Day 23:
Allura blinked awake to a bright summer morning. Her room was warmer than usual despite having the thermostat set to keep it on the cool side. She finally managed to focus on her alarm clock.
Nine o'clock! She was going to be extremely late for work!
As she frantically threw back the covers to get up, a heavy weight around her waist stopped her. Confused, she tried once again. Finally, her brain caught up with her, remembering what happened the day before.
"Where are you off to in such a hurry, Princess?"
She glanced back over her shoulder to see Keith, at least half naked, smiling sleepily at her. Then she looked down, realizing that she was completely naked. Embarrassed, Allura quickly flopped back down on her pillow and pulled the blanket over her head.
"Do you want me to leave so you can get dressed? You told them you'd be in after lunch," Keith reminded her.
Sticking one hand out from under the bedcovering she gave him a quick thumbs-up. She could hear him chuckle at her antics and felt the bed shift as he got up. Once he'd collected his clothes she heard the door shut, her cue to get up and jump in the shower.
By the time she'd made it to the kitchen, breakfast was already on the table and coffee was brewing in the pot, Keith poking around in the fridge for something. As she poured herself a cup she looked around the sink for any errant dishes. There was no sign of her roommate so Allura wondered if she'd stayed the night at the hotel. Knowing Pidge, she imagined her friend was fully dressed and Lance was sleeping on the floor. There was no way he'd won her over in a single day.
"So, um, about last night," she started, not sure where she was going with the sentence, "that was not something I usually do, you know."
"Me either," Keith responded brusquely. "I'm sure you imagine that a guy in my position has a reputation for one-night-stands."
Allura felt a bolt of anger at the presumption. "No, I mean that you're, well, my first. Like I said, the tabloids back home liked to link me to all the playboys. I just thought it was special, that's all."
She sat in her chair with a huff, trying not to let him see how much he'd hurt her feelings.
"Sorry, I shouldn't have said that. I forgot you're kinda in the same boat as me," he said as he moved to her side. "How about we try this again?"
He reached for her hand, bowing to place a chaste kiss on her delicate fingers.
"Good morning, Princess. I hope you slept well."
Her hunger was temporarily sated by the sudden presence of swarms of butterflies. How could she stay mad at him after that?
"Like a dream. And you?"
"Better than I've ever slept in my life," he beamed.
Allura giggled at the scene they were playing, pulling him even further down to plant a kiss on his lips. She remembered how they felt the night before. Last night he tasted of sweat and red wine, this morning of sleep and hot coffee.
Soon they were both full and heading out for the day. Keith offered to escort her as far as the Red Line, during which time they made plans for the weekend. Chances were good that he'd be touring again soon so they wanted to have as much time together as possible.
As they parted ways and Allura headed toward her destination, her mind was atwitter with everything that had happened yesterday.
"I'm not going to get any work done today," she sighed.
In the background, the other commuters were discussing the news, some worried about the news from North Korea. But Allura was in too good of a mood to confront such a possibility. For her only good things could happen from here on out.
Day 105:
Christmas Eve came too quickly, fall having been little more than a blur. Allura admitted she loved the holiday even though it wasn't celebrated in her family. This year she decided to put up a small plastic tree in her room, since Pidge had an issue with her sacrificing a real tree to the mythological god Saturn.
Keith was going to spend the day there with her since he didn't have a permanent residence, often crashing at Hunk or Lance's apartments when he wasn't being put up at a hotel for a singing gig. He of course had the money but didn't like the idea of being tied down to one place for too long.
On the rare weekends he didn't have to work, like this one, he stayed at Allura's place. Not having to get up early meant sleeping in and morning cuddles, her favorite now that the weather was colder.
The previous day they'd gone shopping for last-minute gifts and groceries. Keith swore that he could cook a feast for the five of them, so they'd invited Lance and Hunk to join them for dinner.
Allura was too excited to wait to Christmas day to give him his gift. He was confused as to why he had to bundle up first, until she dragged him out into the cold and across the street to the nearby parking garage.
They took the stairs down to the lower level to spot B20.
His eyes went wide when he saw the candy apple red motorcycle parked there, a giant green bow adorning the handlebars. Keith grabbed her face to plant an enthusiastic kiss on her forehead, thanking her profusely for her generosity.
It was something she knew he could buy for himself but never would, and she loved that he loved it.
"Let's take it for a spin around town!"
"But what about dinner?"
"Turkey is in the oven, Pidge and Lance are in the apartment to put out any potential fires, and the city is practically empty. Please, just for a bit," he begged.
