[It’s been… a very long month for Allura at least. Between Keith dying and resurrecting and working to repair the bond that got severed in the meantime, she’s been more withdrawn than usual. Maybe that’s why Lance suggested a pamper day. Or maybe it was Lance just being Lance. She wasn’t going to complain.
Who he decided to invite along, however, is a surprise.]
Kolivan, Lance said that those cucumbers are not for eating.
[Allura peeks out from under the warm wash cloth she had placed over her eyes, looking at their Galra teammate. The sitting room has been converted into Lance’s Spa for the day, with candles and foot baths, and trays with food – some for eating. Others for wearing, as she’s been informed when she mistakingly ate a spoonful of yogurt and oatmeal that had been prepared. Human traditions are strange.]
[To say that Kolivan doesn't understand this is...an understatement. But, he's aware that it's important to keep his bond with Lance strong and so he's agreed to this.
It seems there's food and...
Somehow he's ended up with a strange goop on his face and he's been given a plate with two slices of cucumbers. He's about to eat one when Allura speaks up. And frowns.
What is he supposed to do with the food if he's not supposed to eat it?]
[ A lot has happened of late and despite a gradual return to normalcy, there's a lingering insistence that something just isn't right. Given the abundance of changes that his completed transformation has brought, it's easy to brush most of it away as being part of a new normal he'll have to adapt to. But when it comes to Allura, it's hard to keep the instinct to reach out and hold her close in check. It's stupid -- he can see damn well that she's okay, and when they're not together, her emotions fill up a reserved space in his heart just as they've done for the last handful of months.
Still. It'd freaked him out a little when he suddenly wasn't able to feel anything from her earlier in the day, and heaering that she'd "only fainted" hadn't exactly been the most reassuring bit of news. Rationally, he realizes this air of grief is just how a broken bond goes, but that doesn't lessen its impact. It's why a quiet night by the pool had seemed like a good idea. Just something relaxing between the two of them to shake off whatever this mood is.
The sky is clear tonight and when they're both settled comfortably on a large pool float, Keith points up at a cluster of unfamiliar stars. ]
If you connect the lines between them just right, it looks like Coran's mustache.
[ he's glad she's catching on! kolivan on the other hand, well, they've got some work to do. and that's okay! lance expected this when he'd asked them to join him. ]
Okay, Kolivan, so you're gonna lie back and put those slices over your eyes. It's gonna make them feel really great and, uh, get rid of some of the bags underneath. Sounds good?
[She beams at the praise, then gives Kolivan a sympathetic shrug once Lance turns back to him. It is confusing to her too.]
You should listen to Lance. [Sitting up, she sets her washcloth on her lap. She's gotten more used to the idea of being around Kolivan since he arrived. Even to go as far as saying she trusts him. But there's still much she doesn't know about him.] When was the last time you pampered yourself?
[The fainting spell had been as embarrassing as it was illuminating about how profoundly her bond with Keith had changed her. Like so many things that she learned to appreciate more once it was absent, the hole left in the wake of his death lasted much longer than it took for him to rise again.
The bond felt impossibly slow to rebuild. During the days, she impatiently found herself mentally reaching into the space between them only to remember that he was sleeping. And at night, she stayed up late, keyed into the bond that had been so quiet, wondering what he was up to.
Maybe that's why she's been so tired lately.]
A mustache? [She laughs lightly, making the float bob, and leans her head in closer, trying to look down the line of his hand to see from his perspective.] I do not see it. Does it start with those three that are clustered together?
[...Why is there specific mention of the bags under his eyes? This all seems...dangerous. They were making themselves vulnerable to any attack by doing this.
He's frowning down at the vegetable on his plate when Allura speaks again.
Had a feeling you'd say something like that, which is exactly why I asked you to come out.
[ that, and he also wanted kolivan and allura to bond a little themselves. he remembers allura not taking to kolivan very easily, but that she's here now being helpful...
well. it's definitely progress. ]
So, Allura, mind helping Kolivan out with the yogurt? [ it's also a little test to see how much she's learned. ]
[She tries not to sound too much like the student called on who wasn't ready for the assignment, but there's a definite note of panic there.
Pressing her mouth into a determined frown, she stands up to fetch the bowl of yogurt. She's certain that it goes on the face - he'd called it a mask - but is that all?
Standing beside Kolivan brings another problem to mind,]
You need to lie down, first.
[Even seated on the couch he's nearly as tall as she is!]
[ Keith reflexively holds the side of the float as it dips, relaxing again when they continue bobbing along as intended. Offering a small smile before remembering he isn't supposed to be staring at her, he averts his eyes and looks back up at the stars ]
Yeah, you got it. It starts there and -- [ Pointing upwards, he traces out a lopsided 'w' with his finger to connect five stars. ] See? Just like that.
[ If you squint anyway. He lowers his arm just a little stiffly, trying not to touch her accidentally. Maybe that's a little ridiculous considering the number of times they've fallen asleep close together, but there's a lot of skin on display right now. ]
It's a little like this constellation called Aries that you can see from Earth.
[It's a level of skin on display that is largely reserved for when she's in the water, but lounging on a pool float with Keith is nice, and she won't think about how much more skin-to-skin contact is possible like this. Not at all.]
Oh, I see it now! [She holds both her hands up and makes a 'W' with her fingers, to match the pattern in the sky.] I thought it looked a little like the symbol on the front of the paladin armor.
[There's a somber pause after that, and she drops her hands to wrap around her sides, not saying anything yet, but her thoughts go to home. Not Altea. But the home she'd made on the castleship with the others.]
Did you look at the stars a lot, when you were on Earth?
