Purple Rain

She did her best not to fidget while she waited, the tension between waiting for Lotor to get ready and her own excitement to commence one of their adventures almost too much to bear. “Nonsense,” she replied, arms crossing as a wry little smile graces her features again. “I am using my royal access privileges to ensure my guests are properly entertained.”  His hands around her waist made her jump in passing surprise, but it’s the furthest thing from unpleasant. Though they didn’t have a set time to be wed in the near future, such small affections were encouraged between them, and she could hardly acknowledge that she already missed the comfortable warmth of the embrace once he’d pulled away. Such little things were childish, she was sure, and if there was anything she’d learned in the long absence since his last visit, it was that they were getting a little too old for childish notions. Never, however, too old for escaping their royal duties for just the span of a night.  “It’s a surprise,” Allura announced, giving a light squeeze to the hand laced in her own, before she tilted up on the front of her feet to press a kiss to his cheek, just above his jaw. It’s a greeting in return to the one that had been place to her head, a small show of affection but none the likes of which might be viewed as inappropriate to the engaged before their actual marriage. “I’ve missed you as well, but we’ll need to hurry.” They would have plenty of time for idle chatter and nostalgic fondness once they were out of the Castleship, and she’s on the move just as quickly, leading him along by the hand he’d taken of her own. “Tell me, your highness,” their titles were practically a formality at this point, spoken from Allura as more of a nickname rather than a formal address to his rank and birthright, “has your piloting gotten any better in the last five decaphoebs? Because I would hate for you to miss out on this experience.”  Her tone is nothing short of teasing, a warm fondness to her words, but as she tugged him from his room and along towards the hangars for small ships aboard the Castle, she knew it would actually be fairly important that they not crash the ship they were about to… “borrow.”

    Lotor ignored her insistence that she was only abusing her access to his room to ensure his entertainment. Once he was ready to be dragged down the hallway, and taken away to wherever his princess was going to take him, he made sure to keep up with her all the way out to the hangars. He grabbed a helmet without paying much attention to her words. He had gotten better since the last time they’d met; he’d been flying nearly every day and helping to train galra troops to assist Voltron in protecting the universe. As time passed without him seeing Allura, he realized that she knew less and less about him each time they reunited.

    Part of him wanted to ask her to marry him sooner. If they set a date, then maybe they could move forward as a unit. They would be so happy together. He couldn’t imagine anything happier that finding a place to start their life together. Shaking off the thought despite how it nagged at the back of his mind, he climbed in the ship Allura was approaching. Maybe he would ask her, on this adventure. Maybe this would be the time that he finally got the nerve to say it.

    His mind had drifted for too long. He had let silence envelope him, and he’d turned his thoughts inward. For some time, thoughts of Allura had plagued Lotor at all hours of the day. She was ethereal. Everything about her made him feel warm and comfortable. Still, the princess kept him on his toes. She was feisty. She had a fire inside of her. She made something deep inside Lotor come alive. He snapped out of the trance he seemed to be in, looking over at her and holding a hand out to help her into the ship.

Matt was a bit surprised by Lotor’s request to watch him train. The man, although supportive of his rebel activities has kept himself separate from them. Although this separation is easier said than done, with them living in the Castle of Lions with the paladins, he does so exceedingly well. Matt can’t blame him for distancing himself, after all it’s his father and his father’s empire they’re battling.

Matt immediately agrees to Lotor’s request. Despite knowing that wearing armor while fighting the Altean training bots is a good idea, Matt skips the armor. He should be fine long as he doesn’t go above level 36. It’s after level 36 that he finds himself receiving more blows than he deals. Although skipping the precaution of armor, Matt knows stretching is something he can’t skip. Starting with his arms, Matt raises them, this movement making his shirt ride up, exposing his midriff. Although less scarring on the top half of his body in comparison to his legs, a group of scars is clearly visible. When Matt catches Lotor looking at him, he utters a genihuly confused “What?”

Lotor can’t help staring at his partner. Matt has seen him shirtless countless times by now- the prince likes to sleep in nothing more than pajama pants- but Lotor has never seen Matt’s scars. He keeps them private, and Lotor accepts that. He doesn’t press him to remove his shirt, or go any further than Matt is comfortable.