Archive of Our Own ^beta

“Hey, ‘llura,” Ghenn says, motioning for her to join them.

Allura closes her spellbook and looks over at them, “Hmmm?”

“Can you come look at this funk thing? It looks like something you should be able to eat but I’m not sure. Think it’s worth the risk?”

It’s a plant. Fairly innocuous looking, and for all that Allura knows harmless. Wide green leaves and purple hanging structures that do look a bit like berries. For all her study plants are not something she’s spent a whole lot of time on, but she is better at guessing if a thing is poisonous or not.

She handles it carefully, fingers skimming the leaves and one of the purple seed pods opens and a fine mist of pollen forms a cloud in front of her face.

She sneezes, reeling backward from the plant as it triggers half a dozen more sneezes.

“Are you ok, Allura,” Ghenn asks, catching her by the shoulders as she begins to fall.

“Fine, fine. That was odd,” Allura says and her speech begins to lisp a bit. “I’m a bit dizzy.” She puts a hand to her head, pursing her lips.

“Allura?”

She gently puts her fingertips to her mouth and then giggles, “My lips feel numb.”

“Guys!” Ghenn shouts, “Bad plant! Stay away from it.” They try to help Allura to her feet but she’s more leaning on them than actually standing so Ghenn just picks her up.

“There’s one every three feet how do we avoid it?” Sirus shouts, taking a hasty step back from the one he’d been looking at.

Allura laughs and stretches in Ghenn’s arms, “You’re so strong!” She leans her head against their shoulder.

“You’re just super light,” Ghenn says looking at her funny, “are you feeling alright?”

“I feeeeel great,” Allura flashes them a huge smile.

“Oh no,” Ghenn stops by the rest of their group and sets Allura down gently. “Hey anyone got some restoration? I think Allura needs it.”

“Nope,” Dohla says as she pulls her muffler up and over her mouth and nose.

“I can’t right now. I used most of my power on the bugbears earlier.”

Allura is gently touching Ghenn’s muscles and marveling at them.

“You are really incredible,” she says, looking at them with wide eyes.

“Thanks? Are you ok to stand on your own?”

“Yes, but I kind of like this.” Allura puts her head on Ghenn’s shoulder.

Ghenn carefully sets Allura down and she stumbles a bit but does stay on her feet. Pouting Allura straightens her dress and catches sight of Kima. The pout quickly turns into a smile as she strides only slightly off kilter towards the halfling.

“Kima, can you kiss me?”

“Huh-what why?”

“My lips feel numb but I want to double-check,” Allura says as she bends deeply and leans into Kima’s personal space.

“No! I-no I’m not gonna kiss you.”

Allura pouts, “Spoilsport.” She sits cross-legged with her elbows on her knees as Kima stares down at her.

“What the hell, Allura? What has gotten into you?”

“Not a thing. Yet,” she says and waggles her eyebrows at Kima.

“Would you knock that off,” Kima asks

“But it makes you blush and you’re cute when you blush.”

“I am not cute.”

“Yes, you are,”

“You’re such a menace,” Kima growls. Drake thankfully intervenes to keep Kima from really losing her cool.

Kima watches as Allura sits in the dirt staring dreamily at her. She picks dandelions and blows them with all the avid interest of a small child. Kima tries not to look at her, but Allura is not deterred. Kima can feel a hand ghosting gently over her hair. The ethereal fingers take a loose lock of hair and twirl it in front of Kima’s face before letting go. Kima blows the hair out of her face, and the fingers pull it back out of place. “Knock it off,” Kima says moving her hair back out of her face.

Allura grins at her and the same lock falls back. Kima huffs and grabs Allura’s fingers, “I said knock it off.”

Allura just giggles, “But it looks cute. Very romance novel.” Allura pulls her pointer and middle finger out of Kima’s grasp and the mage hand plays with the loose piece of hair and puts it dangling back in Kim’s face. Allura says, reaching up to play with a lock of Kima’s hair that’s come loose from her very short ponytail.

Kima puts it back in place. Allura plays with it again leaving it to dangle in front of Kima’s face.

Kima throws her hands in the air walking away thinking that will solve the issue, but Allura keeps using mage hand to play with Kima’s hair from across the campsite.

“Enough,” Kima grabs Allura’s hands to keep her from doing it again and is successful. For a moment.

Allura pulls three of her fingers out of Kima’s grip to make the hand and twirls the lock of hair around a semi translucent finger.

Kima grabs Allura’s fingers again and it becomes a great game, for Allura at least, to try and get her fingers loose again even though she only really succeeds in getting one or two free before Kima has them all gathered again.

“Why are you being so annoying?” Kima gripes as her face turns warm again.

It keeps up until Kima grabs her hands and laces their fingers together, “I don’t want to break your fingers, Allura.”

