Keith arrived back at the Castle to a gaze of staring eyeballs. For a moment, he simply stared back at them in defiance (from what, he wasn't quite sure). Alexis strode out from the rear of the group, sans Allura.

"Nice get up. Is that a new fashion statement?"

Okay, maybe they were just staring at something on him.
He glanced at hiimself. Nope, fly wasn't undone."Thank goodness." he thought. Next, the rest of himself...
Other than being soaked and the leech trying to suck blood from his boot, nothing of any big deal. Waitaminute, that's it! It's gotta be the water and the leech! They weren't there the last time this group saw him.

"Uhhh, thought I'd take a little walk by the river."

"And a little dip too?" Lance jibed.

"Stow it Lance! I fell in okay!"

"Our graceful, brave leader falling in a river?!"

"Oh sush Pidge. I'm only human!"

"Are you?"

"Lance, I'd stop now before I maike you eat the leech on my boot!"

Silence.

Keith made one more glance back at the group. "I'm going to change. Please excuse me." And at that he quickly strode away en route to his quarters.
He didn't quite make it there without another incident, however, as the Princess had meandered out of her room and into that very same hallway.
Both lost in their own thoughts, they nearly slammed into each other. Rather, they abruptly sensed each other's presence and stopped just in time, staring stupified into each other's eyes. The princess' intitial reaction was to stick her nose up and turn around, but she couldn't move. Keith, trying to regain his composure, simply straightened up and looked like the dignified officer that he is...or was, until Allura began to giggle.

"What your highness?"

"You look like, how does Pidge say, dogpoopie."

"Not you too! Just leave me alone. Isn't that what you wanted too, princess--for me to leave you alone?!" Keith smirked despite himself. He loved wordplay.

Allura for some reason wasn't fooled this time.
"It's not like I asked you to come down this hallway." she calmly, but sarcastically stated.

"Oh, I get it. Now I don't even have a right to enter my quarters unless it is approved by you?"

"Would you wish it that way? It can be arranged y'know."

"So can I leaving this planet!" The words stung, he knew it as soon as he said it. His heart dropped to the floor as he viewed her stunned, hurt expression.

"No one's stopping you! You have free choice over your life! I don't own you, the Alliance does." she tearfully blurted then turned and dashed into her room once again.

Keith stared for a moment, silently cursing himself for his stubbornness and loss of emotion. It had made matters even worse now. He proceeded to his room with a slam of the door.
He made his way into his bathroom to shower and change. Looking into the mirror he couldn't help but laugh. "I DO look like dogpoop and yet the river seemed so clean. Then again, the river banks weren't."
He looked to his right boot where the leech still sat. "Okay, no more free ride, fella." he said as he grabbed it using a tissue and flushed it down the toilet. (*author's note: if there's any leech sympathsizers reading this, please don't flame me. I've had some bad experiences with these critters, so I've learned to despise them.)

With steam filling the bathroom, he inhaled, taking the warm vapors into his lungs. He definitely needed this "little escape" and moment of relaxation. Removing his grungy clothes, he stepped into the beckoning streams of soothing water. He let out an inaudible sigh as the water careened down his soft, muscular body, massaging and caressing the tension away from it. "AAAaaahhh...I could stay here forever." Keith thought then allowed his mind to also relax as he closed his eyes and drifted into a daydream.

[Black lion leaps into the air with a mighty roar. Lotor's battleship and Merla's starcutter are in the distance. The other lions, shot down. Princess Allura, captured by the dark prince, the castle is defenseless, Voltron useless with one lion. It was ALL up to he and the Black now. Quickly and skillfully, Black lion slices through Merla's ship with it's lionknife, without her even getting a shot off at him. He jerks the controls hard left as the lion angles sharply left, banking towards Lotor's battlecruiser. He slams the Black directly into the ship, penetrating the hull. He leaps out of the mechanical beast and charges towards the main control bridge. Lotor would no doubt have Princess Allura at his side. Effortlessly he defeats all of Lotor's soldiers he encounters, the others flee at the sight of him. Nothing is going to stop him from this rescue. Finally, the main bridge. He uses a grenade to blow open the security doors and blots in, taking out each of the bridge crew with one shot a piece. Only Lotor remains and as predicted, Allura, restrained, but by his side. Before Lotor can start his "victory" spiel, Keith draws his sword and levels him. Undoing Allura's restraints, he helps her to her feet. She's crying. He holds her in a tight embrace, trying to calm her enough so they can rapidly depart. Haggar was sure to follow. She begins to calm as her hands caress his back...smoothly...slowly...caressing...it feels so real....REAL??!!]

Keith jolts out of his little "dream." There ARE hands caressing his back! He tries to turn to see the owner of these hands, but they press upon two points at his shoulders, preventing him from turning to any great degree.

"Don't...just relax..." came a whispered voice, barely audible over the shower itself.

"Relax?!" he thinks to himself. "With another being in this shower with me! Well at least I know she's a she...uuhhh, I think...oh gosh....who is it?!"

The caresses slowly become an expertly performed shoulder message. "Thank goodness." he thought, "Allura does not know how to do those. One person, and the most feared, ruled out.

"You're tense, young man." came the voice behind him.

"Young man?" he thought...yikes, who uses THAT phrase a lot. "Gee...I wonder why." he replies. That sarcastic response would determine another is or is not.

Suddenly, the sensation of flesh on flesh. "Uh...uh..." he stammered, uncertain as to what to do now. It was then that his "shower buddy's" identity was revealed.

"Keith, will you just relax. Your body yearns for such affection. Give into it, even if just this once." she whispered into his ear.

Keith turned around. "A-Al-Alexis?!"

"Who else would have the capability to stealthily encroach upon you at your most vulnerable?"

"Wha, wha...why are y-" he stuttered, trying to find a path in his confused mind, but Alexis cut him off with a finger to his lips.

"Sssshhh...don't talk, just relax."
Her fingers slid down past his lips to his masculine chin and further to his hard muscled, yet smooth chest and abdomen. He tried to talk again, but her other hand prevented it, placing yet another finger to his lips.
He thought about using his hands to stop her, but they wouldn't budge. His brain no longer had control of his body...his heart did--or at least half of his heart.

"Let me give you something your princess can't. " she purred, moving her one hand from his lips and intertwining its fingers in his hair.

He said nothing, but he no longer resisted either.

Later, Alexis silently emerged from Keith's bedroom and into the hallway--just as Allura decided to wander back out of hers. The princess met Alexis just as Keith's door shut. Allura looked at the door, then Alexis and her wet hair, then back at the door again.

"Uh, excuse me your highness. I was just leaving."

"From where?"

"I had to drop off some documents to Keith."

"But your hair's wet."

Before Alexis could answer, Keith's door opened again and he stepped forward--wet hair and nothing but a towel across his waist. Both ladies were stunned.

"Uh, I heard voices outside my door. I was wondering if it were anything serious."

Allura noted his wet hair, then Alexis' wet hair, then Keith's attire. She stuck her nose in the air, turned about, and quickly strode back to her bedroom once again.
Keith and Alexis just stared down the hallway, then back at each other. Their eyes speaking without a need for words. Alexis gave a semi-formal salute then left as Keith returned to his room, all in complete silence.

While dressing, Keith glanced at his desk where the pictures of two beautiful young ladies sat. He mumbled several curses then threw himself on his bed, face embedded in his pillow, not wanting to ever get up again. He was utterly confused. He was going to have to make a choice soon...one that'd change his life and another's--forever.