Subject to Study (Naga!Brothers x Reader)

Chapter 50

"Oso, stop!" I cried out as I wrapped my hands around the red-headed naga's outstretched arm, trying to force him to release the younger naga pinned to the ground, "I don't know what agreement you had with each other, but I was the one who asked him to bring me through here!"

"(Y/n)," The red-and-black hues softened as Oso looked towards me, "I'm sorry this is happening in front of you, but please...step back."

"No, I won't," I glared back at him, tugging on his arm for emphasis, "Ichi had already told me that he doesn't want to fight, so leave him be."

Oso relaxed his hand, letting Ichi crawl away from him a few feet while coughing to recover his breath. I stood between the two nagas, wanting to act as a physical barrier for Ichi despite knowing that it really didn't matter since I was significantly weaker than either of them. The oldest naga closed his eyes for a moment, turning his head to the side before opening his dual-colored orbs and looking back at me.

"(Y/n), Ichi and I had an agreement that we wouldn't trespass on each other's territory. It doesn't matter if we're with you or not," Oso's eyes hardened as he shifted his focus behind me, glaring at the lavender corn naga, "And it shouldn't matter if you're in heat or not."

"I don't have that kind of intention, Oso," Ichi quickly responded, his voice sounding rough, "You're the one making his intentions clear enough to those who can sense it."

"Look, I didn't know that you both had an agreement," I cut in, still maintaining my focus on Oso, "Ichi never mentioned it to me, so I had thought that you all could pass through the other territories freely. Since he's in shed, I didn't think that he had the drive like the rest of you do. I just want to get back home and bunker down until this 'heat' passes. That's all I want."

"If you simply want to get to your den, then I can escort you to wherever you set up. I will not allow Ichi to pass, though," Oso's hues hardened once more at the mention of the younger naga.

"What the hell happened where you needed an agreement to stay out of each other's territories?" I released his arm with partial disgust, "I had thought that you were all getting along fine before humans came."

"Do humans with siblings have constant harmony in their relationships with their kin?" Oso shook his arm out as his brow furrowed, "You must have been the only offspring in your family if that's what you think."

"That's none of your business," I took a step towards the red-haired naga, catching him off-guard as he backed away quickly, "I left everything and everyone behind to be here with you all, so I think that the least you could do was tell me what's going on so I don't set off some kind of sibling war!"

There was a heavy silence that covered the field as the wind gently brushed through the long grass, the sun starting to dip beneath the horizon. I took in a slow breath, thinking that I had definitely crossed a line that wasn't ready to be talked about before I heard Ichi speak up behind me.

"We...don't all get along, (y/n). It may have seemed that we did in your country because we were alone there -- trapped and held against our will by humans that wanted to use us for their own gain," The lavender corn sounded like he had recovered from being choked out, able to take in a breath without coughing, "You...(Y/n), you were our only lifeline and passage out, so we put aside our own differences in order to get home. Now that we're back..."

"...what we had cast aside for our safety is now the focus again," Oso finished, "Years ago, I had caught Ichi hunting in my territory, despite him having plenty of quarry in his own claim."

"You all forced me to take that barren land as my own!" Ichi hissed, drawing my attention back towards him as he settled into an aggressive stance, "That was supposed to be Todo's!"