"Hey Allura," shiro waved as he walked up to the two after school as Allura was at her locket talking to her 'brother'.
"Shiro, hi," Allura smiled back friendly as Lotor raised an eye brow.
"My brother and friends were going to go out after school, you guys wanna come?" Shiro asked as keith walked over and narrowed his eyes at Lotor.
"We can't, Lance will get worried if we're not home soon," Allura laughed awkwardly.
"Just bring him along?" Keith raised a brow confused.
"That's not necessary," Lotor told them calmly.
"Allura you can go, I'll go home, be back before five," he looked at her calmly but Allura frowned.
"We don't leave each other alone," she said sternly. They all went quiet as the two brothers didn't understand.
"U-um I mean we don't have a phone so we can't or shouldn't," she sent Lotor a small glare and he pursed her lips nodding.
"Lance barely can tell time, he'll be fine," Allura waved him off and smiled at the boys. "Sure we'll come,"
"Oh sweet the twins are coming?" A girl with messy brown hair ran up and held onto Keith's arm as she was as tall as his shoulder.
"Guess so," Keith shrugged.
"Allura are you sure you don't at least wanna stop by to let him know?" Lotor grabbed her arm with narrowed eyes.
"He won't know the difference," she sent him a glare back.
Lotor pursed his lips as he stayed quiet, Allura nodded determined and joined the group of friends but gasped bumping into a teacher.
"Sorry," she apologized as the teacher was taken by surprise.
"Be careful," he scoffed scratching his scruff on his neck.
"We will mr. Brooke," pidge laughed nervously pulling Allura along as the teacher walked into his glass room checking his phone.
"Don't worry, mr. Brooke is a senior teacher for science, you don't have to deal with him till next year," shiro told them under his breath.
"What's wrong with him?" Lotor asked frowning.
"He's a grouch, just how he is," pidge smirked as they walked out of the school together. Lotor couldn't help but get a feeling of something in his gut that felt wrong.
——
"Lance we're home!" Allura opened the door as she went to the kitchen to get dinner started as Lotor pulled his shoes off.
But the house was quiet.
"Lance?" Allura called confused.
Lotor bit his lip going up stairs and checked to see if their youngest was asleep in bed but his room looked untouched.
"Lance?" Lotors eyes widen slightly checking the others room. Fear shot down his spine.
"Allura he's not in his room," Lotor ran down the stairs as she checked the other rooms as well.
"W-What? He's not suppose to leave the house!" She cried out grabbing her jacket frantically.
"Lance!" Lotor shouted throwing the back door open but froze seeing the boy laying on the ground.
"You bastard!" Lotor grabbed him as lance gasped awake at the sudden movement. Lotor felt lance slam his elbow into his jaw as lance scrambled back.
"Don't touch me!" He screamed panting but lance realized it was only Lotor.
"O-oh Sorry, dont have to be so aggressive," lance groaned standing up as Lotor stayed on the ground with wide eyes.
"You okay?" Lance crouched down to him.
"What the hell are you doing outside?!" Allura grabbed his shirt and yanked him up as lance grunted.
"I didn't mean to fall asleep," lance rubbed the back of his neck.
"You can't scare me like that!" Allura cried.
"Sorry Lura," lance smiled softly full of guilt but she let out a deep breath.
"You guys were gone for a while, are you okay?" Lance asked as they all went inside.
"Yea were fine, we've been looking for you," Allura pursed her lips and lance laughed nervously as he held the ends of his long sleeves over his palms.
"You okay lo? You seemed freaked out before," lance turned to him smiling sheepishly.
"Just thought of the worst, but I was wrong," Lotor sighed shaking his head and lance dropped his smile and nodded softly.
"You two are so dramatic," lance rolled his eyes a little.
"So How was school? Did you guys make friends yet? Are the teachers nice? How's the food?!" Lance gasped excitedly as Lotor grabbed an apple.
"It's fine, no, no, shit," Lotor answered flatly.
"School here isn't bad, and yes there are some people who are nice to us but we can't make friends..." Allura looked down to avoid looking at Lotor, he gave her the look of disappointment in her.
"But it has to be nice seeing new people," lance snorted jumping to sit on the counter.
"Keith is there," Lotor smirked a little.
"Who's Keith- oh that asshole?!" Lance gasped turning to him and Lotor shrugged eating the apple.
"You have to go to school with him?" He said in disgust.
"Would you guys ever consider teaching me the things you learn?" Lance said after a moment of silence as Allura went to the fridge but paused.
"I know I'm not smart because I wasn't taught like you guys but... I really want to learn at least how to read and write," he looked at Allura hopeful as she kept her back to him debating.
"Your brain is more developed than a three year old learning how to read now lance, it's going to be really hard to learn something like that now," she sighed turning back to him. "And we don't have the time, we're on the run lance,"
"I know but I'll try my best, I'm really motivated," he smiled brightly.
"Lance we can't," Allura snapped a little and the room went silent.
Lance gulped a little and nodded slowly as he got down. Lotor stayed silent as he glared at Allura a little as he kept glancing at lance.
"Lanc-" "no it's okay, just a small question I just kept thinking about, no biggie," lance cut Allura off with a smile and she felt guilt rush in her heart seeing the disappointment in his eye. She knew lance was self conscious about his intelligence but it was for the best.
"It's getting late, I'm going to bed," Lotor walked away from the awkward silence as the two others nodded.
"Me too," lance sighed walking to follow.
——
Lance laid in bed as he laid on his side looking out the window bored but he couldn't sleep. He sighed sitting up and went to open the window hoping some fresh air could help. He heard a soft knock at the door that he almost missed but waited a moment before seeing Lotor open the door slowly.
"Oh hey?" Lance raised a confused eye brow.
"Are you doing alright?" Lotor asked straight forward and lance leaned against the windowsill feeling the cool breeze against his back.
"Always, why would you ask?" Lance smiled at him but Lotor frowned.
"I thought this might help," Lotor held out a book for lance to take and lance held it in his hands.
"What's with the bunny?" Lance looked at the cover.
"It's called the velveteen rabbit," Lotor pointed around each word of the title.
"It's a children's book but it's how everyone starts to read and write," he explained looking at lance sympathetically.
"Why are you doing this?" Lance held the book to his chest with wide eyes.
"It's not fair to you, your right about how we were raised differently, but if your really motivated to try, I'll teach you," Lotor sighed nodding as he crossed his arms.
"I don't want your pity, if you don't want to then it's going to be harder," Lance looked away frowning a little.
"It's not pity, i agree with you on the fact of knowing something as common as reading and writing, things come up and you should be able to have the same ability," Lotor explained looking at lance with a softer expression instead of frustration.
"There's something different about this town, Allura doesn't sense it but I can feel it," he bit his lip a little.
"I wanna go out," lance said simply setting the book down.
"What?" Lotor was caught by surprise.
"I wanna go outside, I wanna fly again, I'm tired of being stuck here," lance opened the window fully and stepped up to the sill.
"You coming?" He smiled back at Lotor.
"Lance wait- no!" Lotor cried out as lance slipped off and fell from the second floor of the house.
He ran to the window but saw wings in a flash past his eyes as Lotor looked up and his jaw slightly opened in awe at the freedom.
So he jumped too.