See part 1 for Disclaimer information
Lance tapped his pen against his lips absently as he reread the words on the paper in front of him. When he finished, he sighed deeply, then crumbled up the paper and tossed it at the waste can. 'Three days,' he scolded himself, 'three days and I still can't think of what to say!' He slumped back in the chair and stared at the ceiling in disgust.
"This is unbelievable," he told the empty room. 'What can I possibly say to him that will let him know how I feel, and still leave him room to decide for himself?'
Lance had never been good at this sort of thing, but he knew that he was running out of time. Everybody knew that something was very wrong. The tension between Allura and him for the last three days had been so strong that even Hunk was beginning to look concerned. Lance was very much afraid that someone, most likely Coran, was going to put two and two together to get four. If that happened, the game would be over before any of them got to play their next moves.
That very possibility had kept Lance awake every night since his conversation with Allura. The world around him seemed to have accumulated nightmare qualities. Every fragment of conversation he overhead seemed to contain innuendoes and he could feel eyes on him all the time, like an unreachable itch between his shoulder blades. He knew it was pure delusional paranoia, brought on by stress and lack of sleep, but the knowledge did nothing to soothe away his fears.
He turned his attention back to the empty sheath of paper in front of him, grinding his teeth in frustration. What could he possibly say that would draw Keith's attention, but not arouse the suspicion of anyone else who happened to see it? A sudden smile lightened his face as inspiration struck. There was a way…
He grinned to himself as he carefully wrote out the note, using English letters to phonetically spell out the words of his own language.
Kemani,
Dach ni estavo bien'e, allyi te valli
-L
He stared at the paper in his hands, repeating the words in his mind. My dearest one, No matter what the future brings, I love you always. He smiled softly to himself and folded the note in half. Keith wouldn't understand what most of the words meant, but that meant he would have to ask, right? Hopefully, though, assuming the worst, Keith would recognize at least kemani and te valli. At least he wouldn't have any doubt about the author of the note.
Before he could lose his nerve, Lance pushed himself away from his desk and headed outside to the garden. Keith should be back soon, so if he left a rose and the note on his bed, the flower should be in no danger of wilting. He glanced up at Allura's bedroom window from the garden and smiled coldly. 'Let's see you beat this one, Allura.'
Lance carefully regarded the note and flower resting in the middle of Keith's bed, wondering if the gesture was really enough. He was startled out of his reverie by the beeping of the transmitter in his uniform pocket. He fumbled it out of his pocket, nearly dropping it on the floor in his haste.
"Lance here."
"Lance, this is Coran. I think you had better come down to the control room."
"All right, I'm on my way."
He clicked the transmitter off and spared one last look at Keith's bed, then pushed the doubt from his mind and headed for the control room.
***************
Lance's heart skipped a beat as he entered the control room and took in the solemn faces of Coran and his teammates. Hunk, Pidge, and Coran turned to him with welcoming smiles. Allura followed suit, but her smile looked a bit too triumphant for Lance's peace of mind.
Lance fought for total composure, hoping he looked normal. "What's up?"
Coran turned back to the control screen behind him and called up an image of a star system. "We're receiving some strange signals from the Delta Quadrant. It might be nothing, but it probably should be checked out."
Lance nodded. "What kind of strange signals?"
"Radiation fluctuations, mostly," Pidge told him. "They seem to be on the same level as those produced by lazon mining, but it also could be something completely natural. From this distance, there's just no way to tell."
Lance frowned. "Aren't there any Garrison ships in that quadrant at the moment?"
"No," Allura answered in a voice practically dripping with sugar. "Garrison HQ can't afford to send any ships that far away with the meetings just breaking up on Earth. Most of the security forces will be used to shuttle diplomats safely back to their home worlds."
Coran turned back to face him, looking strangely apologetic. "It seems that it is up to us to determine the source of the disturbances."
Lance's frown deepened. "Delta Quadrant's an overnight trip from here. Arus will be left without all five of the lions…"
"I'm afraid it can't be helped," Coran sighed. "There's no sign of activity anywhere near planet Doom, and if Zarcon really has found a new source of lazon, we need to know about it now."
Lance sighed and nodded. "If it can't be helped…" He turned to his teammates. "Whose turn is it to go on a surveillance run?"
Allura grinned. "Yours."
The world screeched to a halt around him for a minute, and Lance was almost sure that his heart stopped beating. He stared at Allura in desperation. 'No, this can't be happening. Not now. Haven't I been through enough this week?'
Hunk's hand on his shoulder snapped him back to the present. "Lance? Are you all right?"
Lance managed a weak smile. "I'm fine."
Hunk continued to look at him with concern. "Why don't I go with you? I'm not doing anything important anyway, and two lions are better than one if you fly into a fight."
