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The door shuts with a soft click after the doctor leaves, and the only sound that permeates the room is the tissue paper that crinkles beneath his ass whenever he shifts on the bed. Shiro is still staring wide-eyed at the paper in his hands, which displays the results the doctor just revealed to him.
“Pregnant,” he reads in a disbelieving whisper, voice containing the smallest touch of wonder.
He only stopped by Garrison Medical because he’d been feeling a little under the weather, dizzy and nauseous more often than not. Shiro thought it might be the stomach flu and was fully prepared to receive cold medicine for his troubles, maybe even orders to rest for the night. Seeing a completely different result was a surprise.
Not an unwanted surprise, at least.
After being married to Keith for two years, Shiro had expressed his desire for starting a family. His husband was all for it because he wanted the same thing, and they had a long discussion about what that would mean for Shiro. Not that it was needed since Shiro had already been thinking it through, but Keith was adamant on having the discussion.
Once Shiro assured him that he was okay with going through pregnancy, they visited their doctor and a fertility specialist to see if it was still a possibility for him. They were told that the chances would be low but were encouraged to keep trying.
Which they did countless times. All of them very enthusiastic.
And now, it looks like their hard work has paid off.
A giddy smile stretches across his face as the news finally hits him. He slips a hand beneath his shirt and flattens it over his stomach, imagining the life that’s growing in there. Shiro reverently brushes a thumb over the small bump that’s formed, which he’s barely noticing now that he’s paying attention to the area.
He slides off the bed to tug his jacket on, pulling his leather satchel over his head and letting it rest against his hip. The paper with the results is gently folded and slid into his bag, along with all the needed information the doctor left behind: a card for future appointments, a referral to a nearby ultrasound clinic, and some pamphlets on prenatal care and needs.
The nurse at the counter smiles brightly and offers a chipper goodbye when he makes his way out of Garrison Medical. He cheerfully waves back at her before stepping out, quickly striding down the halls until he reaches his office. Shiro only goes in to grab his phone and his keys, not planning on staying any longer than he should.
Shiro leaves in the car the Garrison gifted to him, a jeep that has Altean technology woven into it (thanks to Matt and Pidge). He uses it to commute to and from the Garrison and the Atlas. The ship actually isn't too far from the Garrison, but it's faster to reach it in a vehicle than on foot.
The Atlas greets him warmly once he enters the ship, and he opens their bond up so she can check him over as she always does. A trickle of curiosity comes through as he’s making his way to his room, followed by gentle prodding at the pool of happiness that’s taken residence in his heart.
Something good has happened, he tells her. I’ll explain once I tell Keith.
She’s not happy with his answer but she accepts it, and soon her presence fades to the back of his mind.
He drops his satchel beside them and peels off his jacket, hanging it up on one of the hooks attached to the wall. His mind wanders once he plops down on his plush couch, trying to think of the best way to tell Keith the news. Maybe he can buy a cake and have it scrawled across the top in icing? Or buy a onesie designed after their Paladin armor and gift it to Keith?
I’ll figure something out, Shiro thinks with a yawn. He closes his eyes, feeling completely relaxed now that he’s in the comfort of his own home, and shifts around until his head is resting on one of the cushions. Sleep comes easily, and he dreams of a happy bundle in Keith’s arms.
☆ ☆ ☆
He wakes up to a hand gently carding through his hair. Shiro sighs happily and pushes his head up into the touch, peeling his eyes open when he hears a familiar soft chuckle.
Keith is sat on the edge of the couch and is staring down at him with a fond smile, which shifts to amusement when Shiro tips his head back and puckers his lips. His wonderful husband obliges with the unspoken request and leans down to kiss him on the lips, but sadly pulls away before Shiro can even attempt to lick into his mouth.
“Hey,” he protests sleepily. “I want more…”
“If you’re good,” Keith says. He kisses Shiro’s forehead and stands up. “Let’s make some dinner. I think you promised me a pot full of spaghetti.”
"Spaghetti?" Shiro questions with a yawn, sitting up and rubbing his eyes. "Thought we were making mac and cheese."
“Definitely not,” Keith retorts, heading into the kitchen. Kosmo picks himself up from the corner of the room and follows after him, most likely hoping for the scraps of food that they’re bound to give him once they start cooking. “We’ve had too much in the past week. I’m almost getting sick of it.”
Shiro gasps in mock offense. “How could you say that?”
“Hey, I said almost. ”
Cooking together is always a fun affair. Shiro likes to play music from his cooking playlist, which leads to the both of them singing along in ridiculous voices to make the other laugh. Sometimes, Keith will spontaneously twirl Shiro around and lead him into a dance that has no rhythm or purpose—claiming that he wants to hold Shiro close. It’ll prompt Shiro to drag him in for a loving kiss, always happy with the open affection they display towards each other.
