could feel his face pressed against hers.
"We've come so far, Nayni," Coran said.
They had but she knew they still had so much ahead of them. Yet she felt as if she could conquer the universe now. They'd lost everything and beaten all the odds and now they were here. They were finally together after all those years of anguish and longing. All those fears and doubts meant nothing now. They were just the remnants of a different life.