Tommy had been alone for as long as he could remember. He was pretty sure he was around 7 years old, give or take. He didn’t really have the ability to keep track of all that out here.
It wasn’t too important, anyway. How young or old he was hardly affected the way he survived out in the forest.
The boy sighed, tail curling around himself as he laid across a large rock. The sun shone down on him, the rays warming his body in the closest thing to an embrace he’d ever had.
It was lonely out here. He kept his eyes screwed shut as he listened to the birds chirping and the animals scurrying about. One would think that a child such as himself should fear all the dangerous creatures in the forest.
But how could he be afraid when he was the most dangerous creature of them all?
And how Tommy hated it. He hated seeing the animals turn to stone. He hated the field of human statues littered throughout his forest. He hated their unbeating hearts and their faces of terror as the stone overtook their bodies.
He hated the name the humans screamed at him before they died.
“Monster!”
That was what Tommy was. As much as he hated it, as much as he wished he could just rid himself of this curse, he couldn’t. He was a monster. A creature who had killed too many innocents, all with a simple look. No matter how many tears he cried onto their stony bodies, it wouldn’t bring them back.
He was a monster, and he had to learn to accept that. Tommy sighed, letting his eyes drift shut. His stomach was full of some berries he found in the wilderness, and the warmth of the sun was comforting.
Just as he was about to fall into his nap, he heard something. It sounded like… music?
Tommy lifted his head, blinking towards the treeline. It didn’t sound too far, which was odd given how deep into the forest he was. Humans typically only traveled this way if they were going straight through.
Tommy began to sit up, slithering off the rock and to the ground. The dirt slid beneath his scales and soon he was carefully maneuvering through brambles and bushes. He didn’t want to get too close, he just wanted to see what was going on. This was his home, after all. He needed to make sure there was no danger.
(Perhaps he’d just like to see a glimpse of a human face again, even if the human never knew he was there.)
As the sound drew closer, Tommy began to slow down. Didn’t want to accidentally turn another human to stone, of course. He scanned the forest in front of him, spotting a human leaned against a tree. There was a worn pathway running through the trees with the man settled on the side. Most likely a traveler then just taking a rest.
Resting in the forest was risky, though. Hopefully the man wouldn’t get himself caught up in anything bad. Such as himself.
He looked nice enough. He wore a dark blue tunic. Even while sitting, he seemed to be taller than Tommy was. He had a head of curly hair with strands of grey littered throughout. He had thick, bushy eyebrows and a thin stubble. A small gap in his upper two front teeth. A more round face with a tapered chin. His nose swooped down and tipped up just at the end.
Tommy slid behind a tree, tucking himself behind it as his ears perked.
The human was just around this tree and across the path, lute in hand as he strummed it gently. The man seemed lost in thought, eyes closed as he hummed to himself. The birds chirped in time, the man trying to join in on their rhythm. Tommy glanced out, just enough so he could barely see the man with just one eye.
This way he could back up easily. He didn’t want to turn this human to stone, he seemed far too friendly to do such a thing. He wasn’t a hunter, clearly. Even if he was quite tall, he looked rather lanky. Tommy studied him, glancing over the brunet’s form. He didn’t see any weapons either.
Just a sack set to the side and a belt with different pouches. Most likely filled with food and water. The man’s fingers danced softly across the neck of his lute, voice pitching up with each tweet of the birds or chirp of the bugs.
It was quite entrancing. Tommy loved the sounds of the forest, and somehow the man seemed to fit right in. Humans were animals too, and nature adored hearing them add their music to her song.
Tommy leaned forward a bit more, finding himself unable to hold back. The song was just so sweet, and the man’s voice was a mere whisper. Without his enhanced hearing, he probably wouldn’t even hear it. Simply lost to the wind for only the trees to hear.
Another eye peaked out from behind the tree as he kept leaning forward, lips parted slightly as he began to sway.
It was entrancing, scarily so. Tommy found his mind relaxing, head clouding as the tune flowed through his mind and wrapped around each thought. There was a warning blaring under all the fluff and warmth, yelling he was getting too close. The human could open his eyes at any moment. Could look at him at any moment. And the pretty magic would stop so suddenly to be replaced with the screams that echoed through this forest forever. With all the others Tommy still heard in his dreams.
Yet he could not glance away. He was only a child, a curious child. He just wanted to hear the music, was that so wrong?
Tommy moved forward, tail slithering to the side of the tree when suddenly—
Snap!
A branch broke beneath him. Tommy gasped, suddenly breaking from his trance as the man’s music stopped. The brunet opened his eyes, staring right at the gorgon.
Tommy screamed, screwing his eyes shut and throwing his arms in front of his eyes. “I’m sss-sorry! I’m sorry!”
He awaited the scream of agony. The horrified plead of all animals in their last moment, begging for mercy.
But a scream did not come. Instead, he heard the rumbling, kind voice of the man across from him.
“Hey, hey. It’s okay. I’m not upset.”
Tommy’s eyes shot open, arms falling down before he could even think as he stared at the man. The man just smiled at him awkwardly, tilting his head but keeping his irises focused right on Tommy’s own.
Tommy’s jaw dropped. “You’re… you’re looking at me?”
That’s when he saw it…
In the man’s eyes was a thick film of grey right in the center.
The human smiled, chuckling to himself. “Well, yes. I do still have my hearing, you know?”
The human was blind.
And suddenly the world was so much brighter. A grin split up Tommy’s face, eyes sparkling with unshed tears. He tried to breathe but he couldn’t catch his breath. It was as if the wind got knocked out of him. Another person was looking at him. Someone could finally see him. Well not— see…
But someone could finally meet his eyes. Tommy could finally look into the eyes of another without fear. His heart squeezed, an overwhelming flood of excitement and joy filling him.
This man could be near him. This man could look him in the eyes. Tommy couldn’t contain the energy build up, bursting forward and towards this man. The older squawked in surprise, a bit of fear laced within as the boy tackled him. Tommy wrapped his arms around the man, squeezing as tightly as his little arms could. The man gasped for breath, glancing down at him in shock as his lungs were squeezed. An arm landed upon his back as it simply settled there for a moment.
“Is— Are you— Is this a hug?” The man asked. Tommy couldn’t stop himself from burying his face in the human’s chest, tears starting to trail down his cheeks. He hadn’t been able to even touch a living thing in so long. He hiccuped, claws digging into the man’s sides slightly.
The brunet sucked in a breath, rubbing up and down Tommy’s spine. “Oh…” The man’s hand trailed down once more, nearing Tommy’s tail.
Tommy quickly gasped, backing away as fast as he could as a red tint came to his face. What did he just do? Why would he just go and— and hug him?! And the man nearly figured out what he was too. If the human felt his tail then surely he’d run away and scream.
Tommy couldn’t stand any more screams, especially from the one human that could actually stay near him.
Tommy sniffled, quickly scrubbing his face of all his tears. The man had a hand reaching out towards him, lips moving up and down like he wanted to say something.
“Sss-sorry— Sorry. I’m ss-sorry.” Tommy quickly apologized, dipping his head. He cringed at his pronunciation as he tried forcing himself to speak without it. A task that was more difficult when so panicked.
The man put both hands up, relaxing his shoulders to appear at ease. “It’s quite alright, little one. It’s alright. I’m not upset. You can come back, if you’d like. I don’t mind hugs.”
Tommy shrunk into himself, tail curling around his torso slightly. “It’s-s alright. I’m fine. Thank you for the offer.”
The man gave him a big smile. “Of course, little one.” He strummed his lute absentmindedly. “Well, since we’re both here, why don’t we get to know each other, hm?”
Tommy gripped the edge of his tail, squeezing it as he wrung his hands around it. “Um… sure.”
The man beamed. “Excellent! Well, my name is Wilbur. What’s your name?”
“Tommy,” he replied, lips quirking up. He was finally talking to someone. Oh, how he always dreamed of such a thing. To be able to feel the radiating heat of another being up close.
“Oh, that’s a wonderful name! Tommy…” he tested it, tasting it on his tongue. “Tommy. Nice to meet you, Tommy.”
The gorgon preened, cheeks squishing up. “It is! I am a pleasure to be around.”
The man laughed, only serving to make Tommy beam further. “Truly, I attest to your claim. Now, how old are you, little one? You sound quite young.”
Tommy puffed his chest out, pushing himself off the ground slightly with his tail. “I think I am about 7 years old.”
The man’s lips pulled down just slightly. “You think?”
Tommy tilted his head, tip of his tail curling and uncurling. “Yeah? I’m a big man though!”
The man hummed, strumming again. “I see. Surviving out in the forest is a rather big man thing to do. Say, are you out here all alone, Tommy?” The man tacked on the question.
“Ye—“ The boy paused in his answer. Tommy didn’t want to do anything more that gave away his status as… wrong. An oddity that needed further questioning of his existence. The less questions about his heritage, the better.
He didn’t even know some of the answers.
“No,” Tommy said instead. “I mean.. I am out here alone right now. But my family lives in a cabin in the woods nearby.”
