Something Wild

Admire

"Whatcha got there?" Raik walked over to Lotor as he and Freja came back with some boxes for the people and some things for themselves as Freja had her bag full of books.

"An arrow..?" Raik raised an eye brow as Lotor was looking at it.

"It's isamus," Lotor set it on the table standing up.

"Is that your boyfriend?" Freja smirked putting books on shelves and Lotor grabbed one curiously.

"Isamu is an acquaintance of mine," Lotor stated simply as he flipped through the book but set it back on a tall shelf out of frejas reach as she glared.

"So your boyfriend?" She hummed walking away as she picked up the arrow.

"No," Lotor grabbed it back narrowing his eyes.

"Is too!" She smirked.

"He is not, just someone I admire and respect," Lotor told her calmly as Raik smiled amused.

"And looooove!" Freja teased at him as Lotor looked at his brother for help.

"Nope, your turn to be the big brother and Beal with little sibling harassment," Raik pointed at him.

"Well do you agree Raik? Lotor is so in love we have to fish him out!" Freja giggled covering her mouth.

"Nah we'll let him drown in love for a while," Raik chuckled sitting on a couch.

"Are you both kits?" Lotor grumbled.

"You should invite Isamu to dinner!" Freja gasped excitedly.

"I have a meeting with some officials and farmers with concerns," Lotor told them both running a hand through his hair.

"Is isamu going to be there?" Raik cooed as Lotor glared darkly.

"Not that I know of," he said flatly as his ears went down and the galra set the arrow down as he left the house hearing Raik and Freja laughing through the door.

He sighed rolling his eyes at them but saw in the distance was Lycus who was playing with the dagger, practice fighting a villain as he leaped back pretending to dodge.

"I hope your winning littlest warrior," Lotor called as Lycus smiled at him.

"I'm undefeated!" He flexed his small arms proudly and Lotor chuckled shaking his head as he walked off to the town but he caught a glimpse of the forest behind the town and surrounded it until the mountains. He smiled a little.

Lotor frowned instead. His siblings were wrong, he respected Isamu very much, but nothing more than that, and defiantly not love, any love that isn't for family is flawed and a weakness. And so vulnerable...

———

Isamu stood over a cage with a small shadow creature running from glass to glass wall as it made small shrieks at him as Isamu was mixing a bowl of glowing pink mixed with blue liquid. He heard a knock at the door.

"Wow it's like a regular customer," Isamu walked to the door and opened it to see the one and only emperor Lotor.

"Wow I'm so surprised," Isamu smirked up at him and let the emperor in.

"You left your arrow," Lotor said pursing his lips.

"Okay, where is it?" Isamu giggled as he mixed the bowl and watched Lotor pale.

"Don't worry, keep it as a souvenir," he winked as he sat in a rocking chair as he made sure the liquid didn't harden.

"So what's up?" The altean asked as Lotor sat down near him.

"You seem lonely, and on a beautiful evening your in your house, seems tragic almost," Lotor chuckled and Isamu raised an eye brow.

"Well this bugger is about to become something pretty cool, watch," Isamu stood up as he set the spoon down and looked down at the shadow creature as it hissed at him but Isamu poured the thick glowing pink and blue liquid over it as it made a small scream of distress until it gurgled and soon stopped moving with the glowing mold over it.

"You killed it?" Lotor blinked surprised.

"No," Isamu skies softly as he cracked the mold as they watched a small bug crawl out and open its large wings that where pink with blue designs over it. It fluttered and flew out of the cage and around the room with some of a golden glow as Isamu opened a window for it.

"I only recreated it," he smiled.

"It was beautiful," Lotors mouth gapped for a moment.

"See, Druids arent so bad," he tilted his head to the side.

"Nor are galra," Lotor teased as Isamu laughed.

"Yea you really proved me wrong," Isamu nodded as they looked at each other for a moment.

"Did you hate the galra at a time?" Lotor asked slowly.

"Of course," isamu snorted. "The galra people took away altea, burned down my home and killed my mother after enslaving us,"

Lotor froze at that. Isamu still was able to smile at him for all that?

"But I know a few of you good ones, I know all galra aren't bad, but remember not all alteans are good, the difference is when we're given hope, it's all we hang onto," isamu nodded at him as Lotor smiled.

"You have faith," he nodded back as Isamu laughed.

"Most Of is do," the altean shrugged.

"You don't have faith?" Lotor raised a white brow.

"I don't put my faith into begging to the stars, I have faith in myself, I control my own destiny, I don't think it's written in the stars," he scoffed shaking his head as Lotor hummed.

"I like that... I like that fraze a lot," Lotor smiled.

"Better tag me in it if you make that a quote of your own," Isamu pointed at him seriously but giggled.

"I'm making dinner, would you like some?" He asked kindly standing up as he looked at Lotor.

"I'd be honored," Lotor smiled gently standing as well.

"How can I help?" He asked following to the kitchen.

"Your good with a sword right?" Isamu asked. He nodded.

"Good chop this up, don't get rub your eyes until you wash your hands, it won't feel good," Isamu smiled brightly as he threw Lotor a veggie from the market. Lotor caught it with one hand as he looked at Isamu who had a large smile on his lips as it was something he enjoyed, knowing little of a history of him... he admired Isamu truly. 

But love? He's gladly deny that for a very long time. Love isn't worth that kind of pain.