Legend of Spyro: Gifted Curse, CH 9
#12 of Legend of Spyro: Gifted Curse
Legend of Spyro: Gifted Curse
CHAPTER 9
Stone by stone, Spyro hurried to get the walls built up before the rain hit. Of all the times for the weather to suddenly turn! Of course, he could probably have easily exerted some elemental effort to change the weather to his benefit, but something about going against the natural flow didn't sit right with him, so now he was pressed for time to get the nesting chamber built. Then there was the hallway and the refurbished guest room - they were planning to turn the existing guest room into the playroom and/or kids' bedroom, so they'd be closer in case something happened. But, nesting was top priority.
Cynder kept pacing, antsy, frustrated, and impatient, constantly glancing at the room every time she heard a stone being set into place and expecting it to be the final piece. Her rational mind knew it would take time and that she shouldn't judge her mate's inability to get it done faster, but her instincts were starting to kick into gear, and having to hold off on building her nest was making her grumpy, and she hated it but couldn't control it either. Half her mind wanted to scream at being denied a nesting room when she wanted it done, the other half felt terribly guilty about even entertaining the notion. It was such a strong, sudden onset too, it had taken them both by unpleasant surprise.
"Oh screw it," Spyro finally growled when the wind picked up. Giving a heavy, sharp breath of Earth power, he enveloped the remaining rocks in his control, then set them all in place at once, coursing his power through them to mold them into place against each other. Cynder leapt through their bedroom in excitement to watch him back out against her and then lay his paws onto the dirt floor, the debris vibrating and shaking and then rising up and reforming into cool, solid stone. "That'll have to do for now," he grunted, exhausted from such fine control of his elements. "I'll add a window and some better wall insulation later when you've got it set up. Just don't get anything too close to the walls."
"I'll build my nest how I want, thank you, now move," she growled irritably, almost shoving him aside. Turning around and around like a cat in a circle, appraising the room, she sighed out, then afforded a small smile when he brought her collection of softs to her. "Thanks, Spyro...I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that..."
"I know. Your instincts are kicking in. Do you need my help or...?"
"No I'm good thanks," she rapidly replied, suddenly terribly averse to his presence in the room, for the first time since they'd started having sex. A bit confused, Spyro awkwardly left her to her devices, using his firebreath to relight a torch over their bedroom doorway so she'd at least have a little light to work by.
"I'll, uh...I guess I'll go talk to Flame and see if we can't head out to get some more nest materials," he called over his shoulder, grabbing his cash belt and strapping it over his chest, then grabbing a grocery tarp and affixing it to his belly.
"Don't be too long!" she called back.
"But you don't want me in there with you?"
"I said don't be too long!" she snipped, then he heard a frustrated sigh at herself. The wind picked up outside and Spyro closed the front door behind himself with a matching sigh. It was like he'd woken up to a completely different dragoness and he didn't know how to take it.
Cold, pelting droplets didn't help the matter, the storm coming in hard and fast off the ocean. Lightning illuminated the whole island for a fraction of a second, with thunder cracking out only a short bit afterwards. Hurrying to the temple, the purple male shook himself off in the dojo and sighed, jetting fire across his scales to dry off. Ember was in there with Flame and Terrador. "Hey Spyro!" the pink dragoness called out, though with a bit of a...flirty undertone to it. The way she looked at him after the date night was an unusual experience for the violet male.
"Yo dude," Flame called, turning back to the older Earth Guardian. "Yeah, they're really weird though. Each one takes a bit of doing to unlock. Every box is its own puzzle, but whoever designed them couldn't have done so in short order unless they were made by magic."
"Indeed..." Terrador grunted, turning the tiny lockbox over and over in his massive paws. "Should I have Volteer examine the box as well?"
"I guess? They've been very popular with the Warfang scientists and mages already."
"I'll take it to him and get his input on the matter." Taking his leave, he shuffled off deeper into the Temple, the two turning to the purple dragon.
"So wassup?" Flame asked, lightly punching Spyro's shoulder.
"Cynder's...um...nesting."
At that, their smiles faded to wide eyes. "Ah..." Ember huffed, wings sagging. Flame laid his wing over her in a comforting hug.
"Lemme guess. She kicked you out?"
"I left for a bit but I think she was close to it, yeah. I was thinking of heading to that eastern town and getting some soft things for her."
Ember glanced at her mate. "Why don't you head out with Spyro? I'll go see if I can help her a bit."