The man squinted at him, and despite being blind Tommy felt like he was truly being observed. He folded his arms over themselves, rubbing his own arms in some self soothing hug at being scrutinized.
“I see,” the man finally said. For some reason, it sounded like Wilbur didn’t believe him.
Wilbur shifted slightly, leaning back against the tree. “Well, Tommy, why don’t you come sit next to me and we can keep chatting while I play us some more tunes?”
Tommy’s eyes went wide, quickly nodding his head before remembering the man couldn’t see that. “Yes, sir. Please. I really like your music!”
Wilbur chuckled, patting the spot next to him. The grass softly scrunched beneath the man’s hand, giving off a weak thump thump to indicate its softness.
Tommy slithered back over, keeping a short distance so he could get away in case the man tried to reach out to him and touched his tail. The man leaned back, getting comfy against the tree trunk.
His fingers began to dance across the neck of the lute once more as he spoke.
“So, Tommy, what do you do out here for fun?”
Tommy hummed, curling around himself and leaning against one of his coils. “Hmm…”
What does he do for fun exactly? Not much, he supposed. The majority of his life was spent avoiding looking at any living thing while the rest was just trying to stay warm or hunt for some berries. He played by the river from time to time?
“I guess I… splash around in the water… and I explore the forest a bit in my free time between hunts.”
Wilbur raised a brow, but continued his playing. “You hunt? All by yourself?”
Tommy sputtered, quick to correct himself. “No— No. I don’t hunt animals, I just go around and gather fruit or berries. I don’t really eat animals. Well— I eat fish, when I can.
“Ah, okay.” Wilbur nodded, a long note ringing out. “You’re not a fan of other meats?”
Tommy shrugged. He’d never even had meat before. The only meat he could find was rotten, never anything from a fresh kill of his own. Flesh became rock long before he got the chance to take a bite. Luckily, he found the occasional fish in the river from time to time. But they could be a bit hard to catch.
“I wouldn’t be opposed to trying some.”
From the way the other animals in the forest devoured meat, Tommy assumed it must be delicious. Perhaps one day he’d find a way to get some fresh meat for himself.
Wilbur smiled. “Maybe I’ll be able to get you some, someday. I sadly only brought bread and some vegetables with me on this trip.”
Tommy tilted his head, relaxing deeper at the sound of the man’s music. “What are you traveling for?”
Wilbur’s smile turned into a knowing smirk before relaxing into something softer. “A few things. Mostly grocery shopping. I do like to get out of the house from time to time and play my music for a couple coins. Helps me and my wife stay afloat and buy the few things we’ve been in need of.”
Tommy listened more intently, lips turned upwards. He hadn’t heard a human voice so sweet and so smooth before. He wanted to take every second of this moment in. Drink every last drop of attention like a man soon to die of thirst. He wasn’t sure if he’d ever see Wilbur again, so this may be his last opportunity to speak to another person.
The thought of that nearly consumed him whole. Like rolling dark clouds trying to cover up the pure bliss of this moment, but no, Tommy would not allow such a thing. He was going to love this shared time with Wilbur as much as he could while it lasted. He would not permit the tragic, assured outcome looming over him to dampen his mood.
“What have you been in need of?” Tommy asked, leaning into his fist, closing his eyes as he felt the sunlight filter through the leaves and speckle his scales in little kisses from the sun herself.
If he had been paying attention, he would have seen the sparkle in Wilbur’s eyes, or the way the man’s chest puffed up slightly.
“Oh just a few things. Some more pillows and blankets and some new clothes. I fear we may have caught some baby fever, the two of us. We’re expanding the nest a little.”
Tommy’s lips turned down for a moment. Must be nice to be born into a world with two adoring parents. With ones who planned, and adjusted their lives just to prepare the world for your arrival.
Tommy didn’t know what happened to his parents. Was he abandoned? Were his parents tragically hunted? Was he simply a human boy born into the world and struck by some curse and left to die in a forest?
He didn’t know. But he knew he felt more like a meteor crashing down and wreaking havoc on an unsuspecting world, rather than a cherished child meant to be held.
“Must be nice…” Tommy trailed off. He shook his head, trying to rid himself of the darker thoughts. “How long have you been traveling?”
If Wilbur noticed the topic change, he didn’t say anything about it. “At a time? Usually no longer than a month. I’ve been out for about a week now. Decided to head this direction to check out the markets there. Figured I’d take a shortcut through this forest’s trails.”
Tommy hummed, sitting up fully. “The forest is a bit dangerous to traverse all alone.”
Wilbur only smiled. “It is. However I found that with a little caution and a little knowledge one can make it through without issue. Really, I should be saying the same thing to you. Is it not dangerous for a lone child out in the forest, not even following the path?”
Tommy giggled. “We live out here, silly. I know everything you know and more.”
The man laughed. “Is that so?”
Tommy nodded, letting out a loud, drawn out ‘mmhmmmm!’
The man strummed his lute, giggling. “Well then perhaps you can teach me a thing or two? I was planning on staying out in this forest for a while. It’s quite lovely, and I wouldn't mind the company.”
Tommy’s face lit up, a grin finding its way to his face.
Wilbur was going to stay for longer? Really? He’d get to talk to the man more?
The gorgon bounced up and down slightly. “I’d love to keep you company! I can protect you from all the predators.”
And he would! As long as Wilbur was with him, he’d be safe. Wilbur smiled at his excitement. “Wonderful! I’ll set up camp here for the night. Why don’t you go ahead and head home? It’s getting dark. I’d hate for you to get caught out in the middle of the night and your parents getting worried about you.”
Tommy tilted his head before realization hit him. Right. Right. He had parents in some cabin in the forest, and he was just a normal kid. That was how he was presenting himself to the human.
“Right. Yeah. I’ll do that. Will you be alright?”
Wilbur nodded. “Yes, I’ll be fine, little one. You go ahead and make your way somewhere safe.”
Silly Wilbur. Anywhere Tommy went was safe! He giggled to himself before saying his goodbye, slithering across the trail and pretending to travel further into the forest. Instead, he made his way up into a tree, carefully laying his coils around a hefty branch before laying on top of it. This way, he had full view of the man, but no risk of being seen or found. It was perfect.
The sun had begun to set, but he probably had about an hour left of daylight. He watched as the man set up a small tent with a fire. The man stepped inside his tent and laid down, ensuring he was a safe distance from the fire while also being near enough to receive its warmth.
The chill of starlight began to seep into Tommy’s bones, forcing him to relax. It was only mid fall, so he had a couple of months until he would need to head underground to wait out the chill. But it did feel a bit colder than it usually would at this time.
Hopefully Wilbur wouldn’t be caught in any of the bad weather.
-/-/-/-/-/-
Well… This was just perfect! Wilbur thought with a smile as he set up his tent. What an odd set of circ*mstances he’d found himself in.
He had just left the last village with little hope of finding a child, and now a child finds him? It was the most perfect timing. Tommy was going to be perfect. Wilbur knew it.
Sally was going to love Tommy. Hopefully his wife understands him being out for a bit longer than originally planned, but it must be done.
Wilbur needed to get to know the boy a bit more, ensure he was a good fit, and then convince him to come home with him. You see, Wilbur and Sally had been wanting a child for a few months now. They caught baby fever, and Sally wanted a nestling.
But sadly traditional methods of adoption would not work, for… various reasons. So Wilbur and his wife had been hoping to find a child who had been abandoned and had not found their way to a shelter yet.
Of course they’d never wish for a child to be abandoned— they weren’t cruel.
But they had so much love to give, and there were so many ungrateful parents out there who didn’t love and cherish their children the way they should, and abandoned them. Wilbur could only hope that he would be able to find one to dump all their love on before biased orphanages could get their greedy hands on them.
They had started to lose hope. So many days spent traveling to villages in hopes of finding a child in need, and yet not a single one had been successful.
Until today. Tommy landed right in front of him, like a gift from above. It felt all too perfect, and he hoped that he could win the boy over. Promise him shelter and love. To be cherished in the way he should be by two loving parents.
Sally was going to be so happy. Wilbur himself was ecstatic. An end to his mission may be in sight, and soon enough their family of two may become a family of three. Wilbur just had to prove himself to Tommy.
Easy enough, right?
-/-/-/-/-/-
Tommy awoke to the sound of birds chirping. His eyes slowly opened as he started to stretch his limbs. He let his tail fall lazily off the side of the branch before curling it back around it.
He glanced down, brows furrowed.
He didn’t typically sleep in trees? What was he doing up here? He scanned the ground, memories slowly starting to trickle back into his mind when he saw a human putting out a small fire.
Oh. Oh right! Wilbur!
Tommy quickly slithered down the tree, cautious to not make too much noise before quietly thumping to the ground. The boy grinned at the human, shouting.
“Wilbur! Good morning!”
The man jumped, putting a hand over his heart dramatically. “Don’t sneak up on me like that.”
Tommy giggled, heart swelling slightly. He liked sneaking up on people. He was rather good at it! Sneaking was kind of his thing.