[ It's hard not to be distracted by the markings on Allura's arms when she raises them. Though he manages to keep his eyes on the constellation, his thoughts keep drifting closer to the ground. Maybe a part of that can still be normal -- he is generally concerned about her well being, after all. But wanting to trace over the patterns on her skin? Keith stays quiet for a moment, trying to clear his head. ]
Mm. My dad and I used to sit out on the porch to look at stars sometimes.
[ Yet another thing about his dad that made more sense in retrospect if there was someone out there in the cosmos who'd left them both behind. The thought is heavy though, and he's quick to move on. ]
Then we had to learn star charts and stuff while I was a cadet at the Garrison.
A little bit. [She hums, tapping an absentminded pattern against her skin, her eyes going soft and unfocused as she looks up at the stars.]
I was travelling between planets before I spoke my first words. They were… Mundane isn’t the correct word, but they were always changing. Points on a map. Places that people I knew lived. Or problems to be solved, in the case of time-space anomalies.
[In short, some of the inherent mysticism of space was dampened a little, when you were used to zipping around like humans did across their roads and highways.]
Truth be told, I think this is the longest I’ve spent under the same sky. [She laughs,] It’s different.
That must've been nice, growing up like that. Thinking of the stars as places your friends live. [ He smiles, then looks back up at the sky as well. ] I like thinking about it that way. Feels connected.
[ It's certainly the polar opposite of how he'd felt about the stars during his last term at the Garrison. As stupid as it was, he'd certainly spent at least one night yelling at the stars from the desert to give Shiro back.
After a slight pause, he peers back towards her. ]
Is it a bad kind of different? I know I miss flying sometimes. Can't imagine how much worse that has to be for you.
[There’s a long pause before she answers. Long enough that he might think she hadn’t heard him, but finally she speaks,]
It’s a complicated feeling. [She starts, honestly,] I miss Coran and the mice and Pidge and Hunk and the castleship.
But there is a freedom from being taken away from it all. [It’s a strange thing to say, when she was more tethered down than she’s ever been before in her life,] It feels like the first time I’ve had to think about who I am.
[Without a title, or a mission, or a cause. Everything she did here was because she wanted to do it. It was frightening and exhilarating all at once. She turns her head away from him, watching the darkened house.] That sounds foolish, I know.
Good, good! You're getting it -- well, both of you are!
[ He sounds like a proud parent or something?? Look, he's legitimately happy his friends who aren't from earth are willing to try some earth customs. It's nice. He'll return the favor someday but for now? Face masks. ]
[What’s next? Allura stares at the bowl of yogurt like it’s a math problem. Lifts a spoon towards Kolivan’s face before putting it back when Lance’s expression shifts to the negative. No… it’s not ready to put on the face yet.]
Now… I add it to the oatmeal? [A question first. Then,] Yes. That’s right. I remember now!
[ And here she starts mixing the concoction which, honestly, looks really gross now. If not for the milky smell and the fact that she’s the one putting it all together, she would probably not let it come anywhere near her face.]
Okay Kolivan, now put the cucumbers over your eyes.
[ The prolonged silence on Allura's end makes Keith uneasy, though he doesn't prompt her to speak. All the same, he lets out a quiet sigh of relief when she does and he listens carefully. "Freedom" isn't what he was expecting to hear, but the confusion around it settles with some thought. ]
That doesn't sound foolish to me at all.
[ Gently, he reaches over to cover one of her hands with his, lightly brushing over her knuckles reassuringly. ]
Obviously, I'm not royalty and it's not like anyone expected anything out of me, so maybe I don't get what you're going through completely, but ... it's hard trying to figure out who you are and what your place is in the universe.
But you know... you're still you wherever you are.
[Her gaze flickers down. Not quite to their hands but in that direction, and she turns her hand in his, until they're facing palm-to-palm and she can interlace them. It's almost habit by now.
You're still you wherever you are. She wasn't expecting it, but there's something about the sentiment that makes her eyes start to burn, her breath suddenly feeling tight in her throat.]
Thank you, Keith. [It's something she's said so many times before, but it felt like something different now. Heavier.]
All my life I just wanted to be like my father. To inspire and protect others.
[Ah. Her gaze turns to the side,] I'm not very good at that last one.
[ Keith's expression falters as she speaks. He doesn't have a damn clue what to say to this, but he does very earnestly want her to feel better. Giving her hand a squeeze, he turns onto his side to face her, making the float bob on the water. ]
You know that isn't true. There's an entire Balmera and its people out there that you saved and inspired to join the fight and help liberate others from Zarkon. Can't imagine that your dad wouldn't be real proud of you.
[ A beat. ]
I know I've never met someone who was as dedicated to fighting for what's right.
[The float bobs dangerously in the water, sinking down where his weight is fixed on a spot on his side of it, making the whole thing angle slightly towards him and there's a part of her that thinks of how easy it would be to turn, and let it snuggle her in close to him.
She bites her lip, looking away,] But I wasn't able to save you.
[It sounds ridiculous, when he's sitting right here. But the day in the forest still haunted her. She'd spent hours walking alongside the river, looking for him. The pain of having the bond severed was nothing compared to the understanding of what it meant that followed.]
I know it was part of your transformation, but it doesn't make it right.. I should have been there for you.
[ Keith falls deathly silent for a moment, throat tightening with guilt. Bonded as they are, he knows he can't really attempt to hide that from her, but he'd sincerely thought that he was doing what was best. ]
I know that you wanted to be there.
[ His turn to look away from her face now. ]
But I just wanted you to be safe. That's... all that mattered to me in the moment.
[She asserts, voice hardening suddenly at the same time she sits up a little, making the raft wobble dangerously and she has to calm herself down, lest they both get toppled into the water. She's not mad, just. Frustrated. And sad.]
