Iago's thoughts always seem to be about him now. He's not sure what to feel about that. It seems like such a long time ago that Iago hated the rat. Really it was only about two or three years ago. India and what happened in that country usually stayed between the two of them. Iago didn't even like to discuss it in his own head ,let alone have it mentioned offhandedly in a private conversation between Ratigan and him.
It was a incredibly sore topic for him. Sore in the way his injuries from that time seemed to burn just at the thought of what happened and sore because of how Iago treated Ratigan back then. Iago had used a treatment on Ratigan usually reserved for his most hated enemies. He mocked him by calling him a rat, usually with certain adjectives to enhance the most hated word. Lonesome Rat or Rancid Rat seemed to be his favorites. But then something happened , A particular event neither of them really liked to talk about.
The aged Rat seemed to have either forgotten about it or was pretending to have for reasons Iago was incredibly aware of. He never pressed the issue. He wouldn't use it against Ratigan, it seemed wrong to. It seemed wrong because Iago had began to feel something for the suited rat that he'd only ever felt for one person before. This strange emotion that Iago never seemed to be able mark with a label. Ratigan was just …important.
Important was a good word to describe him. Somehow more than Iago considered himself, he seemed to consider Ratigan. It was strange. It was odd and strange to think he wanted to stay here with the same one he'd tried for 6 months to get away from.
Iago realizing he was in love with Ratigan
It was a normal autumn day. Iago shivered against the chilled air and huffed. Why was it always so cold here. Iago had never really stopped to wonder about why. He had told himself it was because of Agrabah. Jasmine and Aladdin were getting serious, they didn't need a loud obnoxious parrot in the palace to kill the romantic mood. That's what he told himself was the reason. But really…
Ratigan was here. He'd met the rat in India and they had somehow gotten tangled in eachothers' lives. But after all that struggle in the jungle and that tiger…Why would Iago feel…
It was a strange emotion that overtook him when Ratigan was around. As soon as the rat looked at him his heart quicken,His throat dried up and breathing got difficult. Iago hadn't noticed before. He'd changed so much for this rat. He was less loud, more polite and spoke in proper English more. The parrot even started wearing clothes for his sake. He kept lying and saying that it was the weather. That wasn't true. Ratigan had always been put off by how naked Iago was. Iago also hadn't noticed the little things Ratigan started to do for his sake.
Eggless baked goods from bakeries had started appearing in the pub. The rat must've talked to the employees about treating Iago like it was Ratigan they were talking to… They always seemed to anxious around him. Anxious like Iago felt around the rat.
What was this fluttery feeling that overtook him when Ratigan spoke his name?
Not that stupid fake one. Iago. This feeling…It was different from how he felt when Jafar said it. That feeling had been fear. As soon as Jafar purred his name , Iago stiffened and clamped his beak shut.
With Ratigan… With…
Oh no. No. NO He couldn't.
Oh geez why him? Ratigan couldn't possibly ever. He would laugh at me. Iago knew that Ratigan would stare at him with contempt and judge him. Or even worse…
He would use it to his advantage and enslave Iago. Throw some careless flirtations his way. Stupid little things he didn't mean. Twist Iago's leash around his tiny finger and control him.
Just like Jafar. He didn't want to be used again…
Why did he have to be in love with The world's greatest criminal mind?