Chapter Text
Shiro sits at his desk with his head in his hands. Staring at the papers that lay across it. Even though there is no longer crumpled papers scattered around his room, the Paladin felt no closer to figuring things out then he had a quintent ago... or was it three now? He has lost track... for all Shiro knew it had been pheebs and he would still feel like he as gotten no ware.
As he tried to remember how long he as been trying to figure out what to do for the Prince for Valentine's Day. Shiro realises that he was not even thinking about the task at hand now. With a heavy sigh the Paladin Stands up and stretches a little before walking out the door. He wanders the Halls not really knowing where he is going. Just kind of letting his feet take him wherever and thinking about what Valentine treat he could do for Lotor.
When Shiro finally looks around, he finds that his feet have brought him into the kitchen and Hunk is there talking to himself as he makes a snack.
Hunk turns around and sees Shiro standing in the door way. At first he looked surprised but then a warm smile crossed his face. "Hay Shiro, I did not hear you come in...I made my self a snack but I made plenty if you would like some?" The Black Paladin returns his warm smile and nodded "Sure, that would be nice. Thank you Hunk." The Yellow Paladin, set down his own plate and started fixing Shiro one. Once he was done he Set it down on the table were Shiro had moved too and the two of them began to eat.
"Mmm, Hunk this is really good!" He smiled at the younger Paladin. Hunks face had an even bigger smile on it now. "Good, I am glad you like it! Sometimes when I cook with these alien ingredients I am not always sure they will come out how I want them too. So I am glad you like it!" They ate without talking for a while before the other Paladin broke the silence again. "aah... Shiro... I hope you don't mind me saying but...you look awful. Is everything okay?" He paused before adding," You have in your room alot lately... for the last few quintents for sure... so I was just... wondering if you are ok...?" Hunk looked at his leader with concern, slightly unsure of what his reaction will be.
To his relief Shiro gives him another warm smile before saying "Yes Hunk, I am ok...I have...just been trying to figure something out and have not had much luck with it." He gives a light laugh to try and reassure the younger Paladin that he is ok. "Ok...swh... I was getting a little worried there for a minute but if you really ok..?"
He nods "Yes I am really ok."
"Ok good! So aah... what are you trying to figure out? Is it anything I can help with?"
Shiro gives a nervous laugh in scratches the back of his head. "Unless you can teach me how to cook like you do in a couple of days... I don't think so. I think this is something I have to figure out for myself" he laughs again.
Hunk gives him a confused look but laughs a little nervously "I mean...If you want me too...I guess I could try to teach you something...? But... aah... why would that be helpful to you?" The Black Paladin laughs again "To be onist... I not even sure that it would be helpful. Well at least not in any other way then simply becoming a little better at cooking. Forget I said anything, it's not a big deal." The Yellow Paladin looks at him for a few ticks with a qustion on his face, but he decides not to push his luck so he smiles and says, "Ok... Just let me know if you change your mind."
After that Shiro takes care of his plate and thanks Hunk for the food, before leaving the kitchen. The Paladin starts wandering around again ending up in the Lounge. As the Paladin enters he is so lost in his own thoughts that he did not realize there was someone else in the room reading from a data pad. He Flops on to the long couch in the middle of the room with a loud grone. Muttering something about it being hopeless and not being able to pull something off in time.
The one in the corner looks up from his data pad, watching the Paladin for a few Dobashes. Before speaking in a calm but slightly annoyed voice. "Now I know this is not my Ship... so I don't have any right to give you any orders.... But if you don't mind, I would greatly appreciate it, if you could do that a bit more quietly? I am trying to focus on what I am reading and you are being vary distracting right now." Shiro froze at the sound of the voice, terrified that someone had overheard him. To make matters worse the voice that he was hearing belong to Prince Lotor.
The Paladin sits up slowly and peers over the couch to look in the direction that he heard the voice comming from. Sure enuff, there he was sitting in the corner resting the side of his face on his hand. The Prince had an eyebrow arched as he looks at Shiro waiting for a response. The Paladin looked at him and scratched the back of his head nervously "Yeah I can do that... Sorry about that I did not realize anyone was in here."
