Part Three

Half an hour later, they had exhausted all the categories they could think of. Allura cracked open an emergency flare so they would have some light. Kenaur had two moons, but the leafy trees threw too many shadows.

"When are they going to get here?" Allura demanded, close to whining.

Keith leaned forward and rested his chin in a cupped hand. "They would have realized we were missing maybe two hours after our supposed arrival time," he replied mechanically. "Then Pidge would scan our route to check for debris. Then he would have searched for the beacon and then they would know where we were."

"So when would they get here?"

"Two hours ago," he concluded. "Something must have happened. Maybe something did interfere with the beacon signal."

"Great. I hope no one attacks while we're gone."

"Here's hoping," Keith remarked dryly.

"Any more games?" Allura asked, rubbing her eyes.

"Hmmm..."

"Truth or dare?" she challenged slyly.

Keith frowned. "Who taught you that game?"

"Lance did."

His eyes narrowed into slits. "You played that with Lance?"

Allura tucked away a smile. "No, but he said knowing it might come in handy sometime. "

Keith laughed, more out of relief than the humor in Lance's comment. "Alright. I haven't played that game since seventh grade."

"How did that game go?" Allura smiled playfully. "Did little Keith get his first kiss?"

The memory of the game all those years ago made Keith chuckle. "He did, in fact. With..." he paused. "I can't remember her name."

"Was it good?"

"I can't even remember anymore."

"Then it wasn't special."

"It was truth or dare, Allura. What about your first kiss?"

"It was with one of the palace guards," Allura said, blushing. Keith didn't have to see it to know she was. He could hear it in her tone.

"Which one?"

"I won't tell you. But I was thirteen and I dressed up like one of the maids. I just went right up to him and planted a big wet one on his lips. He was surprised to say the least and I took off down the corridor. To this day, I wonder if he knew it was me."

Keith laughed uproariously at the story and Allura joined in. They shared a few more tidbits of their childhoods, something they hadn't had much of a chance to do in the past or the present.

"This is nice, Keith," Allura said, hugging herself as a cold breeze blew over her. "We hardly ever get a chance to talk like this. I always knew you were a kindred spirit."

"Blame Amalgamous...the old bucket of bolts."

"Blame Zarkon, the evil mother--"

"Watch it there, Princess." But he said it with a smile.

"It's getting cold out here," Allura said. "Being up so high up doesn't help matters any."

"Want to hop into the cockpit?"

"I don't want to leave you out here."

"I don't want you to catch cold."

"I'll arm wrestle you," she joked.

He winced, remembering suddenly the pain that he had begun to ignore. Allura bit her lip.

"Oops..sorry, Keith."

"It's ok. Now I have something to think about."

Allura covered her mouth as she yawned. She laid down on her side, resting her head on a bent arm. It was only eight o'clock but it felt like midnight.

"How old are you now, Allura?" he asked, seeing that her eyes were threatening to close. "Twenty-three?"

"Yes. Why?" she replied suspiciously.

"I'm surprised Coran hasn't married you off yet."

"Don't you think I have something to do with that?" she mocked.

"I've heard rumors of Princes coming to visit Arus often."

"They weren't rumors."

"Oh?"

"Oh."

Keith had to admit that he had been jealous when he first heard the rumors and he was still jealous now. He wondered about Allura sometimes. As far as he knew, she hadn't had any kind of intimate relationship with a man...and he was thankful for that.

"Did you like any of them?" he asked, trying to sound casual.

"There were some nice ones and more not-so-nice ones. I'm sure I could have really liked one or two of them, but I just didn't want to."

"Saving yourself for the one?"

Allura was silent for a while and he turned to look at her. Her blue eyes were serious and almost sad. She smiled tiredly at him.

"Who isn't?" she answered solemnly.

He held out his good hand and clasped hers. "Lance," he said just as solemn.

She let out a laugh that echoed through the trees, making him smile. She squeezed his hand.

"You can't distract me that easily, Keith," she said with a wink. "Seriously, have there been any serious relationships since you left Arus? I know you didn't have any while you were there."

"How can you be so sure?"

She threw him a look from the corner of her eye which he caught easily.

"Ok...I didn't. But since I left...I haven't had a serious relationship...but I've gone out on dates."

Allura choked back her jealousy.

Dates, she thought spitefully. He better not have gotten them mountain lilies...

"Nothing came out of those dates?" she said carefully.

"No." He looked down at the golden head resting near his leg. "Something was always missing."

"Yes..."

They looked at each other. A corner of Keith's mouth lifted. He caressed her silken cheek with a rough thumb, the contrast making her shiver.

"Who are we kidding?" he said.

"Ourselves," Allura answered quietly, placing her hand over the one he had on her cheek. "For a long time."

"What are going to do about it?" he said, his voice low.

Allura sat up and leaned in until they were nose to nose.

"We're both older now...we both know the consequences of our actions...we're not teenagers anymore..." she murmured, her voice hypnotizing him.

"This is why we didn't spent more time alone together," Keith observed just as her lips touched his.

Her lips were cool and soft. He'd never felt anything like them before in his life. For eight years he'd been dreaming of this moment, trying not to think of her in this way because it would make their job too hard. But what he tried to fight only became stronger and leaving only made it worse. She was a part of him that would never leave...and he didn't want it to.

His hand tangled in her hair, loosening the bun. Pins landed on the Blue's hull, clinking like many little raindrops. Allura opened her eyes a fraction, only to find that he was doing the same. They broke away.

"Allura," he said, gasping for air. "We can't..."

She kissed him again, a silent "yes, we can". And Keith finally threw caution to the wind. This was Allura...his Allura. It was about time.

Taking care that she didn't jostle his arm, Allura gently tugged him down until he was on his back. She propped herself up on one elbow and looked down at him. His eyes never looked darker.

"Princess...are you trying to seduce me?" he said, his lips twitching.

"There's no try about it....you're letting me..." she said as casually as she could though she was trembling all over.

"This isn't the way I pictured it happening."

"As long as you were picturing it, Keith, I'm fine with that."

"My arm, the rustic setting," he said, running a hand through her hair. "I don't want our first time to be like this, Allura."

She sighed. "I know, but I just can't help myself. I've waited so long for you."

He reached up and brought her head down to him. He kissed her forehead and she rested her head on his right shoulder.

"Just a little longer, My Princess," he murmured. "Just a little longer."

Lance clucked his tongue as he surveyed the damage that had been inflicted on the Black and Blue Lion.

Hunk isn't going to like this, he thought.

He walked around the Black and frowned worriedly when he saw that its cockpit was half open. Relieved that Keith's body wasn't lying lifeless underneath it, he jogged over to where the Blue was. He had tried calling them through the communicators but no one answered. He climbed all the way to the top and immediately had to keep from yelping with surprise when he saw two entangled bodies lying down on top.

His mouth quirked.

The Princess was curled up, her cheek against Keith's chest, looking as peaceful as a baby. Keith had one arm wrapped around the Princess, while the other was taped to his torso. Lucky for Lance, they were both fully clothed, but the implications were clear. Maybe it was in the way Keith's arm was so tight against her and the complete abandon the Princess wore on her face, but Lance knew what had happened.

"It's about time," he remarked.

THE END