A/n: Due to this episode being purely about Hunk and Lance being stranded, I decided to make it a filler chapter and it won't be as long as the other chapters. Besides that, I hope you all enjoy! Love you all!!!
~✨Celestial✨~
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As the trio sat in silence, they waited for any sign of rescue. Their wish was granted when a wormhole appeared in the sky and the green lion emerged from the rift. Keith and Shiro smiled in relief at the sight, but Arcadia didn't budge. Pidge landed her lion and hopped out, dashing over to her teammates. "That was easier than I thought it'd be."

"How'd you find us?" Keith asked.

The green paladin gestured to the draconian. "Actually, I didn't expect you two to be with Arcadia. I picked up on her mana signature right away when I was able to contact Allura. Her signature is much stronger than the lions."

"Is the castle nearby?" Shiro inquired, his voice weak and hoarse. At his question, the Castle of Lions emerged from the wormhole and landed a few yards from the three lions.

The red paladin stormed over to Arcadia, who hadn't even budged an inch in a while. He placed a hand on her snout and patted her. "Arcadia, wake up. The castle's here!" The boy received no response and moved his hand to her neck, trying to shake her body and wake her up. When he received nothing but silence, his head snapped in Pidge's and Shiro's direction. "We need to get Arcadia inside the castle, now!"

"What's wrong with her?" Pidge asked, dashing over and staring at the immobile dragon. Her eyes spotted the metal protruding from her side and gasped. "I'll use my lion to get her into the castle. Keith, we're gonna need that blue flower from Arcadia's room. Meet me in the green lion's hangar with the medical kit from her room."

"Got it!" Keith went to his lion and headed into the castle.

Pidge was about to enter her lion, but she was stopped by Shiro. "Let me help you, Pidge."

The girl saw his own injury and shook her head. "No. You need to return to the castle and find Allura. She can help you into a cryo-pod." Before the older boy could protest, Pidge had disappeared into her lion and activated it. Shiro left in the black lion while the young girl headed to Arcadia's side. She was able to maneuver the draconian's body onto the green lion's back and fly to the castle without any major issues.

Inside the green lion's hangar, Pidge laid Arcadia down gently before leaving her lion. She analyzed the metal pieces embedded in the dragon's side and counted how many there were. "Okay, there are three small pieces and two large ones. I'm gonna need more help." Pidge contacted Allura and Coran over the comms just as Keith arrived with the medkit. "Allura, Coran, we need help in the green lion's hangar. Come quickly!"

By the time Keith and Pidge made the familiar pale blue paste from the blue flower's petals, the two alteans arrived with worry in their eyes. "What's wrong, Pidge?" The princess asked. When she saw the state Arcadia was in, she gasped and rushed over with Coran by her side to provide assistance.

"Okay," Pidge sighed. "I need both of you to pull out the metal shards in Arcadia's side. Keith, you're gonna clean the wound the moment the shards are removed. After that, I'll apply the paste. Allura, Coran, make sure to pull the metal out slow and gentle. We can't damage anything else in the process of extracting the pieces."

The three nodded and climbed onto the collapsed dragon. Allura and Coran did as Pidge ordered and removed the metal shards as gentle and slow as possible. Keith immediately cleaned up the wounds with a cloth that was drenched in blood within seconds after using it. Pidge jumped onto Arcadia's side and immediately applied the paste to the open wounds, not wasting a single smidge of paste and cleaning out the mortar until there was nothing left.

Allura and Coran disposed of the metal shards and left the care of Arcadia to Pidge and Keith. The green paladin sighed in relief once she saw the dragon's breathing was no longer shallow and the red paladin took notice of the change. The boy hopped off Arcadia's side and disposed of the bloodstained cloth before returning to the dragon's side. As he leaned his body against her snout, he rested his head on her white scales. He closed his eyes, relief washing over every inch of his body and relaxing every muscle. Unconsciously, he traced Arcadia's scales with his fingers as she was finally able to rest peacefully. Right beside the dragon's stomach, Pidge rested her head back against the beast before sinking to the ground with a huff. "That was a close call..."

