Chapter Text
E had been quite reluctant to mate with the Indoraptor once more.
After all, her first experience in mating was not the most pleasurable.
He hurt her.
Broke her.
E did not want to take that risk again.
But the red and cream colored female also desired that pleasure-that intimacy.
Desired something that she could not and would not understand.
For while the female Raptor remembered the pain of their union-she also remembered the pleasure.
While other beasts feared his jagged teeth and crushing maw-E craved the pleasure he could give her.
Craved the tingling, tickling, heated puffs of his breath upon her sensitive scales as his hot and moist tongue parted her walls with his girth and tasted her once more.
Tasted her and savored her and enjoyed her flesh and nectar like he did before, time and time again.
Like a predator baying for the scent and taste of blood, his nares flaring and jagged jaws salivating.
His golden eyes were rimmed red, intoxicated with the scent of her-the taste of her.
The pants and grunts and rasps she made.
The writhing and trembling of her little body as he eagerly delved and claimed her depths.
Gorging himself as if he were starved, taloned hands gripping her legs and forcing her to splay and hips to rise from the ground-only for a powerful thrust of his head to slam her back into the ground.
He was sure E cried out-but from pain or pleasure-he did not care.
Because all that mattered to the Indoraptor was being inside her.
Preying upon her.
Hunting her.
Dominating her.
Claiming her.
Wanting her.
Because at times, their mateship was less like a bonded pair, and more like predator and prey.
Who was prey, and who was predator just so happened to be whoever struck first.
At times, E was the pursuer, and would dominate the Indoraptor's sex and jaw.
She would control her pleasure, and his.
And he would tend to her greed at her will.
And if he performed to her standards-she would tend to his sex with her own maw.
At times, the Indoraptor was the pursuer, and would dominate the little female with his sex and jaw.
She would refute his advances.
She would fight back-however mild.
She would attempt to get away.
She would always submit, and allow herself to be dominated by her Alpha.
For as much as E enjoyed dominating and claiming her mate-it was nice to be dominated and claimed in return.
Because that meant she was another'ssomething.
And being someone'ssomething was better thannothing.
Thus, E quite enjoyed being claimed by his tongue, and dominated by his sex-if only to eagerly feed upon his seed.
It was the strangest feeling, to want another inside her.
To want something inside her that wasn't food or water.
To want something inside her that was another.
To want something inside her that was alive.
To want him.
And lately, E's desires were getting harder and harder to control.
Because what used to be enough, no longer was becoming enough.
And that scared her.
His tongue wasn't enough.
His hot breath upon her scales wasn't enough.
His serrated teeth scraping her, biting her, marking her, wasn't enough.
None of it was enough.
E knew what she wanted.
She wanted to join with him.
Truly join with him.
Even though the first-and last time-they joined as one, she was hurt so.
E figured the risk was worth it.
She trusted her mate.
She wanted him too much.
She just wanted to be his something again.
And he, hers.
E could never imagine being in such pleasure prior to their second union.
Being joined-their bodies one.
Moving as one.
Breathing as one.
And ending as one.
The female couldn't imagine being happier than she was now.
Couldn't imagine being more wanted.
More cherished.
More...
Something.
Something more than something.
Something that wasn't pain from another's teeth and claws.
Something that was only good instead-to E, at least.
Her mate was not like Rust.
Her mate was better than Rust.
And for that, the her mate needed to be cherished.
More often than not, they mated not because their instincts demanded, but for the euphoria they associated their joining with.
Because like birds, they mated for pleasure.
The greed of pleasure.
The desire for pleasure.
Far more often than they should have, in truth.
Probably more than was appropriate in their daily activities.
But what did the pair have to fear?
They had a home, and a nest within, safe in the dark of the loft of the abandoned cabin.
A home to build a future within for their little pack of two.
Larger predators were few and far between, and the pair's interaction with others of their kind was limited.
Indeed, they preferred the company of one another, compared to the social complexities of a larger pack.
They preferred the companionship and intimacy of one another.
Thus, their indulgence of sexual dalliance spanned for days-weeks-and suddenly, ceased.
So much so-that the Indoraptor was confused on why the red hued female suddenly rebuffed his advances.
