#welcome to the lotor deserved better coalition

[ghostiehatesithere]

Carry On Chapter 4

 Mal missed his kids. 

End of story,

You guys can keep scrolling now,

...

Fine, there’s a little more to the story. 

Not long after Lotor’s exile had been announced, Zarkon had scheduled a fight for Malevotor in the hopes that his gradually declining health would finally spell his end. Malevotor managed to win the match and made a scene as though he’d finally lost his mind. He rampaged and roared and terrified the masses to the point where an entire team of drones and Galra soldiers had to restrain him and physically drag him back to his room. 

This worked perfectly in his favor as they shoved him into his room and shut the door. He made sure to make a lot of noise and seemingly tear apart the cell so that no one would care or notice when he ripped off one of the ceiling vents and crawled in. He was already half-way to the loading docks when they sounded the alarm. He could hear the drones running around and above him as he slithered through the vents. For once, he was thankful for his declining health and weight loss otherwise he wouldn’t have been able to fit in the vents. 

He’d lulled the security detail into a false sense of security with his “good behavior” and the stopped thinking of him as a threat. That is until he actually managed to escape. He made them believe that he was tunnel focused on murdering Zarkon and now they were most likely sending a majority of their forces to defend Zarkon, leaving the bay completely unguarded. 

Well...almost unguarded. 

When he dropped down into the loading bay without a sound, he hid behind the nearest drone ship. He peaked his head out and jerked it back, muttering a curse to himself when he realized that Sendak was guarding the fighter ships. “I know you’re here Malevotor. Surrender now and I won’t have to hurt you.” Mal felt his hearts clench at the sight of the commander. He honestly didn’t remember much of his first match besides the fact that he was pitted against Sendak and that there was screaming. 

One of his pretty golden eyes was missing, replaced with a bright red lens and one of his arms had been replaced with mechanical prosthetic. Mal felt ready to vomit at the physical evidence of what he’d done to Sendak. He hadn’t deserved this. He was angry with Zarkon, not Sendak and yet he’d almost crippled him. He remembered starry nights on Daibazaal with those very hands tracing his every feature and now they held a gun that would shoot at him without hesitation. 

Mal shook is head and pushed his longing away and began to climb the walls until he was back on the ceiling directly above Sendak, his gaze intensely focused on the soldier before he dropped. Sendak had looked up just in time for Mal to land on him, the Kelekonian’s tail lashing the gun out of his hands. Sendak could see the patches of dry scales that hadn’t been completely shed. 

Sendak remembered how those dark scales would seemingly absorb all color reflected shone onto them and how smooth they would be after their baths. He remembered how honored he was when Malevotor would allow him to assist his shedding process. 

Mal merely sat there, straddled over Sendak’s chest, pinning his arms above his head and staring into his eyes. Sendak’s jaw was clenched as if welcoming his end with open arms. Mal’s shoulders slumped in exhaustion and he seemed to age before Sendak’s very eyes. The escapee pressed his forehead to Sendak’s and took in a deep breath, inhaling his scent for what felt like the last time. “You always forget to look up,” he whispered.

Sendak’s expression softened as he leaned into the contact and let out a soft sigh. ”It’s difficult to remember when you tend to be beneath,” he retorted with a fond snort.

Mal chuckled before he lowered his lips to the side of Sendak’s neck where he knew a certain nerve lay hidden under the fur and sank his teeth into it. His gaze never leaving Sendak’s face as immediately he fell limp. Mal quickly removed himself from Sendak’s chest as not to crush his ribs and moved him to lean against the wall, away from the thrusters of the fighter jets. It was a bittersweet feeling when he left the Galra base ship and leapt into hyper drive. “Here’s to hoping that things are better when we meet again.”

It didn’t take too long for Mal to come into his planet’s orbit. He ignored the hailings from the Galra ships and instead sent out a mass message all over the planet.“People of Kelekoni, this is Malevotor Erga to let you know that I have escaped Galra custody. There are no more chains to hold you down. No oppressor to make you slaves. It is time to rise up and fight! Their quintessence weapons cannot harm us! Show them why no one crosses the Kelekoni!” 

It was as he entered the atmosphere that he set the jet to autopilot and opened the doors. It was flying over a field full of of his people bound in chains, forced to work in an orchard that grew crops not native to Kelekoni. He leapt out of the jet and felt his skin crawling and shifting as grew larger, his neck elongated, wings grew from his back, and horns grew from the sides of his head. He had become what humans would recognize as a dragon, a staple of the Kelekoni people. He was a white dragon, a bad omen, a sign of death and yet in this moment he was his people’s symbol of hope in the darkness of their despair, inspiring them to shed their bipedal forms in favor of their draconic ones. Red, blue, gold, silver, one by one their chains broke as they rose against the Galra soldiers and drove them off of their homeworld. Leading them, was Malevotor, weaving through the masses and spewing white flames of pure destruction at any drone that dared to come near him or his subjects.His was the loudest roar among many when the Galra retreated. He was welcomed by his people with open arms but they mourned the loss of his brother. 

There was a three day mourning period for the fallen half of the King Brothers, Ulelna. The first day was to mourn the loss of his life and though Mal never asked for it, he received many gifts from his subjects to help him in his time of mourning. He wasn’t really ready to see people during this time because it was when he’d entered his brother’s cleaned and pristine room that it truly hit that Ulelna was gone.

Ulelna’s room was rarely, if ever truly clean. The floor would be covered in papers that he was to go over for the military. HIs bed was never made, leaving his sheets perpetually wrinkled. The window seat would have his knitting supplies resting in it for his rare moments of reprieve. Now, standing in the room, there was a sense of...wrongness. The bed was made, the floor was easily navigated, his knitting supplies were placed in the drawer under the window seat. There were no stacks of papers anywhere to be seen and all of the weapons he’d accumulated from the planets they had allied themselves with were placed in display cases that had never been there before. It was like his brother never even lived there and instead he had walked into a museum. 

An attendant had been sent to deliver Mal’s dinner only to find their remaining king on his knees in his deceased twin’s room sobbing brokenly. The attendant chose to place the food on a nearby table and left Malevotor to grieve in peace. He would have to be strong for his people for a while and he could at least afford this one moment of weakness. 

The second day of the mourning period was the Lantern Launch. Everyone would make or buy lanterns that they write their wishes and words of farewell and send them to the stars where Ulelna would hopefully hear or see them among their ancestors. The planet was completely silent through this event  as Mal sent his lantern floating into the air as the sun was setting on the horizon with the Kelekoni citizens following after. The final day was the Burning Festival. It was just what it sounded like. A festival was held in the capital city to celebrate the life that Ulelna led up to that point and there would be bonfires as per tradition. 

Mal was bitterly grateful that Zarkon had sent Ulelna’s body back to send a message. His ashes now rested in the catacombs among the ashes of their family. The servants had been kind enough to go through with his cremation despite the great risk it would have posed to them. He was eternally grateful for this act of loyalty that they had shown to him and his brother. 

After the Festival, Mal spent a good portion of his time rebuilding what the Galra had destroyed in an attempt to destroy his people’s spirit. He wanted to get revenge on Zarkon more than anything, but he also had his responsibilities as a king to uphold and without Ulelna to split the responsibilities with, he’d be held up for a long time before he could actually do anything against Zarkon. As much as he wanted to make his former friend suffer, he needed to look out for his subjects first and foremost. They need him right here and now. It wasn’t until he had to run the entire planet by himself that Malevotor truly realized why there were always two rulers. 

In Ulelna’s absence, he had to take full control of both the military and law enforcement which was already hard on Ulelna but now that he had both that and his regular duties such solving high level disputes and checking in on the schools to make sure that they were using the proper funds to better the education of the students. There were many a sleepless night as Mal work hard to make sure that everyone was happy and heathy. Eventually, he managed to find a rhythm in his schedule that would best allow him to take care of the needs of the people while maintaining his mental and physical health. If he ever felt as though he was being run ragged, he would hide away in the palace library and do what he needed to recuperate. In these rare moments of peace, he would think of Lotor and his generals. He had tasked two of his most trusted soldiers with the task of keeping tabs on Lotor. The parameters of the mission weren’t very serious. All they had to do was gather information on where Lotor was and how he was before reporting back to Mal. 

The last that Mal had heard of Lotor was that he’d been racing near Nowhere. That was until he had gotten word that Voltron was making its way through the stars in order to add more planets to the Voltron Coalition. He had given orders to his spies to keep tabs on the coalition and report back on their findings. If their goal was to topple the Galra Empire then that would not do. The Galra had innocents, as hard as that was to believe.

There had even been members of the Galra who would have rather been prisoners on Kelekoni than to return to Zarkon as perceived failures. Some had made connections among his people or started families and Mal couldn’t bring himself to make them leave, however, that didn’t mean he fully trusted them. He knew the fierce loyalty that Zarkon inspired either through sheer fear or through inspiration.

Mal didn’t even truly believe that Voltron had returned. He thought it was a rebel group that had taken Voltron’s name to inspire hope in the rebellion. It wasn’t until his spies returned with word that Olkarion had been liberated from Galran rule by the actual Voltron. Mal wanted to see who the lions had chosen to be the new Paladins of Voltron, so he’d told some of his spies to make contact with the Paladins and invite them to Kelekoni. If the lions chose them then there must have been a reason. However, the lions were not perfect. They cannot foresee the corruption of their Paladins or the gradual change in them as time goes on. 

He left his spies to do their work until word reached Kelekoni of Zarkon’s demise and the Galra scrambling to get into contact with Prince Lotor. Mal couldn’t help but to scoff at this but he also began to worry. It was no secret that the Empire didn’t think much of Lotor because of his half-breed status and Zarkon’s public disdain towards him. So, why were they suddenly turning to him for leadership? Why were they not initiating the Kral Zera?

He told his spies to keep a look out for any new information. He wished that he could be back out in the field with them but he needed to make sure that these schools were built. He couldn’t let education stagnate otherwise his kingdom could not flourish. The next generation needed to be better off than this one and he would personally see to that. All he could do is wait was wait until the time was right and hope that he was doing the right thing.

Tag List: @starfaring-princelotor @marvelheaux @fandomsoffeelings @motheroflittlelions @legendofcarl @done-with-your-shit-shirogane @kirahhhh @lotor-for-emperor @yanderemommabean @lotorrential @planet-jumping-warrior

[ghostiedoesherbest]

Space Husbands

This is what I will be doing for February. Posting fluffy and/or smutty fics. If you were expecting anything better then obviously you haven't seen my main blog.

