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Sun gently licked at his sleeping mates face, relishing in his scent and nuzzling his cheek to the side of his hood, twining his tail tighter around whatever he could of Moon’s coils without disturbing him. The contact was soothing to his sleepy brain, settling the odd emptiness tingling along his scales. He had been woken by the feeling, exhausted and restless and wanting it to stop. Thankfully though, the closer he snuggled, the less restless he felt. He slowly felt himself calm, tongue flicking out again against his mate’s pale cheek affectionately as his eyes drooped.
He was just drifting back off to sleep when Moon shifted under his coils and buried himself further within their tangle, unknowingly escaping Sun’s gentle, sleepy grooming. He let out an involuntary whine as his mates face was hidden, and he couldn’t help but chase him down as best he could with a small thought in the back of his mind that he didn’t want to wake him, even if the closeness was very important right now to his hazy thoughts. He rubbed his cheek against the back of Moon’s head urgently as his hearts swelled with anxiousness at the loss, however small.
Moon grumbled out a sleepy hiss at the disturbance and twisted, dislodging Sun for a hearts twisting moment before curling his arms around him properly and firmly pulling him closer, midnight blue tail sliding along his scales pleasantly and tightening briefly before relaxing again as Moon resettled with Sun successfully pulled deeper into their tangle. Sun let himself relax and snuggled himself down into his partners hold, arms pressed between them against Moon’s chest, giving his chin one final gentle lick that made his face twitch cutely in his sleep.
When Sun woke the next morning, he found himself alone in their den, Moon’s fresh scent having been gone for a little while. Logically, he knew he must just be getting their breakfast from the humans working at the facility they were kept in, but the emptiness swiftly filled him up regardless, crawling unpleasantly over his skin and he couldn’t help but whine. He tried to ignore the feeling, stretching and exiting the cave into the artificial sunlight of the realistic looking forest, hoping the warmth would soothe the ache.
It didn’t.
Every movement felt off, and he found himself rubbing at his arms and tugging his rays anxiously, unable to figure out where the uncomfortable feeling had come from and why it wouldn’t go away. It wasn’t until he saw Moon approaching that he stopped, barely noticing that he’d been rubbing himself against the rough bark of a nearby tree to try and (unsuccessfully) relieve the bad feeling.
He quickly slithered over to his mate; the empty feeling almost entirely forgotten as the crawling sensation lessened considerably. He all but tackled him to the ground, startling the other naga into dropping the tray he was carrying and releasing a shocked giggle. Moon began hissing in playful affront when Sun started nuzzling his face insistently and peppering him with little kisses and affectionate flicks of his tongue, no part of his face spared from the onslaught.
“Someone’s happy this morning.” Moon chuckled fondly, nuzzling him right back for a few long, precious moments as his bonded calmed in his assault of his face.
Shifting his tail, Moon easily lifted himself back up and retrieved the spilt tray of their food from the soft grass. Sun didn’t let go, simply giggling and wrapping himself further around his mate in a silent bid to be carried. Moon rolled his eyes and gave him a look, brow raised in mock admonishment.
Sun grinned toothily, completely unrepentant, and quickly snagged an apple slice from the tray, poking out his forked tongue cheekily at his act of thievery. Moon rolled his eyes again and started back towards their den, very much used to Sun’s antics after almost a year of being bonded.
Sun seemed to be feeling especially playful and clingy today, but that was okay. He had come a long way from the anxious mess he’d been when they’d initially transferred into their enclosure, afraid to show affection outside of their den in case the humans tried to separate them again, but equally unwilling and unable to be on his own outside their den. It had been an odd reaction, but apparently Sun’s mind had, at the time, come to the conclusion that if they hadn’t so obviously wanted to stay together upon arrival then they never would have been separated.
It had taken months of constant stress, anxiety, and slow recovery before he felt safe wandering around on his own where Moon wasn’t within sight, and longer still before he finally allowed himself to trust that he wasn’t going to be separated like that again. His usually so sociable mate had been skittish around humans for the first time since they were young and venturing to the nearby village for the first time, avoiding them and hiding away when they came to talk to them or run their tests or attempt to check his self-inflicted injuries.
He still had trouble with small spaces though, which was unfortunate as back in their original home Sun had loved to burrow into snug tree hollows he’d carved out. He’d made a few around the enclosure in the time they’d lived here, but usually couldn’t stay in them long before he started getting anxious he’d be trapped in.
Adjusting here had been difficult, especially as apparently, they had been the first bonded pair these humans had captured for their ‘rehabilitation facility for mythical endangered species’ in this country and they had been completely unprepared for how to deal with them.
They had been taken from their home only a few weeks after they had completed their bond (preceded by several months of courting and years of friendship) and had been transported away in a small container wherein they had huddled fearfully in hopes they wouldn’t be alone for whatever horrors awaited them, only for the humans to separate them once they arrived. They had screamed and thrashed and fought once they realised what was happening, unable to formulate human words in their distress, but they hadn’t been able to fight the extra drugs shot into them by their captors when some of them got injured trying to contain the two volatile nagas.