E would hiss and spit, and snap her jaws at the striking onyx and gold hybrid.
She would simply refuse and deny his advances.
At first, the male Raptor kin thought it was their usual courting of the female resisting, and he, pursuing until she broke.
But she never submitted, and fought harder the more he chased.
It was then that the Indoraptor realized something was wrong, but he was unsure what.
Thus, the male hybrid did what he thought was best to remediate their relationship.
The clacking of powerful claws drummed and thrummed upon the aged hardwood, scratches from its current occupants scarring the floorboards. The Indoraptor emerged into the lair, large form almost unable to fit through the door frame. His golden eyes shone and reflected in the dim light cast askew by the fragmented holes within the broken roof, golden, vibrant scales shimmering in the light. His nares flared, and a muffled, hissing rumble escaped his striking throat, pupils dilating and searching in the black.
A large rabbit was held limply within his jaws, blood a sluggish trickle down its furred mouth, eyes wide and pupils fully dilated akin to a doll's eyes. The male's scarred jaws were caked with clumps of brown fur.
The Indoraptor neared the entrance to the loft, where the onyx and gold beast reared upon his powerful find legs, muscular forearms extending and clawed fingers curling and grasping the wooden ledge above. His powerful arms pulled and his legs pushed, and in one fluid motion, the hybrid hoisted himself upon the ledge above, tail curled over the edge, swaying in the rays of light.
The Indoraptor's amber eyes would find E laying upon their nest of ruined pillows and blankets, branches with leaves long dead and dried littering the neglected bedding. E lay upon her side, breath slow as her swollen belly rose and fell to the rhythm of her working lungs. The female Raptor did not show any acknowledgement of her mate's return, nor did she move much, if at all. The scarred female simply lay there, and breathed, an occasional grimace upon her scaled lips, serrated teeth baring.
The male’s amber eyes flicked as he studied his partner, serpentine pupils dilating ever so slightly in the dark din of the loft.
His claws scraped against the aged wood as he moved, swan like neck lowering and placing the small kill beside E's smaller snout.
Pulling away, the vivid male stepped back slowly, carefully, golden eyes observing intently, quills rising in anticipation. His tail flicked and swayed, a dull thud resounding as he struck the wooden railing.
He waited for E to feed, to accept his gift.
The only indication the small female noticed the small meal, was in a brief flicker of her gaze falling upon the morsel.
A croaked rumble riveted from the hybrid's throat, and his quills lowered upon his head as he bent down, and nudged the offering to her.
Twice.
Thrice.
Attempting to urge her to feed.
To eat, and not vomit, as she normally did.
She did not.
The male hybrid cocked his head, releasing a low chitter in concern.
Slowly, he moved closer to the red and white female, snout lowering and nares flaring as his warm breath trickled over her scales. Inspecting her belly that was too swollen, before moving to her edematous feet, which were far larger than they should have been.
E had been sick for weeks, and with the growing of her belly, she was just getting worse.
She rarely ate, and when she did, she vomited.
Her feet and ankles swelled, and made it painful for her rise.
And when E did rise-she wobbled, and fell, unless she stood up slowly and cautiously.
E rarely left the loft, if only because it was too taxing on her fatigued body to leap and climb to the nest.
She was completely reliant upon the Indoraptor, and the added stress upon the hybrid was beginning to show.
The male Raptor lost the weight he had previously gained, for any prey small enough to be brought to the scarred female. Most of his kills were brought back and offered to E, in the hopes that she would feed.
At times, she did, and gorged herself.
But most of the time, she simply refused his offer.
E simply did not want to eat.
Thus, most of the Indoraptor's time was spent hunting for small prey.
Large prey, he found, was too dangerous, at least to hunt alone.
Scars ran along the Indoraptor's sides and belly where he almost suffered a fatal goring of a horned prey he foolishly attempted to take head on.
He learned in that moment, that he needed to be more cautious.
Because if he became unable to hunt, not only would he starve, but his mate would as well.
And in E's condition, the onyx and gold hybrid was unsure if his female would recover to hunt by his side again.
It was an uncertainty that plagued the large Raptor.
