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"Where are you taking me?"

Allura kept pulling him along the castleship. He had his Paladin helmet on but in his civilian clothes. The screen was in the black training mode, a makeshift blindfold that left him entirely dependent on her to guide him.

They were walking for longer than he thought they would which could only mean that they were going to a part of the castle he hadn't been in yet.

"We're almost there," he could hear the smile in her voice. "Are you not always telling the Paladins to be patient?"

"Yeah, but if it's a surprise…"

She halted, making him stop. He started as she flicked the tip of his nose.

"What was that for?"

"We're here." He heard a door slide open. She took his hand again and walked. "Mind the slight step. Your right foot is about to bump into it."

He let his foot bump into it so he knew where it was, then he raised it a little higher than he did for walking.

"Thanks princess."

She let go of his hand. "Save your thanks until after. Now stay there."

He heard her walk away from him. She hadn't said to remove the helmet nor did she take the blinder setting off. He heard humming sounds similar to the castle lights and other sounds he could only guess.

"Alright. You may take off your helmet."

He did so immediately. He let his helmet hang from his right fingers as he looked around them. All along the walls were shelves of blue and pink vines with what he assumed were leaves and flowers.

She caught his eye and pointed up. He tilted his head back. Suspended from the ceiling were long white rectangular platforms with vines of yellow and red leaves hanging from the sides.

He looked back at her with a smile. "I didn't know you had plants in here."

"When the castle is in lockdown this room automatically puts the plants in hibernation." She walked towards the closest wall with plants. He followed. "Coran's been looking after them since we woke up."

Shiro looked over the plants with renewed interest. "So these plants are…" from Altea, "thousands of years old?" he finished instead of his initial thought.

"They were in hibernation," she grew taller to cup a blue and red veined flower from the vine, "but yes, you could say that." Her eyes were unfocused but Shiro could not see. "Mother loved to draw flowers." She blinked rapidly, drawing herself back to the present. "They are an excellent resource for ships out in space."

Shiro nodded. "Good suppliers of oxygen."

She shrank down to her normal height. "Earth plants provide oxygen?"

It felt so strange to think that plants wouldn't. "Yeah. They do. They also take in the carbon dioxide we breathe out. Too much of that can be dangerous for humans in closed spaces."

"How peculiar," she amiably laughed. "Both of us breathe in oxygen but carbon dioxide is an Altean's alternative source."

"Huh." Shiro put his free hand on his hip. "So us humans are providing you and Coran with air."

"And we are consuming the excess co2 that can be harmful for you."

He grinned. "We are each other's plants." He leaned over to touch her cheek. "What a pretty flower you are."

"As are you," she retorted.

He laughed at that. "Not prettier than you."

Her cheek markings lightly glowed. "You are quite the flirt when you want to be."

"I thought you liked it when I flirt."

"I didn't say I disliked it."

"No evasive diplomat talk." He pulled her in with one arm. "Not when it's just us."

She sighed and put her arms around his waist. "Old habits," she muttered in apology. "I only dealt with suitors when I was formally brought out into court."

"A coming out?"

"Yes. After that…well. There wasn't time for such frivolous things."

His face sombered. "Finding someone you get along with isn't frivolous."

She brought her hand over to pick along the edge of his vest.

"How could I think of my own personal desires over the safety of my planet? Of the universe?"

He pulled her in tighter. That thought came across his own mind when he was first coming to terms with his admiration-turned-crush for her. But after all they've been through thus far…

"Is it really so wrong to be with someone you care about?" He murmured into her hair.

She was stiff against him for a moment before she relaxed back into his chest.

"There's nothing wrong with that."

"But-?"

She sighed. Of course he could read her hesitation. She pulled away enough to look up into his face. She brought her hand up to smooth the furrowing of his brow.

"Is it selfish of us?"

"…Maybe," he admitted.

She sighed and rested her hand against his cheek. "Shiro, I-" her eyes widened and then she rotated him around so fast he dropped his helmet. "It's starting!"

He gaped a little as speckles of light floated down from the tiers of plants like slow, quiet waterfalls.

The plants along the walls fell into clear containers he was just now noticing. The ones hovering above them in the middle floated down into a rectangular container that raised up.

"What is this?" he breathed out with his hands lifting up. "Can I- is it safe to touch it?"

"Well of course!" She lifted her hands up too. "It's Quintessence."