I just want to be able to look at the people I love in the eyes without wondering if it will be the last time.
[The memory played over in her head, her father assuring her that it would be okay. Keith telling her the same. And then in the next instant, she was alone.]
[ His grip tightens on her hand as they dip precariously. In retrospect maybe the float was a bad idea, though his thoughts don't stay there for long. ]
Allura-- [ He starts, then stops not knowing how to put words to the weight on his chest. Suddenly it seems all but a miracle that they haven't sunk straight to the bottom of the pool. ]
That's not ... [ Another attempt at a protest, another lapse into silence. After all, what's he meant to say when he knows all too damn well what that feeling is like? Knows that intent doesn't fix a damn thing?
Still. ]
I didn't mean to hurt you. I never meant to put you through something like that. I was just... [ He bites his lip, then slowly loosens his grip on Allura's hand. ] ...I'm sorry. I don't know how I can make it up to you, but I'm not going anywhere.
[She swallows hard around a sudden lump in her throat, fingers tightening around his hand when it feels like he’s going to let go. If she had her normal Altean strength he might be complaining for how hard she was holding him right now but here it was just a little too tight.]
I’m sorry. It’s selfish of me to make this about myself. I was just so afraid to lose you.
[She turns toward him, suddenly, to look in his eyes.] Do you understand? You’re- oh-
[Any heartfelt confessions are suddenly cut off as the side that Keith is on – the side she just leaned into – dips precariously into the water, too fast and too sudden that the rest of the float flips up under her legs, making her face collide with his chest for a second before the whole thing capsizes, uncaring of the gravitas of the situation as they suddenly sink in a tangle of legs and one pool float that launches in the air as they splash into the water.]
[ He'd been about to yelp something in surprise, but a sudden mouthful of pool water makes quick work of that. It doesn't quite stop him from trying to shout her name underwater anyway, so she gets a stream of air bubbles blown her way before Keith finally kicks back up to the surface, clasping her hand tightly. ]
-lura!
[ His hair, already an unregulated mess, is now sopping wet and forming a wonderfully helpful curtain that obscures his eyes. Keith gives his head a quick shake to get it out of the way. ]
Are you okay?? [ He grabs her other hand for good measure, pulling her to the side of the pool. ] Do you need a towel?
[ It's asked with all the gravitas of someone tryign to decide if she needs CPR, though the humor of that is apparently lost on Keith. ]
[When she surfaces, there's a whole mess of hair hanging in her face. Long hunks of hair came free to hang like a curtain in front of her face while what remains of her bun hangs like a deflated balloon.
There's a handful of moments that she stands, sputtering with water running down her face as she replays the last 2 ticks in her head. What an idiot she is-]
[-But then he says that, and maybe it's the tension of the moment breaking, or just because it's so ridiculous, she feels her composure start to break. Shoulders shaking with mirth, she parts her hair to look up at him.]
Pff- [She giggles, wiping the water away from her eyes with equally wet hands, then laughs more at that] I-I think we are well past towels, Keith.
[ Keith trails off into silence when Allura starts laughing. He doesn't mean to stare, but he can't help it either. Despite his growing awareness of how silly this situation has become, his stomach is still a little tied up in knots and it doesn't help matters that there's a stupid flutter in his chest now from just watching Allura giggling while her hair has deflated.
God. He should be laughing, too. There's probably something wrong with him for reacting like this, right? But he can't help feeling so goddamn endeared and he raises his hand up to help brush Allura's hair from her face. ]
I could throw in a hair dryer.
[ If he had greater presence of mind, he would have thought better than to say something so inane, but it's stated with an almost painful degree of earnestness as he tucks a lock of her hair behind her ear. ]
[That just inspires another round of laughter and she lifts a hand to laugh behind her palm. It's been awhile since something caught her funny bone like this,]
You're ridiculous.
[Her fingers bump against his when she moves to push the hair out of her face at the same time and she pauses, letting her hand linger there against his. There's a familiar flutter and warmth between their bond, stronger than ever, since they started repairing it.]
This is going to take vargas to dry... [She says benignly, focusing her eyes on something to the right of Keith, her mind on something other than the tight feeling around her heart - like undoing the rest of her bun, her long white hair soon draping down over her neck and shoulders, fanning out into the water behind her.] Are you okay? I didn't realize those floats were so unstable.
[ Their fingers brush and against his better judgment, Keith leaves his hand by Allura's temple. It's just a small amount of contact, but it makes his heart feel so full when she laughs again. ]
I'm fine. [ More than fine, if the warmth in his eyes says anything. One small step is all it would take to close the remaining space between them and pull her into his arms, and the thought takes up far too much room in his head. ]
Well.. mostly anyway. [ He carefully traces his fingers down the side of her face, then presses his palm to her cheek. ] It's really good to hear you laughing.
I laugh all the time. [Just a touch defensively - in the tone of voice that suggests she's thinking about when really was the last time she laughed so hard. Aside from being with Keith on this planet.... it was a very very long time ago.
Her hands cups his on her face and she tilts her head into it, resting her cheek in his hand.]
Do you... wish to feed, before we return to bed?
[There's a flutter in her stomach as she asks - she's not typically the one to instigate. But... the desire popped up and out of her mouth before she could think otherwise. The whole of him seemed to draw her in and it was as good an excuse as any to be close.]
this sounds 10x smuttier than it actually is lmfao
[ He'd comment on the first part of what she said, but the question she follows up with surprises him enough that he loses his train of thought. ]
Now?
