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"How do Galra kiss?"
That is the question that Jackal brings to Lotor after rather dramatically flinging the door to his lab open. He's noted over the months he's known them that they tend towards dramatics and more movement when nervous, large sweeping gestures, bouncing from foot to foot, tapping their fingers or loosely flapping a wrist. So as he spins his chair to look at them he makes sure to appear lax and open for them. It does seem to ease them somewhat but the nervous energy in the air is still palpable.
"Elaborate on that won't you?"
"No, I won't," They laugh for just a second, evidently that's some inside human joke, slightly curling in on themself before bouncing again, "It's just. Okay so like, we've been together for a little now? Well I've been aware we're together for a little now, still, still not over that by the way." A deep breath, small flap of the hands and they continue. "And and then I realized I don't really like? See a lot of Galra kissing? Honestly I haven't even seen y'all be super affectionate and I was gonna ask someone if Galra just aren't super touchy feely before I did anythin and then I went noo that's like that's weird to just randomly ask? Maybe?? But it's been pickin at me and. Yeah."
He can't help the little huff of a laugh that escapes and at the momentary flash of hurt that crosses their face he rushes to explain. "No dearest one it's simply...simply that I forget sometimes, that you haven't been here long enough to know things like that." He doesn't fully finish the thought, that it feels like he's known them a lifetime and a half. That he catches himself forgetting there was ever a time they weren't in his life.
Because the last time he said something like that he watched them get so flustered they had to lay down on the floor in "orb time" for a solid three minutes.
So he leaves that thought in his head for now, instead idly tapping his fingers against his thigh. "But you are, hm. Partially correct. Under my father's command many Galra, especially those in a military capacity that you would be seeing, tended towards the more conservative end of public affection. And to add on to that from my observations of the Paladins our ways of showing affection have some differences."
They hum a little at that, rock briefly onto their heels before coming properly closer to him. Once within a close enough distance that if he so wished he could reach out and grasp their hand they stop, hesitate for a long long moment, then speak. "Can. Can you. I wanna know?"
He has to slap down the urge to loudly and immediately purr at their request, it would not do to seem too desperate for their affection. "Of course my heart. Just let me know if I make you uncomfortable at any point, now..." He takes their hand in his, marveling once more at how dainty it looks in comparison, before raising it to his mouth for a kiss. Their sharp inhale sends a pleased thrum through him and when he looks up to their face he can admit that he also enjoys the way they've turned a bright red. "Mmm now this isn't as common among ordinary Galra but.."
They let out a breathless little laugh. "Right. Emperor. God I keep forgetting that that you're the fucking Emperor-" The rest of their sentence is cut off by a strangled sort of wheeze as he kisses their wrist, lets it linger for a moment then slowly he moves it up their arm, paying particular attention to the scant freckles that litter it. "Ah-" He allows each one to linger for just a moment longer than strictly necessary, continuing to enjoy listening to his beloved make breathy, shocked noises.
He has to stand to reach their shoulder, and when he does he wraps an arm around their waist, gently tugging them in closer against him. They're shaking slightly, vibrating with a nervous energy and he frowns against the curve of where their shoulder meets their neck. "Dearest are you…?"
"No I'm- You're good I'm just." They laugh again, reach up to hold onto his shoulders and give a little squeeze. "Just uh. Realizing I might be a little. A little touch starved. Maybe." Ah. Well that was certainly a feeling he was intimately familiar with. In response he nuzzles into their throat properly, laying a small multitude of kisses along their neck. He finally allows a purr to slip out as they make a little whine of a sound before going lax in his arms. "Oh. That. That's nice."
"Mmm it's the most common way to show affection among partners." It is said against their jugular and he grins at the way their heart skips a beat. "Alongside…" He removes his hands from their waist to hold their face. Their cheeks are so warm and their pupils have gone so terribly wide. He just holds them like that for a long second, marveling at the fact that they're all his, before gently nuzzling along the curve of one cheek.
They squeak and wiggle in his grip in response. "That! Ehehe that tickles!" He repeats the gesture on the other cheek which earns him more wriggles and soft shrieks. "Lotooooor!"
"Hmmm?" Removing his face from theirs earns him a pout that he can't resist to laugh at and tease. "I thought you said it tickled, love."
"It did! It does!! But it's. It's nice." More wiggling in his grasp, nervous energy returning this time, before they opt to gently headbutt into his chest. "...I like it a lot. 'S kinda. Reminds me of a cat an like, an like how I did affection with ma an the kiddos." A long pause before they rub their cheek against his chest softly. "....people thought it was weird, I was weird. So it's. It's nice."
He frowns again and gently tilts their chin up to look at him properly, a thumb swiping along their lower lid where small tears started to form. "Oh dearest." A strangled half whine and they bury their head back into his chest with a muffled "shut uuuup." "You know you're not-"
They remove their face from his chest just long enough to interrupt with a little sniff. "No, I'm definitely a little. Like a little weird. I offered you a dead cicada yesterday as a gift," ("I still don't understand how you got one of them here.") "Carefully. But. Thank you. Still." Once finished they return to squishing their face against his chest and he's more than content to hold them like this. They'll have to have a loving disagreement later about Jackal putting themself down even in jest.
But for now he simply holds them, gently swaying back and forth, while purring to them. If he had his way he would simply never let them go, just hold them against him forever, drown them in praise and all the sweet kisses they deserve.
Because he knows that it's hard for them to understand why he loves them, to see what he sees in them, but he'll help them learn. One little step at a time. One little kiss at a time.