He watched some orbs of light fall into her palms and disappear into her. She closed her eyes and moved her head into one of the streams of light.

He softly gasped as the first ball of light touched his Galra hand. It felt warm where it had landed and then ran down his forearm like blood in his body.

He stuck his entire metal arm in the stream. He closed his eyes as warmth showered down his arm. It felt like what he'd used to feel in an arm, not electric signals feeding him information about pressure and temperature.

His arm felt normal. Or as close as he had ever gotten. He didn't realize he was crying until her hands were wiping his eyes.

"I'm sorry. I hadn't felt sensation like this in -"

"Please, you do not need to apologize Shiro." She took his right hand and kissed his knuckles. "This is the main reason I brought you here. These plants release pure Quintessence as a byproduct. I was hoping to see if I could use their energy to cleanse your arm of the Druid magic."

"…I…you would do that?"

"I would like to try. If you would like."

"Yes," he breathed out instantly. "I very much would. But only if it doesn't harm you."

"It shouldn't if I have the aid of the plants' Quintessence."

"…what do I have to do?"

"Stand with me in the drops of Quintessence. It may feel discomforting for a couple of ticks but I will try to be quick."

"I'd rather you be thorough and safe. I can take discomfort."

"Alright. Keep your arm up."

She laid both hands on his arm, one along his metal wrist where a pulse would be and the other in the crook of his elbow.

"Breathe slowly. Let the light go into your body."

He stared at the floating spots of lights coming down on them and then closed his eyes. They stayed still for another moment before he felt concentrated heat in the places her hands were.

Then a sharp jolt. He grimaced and clenched his teeth to minimize his vocal reaction.

"Shiro are you-?"

"I'm fine. Just keeping going."

He breathed heavier as the dark energy in his arm grew hotter but from the inside.

"Ahh!"

"Shiro! Hold on, I'm almost-!"

They both yelled out.

He couldn't hear anything except for a loud pounding in his ears. She touched his chest with energy in her hand and he suddenly breathed in a long breath.

He was on his knees. So was she. He focused on her fingers stroking his hair and the solid hold of her arm along his.

"- hear me? Please answer my darling."

"Yeah," he rasped. He swallowed thickly before giving her arm a squeeze. "I hear you 'Lura. Did it work?"

"You tell me."

She squeezed his arm back. He stared down at it. He felt that. Could feel each finger on his arm, feel the texture of her hand. It wasn't completely the same as his real arm had been but it was a vast improvement.

He lifted his hand up and flexed his fingers. His arm glowed white energy with a violet outline.

"It's gone," he whispered. "The Druid magic -"

"Your arm is now powered by you, and you alone."

He pulled her in and kissed her full on the mouth. It was a sloppy kiss so he did it again. And again. He broke the kiss to rest against her forehead.

"Thank you Allura."

She rubbed the back of his neck. "It was the least I could do for you."

"You owe me nothing princess." He turned to kiss her temple. "But I accept your gift all the same."

She curled her fingers along the back of his neck. "I owe you everything." She sighed and rubbed her nose against his cheek. "And yet I still want more."

"Allura?"

"I'm the selfish one, not you." She moved so they were face to face. "Will you forgive me for continuing to be selfish? Will you allow me to stay by your side?"

"…I-"

"Don't answer that. I'm sorry. I brought you here to see the lights and yet I've made it about myself."

She stood up, making him stand up as well. He tugged her hand before she could think about walking away.

"If that's being selfish, then go ahead. Be selfish. I'm selfish too. I've always wanted to see the universe." He moved so he could turn her face. "But I want to see it with you."

The lights above them made their eyes shine so vibrantly, hiding nothing from the other. She couldn't help but lean up for a kiss especially when he was looking at her with that soft expression and even gentler eyes.

He angled his head, deepening the kiss.

Her fingers clenched the front of his vest and his collar. His hands tightened in her hair and along her hip. They pulled out of the kiss for air but made it lingering, their upper lips the last part to disconnect.

"I think we should go," she half whispered.

He looked down at her lidded eyes and kissed her again. Their lips parted even though this kiss was shorter than the last. He breathed in deeply with his face against her neck.

"I think so too."

Her fingers slid into his right hand. They walked out silently as the last lights fell down.

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AN: I saw some modern hanging gardens pictures online which prompted this. :)