And worrying about his mate's failing health, and the lack of his companion, had caused him to seek ways to release his every growing anxiety and stress. Preening was natural. It was good. But the Indoraptor at times preened himself too much upon his arms, causing his scales to wear and tear, sores and blisters forming where once obsidian scales were unmarred.
If it was not preening, it was scratching.
Scratching and raking his talons along his jaw and snout.
Scratching so until he bled. And when his wounds scabbed over, he scratched them, only to bleed again.
Because the Indoraptor disliked his mate being sick, but did not know what to do.
Was he a bad mate?
Did he do something wrong?
Did he need to try harder?
Hunt harder?
Care harder?
E used to preen him, and the hybrid, the female.
Now, E did not clean him with soft and tender licks of the tongue. She did not even preen her own scales.
The Indoraptor took on that task, dutifully cleaning and caring for his mate.
Cleaning, preening and tending to her.
Attempting to reform his bond with her.
Attempting to show he cared.
Attempting to make her feel better.
In the end, all the Indoraptor could do was try and be a good mate.
E was getting worse.
She was in pain.
She was uncomfortable.
She was laying there, twisting and writhing within the nest, breath swift and labored. She would grimace, and try to cry out.
Try to cry in agony, body tensing and haplessly struggling to get away from the anguish that reigned over her.
Try to cry, only for her breath to be caught in her lungs.
The red female was distressed, and in terror.
And it was distressing the Indoraptor, the obsidian scaled male pacing back and forth below the loft, claws scraping against the lumber floor. His posture was wooden and ridged, muscles jerking and tense. Around and around he trotted, killing claws flicking and jabbing at the floorboards in anxiousness.
The male Raptor twisted and turned, tail thrashing against the kitchen cabinets with such force, a crack rang out as they broken, and became indented.
He could hear E rasp nigh breathlessly up above, and release a strained groan.
The onyx and gold male lifted his head, nostrils flaring. He shifted anxiously, nervously in place, a clawed hand rising to once more scratch upon his jaw. Rake and scratch with such force until his scales were torn and rend, thick crimson lazily trickling from his scaled maw.
The Indoraptor did not know what to do.
E refused food once again.
She did not tolerate his attempts at preening.
She did not accept his presence.
She wanted him gone.
The Indoraptor did not want to leave his mate in pain, but he did not know what to do to help her.
The hybrid felt useless, and frustrated, and horrified.
If E was dirty, he could clean her.
If E was hungry, he could feed her.
But how could he help his crying mate if she would not let him near?
A cry then pierced from above, one of a rasp and a high pitched, unsteady whistle.
A cry of pain that caused the Indoraptor to teeter upon his hind legs and twist to face the loft.
The hybrid was swift to scramble to the upper floor upon picking up the scent of blood.
The Indoraptor was swift to move to E's side, the male panting in ragged breaths as his heart thudded heavily against his chest. His pupils were dilated as his gaze narrowed upon the scarred female. His neck craned low, and his scaled snout brushed against her in inspection.
A single stream of a softly illuminated tear rolled from one of her watering eyes and down her scaled cheek. E's breath was in mere hitches, her body heaving and straining as more pain dominated her body. Her clawed hands clenched and raked and tore at the nest, at the bedding, at the floor. Anything she could grasp.
She breathed forcefully, and sucked in air through jagged teeth.
She did not register the careful inspections of her male, his dark scales rubbing against her head, her snout, her cheek in concern.
Trying to find the scent of blood.
Trying to see if his female was okay.
It was then, upon closer assessment, the hybrid noticed E sported blood between her legs.
Blood, and a large egg, cream colored shell shimmering in the fluids of the female's arduous labor.
By the end of the night, before the break of dawn, two more eggs would be laid, and E-exhausted.
E did little but sleep afterwards, sprawled out within their nest.
The three, large eggs were still slick with the female's blood and essence, causing them to illuminate as if precious pearls fresh from the sea.
The hybrid did not leave the female's side, and if he did, he was swift to return.
Inspecting-He was always inspecting, checking and observing.
Seeing if his mate was safe, and not in pain.
Inspecting the eggs that came from the red and white female.
The Indoraptor cocked his head in vexation, and confusion, serrated jaws gaping as a serpentine hiss rolled from his tongue. He did not understand what happened-what was happening. His only experience with eggs was with raiding the nests of other animals-and gorging upon them.