[ He swallows hard -- of course he wants to. As weird as all of this may objectively be, he's really come to treasure these moments between them for being something more than purely functional. Even more so now that he realizes just how differently other vampires are with their bonded. But that was always part of the problem, wasn't it? Being just a little too fond...?
Instinctively, he looks up at the night sky to check the phases of the Sisters. It's a little redundant -- being a monster, he can feel the pull of the moons well enough without having to see with his eyes. The egg timer comes to mind just a split second later and this time the thought feels ridiculous enough that he laughs a little. ]
I'd like that.
[ If Allura's seemingly throwing caution to the wind here, then he wants to prove that he's worthy of that trust at the very least. He grins a little playfully. ]
Want to do it in the pool?
it's fine we're careening into not-quite-smut territory
[Maybe changing the topic is exactly what she wanted.
Her stomach does a flip in the pause after her question - worried that maybe she overstepped, and she opens her mouth to justify her thoughts. I thought it would help repair the bond. It's been days since we've done it. But he agrees and her stomach does a flip again and this time there's a silly, excited smile that pulls at her lips.]
I do.
[She reaches into the space between them to catch him by the hands, then steps backwards through the water, leading him to the edge, where she can rest her back against the side. For support, or something. Even with their bond a fraction of what it used to be, surely he can feel the way her heart is hammering in her chest when she coaxes him closer.]
Are you nervous? Skin to skin contact is supposed to help the bond repair faster.
[ The nervousness sets in more concretely as she pulls him closer. They've done this many times before, but it's only after she directs attention to the amount of skin to skin contact there'll be on account of their bathing suits that Keith has to take a deep breath to keep his thoughts from racing -- it'd be beyond embarrassing if he were to get hard and all.
Ah, but then again, maybe all the lingering questions he has about how his body even works now is just the kind of deeply unarousing thing he needs to keep himself grounded. ]
I'm not nervous.
[ He manages halfway convincingly, if you turned a blind eye to the feather light way he puts a hand on her hip. Still, it's something he wants to convince himself of, so he holds eye contact while brushing hair away from Allura's neck and shoulder. Boldness in this context is a strange concept, but he grins like this is no different from cliff diving with a hoverbike. ]
We've got this.
[ Thumb brushing over a pulse point, Keith leans in at an angle to press his lips to her neck. It isn't meant to be a kiss, but it's accompanied by a soft pulse of warm energy through their bond. Fingers tightening on her waist, Keith mumbles a warning to let Allura know the bite is coming, then sinks his fangs into her skin. ]
[Maybe she should know better - asking him to do this wasn't purely a functional desire, she knows this as her heart skips a beat when his hand settles on her hip, and brushes wet hair from her neck. But more than that, his grin makes her stomach do a flip flop. She's found she cherishes the differences in his smiles. When he's happy, when he's laughing. This one is eager and giddy and a little bit mischievous. When had she ever thought he was the grumpy one?
He's handsome. It's not the first time she's had that intrusive thought, but she lets it linger this time as he presses his lips to her neck and she lets her gaze drift up to the stars and the moon above them. Her free hand settles on his bicep, fingers squeezing back in response at the warning.]
Ah- [A soft noise slips past her lips when she feels the first sting of teeth puncturing her skin. It's familiar and welcome and she can feel the first taste of her blood as a warm pulse through their bond, for a moment just as strong as it had been in the days before he died.
Hand slides up his arm, up his shoulder and neck to dip into his hair, holding him close. His body felt cold, but his touch was electric - she knew by now that, by virtue of her culture, she was a little bit touch starved before coming to Aefenglom but without sleeves and necklines in the way, each point of contact stood out like a beacon. Her free hand wraps around his shoulders, bare, damp skin against his, and she wondered if he could feel just how warm she felt against him.]
[ The first taste of blood is yet another confirmation of just how much the vampire transformation has changed his body. Keith swallows a mouthful, and it warms him from the inside like a shot of hard liquor with none of the burning or horrid taste. He doesn't mean to moan, but it slips out of him as her hands move over his shoulders. Feeling flushed and wanting to be even closer, Keith wraps his arm around Allura's back, mouth sucking gently at her neck.
The princess is sweet and intensely magical, and he can feel the energy of their bond resonating where their skin touches. Unthinking, he leans in a half step, brushing thigh to thigh until their hips align. The connection feels good in many ways, like their bond is physically stitching itself back together, back to where it was when he could tell how she was feeling without having to concentrate so much on it.
It's a sentiment he could drown in, as familiar and cherished as it is. But there's probably such a thing as too comfortable, and between what are obviously still not open mouthed kisses and soothing licks, he's getting an answer to the question of whether or not vampires can get hard.
The answer isn't one Keith meant to share with the class. ]
[His moan burns at her ears - loud against the relative quiet of the dark, and she bites her lip to keep from giving one in reply. Especially once he pulls in closer. Their combined magic is humming in her ears, pooling where their skin is touching, and she marvels at how it feels. How she'd lived so long without it.
But it's more than that, isn't it? Her heart is beating a rapid pace, one she can't blame on the magic. Thoughts traveling down, down where a pressure low on her belly is enough to distract her from the licking and sucking on her neck and-
Oh.
Her breathing catches and an unintelligible noise slips out of her, somewhere between a sigh and a moan. She'll have several moments after in which she can freak out properly, but in the moment she forgets herself, forgets where they are. Fingers dip into his hair and she breathes deeply, breasts pressed against his chest, thoughts turning lewd. Scandalous. And her markings? Well they are certainly glowing by now.
A noise from the house makes her heart leap in her chest and she jerks, accidentally yanking Keith's hair.]
We're on our way! [She shouts - the first thing that pops in her head - to what she's sure is Shiro or Kolivan coming out to check on the noise.]