"You sure?" Flame asked with a cocked brow and an uncertain tone. "I mean, if she's snapping at Spyro, there's no guarantee she won't kick you out too."
"If I'm too much I'll just get her some food. You know how nesting girls are."
"Eh, fair 'nuff I guess." Giving her a kiss, he purred lightly, then nuzzled her neck. "Love you babe."
"Love you Flamie."
"We're going now, in the storm?" Spyro asked, Flame nodding.
"Sooner, the better, you'll want to get her some soft stuff as soon as possible before she finishes the nest. Why didn't you get it sooner though?"
"First time I guess, wasn't expecting to have to build a new room and juggle other stuff all at once."
Thunder crashed overhead, the three dragons taking flight quickly, Ember breaking off to head to their house while the two males went as fast as they could. Spyro didn't know if the Temple sat in a wide river, a sea, or a thin ocean, it was a bit awkward of a distance but they reached the other shore soon enough. The land had been shattered into a series of steps, and Spyro recognized a bit of this area through the sheets of rain pouring down over them. Long rope bridges had been cast up between the crustal steps, with a few magical bridges still under construction. Up on the second step of rock sat a large shop building, more of a barn, and inside it smelled of weird leatherworking chemicals and various furs and hides. The size of the building was put to full use - an absolutely enormous hide was pinned to the left wall, spanning from the roof joists to the floor, covered in rocky scales. Shelves and racks of furs, rugs, leathers, and various sizes of strips and patches were everywhere, and up under the roof were cables on pulleys, on which were hung even more wares. The back third of the shop was the working and crafting area, where several Dragons and Cheetahs were hard at work sewing, scraping fresh leathers, looming, cutting and shearing, and moving hides between tanning baths. Walled off with screens and cooled with fans running on crystals and magic power, Spyro caught a few whiffs of the unpleasant odors from the workshop, but the main shop front spelled quite nice now that they were among the treated wares. "Oh, Sir Spyro, it is an honor for you to browse our humble offerings!" An older dragon came into view, earth by his build but gray all over.
"Uh, just Spyro, thanks."
"So what are you here for, Just Spyro?"
Flame snickered and Spyro smirked and shook his head. "I uh, heard this shop was recommended for soft things. My mate was looking for some softer bedding."
"Hmmmm...Well, if you need blankets, I can recommend these furs here..."
Spyro hadn't anticipated how long it would take just to browse selections. He was so used to street stalls and small markets that didn't have so much room, but here, there were so many things tightly packed in a large area, and so many wares to sample. Having to wipe his nose with a hot rag and dry it between tests of softness was making his hide a bit raw by the time he found a few to purchase. Two blankets and two rugs, folded up and stuffed into his grocery tarp. They were fairly heavy though. Before they headed out into the rain again, Flame tapped his shoulder. "Hey, wanna grab a bite or something and wait out the storm a bit? You should get some food in your gut in case she keeps you in the nest for hours or something."
"Will she?"
"She might. A hormonal girl is unpredictable."
"Eh, why not."
"I'll pay this time though."
A quick jog down the street to the bar, and they were warming up in front of the fire. With it still being afternoon, there weren't many other patrons yet, so it was nice and quiet. And clean. Spyro hated bars with all the alcohol smells and dirty or sticky floors from drunken fools. One whole bird apiece and they were feasting away. "Kinda sucks she's like this all of a sudden..." Spyro muttered through his mouthful.
"Yeah...she'll be like that until she gets the nest arranged how she wants," Flame mumbled with a shrug of his wings. "S'how they are. Dunno why. But usually, it's just the first time. Once they have a nest they can maintain, girls tend to mellow out. You might want to get used to sleeping there though. If Cynder's like most other pregnant females, she'll want lots of snuggles, even when it gets too warm."
"Why's that?"
"Beats me, bro, I have no clue. It's not like the eggs need the additional warmth if they can sit for hundreds of years before hatching. Dragons are weird."
"No kidding. I'm been so confused about myself ever since finding Ignitus."
"You're not alone."
"So...is there anything I should know about males then?"
"Nah, not really, we're pretty simple," he replied with a smirk and a puff of his chest. "Fuck the girl, get her pregnant, get her food and soft stuff, keep fucking her when she needs it. That's about it really."
"Sucks that it's just the girls going through so much."
"That's why ya gotta be there for her, dude. I can't imagine how stressful it is for a single mother. We might be weird creatures but we're made to be social."