Keith continued to rest his head on Arcadia's snout, his eyes slowly opening. "She'll be fine, right?"

"Yeah," the young girl nodded. "Arcadia'll be back on her feet by tomorrow. For now, we should search for Lance and Hunk."

"I'll be there shortly. Just... give me a few more minutes."

Pidge nodded and left the green lion's hangar. Keith wanted to desperately hug Arcadia, but he couldn't wrap his arms around her large, scaly body. Instead, he snakes his arms as best as he could around her muzzle and hugged her. "I'm glad you'll be okay." When he lifted his body from her muzzle, he saw her golden eyes were open and trained on him. "You're already awake?"

Arcadia only blinked and Keith realized he didn't have his helmet on. The boy completely forgot he had taken his helmet off the moment he landed the red lion in its hangar, leaving the piece of his armor in the cockpit. Within a few minutes, he returned with his helmet on and saw Arcadia was now resting on her stomach with her wings furled up. He sent a weak glare at the dragon as he crossed his arms. "You shouldn't be moving."

The beast rolled her eyes. "The paste is already doing its job. The wounds will be healed in—"

Her eyes suddenly widened, causing Keith to think of only the worse. "Are you in pain?"

Arcadia shook her head and he could hear the smile in her voice through his helmet. "I think I might have just perfected my healing alchemy!" The dragon lifted her tail as the tip radiated with a familiar green glow. She placed the appendage on her wounds and in seconds, they were sealed and not a single scar remained. Keith was amazed at the sight as his jaw slackened and his arms fell to his sides. "Yes! I did it" Arcadia cheered, transforming back into her human self.

"N-No way..." The paladin mumbled as the girl before him stretched her arms in the air as if nothing ever happened.

She grinned and mentally cheered in her mind, making sure the comms wouldn't pick up her small celebration this time. "Now I can heal anyone!" Arcadia smiled at Keith as she walked over, her hands clasped behind her back. "Y'know, something's gonna crawl in your mouth if you keep it open like that."

The boy shook his head as he snapped out of his shocked state and closed his mouth. In a heartbeat, he pulled off his helmet and tossed it aside before bringing Arcadia into his arms. She giggled as she moved her hands and rested them on his back. "You're an idiot."

Keith immediately pulled away at the insult. "Where's this coming from?" He arched a brow in confusion.

The girl unwrapped her arms from around Keith and placed them on his cheeks, squeezing them and forcing the paladin to make a funny face. "For trying to fight Zarkon by yourself!" Keith tried to talk, but he couldn't due to the way Arcadia was smooshing his face. She noticed and decided to keep squishing his cheeks. "But, I'm not mad."

Keith grabbed her hands and pried them off his cheeks, holding them gently. "You're... not?"

"Nope. I kinda did see what you wanted to accomplish and thought it was moronic, but... I'd probably done the same thing."

Stricken with guilt, Keith tore his violet gaze from Arcadia's golden one. "You got hurt because of my stupidity." The girl pouted as her hands gravitated back to his cheeks. Instead of squeezing, she pulled them. Keith winced at the small amount of pain, but he endured it since he felt responsible for her injuries.

"Don't even start. I'm not gonna listen to you."

"But—"

Arcadia released Keith's cheeks and covered her ears. "La~! La~! La~! Not listening~!" She smirked and ran out of the green lion's hangar while still covering her ears, giggling like a maniac. Keith watched as she disappeared and ran a hand through his sable locks. He sighed, unable to hide the smile as he heard her giggles resound throughout the castle's hallway.

<—————<<<<<<

After changing into his normal clothes, Keith found Arcadia in the lounge lazing around in her own casual attire. She was curled up in a ball on the sofa, hugging her knees with her cheeks puffed out. The boy knew something was wrong and sat beside her. "Why're you pouting?"

Arcadia squirmed on the couch and adjusted her position until her head was resting on his thigh. Unbeknownst to her, Keith was a blushing mess and averted his gaze. Once she was comfortable, the alchemist answered his question. "I went to the bridge to help Pidge, Allura, and Coran, but they wouldn't allow me! I showed them I was healed, but they still wouldn't let me help."