It had been a long yet fulfilling day for Mateo. He had been working nonstop since the end of the war. He couldn't even enjoy his own wedding because there was so much work to be done. He hadn't even seen his husband outside of the bedroom and there hadn't been much talking when they were both bone tired. Mateo had taken it upon himself to rework the education system to lighten Lotor's load.

At first he was met with resistance since they had such a harsh system for over 10,000 years. It was like pulling teeth to get some of them to admit that while the current framework was effective, it wasn't great for the mental state of some of the softer students. They didn't have as much need for such a militaristic lifestyle anymore and that was a tough adjustment to make.

Lotor had the harder job because he had to oversee everything. He loved being able to live on the home of his forefathers but right now he wanted to resurrect his parents and strangle them for royally fucking everyone over. The fight to end the slave trade was beginning to make him want to murder his advisors. They were slimy nobles that thought they could manipulate Lotor because he was "softer" than his father. They had the audacity to start pressuring Lotor to birth an heir when neither he nor Mateo were ready for children.

Mateo had been shocked to learn that the Galra had the technology to allow same sex couples to have biological children. However he was content just to have his scaly baby, Toby, not feeling like his life was stable enough for a child that needed constant care. Lotor had respected his decision, understanding that Mateo wanted to have time to give their child the love that they would need. And they would be loved, make no mistake.

Mateo had finally gotten around to teaching his first class of students and they were all starry eyed to see the Emperor's husband teaching their class. They adored the white patches all over his fur, one child even gifted him with flowers that now rested proudly on his desk. According to Lotor, the way vitiligo affected his pigmentation made him beautiful and exotic to the Galra, since most of them came in varying shades of purple and blue. To Lotor, Mateo appeared to have had his body worshipped by star light. This obviously flattered Mateo who had always had his skin condition treated as such a negative thing. No one had been able to find the beauty in it aside from his mother, rest her soul.

Now, all Mateo wanted to do was to lie face down in his big fancy bed and sleep for the entire weekend. That was the plan until he woke the pleasurable sensation of a tongue on his back. At first, he thought it was part of a nice dream until he felt familiar run over his chest as that rough tongue traced his spine. He shuddered violently at the feeling, biting his lip to hold in the moan building in his throat. His chest vibrated with contented purrs and another set of purrs joined his.

"You could have at least woken me up," he sighed as the hands on his chest moved lower to massage his stomach.

Lotor let out a throaty chuckle, "But you looked so peaceful. I could not bring myself to interrupt your pleasant dreams."

"Then what do you call this?" Mateo asked as he covered Lotor's hands with his own, bringing one up to kiss the palm the way he knew his husband loved.

The Emperor let out a ragged breath, "Spoiling you as I promised." There was a sharp intake of air Mateo ran his tongue along Lotor's hand, all the way to his middled finger that he took into his mouth with a mischievous smirk. The other hand had moved to his hip, pulling it back until it rested against Lotor's. Mateo played into this and rolled his hips backwards, causing a deep growl to cut through Lotor's purring.

Lotor leaned down to lick and nip at the back of Mateo's neck, earning a sharp gasp, the feel of those fangs lightly scraping against his skin sending heat south. "Oh, how I have missed you," he sighed, kissing Mateo's cheek as he helped him remove his now wrinkled shirt.

Before he could return to that sinfully tempting back, Mateo grabbed Lotor by the neck and dragged him down into a deep kiss, tongues battling for dominance until Mateo finally won as Lotor whimpered in pleasure. When they pulled away, Lotor was breathing heavily, frustrated that his kisses always left him flustered. Mateo smirked amusement before returning to his previous position and wiggled his rear tauntingly.

Lotor growled playfully and yanked Mateo's pants down to his knees, eyes gleaming woth unspoken promises as he took in his spouse's quivering form. Lotor trailed his tongue down from Mateo's neck to the cleft of his ass, stopping to nip in places that made his back arch in pleasure. Mateo balled the sheets in tight fists as he felt large hands spread him open and warm breaths fan over his entrance.

"Lotor!" He gasped.

"Shh, Starlight. Let me taste you," Lotor purred before flicking the tip of his tongue against Mateo' entrance. The half human hybrid moaned and shifted his hips to get closer, inviting his spouse to indulge in what he desired. Who was Lotor to disobey? He pressed his tongue flat against his entranced and teasingly dipped his tongue im for mere moments before taking it out. He reached around and gentlu traced his nails along Mateo's member causing the young man to arch his back in pleasure.

"Keep teasing and I'll get the vibrator," Mateo growled, pressing his forehead against the cool satin pillows.

"Do not tempt me Starlight," Lotor retorted with his own growl, growing impatient as well. Lotor leaned over Mateo's back and retrieved a container of lubricant jelly from his nightstand drawer. Mateo had gained a certain affinity for the squishy cubes in their escapades.

Lotor took one out of the container and squeezed it firmly between his fingers before gently pressing against Mateo's entrance. It quivered as Lotor dutifully worked to get the cube to rest within his spouse, rubbing his stomach when it finally slipped inside.

The lubrication cubes were a neat little invention of Lotor's own creation. They were to go inside the body cool before expanding to fill the passage as it was exposed to the body's heat before melting, leaving Mateo well prepared for Lotor in mere minutes. Of course, it was a very stimulating experience for Mateo and arousing for Lotor to watch his partner squirm from the sensation of something that he'd made specifically for their pleasure. It did all of the work for him and yet he felt like he accomplished this feat himself because in a way he had.

By the time the cube melted, Mateo was a panting mess, almost sobbing for his release. Lotor was all to willing to give it to him as he shed his own clothes in annoyance of their presence. He pressed against Mateo, hissing at the the sensation of their skin finally making contact before guiding himself into the twitching entrance. No matter how many times they joined, it always felt like the first time to Lotor.

Correction, their first time had been full of fumbling fingers and heated kisses but it felt like Lotor had wanted their first time to go. Lotor didn't even get the tio in before Mateo began to tighten around him. He had to put his hands behind his back and squeeze his arms to ground himself. That effort was for nought as Mateo rolled his hips and seated himself fully on Lotor's dick.

"Oh Lotor!" He moaned, arching his back and curling his toes. He yelped when a large hand connected with his ass with an echoing clap. Lotor was breathing heavily to maintain some semblance of control. "That was a dirty move, Starlight."

"What are you gonna do about it Emperor?" Mateo taunted as he wiggled his hips the way Lotor liked, earning a deep growl from his husband.

Lotor responded worh a harsh thrust, setting a brutal pace that caught Mateo completely off guard. Lotor had never been one to go fast and hard, preferring to savor the intimacy of the act rather rush his release but there was no way Mateo was going to complain. Lotoe was bent over his back like, snapping his hips with increased fervour. Mateo could feel homself getting close and he welcomed the release.

Only for him to whine when Lotor slowed to almost a snail's pace with softer thrusts. Lotor raked his tongue over his ear before whispering, "You cum when I feel you have repented." Woth that he sped up again and Mateo welcomed the change of pace, feeling himself nearing the edge once again before Lptor slowed. They continued this way, trying to see who could outlast the other.

It was a tough battle and neither was willing to give in. It wasn't until Lotor's knot began to swell, catching on Mateo's entrance did one of then finally break, "I'm sorry! Forgive me my Emperor!"

Lotor gave a rough chuckle, "Excellent." Mateo thanked him over and over as he sped up once more, allowing Mateo to finish with a loud cry while he continued to pound him into the mattress to meet his own completion as his knot swelled.

Lotor held Mateo to his chest, never slipping out of him as he rolled to allow Mateo to lay on his chest. They were both breathing as though they'd run a marathon and they enjoyed the feeling of each other twitching every now and again in post-coital bliss. Mateo sighed in contentment, "We haven't had this much fun since our wedding night."

Lotor ran his nose along the scar on Mateo's neck in remembrance of that night. "Indeed, I look forward to surpassing that night."

Mateo furrowed his brows at Lotor, "Lotor I have to talk to your advisors tomorrow.

"Not anymore. It appears that you have become ill and need my tender care, so we will not be able to make an appearance," Lotor fave him a mischievous grin as they settled down for the night. "Rest, my Starlight. You must think of your health afterall."

Mateo chuckled at his husband's absurdity but obeyed nonetheless, drifting off into a peaceful sleep.

Tag List: @starfaring-princelotor @motheroflittlelions @fandomsoffeelings@done-with-your-shit-shirogane @kirahhhh @legendofcarl @lotor-for-emperor@marvelheaux @yanderemommabean @lotorrential @planet-jumping-warrior

[ausietigerqueen]

I SAID ID WRITE FOR IT

I DID

Enjoy this little thing hehehehehhe

-------------

He didn't want to butt in. He knew when he wasn't wanted in a conversation. He'd certainly learned well from his parents.

Well at least he could watch their happiness. Leaning and just feeling how close they were was enough for him. At least for now. Later he'd think about what had happened with his Generals. He'd feel the loneliness creeping in. He was an outsider here. Even as an ally.

He sighed a little. At least this was something he was used to. Even from his own Generals.

"Hey! I know they tend to do a lot of talking, and kind of get lost. They forget to bring others in. Especially new people! And I'm sorry about that!"

Lotor looked up at Lance, who walked up to him. He was the red Paladin, originally blue. They hadn't spoken much, but Lotor at least knew his name. He had a tray filled with something that Lotor didn't know what. He was gorgeous. The light playing off of his hair. And his little ears that confused but also intrigued him. They were cute, in the same way the young of a lethal creature was intriguing until it grew to attack you.

He always wanted to ask about Earth, and the other paladins families and homes. But he always felt like it was a sore subject. They all seemed to clam up about it when he asked.

Lotor smiled at him for trying to include him. He'd been doing so since Lotor had become part of the Coalition. Lance was always doing anything he could to help bring Lotor onto the team. Even volunteering to be his partner on missions to help him feel part of the group.

Lotor was always grateful. "Ah, I thought I had hid it better. It's not that I begrudge them such, I just miss being able to talk to others like friends and companions."

Lance smiled as he balanced the tray of Milkshakes on one hand, reaching out toward Lotor and setting it on his shoulder.

"I get that. And you were hiding it well. None of them saw it, I promise. Unlike me, they don't look for or notice the signs. Sometimes with all the groups here I feel left out too. I'm honestly not as smart as the others, so it gets kind of lonely and it's good they don't notice when I feel like that. They all deserve to feel so close and be able to geek out. But now that I've noticed for sure. I'll make sure you don't feel left out. And part of that is these milkshakes! I know you've probably never had one. They're an Earth invention of course! I promise you they are the best! I made this one especially for you! It's got the most.....whipped cream substance and the biggest berry!"

