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Sunlight flitted through the trees, dappling the ground with weak winter light. The air was cool and crisp, the kind which turned noses a rosy red, and left cheeks flushed. Most of the leaves had long fallen, but a few stubborn ones stayed, clinging to their trees in desperate hope. Keith knew it wouldn’t be long before they too, fell.
Matt turned the car, pulling into the nearest available parking spot. Keith turned to check on Riley. He spotted a couple of the others cars, and sighed, glad that they weren’t the first one’s to arrive.
“This is the first year we’re doing this with an actual child,” Matt said, twisting in his seat so he too could gaze at their sleeping baby.
“Doesn’t really feel like it,” Keith laughed, “Looking after Lance is harder than looking after Riley, most days.”
Matt snorted and opened his car door. “Don’t let him hear that! Come on, let’s not keep the other’s waiting. Do you want to carry her, or will I?”
“You can,” Keith replied, opening Riley’s door so he could lift her out. It was chilly outside, crisp and clear, and Riley was all bundled up in a little red padded jumpsuit, with a matching hat. Keith gently unbuckled her and lifted her out of her car seat. Matt was already by his side, wearing the wrap, and Keith helped him slip Riley in. She squirmed a little, and they held their breath, but she didn’t wake.
“God, she’s so cute,” Keith muttered, tucking a strand of her dark hair back under the hat. She was six months old now, and a menace, but Keith still had his moments, daily, where he just had to stop and breathe, because she was the cutest thing to ever exist and she was all his, all theirs. He still wondered, sometimes, if it was all a dream.
Matt’s hand slipped into his, drawing his attention from his baby to his husband and mate. Matt didn’t say anything, nor did he have to, just squeezed his hand and pulled him close to kiss him.
There was a screech, and twin choruses of “Eww!” from behind them. Matt and Keith separated, both turning to glare at the intruders.
It was Lance and Pidge, giggling like schoolgirls. Keith glared at them, and then turned to give Matt an obnoxious kiss, ignoring their gagging in the background.
“If you wake up my baby, I’ll kill you,” he said, after they parted. He didn’t even spare Lance and Pidge a glance, but they fell deadly silent. Matt snickered, and brought his hands up to cup Keith’s cheeks, drawing him closer to press one last kiss to his forehead before turning to face the rest of the group.
Christmas Eve was traditionally spent with pack, and it was something they had been doing since they first met. Every year, they came to this park together, before separating to spend time with their families. They were all lucky enough to live close to their families.
“Let’s go!” Lance cheered, bounding down the path, “We have reindeer to meet!”
Keith winced at the noise, but Riley was still deeply asleep. She was a heavy sleeper, thankfully, and Keith had no intentions of waking her up now. He had learned to let sleeping lions lie.
The group headed down the path, following Lance who was yards ahead of them. He dashed forward and bounded back, like an excitable puppy.
“Do you think Riley will be like that, in a few years?” Keith asked, watching Lance get slapped in the face with a stray branch.
“Well, she’ll be shorter than that, hopefully, but probably. Maybe we can get her one of those leashes?”
Keith snorted, “Maybe we should get one of those for Lance.”
“I’ve contemplated getting one for all of you,” Shiro said, sliding into their conversation, “Except Hunk and Shay, of course, they’re the only good ones.”
“Oh, shut up!” Keith said, smacking Shiro’s arm. Unfortunately, it was his prosthetic, and Keith pulled his hand away, stinging.
“It’s true! You guys have an uncanny knack for getting into trouble, and it’s even worse when you’re all together!” Shiro cried, rubbing his bicep with a wounded look, although everyone in the vicinity knew that he could barely feel anything with the prosthetic.
Keith watched as Allura rushed to pull Lance from the floor but slipped on a patch of ice and landed on top of him. Pidge laughed so hard she cried, and Hunk frantically tried to help them up.
“Yeah, okay, that’s fair.”
It was Romelle’s first year with them, as she had only recently joined them. She knew them all individually through Allura, but it was different to finally be part of the pack. Keith hoped she wouldn’t be scared away by their antics, although, from her fond expression as she pulled Allura up, he doubted it.