When one of Keith's hands grazed Arcadia's arm, he felt how cold her skin was. He knew it had to have been from the blood loss and saw how pale she truly was. He placed a hand on her head and threaded his fingers through her snowy tresses. "You need to rest, Arcadia."

A groan escaped the girl as she adjusted slightly. "Not you, too!" Even though she was cold to the touch and paler than usual, her flamboyant attitude remained strong and unwavering.

When Arcadia suddenly fell silent, Keith glanced down and saw she had fallen asleep. He continued to comb his fingers through her hair, relieved to finally see she was sleeping. At seeing her own peaceful expression while she slept, he felt his own exhaustion hit him full-force.

Before Keith could fall asleep himself, the door to the lounge opened and Pidge walked inside. She was about to speak up, but she noticed the sleeping alchemist and kept her mouth shut. Although, she did grin devilishly at the sight of the position Arcadia and Keith were in. The boy rolled his eyes, his cheeks slightly tinted red in embarrassment. The hand Keith was using to stroke Arcadia's hair drifted to her neck and he suddenly felt something strange. Glancing down, he saw a slit and started to worry. Pidge followed his gaze and saw what he was looking at. The young girl sat next to Keith and explained to him what he was touching.

After a short and simple explanation, the red paladin realized he knew hardly nothing about Arcadia besides how her planet was destroyed and the five years she spent on Earth. He knew very little besides her specialty in alchemy and ridiculous taste in sunglasses. Pidge peered down at the sleeping girl, doing her best to explain all she knew about the draconians and their abilities as the descendants of Celestial God, Aethios.

Half an hour passed before they knew it and Pidge sighed. "That's all I know about draconians and their home planet. I had to do some serious digging just for the basics. It was even difficult to find anything on Aethios."

Keith had been so intrigued by the species that he kept repeating Pidge's words in his head. "So, these are like... gills?" The boy gestured to the slits on the sides of Arcadia's neck, failing to notice them until now due to either her hair or the neckline of her clothes blocking them from sight.

"Eh, sorta. Instead of helping her breathe under water, it helps her breathe in space. Also..." Pidge pulled out the familiar shark sunglasses and beanie. "Why were these in Arcadia's room? I found them when I returned the first-aid kit."

Keith rolled his eyes as he took the accessories out of the green paladin's hands. "It's what she got on Earth." Then, he went on to explain how Arcadia was the girl he met when he was kicked out of the Galaxy Garrison and about the time they spent together before she suddenly vanished without a word.

"How'd she even buy those?" Pidge questions.

Keith shrugged, not knowing the answer himself. "No idea. Maybe she stole them?"

Pidge examined the sunglasses and hat in the boy's hands, her lips slightly pursed. "She probably snatched them off a rack that was on display outside a shop. Easiest thing to steal, basically. And the beanie, well, those are easy to steal, too."

"Yeah, but why pick up this pair? They're stupid..."

"They're not stupid!" Arcadia suddenly shouts as her eyes fly open. She kept her head on Keith's thigh as she snatched the shark sunglasses from him and placed them on her face, ignoring the beanie entirely. "They're amazing and I love them!"

"When did you wake up?" Keith asked.

"Your insult of my beautiful sunglasses woke me up. How dare you slander my taste!" Arcadia flew up into a sitting position and adjusted her sunglasses. "I thought you were supposed to be my loving, supporting boyfriend."

Keith sprawled his arms across the back of the couch as he scoffed. "No one would support anybody if they saw these sunglasses on someone's face."

"Hey," Arcadia smirked, poking Keith's cheek. "You fell in love with a girl who loves these sunglasses. You must have a soft spot somewhere for these glasses or maybe... you want them for yourself!" The draconian gasped and flew off the couch, protecting her souvenir. "You will not have them!"

Keith stoically glanced at his loving girlfriend, knowing she was simply playing with him. "Not even a robber would want them. What makes you think I do?"

While the two were chatting, Pidge yanked the sunglasses off of Arcadia's face and tried them herself. She took off her own glasses and gazed through the cheap pair of sunglasses. "Talk about cheap."

