Pidge should've known she was an omega, she really should've.
She'd never really presented, never had the typical signs of being an omega or an alpha so they all just assumed she was beta.
Except they also knew she never showed the typical signs of presenting as a beta.
It was only now when Pidge was running down the hall of a Galra ship to her lion that she realized she just was five years late with presenting.
Presenting late wasn't uncommon, things could push back your presenting.
Things like stress or changes in your environment.
You know, like your family going missing, suddenly being carted off to space to fight an intergalactic war and almost dying daily.
That would probably push back your presenting by a while.
Still, there were signs that she had started to present.
She'd cleaned her room and started to steal clothes from the others.
Scents had become almost overpowering to her and while she thought she was just getting sick, Pidge realized that the fever was actually her first heat.
Her core throbbed as she finally reached her lion, stumbling into the machine while her teammates yelled at her over the comms.
As soon as Green took off Pidge tore off her helmet and threw it to the other side of the lion as she crumbled to the ground.
Her breathing was heavy and every part of her ached.
Pidge began to pull of her armor, she felt like her entire body was on fire with it on.
"Shit.." she choked out, she needed to get Lance.
Pidge needed to make sure Lance was the one that found her, he was the only other omega on board the castle.
The small girl groaned as she forced herself to crawl over to her helmet and put it back on.
Her teammates were still yelling.
"Pidge! Come in!" Shiro snapped, "are you alright?!"
Keith was asking about a thousand questions, trying to make she was still there.
Hunk was freaking out, assuming that she was dead and Lance was just trying to make a few jokes to calm the others down.
"Shut up!" Pidge snapped, her temper shorter than usual.
"I.. I'm fine.. Lance, I need you to come to my lion when we get back to the castle."
That sparked a whole new round of questions and concerns, this time louder than before.
"What's going on?! Are you hurt?! Do you need a pod?!" Keith asked, questions rambling off about a mile a minute and demanding that she respond after only a moment of asking them.
"I'm not hurt! I'm fine! I just need Lance!" Pidge shouted, a growl rumbling in her throat.
Oh boy. She was an aggressive omega.
"I'll be there as soon as we land." Lance said, making her sigh in relief.
Once she got confirmation she threw off her helmet once again.
She didn't need to listen to the others, not when she could barely keep her eyes open and the world seemed to be spinning.
Pidge didn't realize she'd passed out until Lance was shaking her awake.
"Pidge! Pidge wake up!" He shouted, snapping at the others to stay out of the lion whenever they tried to insist on coming in.
"Lance.." she choked out, tears rolling down her face as the intensity of the pain in her stomach.
"It's okay, just take some deep breathes. I'm going to get you to your room. Okay?" He asked, running a hand through her hair and smiling when she leaned into his touch.
"Okay.." Pidge nodded, trying to do as she was told.
Lance carefully picked her up, letting her lean her head right against his scent glands.
Pidge sighed softly, Lance's scent always calmed her down.
He smelt like the ocean and vanilla ice cream, like comfort.
Pidge could barely even hear the growling.
"Back!" Lance shouted harshly, glaring at Shiro and Keith who's eyes were both wide at the overwhelming heat scent that was radiating off of Pidge and filled her lion.
"Pidge.." Keith said quietly, trying to take a few steps forward to get to her.
Hunk was quick to grab him.
"You keep your hands off of her," He growled lowly.
None of them were worried about Shiro, he and Lance had been mates for over a year and leaders of the pack and Hunk was probably the least aggressive alpha to ever exist.
Not to mention he was mated with Shay.
Lance quickly ran with Pidge, he needed to get her to her room and seal everything off.
Keith growled when Lance ran, lunging forward to try and get Pidge but was held back by Shiro and Hunk.
"Keith, don't!" Shiro snapped, pushing him further away from the hanger exit.
"You're not thinking right! You need to let Lance help her!"
"I can help her! I'm an alpha!" Keith hissed, trying to get past his older brother.
"That is exactly why you are not going near her!" Shiro shouted, grip on Keith tightening.