And the instinct to feed upon such an ample source of food was quite tantalizing.
But, at the same time, instinct told him not to engorge himself upon the rich yolk that he knew would be inside.
All he would need to do was open his jaws-and crack the shell.
All he would need to do was raise a clawed finger-and crack the shell.
Instinct told him to eat.
But instinct also told him to leave them be-and guard them.
Protect the eggs from being eaten, and harmed.
Because they smelled like E.
Because they were a part of E.
It was a clash of two opposing instincts that irritated the Indoraptor.
Thus, slowly, ever so slowly, the obsidian scaled male raised a clawed hand, and extended a single taloned finger towards the nearest egg, shell glistening. His predatory pupils flicked from egg to egg, shrinking into thin slits and drowning in gold. His nares flared, and his large head warbled as his clawed finger drew ever closer.
He claw lightly tapped the newly birthed shell, and moved along the curvature of the large egg, feeling the talon run along the bumps and grooves as he did. Then, his nail moved passed, and the fleshy pads of his scaled finger glided along the shell.
Feeling the drying fluid, the grooves upon the egg feeling like leather.
His nostrils flared as he drew a deep breath, and then exhaled.
Sluggishly, almost lazily, regretfully, the Indoraptor's taloned finger retracted, and his hand planted upon the ground.
They still smelled like E.
That made them special.
E was ravenous in her feeding, and her demands for food were nigh relentless.
She devoured any food the Indoraptor provided for her as if the meal would be her last.
Her strength slowly returned, and she could often be heard within the loft above, clawed feet pattering back and forth and to and fro.
Inspecting her nest, tending to it, throwing the dead and dried leaves away, and assessing and repositioning her eggs.
And then she would lower herself slowly, carefully, and sit upon them.
Guard them, and protect them.
It was a behavior the Indoraptor was not too unfamiliar with.
Afterall, E displayed a similar behavior some time earlier with a rock.
And indeed, the rock was still a part of their clutch, nestled with their three eggs.
But E could only tolerate so much sitting.
Could only tolerate so much of being cooped up within her home.
She needed out.
Thus, she produced a whistled trill, meant to bring to attention and beckon.
Like the faithful rising of the tide to the moon, the Indoraptor was swift to answer, and join her side.
Slowly, carefully, E rose from her nest, exposing the eggs.
The Indoraptor briefly craned his neck downward to inspect the eggs, which were then left defenseless as E stepped out of the lair of ruined cushions and blankets.
It was not long before E leapt down to the cabin's ground floor, and eagerly pattered away out into the sun.
The hybrid was unsure how to care for the eggs, but decided to try and mimic his companion.
Thus, carefully, slowly, hesitantly, the onyx and gold male took his place upon the nest, and carefully lowered himself.
The eggs were pressed flush against his belly, safe and warm.
And that was all that mattered.
When E returned, she came home bearing a gift.
That gift was prey in the form of a young fawn.
And it was a gift that the Indoraptor eagerly accepted, however small a token of appreciation.
For the first time, in seemingly a long time, the pair laid down together, among the blankets and ruined pillows and stuffing.
E lay beside her eggs, nuzzling and preening the scabbed and scarred face of her mate from self inflicted wounds.
The Indoraptor merely closed his eyes, and purred, pressing himself into the warm scales of his mate, larger form encircling her, his belly pressed flush against the eggs.
The Indoraptor may not have understood everything that happened within the past few weeks, and he doubted he ever would.
But that didn't matter now.
All that mattered was that E was safe.
That the eggs that were a part of E-were something of E-were safe.
Safe and warm, nestled between their bellies.
The Indoraptor did not understand why, but to him, the three eggs were beautiful.
E was beautiful.
This moment was beautiful.
Right here, right now.
No matter how broken they were to others.
To the Indoraptor, their little something was beautiful.
Like as beautiful as when he saw the sun for the first time, and not the dank dark of his cell.
The Indoraptor was wrong.
The darkness-the nothing was not better.
The something was better than the nothing.
The Indoraptor was just so used to the nothing, he couldn't see how beautiful the something was.
And now, in this moment, he couldn't think of anything more beautiful.