Lotor was touched by the gesture. Even when he was a prince, no one went out of their way to include him. Or to be kind to him. And here the person who was supposed to be his enemy, was the kindest of all.

He reached out to grab it when Allura suddenly pushed between them.

Lance almost dropped all of the milkshakes on himself as he tried to regain his balance. "Allura! What the cheese? I'm just trying to make our new ally feel welcome!"

Allura nodded. "And as kind as that is Lance; I don't want you to do this to someone. It still horrifies me that I ever drank one."

She shuddered at the mere memory. She didn't like thinking of something so horrifying.

"Really Allura? It's just a milkshake."

As if to agree with this statement, Shiro and Keith, reached over and grabbed one Milkshake, retreating over to the side to drink out of the two straws Lance had provided for them, knowing that they'd want to share. Allura stared at them, a haunted expression on her face as she turned back to Lance.

She scoffed as she turned to Lotor. "Don't eat it Lotor! It's not what you think! You'll drink it and become addicted! And once you finish eating it, you'll ask for more! And you don't know how it works or how to get one! All you know is it came from Kaltenecker, and you go and ask her for more. But she doesn't respond. And you ask Lance, the only person who seems to know how to make them, and you go with him to where Kaltenecker is. And he tells you, she's a cow, an Earth creature that can't actually speak. And he proceeds to sit on a stool and......he reaches for her hanging things, these squishy things that hang from her underneath. They have no fur on them, and he grabs and squeezes them as he pulls on them. And suddenly, the whole bucket is full! And then he hands you a cup of this white liquid that e calls 'milk' and calls it fresh. He proceeds to drink it! Apparently this milkshake comes from that creature! And that horrendous practice. And the violation of that creature, and the creature is fine with it! It's horrifying!"

Lance grumbled. "It's completely natural and how dare you insult Kaltenecker. She's a gorgeous girl and of course she's okay with the natural process of milking her. Its a part of who she is Allura."

Lotor looked between the two before he started laughing.

These were the guardians of the universe? It was very refreshing to see such arguments among such important people. It was also hilarious the subject matter.

Lotor finally calmed himself and looked to Lance. "Thank you for such a kind gesture. You didn't have to and I am humbled by it. I will gladly accept, even if Allura is horrified by where it came from, some of the food I've been forced to eat at times, came from much worse circumstances. So I will happily accept your gift."

Allura whimpered as she watched Lotor take the milkshake and start to drink it.

Lotor tasted it, not at all worried. It couldn't possibly be worse than the goop he'd tasted on Tosarin. As he started to drink some of it, his tastebuds exploded in something beautiful.

He was in shock as the taste invaded his senses. It was sweet and creamy in his mouth and he couldn't get enough as he drank all of it down.

He ate the berry as well and looked at Lance. "It's absolutely delicious!"

Lance smiled and relaxed the nervous tension in his shoulders. He'd been nervous about giving Lotor one after Coran and Allura's reaction. Especially since he didn't want anyone insulting Kaltenecker.

"I'm glad you like it! I can make you another if you'd like! I can also show you how to do it! I don't mind at all!"

Lotor smiled as Allura stared at all of them enjoying their milkshakes as if it was filled with blood.

"I'd love to find out what has Allura so horrified. Plus another of these delicious creations sounds wonderful!"

Lance smiled as he led the way to Kaltenecker. It was time for her milking anyway. They'd finally run out of milk with all the milkshakes they were all making.

Lotor walked up to Lance's side and laid a hand on his shoulder. "Thank you, Lance."

Lance cocked his head, confused. "Why are you thanking me? It's not any trouble."

Lotor smiled as he chuckled slightly. "You're trying to include me. And to make me feel like I'm home and a part of you all. It's very sweet. And I'm very touched that you're going to so much trouble for, well...Zarkon's son."

Lance smiled as he opened the door to Kaltenecker's room.

"Lotor, my Mama and Papa always taught me to never judge people for their parents actions. Yes, you're Zarkon's son. But that doesn't mean you're a bad person. Have you done bad things? I'm sure you have. You've been living in an Empire that likes to torture prisoners and watch them fight to the death for fun. But again those actions and decisions don't define you. You saved Keith's life. All of our live's. If it wasn't for you, we wouldn't have made it. And your father would own all of the universe, right now. With no chance of beating him. So you can't tell me you're a bad guy. You are literally a hero. And I want to include you. I know what it's like to feel a little left out, even if they don't mean for you to feel that way. So I definitely don't want you to have to go through that. And if that means me just trying to drag you into missions and conversations, I'm okay with that. You deserve to be a part of our team. And over time, you'll fit right in, I won't have to drag you into any conversation. You're part of the team now. We're a family."

Lotor couldn't help the warm feeling in his chest. This human was beyond amazing. How could he look past the things that not even his closest friends had been able to? He smiled as he felt the tears prick his eyes.

He leaned forward and placed a kiss onto Lance's cheek. "Thank you Lance. And I promise, I won't let you feel left out while I'm here. I will certainly return the favor. You have a very beautiful soul and spirit. Something that should never feel lonely. Now let me meet this Kaltenecker.

Lance watched Lotor make his way into the room with Kaltenecker as he stood frozen. His hand on his burning cheek, he tried to calm down the blush he couldn't stop. Damn that space elf.

He'd been trying to hide his crush on the man, damn it. He now knew he was a goner. But as he remembered Lotor's promise to not let him feel lonely, he was completely fine with it.

He smiled as he made his way after Lotor. Ready to show off his girl, and his milkshake making skills.

He couldn't help but chuckle at his own thoughts. His milkshake did bring the boy to his yard.

awkward

[ghostiehatesithere]

Carry On Chapter 3

Lotor wasn't surprised when he learned of Malrvotor’s escape. He wasn't surprised but that didn't stop the disappointment from forming in his chest. It also didn't escape his attention that the Galra Empire had almost immediately lost Malevotor's home planet mere days after his escape.

His generals had also been greatly disappointed by his absence, especially Zethrid and Narti. Narti was the first if his generals to ever be introduced to Mal. She had been a mere servant girl that had been placed in his care to serve him. She didn't say much but her reaction times were amazing as well as the way she could sense the world around her without eyes.

Narti found comfort in the fact that the Prince was just like her but was nearly cowarding behind the prince when he first took her to meet Mal. She had heard the sickening sounds of his battles on the rare occasions that she was forced to work at the Pit and made sure to avoid trouble so that she wouldn't be thrown in with him. No one would miss a blind cub that never spoke and she tried to use that to her advantage to escape the ire of her superiors.

She knew Malevotor by the scent of blood that lingered around him after every match. Death has almost become something she directly associated with the Kelekonian king. She had thought that she had somehow angered Lotor and that he was going to allow Malevotor to dispose of her. However to her surprise the Prince spoke casually with the large Kelekonian. He introduced her as his friend and she had to fight herself from cringing when the stench of blood grew strong with Malevotor's approach.

He sniffed at Narti for a while and she couldn't bring herself to move, thinking that one wrong move would be her last.

"She has no eyes," he had noted aloud with neither disgust or derision in his tone like others.

"She was born without them," Lotor had excitedly explained to the former king. "I think father assigned her to me because of that and because she's a hybrid like me!"

"Why because of her eyes?" Mal had asked in confusion.

"She can't see! Can't you tell?"

"I can see that she lacks eyes but plenty of my people can be born without eyes or just one. They have more difficulty than others getting around but they find ways to see in their own way."

This intrigued Narti. People without eyes? Just like her? She had been led to believe that the very absence of eyes was an abomination as well as the impurity of her blood. Yet he had completely brushed off the latter and changed her life about the former.

Acxa had came next. She was a hybrid slave, mockingly given to Lotor by one of Zarkon's generals. Lotor felt as though his father was placing the "undesirables" under his command to remind him of all that he was and all that he wasn't. His contempt for them will always extend to his son despite their shared blood, maybe even because of it. Lotor had been the first to actually care about her.

She had stumbled upon Mal's lessons with Lotor and Narti completely by accident. Or not depending on who you asked. She had noticed the way that Lotor and Narti would sneak off in the middle of the night cycles and head down to the Pits. One night she had followed them and nearly caught a heart attack when she caught the Prince and Narti fighting an alien nearly twice their combined size.

Without a second thought, Acxa leapt into actionn ready to defend her prince against the imminent danger. It wasn't until she had been pinned down by Mal's tail did she realize that the fighting had ended. They had all stared at her with wide eyed shock. It was in that moment that she realized that she had entirely misunderstood the situation and got into to something that she didnt know that she needed.

Mal had liked her loyalty and devotion to Lotor but had also admonished her for it. "It's admirable that you want to protect Lotor but you must always understand that there is a time and a place for protecting. You have to decide when you must protect and when you must win."

This was a particularly hardd lesson that Mal had to beat into her with each lesson but she did it. Though there were still times when she would throw caution to the wind and stick her neck out for Lotor at the entirely wrong time.

Ezor and Zethrid came as a pair. They had been appointed as bodyguards which was a slight on both them and Lotor. Ezor and Zethrid because Zarkon refused to have half-breeds in his military, able to hold a position of power and Lotor because Zarkon gave his son bodyguards that he deemed was scraping the bottom of the barrel. What does it say about Lotor if his father employed the very half-breeds he deemed worthless as his personal guards. 

Zethrid was very vocal about how she felt about Lotor, thinking him a spoiled prince who knew nothing of the struggle of the people beneath his station. Ezor didn’t care one way or another about the small prince. Zethrid was full of rage and stronger than the average Galra. It actually amazed Mal when he learned that Zethrid was actually a huge fan of him. She had attended many of his matches and admired how he had yet to lose a match. He always looked so calm in even when you could practically smell the rage that permeated his being while there. 

She wanted to be as strong as him and was incredibly jealous when she found out that Lotor had been training with her idol. She demanded to join the training session and was shocked and impressed when Lotor stood up to her. Despite his shorter stature it felt like he was towering over her when he met her gaze and told her no. He didn’t back down even when she threatened to tell his father and that made her reluctantly respect the runt. He made it explicitly clear that he would introduce her when he was ready and not a moment sooner. He even took a little petty revenge by dragging his feet to introduce her. 

