#my parentheses

For the first couple of years Neoth was a lot more touchy, carrying Morgan in his arms practically all the time whilst they were still small enough, rarely leaving them out of his sight, if ever

This is because Morgan's brothers were kidnapped (yep, aaaaall of them) by the gods of chaos who, wanting to slow down Neoth's plan, threw them and their capsules through a portal that sent them to different far away points in the galaxy (and time)

But the gods left Morgan with Neoth for shits and giggles (no but fr)

Anyway, after he was confident that they wouldn't reappear and take Morgan away too, Neoth began to distance himself. I hc that he's naturally not very physically affective, which is heightened by him making a conscious effort to not grow emotionally attached to Morgan, in case he had to dispose of them. Maybe a pat on the shoulder here and there when they pleased him/exceeded his expectations, and whatever contact they had during spars

Even then, he remained observant and vigilant, only this time, about Morgan's growth, meticulously grooming them as one of his generals, cultivating in them a deep devotion and blind trust in him as a mentor that should've prevented anything but their obedience toward him (keyword: should've)

As time passed, he let them roam more freely around the Palace of Terra, though they could always feel the eyes of the Custodes (Neoth's other creations), and a steady incorporeal presence following them.

Morgan grew up to be rather touchstarved, which makes Horus kinda the perfect brother to have been discovered and brought back 1st, because he's not only super charismatic and able to work around the walls Morgan's been unconciously building around themselves, but also because he's very physically affectionate