“It’s weird, isn’t it?” Matt said, low enough that only Keith could hear. Keith looked up at him with an inquisitive hum and a raised eyebrow.
“Usually, we’d be the ones starting the chaos, or at least joining in. It’s weird to be on the sidelines.”
Keith knew what he meant. Matt especially had a chaotic streak, and it was strange to be the responsible ones for once.
“Do you miss it?”
“Mmmm, sometimes? But I wouldn’t change Riley for the world. I’m happy to watch if it means I get to have my babygirl with me.”
Keith nodded, because that was fair, wasn’t it? Sometimes he missed just being silly and messing around too, but it wasn’t like they could never do that again. Right now, with Riley so young, they had to stand back a bit, but it was a small price to pay.
Matt slipped his arm around Keith’s shoulder, drawing him in. Keith cuddled into his side, one arm around his waist while the other slid between Matt’s chest and Riley’s. Her little face was turned towards him, brows scrunched adorably in sleep and one cheek squished where it was pressed to Matt’s chest. Keith had worried that it would be too cold for her, but she seemed okay for now.
“She’s fine, sweetheart,” Matt said, probably sensing that Keith was worried. Keith was always worried about her though, so it was nothing new. “If we think she’s too cold, we can zip my jacket up over her anyway.”
Keith sighed, trying to release all of the tension that had slowly started to build in his body. Having a child was weird. Suddenly, they had this tiny person who depended on them for everything. It was so easy for them to make a mistake, or get something wrong, that sometimes it scared Keith. At first, Matt had been the worried and anxious one, but the older she got, the worse Keith got.
He thought part of it was that Matt was going back to work soon, part-time, but still. They were incredibly lucky to have so much leave, and Keith was grateful, but he didn’t know what he would do without Matt.
A screech drew him out of his thoughts, and he stiffened, immediately checking if Riley was alright. She was frowning and squirming, but she wasn’t the one who screeched. A quick glance around their surroundings revealed the culprit.
“Pidge,” Matt groaned, bouncing gently to try and encourage Riley back to sleep, but it was too late. She burbled unhappily and opened her eyes, already watery and red.
“Good morning, baby,” Keith cooed, desperate to at least get her into a good mood before she started to cry. Riley was not a morning person and was a grumpy baby if she was woken suddenly from a nap.
She pounded her tiny fists on Matt’s chest, whimpering and whining, legs kicking. She looked around, and immediately her crying kicked up another notch.
“Oh, bambino, shhh, shh, you’re alright, you’re okay,” Matt said, rubbing her back soothingly. He swayed gently from side to side, slowly moving in a circle. Suddenly, her crying stopped, and Matt and Keith made surprised eye contact. She cooed and reached out over Matt’s shoulder for something. Matt froze, and Keith ducked around him to see what she was looking at.
A deer stood a few feet away, stock still, while Riley cooed and babbled to it. It was gorgeous, wide eyes and a deep brown coat. Its ears flickered and twitched, before it hesitantly took a small step forward.
“Matt,” he whispered, scared to raise his voice lest he scare the deer away, “It’s a reindeer.”
The deer in the park were fairly friendly, in fact they were the entire reason the pack came here every Christmas Eve. One year, Lance mentioned how he used to take his niblings to the park to visit Santa’s reindeer before their big day, and how he missed it. At first, the pack felt a bit silly, visiting the deer without any children, but they had soon grown out of their self-consciousness. It was a nice tradition, and they were sure the reindeer appreciated the extra love.
This was the first year they were going with an actual child though, and while Riley was too young to have any idea what was going on, it was still special. Keith wasn’t afraid of the deer coming any closer either, since they were more likely to run if spooked than to attack. There were plenty of park staff nearby to make sure everything was okay too.
“Keith, help me get her out of this, I want to see too.”
Keith stepped back and grasped Riley under her arms, while Matt untied the wrap. Riley barely seemed to notice the transfer from one parent to another, eyes still locked on the nearby doe. It didn’t make any move to come closer, but it wasn’t moving away either.
“What the fuck,” Matt whispered, “Who knew the only way to get her out of one of her moods was a fucking deer.”
Keith would elbow him, but his arms were busy holding the squirming baby so instead he snorted and rolled his eyes. He looked around quickly, but the rest of the group were a few feet away, all cooing over a different group of deer and a few young.
