Beauties and Beasts

Chapter 41: brought to you by catering

Incubating babies! Another fuzzy joins the family! And you should probably work out or clean your room or something.

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Before exhaustion took her whole, Shay scooped out each egg from the basket and placed it against her lax, stretched stomach in the bear fur. Then she curled about them, pulled the fur blanket atop them all, and passed out. She hardly heard Curtis's questioning, nor felt his fingers across her face.

When she woke up sometime in the afternoon the next day, she saw the eggs nestled against her stomach and chest, curled in by her arms and legs, and had a bit of a panic.

"Curtis!"

The red snake wrapped about her woke with a start. In an instant, its head flicked to Curtis's torso.

"What?"

"Why didn't you stop me? What if I'd rolled over them in my sleep?" Just to make sure that hadn't happened, she set to rechecking each one. Their leathery shells had hardened as she slept, to her relief.

Curtis relaxed. "Love, you would have done no such thing. They're fine."

Ryan, who'd been sleeping in his own cozy nest in the corner, lifted his panther head and gave a great yawn, showing off all his teeth, before getting to his feet and transforming back to a human.

"If you're awake, Shay, you should eat," he said. "Growing eggs took a lot of weight off you."

Shay had noticed that herself over the course of the month. Back in her own world, she would have been pleased with how slender her thighs and arms had gotten. It was amazing to her that, despite how much she ate, she still got so skinny.

But now that she was awake, she was hungry, and for the foods she usually enjoyed.

"Could you make me some rice with some fruit? I still feel all sore from last night."

"Of course." He leaned in to get her a peck on the forehead before stepping out of the bedroom.

She watched him as he left, smiling. After spending a month working closely with Cutis, Ryan's fear of snakes had visibly weakened. He no longer trembled or had his ears and tail constantly tucked in. He'd even willingly let himself brush against Curtis's scales so he could reach her this morning for the kiss.

As she thought about it, she remembered a conversation she had overheard a few nights back when the two had thought her asleep.

"I wouldn't cry if you died, but you're not too bad, cat."

"I wouldn't hesitate to take Shay for myself, but you've had your uses, snake."

"Hmm, I think I've had more than "uses" for your sad life. If I had never taken her to begin with, you would have never met her."

"And without me, she would have died in your arms."

"...I guess trades begin here, then."

"Pardon?"

"In Shay's world, how males tend to their females without the help of other mates is by trading skills. If there be another day where I have the chance to have her to myself I want to be able to care for her well, without needing another's rescue, so I will start here. You will serve as a reminder of that goal. Every kiss you give her, every night you love her, will be fuel for my ambition."

"...then it shall be mine as well."

Now that she'd had her eggs perhaps they'd get underway with those grand schemes of theirs. She looked forward to seeing how they would grow and hoped there'd be ways for her to help along the way. Most of all, she hoped that wherever their goals took them, it would make them happy.