Chapter Text
Keith stared at everything in front of him. He didn’t know why but it just wasn’t right. Something was wrong. Something was missing; a sent, a texture? He didn’t know but he will find it. He only had a few days before the kits were due, if that even, and he needed the nest to be perfect. He let out a growl of frustration as he pulled the nest apart for who knows how many times, so he could do it all again.
“That is the tenth time you have remade the nest today dear, is everything okay?” Lance was keeping count.
Keith was about to let out a growl of frustration as to why Lance can’t see why he needed to make everything perfect when he was interrupted. A loud chuff of amusement came from the corner, a smile on his face.
“He is simply nesting,” Ulaz commented as he looked over something on his tablet. “It is quite common in that last few days leading up to delivery.” He turned to Keith, “I take it that something doesn’t smell or feel right?” he asked
Keith sat in surprise for a second and then his ears perked up eagerly “YES! Can it be fixed?”
Ulaz nodded as he reached for a rather large bag from one of their closets. “We actually decided to wait to give this to you till the nesting urges presented. If you can just wait to open it till the rest of the pack gets here. Trace and Antok were extra excited for you to see it.”
Keith stared at the bright purple and pink wrapping, “I said no baby shower gifts. You are pack you don’t need to give any gifts. You being here to help me is more than enough"
“And I believe the yellow paladin said the best rebuttal," Thace said as he and the others entered the nest room “we may not need to but we want to".
“Not to mention it is because we are pack we feel the greatest need to help prepare you and Lance for the kits. They will be sleeping here with all of us after all.” Kolivan added
Keith let out a huff of annoyance as he pulled the bag closer and then quickly yanked Lance down to the mussed-up pile of clothing “you’re helping me" was all he told Lance.
Lance just laughed as he got in a comfortable spot and reached for something else. Things that were only color-coded black, yellow, green, pink, and orange.
“They didn’t” Keith groaned.
Lance just chucked. “Even you evil pregnant glares weren’t enough to put them off baby shower gifts. It’s even customary in Altea apparently. So just shut up and take the affection" Lance said as he pecked Keith on the cheek. Keith just rolled his eyes as he pulled all the gifts closer.
Keith, of course, opened his pack's present first, it was huge and it was from them. Lance’s eyes went wide with blanket after blanket came out. All just large enough to perfectly wrap an infant in. There were also two slings in red and blue, Lance smiled as Keith shook his head in endearment there were even a few tears forming in his eyes.
Keith went to thank them, but Antok spoke first, “there are still two more things in there.”
“How? There was already a ton of things in there" Lance was so confused, though Keith just reached to the very bottom of the gift bag and sure enough there were two more items wrapped delicately in tissue paper. Keith handed one to Lance as he opened the other and together they unwrapped the last two gifts.
Keith and Lance's eyes glimmered at the two little lions, one red and one blue. Both are monogrammed with their kids' names on them. About a phoebe ago Lance and Keith had caved and asked Ulaz what the gender would be during that ultrasound, and sure enough one has the same setup as Keith and one is going to be more in line with a human female. So the parents to be decided on Yorak and Rosalinda. Keith fully started crying as he saw the hand done stitching. Rosalinda on the blue one and Yorak on the red one.
He hugged the red one in his hands and smile up at his pack, “This is all perfect. I-it feels so right now. I…I needed their presence here to make sure it's ready for them.”
Kolivan nodded in understanding, “if you want I can even show you how to make a smaller nest for the two of them to lay in so they don’t get covered in some of the larger blankets.”
Keith and Lance both nodded in agreement.
Antok then started poking at the gifts from the other paladins and Alteans with his tail. ”I am curious to see what they gave you also".
“Me too," Keith said as he made gimmy hands for the bags. “Hand me Shiro's first please?”
Trace chuckled as he grabbed it out of Antok’s tail “I don’t know how we ever could tell who gave which ones. They didn’t give any names on the bags.” He teased.
“Hey, don’t dis Voltron traditions" Lance shot back. And was promptly handed Hunk’s bag by Keith’s own tail.
Lance chucked at the action “you’re getting really good at using your tail babe. Wonder what else it can be used for?”
Keith was cut off by a low growl, “let’s not get into those kinds of discussions with the rest of us here please" Kolivan corrected.
“Young ones I swear" Ulaz mumbled
Keith just shook his head and opened the bag. He held two plush swords and red and blue ninja onesies.