Lance nodded, suddenly grateful. "Yes, I think that's a good idea." 'Maybe I won't fall totally apart if I have someone sane to talk to.' He shook himself, trying to focus through the burning in his eyes. "Let's get going. The sooner we get there…"
"…the sooner we get back and have a big lunch," Hunk finished with a grin.
Lance grinned back, slightly soothed by the familiar banter. "Do you ever not think with your stomach?"
"Sometimes," Hunk answered solemnly. He pasted on a hurt look as everyone laughed. "What did I say?"
"Nothing. Let's go." Despite Hunk's attempt to lighten the tension, the anguish in Lance's eyes was still clearly visible as he followed Hunk out the door.
Keith felt the last of his tension headache drain away as planet Arus filled Black Lion's view screen. The week full of meetings had been a never-ending hell, and all he wanted was to find Lance and disappear for a day or two. He was drawn from his reverie by the beeping of his radio unit.
"Black Lion reporting in."
"Hey, Keith." Pidge's happy face appeared on the screen. "How were the meetings?"
"Boring and way too long. How have things been back here?"
Pidge smiled, shaking his head. "Quiet, believe it or not."
Keith put a hand over his heart and feigned surprise. "I left Lance in charge for a whole week and nothing even blew up?"
Pidge stared back solemnly, eyes dancing with amusement. "Nope. Scary, isn't it?"
"Extremely. See you in a few."
"Roger that." The view screen filled with a view of the Castle as Black Lion broke through Arus' upper atmosphere. 'Home,' Keith thought to himself with a happy sigh.
After docking Black Lion back in its resting place on top of the lion monument, Keith grabbed his bags and briefcase and headed towards his room. 'As soon as I dump all this, I can give Coran his paperwork and escape,' he promised himself, crossing his fingers for luck. He made it to his room unmolested. He dropped his briefcase on the desk and carried his bags over to stack neatly by the dresser until he had time to put his things away later.
As he turned back to the dresser, a flash of red on his blankets caught his eyes. He stopped and picked up the red rose and note. Eyes alight with curiosity, he dropped down onto the bed and opened the note. His brow furrowed as he glanced over the alien words. 'What in the hell…?'
Shaking his head, he beginning to carefully read the words out loud, hoping that meaning would appear out of thin air. 'All right, Keith, be logical about this. There has to be a point…kemani, you know that word, Lance uses it all the time. It's just dear, or sweetheart, or something like that. The rest, though…' He squinted his eyes. 'Oh, wait- te valli, that means I love you, I think. But the rest…' He shook his head in defeat. 'I'll just have to ask him.'
He glanced at the note one last time, then folded it carefully and put it in his pocket. He grabbed a glass of water to put the rose in, humming softly to himself as he did.
Well I'd like to take you as I find you
Imagine our clothes are on the floor
Feel my caress so soft and gentle
So delicate you cry for more.*
He moved over to his desk and opened his briefcase, glancing back at the single flower. A soft smile crept across his face, and he continued to hum to himself absently as he turned back to his paperwork.
Cuddle up close
Lay on my chest now
Listen my heart beat's coming down*
Keith stopped and blinked in surprise as the words of the song registered in his mind. He'd heard it on the radio more times than he could count for the last week on Earth, but still… "God, Keith, it's only been a week," he told himself, glancing at his reflection in the mirror across the room with amusement. For a second, the memory of his and Lance's reflection from the week before seemed to superimpose itself over his own, like rippling reflections in a stream. He felt a pang at the remembered sadness in his lover's eyes. He sighed in longing and turned back to his desk. 'The sooner you get this paperwork to Coran, the sooner you can be with Lance. Now get back to work!'
His arms filled with folders, Keith opened his door and nearly plowed into Allura, who stood with one hand poised to knock. Keith jumped and dropped the folders, papers spilling down the hallway.
"Allura? What-"
"Oh, Keith, I am so sorry!" She looked at the mess on the floor with dismay.
Keith sighed and smiled tiredly. "It's all right. I should have been paying more attention."
"No, that was just bad timing! Here, let me help you." She dropped to the floor and began to gather up papers, stacking them carefully back in order.
"Thanks. While we're stuck out here, is there something I can do for you?"
Allura looked up in surprise. "What?"
Keith shrugged one shoulder back towards his room. "You were just about to knock on my door, right?"
"Oh, that! I wanted to talk to you."
"What about?"
Allura blushed and lowered her eyes. "It's kind of personal."
Keith raised his eyebrows and stared at her, too surprised to hide his reaction. "Oh, well, I was going to get this paperwork to Coran then find Lance." Allura looked back up with narrowed eyes. Keith gulped and looked away. "I wanted to find out how he managed to keep the Castle standing for the past week. You know how he is…" He cut himself off with a nervous laugh, then risked a glance back at Allura. She was smiling at him wryly. 'Maybe I imagined that look. Yeah, that must be it.' He smiled back.