Mal was particularly amused by her because she always demanded that he fight her. She was particularly impatient when he took his time consider how he would train her, It was obvious tat she was strong and even had the potential to become stronger than him in terms of pure strength. However, it was as she was sparring with the others that he realized that Lotor’s greatest strength was her greatest weakness. 

She didn’t think. She would get easily frustrated and fly off the rails into a violent rage. She had skill but very little considering she solely relied on her brute strength. It would be easy for a quick and clever opponent like Lotor or Ezor to be able to manipulate her uncontrolled anger into a victory. 

Ezor’s biggest problem was that she was too easily read. You could tell what she was about to do just by looking at her face. Upon telling her as much, she huffed and glared at Mal. “Yeah, I know.”

Mal gave her the best “oh really” look, not appreciating the teenage attitude. “Knowing doesn’t mean anything if you’ve learned to accept it. This is a fatal flaw that could end up killing you Red. Do you want to die?”

Ezor pouted sheepishly and crossed her arms, properly cowed, “No.”

“Then quit the grumpy teenager act and listen. You need to find your game face,” Mal had instructed and continued to explain upon receiving a confused look from Ezor. “It’s the expression you’re most comfortable with which means that you won’t have as hard of a time keeping it up.”

It took a while but Ezor found her game face in her smile. She explained that she enjoyed the way her blood would roar in her ears and her heart pounded in her chest when she fought and she couldn’t help but to smile while fighting. It wasn’t a knowing or bloodthirsty smirk like Lotor or Zethrid. It was a genuine smile of amusement. Mal congratulated her for her achievement.

“You’ve got a good grin Red. It would unsettle lesser opponents and frustrate others,” he’d said.

Lotor was riding a high after his fight against Throk that helped him gain the favor of the empire. He’d ordered Throk to be transferred to the Ulippa System to prevent any possible trouble later on before heading back to his rooms where he changed out of his military garb and into a loose pair of pants as he examined the geode that Mal had gifted him.

It’s warmth was still steadily pulsing, although he couldn’t help but to notice that the pulse was a lot slower than usual and he couldn’t help but to worry. Even the glittering white flecks in the dark crystals weren’t shining as brightly as they did before. What did this mean? Was something wrong with Mal? He’s not dead otherwise it would have gone cold and lost all color so what is going on?

He found neither answers nor rest that night as he prayed to the stars that Mal was alright. He needed to know that there was still someone in the universe that he could trust no matter what. His generals were around but they didn’t completely understand. Not like Mal. 

He promised himself to set aside time to establish some form of contact with Mal or his people as soon as he stabilized his position as ruler. He needed the people’s support whether his father miraculously got better or not. Maybe he could even study why Kelekonians’ bodies rejected quintessence and how they managed to survive without that which seemed to be present in every other living being that he’d come across. But that will have to come much later.

Hey everyone this is the end of the third chapter and I’m glad that you all have been enjoying the story so far! So far I’ve been presenting things solely from Lotor’s POV and what Mal means to Lotor. In the next chapter I will be delving into Mal’s side of things. How he feels and thinks in relation to Lotor and his generals. Keep in mind these are his babies but he is at the point where he’s letting his babies make their own mistakes. It won’t stop him from agonizing over where his kids are and “casually” asking about them occasionally but I digress. 

@starfaring-princelotor @motheroflittlelions @fandomsoffeelings @done-with-your-shit-shirogane @kirahhhh @legendofcarl @lotor-for-emperor @marvelheaux @yanderemommabean @lotorrential @planet-jumping-warrior

[ghostiehatesithere]

Patches - I

Mateo didn't know what to make of Prince Lotor. Scratch that. He thought that Lotor was absolutely nuts! What could Zarkon have done to the Prince to make him throw himself at a sun in the hopes of escaping the Galra?

Allura had placed Mateo in charge of watching Lotor while the others tried to figure out what to do with him. Mateo honestly couldn't quite figure out how he got himself into this situation. He knew what happened, but now he's starting to question his thought process. He was one of the Garrison's top recruits. He was one of the best pilots of his class. His cousin, Lance didn't get into the pilotting program at first and Mateo was bummed out because they were thick as theives growing up. However, when Keith dropped out, he was also sad to see a potential friend go so soon but his attitude brightened when the open slot allowed Lance into the program.

However, Lance felt as though he had a lot to prove. He had been looking for Lance to comfort him for his bad run in the simulator the day that they found Shiro. He had walked in on the tail end of the conversation between Pidge, Hunk, and Lance and had leapt headlong into action in order to rescue Captain Takashi Shirogane alongside them, mainly because they never truly got out of trouble without him. 

Though he was the Garrison’s “Golden Boy,” Mateo wasn’t as well liked by his peers as he was by his teachers. They didn’t like that a nobody farmer kid with vitiligo was breezing through the courses like it was child’s play. Mateo would hear them whisper degrading nicknames like Cowbell, Frankenstein, and Patches. He pretended that he couldn’t hear them like Lance, Pidge, and Hunk couldn’t but he did. It didn’t help that he was...different. It was a well kept secret between Mateo and Lance that even their family members didn’t know and it was insanely hard to keep it that way so far out in space. Lance had been a big help by making excuses for him and getting him the things he’d need to keep up the facade. However, the others were already suspicious, and before Lotor even became a problem, they were actively trying to figure out his secret. So far the only one who hadn’t been hounding him about his strange “illness” that kept him in his room some nights. 

It was honestly quite stressful. 

Lance had urged his cousin to at least include Allura in on their little secret but the way she treated Keith after he had learned that he was half Galra had made him leery of the Altean. It wasn’t just with Keith. With Ulaz she was so insistent that he was evil just because he was Galra. Even after Ulaz had given his life to save them, she had insisted that he’d been the one to rat us out to the Galra. She had even been wary of the Blades of Marmora despite them proving to be peaceful towards them. She just...didn’t seem as open minded as he once thought she was and it left a sick feeling in his stomach when the others never truly reprimanded her for her actions. He felt that if he told anyone, especially Allura, anything, he’d be outcasted faster than Lance could say “holy crow.” 

Mateo was strung tight as a bowstring as his gaze never left Lotor’s. He didn’t know why they were having this staring contest, but he knew that if he looked away then he would lose. Something almost primal in him told him to never look away. Lotor smirked at him and he narrowed his eyes in response. He didn’t have anything against Lotor mostly because he didn’t know anything about him. However, that didn’t mean that he trusted the Galra prince. He didn’t understand why the Galra were so quick to turn on him when mere days prior he was their precious Prince and following his order to the T. If he had said jump then they would ask how high. Now it was like he was the dirt beneath their feet. It just didn’t make any sense. 

“You are different from the others,” Mateo frowned, muscles taut as a bowstring as he waited for the exiled prince to elaborate. “I’ve never seen a human with skin like yours.”

“What’s it to you?” Mateo curtly demanded. 

Lotor raised his hands placatingly, “Nothing really. It was merely curiosity that led me to ask.”

“I was born with a rare skin condition called vitiligo,” he answered, seeing no harm in it. 

“Does it lighten or darken the pigment of your skin?” the prince further inquired. 

Mateo raised a brow at him, “Lighten.”

Lotor’s eyes widened and his lips had formed into an “o” shape. There was awe in his eyes, a reaction that Mateo wasn’t used to. Usually he would get the scrunched noses of barely concealed disgust, shock, but never awe. The more ignorant tended to think that his skin condition was contagious and avoided him like the plague. Even Lance’s family was hesitant to touch him when he’d first been brought to their home. Yet, this strange Galra prince looked like he wanted nothing more than to reach out and touch him if his twitching fingers were anything to go by. “But that is not the only reason you are different.”

Mateo tilted his head in curiosity and the prince took it as another cue to elaborate. “You don’t look at me with hate in your eyes. The others could barely stand to lay eyes yet you do so as though I’ve done you no wrong? Why?”

"Because you haven't," Mateo answered honestly. "I've seen the videos of your encounters with the Paladins. All you really did was get on everyone's nerves. You never made an active effort to end lives like your father or his soldiers would have. You got in, got what you wanted, and left."

Lotor sent him a look of pleasant surprise. "I hope the others will see things the way that you do."

Mateo casually shrugged, "Probably not." Lotor gave him the most affronted look, like Mateo had crushed his hopes and dreams. "Allura hates your dad like alot and that hate kind of extends to your entire race. The others probably won't argue with her if she decides to shoot you out of an airlock and that’s if your intel doesn’t check out." Mateo tried to not sound as bitter as he felt about that but he couldn't help but feel that way.

Keith was of the mind of "stab first ask questions later," which often made him wonder how he was chosen by the Black Lion but he was rarely around anymore while he was running with the Blades of Marmora. Honestly, Mateo was happy that he’d found a place where he felt like he belonged. Allura was straight racist. Pidge doesn't care who gets hurt as long as she can save her dad which is honestly really understandable. Shiro doesnt really reprimand Allura anyone when they're wrong. Hunk was an absolute angel but he's also really passive. Lance would probably do whatever Allura says because he has feelings for her, which has been a great source of contention for the cousins lately. 

“That makes me wonder why you helped us?” Mateo pressed. “You could have gotten galaxies away while the Galra was focused on us and yet you came to our rescue. Why?”

Lotor avoided Mateo’s gaze, “I honestly thought about it. I had heard the distress signal and thought that it would be the perfect chance to get away. Yet, I didn’t know if I would be able to live with myself knowing that I could make a difference and save lives. All my life I had wished for peace coexistence instead of tyranny. It was for that very reason that I had been exiled in the first place.”

“Hm,” Mateo grunted absently in thought. He knew that Zarkon was a monster but even monsters care about their kids right? Obviously not because he was able to exile his own son and was so horrible that Lotor would risk burning up in a sun’s atmosphere to evade him. He just couldn’t wrap his mind around the idea despite the facts staring him in the face. 

They had both fallen into a comfortable silence, well, almost comfortable. Mateo always needed something to do with his hands because he wasn’t used to stillness. He reached into his hoodie pocket and pulled out a notebook, not noticing that he’d began to hum a song as he began to add words to the paper. The book was old and definitely worn and since coming to space, Mateo had been using it to chronicle the adventures of he and the Paladins. However, it also held short stories and his deepest thoughts, things he even kept from Lance.

Mateo had been about to ask if he knew a good descriptor words for the color purple when his breath hitched and he felt a tightness under his skin. He looked down to see that his hands were shaking and his vision was getting sharper as his eyes began to sting. This wasn’t supposed to have happened for another week at least. He should have been able to hold it off. Why was it starting now? He groaned in pain as his gums grew sore. Lotor shot up to his feet in alarm. “Are you alright?!”