A long, heavy sigh escaped the purple dragon. "That...doesn't really help my long-term considerations for this... stuff." Glancing around, he lowered his voice to barely a whisper. "I know there are a bunch of girls who want to be single mothers. But...is that fair to them, that they have to go through this sort of stuff alone? And...I feel like the kids need a dad in their life, y'know?"
"I know. It's weird still. I had a dad, but my friends didn't, but they still found dad figures anyway among their moms' casual flings. Usually it tends to work out either way. Some dragons want a kid but don't want the commitment to another adult. I wouldn't worry too much about it, look how we turned out!"
"Yeah, you're addicted to sex."
"Happily so." Taking another huge bite of meat, he churred. "Mmmm...gotta love that dark meat. Tasty and juicy." The purple dragon's thoughts went to Cynder's color and her copious feminine ejaculations, making him blush. "Hah! I know where your mind went!"
"Shut up..."
"I just hope Ember isn't gonna try to make Cynder some food. I would've offered to stay and do that since I'm the better cook but...a male that isn't her mate is much more likely to get clawed until she settles."
"Geez...that bad? But wouldn't Ember also set her off?"
"Weird thing again. I mean, sometimes a pregnant girl might get...possessive? And might think another girl is trying to steal her eggs? But that's after they're laid. And it's not all that common. I think they're good for now, I just hope Ember can at least help her a little."
"Hope so too..." Trailing off into a swig of berry juice from a drinking bowl, the purple dragon stared at the fireplace, his mind whirling. Hopefully this was totally natural for Cynder and wasn't a byproduct of being a possible Matriarch.
The flight back to the Temple was slower and more laborious against the wind, but the storm died off shortly before they reached the mushroom forest. Ember came out to greet them, looking a little weary. "Good, you found peace offerings..."
"She's that bad off huh?" Flame asked, worried.
"She can't settle on anything. It's driving her crazy. But with some more soft things I think she can settle."
"Thanks, guys...I'll take it from here."
"Good luck," they both replied, taking off for the Temple. Closing the door behind himself, Spyro cautiously edged in, hearing a loud, irritated growl from the back room.
"Cynder?"
"Fuck off!!" she yelped. He winced, then undid the tarp and pulled out the blankets and rugs.
"I got you some more soft things!"
"I don't fucking-" she started, then peered around the door, snarling. Her eyes lit up when she saw the furs. "Oh...Oh Spyro! I...I didn't...I thought..."
"Here..." he whispered, edging closer and sliding them on the floor to her. Snatching one up, she buried her face against the soft material, sniffing against it a few times.
"Yeeesssss..." she whispered, lobbing it behind herself blindly, repeating the process for the other three parcels. Once they were in the nest she undid the bindings and chucked them into the bedroom. Deciding to stay out of sight for a bit, he went and got himself some more juice and a snack after the flight. There was some bread and water, Ember had apparently been trying to make Cynder a light snack but had abandoned the effort. Putting it away before it got stale, he sighed to himself, not really wanting to round the corner. But, he had no idea when she'd last eaten or drank. He watched from across the bedroom as Cynder carefully laid out the new furs, nuzzling into them repeatedly and slightly shifting them, or picking them up and arranging them with other things, bunching them up or flattening them out and then laying down to give a few testing rolls. He couldn't help thinking she looked cute when she rolled over like that, but he also felt very hesitant to approach. At long last she seemed to reach a conclusion and settled down, tucking her paws under herself as best she could with such a large belly. Spotting Spyro watching, she snarled, but caught herself and shook her head. "Hey..."
"Hey. Is it safe?"
"I...don't know."
Giving a few testing steps forward and getting no negative reaction, he gradually made his way into the room, then nuzzled at her, flinching a bit when she huffed at him. Giving her neck a few licks, he got her to start purring. Cynder licked him back and sighed heavily. "You okay?" he whispered.
"I don't know, Spyro...I feel so fucking weird, and it's like I keep flipping switches inside without even knowing they're there. And I hate it. I like being pregnant but...this nesting stuff is driving me up the wall. And the Matron's warden said it's normal and I just have to weather it out."
"Yeah."
"I mean, I want you here with me but something inside is also screaming to bite you. But I also need you, but I also need you to get out. And I don't know which side to listen to. But I also don't want to leave this nest."
"Is it comfortable at least?"
"Not really. It's horribly warm and gets scratchy even with the softness. But if I move away I feel...scared. Terrified, but not. Like everything in me is screaming not to leave this room. Almost like when we...when we faced Malefor, everything was screaming to run away."
