Subject to Study (Naga!Brothers x Reader)

Chapter 41

"So..." Oso dragged the word out, letting silence fill the space afterwards before speaking again, "...what now?"

"Now, I salvage what I can from the lab," I shouldered the duffle bag and began to walk towards the path I had in my mind, following my own footsteps from months before as the jungle thickened around me. Choro and Oso trailed behind me, staying silent as they pushed through the undergrowth. I had thought that they would head towards their own homes or dens, to feel that they were really back on their island.

My feet guided us down the trodden path, the camouflaged outer walls of the lab peeking through the tree trunks before coming into full view. It showed signs of enduring bad weather as the 'roof' sagged a little bit, heavy with leaves and standing water, while the front door flap was wide open.

"You both can stay out here..." I shrugged off the bag and stepped through the 'doorway', pulling open the inner flap and stepping into what I used to call home on this island.

Erika had kept most of it clean, retaining the sanitary conditions near the specimen room and kitchen. The bunk room was in disarray, most of the cots turned over while the padding was piled high alongside an interior corner. I checked the kitchen's food stores and found them nearly dry, but the recycled water supply was nearly full.

Grabbing a few large canteens, I filled them up with the cleaned rainwater after tasting it to ensure its purity. Opening the cabinets, I realized that Erika had left several boxes of protein bars unopened, tossing them down to the ground on top of the canteens.

"(Y/n), do you need any help?" Choro must've drawn the short stick to check up on me, his head cautiously peeking around the corner as I rifled through the other cabinets, "We heard a lot of noise..."

"No, I've got this..." I stretched out my left arm as far as it would go, my fingertips barely brushing the bottom edge of a box before Choro's hand grabbed the box firmly before bringing it down, "Ah...thanks."

"Is this all of the food you'll need?" He looked towards the small pile on the floor, eyeing the canteens.

"It's going to help when there's not a lot of food for me to eat from the island," I opened the box to see a variety pack of granola bars, wondering why Erika hadn't touched them or the protein bars, "Think of it as an emergency ration when your regular food supply runs out."

"I don't think you'll have to worry about that," Choro leaned over his gathering coils, raising an eyebrow, "You know that we'll take care of you to the best of our ability."

"I know that, but I don't think you guys can control the weather. When the rains stop, then things dry up and become hard to find," I snagged a large bag from underneath the countertop, opening it wide and tossing my little pile of edible treasure into it. Cinching it closed, I shifted my gaze towards the green mamba naga staring at me, "At least...I don't think you can control the weather."

"No, we can't," He laughed a little, a smile spreading across his lips, "We can only know what the sky tells us--"

I let out a frustrated grunt, interrupting and startling Choro as I slammed the heel of my right hand into my forehead, "I knew I'd forget something!"

"(Y/n)?"

"I'm fine...I just forgot to show you all what your island looked like from the air," I sat down on the floor heavily, closing my eyes tightly as a groan flowed from my lips, "It looked so nice, too..."

"If...that's what you wanted to show us, then I can show you my favorite spot in my territory," He lifted my chin with a hand, drawing my focus up to his face as the naga moved closer, "It won't be the same as flying, but..."