Mateo didn’t answer as he staggered to his feet and tried to stumble out of the room, desperate to get somewhere safe. The castle must have been swaying under his feet because it was never this hard before. He groaned as the insatiable itching began. He managed to find leverage against one of the walls and his fingers clenched on the flat surface, leaving deep gauges in its surface. He yelped when his legs locked up and he fell into the fetal position. Lotor began to beat agains the barrier of his cell in order to help the pained human. 

All that Mateo could think of was getting to his room before the others returned. He felt like crying when the doors slid open to reveal Allura and Shiro who regarded the young man with shock. Shiro scooped him into his arms while Allura regarded the horrified Lotor with a deep glare full of hatred. “What did you do to him?!”

“I did nothing!” Lotor denied. “He had been writing on his strange little pad thing mere ticks ago!”

“Mateo! Speak to me, what’s going on?!” Shiro urged as he propped the teen against his thigh. 

“My...room,” Mateo rasped, hoping that Shiro would understand. The pilot nodded, hoping that his questions would be answered later. On his way he passed Lance who had been chatting with the others. Immediately the brunette dropped everything in order to keep pace with Shiro, his face set in stern determination. It was an expression that the Black Paladin often forgot Lance was capable of. 

The moment the door slid shut behind them, Lance took charge. “Put him on the bed.” Shiro nodded and slid Mateo onto the sheets. Lance gently nudged him out of the way and knelt by his cousin’s head, clasping his clammy hands in his. Shiro noticed with wide eyes that Mateo’s hands were turning purple with patches of white and he could just barely make out the texture of fur growing on his skin. “Shiro.”

The Black Paladin nearly gave himself whiplash returning his gaze back to the uncomfortably serious face of Lance. “I need you to promise me that everything that happens in here doesn’t leave this room.” Shiro could only bring himself to nod as he knelt next to Lance, Mateo’s raspy breaths further worrying him.

“What’s happening to him?” 

Lance stared at Mateo for a few moments, debating on whether or not to tell his leader before giving in with a sigh. “Keith isn’t the only half-Galra on the team. Unfortunately, Mateo can’t stay in human form all the time. He has to change at least once every couple of months.”

“His medical condition...” Shiro muttered in realization.

Lance nodded with a solemn frown, “Yeah, that’s how we’ve been able to keep it from everyone for so long.” Mateo whimpered as his ears grew and sounds became louder. He could hear Hunk, Pidge, and Coran down the hall worriedly talking about his condition. Lance furrowed his brows and he bit his lip, “But something’s wrong. I saw him change last week, so he should be able to hold back the change for another few months.”

A clawed hand balled into the material of Shiro’s shirt and he followed the weak tugging until his ear was practically pressed against Mateo’s lips. “Don’t...tell...Allura,” he choked out, his voice cracking as it deepened. 

Lance sighed tiredly and ran a comforting hand through his cousin’s hair, “We won’t, ‘Teo.”

When the seemingly transformation finally ended, Shiro took in the new yet familiar figure of Mateo. He had a layer of curly amethyst purple fur all over his body with patches of white in the same place as in his human form. His ears were a lot larger and swiveled back and forth. His clenched teeth had become sharper and the whites of his eyes had turned a burning gold. “Why don’t you want Allura to know?” Shiro pried.

Mateo took a deep breath calm his roaring heart, “Come on, Shiro. You know how she is about anything Galra. She calls them a race of blood thirsty murderers even though we have the Blade of Marmora, a Galra rebel force, as allies. Do you even know how she looks at Keith sometimes when she thinks no one is looking?” 

This gave Shiro pause. He looked to Lance but the brunette was avoiding his gaze. “I’m sorry. I...I didn’t know,” Shiro said, ashamed that he’d been blind to this behavior. 

Mateo gave him a strained smile. He hadn’t been looking for an apology, he was merely extremely fearful of Allura’s reaction to his Galra parentage. At best she’d treat him how she treats Keith, but the worse case scenario is that she becomes extremely paranoid and starts to think that she’s surrounded by Galra spies. 

“I just want to know if Lotor’s information checks out,” Mateo inquired tiredly, not really want to go down the rabbit hole of his parentage. 

“Yeah it did. Everything he told us was true,” Shiro answered, his brows furrowed in deep thought.

Mateo’s shoulders sagged in relief, “Good, then we can trust him.”Lance leapt to his feet in incredulity, “WHAT?! We can’t trust that guy!”

Mateo scoffed, “Of course not. He’s shady at best, but he’s an ally and he helped us we he could have just have easily let us all die. I’m willing to give him the chance to earn my trust if only to end this stupid war and go home.” 

Lance bit his lip as a pang of homesickness shot through his heart. He’d always known that Mateo wasn’t really cut out for war. Correction. Mateo could fight a war if he needed to and most likely win it but he always sought out a peaceful solution. Mateo didn't even want to join the Garrison, but their family couldn't afford to put him through art school so he had to settle. And it showed in every confrontation they’ve had with the Galra that didn'ttry to kill them at first glance, he’d always hail them and give them a chance to peacefully resolve their issues. It always ended in battle but the fact is that he was always willing to try for peace. When did he stop trying? 

The brunette sighed and sat on the edge of Mateo’s bed before dramatically draping himself over his cousin’s stomach. “Fine, you win. I’ll play nice with Prince Jerkass for now, but if he betrays us I get to shoot him in the face.”

Mateo gave a dark chuckle and clenched his hand into a fist, “You can have his face after I rearrange it.” 

It wasn’t an ideal situation, but it was a start. After a couple of hours, Mateo was able to revert to human form with some effort. Shiro watched the purple fade and seemingly recede to hide under brown and white patched skin. “Shiro...” he snapped to attention when the older McClain cousin addressed him. “I want you to release Lotor.”

“Why?” Shiro wasn’t all that opposed to the idea but the answer to this question was extremely important. “We need to give him a chance to prove himself,” Mateo answered as he gently nudged at Lance’s head with his finger, jerking it back every time his cousin tried to bite it. “He can’t exactly do that inside a jail cell.”

“We can’t just have him roam completely free.”

“Then make sure that one of us is with him at all times but for his safety, let’s make sure that he’s never alone with Allura.” Shiro stared deep into Mateo’s brown eyes and his gaze never wavered from the Black Paladin's.

“Fine,” Shiro relented, “consider it his probation but there’s no guarantee that I’ll be able to spare time for all of the Paladins to watch Lotor. The universe is getting bigger and we’re going to be needed to reclaim more planets from the Galra. Lotor will have to be your responsibility. Whenever you feel like your change is coming on, I need you to tell me so I can relieve you from Lotor duty. Think you can handle it.” 

Mateo offered the older man a smirk that made the Paladin believe that he was looking at Lance. "Of course I can. I'm a McClain.” 

Tag List: @starfaring-princelotor@marvelheaux @fandomsoffeelings@motheroflittlelions @legendofcarl@done-with-your-shit-shirogane@kirahhhh @lotor-for-emperor@yanderemommabean @lotorrential@planet-jumping-warrior

[ghostiedoesherbest]

Patches - IV

Trigger Warning: talk of abuse and abusive relationships

Of course, all good things must come to an end. Pidge had returned to the castle without her father and she was sad despite rescuing all of the other scientists that had been held captive. Mateo and Lotor had been sitting in the former’s room, enjoying each other’s company as they regalled one another with funny stories from their adventures, unaware of the offer that Zarkon had made to the Paladins in their absence. Lotor was busting his gut over the story Mateo was telling him about he and Lance finding a turtle while they were on vacation in Florida. Lance had always been afraid of turtles for some reason and that fear increased when the turtle had these loud squeaking noises. Lance immediately started screaming which only caused the poor terrified turtle to squeak even louder. 

“What happened after that?” Lotor was barely able to wheeze out as he held his sides. 

“I went back the next day with some strawberries and I saw that same turtle. I put one in front of it and it ducked into its shell. It took some patience but eventually it came out and started nibbling on it. I was going to leave it there with some strawberries but it started following me but it was so slow that it was pitiful. So, I got permission to take it home and keep it as a pet,” Mateo explained with a wistful smile. “I learned that he was male and named him Toby.”

“How long can these ‘turtles,’ live?” Lotor asked in concern, not knowing how long the human had been in space.

“Well it depends on the species. Small turtles can live for about eighty years and the big ones can live well over a hundred years - I mean deca-phoebs. So chances are, Toby might outlive me,” Mateo chuckled as he scratched his neck. “Lance’s older brother, Luis promised to take care of him since I couldn’t keep him in the barracks with me while I was in the Garrison.”

Lotor was about to delve into the story of how he almost adopted a flesh eating monster that used its cute appearance to lure its prey into a false sense of security when Mateo received a message from Shiro. Lotor watched as Mateo’s smile faded when his eyes scrolled over the holographic text that appeared before him. He turned to the prince with a grim frown, “We’re needed in the control room.”

Lotor quickly sobered and Mateo gave him the time to gather himself before they left his room. The brief walk was filled with tension and Mateo was trying not to show his worry for Lotor as not to worry him as well. There were even more grim faces upon entering the control room. Mateo ignored the glare that was leveled at him and the prince at his side from a certain Altean princess. “What’s going on?” he asked, taking in everyone’s resolute expression. 

He crossed his arms when no one answered as he patiently waited for them to answer his question. It was Shiro who finally broke the silence before Mateo could grow impatient. “Pidge wasn’t able to rescue her father but...we know where he is and how to get to him.”

Mateo blinked in surprise, his brow furrowed in confusion as he and Lotor shared puzzled looks, “Then why all the long faces?”

Shiro sighed in exhaustion, “Zarkon has Commander Holt and he’s willing to trade him for Lot -.”

“No.”

“What?!” Pidge shrieked in outrage. “What do you mean no! That’s my dad!”

“And this is Zarkon we’re talking about!” Mateo snapped back. “Do any of you honestly think that he’d actually hold up to his end of the deal even if you did go through with it?”

“What do you mean ‘if?’ This is my dad we’re talking about!” Pidge snarled,

“You have all of my sympathy but we have to think about this objectively. Our goal is to take out Zarkon and someone has to take the throne after him. After the first attempt, I’m pretty sure he gets that and he also understands that Lotor would be able to take over after him. If he gets Lotor then this would have all been for nothing. Zarkon wins because for all we know Lotor is the only Galra willing to work with us outside of the Blades of Marmora.” 