Giving a contemplative huff, he nuzzled at her again and she snapped around and almost bit his neck, but caught herself and started licking him instead. He caught sidelong sight of tears forming at the corners of her eyes. Her internal conflict was a lot more than she let on. "Hey...Cynder...don't worry about hurting me. I'm not leaving you over a few instinctual scratches or bites. I love you too much to let that get in the way. You've hurt me way worse in the past anyway, and those were intentional."
"Don't remind me."
"Just letting you know, love. I love you. So much. We'll get through this. It's just a necessary step in the process is all, it's not gonna be permanent. In fact Flame says it really only happens for the first nest, and later pregnancies aren't nearly this bad at this stage."
"Ancestors, I hope not..." she whispered with a shudder. "I just...I don't want to...you know...bite something we'll both regret. Or claw or whatever. I want you here with me but...I also want you gone, and that scares me so much..."
"It's just a few days for this, it's probably because of the nesting rush. Now that you have a nest, you should calm down. Need me to get you anything?"
"A whole fucking crab, and a lake."
"It'll take me a bit. Are you good on your own?"
Shaking her head, she looked around the small chamber, then spotted the two pillows he'd bought, sitting on their bed in the next room. "Gimme..." she begged, reaching a claw out to them. She had to fight another snarl when he left the room, then clutched the purple and black pillows to her chest, sniffing deeply against them. Downy plushy filling, but within that scent was her own, and her mate's. It was comforting enough that Spyro eventually was able to leave her without her growls of complaint.
Within an hour he had a basic but still tasty dish of roasted crab meat, some mushroom and fruit slices topped with berries and some sugar for a treat, and a large pitcher of water. When he peeked in at his mate, he found her with her face buried in the pillows. It took him a bit of careful maneuvering but he managed to get some spare wood and stone pieces along the side of the nest as a makeshift table for her, causing her to look up at him. Her eyes were reddened and her whole muzzle was damp. She looked terrified. Setting the food along the table and getting her a big bowl for the water, he then gently nuzzled at her and she necked against him firmly, shuddering. Taking that as his cue, the purple dragon carefully edged into the nest and laid down atop her to snuggle her with his weight, grooming along her neck and cheek, purring, kneading her belly with his paws, everything he could think of to comfort her. A light whine escaped her and she sniffled and shivered, then buried her face into the pillows again, not wanting her mate to see her crying. He could feel it though, continuing to rub and love on her, finally settling for a tight hug. She broke away from the pillows and buried her face against him instead. Hot wetness streamed down his scales as she broke down. He hadn't seen her this insecure for about a year now. Cradling her head to his chest with one paw, he held her shoulders tight to his chest with the other, coiling his tail around hers and covering her with his wings, gently rocking her side to side. "It'll be okay, Cyn..." he whispered, rubbing her neck and licking at the base of her horn. "We'll get through this."
"I'm so scared...I don't want you to leave me..." she whined. There were several heavy layers to that statement, all of which he picked up on. She was frightened that she might drive him away or...perhaps, accidentally kill him with an outburst. It was triggering her fears that Malefor had planted in her. She needed him in her life. She also didn't want him leaving that nest now, even for a moment.
"I'm not going anywhere now. My place is with you. For better, or worse."
Pulling away from his chest, she looked up at him, emerald searching amethyst. "Spyro...why? Why me? Why do you love me so much, I don't deserve any of it..."
"Is that for anyone to decide?" he asked, butting his forehead against hers and holding there. His paw found hers and their toes laced together. "Love just...is. It doesn't have a reason, nor does it answer to anyone for deserving or not. Our hearts are one now. It was our choice. Together."
"Was it though?" she asked, the implication sending an unpleasant icy chill down his back. "Some nights...I-I keep...keep thinking he...he somehow brainwashed me to like you...just to...to break you by betraying you later. And I don't ever want that but...it keeps...it keeps haunting me."
"Why would he do that though? He was bent on making you his. He had it in his head that he would win. How would he brainwash you?"
"I dunno, some sorta contingency plan or something, I don't know! Just...I can't stop...worrying about it..."
"Then go by what your heart wants. Isn't that what we did? Why you resisted him? He was desperate to have you. To use you only for himself. But you chose love...didn't you?"
His words rang true enough. She'd had so many chances to run away from him, and even when they were chained together with that magic snare, part of her had opted to stick with him, even if only for companionship. And at the very end, when he told her to leave...she'd chosen to stay by his side.