They’d woken alone on opposite sides of the same large room in sealed containers and promptly panicked once they realised they were trapped and unable to reach each other. Sun had stopped eating and started clawing at himself and banging whatever part of his body happened to be closest on the walls to his enclosure whenever he had the energy, trying to get out or stop the pain. Probably both.
Moon hadn’t been much better, hissing and growling and throwing himself around until he ran out of energy and sometimes even beyond, or until he had to be drugged so he wasn’t at risk of injuring the researchers. They didn’t seem to know how to stop them from hurting themselves or why they hadn’t given up on attacking their cages- though he had once overheard one of them saying they couldn’t drug them every time or it might kill them.
Hearing Sun chanting his name in distress for days on end until he either gave up or couldn’t continue had been torture, his attempts at reassurance receiving no reaction. He’d had to watch as his bonded’s scales dulled drastically from the stress within those few days to a sickly facsimile of their previously bright palette of yellows and reds, not to mention being unable to do anything about the blood smeared on his arms from his incessant scratching and picking at his scales. It had been one of the worst experiences of his life, if not the actual worst.
Then, one day, they had wheeled Sun out the door and Moon felt the last threads of his sanity snap as he began attacking his cage with strength he no longer possessed, his feral screaming so loud and piercing that the humans had covered their ears to protect their hearing. He hadn’t managed much more than hearing his box creak ominously before one of the humans managed to hit the button that released the sedative, and he was helpless to fight the rapid darkening of his vision as he was forced unconscious, slumping over himself.
He didn’t see Sun for the rest of the day, and he felt despair creep over him brutally. His hearts throbbed weakly in his chest as he leant against the glass, staring in the direction they had taken his life mate. He didn’t even react the when more gas hissed into his cage and his thoughts went sluggish, leaving him unable to even turn his head. The urge to snarl and fight was still there, but it was like wading through a swamp and he didn’t have the strength to pull himself through.
The humans continued to putter around, some muttering about his change in behavior with furrowed brows and displeased expressions, while others scoffed and proclaimed they were glad the beast had finally given up fighting them when they were only trying to help. One particularly cruel human had even added, under her breath, that she was glad to know even monsters could be broken like any other animal. She was quickly shushed and reprimanded by several other humans and Moon didn’t see her return the next day.
Moon didn’t have it him to really care anymore though. He felt like he was dying, like something had dug into the very core of himself and pulled out the most important parts.
It was maybe a few days later, though he couldn’t be sure, when he finally got the kick he needed. A human had walked in, talking about one of the other nagas- which wasn’t usual and Moon almost dismissed them entirely until he heard mention of how they couldn’t get his vitals up even when they tried supplying nutrients directly into his blood as he still refused to eat. Hope sparked in his chest as he forced his eyes to focus on the human, gaze drifting down to the screen they held.
A screen which displayed a picture of his Sun, looking even sicker than when they’d stolen him away again.
Rage flared to life inside him and he began to plan. He would get to Sun and escape from these evil humans even if it killed him. At least then Sun wouldn’t have to suffer for much longer once he was dead- but this? This slow death was torture and Sun didn’t deserve another moment of it.
It was maybe another day later when things finally started to get better, all because an impatient human had made a mistake during one of Moon’s ‘check ups’, having grown complacent with his lack of response and sickly appearance over the past however many days it had been- it wasn’t exactly easy to keep track especially when there was at minimum no visible sky.
They had come to check on him and take more blood, muttering about his health rapidly declining. Moon, however, had made sure to study their routines over the days since deciding on his plan and had held his breath, continuing to lay still when the gas was released into his prison. The worker hadn’t waited long enough to make sure the sedative in the air had done its work to immobilize him before unlocking his small enclosure, probably figuring he wouldn’t react regardless.
Moon had immediately lunged for the open door the moment he heard the click signaling it was unlocked and smashed into it with enough force it dangled from its hinges, accompanied by the most intimidating and rage filled screech he could muster. The human was knocked to the floor, their skull hitting the smooth surface with a crack.
The dozen or so humans in the area had screamed in fright and fumbled to get away as he flared himself threateningly, hood spread wide and showing off his patterning to make himself appear larger. He swiped at anyone who got too close and lunged at anyone with a weapon, knocking them down with harsh thwaps of his tail before carelessly slithering over them, uncaring of his crushing weight pressing down on their much smaller bodies.
His claws dripped with blood from those unlucky enough to get caught by them, though he didn’t bother doing more damage than was needed to scare them away, instead racing towards the door and barreling into it with a deafening BANG.
Humans in the hallway screamed and ran away, but he paid them little attention, flicking out his tongue and inhaling deeply, searching desperately for a hint of his mates scent. He followed the fainted traces of it, pulling himself down the corridor, claws leaving deep gouges in the concrete as he made his way along.