Arcadia tried on the younger girl's glasses and blinked owlishly. "Wow. These are cool, too!"

Pidge eyed the alchemist and smiled. "You look good in normal glasses."

"I might just steal these from you, Pidge..." The snowy-haired girl mumbled.

"Heard that," she snorted with laughter.

<—————<<<<<<

Once leaving the lounge, Pidge returned to the bridge while Keith and Arcadia headed to the training deck. Once at their destination, the boy removed his jacket and called upon his bayard. The golden-eyed girl sat a safe distance away and watched as her significant other fought the gladiator.

A few minutes passed and Keith cleared another level. Arcadia stood up and called out to the boy. "How about a small match between you and me?"

Alarm bells were going off in Keith's head, warning him it was a bad idea. "No way. I don't care if you're completely healed from your wounds, you're still recovering. Forget it."

Arcadia clasped her hands behind her back, standing her ground and hoping her stubbornness wouldn't lead to a full-blown argument with him. "Just one match. That's all I'm asking."

Glancing at her, Keith saw she was giving him puppy dog eyes and his conviction wavered. The cute and begging expression forced him to look away. He knew if he stared too long, he would lose the battle and allow Arcadia to train with him. "No."

The draconian wasn't mad nor was she giving up. She circled around the boy, forcing him to keep turning and try to avoid her gaze. "Please, Keith?"

"Why're you so stubborn?" Keith asked with a small hint of anger and annoyance.

"Mm, I don't think you have room to talk about "stubbornness," sweetheart," she giggled.

The paladin knew she was right and went to snap at her, but he accidentally locked eyes with the girl. His retort evaporated into thin air and he sighed, his conviction now a pile of rubble. "Fine. One match and that's it."

Arcadia smiled victoriously and cheered mentally at her slight manipulation. "Alright!"

The couple stood a few feet apart, readying themselves for the small sparring lesson. Keith saw the young girl was still in her casual clothes and questioned her attire. "You don't wanna change into something more comfortable?"

The girl glanced down at her outfit.

(A/n: In case y'all forgot what Arcadia's casual attire looks like 'cause I certainly did😅)

"It's not like I have athletic wear like girls on Earth do. This'll have to do for now." Arcadia stepped out of her white, two-inch heels. "I would like to use the suit Allura made me, but I kinda tore a hole in it when I was changing earlier."

Keith raised a brow in curiosity. "How'd you do that?"

"It kinda caught on the tip of one of my horns and I tugged too hard when I went to toss it on my bed," Arcadia confesses, slightly embarrassed.

A smile of amusement crossed over Keith's face. "I swear..."

"Anyway!" The girl clapped her hands together. "This'll strictly be a hand-to-hand sparring match. No weapons since I don't use one and no alchemy since you don't use it. Sound fair?"

"Whatever," Keith sighed, still in disbelief at how easy he gave in to Arcadia's pleading gaze. He ridded himself of his bayard as the girl across from him stretched her arms. "Ready?" He asked.

"Go!" The draconian cheered, signaling the start of the match. She ran toward him, but what confused Keith was she didn't even raise a fist to deliver a blow. He regretted letting his confusion distract him the moment Arcadia swept his feet out from underneath him. His body crashed to the floor, a grunt of pain slipping from his lips as his head collided with the hard floor. The paladin recovered quickly and managed to dodge at the last second when Arcadia went to kick him in the side.

Creating a small distance between him and the girl, he grinned. "Talk about quick."

Arcadia winked at him with a giggle. "You haven't seen me fight at my full potential yet. I'm just getting started. You better start throwing punches or you'll end up flat on your back again and I won't let you get up this time."

Keith's smirk widened as he advanced toward the girl. He swung his fists, holding back his strength because he didn't want to injure Arcadia. She dodged nimbly as if she were dancing instead of fighting. He grew frustrated as each punch he swung missed, but the paladin was also relieved to know he couldn't harm Arcadia as long as she kept dodging.

Distracted by his fury and relief, the draconian caught both of his fists in her hands with a frown. "You're distracted, Keith. Usually you're focused when training. Is it because I'm your opponent?"

