A/N: I do not own Voltron, its characters or settings. Just Lissa and her world of romantic problems.
Thank you to Yamotoforever, Smack54, Starlette Rose and FeralGuardian. Oh, and Yamoto you are absolutely correct: Lance will do the right thing…as soon as he decides what that is. Smack, as usual you give useful reviews. Thank you so much. Anyone who is reading this story, if you enjoy Anime, check out some of Smack's stuff. It's…fun. Just read and see.
The outline of the Red Lion had not even disappeared from view before Keith came barging into the Rec Room. Allura, with a typical moment of female intuition, had been waiting for him there. She had calmly rehearsed what she was going to say to him by way of explanation, but she took one look at his furious face and all of her carefully constructed plans flew out the window.
"Just where does Lance think he's going?" Keith demanded as he stormed up to the Princess, his eyes narrowed with anger. "I haven't even gotten a chance to speak to him about his reckless behavior yet."
Apparently Keith didn't realize that Lance had taken the Red Lion out for a long trip, but then there was no way the captain would know about it, since she hadn't bothered to tell anyone else about the letter Lissa had left or Lance's reaction to it. Keith's anger at the moment was spawned by having to postpone his lecture to the pilot. She could only imagine how he was going to react to the news that Lance was running after his lady love. With the Red Lion, no less.
Allura began to fidget. The longer she delayed telling Keith the truth, the more difficult it would be to catch up to Lance, and the angrier Keith was going to be. There really was no delicate way to break the news to him so…
"Well, you see, Lissa and Lance got into a fight, so Lissa left Arus and now Lance is going after her," she blurted, speaking so quickly her words ran together.
An unnatural stillness fell over Keith, and his face became curiously blank. "What did you say?"
"Lissa has left Arus and Lance-"
Keith made an impatient gesture with his hand. "I heard you the first time Princess."
Allura, miffed by his rudeness, said, "Well, you asked."
Keith started to pace, trying to decide on the best course of action. "We have no choice but to assemble the team and go after him. He seems determined to get himself killed or put Arus at risk."
Allura frowned, thinking her handsome captain could be so very…male at times. "I don't think he does these things intentionally, Keith. He's in love, he's not thinking rationally. He was so very upset when I told him."
Keith's head snapped around as he pinned her with an intense stare, and her words died in her throat.
"You told him she left?"
Allura started to fidget again. "Well, yes."
"I see," Keith murmured, running his hands through his hair in frustration. "And how did you know she was leaving Arus for good?"
"Because she said as much in the letter she left me," Allura softly replied.
Keith took a deep breath and closed his eyes, as if fighting for patience. "Did it not occur to you that news of her departure might spur Lance into doing something foolish?"
She had the grace to blush. "Actually, no. I was so upset by the letter that I didn't stop to think about how he might react until it was too late."
"And now, we have one missing pilot and one stolen Lion," Keith pointed out in a voice that was entirely too calm.
Allura shifted uneasily. "I know Keith, and I'm sorry. I should have taken the letter to you first and then gone with you when I showed it to Lance."
Keith's eyes slowly opened, and he smiled at her without humor. "That's right. That's exactly what you should have done. Why didn't you? Did you think I couldn't handle it?"
She stiffened beneath his piercing stare. "Are you implying that I find you incompetent, captain? Because if you are, the irony of it would make me laugh."
He frowned in confusion. "What are you talking about?"
Allura didn't know what made her angrier: the way he constantly treated her like an inept child, or the fact that he wasn't even aware he was doing it. She gritted her teeth in irritation. "I'm talking about the way you treat me Captain. You act as if I am incapable of protecting myself, and yet I've managed to earn the place as Pilot of the Blue Lion. I can hold my own in combat, but you always insist on having me guard the castle, or fly at the back of the formations. You act like I'm a little girl, to be protected and humored."
Keith blinked in stunned surprise. "You are the Princess, and it's my duty to protect you from harm."
"Wrong. It's your duty to protect Arus," she contradicted him. "Which is why I don't understand the reason you're always trying to keep me out of combat. I fly the Blue Lion, without me, there can be no Voltron. It is my duty to go to battle, as much as it is yours, if not more so because these are my own people I am fighting to protect."
Keith was at his wits end and his temper was up. He had one pilot deserting on him and another ranting at him like a madwoman. And he couldn't even deny what she was saying because it was all true. He did send her on the least dangerous missions, but not only out of duty. He loved her, and if she died he'd die right alongside her. It didn't matter that he couldn't have her, it didn't matter that she would one day marry another and he'd be forced to look on, it didn't matter that for him there would never be anyone else. He loved who he loved. Despite all the pain it brought him. End of story.
