Chapter Text
It started as faint cramps. Easy to pass off as indigestion, especially considering the food goo had been particularly suspect that night.
Not like he hadn’t had indigestion before, Lance told himself as he rolled over, trying to get comfortable. It just sucked when he did. Ugh, it was just enough that he couldn’t get to sleep. With a slight whine, he pulled his knees to his chest, pouting at the empty room. He needed his beauty rest and this was interrupting it!
The cramps rolled through him, teasing at more pain. Reminding him of something, but what? Lance rubbed his forehead, trying to remember. When was the last time he felt like this? Probably the last time he ate something weird, but even the first time he ate food goo he had just been in the bathroom all night as it ran through him. Was it at the Garrison? Or before?
He couldn’t remember. All he knew was he couldn’t get to sleep.
Maybe a walk was in order. It might settle his stomach a bit.
Lance pulled himself out of bed, wincing as the cramps flared slightly. Okay, maybe not food. He rubbed his lower abdomen as he walked, trying to soothe the cramps. Hah. He felt like his youngest sister when she was in-
His eyes went wide and he stopped dead in his tracks.
No. Nonononono.
When was his last one? He had been on suppressants, but that had run out a month in. They had always been so irregular anyway... and he was an omega on a ship with an alpha he could barely tolerate and an alpha he knew was out of his league...
Not to mention he knew how they would react.
And how he would react.
Shit.
He needed to ask Coran if he could recreate heat suppressants along with the rut ones he was working on. He could not deal with a heat out here. Not the place or time for this. He would do just that right now except... yeah, no one would be up.
Lance swallowed, one hand reflexively rubbing his aching stomach as he headed back to his room. If he remembered his last heat, tomorrow would be even worse. And that’s when people would start to notice. He’d smell like it.
Great. And Shiro wouldn’t let him get out of training no matter what.
Maybe if Shiro was too horny to see straight he could slip away and barricade himself in his room until his heat passed?
Nah. Shiro was too disciplined for that. They knew when he was in rut, but he was still a harsh taskmaster even though everyone could see he wanted to fuck everything into the ground. Keith was the one that had to lock himself away.
So that meant he would have to go face the music tomorrow.
... maybe if he said he was sick?
Hunk stared at him curiously as Lance pulled on his armor in misery. Of course Shiro didn’t take that as an excuse. And now he was starting to feel weird, just like his last heat. This weird itch was making its way down his back, and he couldn’t scratch at it.
”Something wrong, man?”
”Nah,” Lance told Hunk, flexing his hand as he fiddled with his gauntlets. “What’s up?”
”You just smell kinda off, is all. You sure?”
Fuuuuuu- “Yeah. I’m fine.”
Just get through this without any of the alphas smelling him. That would just be great. Hunk and Pidge would be fine; they were betas. They wouldn’t know what to do with it. Shiro and Keith... Lance shuddered. He didn’t want to think of that.
Just get through training.
His heat would be over before he knew it.
Shiro didn’t even have time to open his mouth to explain what they were doing today before pain was shooting through Lance, the worst cramp he had felt since...
Since his last heat, if he was to be completely honest.
It was enough to send him to his knees with a soft cry of pain, wrapping his arms around his stomach. Fuck. He knew what this would be in a normal heat. If he was a normal omega. But he wasn’t normal. It meant nothing. He couldn’t-
”Lance!”
He could feel Shiro bending down next to him and- No, he couldn’t let Shiro touch him. He couldn’t let an alpha close-
Lance backed away as fast as he could, watching Shiro’s eyes dilate suddenly. Shit. He knew. Lance whimpered, seeing the hungry look cross Shiro’s face briefly before being locked away with a force of will.
Shiro wanted to fuck him.
No.
Lance tried to scramble to his feet, feeling his stomach cramp at each motion. No, not his stomach. He knew it was that... thing. That useless organ. The thing that just would not work.
He needed to get out of there.
”Lance.” Oh God, Shiro’s voice was low and husky. He didn’t want this from Shiro-!
Lance fled.