Keith settled Riley on his hip, using his now free hand to pull her hat more securely on her head. She cooed, and turned to look at him with big eyes, one hand moving to slip into her mouth so she could chew on it. Her hands were gloved though, and he didn’t want her putting that in her mouth.
“Ah, ah, ah, not for you, chickie,” Keith said, gently pulling her hand away. Her chin wobbled, and both Matt and Keith scrambled to draw her attention elsewhere.
“Wow! Look at the deer! Isn’t it so cute! Look, bambino!”
“Hey, hey, hey! Is that uncle Shiro? Look, Uncle Shiro!! Wow!”
If there was one thing Riley loved more than deer, it was her Uncle Shiro. Shiro, having heard his name, looked up, and saw his little niece was finally awake.
“Riley!” he cried, coming over to sweep her out of her mother’s arms. She giggled and laughed as Shiro held her high over his head. “How’s my favourite niece doing? Oh, aren’t you the cutest little thing!”
Keith sighed, “That could have been a disaster.”
As much as the pack liked to argue over who was Riley’s favourite, the answer was Shiro. Shiro, over even Keith and Matt themselves. The baby just absolutely adored him. He was the one who got her first, actual smile, and whenever he was in the room, Riley wanted to be in his arms, and no one else’s.
Keith had plans to be the best uncle to Shiro’s kids, if he ever had any, as payback. He deserved to know the pain of not being your own kid’s favourite person. Keith had carried her in his own body for over forty weeks, fed her from his body, and he still wasn’t the favourite!
A finger squished his cheek, and he looked up to see Matt smirking at him.
“You have your scheming face on,” he said, “What are you thinking?”
“Just planning how I’m going to absolutely spoil Shiro’s kids rotten so that I’ll be the favourite,” he replied, leaning into Matt’s space.
“Don’t let Adam hear you say that,” Matt laughed, “You know he’ll want to be the favourite. If he catches on- well, it’d be over for you.”
Keith snorted, although he knew Matt was right. Adam could and would turn it into an outright competition, and no doubt he would win, despite Keith’s extra experience with kids.
He shook his head, and turned to see everybody was walking ahead, including Shiro. Riley was looking at them both over his shoulder, a cheeky grin plastered on her face.
“What a brat,” Keith giggled, waving at her, “Come on, let’s catch up before Shiro pupnaps our baby.”
The park was full of other packs, most with their own small children. Riley was fascinated with the other pups, watching them with large eyes. She was shy though and looked away anytime one turned to face her.
It was a while before Matt and Keith got Riley back, as she was passed between the entire pack. Everyone wanted time with her, and while Keith completely understood – she was the cutest pup to ever exist after all – he also just wanted his baby back.
Thankfully, by the time they were finishing with the deer, Keith was able to snatch her back, as Lance was about to take her for a third or maybe even fourth time. He sighed and nuzzled her, making sure she smelt the most of him and Matt. She cooed, chewing on her glove and drooling everywhere. He frowned.
“You know, I think she’s probably put worse in her mouth,” Matt said suddenly, frightening Keith. “She’s been chewing that for half an hour now, what’s the point in upsetting her by taking it away.”
“I just don’t want her to get sick or anything. That would be the last thing we need.”
“She’s a baby, Keith,” Matt said gently, “She’s just exploring the world. And if she gets sick, she gets sick. We’ll handle it, you don’t need to be anxious.”
Keith took a deep breath, absently straightening Riley’s hat. “Yeah, you’re right. Sorry, I guess I’m just worried about you going back to work.”
“I know, starlight, but you’ll do amazing. And it’s only part-time, for now. Come on, let’s forget about that, it’s not happening for another month. We’re going to start heading to the rink now, do you want to carry her this time?”
Keith nodded, and let Matt help him put Riley in the wrap. She wasn’t as easy to carry as she used to be, but Keith would rather carry her than use their stroller. It was comforting, for both her, Matt and himself, to be close to each other. Sometimes, Keith felt a little guilty that they never used their stroller, since it cost so much money, but he was sure that they’d get more use out of it once she got a little older.