Wilbur finished what he was doing, turning and smiling in his direction. “So! I’ve got some time to kill, why don’t we hang out some? You could show me around the forest!”
Tommy beamed. “Yeah! I can do that! Um…”
There was a slight complication with such a plan. Wilbur was blind. And that meant he couldn’t show Wilbur anything. Tommy tilted his head, blurting out the question before he could help himself.
“How do you get around? You can’t see?”
The man chuckled, picking up a stick that was laid next to his tent. “Well, little one, I have a very keen sense of direction. I’m good at retracing my steps. Aside from that, I typically view the world through touch. I use this stick…” he smacked the wooden thing on the ground a few times, smiling. “to keep track of what I’m stepping on. I can use it to distinguish a trail from normal dirt, and that’s why I try to stay on said tracks.”
Tommy leaned forward slightly, lips parted as he listened with interest. “What is the point of me showing you around my fores-ssst then?”
The man tilted his head. “Well, I would like to get to know you. And knowing your environment is important to that. I may not be able to see all the beauties of the forest, but I am able to experience them in my own ways. Through touch and sound, all the other senses.”
Tommy hummed to himself, tapping his chin as he glanced at the ground.
That made sense. Wilbur took in the world through all the other senses— which meant he’d probably prefer things he could experience through sounds and touch rather than the sights he intended to show him.
Tommy beamed back up at Wilbur. “Okay! I’ll take you around the forest and show you all the cool textures and sounds I know!”
The man softened instantly, nodding his head with a smile. “That sounds wonderful, little one. Could you take my hand and lead me to all your wonderful things?”
Tommy slithered closer, quickly taking the man’s palm in his own. The man’s hand was so much bigger than his, practically consuming it. And yet he let Tommy guide him, taking him away from the path and into the darkness.
The gorgon was careful to not let Wilbur bump into his tail as giddiness began to burst into his chest. He dragged Wilbur along, every moment getting more and more excited.
He had a friend! At least for a little while! A human wanted to hang out with him! He got to talk to someone and show them around, without the fear that he’d accidentally kill them.
Wilbur followed, a soft smile on his face as he was pulled deeper into the forest. He kept his stick in front of him, occasionally patting the ground to ensure he didn’t accidentally get rammed into an unsuspecting tree.
Tommy suddenly stopped, dragging Wilbur’s hand down and pointing at the floor. “Mushroom! They’ve got a funny texture! And they taste real good!”
Wilbur reached down, letting Tommy guide his hand into the small thing. He let his hand run over it, nodding his head as he let his lips creep up his face. “It does have a funky texture!”
Tommy beamed, chest swelling with pride as he moved Wilbur’s hand to some soft moss. “This one’s moss! It’s really soft and stringy. I like to lay on it from time to time.”
Wilbur let out small ‘ooo’s and ‘aaa’s. The smile never left Wilbur’s face, making Tommy bounce up and down. He loved this! It felt like a little kid showing someone all their favorite toys. He supposed he was.
Fondness seeped from the human, so thick Tommy could nearly feel it. His heart swelled and he shook his arms up and down to try and release some of the energy. He quickly dragged Wilbur further, pointing at a tall flower.
“This is a yellow flower! It is so soft! But the middle feels so funny!”
Wilbur reached forward, letting his thumb run over it. “Ooooh… that is quite the flower. I like it! I think these are called sunflowers.”
Tommy’s eyes went wide, leaning forward with interest. “They are?!”
Wilbur giggled. “They may be— I’ve felt one before. They get their name because they face towards the sun.”
“Woaaaah…” Tommy breathed. “You’re very smart!”
The man stuttered out a breath, grinning. “That’s very sweet, little one. You’re also a very clever little boy.” The man then clapped his hands. “Well! Why don’t you show me your favorite spot? The river?”
Tommy beamed, grabbing the man’s hand once more and taking him towards the river. It was one of Tommy’s favorite places to be. The water felt nice on his scales and it helped keep him clean. Plus, fish didn’t typically look into his eyes, so occasionally he felt something brush against him.
It also was constantly trickling, giving him something to listen to when all the animals went quiet.
Tommy stopped just at the edge of the river, turning to Wilbur. “We’re here!”
Immediately, the man began to toe off his boots and roll up his pants. Tommy turned his head, a question on his lips. What was he doing? Why was he taking off his shoes?
“Whatcha doing that for?”
The man giggled. “Just didn’t want to get water all in my boots.”
Water?
Tommy gasped, stars appearing in his eyes. “Are you going to play in the water with me?!”
The man put a hand to his heart, squeezing it as he grinned. Tommy was worried for him. Was he having a heart attack? Old people have those, right?
The man then whispered something under his breath, so quiet Tommy nearly didn’t hear it.
‘This kid.’
Tommy’s brows furrowed. What about him?
Before he could question the man, Wilbur stepped into the river. His toes curled up against the rocky river bed, digging into small patches of moss as he shuddered.
“It’s cold!”
Tommy smiled, slithering into the water as well. “It is! But it isn’t too bad. I like to sunbathe after I play.”
Wilbur giggled, reaching a hand out in Tommy’s direction. The gorgon quickly took it, letting out a surprised squawk as the man suddenly yanked him forward. Wilbur stepped in a large circle, careful where he planted his feet. He pulled the boy with him, making the little one laugh.
Tommy slithered over the rocks with ease, his tail trailing behind him. He carefully avoided Wilbur’s footsteps as the man kept spinning them faster.
The water flowed over his scales, the soft moss making the rocks slippery. The sun rays shot down on the two, warming the liquid around them. Every time they’d slow down, Wilbur would suddenly yank Tommy forward into another quick spin, laughing at the squeaks he let out. Tommy found himself laughing along, confused by this strange dance but not opposed to it.
The way Wilbur smiled at him made him feel good. The way his cheeks would squish up with every twist and turn. Wilbur’s hands felt nice from where they were squeezing around his own. It was oddly comfortable. The man pulled him closer, wrapping an arm around his back.
Tommy quickly did the same, smile spreading up his face into a large grin that reflected the sunshine right into Wilbur’s face. The man’s eyes were looking right into his own, small crescents shining through.
He felt… strangely seen. Perceived in a way he couldn’t quite explain. No one had ever… looked at him quite like that. And most certainly no one’s ever held him like this.
A human and a gorgon dancing in a river, how strange was that?
Suddenly, a rock slipped from beneath Wilbur’s foot. The man yelped as he started falling backwards, quickly releasing Tommy to not take him down with him. The man landed on his bottom with a loud splash. The two sat in silence for a moment, simply taking in what had happened.
Before they then both burst out laughing. Wilbur threw his head back, releasing a loud cackle that boomed through the whole forest. Tommy’s giggles were high pitched, non-stop squeaks of delight escaping him.
The man stopped, lowering his head back to grin at the boy. “Oh, you think that’s funny, do you? Well how do you like this!” He pulled his hands out of the water, splashing the gorgon with small handfuls of the river.
Tommy laughed, shielding his face as the water droplets landed on his cheeks. He bent down, cupping his hands and thrusting them forward. Wilbur screeched, scrambling to throw more water.
“Hitting a blind man while he was down? Low blow, Tommy,” Wilbur joked, mischief in his eyes.
Still, Tommy’s laughter died down. He shrunk back just slightly. “Oh… I’m sorry?”
The man quickly back tracked, waving his hands in the air. “No, no. Just joking. Take every advantage you can get out here in the forest. Such as when your enemy is distracted.”
Wilbur threw his hands forward once more, soaking the boy’s shirt.
Tommy squinted, tail curling beneath him.
“Oh it’s on.”
-/-/-/-/-/-
Tommy gripped Wilbur’s hand, smiling when the man squeezed back. He led the human out of the river, making his way out to his very favorite sunbathing rock.
“There!” Tommy exclaimed as a small field came into view. Wilbur laughed as Tommy pulled him faster, the boy slithering as fast as his body could take him. “There’s this big rock, and it’s perfect.”
They reached the large, flat stone. Tommy quickly made his way on top of it, helping Wilbur up as well. Tommy quickly flopped onto it, taking a deep breath as the sun began to warm his scales. He released it slowly, relaxing instantly and melting into the rock.
It was an immediate relief. The cold seeping into his bones became a sweet warmth. Wilbur sat next to him, smiling. “May I lay next to you?”
Tommy hummed absentmindedly, scooching over to make some space. Wilbur laid down beside him, folding his arms behind his head and looking to the sky. Wilbur closed his eyes, basking in the sunlight as well.
“You’re right, this is a very nice rock.”
Tommy smiled lazily. “Thanks-ssss…” His mind grew hazy, thoughts slowly floating away as the sun wrapped him in a warm hug and kissed his skin.
“Y’know, I felt something funny on my leg in the water. Kind of like scales? Do you have many fish out here?”
Tommy blinked. He must have accidentally brushed against him. Tommy laid against his arms, melting further into himself. “Mmmhmm… Must have been.”
Wilbur hummed. “Big fish for such a shallow river.”
Tommy watched the man carefully, but he didn’t say anything else. He just kept his eyes closed and face up towards the sky. If he suspected anything, he didn’t make that clear.