"Would a tool of Malefor have stayed by me in the Core?" he whispered, licking her lips. "I was basically dead in the core anyway. You had every chance to leave."
"I know..." Her tail tightened a bit more around his.
"Don't doubt yourself, Cynder. Especially not now when your hormones are raging. You made a choice to defy him, to stand by my side...and that is my choice, to stand by yours."
"But...minds can be changed."
"Perhaps. But I've made my choice and I'm sticking with it. Why you? I don't know...and I don't really care, because I do know that I love you and that's all I need. Short and simple." Pulling her into a kiss, he hugged her close again, just holding her tight and snug for a while until she gradually relaxed. In the back of his mind though, he was terribly worried now. The possibility of this breeder thing being a curse...would likely amplify her fears of being brainwashed. Or worse, make her fear that being a breeder was the sole reason she was attracted to him, not by choice of heart but by bodily enslavement to instincts. Much as he wanted to say they'd made their choice to love each other long before any of this stuff settled in, there was her counterpoint of Malefor brainwashing her initially during her corrupted time, then again at the final conflict when he'd briefly ensnared her and turned her against him. Her corruption and that brief grasp of his on her mind were two very solid anchor points grounding her fear of the possibility, and there really wasn't any means to rule it out unless perhaps a mage could do some sort of magic scan over her head? It alarmed him all the same though. If they were breeders...it might scar her even more. The last four years of progress with her could easily be undone in less than a few minutes of explanation now.
Hopefully the Matron knew how to handle such a delicate mental situation...
Finally managing to convince her to eat and drink, Spyro kept gently rubbing her while she practically inhaled the food he'd prepared for her. A few times she had to get up and rearrange herself for comfort but he was right back atop her to keep her comforted. When the table was empty, she laid her head down to rest, hiccuping a little. After what felt like hours, she was asleep, and Spyro dared to extricate himself from the nest, stretching and shaking out the cramps and pins and needles that had gathered from having to be in one position for so long with her. A quick hike to the Temple, and some winding to the Pool room, he found the stalks of crystals and breathed fire over it to activate them. They burst aflame, the tongues bobbing and quivering in a pattern, then they took shape and turned from red to blue, forming the Matron herself. "Oh, my dear, hello. Is everything alright?"
Rubbing his neck with his wing, Spyro grumbled to himself. "How do I put it...We got the nest together, but Cynder's...not doing very well, mentally."
"May I ask what's going on?"
A few tries to formulate words died on his lips before he found his voice again. "It's...I don't...um...how the hell do I put this... I think she's suspecting something about this situation, more than she's letting on. She's terrified, and I haven't seen her break down like this for over a year now. I'm...kinda scared that...if news comes to her that she's a Matriarch...it might break her."
"How so?" The question was very serious in tone.
"She's had repeating fears that Malefor brainwashed her to fall in love with me so that she would later betray or even kill me. Like...fearing that our relationship isn't out of choice. And I know it was her choice...she was the first of us to admit it, after all, when I had a million other things on my mind. But...especially with this hormonal confusion of her wanting me present but also wanting to kick me out of the nest, she's terrified of losing me, of betraying me with a lethal bite or other instinctual repercussion. And...I'm afraid that if she learns she's a Matriarch...she might...she might end up...thinking that the curse forced her to love me...forced us to love each other. And Malefor's taunting of using her body for breeding definitely won't help there."
The older dragoness spent an uncomfortable amount of contemplative silence as she figured an answer. "I know it's very hard to deal with, and this is truly a serious matter, but I do thank you, Spyro. This is extremely important for us to know for her overall health."
"I thought so...I maybe should've mentioned it earlier for her testing but...I had kinda hoped all this stuff was behind us."
"It never will be, unfortunately. She will bear that personal darkness for the rest of her life. Traumas never leave...they just sit quiet, and buried, but given an opportunity they will rise up again. But with this knowledge I can be more prepared to tell her what the results are in, what I can only hope, a way that will be positive for her and not trigger a strong reaction. You said the nest is complete?"
"I think so. I had to get her some more soft stuff. Ember tried to help look after her while I was out but said she was driving herself nuts trying to work with our existing materials."
"Yes...a certain level of cushion and warmth reflection and retention is essential. But, it is one of those interpolative factors, so there is no baseline for guidance, purely trial and error for every girl."
"Will this...fit of hers pass soon?"