Shiro was overprotective over Pidge as is, he and Lance called her their pup and treated her as such.
So now that his pup was in heat and his own brother was trying to get to her, all of his packleader senses were screaming for him to protect her with his life.
"Hey," Hunk smiled nervously, putting a hand on Keith's shoulder.
"Let's go get her some stuff for her nest, she probably doesn't have a thing for it."
That got Keith's attention, he looked over at Hunk then nodded eagerly.
He could still be helpful, he could get her nesting materials and food and water.
Keith followed after Shiro and Hunk, Allura tagging along and asking questions about humans secondary genders.
Alteans also had secondary genders but it was by no means nearly as intense as humans.
Alphas, Betas and Omegas were all still seen as equals and a heat or a rut wasn't a situation that took over someone's life.
They also didn't do nesting or courting and their alphas were by no means the aggressive attack dogs human alphas were so when Allura watched Keith go over every single item they were going to give to Pidge like he was trying to find a singular stitch wrong she was surprised.
Half of the things they wanted to give to Pidge didn't pass Keith's inspection and were instead thrown off the side, him saying that they weren't soft enough or wouldn't fit Pidge's tastes.
Shiro and Hunk were both surprised as well, actually.
They didn't think Keith actually wanted to help her, they just thought that he was responding to her scent and his own lust.
But there he was, concerned like someone who'd been mated to her for years, trying to make sure everything Pidge got was absolutely perfect.
Once they'd filled a tub with blankets and pillows and sheets they started to fill another one with clothes. They had to stop Keith from giving up his entire wardrobe to the newly presented omega.
Hunk and Shiro let him give a few shirts and his beloved jacket, but otherwise everything stayed and to appease Keith the others all only gave one item each.
Food was even harder with Keith there, he insisted they give Pidge food she actually liked instead of what Shiro tried to give her to keep her as healthy as could be during her heat.
Much to Shiro's dismay, Hunk agreed with Keith.
"Traitors," he grumbled to the other two alphas under his breath.
So, after gathering about a weeks worth of food and water they all trudged down to Pidge's room.
Keith had insisted he come along, even though Hunk and Shiro tried to get him to stay in the lounge.
"No! I have to make sure she's okay!" Keith hissed, "She's part of my pack too!"
That made Hunk and Shiro groan because, well, he was right.
He was part of the same pack as Pidge and not letting him see his packmate was a bit cruel.
So, they allowed him to come along if he promised he'd stay with Shiro or Hunk at all times and didn't go into Pidge's room.
Keith carried the nesting materials, nose twitching at how he could smell Shiro and Hunk and Allura's scents in the mixture when he wanted them to be drowned out by his.
He especially didn't like how Lance was drenched in Pidge's heat scent when he opened up the door.
Keith peeked over Lance's shoulder as he began to answer any of Shiro's questions.
Pidge was in her room, all the lights off and her breathing heavy as she sat curled up in the one blanket she had sitting in her room.
Keith whimpered softly, putting the tub of nesting materials down in the doorway and carefully sliding them into the room.
Pidge looked up at the noise, slowly pushing herself up.
She looked exhausted, hair entangled in itself and sticking to her sweat covered skin.
As soon as Pidge tried to take a step she crumbled to the floor and Keith quickly rushed forward despite the others all yelling for him to stay back.
Keith catches Pidge before she can hit the ground, holding her tightly and carefully lowering her down to the floor.
"Hey," He murmured, "I've got you. It's okay."
"Hurts-" Pidge choked out, clinging to Keith's shirt.
"Fuck, it hurts.."
"I know, deep breathes, you're okay." Keith said quietly, running a hand through her damp hair.
He wanted to stay like that, to hold her and assure her that everything was alright.
He wanted to be there for her and ease her through her heat, to be /her/ alpha.
Unfortunately, none of that would happen as Lance quickly took Pidge and Shiro tugged Keith out of the room.
"Keith-" Pidge sobbed, hand reaching for him as the door slammed shut.