Wilbur broke Tommy’s thoughts before he could dwell in his suspicion any longer. “This feels really nice.”
Tommy smiled, tail curling by his side. “Mmhmm. It’s my favorite.”
Wilbur turned towards him, laying on his side. “Yeah?”
The boy nodded. “Feels nice after getting all wet.” It felt like the embrace Tommy never got to have. This is how he felt a real hug could be like. So warm and inviting. A hug heals you in the same way the sun keeps cold-blooded animals alive.
The man then smiled softly. “Y’know… This feeling kind of reminds me of you.”
Tommy tilted his head, brows furrowing. “What do you mean?”
The brunet shrugged. “You’re just very… warm. You have a warm personality. You’re very bright and you exude that onto the things around you. Remember how I said sunflowers turn towards light?”
Tommy nodded and released a small hum, struck into silence by the man’s words.
Wilbur traced the rock with his finger, running over cracks and grooves. “I think the sunflowers would do better turning towards you.”
The words took a moment to process, and then…
Tommy’s face flushed, a pink tint flooding his cheeks as he buried his head into his tail.
Oh. Tommy had never been spoken to so sweetly before. Wilbur had done so much already in such a short period of time. Made him experience things he would have never experienced before.
The sweet touches to the sweet words and just… the attention. Tommy felt so seen despite the man’s blindness. Like he was really there. Not just some far off monster or beast to kill.
Wilbur made him feel like a kid.
The boy’s heart twisted at the thought. A thing he should have had would be so fleeting. It would be taken from him in a matter of days. Who knew if he’d ever be as lucky as to find another human like Wilbur.
Tommy feared that even if another blind man stumbled into his forest, none would be like Wilbur.
Tommy frowned, feeling tears well up in his eyes as he let his tail soak them up. Suddenly the light didn’t feel so warm anymore. It was burning. Tommy wondered if after Wilbur left, this rock and river would ever feel the same.
Wilbur suddenly reached forward, Tommy tracking his hand as it went up towards his head. The man was slow, cautious before touching his forehead. Then, the man’s finger flowed through his hair.
Tommy stared in shock before leaning forward. Wilbur’s lips quirked up, nails scratching at his scalp. Tommy couldn’t help but melt. He couldn’t help the tears dripping from his eyes and running down his cheeks as he chased Wilbur’s fingers. Every time the man lifted his hand to run through his hair again, Tommy moved to press himself against the man’s palm.
Once again, Tommy couldn’t help but think of all the things he’d lose. Tommy didn’t know what was so special about Wilbur. Why Wilbur made him feel special. They’d only known each other for a short time and Tommy already felt better than he ever had before.
Perhaps it was just because Wilbur planned on being a father. Tommy liked to think this was how fathers were supposed to act. He sniffled. Wilbur and his wife’s child would be so lucky.
“What’s wrong, sunshine?” Wilbur asked at hearing his sniffle, dragging his hand down to cup Tommy’s face. Tommy ignored the possibility for the man to feel his scales, pressing into it.
Once Wilbur knew what he was he’d run and scream. He might even try to kill him. Wilbur couldn’t have any monsters in the world he wanted to bring a new child into.
Tommy shook his head. “No one’s ever done this for me.”
The man cooed, brushing his thumb against Tommy’s cheek. “Oh, that’s heartbreaking, little one. Perhaps there’d be a way for us to see each other more often?” There was a hint of something Tommy couldn’t pick up in his voice, an eagerness that Tommy couldn’t quite place.
Tommy tilted his head. “You could… come visit me? Whenever you walk down this trail.”
Wilbur sighed, rubbing a hand through Tommy’s hair again. “I could, I could. I may just do that, if something else can’t be worked out.”
What else could be worked out?
Tommy couldn’t come visit him. For a multitude of reasons. The main one being he’d kill the man’s wife.
Tommy shuttered at the thought. He hoped that never happened. They fell into a comfortable silence. The only sound was the distant birds chirping and frogs croaking.
Tommy let himself relax, eyelids closing on their own. Wilbur began to hum, the noise filling Tommy’s mind. His thoughts went fuzzy, humming as Wilbur scratched at his scalp just right. The man giggled before continuing his humming.
The boy slowly drifted off, mind shutting off entirely. The only thing he could feel was Wilbur’s song like sweet whispers in his ear.
In only a moment, he fell asleep.
-/-/-/-/-/-
Tommy woke up slowly, feeling more warm than he ever had before. He squeezed his pillow tighter, nuzzling into it. Unlike his typical mossy pillow, however, this felt more firm. He blinked open an eye, tail tightening around whatever he was laying on.
He glanced up, squinting at the sky. It was dark, so typically he’d be coiled up in his cave. It was supposed to be cold, and yet he was warm?
Tommy’s mind was muddled with sleep, confusion lacing every tired thought. But everything moved too slowly, and Tommy really enjoyed the warmth. So he laid his head back down on his soft pillow, staring at the treeline.
Just as he closed his eyes, realization struck him.
He shot up, looking down at his pillow only to see Wilbur. Wilbur still had an arm slung around Tommy’s back, barely gripping onto the boy’s shirt. Tommy looked down at Wilbur's leg, terror making his heart race.
His tail. It was wrapped around the man’s entire lower body!
No no no no!
The man was still sound asleep, snoring softly even as Tommy panicked. Okay, okay. Most likely the man didn’t know!
Right? Wilbur couldn’t know. He couldn’t. Because if Wilbur did know then he’d be freaking out that a gorgon was wrapped around him.
Tommy quickly started to unwrap himself from around the man, careful to not wake him. Wilbur hummed as Tommy maneuvered them, pulling the arm wrapped around Tommy closer. The boy yelped, slapping a hand over his mouth as he was dragged back into Wilbur’s embrace. He managed to get his tail uncoiled, but was now trapped as the man turned towards him, burying his face in Tommy’s hair with a content sigh.
Surely, Wilbur didn’t know. He couldn’t know. Tommy didn't want Wilbur to leave him already. All because he made the simple mistake of just falling asleep.
His heart raced in his chest, breathing coming in in short gasps.
Wilbur hummed tiredly, rubbing up and down his back.
Oh no. He didn’t mean to wake the man up! Would he be mad? Would Wilbur leave him? Tommy took in a gasp, trying to get ahold of any oxygen.
Wilbur was going to find out. And then leave. And then Wilbur would never visit him. Tommy ruined it already. He had been so excited when Wilbur said he might visit in the future.
He wanted that to be his future.
But no, he went and ruined it.
“Hey… What’s wrong, sunshine?” Wilbur mumbled, slowly starting to wake up more.
Tommy could only blubber out a whine, cringing at how pitiful he sounded.
Wilbur didn’t know. Wilbur didn’t know and he was freaking out over nothing.
“Just had a bad dream.” Tommy managed to say, moving his tail away from the man.
Wilbur hummed, squeezing him into a hug. Tommy kept his arms between them, not willing to fully embrace the human just yet. Wilbur released, moving his hand up and down Tommy’s back.
“I’m sorry, little one. Bad dreams can be really scary. But it’s alright, it was just a dream.”
Tommy melted into the comfort, careful to keep his tail behind him. He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down.
Wilbur didn’t know. Wilbur wasn’t going to leave yet. He had time.
Still, Tommy needed to be more careful. It had only been a day and he was already far too careless. He pushed himself up, ignoring the sad frown appearing on Wilbur’s face.
“You should go back to camp. And I should head home.”
Wilbur opened his mouth before closing it, repeating a few times before letting out a defeated sigh.
“Home. Right. Yeah, you need to head home.”
The man sat up as well, turning his frown into a smile as he raised his hand toward the boy. “Walk me back to camp?”
And Tommy did. He guided Wilbur back to the trail, and ensured the man got his fire started and into his tent safely. Then, the gorgon got back into the tree. He laid back down, sighing as the cold began to seep into him.
He missed Wilbur already. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do when the man left. Even if he visited, Tommy felt like it could never be the same. He’d never be able to survive on his own after having even a moment of depending on another.
It was ridiculous. Even if Wilbur didn’t care that he was a gorgon, he’d never take care of Tommy. Tommy curled into himself. It was sad, just how attached he already was.
The thought that Wilbur would never love him hurt more than it should have. He shouldn’t care as much as he did. He was a monster, and he’d killed many of Wilbur’s kind.
It was almost… wrong for him to keep pulling Wilbur along. Lying to the man felt so deceitful. How hurt would Wilbur be when he found out what Tommy was?
Tommy sniffled, burying his face into his coils.
Even still, he knew this bad feeling wouldn’t change anything. He’d keep hanging out with Wilbur because he needed this.
He needed someone to talk to. He was so lonely. He never even fully realized it before until he wasn’t alone. And now it was all consuming. He needed to be with another.
But he wasn’t meant to have anyone else. He was meant to be alone, as all monsters were. Tommy sighed, eyes stuck on Wilbur’s tent.
It would be sad when he left, but there was nothing he could do about it. He took a deep breath, trying to relax. He’d just have to savor each drop of affection from the man until it was his last.