“I don’t want you to either. This is nice though,” Allura says, and rests her cheek on their interlaced fingers. It’s hot, almost feverish, against Kima’s skin. “Allura are you sure you’re ok?”

“I’m fine,” she says, smiling again, “I’m better than I’ve ever been. I’m sitting here holding hands with a beautiful woman that I’ve wanted to kiss for months.”

“You- wait what?” Kima says, pulling back a bit.

“I’ve wanted to kiss you for I don’t know how long. You’re beautiful and fearless and I’m hopelessly smitten with you.”

The admission is out of nowhere and Kima just stares at her for a minute. “That plant has really messed with you.”

“There was some reason I didn’t want to tell you, but I can’t think of it right now.” She sounds thoughtful, like she’s actually trying to remember why she held her tongue, but she just shakes her head.

“How long have you—?”

“A month or two, but I’ve liked you for a long while,” Allura says, smiling at Kima.

“I-you like- umm,”

Allura pouts, “Maybe that was why I didn’t say anything.”

“Allura, you’re out of your mind. Literally, out of your mind. We’ll get you fixed up and you can take it back.”

Allura’s eyebrows furrowed, “What if I don’t want to be fixed? What if I want to stay like this? I’m tired of being the stick-in-the-mud serious one. I want to be fun for once.”

“Allura, this isn’t fun. You messing with everyone and trying to drive us all nuts isn’t fun.”

Allura’s face falls, “but—“

“Like just now with my hair, that’s annoying not funny and it makes me want to tie you up and leave you in a tent not kiss you.”

“I was just trying to play a game…I Like this Allura. Not afraid to say what I like, or laugh when something is funny. Admit it I’m boring normally. This is better.“

“I don’t think it’s better than Allura. I like the real you, not this crazy laughing parody.”

Allura looks like her heart has split in her chest as she stares at Kima. There are tears in her eyes and it’s all Kima can do to hold firm as she stares her down.

She looks down at her hands in Kima’s and slowly pulls them away and into her lap. She sniffles and Kima could kick herself, Allura’s in a delicate state and she’s gone and made her cry.

“Then why don’t I make things easier,” she stands and wipes at her eyes and whispers something and disappears in a flash of blue.

“Allie!” Kima leaps to her feet and spots a woman in blue some feet away. “Allie, get back here!” Kima races after the rogue mage and she can hear the others shouting and scrambling to their feet behind her. She doesn’t look back, just chases Allura as she runs along the bright green hills and repeats her small teleport whenever Kima gets remotely close.

The third time she nearly catches Allura she can hear her laughter as she disappears again. She’s running now, long legs pumping as she laughs and runs with her skirts pulled up so she doesn’t trip. Kima may be a better athlete but that doesn’t mean enough against Allura’s addled enthusiasm and wide gate.

Allura is almost out of sight and Kima glances over her shoulder to see the others racing to catch up. “Drake?! Got a spell?”

“Hang” he huffs trying to catch his breath, “on!” And pulls out his wand before shouting something. The world around Kima slows down as she runs. She’s never felt this fast in her entire life and she takes off after Allura’s trailing braids.

It still takes a while to catch Allura but Kima can see her slowing as she keeps an even pace. Like a spinning top slowly winding down, Allura's steps become slower and less certain. She’s still running but it’s wobbly now, and her pace has slowed significantly.

Kima cannons into her and to keep them from hitting the ground she spins a few times to dissipate the energy. Allura laughs even as Kima grabs her hands yet again and bear hugs Allura to keep her still.

Kima has her arms around Allura’s middle pinning her arms to her sides, “I never would have guessed you could be such a chaos gremlin!” She shouts as Allura laughs.

“Oh no, you caught me.” Allura laughs.

“What the hell was that?”

“I knew you wanted me around. You couldn’t just let me run away.” The too wide smile is back, her tears forgotten.

“I’m gonna tie you up and gag you if you don’t knock this off,” she shouts, holding Allura off of her feet.

“As long as it’s you doing the tying,” Allura says in a singsong voice.

“Not everything is a sex joke!”

Allura quits struggling and Kima begins to catch her breath.

“Will you please sit down?”

“Will you please hold my hand?”

“What?”

“I want you to hold my hand. It makes me happy when you do.”

“I-yeah sure.”

Kima relaxes her grip just a bit and when Allura doesn’t make an attempt to get away she sets her down and lets go.

“Come on let's go sit in the shade over there while we wait for everyone else to catch up with us.” Kima can feel Drake’s haste running out and her legs locking up. Allura turns on her heel, skirt flaring and walks a little unsteadily towards the trees.

Allura plunks down in the dirt and immediately holds her hands out for Kima to take.

“You know if this is what you wanted then you could have just said so.” She goes for a simple hand hold but Allura laces their fingers together.