"Coran's in his office, but I don't think you're going to find Lance tonight."
Keith felt his heart drop down to his feet. "Why not?"
"He went to check out a minor disturbance in the Delta Quadrant with Hunk." She frowned slightly, staring down at the papers in her hands. "It's kind of odd, really. I'm sure that it wasn't a necessary trip. He really seemed like he wanted to get away." She looked back up at Keith and shrugged. "Maybe there's something he didn't want to have to talk to you about any sooner than necessary."
Keith felt cold. "Maybe. Will you excuse me? I really need to get this to Coran."
"Sure, Keith. Do you think maybe you'll have a few minutes to talk to me later?"
Keith nodded, fighting down unease. "I don't see why not."
Allura beamed at him. "Thank you, Keith. I'll come back later!" She took off down the hallway before Keith could form a reply.
Coran smiled with genuine warmth at Keith as he opened the door of his study. "Keith, I'm glad you're back." He stepped aside and gestured towards one of the chairs in front of his desk. "How were the meetings?"
Keith smiled back, but looked a bit pale, as if the good cheer was forced. "I'm glad to be back. The meetings were awful, but that was what I expected, so at least I wasn't disappointed."
Coran chuckled and poured Keith a drink, turning the conversation to safe small talk: gossip about the different ambassadors, proposed trade and defense agreements, topics that were strictly neutral. He watched as Keith began to relax into the conversation with the help of the brandy, but continued with the small talk. The topic he was going to breach was going to be hard on them both, he was afraid, but he couldn't put it off any longer.
"Pidge said it's been quiet for the past week," Keith finally remarked, turning to Coran with a slightly troubled look.
"Yes, it has. There is a minor disturbance in the Delta Quadrant, but Lance and Hunk are checking on it." Keith tensed, a quick flash of hurt darkening his eyes. Coran sighed. "Actually, Keith, there is something I've been meaning to talk to you about."
Keith settled back in his chair and looked back with curiosity. "What is it?"
"Keith, there's been a lot of tension among your team this past week, most notably between Allura and Lance."
To his surprise, Keith nodded. "I wondered. Allura cornered me in my room right after I got back. She said she needed to talk to me about something personal." His eyes tightened again, but he gave no other outward sign of his tension.
"Did she tell you the nature of the problem?"
"No. I said I'd have time to talk with her later." The words sounded slightly bitter, but his expression remained carefully neutral.
"She hasn't talked to me, either, but I believe I can surmise what the problem is."
"You can?"
"Yes, I think so. My guess would be that Allura's jealous of the relationship you have with Lance."
Keith went stock still, his face little more than an expressionless mask. "Excuse me?"
Coran shifted uncomfortably, then forced himself to meet Keith's eyes. "I've known for a long time that your relationship with Lance went a bit over the bounds proscribed by military protocol." He held up a hand to cut off Keith's startled exclamation. "I've never had a problem with it, because the two of you have kept your personal lives strictly outside of your duty." Coran sighed and shook his head sadly, avoiding Keith's fearful, stunned face. "Now there does seem to be a problem, though, and I think it needs to be resolved quickly."
Keith sank down into his chair, staring blankly at his hands in his lap. "So what would you suggest that I do?" he asked in a subdued voice.
Coran shook his head again. "The decision about what to do is yours, Keith. You're the only one who knows how you feel about the two of them." He smiled gently as Keith looked back up in surprise. "I said I knew you had a relationship with Lance. I don't know the extent of that relationship."
Keith glanced back down at his hands. "I…I know that Allura thinks she's in love with me, but I always thought she would just change her mind." He shook his head, lost in thought. "It's not like we could ever have a relationship, after all. She's a royal princess and I'm just a pilot."
"Unfortunately, it's not that easy." Coran frowned, eyes distant. "There's nothing in Arus' royal code that states an heir to the throne has to marry royalty. It's more of a tradition. There have been many cases in our history where a royal has married a commoner, as long as the commoner is accepted by the people of Arus." He looked directly back at Keith. "As you would be."
Keith stared back at him in misery, unshed tears making his eyes reflective in the soft light. "But it's not that easy," he continued in a choked voice. "It's not. I'm in love with Lance, not Allura." He covered his face with his hands. "I never meant for it to happen that way," he whispered. "I never thought… but then it was too late, and I wouldn't change it now even if I could."
"That's what I was afraid of," Coran answered sadly. He suddenly brushed his hands together briskly, a business-like expression returning to his face. "I'm sure things can be worked out. Allura's not that unreasonable. Just talk to them both as soon as you can."
"I will," Keith whispered, standing up and heading blindly for the door. He barely heard Coran's answer as he stumbled out into the hallway. 'How could you do this to me, Lance? How could you leave me to deal with this mess all by myself?' By the time he reached his room, the stunned hurt had been mostly replaced by a burning anger.
