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It had first started during breakfast. Pidge had been chewing on some food goo and Kosmo poked his nose between her legs to nuzzle at her knees. The young woman had laughed then and greeted him with a loving pat.
He'd then begun to poke his snout at her belly, giving curious sniffs and pawing at her thighs. It felt like he was trying to tell her something; but Pidge, for the life of her, could never tell if he just wanted belly scratches or more of the Earth dog treats she had sneaked with her just for him.
Kosmo had been acting particularly odd for some time now. For a creature that was usually quite content to curl up and nap in the corner, out of the way of the paladins during down time, he had become increasingly restless. The real confounding detail was that he was restless particularly around one paladin, Pidge.
And then, it got worse.
It escalated to the creature ferociously attacking a space assassin who was moments away from sinking a blade through the Green paladins heart. Pidge had watched in muted fear as the wolf growled menacingly at her attacker, teeth flashing and blood matting his fur.
For the first time, Keith had to restrain his wolf before he could tear off the arm of the perpetrator; who’d looked so petrified, he may have perished from shock alone.
His ‘father’, Keith, had figured the wolf was just being protective of the smallest paladin. But it made no sense considering that as much as she was petite, she was still a fully-grown young woman who could hold her own in battle. It also didn't explain the suddenness of his erratic behavior nor his unwillingness to leave Pidge's side and hers alone.
Pidge reckoned he just liked her better - much to Keith's annoyance. Kosmo had always been fond of her and she entertained the space pup as if he was Bae Bae or Beezer. She played catch with him, gave him extra treats when Keith wasn't looking and welcomed the slobber. It made her miss Bae Bae less when they took off from Earth for months at a time.
Lance, on the other hand, instinctively feared the worst and took it as a bad omen. He recalled a time when his family's dog had howled morosely just hours before his great-grandfather collapsed from a heart attack. He'd begged Pidge to confine herself to a cryo-pod, fearing that Kosmo was sensing something amiss in her bodily functions. She'd only waved off his concerns, citing she was far too young for heart problems and that her last health check on Earth a month prior showed perfect blood work results.
When Allura, Keith and Pidge had been selected to settle a particularly bloody dispute in the Alderian sector, Kosmo refused to sit up from his now designated spot on Pidge's lap when she attempted to put on her armor. His snout pressed firmly to her abdomen, and his paws rested firmly on her thighs; almost as though to keep her from standing up to go for the mission. "I... guess I'm staying here?" Pidge reasoned, looking over to Keith with a shrug.
The space wolf followed her wherever she went; to her lion, her lion's hangar, her lab and at one point, the shower; which was where Pidge drew the line at. He'd whimper by the shower, scratching at the doors where she'd then had to shout out reassurances that she was still alive.
For a while, Pidge herself wondered if her health had to do with his odd behavior. She had been feeling light-headed lately; particularly in the hours right after rousing from sleep. She'd found herself nauseous time to time, even after eating the food everyone else did and worse still, felt something akin to motion sickness when riding in Green when she never had such a problem before.
Kosmo’s protectiveness took a turn for the worse when he refused to leave her room. Keith, at this point, had become irritated. Pidge hadn't gone on a single mission in weeks and he missed his furry son - not that he'd ever admit it out loud. Lance was the next to be irritated, for he was sick of the wolf coming between him and his girlfriend; especially when they were in bed together. It was bad enough that their time alone was precious and rare.
But the mutt couldn’t seem to take a hint whenever Lance attempted to drag him off Pidge's bed. He'd growl at him and then resume his position curled by Pidge's lap, with his snout resting gently over her belly.
And that made him pause.
"Katie?"
"Hmm?"
"When was the last time you had your period?"
Pidge raised an eyebrow at the question, but as her eyes looked afar to recall the date, they widened in realization.
Oh.
"I'm sorry for getting annoyed with you," Lance grumbled. Both wolf and man stood solemnly before the cryo-pod where Pidge slept. The Altean machine whirred softly as it analyzed the young woman's vitals and Lance’s brow creased with worry as various charts and Altean symbols flashed by the small screen. He worried if she’ll get the nutrition she needed, the medical help and briefly wondered if Altean technology had unsafe levels of radiation.
His mind wandered to her family and his own, and how they would react. He thought of Matt and paled; Lance remembered the brother’s not-so-subtle and very descriptive threats if any harm came upon his baby sister by his doing.
He glanced down at Kosmo, who looked surprisingly relaxed for once, and then back over to his lover; his eyes filled with both anxiousness and unbridled joy.
If his instincts were true, he didn't know which emotion would take hold of him first. He felt Kosmo nudge his hand in a sort of reply, and Lance couldn't help but feel like it was one of reassurance. He ran his fingers through the wolf’s dense, dark fur with a gentle smile.
“Good boy. You’ve been doing my job.”
Lance caught her when the pod released her. Her doting boyfriend wrapped her unconscious form with blankets and with great care, carried her back to her room for her to rest while Coran analyzed the results.
It didn't take very long for Coran to come running after them.
"You! She-!"
The Altean looked from Lance to the blissfully asleep Pidge in his arms and back to Lance again. He somehow looked simultaneously ecstatic and worried. He took in a deep breath and composed himself before confirming Lance's exact thoughts in measured tones.
Pidge stirred from sleep a few hours later. She yawned and attempted to sit up but found that a warm body across her thighs prevented it.
“Kosmo…” she sighed as she propped herself up by the elbows, ready to give a gentle chide towards the space wolf – only to find someone else right next to the creature. Lance had curled up awkwardly by her side, his head by her abdomen instead of his usual spot of spooning her from behind.
His hand rested over her belly hesitantly, as though he was afraid of being too rough.
“Coran finished the analysis.” His voice was croaky, as though he’d been crying.
“And?” she prodded as her fingers stroked through Kosmo’s fur. At Lance’s continued silence, she lifted her head to look over to him. His dark blue eyes were misted over, and for a moment, Pidge felt fear strike in her heart. But the soft smile on his lips told her everything she needed to know.
Joy was the first thing that sparked in her heart, and then it was fear, apprehension and anxiety simultaneously. She retched and jumped out of the bed, alarming the snoozing Kosmo who then bounded after her into the attached lavatory.
Lance’s fingers were cool on her scalp as he held back her hair, and another stroked her back gently. When she was done heaving her dinner, she brushed her teeth and splashed cool water on her clammy skin. For several moments, her fingers gripped the sink as the realization overcame her again.
“I…I’m scared Lance.”
His arms immediately enveloped her in a tight hug, and Kosmo nuzzled her knee soothingly.
She knew she had nothing to fear.