“Who -”

“Sh sh sh,” Mateo interrupted Lotor’s inquiry with a finger to his lips, “I’m on a roll here.” He returned his attention to an obstinate Pidge and continued, “We need to have a plan - multiple plans in fact because we can’t trust Zarkon.”

“But we can trust Lotor?” Allura scoffed. 

“More than Zarkon that’s for sure,” he retorted.

“What if they’re working together?” Pidge demanded. “What if this is all some big plan to earn our trust and betray us later?”

“Then it’s even more important to keep Lotor out of Zarkon’s hands. I know you want to jump at the chance to have your father back but we need to think this through.”

Shiro put a hand on Pidge’s shoulder, “Mateo is right. We need to be prepared.”

“My father has held the universe in a death grip for millennia, but he sees it slipping from his grasp because of your efforts and because of mine,” Lotor said, hesitantly resting a hand on Mateo’s shoulder to feel grounded. This will be one of the most difficult things that he will ever have to do. “With our forces combined, we would provide the greatest threat Zarkon has ever faced. He knows we could topple his empire, so this is his attempt to tear us apart. But united, we could forge a new path, open doors to new worlds, and crush the tyrannical ways of an old regime.”

“It’s a regime you ran! We can’t listen to him. He just wants to save his own skin! He shouldn’t even be out of his jail cell!”

“If you return me to my father he would surely see to my demise. And with his most legitimate threat to the throne removed he would only grow stronger,” Lotor admitted.

“One less threat to Zarkon and one less threat to us,” Pidge coldly retorted.

Lotor turned his gaze onto Allura and took a step forward to stand in front of Mateo, “Your father, King Alfor, once stood side by side with Zarkon and protected the universe from harm. There was no foe the paladins of old couldn’t defeat. Sadly, that time of peace has been lost, but, together, we can find it once more. Princess, imagine a new generation that could lift the mantle of peace. The children of King Alfor and Emperor Zarkon, you and I, a royal alliance between Altean and Galra.”

Lance grew defensive when he interpreted that as Lotor making a pass at Allura, “How ‘bout we don’t imagine that!”

“Lies! Every word is a lie!” Pidge insisted unwaveringly. 

“So suddenly Zarkon speaks the truth?” Mateo asked as he watched the very one sided exchange. “You’re still ignoring the fact that Zarkon is our biggest threat and he’s lining everything up so that either he or someone like him could be on the throne. Do you really think he’ll do as he says and return Commander Holt? You expect the corrupted leader of a ruthless empire that has murdered his friends, crushed civilizations under his heel, and ceaselessly chased us through the universe will honor his word?” 

“You think he’ll double cross us,” it wasn’t a question on Shiro’s part.

“I don’t think, I know, Shiro!” Mateo implored.

Lotor nodded in agreement. “I believe he would do anything to rid himself of me and claim the Lions of Voltron.”

Allura’s expression was troubled as she thought over this information, “An alliance with the Galra heir could end the war.”

“What?!” Pidge demanded in outrage. 

“It’s not ideal,” Allura said, trying to placate the volatile Green Paladin. “I don’t like trusting the Galra but it could be our best option.”

“No!”

“Pidge think of the lives we could save. Think of the countless worlds we could free,” the princess tried to reason.

“Think of my father!”

Mateo sighed in exasperation and approached the Green Paladin before bringing his fist down onto her head. 

“Ow! What the heck Teo!” 

Mateo regarded the younger girl with disappointment. “Pidge I don’t want to be that guy but shut your trap and listen. I’m gonna go slow so you can keep up. We’re at war, a war that will never end if we don’t screw this up. If we hand over Lotor everyone else is screwed because Zarkon’s place is secure and even if we did manage to take him down afterwards, the empire would have a power vacuum and we all know how that would turn out. We have the chance to end this war in our lifetime and giving Lotor to Zarkon might tip the scales in his favor in one way or another.”

“You wouldn’t understand, you never even met your dad!”

Lance and Mateo both took in sharp breaths for entirely different reasons. Lance, because he’d seen the murderous look in Mateo’s eyes for a split second and Mateo, to keep himself from throttling the petulant Paladin. He leaned down to glare into her hazel eyes.”I’ll let that go because you’re Lance’s friend,” he said in a deathly quiet tone. “But your voice and wants aren’t the only ones that matter. Hunk, you’ve been quiet. What do you think?”

Hunk flinched, surprised at being addressed. He began to twiddle with his fingers as he tended to do in tense situations, “I don’t know - I mean. If this dude here is on our like he says he is,” he turned to Lotor with uncertainty, “you are saying you’re on our side right? Then, couldn’t he lead the Galra toward peace from the inside like they’ve been saying?”

This was as much as Pidge could take as she rose her voice over Hunk’s, “We are turning him in and getting my dad back. We have Voltron to bring peace to the universe.”

Mateo scoffed, “Voltron is a weapon, not a miracle worker. How long would we have to fight if we turn Lotor in? Months? Years? All because you value your dad’s life over others? How many will die for this Pidge? How much blood are you willing to have on your hands for this?”

“That’s not fair!”

“Life’s not fair,” Mateo snapped at the Paladin’s weak response. “If we do this your way we lose more lives than necessary because of you and you better be ready to live with that because I’m not.”

“That’s enough, both of you,” Shiro scolded, getting between them. “We’re trading Lotor for Commander Holt and that’s final.” 

“But Shiro -” Mateo tried to protest, not noticing the way Lotor tensed or how his fists were clenched.

“That’s final, Mateo.” Mateo grit his teeth and glared at everyone in frustration. Lance, Hunk, and Coran avoided his gaze, Allura and Shiro gave him looks of resignation, and Pidge met his gaze head on with one of disdain and anger for not being on her side. 

“If you’re gonna send him to his death, then you might as well make him comfortable beforehand,” he grunted, knowing that he was outranked by the Black Paladin. However, he dared anyone to contradict him as he led Lotor away. Lotor followed in silence, unsure what to say about what he’d just witnessed. The tension in Mateo’s back set him on edge, until he stopped and let out a sigh that seemed to make him deflate. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry for what we’re about to put you through.”

Lotor chuckled in an attempt to reassure him, “I’m honestly surprised that you still defended me as much as you did. Although, I must admit that I didn’t expect the Paladins of Voltron to be so...”

“Impulsive?” Mateo offered him a bitter smile. “Yeah, it’s actually pretty amazing that we’ve survived this long. There’s only so much you can do when you put an insanely powerful super weapon in the hands of children. Someone’s gotta play devil’s advocate and often times that makes you the devil in some eyes.” 

Lotor hummed in thought as he continued to follow Mateo, recognizing the hall that they were walking in. Mateo stopped at a door and Lotor was met with the sight of the brunette’s room. Nothing had changed since they had last been there, but Lotor noticed with intrigue that Mateo had a little compartment that went unnoticed before. He watched the human tap that compartment and open it to take out a small touch screen device wrapped up in a long blue wire. Lotor sat on the bed next to Mateo when he absently waved him over while unraveling the wires from the device. 

“I don’t know what the Galra have for music, but this always puts me at ease,” Mateo said as he offered Lotor an earpiece. 

The Galra prince hesitantly took the earpiece and placed it in his ear. He watched Mateo scroll into a playlist, not recognizing any of the songs written using one of earth’s many languages. Mateo selected a random song and it began to play. Lotor was intrigued by the sound of stringed instruments and high hats filtering through the earth device, and glanced out the corner of his eye to see Mateo leaning back on his arms with eyes closed. His chin was tilted back, baring his vulnerable neck to Lotor as he lost himself in the music. The prince mirrored his position and closed his own eyes, letting the melody and words envelope him and set him adrift.

He felt weightless as the music took him away from his problems and tried to ignore the dread that came from the anticipation of coming back down to them. His eyes fluttered open when the song ended. “What was that song about? The singer sounded like they were in deep despair.”

“That’s because the singer is narrating the life of someone in a really bad relationship. He’s hurting her and lying to her, breaking her heart and then promising to never do it again only to repeat the cycle. She makes an effort not to set him off, thinking its her fault but nothing she does ever works. The one thing she finds solace in is the rain. It’s cooling and comforting for someone coming from such a heated place and it gets her mind off of her situation if only for a few moments.”

“Why is she still with someone that hurts her?”

“Because she loves him, and love can make even the most perceptive people blind sometimes. She wants to leave this man behind and get better but her heart is trapping her with him. She believes that this man loves her as much as she loves him despite the abuse and that’s what keeps her there. In the end, she does end up leaving him to start a new chapter of her life. She’s decided to put herself first because she knows she deserves better. This was one of my mom’s favorite songs,” Mateo sighed, not even flinching at the twinge his heart gave at the mention of her. He’d long gotten used to the ache. 

“Why would your mother love such a sad song?” Lotor asked in confusion, the phrasing not lost on him. Sure, he could appreciate the song but in his experience, most people favored more upbeat and joyous music than what he’d just heard.

Mateo chuckled, “You know I asked her the same question and you know what she told me?” Lotor gave him a puzzled look, queueing him to continue. “She told me that this song is a testament to strength. This woman wasn’t some great warrior with a legendary weapon. She was a tired woman who wanted more than to be beaten down by life, but she had the strength to be her own savior. No one came to her rescue because no one was going to come. She had to do the saving on her own and that takes a strength that I don’t know if I’ll ever have if put in her situation.”

Lotor stared off in thought, reminded of certain aspects of his own life, “I suppose I can see where she was coming from.” He returned to his previous position, listening to the next song that had already begun to play while they’d been talking.” 

Mateo watched him out of the corner of his eye and made up his mind. He reached into the still open compartment that held his phone. It didn’t take a genius to know what Zarkon would do to Lotor once they hand him over, so he took out the only possession he had that would at least allow the prince to put up a fight. Wordlessly, he slipped it into Lotor’s hand and the prince curled his fingers around it like it was a lifeline. Neither of them said a word as Lotor placed the knife in his boot and they tried not to think about his looming fate. This was the most Mateo would be able to do for Lotor and he hated it. They were supposed to be the good guys, so why were they doing something that felt so damn wrong?

Tag List: @starfaring-princelotor @motheroflittlelions@fandomsoffeelings@done-with-your-shit-shirogane @kirahhhh@legendofcarl @lotor-for-emperor@marvelheaux @yanderemommabean@lotorrential @planet-jumping-warrior

[ghostiedoesherbest]

Patches - III

It didn’t take long for news of Lotor’s sudden freedom to reach Allura and she wasn’t pleased to say the least. The first person that she began to look for was Shiro, who had been resigned for this coming conversation. He silently prayed to whatever deities that were listening that he would get through this conversation with the rest of his limbs in tact when the Altean princess stormed into the control room. “Shiro, please explain to me why Lotor is not in his prison cell?” Shiro took a deep breath, hoping that Mateo was having a much better time than he was.