Riley rested her head on his chest, content to just lie there and rest. Despite her nap earlier, she was getting tired, and no doubt hungry, again. Keith slipped his hand into Matt’s and let him lead the way.
On the other side of the park, there was a newly set up ice-rink. Most of the pack adored ice skating, so they had decided to go this year. Fortunately for Keith, he could use Riley as an excuse not to go out on the ice.
Growing up in the desert and then foster care, he never had a chance to go ice skating. He had been once or twice as an adult but had never enjoyed it as much as the rest of the pack. He didn’t mind sitting it out though, not when it meant he could watch them all have fun and dote on his baby simultaneously.
Keith pressed a kiss to Matt’s lips and hung back while everyone went to get their skates. He was surprised when Shiro stayed with him.
“You not going out?” he asked with an inquisitive look. Shiro glanced down at his prosthetic, clenching his fist and relaxing it before shaking his head.
“I need to feed Riley if you’re cool with that.”
“Yeah, of course Keith. You know I don’t mind.” Shiro headed over to a picnic table where they would have some privacy, but also still have a clear view of the rink. Hunk and Shay were sweetly skating across the rink, arm in arm, while Lance, Pidge and Matt seemed to be playing a violent game of tag. Adam and Allura were helping Romelle get used to her skates, one on either side of her as she wobbled out towards the centre.
Keith settled down, pulling his jacket and hoodie open so Riley could nurse. He slung her wrap over her, to give them some privacy, but also to protect himself from the cold. Shiro had chosen to sit next to them, and he watched the pack on the rink with a fond smile. They stayed silent for a few long minutes. Shiro shifted every few seconds, clenching and unclenching his fist, and rubbing his left wrist.
Finally, Keith couldn’t sit there and watch him anymore. “What’s up?”
Shiro startled and turned to look at Keith with a sheepish smile. He opened his mouth, but Keith cut him off.
“Don’t say ‘Nothing’, I know you well enough to know that that’s not true.”
Shiro closed his mouth with a snap and had the decency to look chagrined. He turned his attention back to the rink with a sigh. Keith let him stew for a few minutes, trusting that he would come out with whatever was on his mind in his own time.
“Adam and I-“ Shiro started, glancing at Keith before looking away with a blush, “might have met someone.”
Keith gasped, and sat up straighter, as much as he could anyway, with a nursing baby. “You found someone to complete your triad?”
“Well, I mean- it’s still relatively new, so I don’t know ab-“
“But you want them to?”
Shiro paused, “Yeah, we want him to.” He let out a long breath and slumped in his seat, face burning a brilliant red.
“I’m so happy for you! What’s he like? Where did you meet?” Keith exclaimed. Shiro and Adam had decided to wait to get married, hoping that they would meet someone to complete their triad. They had been together as long as Keith and Matt had, but they were content to wait.
Shiro settled back with a hopeless sigh. “His name’s Curtis. He actually works at the Garrison, believe it or not. He transferred from another base last year. We bumped into him getting coffee and recognised him. It kind of just went on from there.”
“Curtis? Glasses? Dark skin and hair? He’s in um- communications, is it?” Keith asked.
“Yeah! You know him?”
“Briefly, he helped out with one of my last projects before I took leave. He seemed nice, if not a bit quiet. And an alpha too, huh? You guys are a Perfect Triad.”
“Yeah, I know, what are the chances?”
“I’m so happy for you guys, you deserve to find that last person. You deserve to be happy.”
“Thanks, Keith,” Shiro said softly, reaching out to squeeze his hand.
“So, what’re your plans for tomorrow?”
By the time the group were finished skating, Riley had been fed, and burped, and was sleeping peacefully on Keith’s chest. Shiro had bought them coffee, since Keith was feeling a little cold. Even though it was still fairly early, it was starting to get dark, the moon and first stars appearing in the sky. The whole pack were exhausted, but in that sleepy, satisfied way. The walk back to the cars was much slower than the walk over.
Keith set Riley, still deeply asleep, in her car seat and strapped her in, before turning back to say goodbye to everyone. He would be seeing Pidge tomorrow at the Holt’s, but he wouldn’t see anyone else until New Year’s Eve probably.
He would miss his pack, but it would only be a few days until they were all together again.