-/-/-/-/-/-
Tommy hung upside down, tail wrapped around a large tree branch as he swayed from back and forth.
Wilbur had his lute in hand, strumming a song he had made. Birds chirped in the distance, bugs buzzing to and fro. It was pleasant, and if Tommy could he’d freeze this moment forever.
But he couldn’t, and that was exactly why there was a strong sense of doom hovering above them. Wilbur’s smile was strained, movements too slow and purposeful. He wasn’t as relaxed as he appeared to be at first glance.
It had been a month, now. The best month of Tommy’s life. He showed Wilbur around the forest so many times he was sure the man could navigate most of it on his own. Wilbur taught him about different berries and fruits, and together they played in the river and sunbathed on the rock.
Wilbur even came up with new games, and Tommy hadn’t been happier.
But their time was coming to an end as the month mark came to pass. It was nearly time for Wilbur to head home.
Every week or so, the man had left for a day to go to the nearest village, always promising to return with food. He brought Tommy bread. Another thing he wasn’t sure he’d be able to live without after the man was gone. He brought new fruits and vegetables Tommy had never eaten before, and promised to one day get him some meat to try.
Now, his bag was full of herbs and spices to take back to his wife. Back to his home.
Neither of them wanted to break the tense silence between them, but Tommy knew one of them would have to. Tommy had tried to speak to Wilbur about the man visiting him from time to time for the past few days, but the man always seemed hesitant to answer. He’d never give him confirmation. Only ‘maybe’s.
Tommy barely even noticed when Wilbur stopped playing, drumming his fingers on his leg. It didn’t seem absentminded. It seemed nervous. With the small bite of Wilbur’s lip and crease in his brow.
Tommy wondered if the man was as scared as he was.
“Hey, Toms?”
Tommy blinked at the man, still swinging back and forth. “Yeah?”
Wilbur licked his lips, fingers twisting into his pants. “Could you come down here for a moment, please?”
The boy obeyed, letting himself fall to the ground with a small thump. Normally he’d simply slither, but he didn’t want the man to notice his voice coming from different directions.
Wilbur turned to face him, setting his lute down and crossing his hands over his lap. He took a deep breath in, releasing it slowly as a smile graced his face.
Whatever it was Wilbur was mentally preparing to say, Tommy feared he was not ready to hear.
“I’m going to ask you a question, and I’d like you to answer honestly.”
Tommy tilted his head, giving a questioning hum to show the man he was listening.
Wilbur looked right into his eyes, everything about his once tense demeanor softening. He lifted his hands just slightly. The words were spoken with such softness. Like he was trying not to scare off a wild animal.
Perhaps that was what Tommy was.
“Do you really live out here with your parents?”
Tommy froze, mind reeling. He wasn’t sure what to expect. Maybe a goodbye. Maybe a sorrowful farewell as the man revealed that he’d be leaving forever.
Wilbur stretched his hands out just over his own knees, twisting them so they were palm up and welcoming. “It’s just… You’re out here all alone all the time. You’ve never tasted so many different foods that your family should have provided you. And I hear you from time to time, snoring in the treetops above my tent. It’s okay, sweetheart. I just want to know the truth. I’m not mad. I just want to know.”
Tommy fiddled with his fingers, eyes glossing over with tears. He was alone. He was all alone.
It wouldn’t hurt to tell Wilbur that, right? Now that Wilbur was leaving soon anyway. He wouldn’t have much more time to ask more questions.
The gorgon released a breath, voice cracking. “No. I don’t… I don’t have any parents. I’m alone.”
The man let out a sad coo, stretching his hands out further. “Oh, little one. Come here.”
Tommy reached forward, letting his hands fall into the man’s palms. The human wrapped his fingers around his small hands, consuming them in soft skin and thick calluses.
Wilbur smiled, so soft and sweet it nearly had Tommy barreling into his arms and begging him to stay. He was going to miss him. So much.
“Sunshine… One more question. We’re so close, little one. Just one more for now, okay?”
Tommy didn’t know why Wilbur was being so careful with him. The man acted as if he was glass, ready to break at the slightest whisper. It felt so… nice.
Wilbur squeezed his hands. “I’m going to be staying in the Inn at the village, would you like to come with me?”
And all over again grief and heartache struck him.
He shook his head rapidly, shouting at the human. “No!”
Wilbur didn’t know what he was. Wilbur didn’t know he was a monster. The village would kill him on sight, and Tommy knew he’d kill innocent children and families. Tommy could never truly find a home in a human.
Wilbur wanted him. Someone actually wanted him. But now Wilbur couldn’t have him. Because Tommy wasn’t who Wilbur thought he was. He wasn’t just a stray kid in the forest. He was a gorgon. He was a monster.
Tommy couldn’t be around his wife. He couldn’t go to villages. He’d always be stuck out in this forest until a human strong enough finally killed him.
Tears started to trail down Tommy’s face, the boy sniffling.
Wilbur cooed, pulling him slightly closer before cupping his cheeks. “Don't cry, little one. What’s wrong? What’s going on in that bright little head of yours?”
The gorgon began to hiccup, sniffles turning into cries.
It was over. Wilbur was going to leave. Wilbur was going to scream at him. Maybe even try to kill him. And all that seemed so small in comparison than hearing the word ‘monster’ part from his lips.
“Talk to me, sunshine. Please.”
“You’ll— You’ll—“ the boy hiccuped, gasping for breath. “You’ll hate me!”
Wilbur tsked, running his thumbs under Tommy’s eyes. “No, no. I could never hate you, dear. No matter what you have to say, I won’t hate you. Please, sunshine. It’s okay.”
It wasn’t okay. And it never would be again. It was over. The man was going to leave him.
It was time to come clean.
Tommy sobbed into Wilbur’s palms, soaking up the last bit of affection he could get before everything turned dark and his world would become bleak again.
He sucked in a breath, finally releasing the tragic truth.
“I’m a gorgon. I’m a monster.”
He squeezed his eyes shut, ready for the hands to turn harsh. Maybe a dagger to his heart. Or maybe simply a screech of hatred in his ears.
But it didn’t come.
He peeked an eye open, lips parting in surprise at the large grin on Wilbur’s face. The man moved his hands, wrapping his arms around Tommy and yanking him forward. The boy stumbled into Wilbur’s chest with a surprised noise from the back of his throat. The man maneuvered them, hand running down from Tommy’s back to his tail. Tommy tensed immediately, too shocked to even process what was happening.
Wilbur helped wrap Tommy’s tail around the man’s back, and back over front before squeezing Tommy so tightly it nearly knocked the breath out of him.
“Oh, Tommy. I already knew.”
Tommy’s eyes went wide, the boy pushing back to look Wilbur in the face. The tear tracks were still fresh on his face. “You… you what?” He breathed.
Wilbur cupped his cheek with one hand, the grin never leaving his face as he wiped away the drying liquid. “I knew. I knew nearly the moment I met you.”
“But— but— but how?” Tommy stuttered as he took longer, more drawn out breaths.
The man softened, leaning forward and pressing a kiss to Tommy’s nose. The boy looked down, cross-eyed. Wilbur giggled as he began his explanation.
“I’m not totally blind, sweetheart. My vision is just… very very blurry. I’m functionally blind, as I can’t rely or trust my sight to lead me. But that doesn’t mean I can’t see the big blob of blue that constantly trails behind you.” Wilbur pointed at his tail. “As well as the fact you draw out your ‘s’s. I know you’re trying to hide it, but it came through a few times. You also wrapped your tail around me when you were sleeping. It was quite adorable.”
Tommy could only stare in shock, thoughts going too fast for him to comprehend any of them. His mind was buffering.
Wilbur… knew?
Wilbur then brushed his fingers through Tommy’s hair. “And the thing that made me so sure when I first met you, was well…” he giggled as he leaned forward, whispering to Tommy. “You don’t have any footsteps.”
Oh.
Wilbur knew. Wilbur knew the whole time. Which meant— Every act of affection was genuine. Wilbur didn’t run or scream or hide. He stayed. He wanted to stay.
But that didn’t— that didn’t make sense!
“But— but I’m a monster! I’ve killed people. I’m not— You can’t—“ Tommy started arguing, head reeling from all the implications of the fact Wilbur KNEW.
The whole time Wilbur was trying to drop hints that he knew. The whole time.
“Tommy, sunshine, no. You’re not a monster. You’re just a child with powers you can’t control. You didn’t choose to kill anyone. They stepped into a dangerous forest and assumed the consequences. You are only just… you’re just a baby.” The man cooed. “You’re not a monster. You’re my— You’re just trying to survive.”
“But you said… you said you wanted me to go to the village. You know what’ll happen then—“
Wilbur laughed, tucking a hair behind the boy’s ear. “I just wanted to get you to admit it. I knew you were probably scared. But it’s okay, little one. I love you all the same, and I want you to come home with me. Come be my baby.”
Tommy’s jaw dropped, eyes searching for any type of deception. Any hint that the man was lying.