_______________________________________________

As it turns out, Shiro was right. Lotor and Mateo were sitting in the recreational room. The silver haired prince was completely puzzled by the simple technology of the game system. “What is its purpose?” he’d asked.

Mateo tilted his head, “It’s for entertainment. You take a game disk, put it in the console, and you can play a game with these remotes. You wanna try it out?”

“Fascinating. I’ve heard of these games but I’ve never been allowed to play one,” Lotor said as he turned the remote control over in his hands, his fingers itching to take it apart so he could see how it worked. 

“Didn’t you try one out when you were exiled?” Mateo inquired. 

Lotor shook his head, “I focused most of my time on survival and gathering support.”

Mateo noticed that there wasn’t an ounce of regret in Lotor’s voice but there was a longing there that made his heart clench in pity. He forced a bright smile onto his face and slid a simple game into the game console. “Well, better late than never, right?” Mateo went about showing Lotor how the game worked. It was a game called Castle Crashers. They both picked the colors of their characters with Mateo choosing the happy looking pink character and Lotor deciding to use the very aggressive looking purple character. 

It was a simple hack and slash game that was rather easy to learn. Although, Mateo quickly learned that Lotor was a little shit. “Why do you keep taking all of the gold?!”

“Because you keep stealing my kills,” the prince retorted with a haughty snort. 

“I’m trying to help you! We’re a team remember!” That was said right before the killed the first boss. Then, came the battle for the princess’s favor in which Mateo was decimating Lotor.

“What happened to the team, Mateo?” Lotor cried in indignation as he tried to help his character fend for itself. 

“That was then and this is now,” Mateo laughed as his character killed Lotor’s character. The prince pouted as Mateo’s character was kissed by the princess. 

“She’s not even your type!”

“Which is?” Mateo asked, humoring the pouting prince. 

“I think the blonde one is more your speed.”

Mateo opened his mouth to retort but he quickly thought back on all of his previous boyfriends and realized that most of them just so happened to be blonde. Perhaps he did have a type. “You’re not wrong.” He just doesn’t know that Mateo bats for a different team. Lotor gave him a pointed look and the brunette rolled his eyes but let the Galra have that victory. 

Lotor chuckled to himself, “If I had known that these video games were as fun as this one, I would have invested a portion of my time into it. It has been a long time since I have enjoyed myself so much!” 

Mateo was about to respond when the door slid open to reveal a very unhappy Allura and an exasperated Shiro. The pair stood to greet them but Allura completely ignored Lotor in favor of glaring at Mateo. "What do you think you are doing?"

Mateo coolly regarded the white haired princess, "I'm playing video games with Prince Lotor."

"Now is not the time for smart remarks Mateo! Do you not care that his father is responsible for the complete subjugation and slavery of the entire known universe?!" she snapped. The older McClain cousin noticed the way the prince flinched out of the corner of his eye.

"Allura who is the person standing beside me?"

"Do you think I'm blind?! Anyone with eyes can see that he's the heir to the most blood thirsty race in the universe!"

"I think you need to have your eyes reevaluated Princess," Mateo said. Shiro could feel the temperature drop at his cold and clinical tone. It was almost as if he was back in training under Iverson. "His name is Prince Lotor, Son of Zarkon. Son. He is not Zarkon -"

"I am well aware!"

"I don't think you are," Mateo folded his arms behind his back and began to circle around Allura like a predator. He wasn't about to back down from this. "You are holding an entire race responsible for the actions of a man who holds power over them. You look at Lotor and you see Zarkon but Zarkon wouldn't be sitting here trying to help us end this war. That is the plan, correct?"

Allura's face grew red with frustration, "Yes! That has never changed!"

"So tell me what was your plan upon defeating Zarkon?" Mateo asked as he came to a stop to stare directly into Allura’s eyes, his voice barely above a whisper but he could have shouted for all its effect on Allura who reeled back as though she'd been slapped.

Mateo had grown wary of Allura after experiencing the alternate reality where the Alteans were the dominating force of the universe. Where Allura allowed for other races to be practically lobotomized in order to serve the Alteans as subservient slaves. What disturbed him the most is that this reality’s Allura had seen nothing wrong with the practice because it was "more peaceful." That wasn't peace, it was slavery but Allura could see no wrong in it because the Alteans did it so there must have been a logical reason for it, right?

However, if the Galra had taken up the practice she would have been horrified and called them monsters. That double standard was why Mateo had become a lot more hesitant with his interactions with Allura. He hadn't been her biggest fan before but he could trust her to have his back. Now he wasn't so sure. If she found out about his heritage would she be okay with it or would she immediately turn on him?

Allura had yet to answer his question so Mateo put pressure on her, taking a step forward. Immediately she took one back. "What is your plan for the Galra left without an emperor to lead them? Were you planning on wiping them out like Zarkon did to your people? Or were you just going to sit by, not knowing the Galra's customs for choosing their leader, and possibly allowing someone worse to take the throne? What is the plan Allura because the way I see it you're blinded by revenge and have no plan beyond hurting the person who hurt you." With each question Mateo took a step forward and Allura would take one back until she was backed against a wall staring into Mateo's dark brown eyes that seemed like an empty abyss in this situation. "What was your plan for Lotor when he ran out of information to give?"

Allura floundered for an answer but she couldn't bring herself to say what had been on her mind. Mateo could see it in her eyes though as he backed away from her with a disgusted sneer. "It seems that you have more in common with Zarkon, Princess."

That seemed to make something in her snap as she used her shapeshifting ability to grow taller so that she could tower over Mateo. Lotor was growing a little nervous at the tension that had been growing in the room. It wasn’t like with Hunk where he knew that it wasn’t serious. This was serious and Lotor didn’t know who he should defend in this situation. “Stand down, Mateo,” she warned. 

“I won’t,” Mateo stated glaring directly into her eyes. “I know damn well that you can kick my ass up and down these halls but I’m still gonna tell you the truth Allura. Now are you done puffing yourself up or is your head still so far up your own ass that you don’t want to hear reason.”

Allura’s gaze wavered before averting them from the brunette. “If he turns on us then it will be your fault,” she grumbled, hoping to make Mateo waver.

“I’ll take that chance.”

"If it's all the same to you, I have more information that may be beneficial for you all," Lotor interjected, feeling as though he wasn't supposed to witness what he'd just seen. Although, he was grateful that Mateo was willing to stick his neck out for him, so he felt as though he should prove himself worthy of that chance. “All of the information after this point will be more perilous in nature.”

Allura turned her sharp gaze onto Lotor, “I’m listening.” 

“This information is something that I believe you would consider important on a more personal level,” Lotor continued with his shoulder’s rolled back, feeling a little emboldened by Mateo’s presence in the room. Mateo listened intently as Lotor relayed the possible location of Pidge’s father. He was relieved that the younger girl’s father was confirmed to be alive and only in need of rescue. However, he knew the moment that Allura would relay the information to the Green Paladin that she wouldn’t wait for back up.

She did exactly that, pleasantly surprising Mateo when she at least took her brother and the former bounty hunters that almost stole Blue. Lotor observed the exasperated exchange between Shiro and Mateo as they practically rag dolled onto the couch when Allura left them. “At least she’s not by herself,” Mateo sighed.

“Did you see how mad Allura was? Do you know how much my ears were ringing from how much she was yelling at me for letting you talk me into letting Lotor go?” Shiro chuckled as he rubbed his neck. “She looked like she was about to kick your ass.”

Mateo lifted his head to look at the Black Paladin, “You know she could probably wipe the floor with me.”

“Then why did you do that for me?” Lotor asked, reminding Shiro of his presence. 

Mateo looked at the Galra prince and gave him a soft smile, “I’m a firm believer in second chances. Plus, I’m pretty sure you’re our only hope for peace.”

“We have Voltron,” Shiro retorted, sounding slightly offended.

Mateo rolled his eyes, “Voltron is a giant sentient super weapon. Being chosen to pilot it doesn’t automatically make everything you do right. Sure, the Galra will back down after you blow up a bunch of their ships, but who’s to say that they won’t come back later looking for revenge.”

Lotor followed his train of thought, “So your plan is to get them on your side. If you get your enemy to stop perceiving you as their enemy then there is no war to be fought.” The prince was honestly impressed by this since he had much similar ideals. He did not want to subjugate but to have peaceful cohabitation.

Mateo shot him finger guns, “That’s the plan, Princey.” Lotor settled on a free portion of the couch next to Mateo’s head with his arms resting on his legs and his hands clasped together. Mateo tilted his head back and his eyes widened. “Whoa! Your hands are huge, man!” He reached out a hand to examine it but stopped short, unsure if Lotor wanted to be touched. 

Said prince stared at Mateo for a few moments before hesitantly placing his hand in Mateo’s despite every aspect of himself screaming for him not to trust it. Mateo turned Lotor’s gloved hand over in his own palm, sending pleasant tingles up his arm. He gently brushed his fingers over the palm and frozen when he noticed something interesting. “You have beans!” he said breathlessly as rubbed at the pads of the prince’s hands. 

“What?” 

“Shiro come check this out!” Mateo called to the older man as he continued to rub Lotor’s palm without answering his question, increasing the tingles felt by the prince. He tried not to show how much it affected him as the Black Paladin leaned over Mateo’s shoulder to see what he was so excited about. Mateo excited waved his hand for Shiro to pay attention as he gently pressed down on Lotor’s palm and watched as his once normal nails elongated but there they were blunted. 

“You clip your nails?” Mateo asked, looking up at Lotor who had turned his head away to hide his blush. 

“Yes, I found that my claws were rather annoying. They tend to get caught in my clothes,” he cleared his throat and raised his other hand to cover his mouth. Was he really that touch starved? Sure Lotor was well aware of his need for positive attention but he didn’t think that a pretty human caressing his hand would feel as pleasurable as it is. 

Mateo tilted his head, wondering if he should do the same about his own since they always get caught in his sweaters and blankets. He had a hard time explaining to his grandma why the blanket she’d made for him was ripped up after a particularly bad transformation. He had to make her believe that he’d taken in an injured feral cat. 

“You have some pretty big hands yourself, Mateo,” Shiro pointed out.