Allura finally relented, grabbing the spare helmet she'd picked out for herself. It was pink, her favorite color.
They drove around for nearly an hour, briefly getting on the interstate to see how fast the bike could go. She found she was equal parts excited and scared, holding Keith tightly as he sped down the highway.
After they got back she raced to the radiator, holding her numb fingers in front to shake the cold off.
"Now I know why I never see those things after Thanksgiving," she admitted, "what was I thinking?"
Keith laughed as he walked over with a blanket, wrapping around them as they moved to the bedroom. He reached over to pull something from his overnight bag, a small present wrapped in shiny paper.
"It's not as nice as what you got me, but I hope you like it."
Allura unwrapped the present to find a beautiful set of earrings with a matching necklace. Each piece was made with gold and had a drop made of rose quartz stone.
"Rose gold." She ran her fingers over the gems, tying their significance to his latest hit single.
The song he'd dedicated to her.
"Something for you to remember me by when I'm on the road," he responded somewhat mournfully.
He would be back to his world tour soon, meaning they would again go long stretches of time not seeing each other. She hated it but didn't want him to know. It was important that she support him, to be there for him when he came home.
"They're beautiful," she said, trying her best to maintain a smile. "They're absolutely perfect."
This time she was pulling him in for a kiss, knotting her fingers in his hair as she tenderly met his lips. Keith's arms quickly snaked around her, pulling her in closer to deepen it. They only broke apart when the smoke alarm went off.
"Hey guys," yelled Hunk, "I think the turkey is done."
Keith ran to the kitchen, which was starting to smell like scorched bird.
"Who turned up the oven?"
"Oh, that would be me," Lance admitted sheepishly. "I was hungry, it was taking too long, and it smelled so good!"
The five of them stood looking at what should have been their dinner, then back to Keith.
"I'll grab the takeout menus," he huffed.
Day 186:
Allura came home from work to find Keith sitting at the kitchen table, his face worried. A letter in his hand had his attention to the point he didn't even notice her walking in the door. She couldn't help but notice the paper was shaking.
"Keith, what's that?"
"A big mistake," he growled. "My appeal to overturn my discharge was granted, and now they want me to finish the remainder of my service as a pilot."
"But, what if we go to war?" Allura could feel her legs starting to give out. She leaned heavily on the table, sliding slowly into the chair next to his.
"My guess is that's why it went through. I was one of their top pilots, they need me."
As much as she wanted to run from the apartment screaming, she realized that Keith needed her now more than ever. He had no family that he could contact, and Shiro was still MIA. She was the closest thing he had, but with no legal standing of any kind.
Allura placed her hand on his shoulder, rubbing the muscle through his shirt. She could feel the tightness and tried to soothe it away.
"When do you have to go?"
"I have 60 days to report."
"How long do you have to serve?"
"One year to earn an honorable discharge."
"But what about your tour?"
Keith sighed, running his fingers through his long hair. "I'll have to talk to the producers, but there's not much that they can do."
The two sat in silence, the only sound in the room was the low whirring of the space heater.
Allura looked around the apartment, deciding that once her lease was up she'd find a place just for the two of them. Pidge stayed with Lance most of the time now, and Keith was with her most nights.
It was an odd thing to think about, really; her mind needed something to fixate on that didn't involve the possibility of losing the only man she ever loved.
Day 203:
A late snow fell on Sunday and her workplace was closed for the weekend, so Allura decided to spend the day looking for a new place to rent. Her lease would be up in July but she wanted to have lots of time to move. For once her family's money came in handy as she had a much wider range of options to choose from.
"See anything you like?" Keith's voice startled her as she thought he was still asleep.
"Lots of nice places, I'm thinking maybe Cambridge would be a good spot, and a shorter commute."
Keith smiled and pointed to the map towards a town a bit further north. "That's where I lived with my dad, before he decided to put me in the system."
Allura shot him a curious glance. "So I should avoid looking there?"
"No, it's a nice area," he countered. "We could probably even have a small yard. I'd feel better if you had a dog to protect you."
"Or a big cat," she teased. He knew she wasn't a big fan of pets in general.
"How about an attack mouse? It's so small they'll never see it coming."
The very idea sent her into laughing fits but she had to admit it would be nice to have a living thing to keep her company. That was something to consider another day, for now she diverted her search to the town he mentioned. Keeping her area of interest as close to the commuter rail as possible, she found several places that looked like they'd fit the bill.
"So much for the shorter commute," she groaned to herself after Keith walked away. "But at least it will be home."