“You… you love me? You want me to be your—“ the boy gulped, “child?”
Wilbur’s eyes turned to crescents, small crows feet forming at the edges. “I do. I love you. I love you.”
And Tommy found none. No evil sparkle in the man’s eyes. No sinister twitch of his lips.
Wilbur knew the whole time. And he loved him.
Loved.
Tommy had never been loved before. Now he would cling to it.
The fragile dam broke all over again, the boy flinging himself into Wilbur’s chest. He wrapped his tail around the human, letting himself hug Wilbur with all his might. With his whole body.
“I love you too.” Tommy said for the first time in his life. This must have been what it felt like. So warm. So sweet. So safe.
Wilbur wheezed as the boy’s tail constricted, patting Tommy’s back. “Loosen— Tom— Tom—“
Tommy gasped, hearing the way Wilbur’s lungs desperately tried to bring in air.
The boy relaxed, the man taking in a big gulp of air as he laughed. Tommy started to back away, cringing inwardly. He hurt Wilbur already. How could he hurt someone he loved so much?
He really was a monster. He hurt Wilbur!
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry!” Tommy sobbed, tail starting to uncoil.
Wilbur reached out, grabbing the back of his head. He tsked, grunting as he dragged Tommy’s head back to his chest. “Nope. No. Get back here.”
“But I hurt you!” He cried.
How dare he?! He couldn’t do anything right. There were far too many emotions happening at once. He was terrified, and warm, and safe, and sad, and overwhelmed.
He was so tired.
Wilbur laid the boy’s head on his chest, helping readjust his tail. He let Tommy rest right on his heartbeat, taking deep breaths in and out. “Just breathe with me, sunshine. Everything’s okay.”
Tommy whined, but followed instructions. “I’m a monster. I hurt you.”
Wilbur scratched at his scalp. “Lovely, you’re a gorgon. You’re not a monster, you’re simply powerful. Being powerful doesn’t make you a monster. A monster would run into a village and hurt people on purpose. A monster would have kept squeezing me until I couldn’t breathe anymore. But you didn’t, because you’re not a monster. You’re just an itty bitty, strong baby gorgon.” He teased, tickling at Tommy’s side.
The boy giggled, squeezing Wilbur with his tail gentler than last time. He buried his face into Wilbur’s chest, trying to burrow straight into Wilbur’s heart.
The man pet his hair, starting to rock back and forth gently.
That sounded rather nice. Being powerful instead of being a monster. Again and again, Wilbur proved himself beyond what Tommy ever dreamed.
Wilbur leaned down, pressing a kiss to Tommy’s scalp. “So, what do you say, sunshine? Would you like to come home with me? You’ll have a dad and mom who loves you, and we’ll have so much food for you to try. And a nice big forest to explore.”
It nearly sounded too good to be true. All of this did sound too good to be true. Yet Tommy believed it. He believed every word coming from Wilbur’s lips.
Tommy nodded. “I’d like that.”
Wilbur squeezed him as tight as he could, planting kisses in his hair. “Oh, thank you, Tommy. Thank you for letting us care for you. Thank you for letting us love you.”
Tommy basked in the feeling, heart bursting. He loved Wilbur. He did. He really did.
Then, realization struck him. He sat up slightly, glancing up at the man. “Wait… your wife? A mom? Is she blind too?”
Wilbur smiled. “Well, no. She’s not blind. Actually, she is—“
A loud whistle sounded above them, Wilbur glancing up. Tommy looked up as well, eyes going wide.
The man seemed entirely relaxed, even as Tommy’s heart rate began to spike as his eyes locked on what made that noise.
“Actually, there she is now!”
That—
Tommy glanced at Wilbur, eyes wide and fearful as he looked for any evidence the man have been confused or joking.
Because that?
That was a harpy.
A big one.
Another screech sounded above them before the wings shut, the harpy rocketing towards the ground. Tommy pushed himself off Wilbur, the man letting out a surprised sound and reaching his arms out. Tommy didn’t let Wilbur grab him, quickly slithering backwards.
The ground shook as the harpy slammed to the ground, large talons spread across the grass. Her wings were spread, feathers blowing in the wind. They were an orange-y color, nearly golden brown. A crown of feathers sat atop her head, face speckled with freckles much like Wilbur’s.
The man quickly scrambled to his feet, a nervous smile on his face.
Oh no. OH NO!
Was the harpy going to eat Wilbur? Tommy’s heart raced, beating so fast he could feel it in his throat. Not a single sound could leave him, vocal cords constricted in a wheeze with each breathe.
“Where have you been!?” The harpy shouted at the man. “You've been gone for weeks!”
Wilbur put his hands up, lips quirking up. “I’m only a day or two late! We were just about to head home.” The man tried to explain.
Her wings closed and opened behind her, feathers ruffling loudly. “Weeks! You were only supposed to pick up some food! You could have gotten hurt! Or lost! Or—“
Wilbur pointed behind her. “Look. He—“
The harpy turned, eyes locking onto Tommy’s. Her face lifted in a snarl, turning around as her wings snapped open once again. She let out a loud screech, talons out.
Tommy hissed back, eyes glowing a deep blue as his powers tried to activate. But they had no effect on this mythical creature. Tommy curled his tail around him, hiss rattling in his chest. She was going to eat him. She was going to eat him.
And—
And Wilbur was part of it? Tommy’s heart dropped, eyes starting to water all over again. Wilbur said that’s— that’s his wife? His wife is a bird of prey. And Wilbur just pointed her right in his direction. And she said he was supposed to get food?
Was the whole thing a trick? Was Wilbur going to bring him back only to get eaten?
“Stay behind me! There’s a gorgon.” The harpy shouted, eyes piercing into Tommy’s.
Wilbur panicked, quickly grabbing her wing and pulling it down. “Wait! Wait! Stop!” He yelled, grabbing the woman’s attention. She lowered her wing, confusion pulling at her features. Once Wilbur felt her wings relax, he smiled. “Look at him. Really look.”
She glanced back over, tilting her head at him when he hissed. Then, it clicked. Her brows shot up, wings lifting slightly as she looked back at Wilbur.
“He’s… oh, he’s a baby. Nestling.”
Wilbur grinned at her, nodding as he grabbed her hands. “Exactly. Sally, this is Tommy. And Tommy, this is Sally.”
Her face split into an excited smile. Her husband found her a nestling! Oh, they’ve been looking for quite some time! And a gorgon too? It worked out just perfectly.
He brought her hands to his face, kissing her talons. “He’s perfect, isn’t he?” She nodded rapidly, giggling as she turned.
She stepped towards the boy, wings fluttering behind her as she beamed. “Hello, little nestling! I’m so glad Wilbur found you!”
She stopped in her tracks, lips puckering into an ‘o’ shape. The boy had turned around, slithering off into the forest in the mere blink of an eye. She frowned.
She lost sight of her nestling! That wouldn’t do.
“He ran away,” she said.
Wilbur blinked, turning to face that direction. “What? What do you mean?” He sounded so disappointed.
Sally couldn’t have that. Their nestling should have been back with them. Sally snapped her wings open, bending down as she prepared to take off.
“He ran off! I’ll go get him.”
“Wait—“ Wilbur hurriedly said as he waved his hands around. But it was far too late. Sally burst into the air, unable to hear the calls of her husband to stop.
She soared through the air, wings beating behind her as she scanned the ground below. The forest was heavily wooded, blanketing her view with greenery. Little specks of light snuck through the leaves. Sally kept her eyes dancing between each small section.
Her eyes snapped towards a small opening, a speck of blue disappearing back under the foliage. There! There was their nestling. But she couldn’t get through the coverage, letting out a short whistle to alert her husband she spotted the baby. She tracked the movement the best she could, getting only small glimpses of the scaly tail before it disappeared.
She glanced up to see a mountain ahead. Her eyes traveled to the base, spotting a small open section. Just as she noticed it, it was already filled with the little nestling. She released another loud whistle, hoping Wilbur would understand the urgency.
She found their nestling! And then she’d get to know him once they got him to stop running! The silly!
She dove down, opening her hands to tackle the boy in a hug. Once she got him to slow down, then she’d give him a more official greeting. Had Wilbur not told the boy about her? Surely, the man would have mentioned he had a wife! It was one of Wilbur’s favorite things to brag about!
Her eyes widened as the boy reached a small crack in the rocks. Uh oh.
The boy slipped into the crack, forcing himself to slither through and out of sight. She hit the ground right at the opening, glancing inside.
“Hello? Little one! Little one, please come out. I’d really like to meet you!” She cooed, trying to stick her head further into the crack.
A hiss echoed back, sounding much further back than she could see. Her wings flapped behind her as she forced herself into the small crack, unable to get past her shoulders.
“Oh, sweetheart! Please come out. I hadn’t meant to spook you!”
She frowned, squinting in the darkness in hopes to see those big blue eyes she saw previously.
But she saw nothing.
The harpy pulled out of the rock, tilting her head. Well, the boy would have to come back sometime, right? Surely.