When the scent got stronger, he forced open a door and shoved himself inside, but was met only with a few more humans who froze at his abrupt appearance. One of them smelt like his mate and he growled, twisting back around and following the smell again. This happened several more times until, on the fifth door he tried, he finally found himself in another long room not unlike the one he’d just escaped.
And there, at the far end of the room was Sun, slumped in his tank and staring forwards blankly, lightly banging his head against the glass. He looked awful, like he was one stiff breeze from wasting away into nothing, but he was also the most beautiful sight Moon had seen in what felt like years.
Things big and small clattered and fell around him as he took the most direct path forward, pushing his straining muscles even as they protested from the lack of use towards Sun, ignoring the humans yelping and groaning in pain as they were hit with either his body or the inanimate casualties of his mad dash across the room. He felt his claws sink into flesh and pull out wetly as he beelined across the room- a human must have found their way into his path without him noticing, but he didn’t care and everything just registered as white noise to his panicked brain. Sun was the only thing that mattered.
He had banged on and clawed at the glass and frame, smearing thin trails of blood against the surface, scrambling to find a latch or seam he could use as leverage to rip it open, but it needed a key and nothing near him did more than scratch the surface of the box when he resorted to throwing things. His strength was not what it should have been, and it only made him more frantic the longer he couldn’t break in. He wished desperately for some sort of rock to use, but none of the human things he could see looked heavy or solid enough to substitute. Too much around him was unfamiliar or useless.
He had hissed in panicked frustration, still desperately looking around for something he could use to smash it open before he was forced away again. Sun wasn’t going to last, and he was terrified he wouldn’t get another chance- there was no way he’d get away with the same trick twice. Sun still hadn’t seemed to notice he was there despite all the commotion Moon was causing. He was so close he felt tears build stubbornly behind his eyes.
When more humans came bursting through the doors with weapons at the ready and dragging out their injured colleagues, he had resorted to wrapping himself around the rectangular box as tightly as he could, hissing and growling and jolting forward slightly with sharp swipes of his claws to scare them back without leaving his mate.
He couldn’t speak, he was beyond too stressed to even try, and he couldn’t think of any useful words to convey his demands anyway. Sun was the better one at talking the human language than he was, and now his inability to use it was putting them in further danger. He still didn’t understand why they were doing this to them, he just wanted his bonded. He didn’t care what happened as long as he had Sun.
He didn’t know how much time had passed during the standoff, but eventually a small human rushed into the room looking harried. By this stage Moon was exhausted, his threat display faltering as his energy waned. They’d tried to shoot him with the sedatives a few times, but he so far had managed to dodge or knock them away before they pierced his thick scales. But they seemed happy to just wait for the moment when it became clear he wasn’t moving from his spot- they were probably waiting for him to tire himself out and it was working.
His energy was flagging faster than he wanted to admit and while they had stopped for now, he knew he wouldn’t be able to keep this up indefinitely and the moment they saw an opportunity they would catch him before he could defend himself. He hadn’t been able to eat since they were separated either and he was paying for it now.
He was drawn from his thoughts when the new human slowly approached him, and he reflexively reared forward and hissed at them as he did with all the others who dared get close. This one, however, didn’t flee.
They flinched, but just slowly raised their hands and stayed still, taking an exaggerated step back. They then, bafflingly, turned to the others in the room and demanded they clear out- even the ones with weapons. Moon coiled himself down defensively against the box, poised to strike if needed, eyes narrowed as he watched them shout and argue and eventually start to leave- though not without one of the weapons being given to the human who stashed it under their coat where he couldn’t see it. He didn’t trust this, not one bit.
Once everyone but the new human was gone, they simply stood there and waited as he panted, arms shaking from how hard he gripped the edges of Sun’s prison. He was so tired, but he needed to protect Sun. The human opened their mouth presumably to say something, but he hissed at them loudly to cut them off, glaring and continuing with an extended growl. He had to make sure they knew he wasn’t going to trust them just because they were alone now.
The human paused, then waited a moment before trying again, speaking over his next hiss. “My name is Doctor Riley, but you can just call me Riley or Mr Riley if you like. May I ask your name?”
Moon jolted slightly in shock, narrowing his eyes warily, fingers flexing uncertainly. That was the first time any of the humans had asked him a question- apparently, they had given up on nagas knowing how to talk as their few previous captures hadn’t been from regions where it was still taught and hadn’t understood a word. Grudgingly, he admits to himself that he’s not actually sure he would have been able to respond even if they had tried with him.
To be fair, he did try to answer the question- he wasn’t one to waste an opportunity, but he was still too stressed to focus on how to say it and all he managed was a growling chitter in the back of his throat. He shook his head frustratedly and tried again because he was so, so tired and some small traitorous part of him hoped that maybe this human was willing to listen in the same way the small children and their parents that lived in the tiny village had when they cheerfully taught himself and Sun more words.
He didn’t manage more than the first sound of his name before it trailed back off into a raspy hiss. Riley didn’t seem to mind, and just smiled at him with what appeared to be understanding. The lack of obvious threat had the adrenaline start to leave him, and he found himself lowering closer to the box he was wrapped around. He was completely spent but did his best to keep himself steady and not show weakness regardless. He wasn’t going to let them take him away from Sun again.