Keith swallowed nervously, knowing she had seen right through him as if he were glass. He answered her question with his own. "Do you really think I'm gonna punch my girlfriend, especially after she just healed from an injury that was my fault?"

"Keith," Arcadia sighed. "I told you before—it wasn't your fault." She released his fists, one hand falling to her side while the other rested on her hip.

"I-I know. It's just... something I can't get off my mind right now even though we already talked about it," he confesses.

With another kick to the legs, Arcadia sent Keith to the hard floor once again. Instead of letting him get up, she straddled his waist and stared down into his lilac eyes. Her hand illuminated with a familiar pale blue and white tint as she tapped her finger against his chest. A small shock went through Keith's body, but it didn't cause him any pain. It was only a slight tingle that made his tense muscles relax from the sudden surge. She smiled triumphantly and leaned down until her face was only inches from the paladin's. "I win."

"What was that about not using alchemy?" Keith inquired, meeting her slitted, golden eyes.

"I simply used a small shock to claim victory. If I truly used my alchemy, you'd be dodging lightning, fire, ice, and other elements."

Their noses touched and Arcadia's long, snowy locks fell over her shoulder. A few strands tickled Keith's cheeks as she tilted her head slightly, pressing her lips against his. It was a gentle kiss as there was hardly any force from either side. One of Keith's hands teased her white tresses while the other rested on Arcadia's left cheek. Just as the two were about to deepen the kiss, the door to the training room opened and Pidge barged in. "We found 'em!"

Arcadia breaks the kiss and rests her head on Keith's shoulder, hiding her face from the green paladin. "Great..."

The boy beneath her could hear the disappointment in her voice and couldn't help but grin. "You don't want the others back?"

The girl's head raised from his shoulder. "I do! It's just... I was hoping to have more time with you without Lance trying to intervene and flirt with me."

"Yeah. Me, too." Keith patted the top of her head with a sigh as he thinks of ways to keep Lance away from her.

"I'm gonna go get them. You both do... whatever," Pidge said before she left.

With a huff, Arcadia went to crawl off the boy underneath her. Before she could budge, Keith cupped her cheeks firmly. She blinked with wide eyes, wondering what he wanted. "Keith—?"

The paladin pulled her face down and slammed his lips against hers. Unlike earlier, this kiss was more passionate and intense. Their eyes were closed as they basked in each other's warmth and sweet lips. Eventually, Keith rolled over and now Arcadia was the one being pinned to the floor. Her eyes widened in shock when she realized the position change, but they slowly closed and continued to enjoy the kiss.

The two teens were unaware of how much time had passed as they ended the kiss. Keith went to speak, but in the blink of an eye, he was tackled by a blue and white blur. Arcadia was utterly confused as to what transpired in the past few seconds and sat up. To her left, she saw the blue and red paladins rolling around on the floor.

Keith managed to grab Lance in a headlock, his violet eyes burning with an intense flame. "What was that for, you moron?!"

Lance tried to pry the boy's arm from around his head, but he had no luck. "You can't make out in the middle of training room with Arcadia!"

"And why not?!" Keith bellowed.

"Because she's supposed to end up with me—Prince Charming—and not some idiot with a mullet!"

Arcadia huffed with annoyance and stood up. She sauntered over to the boys and grabbed one of their ears. "Alright! Keith, let Lance go." Said boy did as he was ordered and the brunette fell to the floor once he was released.

The cuban boy popped off his helmet with a smirk, directing it toward Arcadia. "Look at that! You've trained the mullethead well!"

"Why you—!" Keith hissed, ready to strike his fellow paladin.

The alchemist promptly placed a hand on his chest to keep him from pouncing on Lance. "Nice to see you're well, Lance."

The blue paladin leaned in close and presented his cheek to her. "Do I get a little smooch?"

Arcadia smiled, the small gesture holding a hint of anger. "No, but I'm very tempted to give Keith permission to attack. Not sure if you'll survive this time, though."

Lance's smirk fell as he swallowed hard, backing away from the couple. "W-Whatever!"