Work Text:
"Perfect The Way You Are"
Keith loved his pack. He had a large pack, four Dads, his Mama, and his older brother. However, there was something 'wrong.' He didn't look like them. His Dad and older brother had tails, his Father and Mama had long hair, his Daddy and Papa had markings on their faces, and all six had fur. Keith had none of these features. He had peach colored skin, no fur, no claws, black hair, and violet irised eyes with white sclera. He desperately wanted to look like his pack. While he knew he couldn't just grow fur or turn purple, he had a plan to look a little bit more like them.
He found a rope that he tied around his waist to stand in for a tail, tied a purple fuzzy blanket around his shoulders, and used some berries from breakfast to make marks similar to his Mama's stripes on his cheeks. Even though, looking in a mirror, Keith could still see himself, but he could also see Galra Keith starting to emerge. He grinned and left the nest room.
He walked the halls to see which member of his pack he would see first. He knew it wouldn't be his Father or Papa unless he went to his office or the med bay. So that left his Dad, Daddy, Mama, and his brother. He had no idea that the other members of the Blade of Marmora told all of his pack what they had witnessed the youngest kit looking like.
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Krolia stared at the message she got. Her youngest kit was wearing a length of rope tied around his waist as a tail, wearing fuzzy blankets around his shoulders like fur, and his skin colored with berries that mimicked her stripes. Why would he do that?
She hurried in the direction the Blade told her he was headed. She saw her kit and rumbled to him, causing him to turn around with a chirp. He grinned and ran to her. She scooped him up in her arms, him purring to her. "What is this about, kit?"
"I finally look like our pack, Mama!" Keith replied happily.
Krolia carried him back to the nest, where the entire pack (including Regris) had assembled. She stepped into the nest and set Keith down in her lap.
Regris was confused at what his brother was wearing. Did he need his face cleaned? Was he cold? Why did he have rope around his waist? He let out a questioning noise.
Antok petted Regris. "It's okay, kit. I'm sure your brother will explain."
"I wanted to look like everyone else." Keith was confused as to why the rest of his pack didn't seem happy to see him look more Galran.
Krolia started grooming his face, cleaning off the berries. Keith whined. "Mama, you're taking off my stripes!"
Krolia didn't reply until she had finished cleaning her youngest kit's face. "My darling, you don't need to look like us for you to be considered pack. You are just perfect the way you are, no markings and all."
"Really? I don't have to look like Galra Keith?"
"Kit," Ulaz started. "You are 'Galra Keith,' as you put it, not because of your looks but because of what is in your genes. You may not have the looks, yet, but you are still our kit."
"Will I get them later on?"
"Perhaps, kit, but it's still too early to tell," Thace replied. "Can we untie the rope?"
"Yeah." Keith yawned.
Thace untied the rope and pulled the kit into his lap for cuddles. Keith snuggled against Thace. Ulaz had come up beside Thace and deftly unknotted the blanket from around Keith's neck, wrapping it around the kit's body before nuzzling the youngest kit's head. Regris practically pounced on his brother and snuggled against him, his tail wrapping around one of his legs. Krolia settled in front of the kits, Thace, and Ulaz and purred to her kits. Antok and Kolivan gathered around their pack, the former's tail rubbing up and down Regris's back. Kolivan was beside Krolia and in front of Ulaz, which put him near Keith's head. The leader of the Blades ran his claws through the longer strands of the youngest kit's hair. Keith's eyes slid closed as did Regris's. Both kits fell asleep, their purrs filling the nest.
The adults in the nest knew that this wasn't the last time they would have to deal with Keith looking different from them, but hopefully, the next time would be as easy as it was this time.
Fin