Mateo blinked owlishly at the Black Paladin, “Really?” He sat up properly and lined his hand up with Lotor’s. His hand was slightly smaller than Lotor’s but they were considered pretty big by normal standards. He tilted his head in thought, “Huh, I guess they are.” 

“Are all human hands so soft?” Lotor asked curiously, hoping to get the attention off of him. 

Mateo barked a laugh at his question, “Only the humans who have a relative like Lance. He absolutely refuses to be associated with me unless I moisturize twice a day.” He leaned in and whispered conspiratorially to the prince, “Between you and me, I think he just likes to dote on people, but you didn’t hear it from me.” 

Lotor found himself chuckling in amusement. Mateo hadn’t been nearly this nice while he was imprisoned. He was not unkind or cruel, and yet never completely friendly. Lotor was kept at an arm’s length, as he should have been. However, he also didn’t expect for the human to befriend him as quickly as he did. HIs presence made him feel safe and protected, which is ridiculous because he was pretty sure he could bench press the shorter human. 

Mateo McClain was an interesting conundrum that Lotor is determined to understand. 

Tag List: @starfaring-princelotor @motheroflittlelions @fandomsoffeelings@done-with-your-shit-shirogane @kirahhhh @legendofcarl @lotor-for-emperor@marvelheaux @yanderemommabean @lotorrential @planet-jumping-warrior

[ghostiedoesherbest]

Patches - II

Lotor paced in his cell, worrying over the strange looking human that looked as though he’d been in sheer agony not long ago. Princess Allura still refused to release him from his prison if only to see if the one named Mateo was alright. He seemed pleasant enough and the prince was looking forward to the chance to befriend him. He could do with a friend in such a hostile environment. He nearly gave himself whiplash when the doors slid open to reveal the Black Paladin with the human, Mateo walking behind him with his hands clasped behind his back.

“Prince Lotor, because of your cooperation, I have decided to put you on probation. You will be allowed to roam the castle so long as you’re accompanied by Mateo,” Shiro formally stated, inwardly wincing because he knew that Allura wouldn’t like this.

Lotor turned his gaze on the human who was acting like his previous episode never happened while Shiro deactivated the the barrier that prevented him from leaving. He took a couple of steps forward to stand before the piebald human. He had to look down to peer into Mateo’s eyes but he couldn’t read him. He knew that the human was guarded in the duration of his imprisonment. He never gave much away to Lotor, not much that could work in his advantage, and that intrigued the exiled prince. Sometimes Lotor could almost see the beginnings of an emotion that he might be able to recognize but almost immediately Mateo would notice and blank his face. It infuriated the prince but also made him want to figure him out even more.

“It appears that we will be spending a lot more time together,” Lotor said with a slight smirk as he held his hand out to Mateo.

The human surprised him by clasping his arm in greeting. “It seems so.” Mateo broke off the contact and began to head for the door, casually waving for Lotor to follow. “C’mon, I’ll give you a tour of the castle.”

Lotor quietly followed after the smaller human, his interest piqued. During the tour, Mateo had surprised him by the amount that he spoke during the tour. Lotor’s first impression of Mateo was that he was rather taciturn unless you were to ask him questions but the human was practically a well of knowledge about the castle. Instead of taking him to a room and simply telling him what the room was, he explained what was done in each room and sometimes the history of the room. Lotor quickly learned that Mateo was a great storyteller, giving small, entertaining anecdotes that would earn a chuckle out him. His voice was deep with a stronger accent than his cousin, and it never escaped Lotor’s notice how his spoke at a volume much lower than the paladins as if he knew how sensitive Galra hearing was.

Of course, Lotor didn’t complain because he quickly learned how loud the Paladins tended to be upon walking in on Lance and Pidge wrestling over some sort of device in the recreational room. When the tour ended, Lotor took the chance to inquire after Mateo’s wellbeing. “That was quite the tour Mateo, but I must admit that I am worried. What happened to you earlier.”

Mateo’s eyes widened a fraction, before he gave a resigned sigh, “Sorry you had to see that. I have a medical condition. I have fits every once in a while and usually I can tell when they’re coming on but this one sort of crept up on me.”

Lotor furrowed his brows, “So you are well then?”

“Yes,” Mateo nodded, “I know it’s scary for people who see it for the first time but I’m fine.”

Lotor clasped his hands behind his back as he sighed in relief, “I cannot imagine going through that once let alone multiple times.”

Mateo waved him off, turning his head so that the prince wouldn’t see him blush, “Don’t worry about me. Us McClains are made of tougher stuff than that.”

Adorable. Lotor thought to himself as he allowed Mateo to lead him to the kitchen where Hunk was. “Hey ‘Teo - Whoa whoa whoa! What’s he doing here? Isn’t he supposed to be in jail or something?”

Mateo chuckled and gestured to the tall Galra, “Hunk, meet Prince Lotor. Shiro put me in charge of his probation while he’s here since his information has been reliable so far. I thought I’d take him to try some of your famous cuisine, Executive Chef Hunk.” Hunk puffed out his chest in pride, much to Mateo’s amusement.

“As long as I’ve got my reliable Sous Chef,” Hunk retorted as he tossed Mateo an apron. The McClain chuckled as he tied the apron around the nape of his neck and at the small of his back before turning to the sink to wash his hands. Lotor took a seat at the counter as he watched Mateo and Hunk peering into an intergalactic cookbook that the Yellow Paladin had gotten from the space mall.

The Galra prince watched with eyes full of wonder  as Mateo and Hunk worked together flawlessly. Their knives were a blur on the cutting board and movements were fluid, as if they were one being. Lotor had never known what the kitchens were like on Planet Daibazaal before he was born, since his father had forbidden any knowledge he considered unnecessary, but he liked to imagine that they were much like what he was witnessing. Lotor nearly melted as a heavenly scent eventually began to waft through the room. It made him realize how little he was being fed as his stomach let out a loud, embarrassing growl.

His ears flicked up when Mateo had set a bowl full of berries down in front of him and he watched turn his back. So, like a child, he reach out to nab one of the berries only to receive the sharp sting of a spoon to the hand from Hunk. Lotor gave him a sheepish smile and Hunk gave him a stern look but he relented and allowed the prince a single berry. Lotor was honestly confused at why he was being rewarded. His Dayak never rewarded him after discipling him. Perhaps humans have a different method of discipline than the Galra.

The finished product was a three course meal consisting of a fruit salad consisting of berries and fruits from various planets, some sort of seafood pasta, and for dessert he watched Mateo pull out a strange pan that had circular molds in them which held such sweet smelling confections. “Uh...Lotor,” the prince turned to Mateo who mimed wiping his chin and Lotor’s ears burned with his embarrassment as he mirrored the action, feeling the saliva make contact with his hand. He avoided their amused gazes as they slid a plate in his direction before serving food for themselves.

Lotor eagerly began to twist a little of the pasta onto a fork and the moment it hit his taste buds, he felt as though he was in heaven. “This is absolutely divine!” he moaned in pleasure. Hunk and Mateo shared knowing smirks as they gave each other a high five. Hunk was surprised that Lotor ate just as much as Mateo, not only going for seconds, but thirds as well. “If I could I would immediately hire you both as chefs.”

Hunk blushed and rubbed the back of his neck, “Y-you, uh think so? I’m just kind of modifying recipes I already know.”

Mateo nudged his friend with his elbow, “Just take the compliment, Hunk. You’ve got a gift.”

“If he does, then you possess it as well, Mateo,” Lotor added.

“It’s just a hobby for me. Cooking with a friend is different from cooking for a living,” Mateo shrugged before taking the last bite of his cupcake. Lotor had found himself stopping in the middle of his meal to prevent the purr swelling up in his throat, unaware of the sympathetic look that Mateo had sent him. His own throat would often grow sore while trying to suppress his contented purrs. Lance had quickly learned that rubbing his ears and running his fingers through Mateo’s hair or fur would yield purrs as loud as a motorcycle. The brunette has yet to let Mateo live it down to this day.

“What is it that you all do outside of being Paladins?” Lotor asked out of genuine curiosity.

Hunk was picking up dishes but he paused when Lotor posed the question, “This is pretty much it for me, but Mat is really into the arts.”

“Arts?” Lotor parroted.

“Hunk!” Mateo hissed, feeling heat fill his cheeks as he hid his face in his hands.

“Cute,” Lotor thought as Hunk bumped the embarrassed teen with his hip.

“I’ve read some of his fanfictions and I hate him now because I’m hooked! Especially that Batman story that you haven’t finished,” the Yellow Paladin gave his friend a baleful glare. 

“I thought you got over that!”

“You left it on a cliffhanger, Mat! That’s one of the most unforgivable things you could’ve ever done!”

“It seemed like a good place to stop!”

“Well you thought wrong!”

Lotor watched the exchange with wide eyes. The pair looked like they were ready to exchange blows and the prince began to wonder if he should be trying to escape before they decided to use one of the many sharp objects in the kitchen while he possessed no weapons. “What is a cliff hanger?” Lotor spoke without thinking, surprised at himself since he usually measured his words so carefully. 

Hunk continued to glare at Mateo who had turned his attention to the Galra prince that was placed in his care. “A cliffhanger is when an author ends their story on a rather suspenseful moment that leaves the readers eager to read more,”

“I call bull on that! Readers hate them and writers put them in their stories to make us suffer!” Hunk protested heatedly.

“We’re not getting into this again Hunk!” Mateo snapped but Lotor could tell that there was no real heat behind it. 

Lotor chuckled at the amusing exchange. He was surprised with how easily he had relaxed in the presence of the two humans and he was beginning to believe that was the entire reason for Mateo bringing him there. The Yellow Paladin was obviously the most laid back of the Paladins and one couldn’t help but to relax in his presence. He never felt this relaxed around his own generals and yet the Paladins had succeeded where others had failed. All but one. 

He pushed that thought aside. He didn’t want to think about his failures at the moments. He would much rather bask in the peace that he was so rarely afforded. He honestly hoped that he could one day call these new allies his friends and that they would return the sentiment. Mateo caught his gaze while Hunk was ranting about the horror of the cliffhanger and winked conspiratorially at the Prince before saying something that outraged the Yellow Paladin even further. 

Lotor felt an uncomfortable pit in his stomach that was neither fear nor dread. It felt as though someone had set a litter of yuppers loose in his stomach. Lotor recognized this feeling and he kept his composure while he internally panicked. The prince didn’t know what exactly that meant but what he did know was that Mateo McClain would be the death of him. 

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