Keith drops his head as he chuckles “only two gifts in and I’m noticing a trend.”
Lance laughed with him and opened Hunk's gift. It was a bunch of toys all voltron-themed and made noise. And Voltron onesies in every form even one of all of them together.
Lance's eyes went wide at the idea he got. Keith was worried “what are you thinking Lance”.
We should so get large ones in red and blue for us and do a family photo!”
Keith just smiled and pulled Pidge’s gift close. “We will… what the heck Pidge".
“What?” Lance asked as he leaned over to see. As do all the other galra.
It was a weird type of pumping thing with a suction cup on one end and a screw-on bottle on the other. Keith looked at it confused but understanding shone on Lance’s face as he busted up laughing. “Pidge has a death wish.”
Keith looked over confused “why? What is it?”
Still laughing he explains “it’s a breast pump so you can put breast milk in bottles and store them." He then leaned down at Keith’s now ample chest.
It had definitely been one of the surprising turns that happened during this pregnancy… Almost overnight he started growing breasts and even would start lactating he just really hoped they weren’t permanent. Allura had given him some bras and he hated them.
He looked back in the bag and saw some more bottles and even tops with nipples of different sizes on them. At least it was practical. He also saw a lot of clothes but they were just rectangles of fabric. “Burping clothes" Lance explains again. “Oh and look a bunch of different pacifies too"
“Most of which are green as well” Keith comments.
“At least it isn’t red or blue, right? Thace tries to help. While unsuccessful holding back a laugh.
Keith just ignores his uncle’s comments and grabs Allura’s gift and hands Coran’s to Lance. The two had given the parents to be some rather interesting gifts. Coran's was a white floating orb with a glowing blue band around it.
Kolivan let out a growl of discontent at it, “why would he think you would need any type of monitoring device for the kit?”
Kith glared down at it as well. The mere thought of being away from their kits for even a millisecond terrified him.
Allura's gift wasn’t much better it was a bunch of weird tubes and spheres with a picture of some type of gated area. Hell no. There was no way Keith was putting his kits anywhere near that thing. She had also included some dresses and other clothes that were cute. But Keith just couldn’t get over the damned playpen.
Lance could easily see his unease and leaned over to grab it back “don’t worry mi amore" they won’t go anywhere near this thing. In fact, I will go and give it right back to Allura and tell her thanks but we don’t need this. However, she does have a good eye for clothes. She even has a few fancy clothes in different sizes too.”
Keith shook his head as he held one of the space-themed dresses. “No, I don’t want to upset her. Maybe we could just stick it in your old room or something.”
Lance nodded slowly, “if that is what you want we can babe. How about we get all this stuff organized and get the nest all remade? Hunk should be calling us for lunch soon.
They had just finished in the nick of time. Once Keith had finally been happy with how everything looked and felt. And smelled like he could rest easy, in fact, he was completely exhausted now. And ravenous.
Lance helped him stand up because now there was no way he can get up on his own with this giant watermelon of two kits in him. He braced his back as he and Lance walked together to the dining room. It felt nice just walking with him alone. The rest of his pack had mentioned staying back to finish putting together a storage unit they also got for all the kits’ things and will be up there shortly.
Even with how slow Keith had to walk now. Not waddle despite what pidge thinks, he still got there before the others
Keith sighed in relief as he walked through the doors of the dining room. Just the short walk hurt his swollen feet.
“Careful wide load coming through" pidge shouted. Followed by a yelp of pain “what was that for Shiro?”
“Be nice.” He chastised as she just harrumphed in annoyance.
Before Keith could reply a loud ring came from his blade-issued communicator. Kolivan was informing Keith that a level 5 emergency was happening on the planet just next to where they were stationed and that they needed to take care of it, Voltron though was not needed, and to stay safe and rest. They will be back in the next movement. Keith relayed this while he took his spot next to Lance.
“I am so tired of this. I can’t help at all while I’m pregnant and now they have to be away while I’m stuck here” Keith groused as he propped his feet into Lance's lap. His unspoken plea for another massage was ignored by a pat from Lance. “After lunch babe. I’ll even give you a full massage if you want.”
Keith purred in pleasure at that idea. “Deal but my feet are staying up right now. The little parasites are making my ankles swollen again."
“Keith please don’t call your children parasites” Shiro chastised.
Hunk chose that moment to come in with trash of food. Followed by Coran with a few more, “I mean technically they are.”