[ The little noise she makes burns in his ears, sending a shiver straight down his spine despite the fact that he feels so pleasantly warm. But the nanosecond Keith realizes all of this is getting him aroused and there's just no way Allura couldn't have noticed, he pulls back a little, Looking for some exit strategy that doesn't involve leaping away from the princess like she's suddenly developed a bad case of leprosy. Fortunately, there's a sharp yank on his hair that gets an immediate: ]
Ow--
[ And then she says just about the worst thing possible. He lets go of Allura and whirls backwards in the pool, hitting the surface of the water with his arm as he windmills. Enjoy that bit of splashing. ]
Yeah, we're coming!
[ He blurts, echoing what she'd just said instinctively. Whipping around to look in the direction of the house, he grimaces as one of the downstairs lights come on. If nothing else, at least the thought of Kolivan coming outside to do a perimeter check is making him lose the boner? Not fast enough, but still. Turning to Allura, looking just a little frantic. ]
You should go see what they want first. I uh... need a moment.
[She's so, so glad that it's dark, even though her markings are glowing bright enough to dispel any doubt of where her mind had gone, although she can hope Keith assumes it's purely a magical response. What does he know about Altean biology anyway?
Or her about human? She puts her hands on her cheeks, hiding the blush (and the glow) there, not yet making eye contact with him. Maybe it was a mistake. Something in her imagination. Surely a pool float snuck between them and was poking her and not his p-
She dips low in the water, making a good effort at looking like she's suddenly busy with wetting her hair one last time, letting it hang in curtains on the side of her face.]
Right I'll- [Turning away from him before he can look too hard at her face, she goes to the edge and pushes herself up, scrambling out of the water like maybe it suddenly was turned into lava.] I'll go, ah, see.
[But she hesitates, standing at the lip of the pool. Biting her lip.] Is this goodnight, then?
[ Keith likewise hurriedly moves towards the edge of the pool to try and keep his boner hidden from sight, though he doesn't spring out of the water. He stares after Allura for a moment before quickly tearing his eyes away from the glowing markings on her body before his mind goes back to places it shouldn't. ]
I ...uh... if you
[ Can't believe she's asking him that if he's being honest. If their housemates hadn't put a hasty stop to the impromptu feeding session, then surely his privates had done just that by failing to be private? Expression turning sheepish, Keith looks slightly to the left of Allura's ankles as he speaks. ]
Thought it was? D-do you want me to come by your room later?
[Boy, she's really flustered, and there's only so much she can do to rearrange her hair to keep from looking at Keith for too long. It really is impossibly long when it's wet, reaching clear down to her knees when it's not shortened by her curls.]
O-oh. I- [Does she want him to come by? She tugs some long strands of hair around her shoulders, hiding her face in the curtain of her hair. She's not quite ready to confront whether or not her suspicions of his erection were true - and she's not sure which option would fluster her more. No, the less time she spends thinking about his.... his pocket lion... the better. For now anyway,] Perhaps in the morning. I need to wash my hair, and it's going to be a production so. Yes. The morning will be ideal.
[And as the sounds from inside the house persist, she turns to leave, but... pauses and looks behind her,] Good night Keith. I had a lovely night with you. Even with all of the... wetness.
[She tugs her hair back around her face again - why did she word it like that - then calls to the rustling in the house,] We're coming!
His face turns a violent shade of red while she speaks. Why did he ask such a mortifying question in the first place? Halfway wishing the pool could swallow him whole, he somehow manages to keep it together without spontaneously combusting from embarrassment when Allura fumbles her way through shampoo and wetness. ]
I ....yeah,good night.
[ After she's turned to leave, Keith drags his hand down his face and steeps in this current mood so that he can hopefully leave the pool without further embarrassing himself. ]
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> Lance and Kolivan
Who he decided to invite along, however, is a surprise.]
Kolivan, Lance said that those cucumbers are not for eating.
[Allura peeks out from under the warm wash cloth she had placed over her eyes, looking at their Galra teammate. The sitting room has been converted into Lance’s Spa for the day, with candles and foot baths, and trays with food – some for eating. Others for wearing, as she’s been informed when she mistakingly ate a spoonful of yogurt and oatmeal that had been prepared. Human traditions are strange.]
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It seems there's food and...
Somehow he's ended up with a strange goop on his face and he's been given a plate with two slices of cucumbers. He's about to eat one when Allura speaks up. And frowns.
What is he supposed to do with the food if he's not supposed to eat it?]
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Still. It'd freaked him out a little when he suddenly wasn't able to feel anything from her earlier in the day, and heaering that she'd "only fainted" hadn't exactly been the most reassuring bit of news. Rationally, he realizes this air of grief is just how a broken bond goes, but that doesn't lessen its impact. It's why a quiet night by the pool had seemed like a good idea. Just something relaxing between the two of them to shake off whatever this mood is.
The sky is clear tonight and when they're both settled comfortably on a large pool float, Keith points up at a cluster of unfamiliar stars. ]
If you connect the lines between them just right, it looks like Coran's mustache.
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[ he's glad she's catching on! kolivan on the other hand, well, they've got some work to do. and that's okay! lance expected this when he'd asked them to join him. ]
Okay, Kolivan, so you're gonna lie back and put those slices over your eyes. It's gonna make them feel really great and, uh, get rid of some of the bags underneath. Sounds good?
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You should listen to Lance. [Sitting up, she sets her washcloth on her lap. She's gotten more used to the idea of being around Kolivan since he arrived. Even to go as far as saying she trusts him. But there's still much she doesn't know about him.] When was the last time you pampered yourself?
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The bond felt impossibly slow to rebuild. During the days, she impatiently found herself mentally reaching into the space between them only to remember that he was sleeping. And at night, she stayed up late, keyed into the bond that had been so quiet, wondering what he was up to.