Keith realized in a moment of insight that he wasn't so different from Lance after all. If it were Allura running away, wouldn't he give chase? Could he do any less for the woman he loved? He didn't know. He'd like to think he'd never do something as rash as make off with the Black Lion but…he just didn't know.
Allura was staring at him with tears in her beautiful eyes, and suddenly it was all too much. Lance's desertion, Allura's accusations, hiding his enduring love for her. A man could only take so much…
"You want a reason, Princess?" he murmured, moving without warning, pulling her roughly into his arms. "How about this?"
He kissed her before he had time to reconsider.
Allura didn't even think of resisting him.
It was as if lightning flowed between them, arcing from one body to the next, feeding off the intensity of their longing. It started out soft and tentative, just a gentle touch of mouths, but too soon that wasn't enough to satisfy a craving that had been residing within them for too long. The kiss deepened, grew hotter as they tried to devour one another.
Keith released her as abruptly as he'd grabbed her, knowing he couldn't take much more of this. He had no time for this at the moment, it seemed far easier to run down an errant pilot then face his own forbidden desires. As he glanced down at Allura, he was stunned to see the signs of lust on her lovely face, and it dawned on him that she had been kissing him back. She hadn't pushed him away. She wanted him…
This was madness, of course, and he knew it. They could never be, and one of them had to act sensibly. He bolted from her side before she had time to recover, manning the Black Lion and taking to flight before she could even make it into uniform.
Allura watched him take off, feeling dazed and bereft. She brought a hand to her stinging lips. He'd actually done it. After endless hours of dreaming, her dashing Captain had kissed her. And then run. She couldn't let him get away, not now, when she was so close to winning him over. She was into uniform and launching the Blue Lion before the Black Lion had faded from view, her expression one of fierce determination.
Lance knew it wouldn't be long before the rest of the Voltron Force gave pursuit. In fact, he was certain Keith was already on the way. He had set a course for Tanor, though, and he wasn't about to turn back now. He had to see Lissa again, to clear up this agonizing situation between them once and for all. For as long as he'd known her, their love had always come in second to their sense of duty. For once, duty could wait.
He was going to tell her he loved her, and that she was a fool to think he'd ever want her to leave him. Even if she didn't love him now, he wanted to have her close by for as long as possible. He had no illusions that his confession would cause her to leave the Legion, it wasn't even a possibility. But he needed her to know the truth, he couldn't hide his love any more, it was killing him.
He was startled out of his thoughts when a sharp voice snapped, "Just what do you think you're doing, running off with the Red Lion?"
He looked up in disbelief to see the Yellow Lion blocking his path. Of all the people he'd expect to interfere with him, he'd never thought it would be Hunk. The giant man was so gentle and compassionate, but he was also noble and dutiful, Lance reminded himself. This wasn't such a surprise after all.
He tried lying, on the off chance Hunk might not know what he was up to. "I'm just out for a routine flight."
"Don't give me that, Lance," Hunk replied in a soft voice that was nonetheless edged with steel. "I've already spoken to Keith. He says you're leaving Arus without permission."
Lance's hand balled into a fist. "Damn it, Hunk. Don't interfere. I don't want to fight with you."
"Then don't," the other man responded.
"I have no choice," Lance refuted. "I can't let her leave, Hunk. Not like this."
"Huh? Let who leave?" the other pilot asked, his confusion obvious.
Lance felt a faint spark of hope. Keith hadn't told Hunk everything, and the pilot of the Yellow Lion was a notoriously kind man. "It's Lissa. She's run away."
"The lady White Rider?" Hunk questioned. "Why would she do that?"
"Because she thinks I want her to."
Hunk laughed. "Don't be ridiculous. Anyone can see you're mad for her."
Lance gritted his teeth. "Apparently she can't."
Hunk's laughter abruptly ended. "Oh. I never could figure out why women have such a hard time understanding us men."
There was a moment of deep silence, and Lance knew the other man was thinking, torn between his obligations and his ideals. Lance felt no regret for forcing Hunk to make such a choice. He had to get to Lissa.
"If Keith asks, I never saw you," Hunk finally muttered, and the Yellow Lion veered aside and turned in the direction of the Castle of Lions.
"Thanks, Hunk," Lance replied.
Hunk grunted in answer. "Good luck. It sounds like you'll need it."
Lance wasted no more time talking, knowing the past few minutes had probably allowed Keith to gain on him considerably. The Red Lion surged forward once more, but Lance bit off a silent curse as another familiar figure appeared on the control board. It was the Black Lion, bearing down on him like a bat out of hell.