~Oh please, let me get through this without embarrassing myself,~ he prayed silently. ~I don't ever want her to see what usually happens when I experience G-force on a sled. Maybe if I could just steady myself...~

Allura felt two vise-like arms encircle and then abruptly tighten around her waist. Her apprehension about Pidge's condition faded for the moment, as she allowed herself a small grin at the unusual gesture; it either meant Keith was being his typically protective self, or that he was uneasy about how truly steep this hill was, now that he was getting a first hand look at it. She highly suspected it was due to the latter, if the yell he had let out when they had set off, and the way he was now clinging to her for dear life was anything to go by. But, goodness, hadn't he said he had slid on the hills at the academy? Was Keith actually afraid of taking a spill?

She mentally shook herself at the fanciful notion; she was just being silly, because what could the fearless pilot of Black Lion possibly be dreading about a simple downhill slide on a toboggan? And yet, she still couldn't shake the notion that he was scared of something.

The Princess felt a slight increase in pressure against the sides of her thighs, which distracted her from her ponderings. She briefly looked down and noticed that the long legs that bracketed her hips from behind now seemed to be straining with the effort of staying on the sled. There was only one solution to that problem. She reached down and hoisted the booted, masculine feet up onto her lap to anchor them, almost overbalancing their astonished owner in the process.

Allura would have been amused if she could have seen the look on Keith's face as she un-self-consciously locked his legs around her body. Discomfort, alarm and amazement; all of them made their appearances on his expressive features. He stared over her shoulder, his eyes steadily trained on the icy terrain in front of the toboggan, as he tried not to think of the unorthodox position they were assuming, or how good it felt to have her in his arms, with her pert little backside pressed against the juncture between his thighs. Allura patted his crossed arms reassuringly and Keith forced himself to relax, and block out his worries regarding the possible consequences of the ride. Gradually his arms loosened their squeeze of death, as he became more comfortable about his bearing on the sled.

~Might as well enjoy the benefits,~ he thought ruefully. ~I may never get a another legitimate chance to wrap around her like this. Even if I lose my lunch, it will have been worth it.~

Allura smiled as she felt his tension ease. Good, she could now focus fully on the path ahead of them.

The chill wind and gusts of snow whipped against her cheeks, feeling like licks of a cold flame against her tender skin, but the Princess ignored the icy prickliness, reveling instead in the glorious sensation of speed and the challenge the hillside presented. A wave of exultation welled within her as she realized that she was the one that controlled their trajectory, and that, for once, Keith was only a passenger whose welfare was in her hands. The feeling was very empowering, to say the least.

Under her expert guidance, they flew cleanly over and around the moguls, racing onward and downward, only having to make one adjustment in position when the toboggan happened to hit a huge, unseen bump with a resounding thud. Allura heard a small groan emit from the man behind her, and his arms and legs squeezed stunningly hard for a few seconds, before easing up. An immensely relieved Allura drew in deep breaths; it really was true what they said about a pilot's legs being super strong. Good thing her parka was thick and fluffy, or she was sure he would've have cracked her ribs by now. She briefly and illogically wondered if his eyes were open or shut, before the mission captured her full attention once again.

Only a few hundred yards to their downed comrade, now she could clearly see the huge drift and the Pidge-shaped imprint in its side, but yet there was no sign of the Green Lion Pilot. Allura gnawed at her bottom lip, as she surveyed the oncoming situation. It was a tricky predicament; not knowing their friend's location, they couldn't risk ramming the same drift he had, but if they didn't, the toboggan would end up way out on the lake, or worse, in the lake. She swiftly decided the only recourse was for them to bail out into one of the smaller drifts on the opposite side of where Pidge had landed.

"Keith!" She yelled, turning her head to the left. Her words were whipped back to him by the wind. He immediately leaned forward.

"Yeah?" The answer was loudly spoken against her hood, in the vicinity of her left ear.

She shouted, "When I grab your hand, lean all the way to the right, as far as you can!"

"Why?" He yelled back.

"Trust me...and just do it!" She snapped, knowing that time was short, and they must avoid surfing the frozen lake at all costs. Now was not the time to test the ice's thickness.

"Right." His shouted reply was brisk, and she breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness for military training and discipline! He had realized she must have a good reason, and would cooperate without questions. It did make things so much easier for her, and she gratefully resolved to do the same for him in every future battle with Doom.

Their target area was fast approaching. ~Almost there, come on, come on...NOW!~ The Princess grabbed hold of the Captain's interlocked hands and immediately they lunged right, tipping the toboggan on its side. As Keith's arms tightened around her, correctly anticipating her move, Allura kicked out, thrusting the sled away from them. Rider-less, it went shooting down the rest of the incline and clattered out onto the lake, as the two disembarked passengers tumbled and rolled as one toward a small drift.

A few seconds before impact, Allura spotted a green jacketed, brown-capped figure rising from the snow on the other side. The figure grinned and waved a feeble hand at their unconventional approach, before falling back into the deep confines of the drift.