Lance nudged Keith then made eye contact with him and moved his head in the direction of the other paladins. Keith raised his eyebrow in confusion.
“Gifts" Lance whispered.
Keith couldn’t believe he had already forgotten about all of that…
As Hunk placed a larger portion of some type of cooked meat with what looked like bright orange green beans, Keith smiled at everyone, “thanks for the stuff guys, it means a lot. Even though I told you that it wasn’t needed.” Everyone had wide smiles on their faces.
“MI amore, remember what we talked about earlier” Lance side-huged him.
“Yeah, yeah, still stands though.” Keith shot back as he leaned into the hug and then moved on to his food.
Though right before he was able to eat two sharp kicks were felt against his stomach and spleen.
Keith yelped in pain and then covered his mouth as he almost puked from the one kick. Everyone stood up worried but once Keith knew he wasn’t going to puke anymore he waved them off. “These two crazy things also say thanks apparently.” They looked at him doubtfully.
Pidge raised a brow in question, “You sure man? That sounded painful.”
Keith glared at her “yes I’m sure" he then pointed the fork, now clean, at her, “and what the heck is with your gift?”
Pidge cackled behind her hands, “you said you preferred practical stuff and what’s more practical than a breast pump, and now the rest of us can help feed them too".
“That was very ingenious number five,” Coran said as he enjoyed his salad. “I had wondered what that contraption was you had me help make you.” He then turned to Keith, “let either of us know if it needs any adjustments".
Keith rolled his eyes and agreed he would. He quickly cleaned off his plate and even his seconds before the others were even done with their original plate.
“The food isn’t going anywhere bud” Shiro comments
Keith glared at him “I have two other living and growing beings in me, leave me be.”
“Just don’t want you puking it all back up later if you eat so fast,” Shiro explains
Keith just huffed in annoyance but does slow down his eating.
“Speaking of those two,” Hunk started. “When are we going to finally get to meet them? Your due date is coming soon right.”
Keith nodded as he took a drink. Lance answered “Ulaz said any movement. So they should be here soon.”
“I can’t wait to see them,” Allura eagerly comments. Everyone nodded in agreement.
“So any day now… what’s the plan then?” Pidge asked, “Didn’t the blades just leave on an emergency meeting?”
Keith nodded, “Yeah, but they should be back tomorrow, and in the meantime, I was given this,” he held up his wrist and a small disk dangled off it, “to alert Ulaz when I start feeling a certain type of pain.”
“I still worry that it might not happen the way they think it will.” Lance interrupts, “Mi Hermana had her delivery completely different. The contractions that she explained were nothing like what Ulaz described.”
Keith turned to his mate, “not everyone has the same type of delivery.”
Lance looked at him with concern, “Yeah, but human babies don’t come out in a bright green slime sack.”
That caused everyone at the table to do a spite take.
“Okay, gross.” Hunk comments and he wipes his face clean. “Could have done without knowing that.”
Keith meanwhile flicked his ears and just raised his tail in agitation as he held up a clawed hand and gestured to himself, “And last I check, humans don’t look like this. Let’s face it, Lance, your genes are the only human genes that the kits are going to be getting. That serum turned me completely Galra.”
Lance placed his fork down and looked Keith dead in the face. “Your appearance might have changed, but that doesn’t mean anything else had. You are still just as much human as you were when we first meet blue.”
“Though a lot more of the human parts have changed,” Keith added as he pointed one of his sharp-clawed fingers at his almost constantly flicking ears.
“And a lot has stayed the same,” Lance added as he wiggled one of the toes that still took up residence on his lap.
Keith let out an involuntary giggle at that. Which caused Lance to smirk, “Oh, you think that is funny?” Lance teased as he started tickling Keith’s foot in earnest.
Keith pulled his feet away quickly as he laughed, “Stop, stop, you’ll make me piss myself again.”
Lance quickly does but now the rest of the paladins and Alteans were laughing.
“Again?” Shiro asked with a Cheshire cat grin.
“Yes, when these two,” he pointed at his stomach, “Decided to play soccer with my bladder.”
That seemed to cause more laughter, “Ugh, I just want them to be out already.”
Just then the alarms started blaring. This caused everyone to stand at the ready.
“What the quiznack?!” Pidge shouts as she and Coran both pull up some screens.
“It would seem that the level 5 emergency, just went to a level 8 and is heading straight to us,” Coran exclaimed as he enlarged the screen and showed 3 battlecruisers, one with smoking engines, coming straight towards them.
