This story was accepted for the first issue of stars aligned, a fan-made Shiro/Allura ("Shallura") magazine of fan art and fan fiction. Check out their tumblr blog to learn about upcoming issues to submit to or order!

"Guardianship"

Shiro could not decide what would be the best way to bring up the subject. He was not sure which option was more difficult: approaching Coran out of the blue, when he was spending time on his own; or asking to talk with him after a meal or meeting, when the others would notice and speculate. He recognized every opportunity, but let each one pass by.

It wasn't that Shiro was nervous, it was just that … when it seemed Coran was having a good day, Shiro didn't want to initiate such a serious discussion; yet when Coran was having a bad day, or when the atmosphere was tense or chaotic, Shiro thought it too trivial and irrelevant to bring up in the midst of more pressing concerns.

He finally decided to go through with it, at a moment when he had not been planning to do so: he just happened to find Coran alone in the lounge, reading files on a holographic screen. Shiro had just been passing through, but he decided now was as good a time as any.

"Coran? May I speak with you?"

"Sure thing, Shiro." Coran shut off the screen to look at him, and noticed his uncertain expression. "Is something wrong?"

"No … not wrong, just serious."

"Should I get the princess?"

"Um … I'd rather it just be us, for now."

"What is it?"

Shiro sat down a few feet away from Coran, scratching the shaved part of his head as he answered. "Well, it actually has to do with Allura. There's something I want to talk to her about … well, we've actually talked about it hypothetically, but I want to actually consider it … only, I thought I should talk to you about it first."

Hearing this, Coran became a little apprehensive. The shift in Shiro and Allura's relationship had not gone unnoticed. Though they did not make a show of their affection in front of other people, the strength and nature of their bond was nevertheless apparent. No one was entirely surprised to find them holding hands, sneaking hugs and kisses, or having long conversations late at night. Overall they still acted quite professional, giving Coran no legitimate reason to protest or complain about their behavior. But neither of them had spoken openly with him about their relationship, until now.

Shiro finally had Coran's attention, yet he still seemed hesitant to begin.

"Well, go on," Coran urged him.

Shiro flexed his fingers, then rested his fists on his knees. "Okay. See, on Earth, in many cultures, it's traditional to … um … if two people want to get married … or, if someone wants to propose marriage … they're sort of supposed to ask the other person's parents first, or have their own parents ask the other's parents, and get their blessing. If Allura's parents were still alive, I would have gone to them, but …" Shiro trailed off when Coran raised an incredulous eyebrow at him.

"If Allura's parents were still alive," Coran said hotly, "the entire situation would be different. You'd be asking to marry into Altea's royal family! You'd be trembling in your boots coming before the king and queen."

Shiro bowed his head in acknowledgment. His only glimpse of the late king had been when Alfor's corrupted AI appeared on the control room screens shouting, "Stay away from my daughter!" Allura had reassured Shiro that the real Alfor would have liked him, but he still felt intimidated by the king's legacy, and knew he probably would have felt that way if they had ever met. "I know," he said. "And I realize, looking at who Allura is, where she's from and where she's going, I'm not really … in the right social standing, even disregarding the fact that I'm from another planet. On Earth I'm famous and pretty well-off, but looking at the bigger picture, at the universe … I'm just an explorer."

Coran studied him with an unreadable expression. "You get points for humility. But where were you going originally with this?"

"My reason for wanting to talk to you is … you're the closest thing Allura has to a parent, now. And I know she means a lot to you. So before I ask her about it, I want to know if you'd be okay … with me marrying her."

"Hmm." Coran folded his arms, and absentmindedly stroked his beard. "Before King Alfor put me in the cryosleep, I promised him I'd serve and guide his daughter. You're asking me to pass that responsibility of guardianship to you."

"Yeah … that's kind of how it works, at least on Earth. But I'm sure Allura will still rely on you … just, maybe, not as much. Not primarily."

Coran tugged thoughtfully at his mustache. "Well, I'll start off by saying, the idea does not repulse me."

Shiro looked at him. "Okay." He supposed that was good, a start, but wondered what direction Coran was about to go in.

"You may not be a prince, or whatever the Earthling equivalent would be; but you're an honorable and capable man. It's clear you and Allura are already devoted to each other. So if you both want to live out that devotion in a marital union … I would approve."

Shiro's mouth involuntarily broke into a smile; in fact, his whole face shone with relief and happiness. "Thank—"

"Just a moment," Coran interrupted, holding up a finger. "Before you go running off with that endorsement, let me remind you there are certain aspects of this hypothetical union you'll need to keep in mind."

"Okay."

"Now, marriage between different cultures on a single planet can be challenging, but you'd each be bringing the cultures of two different planets into yours. For Alteans and other bipedal species, marrying aliens was not unheard of; but your human race is still coming to terms with the fact that life outside of Earth. You'd have to put up with all sorts of reactions, and learn to balance your different traditions."

Shiro nodded. "I know. We have talked about our cultural differences. But since we've been living together for a long time anyway, we think we'll get along."

"Have you thought about your family situation? The legacy you'll inherit and pass on?"

"Uh …"

Coran's face and hands were animated as his voice rose and fell. He was almost thinking out loud, talking to Shiro while also figuring it out himself. "If you marry Princess Allura, then preserving Altea's memory will fall on your shoulders as well as ours. If you have children, you'll be the father of the next generation of Alteans. Having children can make any parents emotional, but coupling those typical reactions with Allura's unique circumstances—having no other family and being one of the last of her people—frankly it adds new layers of complexity to those experiences. You'd have to support her through all of that, and deal with whatever expectations she has for you and your family. "

Shiro nodded again. "I know. And I'm going to talk to Allura about these things before we come to any solid decision."

"Good, because there are also the matters of where you'll live, how you'll survive, who—"

"Coran," Shiro broke in. Maybe Coran was more reluctant about letting go of his guardianship than he realized. Shiro tried to reassure him, as well as himself. "We'll plan and prepare as much as we can, but none of us can predict all the things that might go wrong or cause problems. Pidge's dad says, 'If you worry too much about what could go wrong, you might miss the chance to do something great.' I'm not looking for greatness, I just want to help Allura have a happy life."

Coran's eyes softened, and he looked at Shiro with something like profundity. "That … is an act of greatness."

Shiro half-smiled. "So, just to be clear, you are okay with me bringing up this topic with Allura? And if she accepts my proposal, you'll be okay with us getting married?"

"My answer to both questions is a definite 'Yes.'"

"Thank you, Coran." Shiro extended his mechanical arm and shook Coran's gloved hand. "You don't know how much that means to me, and will mean to her."