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Coran said the nausea was nothing to worry about, just some side effects that still lingered from the damn pollen.
Keith sighed as he rubbed his neck and took his normal seat at the table. Training had been brutal. Allura did not seem to be willing to let up even if one of her paladins had been throwing up just minutes earlier.
A plate of food goo was placed in front of him. Keith looked up at Lance’s smiling face. Keith blushed slightly but then a smirk formed on his face and before Lance could react Keith gripped Lance’s shirt and pulled him down, kissing him fiercely as thanks. He liked that he could be this close with Lance now. Before he released the man from his grip though, Keith gently kissed the small mark on Lance’s neck. It had healed but never fully left Lance’s skin. Even though Keith did feel a little bad about it, it secretly gave him a thrill that Lance was his, and now everyone would know.
“A-hem!” Shiro coughed from in the doorway. Keith and Lance parted and looked at him, “While I am glad you two are interacting better, maybe not do that in front of everyone.”
Pidge peaked out behind him with one hand covering her face, “Is it safe now? Do they still have all their clothes on?”
“Really Pidge?” Lance grumbled as he took his spot next to Keith with his own plate of food goo. The others quickly took their own spots around the table.
“Yes,” Pidge deadpanned, “I don’t trust you two alone anymore now that you two admitted your feelings. Keith came out of your room this morning for crying out loud.”
Shiro cocked an eyebrow at Keith, “Do I need to go over safe-“
“NO!” Keith shouted as he locked eyes with his older brother, “You and Adam covered that fully when I was thirteen. No need to revisit that at all.”
Pidge and Hunk chuckled into their goo, but Lance was blushing as red as Keith, “You had Shiro and Adam tell you? I had to deal with my sister Veronica while I was at the Garrison. Most embarrassing day ever.”
“At least we don’t have to worry about any pregnancies though.” Hunk commented.
Before anyone could comment, Allura and Coran entered. “The Blades will be docking momentarily. They had heard about Keith and Lance’s…. activities on plant Fluric and wished to discuss things with Keith. There may also be new information they have on the Galra bases in this sector.
Keith did not look forward to the discussion with his pack.
Just as he worried, his Pack immediately rushed him as soon as they docked. They then grabbed him and Lance and took them to the nest room that was reserved for them while they’re were on the castle ship.
Keith could swear he heard Pidge keeling over with laughter, possibly even Hunk.
Keith and Lance were in a section of the nest with the others on the other half. Kolivan had his arms folded, glaring at the two young adults. Thace and Antok had expressions of amusement, and Antok’s tail was even gently swaying behind him. Ulaz though seemed to be looking for something on his tablet.
Kolivan locked eyes with Keith, “So when were you going to inform us of your mating? No use denying it, the boy is not even trying to hide the mating marks.”
Keith and Lance just blinked owlishly. The what?
“Huh?” Lance voices articulately.
“What are you talking about? What’s this mating mark thing?”
Kolivan pinched the bridge of his nose as he turned to Ulaz. He could see that the young Galra honestly didn’t know what they meant.
Ulaz had apparently found what he had been looking for, and then bashfully looked over at their pack leader, “it would um seem… that Keith had never been informed of those possibilities. When I had tried discussing things of that nature with him, he shouted ‘Shiro already told me’ and sprinted out. I have never been able to ascertain exactly what the black paladin had informed him about though.”
Kolivan returned to glare at the young pack member. “You do realize that Galran anatomy is different than human, even the reproductive system.” As Keith realized what they were about to discuss, he hastily grabbed Lance and tried to beat a retreat, though not fast enough for the rest of his pack. Thace and Ulaz quickly grabbed the new mates and pulled them back into the nest. This time, sandwiched between themselves so Lance and Keith can’t run away.
Ulaz huffed at their antics as Kolivan continued. “As I was saying, the Galran reproductive system is different from the human one, compatible, but vastly different.”
“How so?” Lance asked slightly intrigued now.
Ulaz took over from here, “Well for starters, all Galra are of one gender by most species standards, we just have preferences on who would be the sire or the bearer if a pregnancy is conceived.”
“And Keith is like this as well?” Lance asked.
They all looked at him in confusion, “You did not notice that while you were mating?” Antok asked,
Lance blushed almost as much as Keith still was, Keith really hated these kinds of talks. “A well,” Lance stared awkwardly, “I was a … kinda preoccupied to actually pay attention to what hole I was a… well you know… I a did… think it was weird that he ah… well… that it was easy to… well you know.”
Keith buried his head into the pillows and blankets around the nest. He wondered if he could die from embarrassment.
The older Galra all just chuckled, “I have heard that the pollen from the Havas plant can confuse the brain quite a bit.
“So that was the name of the plant,” Keith comments as he removes his face from the blankets. He sucked it up and knew the only way to make it stop was to actually have this talk. “Now what is this mating mark?”
They all turned to look at Lance as Antok uses his tail to push back Lance’s jacket showing the bite mark Keith gave him during that… time and pointed to it, “That is a mating mark. It is when two mates bite the glands on the neck leaving a permanent mark there. It is something only done usually when the pair is ready for that kind of bonding, but well, the pollen seemed to have speed up those instincts in you, Keith.”
Upon seeing them still confused, Thace adds, “giving a mating mark is a big deal for Galra, it is proof of your devotion to them and only them. You both are now bound to each other closer than before, you will crave each other’s touch and company. You may have even experienced some of these feelings already, many mate markings are coupled with a ceremony before or after, even during the war. Mates are a precious bonding and a lifelong commitment. Most Galra will only have one mate for the rest of their life.”
Keith and Lance kind of looked at each other, Lance even slowly placing his hand on the mark, he could actually feel the heat emanating from it, but not in a bad way, and if he felt hard enough he could feel his heart beat under his skin.
“That sounds… kinda like marriage for humans.” Keith comments.
Upon seeing the Galran’s confusion this time. “It is a ceremony humans do in front of their friends and loved ones where they exchange rings and promise to love and be there for the other for the rest of their life. It has a lot of cultural significance for many people.” Lance explains.
“It’s just not as intrusive, or permanent, as this bite mark,” Keith adds. Now feeling a mix of happiness and anger for the mark he left on Lance’s skin.
Lance locked eyes with Keith, he could almost feel Keith’s emotions, like his face was an open book and everything. He did not like what Keith was feeling. He quickly forgot about everyone but Keith and grabbed his hands tight. Interlacing their fingers and holding them close. “Hey, we may not have done this in the proper way, but that’s okay with me, we both know the emotions were still there or else this never would have even happened, and frankly I am glad it did. I think it was the perfect kick in the ass I needed to confront my feeling for you. I am glad you gave me this mark.” He said the last sentence as he gradually got closer to Keith and ending it with a chaste kiss on the lips.
Keith smiled under the kiss, as he pulled away and nuzzled into his mate. His mate. He was perfect for him and happy he had Lace. He purred contently as he nuzzled into Lance’s shoulder.
The older Galra all chuckled lightly at their antics. They will be okay, and they will not be alone… for anything that is to come. It is not just them dealing with this.