“If we’ve caused you any distress-” Riley began, and Moon scoffed scornfully with a glare. Riley then amended, “I’m sorry we’ve caused you distress. I was supposed to be in charge of your care from the moment you arrived, however they failed to inform me of your early arrival. I’ve been told you two were found together?”
Moon didn’t know how to respond, watching the man suspiciously, breath still heaving and hearts pumping furiously in his chest. His silence seemed to have been taken for an answer, however, or maybe he already knew it to be true. Riley nodded to himself and took a small step forward. Instantly, his hackles rose, and Moon let out a warning hiss, hood flaring weakly. His threat went ignored.
“I’m going to assume from what I’ve seen here today that we’ve made a grave error. I was unaware my colleagues were not informed on protocol on how to recognize and handle a bonded pair, which is unacceptable and has clearly put your health at significant risk. This facility is still new, and an established bond is something they haven’t encountered here yet.”
His eyes widened and his hood flattened in surprise, dangerous hope swelling inside him. This human- Riley, knew about their bonds? He watched as, slowly, Riley reached a hand into his coat pocket and pulled out a slim plastic card.
“I’m going to come over there and unlock that for you if you’ll allow me. You and your mate don’t seem to be doing so well with the separation. I’m very sorry this has happened to you both.” Slowly, Riley walked forward and despite the man seeming trustworthy, Moon growled a warning, instincts wanting the human nowhere near his hurt mate.
The moment he was within reach Moon, using the last of his strength, struck forward and grabbed him by the collar, lifting him up to dangle high above the floor, hood flaring wide and hissing right in his face, baring his fangs so close they grazed the man’s cheekbone. Riley had yelped in fright and kicked his legs out on instinct, but then went forcibly limp in his hold almost instantly, putting up no further resistance despite the clear danger of being maimed or even killed.
After a long moment of Moon glaring and his gaze being met as calmly as could be, sweat beading down the humans face, Riley slowly raised the hand still holding the card. “I promise, no tricks. I just want to help.”
Moon held them for another tense moment before he let go with one hand, ignoring Riley’s gasp as his clothes pressed against his neck, and reached into the man’s coat to retrieve and crush the weapon hidden there. Only then did he finally (and slightly roughly) drop him to the floor. He kept a clawed hand on his shoulder, the sharp points of his fingers pressing against the pulse point of his neck in silent warning. Riley took it in stride, taking a calming breath that he could feel through his palm, and slid the key through the lock.
The door began to creak open and everything else left Moon’s mind as he shoved the human away harshly, indifferent to if the man got hurt. He swiftly unfurled himself from around the box, yanking the door off its hinges entirely and shoving his way inside as much as he could, some of his tail hanging out of the opening. It was cramped with the both of them in a space designed for one, but he didn’t care.
He cradled Sun’s head in his hands and nuzzled his face against his cheek desperately, pressing as firmly as he could. He squeezed his eyes shut tightly to fight off the tears of relief that threatened to spill. He rubbed their faces together trying to elicit a response, an anxious chitter warbling brokenly in the back of his throat.
Agonizingly slowly, Sun blinked, his eyes focusing on him after a long moment and Moon whined in relief, wrapping himself around his mate as much as he could manage in the tight space. He felt Sun’s shuddering breaths under him as the shock off the past however many days wore off and he began to cry, hugging him back just as fiercely despite his weakness and pain, nuzzling his face against Moon’s neck and flickering his tongue against what parts of Moon he could reach, scenting him for the first time in too long.
Afterwards, once Riley had collected himself from being thrown down (thankfully unharmed aside from some nasty bruises), Moon listened with half his attention as the humans slowly made their way back inside. They balked when Riley refused to shut them inside or tranquilize them, professing that neither of them would do anything now that they weren’t in such extreme distress. Moon couldn’t exactly argue, he was too busy comforting his bonded and himself to care about getting revenge. He’d just have to be satisfied with the damage already done.
Riley had ordered his subordinates around until the two of them were being wheeled out of the room to be taken to their current home. Moon had squeezed himself out with some effort and pulled Sun out along with him when his mate struggled to decide which area was scarier to stay in. They’d been given a large meal and left alone to eat for the first time in over a week or so, undisturbed for days other than the food left in the feeding station for them to take.
Now, Moon watched fondly as Sun curled tightly around him, allowing Moon to feed him slices of fruit as he purred softly in his lap, claws lightly tracing the star-like patterning on his scales and the smattering of scars from fights and from his escape. Halfway through their meal, Sun grew restless and pressed himself closer with a displeased huff, rubbing his tail against Moon’s and squeezing it intermittently, seemingly agitated.
Concerned, Moon dropped a hand onto his back and began stroking soothingly. He was about to ask what was wrong when Sun sighed and settled, eyes drooping sleepily. He hesitated, not entirely willing to disturb him if he was still tired. Sun had slept in this morning, which wasn’t something that happened often. It was rare that Moon would awaken first and manage to disengage from their pile without waking his other half.