The bushes rattled behind her, followed by the loud huffing and puffing of her husband. The man broke through the treeline, gasping for breath as sweat beaded down his neck. He bent over himself, hands on his knees as he tried to get himself together.
Sally hopped on top of the rock, bending over so her head was above the crack. “He went in there! He’s not answering me though.”
Wilbur took one more deep breath, letting it out slower as he sat up. He walked up to the rock, placing his hand on it and feeling along the grooves. He frowned, motioning for his wife to step down.
She leaped off, tilting her head as her husband gave her a look. She cringed backwards, wings drooping.
Had she done something wrong…?
Wilbur sighed. “Love, you scared him off.”
Her frown deepened. “He ran away, and I didn’t want to lose him. We only just got him.”
He pinched the bridge of his nose. “I know you didn’t want to lose him. But it took me this whole month to gain his trust. And now it’s… it’s probably shattered.”
Did she mess up that badly? She hadn’t meant to. She just got excited and thought the baby would be in danger all alone.
“I don’t understand… Why was he so scared of me? I had clearly lowered my guard. My wings were down— I hadn’t even attacked!”
Wilbur just gave her a pitying look. “You’re a bird of prey, he’s a small snake. He was scared you’d eat him.”
Sally gasped. “Eat him?! No! No I’d—“ She turned towards the rock, flinging herself back into the crack. “LITTLE ONE! I’m sorry! I’d never eat you! Tommy! I’m so sorry for scaring you, I promise I’d never hurt you! I was just emotional and excited and— and— I didn’t want to lose you!” Her voice echoed loudly into the cracks, slowly losing volume.
Tears started to stream down her face, voice cracking as she tried to shout after her nestling. She’d just been so excited. She didn’t want to lose the boy after only having just met him, and it seemed she did just that!
A hand landed on her shoulder, gently pulling her away and right into a chest. Wilbur’s arms wrapped around her back as she sobbed, the man just gently rocking back and forth.
“I’m sorry! I— I lost our fledgling! I’m a terrible mom. I scared him, Wil. I scared him.”
Wilbur shushed her, running his hand up and down her back. “You did scare him, but what’s done is done. You’re not a terrible mom. Even moms make mistakes, but it’s just how you fix them that determines your greatness. And hey…” he pulled back, cupping a hand on her cheek. “We’re going to fix this!”
He released her, walking back to the crack and sticking his own head inside. “Hey, Tommy?” He heard his voice echo, making him frown. “It’s echoing a lot— I have a feeling this crack leads to a larger set of caverns and caves inside the mountain. He’s probably long gone.” He raised his voice slightly. “Hey, sunshine! I don’t know if you can hear me, if you can, this is Wilbur! Sally isn’t going to hurt you, I promise! We’d love if you could come out and we could talk a little more!”
But even as his echo faded away into the distance, Wilbur knew the boy wasn’t going to come back up. Sally had her wings folded behind her, frown on her face.
“What are we going to do?”
Wilbur ran a hand through his hair, humming. “Wait, I guess. He can’t stay in the caves forever, and he’ll have to come out at some point. So, just do some laps around the mountain, try and mark out any possible exits and just whistle if you see him. But don’t approach, let me talk to him.”
Sally wrung her hands together. She really hadn’t meant to frighten him so much. And she didn’t want to frighten him any further. The terror on the boy’s face now echoed in her mind, and shame crept up her heart.
Her voice cracked as she spoke. “Did I… did I really mess this up?”
The man softened, pulling her into a hug. She bent down, planting her face in his neck, even if she had to bend at a slightly awkward angle to do so.
“You made a mistake, it’s okay.”
She gripped the back of his tunic, sniffling. “I’m sorry. You worked so hard for a whole month and I just— I ruined it. And now Tommy may never—“ She sucked in a breath, scared and hurt. “What if he never wants to come home?”
Wilbur hummed. “I don’t know for sure what’s going to happen. He’s a great kid, and I think he’s reasonable. If I could just get in one good conversation, then I think I could convince him to give us another chance.”
She bumped her forehead against his. “And if he doesn’t?”
The man was quiet for a moment, contemplating his answer. “Then… he doesn’t. And we go home, and we mourn.”
A few tears dripped down Sally’s cheeks as she took a stuttering breath. “Okay. And that’s not going to happen. Tommy will be reasonable, we just have to get a conversation with him.”
Wilbur nodded, releasing her. It was time for Sally to get to work mapping out the caves. And it was up to Wilbur to shout in them all, hoping one of the echoes would reach their boy.
-/-/-/-/-/-
It had been… a rough week. Wilbur stood in front of a cave entrance, shifting back and forth. The mouth of this entrance was rather large, the man feeling along the sides. Him and Sally had mapped out all the potential exits Tommy could make over the past few days, and now Wilbur was simply shifting between them in hopes the boy would hear his shouts one of these days.
Wilbur cupped his hands over his mouth, raising his voice. “Tommy! Hey, bud! It’s been a few days, and we’re really worried about you! Do you think you could come out so we could talk?!” His voice cracked due to overuse.
His echo slowly disappeared, a sense of dread coiling in his stomach. Tommy hadn’t come out for the whole week, and the poor boy had to be hungry at this point. His throat made each word feel like sandpaper. But he had to keep going, because Tommy was out there.
The gorgon had just got a home. Somewhere to belong and somewhere to be loved. And it was stripped from him in a single moment. Wilbur hated the thought of the boy being so scared of them.
Did he feel betrayed? Like Wilbur’s affections were all a lie?
He frowned, letting out a frustrated breath as he rubbed his face. He’d never. He’d never lie to his boy. Wilbur had been so excited when they first met. It felt like fate. Like him and Sally had been so patient and everything finally began to click into place.
And now it was ruined. He did his best not to be angry, he knew Sally didn’t mean for all this to happen. Wilbur had a hard time not just scooping Tommy up the day they met. He understood her fear of letting a literal child run off into the woods by themselves.
But Tommy was no ordinary child. He had been in this forest a lot longer than they have, and he knew it like the back of his hand. Tommy would have been fine without adult supervision for a minute while he calmed down, but being chased only cemented his logic.
Now Wilbur couldn’t blame him for being so scared.
A quiet thud sounded behind him, Wilbur not even bothering to look. Sally’s talons dug into the dirt with each step. The man relaxed as she put a hand on his shoulder, chin hooking over his head.
Wilbur leaned back, letting the woman take some of his weight. “Any sign of him?”
She buried her face in his hair, shaking her head. “No. Not even any signs of him leaving the caves while I wasn’t looking. Heard anything back?”
The man released a stuttering breath, fists clenching. “No.”
A talon landed on his throat, gently rubbing up and down. “Your voice is very gritty. Are you alright?”
He laughed humorlessly. “No.”
She frowned into his scalp, lifting her head after a moment. “Take a break. You don’t want to lose your voice.”
Wilbur shook his head, pushing himself back up and away from her. “No. I’ll be fine. I’m not done yet.”
Wilbur could feel that she wanted to say something else, but she stayed silent. Wilbur was thankful she didn’t push the subject any further. He wasn’t ready to give up, not yet.
His son was out there, scared and alone and hungry. Wilbur had so many promises to fulfill.
“There’s… something we need to talk about,” Sally said, her voice layered with worry.
Wilbur hummed, turning to her to show he was listening.
The woman glanced to the sky, frowning. “I can sense it, and I know Tommy can too… There’s a storm coming, specifically a blizzard. My thoughts are that it'll be here within the next few days. At the soonest… in two.”
A blizzard? This far south and such a low elevation?
Wilbur gripped his pants, limbs shaking. That was… not good. That was not good at all. For multiple reasons.
Snakes typically burrowed and slept through harsh winters. However, gorgons were a bit different. Due to having some human anatomy, brumating could be very dangerous. While it was true they could survive for longer periods without food, they couldn’t go nearly as long as a normal snake.
Their bodies were incapable of keeping the temperature they needed to keep, even in brumate. Typically, gorgons would be huddled together with each other, and would gorge on food beforehand to ensure their bodies lasted the long rest.
But Tommy hadn’t eaten in a week.
Not to mention, depending on how heavy the snow was, it could block all the cave entrances. Which meant even if Tommy got through the blizzard, he couldn’t leave.
And of course…
They had no way to combat the storms themselves. There was no way they’d be able to hunker down fast enough to make something that would actually withstand a blizzard. Which meant they’d have to leave, and by the time they could come back… Tommy would either be long gone or fast asleep for the winter.
Tommy may already be asleep, which meant their calls have been falling on deaf ears. And if he hadn’t fallen asleep yet, there was no chance he wouldn’t be when they returned.
They had potentially only one or two days to get Tommy out and back home or else they may never see him again. Tommy could— he could—
He could die.
The man rubbed at his temples, fear and heartache wrapped around every breath. Tommy was so alone, and Wilbur just wanted to be there for him. The poor boy finally met a person he could talk to and they went and ruined it.
There was one glaringly obvious option. One he knew Sally would disapprove of, but it was his final choice.
“Sally. I’m going to go in by myself.”
