"Listen up," Allura said. They all assembled in front of the hatch. They had landed. "Before we go onto the planet, we have to wear these wristbands developed by Pidge. You'll be alerted if you've gone too far from your partner."
Pidge handed them out. Lotor took his band a little too harshly, then apologized after realizing his mistake. She smirks and lets it slide. Lotor swallowed. She's planning something.
"Okay. Hunk and Pidge, you'll go out first. Keith and Lance, you're going after. Lotor . . . ," she trailed off looking at him. She took a deep breath. "You're with me."
Allura POV
She took a shaky breath. "You're with me," she muttered. Lotor made a face, though it wasn't exactly a scowl. She looked down at her feet. What did I ever do?
She walked over to him, standing stiffly. "Ready, paladins?" she asked, her voice weaker than she meant it. She wished Lotor would hold her hand again. To actually hold it. Because he wanted to. Not because they had to. No, that's wrong. He's not . . . whatever you want him to be. You don't want him.
For the first time in her life, she couldn't listen to her common sense. She wanted the impossible. Lotor was the impossible. Her head was wrong and she knew it. That Lotor could indeed be a friend.
They walked out of the pod, each pair holding hands. Lotor's hand was limp and wooden, making Allura positive that it was her fault he was acting this way.
"Lotor," she muttered to him. He ignored her. She frowned. Squeezed his hand. He didn't squeeze back. "Lotor."
There was no answer from him, just smiling and waving at the Aiereians. They shouted and cheered. Allura tried to do the same, though her chest ached.
They walked like that for about an hour before they actually met the leader of the Aiereians. His name was Lotk. He smiled and hugged them all. "Welcome to Planet Aie! We're so glad you came. Never before have we sensed three sets of soerumito at once!" He was like a pink Altean with short ears and longer markings. His hair was purple. He kind of reminded Allura of a pink and purple Lance.
"Soerumito?" she asked. Lotk smiled, gesturing to her hand in Lotor's.
"Yes! I believe it is soulmate in Altean," he says, smiling widely. "By what chance have you all came to be on the same ship?" He sounded excited like he thought that they were all couples. But none of them were together.
"Soulmate?" Allura asked, stiffening. "I believe you're mistaken, King Lokt—" She tried, only now Lotor squeezing her hand urgently. She was scared. No, no, no, no, no.
"Nonsense," the king decreed. "Your auras blend into one. You don't feel like you're missing anything, right?"
She shook her head. "N-No. . . ." She almost shivered. He couldn't be right. She wasn't in love with Lotor, not quite.
"Well," Lokt said, as if that ended the problem. "I'll leave you to settle in!" He smiles and waves his hand dramatically, allowing them to pass.