Moon frowned, thinking about it properly. This wasn’t normal, Sun was acting strange. Had he not slept well? No, he didn’t think it was that. When Sun had bad nights he was usually woken either by Sun seeking comfort or by sensing his distress. That hadn’t happened and he’d woken with Sun tucked against him almost the same way they’d fallen asleep in.
Gently, he pressed another piece of fruit against his lips. Sun’s face scrunched slightly in displeasure as he flicked his tongue out to smell it before reluctantly accepting the bite, chewing slowly. He refused anything further, pressing his lips closed with a quiet grunt and looking uncomfortable even as he eventually dropped off into a dose, fingers twitching restlessly and gripping weakly against Moon’s scales.
His frown deepened. Sun loved fruit; it wasn’t like him to eat so little. Cautiously, he leant forward and attempted to get a sense of Sun’s temperature with his heat pits. Worryingly, he felt a bit warmer than normal. Was he sick? That would explain the extra clinginess somewhat- seeking extra body heat.
Moon wasn’t entirely sure what to do except wait it out and see if Sun felt better. He was hesitant to involve the humans, even if Riley was always very kind to them in spite of their less than stellar introduction. Neither of them had really gotten sick once the stress wore off and they felt safer, and he didn’t have access to anything he would have used in the past here. The forest was realistic, but not that realistic.
Slowly, Moon finished his meal and left his portion of fruit next to Sun’s in hopes to get him to eat more later. If he really was sick enough to refuse his favorite food, then Moon doubted he would have any better luck getting him to eat anything more substantial.
Sun woke from his accidental nap sometime later, the uncomfortable feeling that had been plaguing him since the night before having increased. He whined and tried to press closer to Moon, but the slide of their scales sent a shock of overstimulation to his nerves and he hissed, frustrated tears springing behind his eyes.
“Sun?” Moon asked, and Sun twisted to look up at his mate, whose flat face was creased in concern. “Are you feeling sick?”
For a moment he considered lying so he wouldn’t worry his mate, but another wave of that horrible crawling sensation had him disregard that notion just as quickly as it had come. He writhed against the floor and Moon’s tail, desperately seeking something to get rid of this terrible ache but all that did was spark more pain through him. He was so confused, but forced himself to stop moving and making the feeling worse.
“I don’t know,” he admitted pathetically. “I’ve been feeling weird for hours and I don’t know why. Cuddling with you last night helped but now it’s getting worse.”
Moon frowned in thought for a moment, stroking his back in a way that somehow actually felt good where everything else felt wrong, and let him relax slightly in relief. “Do you want me to get Mr Riley? He could-“
“No!” Sun hissed with sudden venom, startling the both of them with his unexpected outburst. The very thought of another person near him and Moon right now sent his anxiety skyrocketing. He twisted himself closer against his mate and ignored the discomfort urging him to move.
“Sunny?” Moon said worriedly, trying to get a good look at his face. “What’s wrong? I thought you liked Mr Riley? I don’t know what’s wrong and he might be able to help you feel better.” But Sun was already frantically shaking his head, eyes starting to water.
“N-no! I mean, yes, but no!” He stuttered, “Just want you. I just- just want you. Safe.” He added quietly, fingers digging into Moon’s scales.
“Okay. Okay, I won’t get anyone else.” He said soothingly, voice lowering like he was talking to a spooked animal. Which, Sun supposed, he sort of was at the moment even if he didn’t know why.
“Do you think you could eat a bit more?” Moon added after a few minutes of silence and Sun’s heartrate had calmed slightly. His face twisted at the thought of food, but one look at Moon’s face had him feeling horribly guilty. His mate was obviously very worried. “Just a little, for me? I saved the fruit for you.”
More guilt settled in his belly. Relenting, he nodded. Moon’s face relaxed slightly in relief as he turned to pull the tray closer and pick out a piece. The thought of eating anything made his stomach twist, but he obediently allowed himself to be fed little bites at a time. Chewing felt like a chore, the normally loved flavors of the fruits tasting like ash on his tongue. Swallowing left nothing but a thick lump in his throat that became harder and harder to ignore until he had to turn his face away from the next one offered, shutting his eyes in shame after only managing a few pieces of fruit.
His breath hitched miserably. He wanted to keep trying so Moon wouldn’t worry, but he couldn’t force himself to eat anything more. He felt ill and just wanted to curl up with Moon and hope the horrible crawling-itching went away.
“Shhh, its alright. You did great, thank you for trying.” Moon rumbled soothingly, bending down to rub their cheeks together affectionately. “Would you like to try sleeping some more?”
Sun nodded and pushed himself up, slowly making his way back towards their den, the drag of the grass against his skin making him twitch, rubbing at his arms as he tried to move faster. He barely heard Moon following him, suddenly anxious about being so exposed.