Maybe that's why she's been so tired lately.]
A mustache? [She laughs lightly, making the float bob, and leans her head in closer, trying to look down the line of his hand to see from his perspective.] I do not see it. Does it start with those three that are clustered together?
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He's frowning down at the vegetable on his plate when Allura speaks again.
The last time he pampered himself.]
Never.
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[ that, and he also wanted kolivan and allura to bond a little themselves. he remembers allura not taking to kolivan very easily, but that she's here now being helpful...
well. it's definitely progress. ]
So, Allura, mind helping Kolivan out with the yogurt? [ it's also a little test to see how much she's learned. ]
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[She tries not to sound too much like the student called on who wasn't ready for the assignment, but there's a definite note of panic there.
Pressing her mouth into a determined frown, she stands up to fetch the bowl of yogurt. She's certain that it goes on the face - he'd called it a mask - but is that all?
Standing beside Kolivan brings another problem to mind,]
You need to lie down, first.
[Even seated on the couch he's nearly as tall as she is!]
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Yeah, you got it. It starts there and -- [ Pointing upwards, he traces out a lopsided 'w' with his finger to connect five stars. ] See? Just like that.
[ If you squint anyway. He lowers his arm just a little stiffly, trying not to touch her accidentally. Maybe that's a little ridiculous considering the number of times they've fallen asleep close together, but there's a lot of skin on display right now. ]
It's a little like this constellation called Aries that you can see from Earth.
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Oh, I see it now! [She holds both her hands up and makes a 'W' with her fingers, to match the pattern in the sky.] I thought it looked a little like the symbol on the front of the paladin armor.
[There's a somber pause after that, and she drops her hands to wrap around her sides, not saying anything yet, but her thoughts go to home. Not Altea. But the home she'd made on the castleship with the others.]
Did you look at the stars a lot, when you were on Earth?
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Mm. My dad and I used to sit out on the porch to look at stars sometimes.
[ Yet another thing about his dad that made more sense in retrospect if there was someone out there in the cosmos who'd left them both behind. The thought is heavy though, and he's quick to move on. ]
Then we had to learn star charts and stuff while I was a cadet at the Garrison.
[ He turns slightly to face Allura. ]
What about you?
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I was travelling between planets before I spoke my first words. They were… Mundane isn’t the correct word, but they were always changing. Points on a map. Places that people I knew lived. Or problems to be solved, in the case of time-space anomalies.
[In short, some of the inherent mysticism of space was dampened a little, when you were used to zipping around like humans did across their roads and highways.]
Truth be told, I think this is the longest I’ve spent under the same sky. [She laughs,] It’s different.
[I like it. Remains unsaid.]
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[ It's certainly the polar opposite of how he'd felt about the stars during his last term at the Garrison. As stupid as it was, he'd certainly spent at least one night yelling at the stars from the desert to give Shiro back.
After a slight pause, he peers back towards her. ]
Is it a bad kind of different? I know I miss flying sometimes. Can't imagine how much worse that has to be for you.
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He's questioning his agreement of this even as he lowers himself to the floor. The only place big enough to handle him laying down in this household.
The Galra is still frowning but at at least he's...trying.
In his own Kolivan way.]
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It’s a complicated feeling. [She starts, honestly,] I miss Coran and the mice and Pidge and Hunk and the castleship.
But there is a freedom from being taken away from it all. [It’s a strange thing to say, when she was more tethered down than she’s ever been before in her life,] It feels like the first time I’ve had to think about who I am.
[Without a title, or a mission, or a cause. Everything she did here was because she wanted to do it. It was frightening and exhilarating all at once. She turns her head away from him, watching the darkened house.] That sounds foolish, I know.
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[ He sounds like a proud parent or something?? Look, he's legitimately happy his friends who aren't from earth are willing to try some earth customs. It's nice. He'll return the favor someday but for now? Face masks. ]
Okay, what next?
[ The answer, he thinks, is fairly obvious. ]
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Now… I add it to the oatmeal? [A question first. Then,] Yes. That’s right. I remember now!
[ And here she starts mixing the concoction which, honestly, looks really gross now. If not for the milky smell and the fact that she’s the one putting it all together, she would probably not let it come anywhere near her face.]
Okay Kolivan, now put the cucumbers over your eyes.
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That doesn't sound foolish to me at all.
[ Gently, he reaches over to cover one of her hands with his, lightly brushing over her knuckles reassuringly. ]
Obviously, I'm not royalty and it's not like anyone expected anything out of me, so maybe I don't get what you're going through completely, but ... it's hard trying to figure out who you are and what your place is in the universe.
But you know... you're still you wherever you are.
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You're still you wherever you are. She wasn't expecting it, but there's something about the sentiment that makes her eyes start to burn, her breath suddenly feeling tight in her throat.]
Thank you, Keith. [It's something she's said so many times before, but it felt like something different now. Heavier.]
All my life I just wanted to be like my father. To inspire and protect others.
[Ah. Her gaze turns to the side,] I'm not very good at that last one.
[Not when she'd let him die.]
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Why aren't they eating the food?
What is going on?
He has one thing to say here.]
This is food.
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[ Keith's expression falters as she speaks. He doesn't have a damn clue what to say to this, but he does very earnestly want her to feel better. Giving her hand a squeeze, he turns onto his side to face her, making the float bob on the water. ]
You know that isn't true. There's an entire Balmera and its people out there that you saved and inspired to join the fight and help liberate others from Zarkon. Can't imagine that your dad wouldn't be real proud of you.
[ A beat. ]
I know I've never met someone who was as dedicated to fighting for what's right.