Right now Keith is dancing by himself, hips wiggling as he serenades Kosmo who lounges near his feet with a wagging tail. The adorable scene makes Shiro smile, and also brings forth the image of Keith doing something similar with their future child.
He recalls the task he set for himself and looks around the kitchen, hoping to find something that’ll help surprise Keith with the news. His eyes find a bag of biscuits they bought the other day, and he shuffles his way over to open the bag and pull one out.
Lance told him a story about how his older cousin revealed the news of her pregnancy. She invited the whole family over for dinner and had her mom check the oven, where she conveniently planted a bread roll—a bun in the oven.
Seems simple enough, Shiro thinks.
He casts a glance at Keith to make sure he’s still busy with Kosmo and quickly opens the oven to toss the biscuit inside. He shuts it and makes his way back to the noodles, gently bumping hips against Keith's when he edges closer.
“Hey, maybe we should start making the garlic bread,” Shiro suggests innocently. “Wanna take everything out of the oven so we can start warming it up?”
“It’s a little too early, but I know you’re asking because you like to sneak a few pieces before we eat,” Keith teases, lowering the heat on the stove and going over to the oven.
He subtly watches the pause that Keith makes, and withholds his smile when he catches the confusion that passes over his face. Shiro makes his way over and peeks down at the biscuit that Keith is holding in his hands.
“What’s that?” he asks.
“I don’t know,” Keith says slowly, and frowns.
“Well, what do you think it means?”
Shiro’s stomach twists with nerves when Keith falls silent, staring at the bread with furrowed brows. He hopes Keith understands the message he’s trying to send, ready to tug him in for a celebratory hug and shed happy tears with his husband.
The fantasy dies when Keith says, “I think it means that we have to clean our oven more.”
He makes his way back to the noodles in defeat, glumly watching Keith set the biscuit aside and pull out all of the pots and pans. There’s a heavy disappointment that’s starting to weigh him down, but he quickly squashes it down. Shiro knows that there are some things Keith doesn’t get right away, and this is probably one of them.
Maybe I have to try something a little more obvious, Shiro thinks. A new energy surges through him, a determination that’ll encourage him to seek out more potential ideas.
☆ ☆ ☆
“I’m home!” Shiro calls out once he shuts the door behind him. He heads for the kitchen, prosthetic arm floating ahead of him with three bags of groceries in hand. “Come help me put everything away!”
He opens up the box of chocolate covered strawberries he bought, biting into one and nearly moaning at the taste. It satisfies the craving that appeared the other day, and he soon finds himself completely distracted by the treat, savoring every bite. He’s so caught up in it that he doesn’t even notice when Keith comes in, jumping in surprise when he’s embraced from behind.
“Hi,” he says around a mouthful of strawberry, turning to face his husband.
Keith smiles at him. “Hey,” he replies and leans up to kiss Shiro.
Shiro kisses back eagerly, shuddering when Keith immediately licks into his mouth. The feel of tongue brushing against his own is enough to make heat coil at his core, a whimper almost spilling out when Keith slides a hand up to the back of his neck and squeezes. They’re both breathing hard when they finally part, Shiro too dazed to swat at Keith for looking so smug.
“You’re a menace,” he pants.
“You taste good,” Keith says simply. There’s also a hint of a smirk on his face, which disappears in an instant when Shiro squeezes Keith’s ass with his right hand. Shiro's the one who's smirking as he watches Keith's cheeks blossom pink.
“Go put the dishes away,” he orders lightly, leaning in to kiss the tip of his nose. He also pats his ass once before removing the hand.
“Yes, sir,” Keith says playfully and moves to Shiro’s side to unload everything from the bags.
Shiro starts doing the same, pulling everything out and stopping when his hand brushes over a glass jar. He tugs it out of the bag, staring down at the pasta brand they don't usually buy. He couldn't help himself, the name of it called to Shiro.
“Look at this,” Shiro says, sliding the jar closer to Keith. “What do you think it means?”
Keith stares at the Prego sauce with a tilted head, and then looks to Shiro with a raised brow. “You want more spaghetti?” he asks. “We still have leftovers from the other night, you know. There’s no need for us to make another pot.”
Shiro stares at his beautiful, oblivious husband.
“What?” Keith asks with a frown.
“Nothing, nothing,” Shiro quickly says. “Don’t worry about it, okay? I’m just messing around.”