Allura sang happily to herself as she twirled around the room in a new dress of light blue silk. The shade was perfect for her eyes and much more daring than the dresses she usually wore. The silk clung to the gentle curves of her body as she danced with an imaginary partner, the soft words of the song filling the sweet night air.
A thousand stars in the sky, make me realize
You are the one that I'll adore
Tell me you love me
Tell me you're mine, all mine**
Allura dropped down with a carefree laugh onto the chair in front of her dressing table and grinned at her reflection. "Tonight's the night," she told herself, running a brush through her mass of honey-gold hair.
She stood up to go, double-checking her reflection one last time. For a moment, a sad smile chased away the happy twinkle in her eyes. 'Lance, I am so sorry, but I know you'll forgive me. Keith could never really belong to you. I think you know that deep down.' The twinkle came back and she blew her reflection a jaunty kiss before reaching over to turn out the lights.
Keith opened his door before she knocked, as if he'd been listening for her footsteps in the hallway. Allura smiled happily, failing to notice the tightness of his jaw or the cold anger in his eyes.
"Hi, Keith. I'm so glad to see you."
"Are you?"
"Of course I am. You don't know how much it means to me that you took the time to see me tonight." She smiled and laughed, a sound like silver notes falling in a crystal stream.
Keith shrugged and sat down on his bed, eyes unreadable in the dim light of his room. Allura took a second to look around. With surprise, she realized that the only light was coming from the partially closed bathroom door. The rest of the room was mostly obscured in dim shadows. Keith reached out a hand absently, oblivious to the silence, and gently touched a flower in a cup on the bedside table. A red rose, Allura realized with growing excitement. 'I was right, he does want me!' She forced herself to calm, afraid she might frighten him away. It had been a long time since Keith had been alone with a woman, she reminded herself. She couldn't imagine what his time spent with Lance must have been like, but she was certain that romance was probably not involved. After all, she thought with amusement, Lance just didn't really seem like the romantic type.
"Keith?" She smiled encouragingly and reached out to touch the hand tracing the flower petals.
Keith flinched back like he had been burned. "What do you want, Allura?" His voice seemed to grate across the space between them.
Allura took a step back, for the first time uncertain. "I wanted to talk to you. About you and me, to be more precise."
Keith went very still, pinning her with a gaze that sent icy cold shivers up her spine. "There is no you and me, princess."
"Not yet, but there could be." She held her ground under that gaze, spine straight. "It could be so beautiful, Keith, so perfect-"
"No."
She lost her dreamy expression at the hard negation. "Yes, it could." Encouraged when he didn't immediately interrupt her a second time, she sat down on the edge of the bed and looked straight into his dark, bottomless eyes. "All those stories about the princess and the knight, you know the ones I mean. We're the embodiment of those tales, you and me. All you have to do is accept me, and we can live happily ever after."
"Allura, those are just fairy tales. They don't have any bearing on real life."
"But they do. Every fairy tale has a basis in fact. Behind every myth is a true story."
Keith quirked a smile. "Even Hansel and Gretel?"
Allura shook her head, thrown slightly off track. "I don't know that story, but I'm sure it has elements of truth. It doesn't matter. All that matters is that I love you and you love me-"
"Stop right there." Keith's voice had taken on a dangerous tone, one Allura had heard before, but never directed at her. "I'm not in love with you, Allura."
Allura rolled her eyes, annoyance rising into her voice. "You're not going to bring Lance into this, are you? Come on, Keith, I mean-"
Keith stood up abruptly, his eyes blazing with anger. "You mean what?"
Allura pouted. "I mean, you can't really care about him. You're both boys. It's…" She gestured disdainfully, looking for the right word.
"Unnatural? Depraved? Immoral? Perverted?"
"Yes, that's it," Allura's smile returned full force. "That's exactly what I mean."
"I thought you might." Keith turned his back on her, staring at the rose on his bedside with an odd look on his face. "Allura, whatever relationship I have with Lance, it's private. It's none of your business." He turned back around, raising a finger for silence. "If you don't mind, I'd really like to be alone. I have a lot of thinking to do."
Allura nodded slowly. "Yes, I think you do." She got up, then paused. "Here's something else you might want to think about, Keith." Keith looked back up, his expression again unreadable. "I looked into some of the Garrison's military codes. I found out some things that are very interesting."
"What are you getting at, Allura?"
"It seems that the relationship you have with Lance is not only…depraved, as I believe you said, but also illegal." She smiled coldly.
Keith smiled back. "Don't threaten me, Allura."
"It's not a threat. Just something to think about." She smiled one last time, forcing herself to meet his cold eyes, and left.
* The words to the song Universe belong to Savage Garden.
** The words to Allura's song are taken from Harold Lauder, a character in Stephen King's novel The Stand.