"Yes. I would expect her to be fine tomorrow or the day after. If she continues past that though, there might be an issue we'll have to treat, so do keep me posted please."
"Alright...thanks..."
"I know you are scared of the repercussions of this scenario, young one, but do be patient, and try to stay positive. As we've said before, you and Cynder are not alone in this. Get your rest, make sure she's fed and has plenty of water. Now that the nest is complete, I will be there in about a week or so." With that, she gave a nodding bow and the magic holographic image fizzled out.
"All things going well, I trust?" Cyril was peeking into the room. Spyro sighed and shook his head.
"I don't know what to do now, Cyril...I still have another week to wait for confirmation, and now I really wish you guys hadn't told me about this because it's driving me nuts!"
Padding into the room more fully, the Ice Guardian sighed. "Alas, young chap, it was a necessary evil. Forewarned is forearmed, as my uncle oft stated. We collectively made the decision to inform you early so that you would be better prepared to take the news, rather than ungraciously having it dumped upon you all at once. Perhaps that was a mistake on our part, but surely I would hope not. It is better, after all, to teeter upon the brink of a cliff and brace yourself for the bottom than to walk over it unawares and have no preparation at all. It is a bridge to be crossed when you reach it, in the end. I do apologize that it has caused such stress for you."
"It's not just the stress on me though, when Cynder finds out I knew this for the last what, two months now? She's gonna lose her shit! She just had a bad breakdown after over a year of a clean record without breakdowns! What's this all gonna do to her?!"
"Spyro," the ice elder snapped, startling him. "Calm yourself, this is most unbefitting of a proud and noble warrior! You insult your mate with such words!"
"...Excuse me?"
"Your worries and concerns are not unfounded, I do not mean to discredit you, but Cynder is just as strong, even with her faults. You have seen this for yourself, so do not be so quick to write off her reactions either!"
The thought had occurred to him several times, but to have Cyril barking it at him definitely gave him pause.
"It is a stressful possibility, yes, I do understand your concern," he continued more slowly, "but at the same time it could be good news heading your way as well. Do not be so swift to condemn yourself or your mate, Spyro, you are better than this. And if it does negatively affect her mental state, we have authorities on the matter ready to help her."
His wings sagged and he sighed heavily, almost deflating. "I don't want her to lose all this progress..."
"Neither do we, Spyro. Neither would Ignitus. Informing you ahead of time was the lesser of evils, as demoralizing as it may have seemed across the span of waiting on eggshells, metaphorically. Trust the Matron. Trust your mate. And trust the higher powers that have led you and Cynder together. There must be a reason for all this to happen."
"I can't help worrying though...if I do have to be a breeder, what time willIi have for myself? For Cynder, for the kids? What is their future gonna be, having to become mates with their own half-siblings around the world?"
At that, Cyril gave a small grin. "That would be a small matter, young chap. I've no doubt you've heard this from the Matron or another source by now, but familial mateships do not have the negative impacts for Dragons that they do for the other species. No doubt due to the...longer potential gestation and generally longer time between clutches. It is completely safe for relatives to breed. How else would my ancestry have remained so pure and strong?"
The thought of the pompous ice dragon being along a line of incest had never occurred to Spyro and it made him blush at the sudden mental images of imaginary ancestral family members getting it on. "I-I...uh..."
"I shan't keep you from Cynder further though. I would assume she needs you now, even if she doesn't let it on as she should. Do tell her I have that information on the serpentine construct she felled."
Thankfully it was evening by the time Spyro left the Temple. He was exhausted, mentally and emotionally. Having to keep this situation secret from his mate while she bordered on the fringe of it herself was stressful. Nudging into the house, he closed the door as quietly as he could, and entered the nesting chamber just in time for Cynder to flinch awake when her wingblade caught against her lip. "D'ja go somewhere...?" she slurred into a yawn.
"Needed to stretch my legs. You had my tail pinned by yours and it fell asleep."
"Shorry..." she mumbled, eyes already closing again even as she sat up. Nosing down along her neck, her lover kissed and nibbled at her belly, making her sleepily giggle.
"Bedtime, hun. Get your rest."
His attentions to her belly made her lightly purr herself to sleep, dozing off quickly. Curling up carefully in the nest with her, he laid his wing over her side and closed his eyes too.
Flame was right, this nest got hot awful fast. And scratchy too, even with how soft it was. How was Cynder going to tolerate this for the next few weeks or so? It baffled his sleepy mind.