He slumped in relief once he was inside their den, the cool, smooth rock not as irritating as the grass had been. His skin felt dry and stretched out, which didn’t help lessen the horrible sensations that wouldn’t leave him be. He dragged himself over to their nest and dropped himself on top of the plush blankets and pillows gathered there, curling in on himself miserably.
Moon joined him a moment later, draping himself over the top of Sun’s body. He hoped his body heat and weight would help comfort his mate like it normally did when he was having a bad day. He twisted his body until they were both comfortable and he was able to pull Sun into a hug, tucking his softly spiked head under his chin.
Even with their position, Moon felt Sun still twitching a shifting restlessly, seemingly unable to get comfortable. As a last resort, Moon started quietly humming, a purr rumbling through his chest as he did so. Slowly, agonizingly slowly, Sun’s agitated movements slowed along with his breathing, and he fell asleep, face going slack with tears drying on his cheeks. Moon gently wiped them away and closed his own eyes.
Moon was startled awake sometime later by frantic movement from his mate, who was whining and rubbing himself against his body desperately. He looked pained, expression twisted in distress as he writhed as much as he could while trapped under Moons bulk. He felt too warm to the touch and his skin was flushed, though he didn’t seem to be awake yet.
Moon sat up and stared uncomprehendingly, not knowing what was causing the discomfort in his bonded- at least, he didn’t, not until Sun shifted just so and his pelvis brushed against Moons belly. There was a slight slickness coating his scales around a small, almost unnoticeable swell of flesh.
He jolted in shock, staring at it for a long moment. It was then, as he took a delayed breath, that he finally smelt it. His mates normally citrusy and earthy scent had turned sweeter, drawing Moons attention and causing him to feel abruptly a lot warmer. Then it clicked. Oh.
Sun was in heat.
Moon had honestly forgotten that this would happen. They had been due for their first mating cycle to start any day soon after they completed their bond, but they had been captured and separated before it could happen. The stress combined with the abrupt and rapid decline in their health had completely thrown them off. It had been months since he had even thought about this, too worried about making sure he and Sun were safe and recovering.
And now his mate was in heat, alone. Moon stared worriedly, chittering to himself anxiously. If Sun’s cycle had started, why hadn’t his? They were supposed to start at the same time. He wasn’t sure if he would be able to help Sun properly like this.
He took a few deep breaths to calm himself, though he startled slightly at the sudden jolt of arousal that hit him. Right, his body was reacting to his bonded’s pheromones even if he wasn’t in heat himself. That was good? He would believe it was, as it meant he could still help Sun through his heat and they could finally mate for the first time, even if he suspected it might be more difficult due to his own body not being prepared to mate.
His fears soothed for the moment, he finally let himself relax and nuzzled his face against Sun’s, inhaling his sweet scent and pulling him closer. Sun squirmed in his sleep, breath huffing against his shoulder.
Moon smiled and shifted, pressing gentle kisses all along Suns head and rays, nosing at them with gentle licks and delighting in the small unconscious squeak he got in return and the small full body jolt he made towards him.
“Sunny,” he purred softly, rubbing his back lovingly. “Time to wake up, Sunshine.”
Sun let out a sleepy warble, clicking at him as he began to wake, the length of him still twisting restlessly around Moon. Cheekily, Moon nipped at one of those rays with sharp teeth. Sun yelped and turned his head away, half giggling at the sensation.
“Hmm, you taste lovely,” Moon hissed teasingly, licking the appendage again and grazing it with a fang, eliciting another giggle and his face being (rudely) shoved away.
“Ah, Moony!” Sun whined insincerely, only for it to trail off into a groan when his pelvis brushed against Moon’s underbelly once more. He whined again, though this time much more unhappily. “Mmph, Moony, it still hurts-“ He whimpered, shifting again uncomfortably.
Moon rubbed his cheek against him soothingly, shushing him. “You’re okay, love. You’re in heat.”
Suns eyes widened and he pulled back to stare at his mate, whose pupils had dilated with arousal. “I am?! But- does that mean you-?”
Moon shook his head, an apologetic smile on his face. “No, I haven’t started mine. I think we both got messed up from the past few months. I’m sure next time we’ll have our cycle proper.”
Suns face fell, from equal parts disappointment and another intense wave of discomfort now centered around the slight throbbing in his pelvic region. Tears built in his eyes without his permission. “I’m sorry Moony-“
Moon didn’t allow him to finish, cutting him off with a sweet kiss that quickly turned a little less so. Sun chased his mouth greedily, holding his jaw in both hands so he could deepen the kiss. They broke apart, foreheads pressed together as they panted for air. Need began to build quite desperately in Sun, and Moon felt it through their bond, senses heighted from the mating pheromones filling their den.
“No need to be sorry. Would you like me to help you through this? I… I don’t know how this will work, and I have a feeling that nothing will be viable, so. Just be prepared for that, okay? I don’t want to get our hopes up.”
Sun sniffled, understanding what Moon was saying. Moon hadn’t started his cycle with him, and thus his body wasn’t ready to properly take his clutch and would likely reject it pretty quickly. “I.. I understand. Kiss me?”