She breathed a mental sigh of relief. Pidge was all right!

"He's okay, Keith! I saw him!" She shrieked, her voice shaking with every bump she hit. She faintly heard his gasped out 'good!' before they hit the wall of snow that abruptly put an end to their wild trip with a muffled thud.

Dazed and breathless, the figures remained locked together as they took stock of their situation and their respective condition.

Allura found herself resting face down, squarely on top of the body of the Captain, her forearms arms resting on either side of his torso. She stayed there; bemused, panting, and trying to get her bearings as her head rose and fell in time with the expansion and contraction of Keith's chest. His tortured breathing ruffled the fur on her hood, but his steely arms still held her closely to him, effectively preventing her from moving if she had wanted to, which she didn't. As her breath steadied and the world finally stopped spinning, the Princess lay quietly and totally motionless, even when a drizzle of snow kicked up from the impact floated down and covered her from head to toe.

Keith lay on his back, his unruly hair flopped over his dark eyes, which squeezed shut as he desperately fought to control his churning stomach. The ride down had been bad enough, but then to bail out like that- he moaned softly as he felt the acid tide starting to rise from his gut. No! Not in front of Allura, he just couldn't! He fought harder to keep it down, fiercely willing his traitorous stomach to obey his brain. Despite the cold, he felt the sweat break out underneath his headband. His arms unlocked from the pillow-like burden on top of him, and lifted to his head to cover his eyes. A fresh wave of nausea came with the movement.

This was not good.

~I will not hurl! I will not hurl!~ He thought, desperately.

"Keith, are you all right? You're so pale! Open your eyes! Say something!"

A sweet voice filled with concern washed over him, taking away some of the sick feeling swirling within him, distracting him enough from his discomfort to allow him to actually gain some control of the reflux. Little by little, the unpleasant sensation passed, and he was able to draw deep breaths of clean, crisp air, which also helped immensely.

In fact, now that he felt reasonably sure he wasn't going to heave, he found himself starting to notice and appreciate other interesting and much more pleasant sensations, like the soft, pillowy, warmth that was covering him from neck to toes, and the cool tickle of the powdery snow dusting his face. After giving fervid thanks that the ride was over and Pidge was okay, Keith dropped his arms to his sides, but kept his eyes shut, as he concentrated on the other sensations around him.

The warmth above him had suddenly shifted, he realized, completely leaving his upper body and settling itself comfortably around his pelvis. He then felt the shy touch of dainty fingers brushing away the hair and snow from his eyelids and cheeks with gentle strokes, hesitating only when they drifted across his lips. It felt wonderful, like being caressed by the wings of a butterfly.

He could hear his harsh, rapid pants of breathing, and the pounding of his own heart, but around him silence reigned supreme; even the whistling wind had stilled for now. He found his taut muscles relaxing; the fluffy snow bank was just like a cushion beneath and around his body, so warm and protecting, almost like being in a cocoon.

His thoughts then turned back to his lovely burden and where it rested.

Now all thoughts of being sick were a very distant memory. A slow, flowing heat coursed through his body and centered itself in the area between his hips, as he took guilty pleasure in the sensation of Allura pressing intimately against him, while she continued to stroke the snow off of his face and upper torso.

"Keith," the honeyed voice was ragged with anxiety.

Slowly he opened his eyes and beheld the golden haired goddess who was perched on top of his nether regions, as if she sat there every day of her life.

"Oh, please say something, Keith," Allura whispered pleadingly. "Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine," he responded huskily.

"Oh thank goodness, I was afraid that..." she looked away and swallowed hard.

He chuckled. "No way, you're as light as a feather, Princess. Now if it had been Hunk..."

They both laughed.

Allura looked down at him, unsmiling, but with an impish twinkle in her eyes. "So does this mean I should be called 'Splat Girl'?"

Keith's eyes widened at her remark. He then smiled broadly and pretended to seriously consider his answer.

"Well...I don't know, I think the guys will have to decide that one."

She laughed. "Fair enough. Well, then, Mr. Diplomat, what did you think of Castle Hill?"

"Hm. The ride was good, rough and fast, and you made the ending quite memorable, so I'd give it a thumbs up!" He told her, his smile growing to a cheeky grin. He couldn't resist adding, "In fact, for future reference, I think you should be in the driver's seat more often."

He then started to laugh, rather helplessly. She still didn't realize what a compromising position they were in, and he was enjoying it far too much to point it out to her just yet.

Allura stared at his mirth filled expression for a few seconds, strongly suspecting that he was laughing at her, not about the wild ride.

"Well, thank you, Captain- I think!" she finally said, then leaned forward to examine his head for any cuts or contusions.

His laugh turned to a groan as she shifted, and her groin inadvertently massaged the tip of his gender, bringing it to pulsating life. He felt the telltale rush of blood, and immediately panicked. He knew that his ski pants would be no barrier to her noticing his arousal, and since that was one secret he intended to keep for a while, his hands went to her waist with the intention of lifting her gently away from him before he embarrassed them both.