Allura had stationed them on a rather large asteroid in the belt that surrounds the neighboring planets, they thought they were well hidden, but that may not be so true.
“Everyone to your lions,” Shiro commands. They then turned to Keith who held up his hands in surrender, “I’ll be on the command deck piloting a drone.”
Lance looked at him and had his hands on Keith’s pregnant belly, “I would rather you be hidden and safe in the nest room.”
Keith let out a growl in reply, “I will never sit back when there is something that I can do. I’m pregnant, not dead.” It was Lance’s turn to hold up his hands in surrender.
“Okay babe, okay. Just stay safe please, for the four of us?” he asked as he gently kissed Keith.
Keith smiled up at his mate, “I should be telling you that.”
Lance smiled back, “Stay safe samurai.”
“You too sharpshooter.”
Lance turned to the lions with the other paladins, as Keith followed Allura and Coran to the bridge. He put on a headset that was linked to the paladin’s headsets and activated his drone.
“See, I’m safe in the castle and will still have you all's back.” Keith was quick to comment.
“That’s great, now stay close to the castle to keep any of the stray fighters from hitting you all,” Shiro commanded.
“Copy that,” Keith agreed.
The battle quickly built up. Before any of them knew it. The three cruisers were on them and fighters were swarming around all of them like angry fire ants. Between Keith and Allura they were only just managing to keep them away. But then one well-aimed blast from Green sent the already smoking battle ship hurtling towards them. The ship was almost as big as the castle and the collision with the asteroid sent them shaking. Keith had to brace himself to keep from falling, as did Allura, Coran though was not as lucky and skidded to the floor, his head slamming against a console.
“Coran!” Allura shouted as she raced to him.
Allura quickly wrapped his bleeding head with the on-hand med kit, they keep for emergencies just like this. Meanwhile, Keith was relaying in as he tried to keep the enemy at bay.
“We have a problem over here guys!”
“WHAT!?”All of them screamed.
Keith flinched at the screaming in his ears, “Coran is down, hit his head on the console when the crashing battle cruiser slammed near us.”
“Shit,” Pidge cursed, “I had hoped it wouldn’t crash there.”
“Well it did, we just have to deal with it.” Keith states. “You all stay focused on the remaining two. The crash had to of taken out most of the people on board so we will be safe here.”
“Copy that Keith,” Shiro agrees. “Lance, you’re with me on the large one; Pidge, Hunk you take out the other one. We got this.” Shiro sends out the commands and Keith turns to face Allura and Coran.
“How bad is it? Really” he asks.
“Bad, but it could be a whole lot worse.” Allura states. I will need to get him to a healing pod right away. Will you be okay by yourself?”
“Not an invalid” Keith shoots back.
“Okay, well the coms are on”
Keith nodded as she then picks Coran up bridal style and quickly walks out.
Not a few moments after the two Alteans leave the castle quakes again. It wasn’t as bad as the initial one but it was still concerning.
“Allura,” Keith warned.
“I know. It seems we may have visitors. The crash didn’t take out as many as the droids as we initially hoped.” Keith sighed in frustration, “Let us hope the castle’s defenses are enough to keep them out.”
“I’ll see what I can do as well,” Keith adds as he retakes his seat and starts mowing down the robots as fast as they can come.
He was able to keep it up for a while when suddenly his connection is severed. Keith slams his hands down in agitation as he yells at the screen. “Keith!” Lance shouts worried.
Keith takes a calming breath, “I’m okay lance. The blasted droids just destroyed my drone.”
“Fuck”
“Agreed,” Keith adds.
“Stay there,” Shiro commands. “We don’t know how quickly they could compromise the castle. We will finish up here and head back as soon as we can.” As he says that Lance and Shiro destroy the cruiser they had.
With a whoop of excitement, they all turn to face the last cruiser.
“Don’t worry babe!” Lance shouts, “We will be home before you know it!”
“I’m counting on it.” Keith smiles.
Just then the castle shakes a third time and a sound like crushing metal is heard throughout the castle.
Keith manages to pull up a video feed and watches in dread as the damn robots lead by some large fuzzy asshole destroy the castle doors and enter.
“Shit, this can’t get any worse.” He whispers as he mutes his side of the coms. He doesn’t need to worry his mate.
Just then pain ripples through his body. Starting from the base of his tail and up to his head. It was an intense muscle-clenching pain that lead him to scream in agony. No, it definitely can. He was going into labor.