"Obviously not!"
"Sorry, I can be quiet now." As he spoke he could feel his face getting warmer and warmer.
"Thank You! I much appreciate it!" Lotor then returned his gaze to the data pad and continued reading.
Shiro let out a quiet sigh and let his body flop back down on the couch. The Paladin brings his hands up to cover his face in embarrassment. Ugh, how could he be such an Idiot, now he really doubted that even if he did manage to come up with something Lotor would like the Prince would not even care! Shiro feels like he messed up so much just now.
Mean while Lotor keeps stealing glances towards the Paladin unable to focus on what he was doing before. He gives a small sigh before putting down the data pad and walks quietly over to the couch. When the Prince looks down at him, he sees that Shiro has his face covered. So Lotor watchs him for a few Dobashes, waiting to see if he is going to move is hands anytime soon. For a few ticks the Prince gets lost in the way his chest rises and falls with each breath Shiro takes.
Shaking his head and trying to refocus, Lotor crosses his arms then leans on the back of the couch. Letting his hair fall forward over his shoulder. It lightly touches the Paladin's arm. Shiro instinctively freezes and holds his breath. He had not been expecting anything to touch him. Once the Paladin's mind remembers that he is not the only one in the room. He takes a few cautious breaths trying to calm his nerves. He then slowly opens his eyes. Looking through his fingers, surprised to see Prince Lotor so close to him.
Lotor arches his eyebrow at him. "Am I right in thinking that you are still not having much luck in making a decision?" Shiro closes his eyes and completely hides his face again. After afew more ticks the Paladin sighs and drags his hands down his face. When he reopens his eyes and looks up at the Prince, his breath gets stuck in his chest. Shiro had not seen Prince Lotor looking down at him quite like this before. The last time the Prince had look down at him at all was when he was a prisoner of the Galra Empire. The look Lotor gave him then was one of mockery and dominance, but this one... was soft and puzzled, simpley just waiting for a response to his question and it took Shiro's breath away.
Lotor was starting to wonder if he was ever going to get a response so he prompted him. "Well?...Are you going to answer me or just continue to stare?" Shiro took in a sharp breath, not wanting to disappoint the Prince any more then he already has... "Yeah...your right... and I am sorry." Shiro hid his face behind his hands again. Lotor rolled his eyes before reaching down to pull his hands away from his face. "Why do you keep putting your hands over your face like that?" The Paladin just blinks at him for a few ticks before saying "ah...I don't know..." Man it was hard for him to think right now with Lotor leaning over him. Shiro started to wonder what he would look like... No! no! Stop that! Now is not the time for that. He shut his eyes again trying not to picture what he had started to think about, but the grip that the Prince had on his wrists was not helping anything.... except maybe help get him in to more trouble than he was already in.
"Shiro?" His voice really had a slight tone of annoyance in it now. The Paladin opened his eyes real fast "Huh..."
"Would you like some more help?"
"I...ah...I don't know...I don't want to bother you again..." Shiro could feel his face getting warmer and warmer with every word.
"It's to late for that, you have already bothered me today." Shiro started to say something that sounded like the start of an apology but Lotor cut him off "besides, I am offering to help again its not like you are making me do it... and I can't say I am particularly ok with you sulking around like this." Shiro could have swore he saw something like blush creep over Lotor's face, but it had gone as quickly as it came so he could not be sure.
Lotor straightened his posture, "Shall we?" All the Paladin could do was blink up at him for several ticks before slowly saying "Ok... If your sure?" He felt like he should give Lotor one last out just in case. "Yes, I am quite sure." The Prince then walked to the other side of the couch and offered Shiro his hand to help him up. He looked between Lotor's face and his hand several times before he slowly accepted it. Letting himself be effortlessly helped into a standing position.
~~
Lady Nazareth