“This was more fun.” The lisp is bizarrely adorable and Kima cannot stay mad at Allura at any time, let alone now.

“Amazing,” Kima says, rolling her eyes and smiling as she sits next to Allura and groans. “I really hate the haste spell.”

“Why did you need it?” Allura pouts as she starts to look Kima over.

“Because this long legged human girl was running and misty stepping away from me and I had to catch her.”

“Was she pretty?”

“Annoyingly, yeah.”

Allura beams and leans on Kima. “Annoyingly pretty is still pretty. You’re beautiful, you know that right?”

“See, now I know you’re high,” Kima says as she can feel the heat rising up her face.

“You’re beautiful, Kima,” Allura says resting her head on Kima’s shoulder.

“If you say so.” It’s odd to be able to wrap her arm around Allura freely and not worry about her jumping up and away. She’s fidgeting as they sit, her leg never stops bouncing, and her fingers twitch in between Kima's. Then it stops. The moving fades in a matter of moments and she relaxes against Kima’s shoulder.

“I don’t think I feel well Kima,”

“Are you gonna puke?”

She shakes her head, “No, I just feel strange. Lightheaded and really dizzy.”

“Want to lay down?”

“Mm-hmm,” Allura hums and moves to lay with her head in Kima’s lap.

It’s not what Kima meant, but the little frown on Allura’s face relaxes slightly as she rests her head on Kima’s thigh. Kima holds Allura’s hand. Within a minute Allura is asleep. Kima moves her fingers a bit to have her index finger on Allura’s wrist. She can feel a quick pulse but it’s not erratic, so she relaxes a hair.

It takes several minutes before the group catches up and Ghenn is the first to make it up the hill. “She ok?” they ask, panting slightly.

“She’s ok. I think she’s just napping the rest of it off.”

“Ok, good,” Ghenn smiles when they see Kima holding Allura’s hand. “That’s really sweet.”

“Yeah yeah shut up.”

It’s much later when Allura begins to stir Kima is immediately awake to check on her.

“Hey, are you feeling alright?”

“Not particularly,” she says, the playful tone is gone but the lisp is still there.

She opens her eyes and Kima can see the moment that she realizes her head is in Kima’s lap. Her eyes go wide and she sits up in a flash. “Ow!” She presses a hand to her head.

“Relax, hey it’s ok. Relax.”

“I’m so sorry,” Allura’s face twists, “I’m sorry,” she says, trying and mostly succeeding in getting rid of the lisp.

“It’s not a problem, Allura.”

“Where are we?” Allura sits next to her stiff and looking vaguely panicked. The second time she turns her head to look around and hisses in pain Kima can’t stay quiet.

“Do you have a headache?”

“Don’t worry it’s what I get for poking unknown plants.” Her posture is slowly curling inwards and Kima’s never seen her like this.

“Allura, hold still,” Kima puts a hand on her shoulder and pushes some healing magic into her. She audibly sighs in relief even as she pulls away from Kima. “Do you remember what happened this afternoon?”

“Yes.” Allura’s face is beet red and she can’t look Kima in the eye. “I apologize for the attempted kissing. That was inappropriate.”

“You weren’t yourself, Allie.”

“Still.”

“You know you’re not a stick in the mud right?”

“That’s sweet of you to say, but I am,” she says quietly.

“No, you’re sensible and probably keep us all from poisoning and maiming ourselves.”

Allura doesn’t say anything, just stares into the fire that’s been constructed in the middle of the camp.

“Just so you know if you ever want to- you know when you’re not out of your mind- then I’d be happy to kiss you.”

Allura’s head jerks up, “You would?”

“Yes.”

“Oh,” Allura says, a bit dumbfounded.

“I mean you were drugged on some weird elf flower thing and you wanted to hold my hand and kiss me. That’s like the dopiest sweetest thing.”

Allura’s still blushing but she gives a small smile. “I’m still sorry. Remind me never to touch plants I’ve not seen before.”

“I’ll do my best. You look tired, do you want to lay back down?”

Allura opens her mouth but stops short. “May I?”

“Yeah, I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t want you to.”

Slowly Allura lays back down with her head in Kima’s lap and her face towards the low fire. Kima can tell she’s still uncomfortable though as her frown never lessens and the rubs her head and temples from time to time.

Kima starts gently massaging her scalp, trying to help or at least comfort her. To Kima’s surprise, Allura starts undoing her braid to free her hair so Kima has an easier time massaging. She keeps rubbing softly and running her fingers through Allura’s long hair as the fire crackles.

Kima can see Allura’s eyes getting heavy, and she gently runs her fingers along her arm to hold her hand. Her hair is so soft, and she gently smoothing her hair as she begins to drift off. Kima smiles as Allura hums her satisfaction. It’s nice to enjoy something like this. A pretty girl in her lap and happy to be there.