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She bites her lip, looking away,] But I wasn't able to save you.
[It sounds ridiculous, when he's sitting right here. But the day in the forest still haunted her. She'd spent hours walking alongside the river, looking for him. The pain of having the bond severed was nothing compared to the understanding of what it meant that followed.]
I know it was part of your transformation, but it doesn't make it right.. I should have been there for you.
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I know that you wanted to be there.
[ His turn to look away from her face now. ]
But I just wanted you to be safe. That's... all that mattered to me in the moment.
hrg feels
[She asserts, voice hardening suddenly at the same time she sits up a little, making the raft wobble dangerously and she has to calm herself down, lest they both get toppled into the water. She's not mad, just. Frustrated. And sad.]
I just want to be able to look at the people I love in the eyes without wondering if it will be the last time.
[The memory played over in her head, her father assuring her that it would be okay. Keith telling her the same. And then in the next instant, she was alone.]
this is rude :/
Allura-- [ He starts, then stops not knowing how to put words to the weight on his chest. Suddenly it seems all but a miracle that they haven't sunk straight to the bottom of the pool. ]
That's not ... [ Another attempt at a protest, another lapse into silence. After all, what's he meant to say when he knows all too damn well what that feeling is like? Knows that intent doesn't fix a damn thing?
Still. ]
I didn't mean to hurt you. I never meant to put you through something like that. I was just... [ He bites his lip, then slowly loosens his grip on Allura's hand. ] ...I'm sorry. I don't know how I can make it up to you, but I'm not going anywhere.
don't worry it's going to get dumb
I’m sorry. It’s selfish of me to make this about myself. I was just so afraid to lose you.
[She turns toward him, suddenly, to look in his eyes.] Do you understand? You’re- oh-
[Any heartfelt confessions are suddenly cut off as the side that Keith is on – the side she just leaned into – dips precariously into the water, too fast and too sudden that the rest of the float flips up under her legs, making her face collide with his chest for a second before the whole thing capsizes, uncaring of the gravitas of the situation as they suddenly sink in a tangle of legs and one pool float that launches in the air as they splash into the water.]
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-lura!
[ His hair, already an unregulated mess, is now sopping wet and forming a wonderfully helpful curtain that obscures his eyes. Keith gives his head a quick shake to get it out of the way. ]
Are you okay?? [ He grabs her other hand for good measure, pulling her to the side of the pool. ] Do you need a towel?
[ It's asked with all the gravitas of someone tryign to decide if she needs CPR, though the humor of that is apparently lost on Keith. ]
1/2
There's a handful of moments that she stands, sputtering with water running down her face as she replays the last 2 ticks in her head. What an idiot she is-]
2/2
Pff- [She giggles, wiping the water away from her eyes with equally wet hands, then laughs more at that] I-I think we are well past towels, Keith.
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God. He should be laughing, too. There's probably something wrong with him for reacting like this, right? But he can't help feeling so goddamn endeared and he raises his hand up to help brush Allura's hair from her face. ]
I could throw in a hair dryer.
[ If he had greater presence of mind, he would have thought better than to say something so inane, but it's stated with an almost painful degree of earnestness as he tucks a lock of her hair behind her ear. ]
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You're ridiculous.
[Her fingers bump against his when she moves to push the hair out of her face at the same time and she pauses, letting her hand linger there against his. There's a familiar flutter and warmth between their bond, stronger than ever, since they started repairing it.]
This is going to take vargas to dry... [She says benignly, focusing her eyes on something to the right of Keith, her mind on something other than the tight feeling around her heart - like undoing the rest of her bun, her long white hair soon draping down over her neck and shoulders, fanning out into the water behind her.] Are you okay? I didn't realize those floats were so unstable.
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I'm fine. [ More than fine, if the warmth in his eyes says anything. One small step is all it would take to close the remaining space between them and pull her into his arms, and the thought takes up far too much room in his head. ]
Well.. mostly anyway. [ He carefully traces his fingers down the side of her face, then presses his palm to her cheek. ] It's really good to hear you laughing.
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Her hands cups his on her face and she tilts her head into it, resting her cheek in his hand.]
Do you... wish to feed, before we return to bed?
[There's a flutter in her stomach as she asks - she's not typically the one to instigate. But... the desire popped up and out of her mouth before she could think otherwise. The whole of him seemed to draw her in and it was as good an excuse as any to be close.]
this sounds 10x smuttier than it actually is lmfao
Now?
[ He swallows hard -- of course he wants to. As weird as all of this may objectively be, he's really come to treasure these moments between them for being something more than purely functional. Even more so now that he realizes just how differently other vampires are with their bonded. But that was always part of the problem, wasn't it? Being just a little too fond...?
Instinctively, he looks up at the night sky to check the phases of the Sisters. It's a little redundant -- being a monster, he can feel the pull of the moons well enough without having to see with his eyes. The egg timer comes to mind just a split second later and this time the thought feels ridiculous enough that he laughs a little. ]
I'd like that.
[ If Allura's seemingly throwing caution to the wind here, then he wants to prove that he's worthy of that trust at the very least. He grins a little playfully. ]
Want to do it in the pool?
it's fine we're careening into not-quite-smut territory
Her stomach does a flip in the pause after her question - worried that maybe she overstepped, and she opens her mouth to justify her thoughts. I thought it would help repair the bond. It's been days since we've done it. But he agrees and her stomach does a flip again and this time there's a silly, excited smile that pulls at her lips.]
I do.
[She reaches into the space between them to catch him by the hands, then steps backwards through the water, leading him to the edge, where she can rest her back against the side. For support, or something. Even with their bond a fraction of what it used to be, surely he can feel the way her heart is hammering in her chest when she coaxes him closer.]