"Hold still for a minute, I haven't finished!" She ordered, pushing his arms away.

"Yes you have," he responded, lifting his hands to her waist. "I'm fine, and we need to go check on Pidge."

She glared downward and opened her mouth to scold him, but saw something glinting in his eyes that made her immediately conscious of just where she was sitting.

With his hands at her waist and her straddling his hips, it was like-

A wave of scarlet crept over her face. She scrambled to her feet, avoiding his eyes, and mumbling profuse apologies. She reached out a hand and helped him get to his feet, and then busied herself with brushing his back off, so she had an excuse not to look at him. How could she have been so stupid? He probably thought she was as green as the spring grass, and that was why he was laughing. Her swipes grew more hurried as a fresh wave of mortification overtook her.

Keith stood motionless and silent, as she efficiently cleaned him off.

"There, now let's go find Pidge," she said briskly, putting her mittens back on her reddened fingers.

"Okay," he said agreeably, his eyes tenderly noting the blush that still stained her cheeks. Impulsively he reached out and ran a gloved finger over her bruised cheek.

She looked up at him, her blue eyes containing self-recrimination and anxiety.

"Thank you, Princess, I really enjoyed our first ride together, " he informed her in a low voice, his gaze revealing both sincerity and the banked sensuality that had made her so aware of him.

"You're welcome," she answered, her voice trembling a little. She dropped her eyes in confusion and stepped back.

Keith frowned at her withdrawal. "Allura, don't worry about..." he began, when he was interrupted by a cheerful, boyish voice piping from across the way.

"Hey guys, whatssup? Are you still alive?"

Keith sighed, reached for the Princess' hands and gave them a reassuring squeeze. "Come on, let's go get Pidge." He said softly.

They found him still ensconced inside the drift, smiling happily. The hazel eyes behind the goggles blinked up at them owlishly.

Allura worriedly asked Keith, "Is he concussed?" "He looks a little off."

Keith grinned. "No more 'off' than usual," he chuckled.

"I heard that," Pidge informed them, half-heartedly throwing a handful of snow at his leader.

"I meant you to," Keith retorted. "That was quite a spill, Splat Boy. One for the record books."

The boy sat up, suddenly re-energized. "You think so?" He said excitedly, hope shining in his eyes. "I know I didn't keep the tray with me, but I did get to the required destination."

The Captain nodded solemnly. "That's all that matters, Lieutenant. You have brought honor to our barracks this day. I'm proud of you, and you will be receiving a special commendation from me in your personal achievement dossier." He then smartly saluted the seated figure.

Pidge scrambled to his feet and returned the salute. "Thank you, Captain."

The youth's eyes widened as the Princess stepped close to him. "Here's my salute to you, Splat Boy," she smiled, and then bent down to peck her teammate's rosy cheek, which grew rosier under her brief caress.

"Th-thank you, Princess," the Green Lion pilot stammered, completely awestruck. "I'm honored."

"You're welcome," Allura replied solemnly. "And furthermore, I too will see that your achievement is recorded for posterity."

Keith glanced at her questioningly, but the Princess only gave a mysterious smile. Soon they were joined by the boisterous duo of Lance and Hunk, who dramatically dropped to their knees in front of Pidge chanting:

"Hail Splat Boy, he's King of Slide; we speak of his noble feat with pride! Our praise to him will be unfurled, cause he took his lumps and didn't hurl!"

As the last line passed their lips Hunk and Lance glanced askance at their leader, who gave them a thumbs up. They grinned at Keith, silently congratulating him on his own impressive feat of self-control.

This time Allura didn't giggle at the chant; she was too busy watching a young boy's eyes shine with happiness and a suspicious moisture as he graciously acknowledged his much older friends sincere homage to his bold and daring soul. Keith, Lance, and Hunk hoisted the youth up into the air, set him on their shoulders, and paraded him around for a few laughing, happiness- laden moments.

Just for a minute, the sole spectator to the impromptu parade felt lonely, like an outsider observing the rites of an exclusive club.

A simple, silly, fun loving Academy tradition had helped form an unshakable, unbreakable bond between these diverse personalities, one that had served them well in the real world. Allura fervently hoped what she had planned for them back at the Castle could do the same, but include herself, Coran and Nanny as well.

"Hey guys, we still have a little time left, so let's make the most of it! Anyone ready for another go?" She called to them, wanting to be let back into their world.

"Sure!" they heartily exclaimed, with broad grins at the smiling, parka clad Princess. After a final hurrah, Pidge was quickly lowered to the ground.

It took little time to retrieve the errant tray from its resting spot, and the other toboggan from the lake. Rotating passengers and equipment, (although Allura did refuse to try the tray) the entire Voltron Force spent the next hour sliding down and taking spills on the lower half of Castle Hill, their laughing voices and Allura's intermittent shrieks filling the wintry air with the warm sounds of simple pleasure.

To be continued... :)