“We can make it again if you really want to,” Keith says, peering at him with concern. “I don’t want you to be upset.”
“I’m not upset.”
“Or we can make something else with it,” he continues. “How does lasagna sound?”
Shiro bites back a sigh over his failed plan, instead offering a smile before leaning over to kiss Keith’s forehead. “Lasagna sounds great,” he tells him. “So long as we use the recipe that Hunk forwarded to us the other day.”
He tries to come up with another way to tell Keith while they're cooking. Shiro can't be subtle anymore. He has to do something that sends the message out in a way that's impossible to misinterpret.
Later, when they’re both curled up on the couch waiting for the oven timer to go off, Kosmo pops into the room in a flash of blue light. Keith greets the wolf with a pat on the head after he trots over, and Shiro has a flash of inspiration.
Shiro buys something off his datapad when he’s sure that Keith isn’t looking, and spends the rest of the night suppressing his pleased smile.
☆ ☆ ☆
Keith’s voice comes drifting into the room, “What’s this?”
Shiro peeks into the room, biting back his grin. “What’s what?”
His husband is crouched down in front of Kosmo, who is lying down on the floor while Keith scratches behind his ears. He glances over at Shiro with a frown and says, “Kosmo’s wearing something, but he doesn’t want to show me what it says.”
“Maybe you need to ask nicely,” Shiro manages to say teasingly, even though his heart is racing and his hands are starting to get clammy. He crosses his arms and leans against the doorway, silently praying that he keeps his composure so Keith won’t worry about him and divert his attention away from Kosmo.
A long, exasperated sigh leaves Keith as he leans back on his heels. “Kosmo,” he says. “Can you show me what’s on your shirt, please?”
Kosmo bobs his head and pushes himself up, patiently sitting while Keith reads the white words written across his black shirt. His brows are furrowed, and his eyes are distant with racing thoughts—finally getting a clue, Shiro hopes.
“What does it say?” Shiro prompts as if he doesn’t already know.
‘The Best Big Brother in the Universe!’
It’s the shirt that Shiro bought a few days ago, which arrived on one of the rare days that Shiro was home long before Keith. He had to chase Kosmo around to put this on, but once he patiently explained his plan the wolf was all too happy to let Shiro tug the shirt down his fluffy body. Then, all they had to do was wait for Keith to come home.
He can only hope that Keith understands this time.
Shiro tries not to feel too impatient while Keith continues to stare at Kosmo. His heart skips a beat as he hears Keith’s gasp. He stays in place even when Keith stands up and takes a step closer, insides trembling at the hope he sees in his husband's eyes.
“Shiro,” Keith breathes. “Are you…?”
He suppresses his excited grin and gestures for Keith to continue, happiness swirling in his gut. His vision is starting to get a bit blurry, and when he blinks the tears away he can see that Keith's eyes are shining as well.
“Shiro,” Keith says again. He sounds choked up this time. “Are you really pregnant?”
Shiro beams. “I am.”
Keith practically crashes into him with a hug, his delighted laugh filling the air. Shiro returns the embrace, overjoyed tears finally spilling over. Hands gently cup his face when Keith draws back, and Shiro’s eyes slip shut when their lips meet for a deep, loving kiss.
“How long have you known?” Keith asks when he pulls away, still pressed close.
Shiro can’t stop grinning. “For a couple of weeks now.”
“And you’re barely telling me now?”
“I tried before!” Shiro defends, and elaborates when Keith shoots him a confused look. “The biscuit you found in the oven? You know, bun in the oven? And the Prego jar, remember? Prego— pregnant? ”
“Oh,” Keith breathes softly, cheeks going pink. He closes his eyes and takes a breath. “Wow. I’m an idiot. How did I not get that?”
“It’s alright, it’s alright,” Shiro says soothingly, patting his shoulder. “I still love you.”
Keith rolls his eyes and smiles fondly. He slips a hand beneath Shiro’s shirt and brushes two fingers down his abdomen. “I think I feel a little bump…”
“I know,” Shiro says. His own smile must be extremely sappy. “I’m only a few weeks along and everything is looking good so far. I’m supposed to make an ultrasound appointment soon.” He bumps their foreheads together. “Think you’re ready for that?”
Keith replies with a happy and emphatic, “Yes!”
When they kiss this time, there’s the taste of the salt from their combined tears. Shiro’s laugh spills out when Kosmo worms his way between them, whining until they crouch down to give him some of the attention they’ve been bestowing upon each other. The wolf wags his tail in bliss and nuzzles Shiro’s stomach almost reverently.
Shiro wraps his arms around his family. He can’t wait for their newest addition to arrive.