Without hesitation, their lips met again, fangs scraping each other’s lips as they pressed closer. Moon shifted, untangling them and pressing Sun back into the bedding, twining their tails more comfortably around each other slowly. Sun keened at the friction against his leaking slit, bucking up against his underbelly with a needy grumble in the back of his throat.
Moon pressed down and gently teased the area, applying just enough pressure to almost satisfy before pulling away. He felt himself begin to throb, heat pooling in his lower region. He pulled a hand away from where it had been cradling Suns face and trailed his fingers downwards, pausing when his claw grazed the slick opening.
Sun sucked in a sharp breath, stomach tensing as Moon began to rub his finger around the edges of his weeping slit. Suns tail tightened and attempted to draw him closer but Moon held firm, breathing heavily as Moon continued to tease him with just-not-enough stimulation.
“Moony, please,” He begged, hands gripping the darker nagas hips and attempting to pull him closer and give him some relief. Moon smiled toothily and carefully pressed his finger down, slipping it through the opening with ease. Sun churred loudly in surprise, hips bucking up and forcing the finger deeper.
Moon wiggled his finger and was delighted to feel Suns slick cock respond in kind, rubbing and twisting around his finger as he gently pumped it in and out, drawing lovely moans and hisses of pleasure from his mate. Unable to resist, he started to encourage the tentacle out of its hiding place by inserting another two fingers and rubbing firmly at its base.
Sun keened, hips thrusting out of his control and muttering encouragement and praises. His skin was almost too warm, but the crawling was finally settling the more his partner teased him. The horribly uncomfortable feeling faded into pure arousal, leaving him desperate for relief from the throbbing in his slit.
Once the flushed penis was drawn out, Moon pressed his own slit against Suns and began rubbing against him, trying to relieve the uncomfortable tension that had built from neglecting himself. He panted, tail spiraling further around Sun as he rotated them both so Sun was on top and leaning over him. Sun panted harshly and ground down onto him, not wasting the opportunity for a moment, tentacle wiggling against his slick scales until it found Moon’s own opening and slipped inside.
Moon hissed in relief at the small stretch, his own cock rubbing maddeningly against the others. He ground himself against his love roughly, turning them over again and capturing his lips in another kiss. Both their eyes shut in bliss, licking into each other’s mouths and breathing in their mingling scents.
This continued for what felt like an age, rutting needily against each other and playfully fighting for control, nipping at vulnerable skin and grazing claws along oversensitive sides to make the other tense and flinch away at the ticklish sensation. Moon huffed a strained giggle when Sun managed to gain the upper hand and attack his ribs, claws snagging against his scales when Moon tried to pull away. Quickly, he turned them both again with a particularly hard grind, briefly stunning Sun as tried helplessly to chase another, before he was pinning Suns arms above their heads against the blankets and licking at his neck. Sun let out a startled gasp and hissing giggle as his chin slammed down to protect the spot from Moons tongue.
While he was distracted, Moon allowed his cock to wiggle teasingly against the others just enough to make him moan before pulling himself away and denying anything further, simultaneously nipping at the pointed rays around his loves head. They twitched and flattened at the assault, but Moon just chased them down, relishing in the little noises he was pulling from his mate.
Sun suddenly grunted desperately and flipped them back over, pinning Moons shoulders down with enough force to make him squeak in surprise, flushing with heat. The yellow nagas tail constricted with bruising tightness around Moons own, holding him in place. His thrusts became more desperate and uncoordinated as his writhing cock slipped deeper into Moons slit, right down past where his own normally rested.
Hissing, Sun bent forward and sunk his teeth into Moons shoulder just enough to pierce the skin. Blood swiftly beaded out from the shallow bite, but the sting was soothed by a few rough licks that stemmed the flow, the slight amount of venom that had escaped his mates control making his head buzz for several long moments before his body neutralized the toxin and the feeling began to fade.
Moon shuddered, scales feeling unbearably tight and stomach tensing as he grew closer and the need for more grew almost impossible to ignore. Sun picked up speed, thrusts shallowing until Moon felt him start to swell inside him. He warbled soft, needy encouragements until Sun couldn’t pull out anymore, left desperately grinding until he finally came with a low keen. His knot locking them together as his seed spilled into Moon.
Moon whined, squirming, wound tight and desperate for more contact. He was so close, but Suns tiny thrusts were faltering as the pleasure and relief of release washed over him. It wasn’t long until Moon felt the first lump travelling down Suns penis and into him, the pressure caused by each small egg just enough to be painful. Sun hisses, sounding very uncomfortable as he slumped to rest against his mate, face pressed into the crook of his neck and catch his breath, hips still twitching as the need of his heat abated with each part of the small clutch being deposited into Moon.
After only a couple eggs, they finally stopped and Sun was able to relax his tense muscles, though his knot had yet to deflate as he lay heavily on top of Moon. The darker of the two writhed, unable to get the stimulation he desperately needed, feeling pleasantly full but unable to get past the frustration of being denied his own release. How he wished he was in his own heat right now, he just knew it would not be nearly as difficult for him if he was.
