After an unfortunate run-in with Ivy it had been a whole... fun... situation.

The godawful pollen had run its course through Jason at the very least, and he'd done his best to maintain control through the whole ordeal. Taking care of his mate with all that burning energy with soft touches and reverence. Love in the form of snacks and cuddles.

Of course, they were also mates, and an alpha in rut does need a bit of relief even with the best of control. So they had done what was natural. He thought they were protected. They thought they were protected.

... apparently they had NOT been protected.

It started out with a small whiff, just a little something new in his mate's scent. Of course they carried a bit of his scent in the same way he carried theirs after they had bonded but this was... different.

Not that he wasn't usually doting on his mate. He is. But something about that little new smell increased it... significantly. The alpha could've easily been mistaken for a house-husband with how he was taking over EVERY chore. Dishes? Done. Cooking and cleaning up? Done. Laundry? Done. No task was too much.

Everyday that scent got a little stronger. Few weeks in? His mate started feeling a little... queasy. That was when the suspicions started arising.

Sure enough... the scent, the sickness, the alpha's drive to take care of his mate. The little stick sat there on the bathroom counter, a pink plus feeling a lot like a blow of reality to his chest.

A multitude of emotions building and swirling all at once inside him. Part of him was, well... pleased. The other half, the rest of him...? Terrified. Wholly and truly terrified. Many thoughts popped up but a few prominent ones stuck around. Could he be a good dad? Better than his own? Could he be what his mate and the pup needed while still being Red Hood?

Were they even ready for or wanting a pup? Jason wasn't sure, his own mind was a mess at the moment.

"You're sure it's not a fluke?" Jason managed to ask passed the growing lump in his throat as his gaze shifted from the stick to his mate standing beside him then back.

He knew it was a stupid thing to ask, the scent coming from his mate, all the little tells, and his instincts knew it was true.

But he couldn't quite bring himself to believe that they had truly created a little life together just because some stupid pollen made their systems go wonky for a while and overruled their precautions.