Are you nervous? Skin to skin contact is supposed to help the bond repair faster.
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Ah, but then again, maybe all the lingering questions he has about how his body even works now is just the kind of deeply unarousing thing he needs to keep himself grounded. ]
I'm not nervous.
[ He manages halfway convincingly, if you turned a blind eye to the feather light way he puts a hand on her hip. Still, it's something he wants to convince himself of, so he holds eye contact while brushing hair away from Allura's neck and shoulder. Boldness in this context is a strange concept, but he grins like this is no different from cliff diving with a hoverbike. ]
We've got this.
[ Thumb brushing over a pulse point, Keith leans in at an angle to press his lips to her neck. It isn't meant to be a kiss, but it's accompanied by a soft pulse of warm energy through their bond. Fingers tightening on her waist, Keith mumbles a warning to let Allura know the bite is coming, then sinks his fangs into her skin. ]
oops this one got long
He's handsome. It's not the first time she's had that intrusive thought, but she lets it linger this time as he presses his lips to her neck and she lets her gaze drift up to the stars and the moon above them. Her free hand settles on his bicep, fingers squeezing back in response at the warning.]
Ah- [A soft noise slips past her lips when she feels the first sting of teeth puncturing her skin. It's familiar and welcome and she can feel the first taste of her blood as a warm pulse through their bond, for a moment just as strong as it had been in the days before he died.
Hand slides up his arm, up his shoulder and neck to dip into his hair, holding him close. His body felt cold, but his touch was electric - she knew by now that, by virtue of her culture, she was a little bit touch starved before coming to Aefenglom but without sleeves and necklines in the way, each point of contact stood out like a beacon. Her free hand
wraps around his shoulders, bare, damp skin against his, and she wondered if he could feel just how warm she felt against him.]
omg i actually get to use this icon....
The princess is sweet and intensely magical, and he can feel the energy of their bond resonating where their skin touches. Unthinking, he leans in a half step, brushing thigh to thigh until their hips align. The connection feels good in many ways, like their bond is physically stitching itself back together, back to where it was when he could tell how she was feeling without having to concentrate so much on it.
It's a sentiment he could drown in, as familiar and cherished as it is. But there's probably such a thing as too comfortable, and between what are obviously still not open mouthed kisses and soothing licks, he's getting an answer to the question of whether or not vampires can get hard.
The answer isn't one Keith meant to share with the class. ]
:eyes:
But it's more than that, isn't it? Her heart is beating a rapid pace, one she can't blame on the magic. Thoughts traveling down, down where a pressure low on her belly is enough to distract her from the licking and sucking on her neck and-
Oh.
Her breathing catches and an unintelligible noise slips out of her, somewhere between a sigh and a moan. She'll have several moments after in which she can freak out properly, but in the moment she forgets herself, forgets where they are. Fingers dip into his hair and she breathes deeply, breasts pressed against his chest, thoughts turning lewd. Scandalous. And her markings? Well they are certainly glowing by now.
A noise from the house makes her heart leap in her chest and she jerks, accidentally yanking Keith's hair.]
We're on our way! [She shouts - the first thing that pops in her head - to what she's sure is Shiro or Kolivan coming out to check on the noise.]
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Ow--
[ And then she says just about the worst thing possible. He lets go of Allura and whirls backwards in the pool, hitting the surface of the water with his arm as he windmills. Enjoy that bit of splashing. ]
Yeah, we're coming!
[ He blurts, echoing what she'd just said instinctively. Whipping around to look in the direction of the house, he grimaces as one of the downstairs lights come on. If nothing else, at least the thought of Kolivan coming outside to do a perimeter check is making him lose the boner? Not fast enough, but still. Turning to Allura, looking just a little frantic. ]
You should go see what they want first. I uh... need a moment.
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Or her about human? She puts her hands on her cheeks, hiding the blush (and the glow) there, not yet making eye contact with him. Maybe it was a mistake. Something in her imagination. Surely a pool float snuck between them and was poking her and not his p-
She dips low in the water, making a good effort at looking like she's suddenly busy with wetting her hair one last time, letting it hang in curtains on the side of her face.]
Right I'll- [Turning away from him before he can look too hard at her face, she goes to the edge and pushes herself up, scrambling out of the water like maybe it suddenly was turned into lava.] I'll go, ah, see.
[But she hesitates, standing at the lip of the pool. Biting her lip.] Is this goodnight, then?
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I ...uh... if you
[ Can't believe she's asking him that if he's being honest. If their housemates hadn't put a hasty stop to the impromptu feeding session, then surely his privates had done just that by failing to be private? Expression turning sheepish, Keith looks slightly to the left of Allura's ankles as he speaks. ]
Thought it was? D-do you want me to come by your room later?
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O-oh. I- [Does she want him to come by? She tugs some long strands of hair around her shoulders, hiding her face in the curtain of her hair. She's not quite ready to confront whether or not her suspicions of his erection were true - and she's not sure which option would fluster her more. No, the less time she spends thinking about his.... his pocket lion... the better. For now anyway,] Perhaps in the morning. I need to wash my hair, and it's going to be a production so. Yes. The morning will be ideal.
[And as the sounds from inside the house persist, she turns to leave, but... pauses and looks behind her,] Good night Keith. I had a lovely night with you. Even with all of the... wetness.
[She tugs her hair back around her face again - why did she word it like that - then calls to the rustling in the house,] We're coming!
[And off she goes!]
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I ....yeah,good night.
[ After she's turned to leave, Keith drags his hand down his face and steeps in this current mood so that he can hopefully leave the pool without further embarrassing himself. ]