“Sun, Sunny, Sun please-“ He whimpered, begging without shame, the throbbing in his cock almost painful as it twisted desperately between them. He heard Sun groan and felt as he pushed himself up on trembling arms. His mate nuzzled his face lovingly, and Moon nuzzled back on instinct despite the desperate chittering he couldn’t suppress from bubbling out his throat. The contact and strong whiff of his mates scent was soothing, but the desperation wasn’t so easily appeased.
Sun reached down between them and clumsily gripped his swollen cock and gave it a few quick pumps. Moon gasped, bucking into the sensation until the tension finally snapped and he came into his mates hand. Pleasure swept through him and he relaxed, a stuttering purr rumbling in his chest as he happily pulled Sun down for another kiss, giving his flat nose an affectionate lick. Sun’s answering purr mingled with his own soon after.
They nuzzled together contentedly for a long while, at one point shifting to lay on their sides, cushioned by their tangled coils. They were still stuck together until Suns knot deflated, not that either of them really minded, so they simply decided to enjoy the lazy moment of the afterglow. Sun gently groomed Moons face with small licks that had Moon nipping playfully at his tongue as if to ward it off. Sun would only giggle and go in for more or distract him with more nuzzles and catch him again while he wasn’t paying attention.
Slowly, Moon found himself growing tired, the excitement of their activities wearing off. He flexed his fingers where they lay against Suns back, his love held as close as could be managed. Sleepily, he flicked his tongue against a yellow cheek, tasting the faded scent of pheromones underneath the more familiar citrus and earth.
He stirred only briefly sometime later when Sun carefully pulled himself free, his half aware hiss met with more gentle grooming of his face and soft words of love encouraging him back to sleep. He tried his best to reciprocate with a clumsy nuzzle and missed flick of his tongue, but could barely keep his eyes open and settled for pulling an amused sounding Sun closer and burying his face against the others chest, falling back asleep to the sound of the others muffled laughter.
Many, many hours later, once he was more awake and feeling the hunger from over a day of missed meals, he couldn’t help but look down at his still sleeping mate and be glad that he was lucky enough to have Sun as his life partner. The moment was interrupted, however, when his gut twisted sharply and he let out a pained groan, feeling something shifting inside him.
He twisted out of Suns arms and braced himself on his forearms, breathing heavily as his muscles cramped and tensed. He hissed in pain, pressing a hand hard against his belly in a futile attempt to soothe the aching pressure building there. There was a sharp intake of breath behind him as Sun awoke, moving to hug him from behind once he registered something was wrong. Moon whined, simultaneously wanting to press back into the comfort and move away.
“Moony? What’s wrong?” Sun asked worriedly. Moon couldn’t answer, all his attention focused on breathing through the foreign pain. Suns arm snaked around to his front and began gently rubbing at his belly, making him whine and flinch away, though Sun didn’t stop his ministrations.
“…Is it the eggs?” Sun asked quietly, a sadness tinging his voice despite already knowing this was likely to happen. Moon nodded, bracing his forehead against one of their coils- he couldn’t tell whose and didn’t particularly care.
One harsh cramp later and he felt several somethings start forcing themselves through his still tender opening, followed by several more painful twists of the muscles where they then slipped back out of his slit entirely with some gentle help from Sun’s hand and dropping onto the bedding below, leaving him dripping excess slick. He shuddered, muscles still twitching and letting out a sob that he quickly tried to muffle, clutching at his sore stomach.
Sun gently shushed him and lifted him away, shuffling around until he managed to use the end of his tail to shove away the soiled blanket to be dealt with later. He would make sure to dispose of them before Moon woke again so he wouldn’t have to deal with it, but for now Sun focused on calming him down.
He curled himself comfortingly and securely around Moon until they were left sheltered within the small space under their combined bodies. He pressed close and gently rubbed at his mates back and arms, then his belly before repeating the cycle, cooing softly to remind him that he wasn’t alone and to slowly encourage his breathing to settle from the abrupt ordeal of his body rejecting their first clutch. Just because they had known this would happen didn’t make it any less painful or alarming to experience.
He murmured quiet encouragement and statements of love and affection, softly purring just enough for the vibrations to hopefully calm his silently crying partner. Eventually, the exhaustion settled back in, hunger forgotten as Moon dropped fitfully back off into an exhausted sleep, and Sun finally allowed himself to follow, having been fighting to stay awake to look after Moon. He was still recovering from his heat and had little energy to spare, but it was worth it if it meant he was able to be there for the most important person in his life.
Later, once they were both well rested and Sun had cleaned up, they spent the rest of the day snuggling lazily and feeding each other bites of food that Sun had retrieved after he was done dealing with the mess before Moon awoke. It took a few days before they both felt fully back to normal, but despite the less than ideal circumstances of their first time, they didn’t consider it a total loss. At least now they knew what to expect for the next cycle, where hopefully the both of them will be ready and they can potentially have their next clutch be viable.