She squawked, feathers ruffling in displeasure. “No you are not?! Wilbur, I know you love him, I do too, but even I’m not going in there.”
Wilbur crossed his arms. “For many reasons. Because you’re bigger than me, because Tommy’s scared of you, and because birds and underground often don’t mix! I’m going in.”
“You have no way of navigating in there.”
Wilbur gave a wry smile. “I have a good sense of direction. And I’ve got these…” He wiggled his fingers around
Sally huffed, and Wilbur knew the woman was rolling her eyes. “It only takes one slip and fall and you’ll possibly get impaled! The paths are slippery and unpredictable. The cavern could suddenly drop and you’d have no idea!”
“I love him, Sally. That’s my kid. I’m not going to hold back. I have to find him, I have to try everything. Or else I’ll never forgive myself.”
The woman frowned, pulling the man into another hug. “He’s my kid too, I just…” She buried her face in his neck. “I can’t lose the both of you.”
Silence befell them, neither wanting to break the moment. They both knew that the decision was already made. But the moment they seperated, it would be reality. So they stayed, for just a second, swaying back and forth to the quiet breeze.
But of course, nothing could last forever.
The man sighed, giving her a short kiss to the cheek before pulling away. She frowned, bumping her forehead onto his own and grabbing his hands.
“Just promise me you’ll be safe?”
He smiled. “I promise. I’ll be back, and I’ll have our nestling, too.” They released, Wilbur turning towards the cave. The man took a deep breath, stepping forward. He made sure he had his walking stick in hand, the other hand moving out in front of him to ensure he didn’t hit a low ceiling. Once he felt the mouth of the cave, he stopped.
A small whistle sounded behind him, sweet and quiet. Wilbur whistled back with a smile.
They made their own little language. Their own signals and words and phrases through clicks and whistles.
A simple whispered ‘I love you.’
Wilbur entered the cave.
-/-/-/-/-/-
It was… really easy to lose track of time in a cave. Wilbur wasn’t quite sure how long he’d been in here. It may have been midnight? Could it have been the morning already?
Wilbur didn’t know. He felt along the cave side, keeping his stick in front of him. His throat was pulsing, a constant ache with each breath in and out.
“T—Tommy? Tommy!” Wilbur shouted, the words ripping through his throat so painfully he winced.
The cave wasn’t a very smooth tunnel like he had hoped. It was filled with sharp ridges and slippery puddles.
Wilbur took a step forward, running his hand along the side of the cave. He flinched as he felt a sharp rock slip past his hand, the man sucking a breath in through his teeth. He pulled his hand to his chest, running his finger over it. Warm, sticky liquid sat on his finger.
He sighed, curling his hand into a fist.
Not the first rock to nick him in this horrible cave.
“Tommy!” Wilbur shouted again, continuing to move forward. His legs were burning, and his feet felt like there were knives stabbing into them.
His stick hit something, the man carefully reaching forward to feel it.
A dead end. A dead end.
Wilbur gulped. He had a good sense of direction, he bragged about this constantly. You kind of had to be good at pinpointing where you were in space and time. Which direction you were facing at all times.
But even he was getting mixed up here. He felt along the wall, sighing when he felt a crack. He may be able to fit in it, Tommy certainly could have.
And anywhere Tommy could be, he had to check.
He pushed his head in first, shimming his arms into the spot. Rock pressed against him from all sides, the man gulping for air. He had never been claustrophobic, but here he it was hard to not be.
He reached forward, grunting as the entrance scrapped against his spine. “Tom? Sunshine!” He shouted, forcing himself to push further through the small hole. His breathing picked up, heart racing as it felt like the tunnel got narrower. His body began to panic, trying to shift but only moving an inch at a time.
His fingers gripped at the walls, trying to pull himself forward faster when they managed to grab onto something.
An exit.
He was nearly there.
Now, how was he to get out of here? Wilbur didn’t know. He didn’t think that far. He’d figure it out.
He pulled himself out, taking in a deep breath as he felt his shoulders dislodge from the confined space.
“Tom! Sunshine!”
He fell onto the ground below, feeling small rocks scraping against his face. This was fine. This was fine.
He forced himself up onto his hands, feeling around for his walking stick. He patted the ground, confusion pulling at his expression when he felt nothing. He laid on his stomach, trying to keep reaching down to find the floor. But his hand could not reach it.
He gulped, reaching again for his stick. Once he found it, he stuck it down the hole, hoping to trace it and find the exit.
But even his stick couldn’t feel the bottom. The man sat up, legs hanging off the edge slightly despite the fact his back against the cool cave wall.
His heart was beating in his throat, lungs desperately trying to find air but suddenly it felt like there was none. C’mon Wilbur! He tried to smack at his face, sucking in a long breath only to choke on it.
Now was not the time to panic! He shivered, fingers going numb.
This whole section was just large drop off. One wrong move, one bad cave in, and he was dead. He was stuck here. There wasn’t enough room to turn around. There wasn’t enough time.
The temperatures were dropping and Tommy wasn’t answering.
Tommy was going to die. And so was he.
Wilbur felt tears pool in his eyes, banging the back of his head against the wall.
He couldn’t think like that. He had to keep going. He just had to be careful. He just…
Wilbur hiccuped, yelling in a broken voice. “SUNSHINE! TOMMY!!!”
His voice cracked as tears started to fall from his eyes. His son was down here, he had to keep yelling. He had to keep reaching out. Because if he stopped, he would have given up on his little boy. The one he promised to love and cherish.
Wilbur would do anything just to hug him again. To scoop up his coils and snuggle into his hair. He hated it here. He just wanted to go home with his wife and child. But Tommy’s life was in danger. His boy was in danger.
He took a breath, finally starting to calm down. Because he couldn’t panic. His lips pinched into a thin line, his fire rekindling.
Tommy could die. If Wilbur died, then that’s what it was. He knew the moment he decided Tommy was his, that meant he was wholly Tommy’s as well. So Tommy had his life, and he’d risk it over and over again just to ensure Tommy was okay.
He forced himself to stand, staying as close to the wall as physically possible as he poked around. His lungs and heart both squeezed, tying to force him into another panic. And maybe he was still panicking. Maybe he couldn’t control that.
But he could keep going. Even if it hurt. Even if it felt like he could collapse at any moment.
The tears trailing down his face were ignored as he poked around the tunnel. There was more ground to cover to the right. He shuffled over, careful to test each step before he commited to it.
He planted his foot down. He let out a choked sound as his foot slipped, the rock beneath crumbling. He reached up as he slid down, fingers gripping to the edge as his body hung over the edge.
His heart spiked, adrenaline pumping through his veins as he desperately clung to the rocks. He kicked his feet, hoping to find some purchase on the cliff face. His lungs constricted as his foot slipped, nearly throwing him off the edge and to his doom.
Tommy needed him. He tried again, using his upper body strength to try and pull himself up.
Tommy needed him. He managed to get his elbow over the edge and into the ground.
Tommy needed him. Wilbur grunted, the only sound he could hear was the sound of his heart in his ears.
Tommy—
“Wilbur?”
The man gasped, air rushing into his lungs.
“Wil?! What are you—“
It was coming from so close. No echo. It was right there. Tommy was so close. Wilbur kicked off the rock face, letting out a shout as he felt his muscles burn. He felt a hand circle the bottom of his arm, starting to pull.
Wilbur used what little strength he had left to pull himself up, throwing his upper half back over the cliff. He spun around, legs finally relaxing as they hit the cool ground. The hand remained on his arm as he caught his breath, huffing and puffing.
Oh. Tommy was here. Tommy was here. His son. His boy.
Wilbur leaped forward, wrapping his arms around the boy. Tommy yelped, falling backwards onto the rock. Wilbur gathered him closer, burying his face in dirty curls.
“Tommy. Tommy. My baby. Oh, Tommy.” Wilbur whispered, desperately trying to pull the boy closer to him. Tommy let out a wheeze from the crushing weight. The boy forced the two to sit back up before trying to pull away. Wilbur gripped him tighter in response, shaking his head desperately.
“Tommy. Oh, sunshine. You’re alive. You’re okay.”
Tommy frowned into his shoulder. “Yeah. Of course I am. Now what are you doing all the way down here?”
The man sniffled, grin splitting his face. “I came to find you. And I did. I’m so happy you’re okay.”
Tommy pushed away, the man finally giving the boy some slack. Though, he did make sure to keep a steady hand on the boy’s shoulder. “You could have died. You’re doing all that for a meal?”
Wilbur reached forward all over again, wrapping the boy’s face in his hands. “No. No. Sweetheart, this was all just a big misunderstanding. No one planned on eating you.”
The boy’s hands wrapped around his wrist, squeezing angrily. “Then why did she chase me? Is she forcing you to do this? Threatening to eat you too?”
Wilbur frowned, shaking his head. “Sally just— got very excited. She and I have been wanting to adopt for awhile now and when I told her you were who I had in mind she didn’t want to lose you. I promise.”
Tommy pushed Wilbur’s hands away, frowning. “I don’t… I don’t trust you.”
The man took a deep breath as the adrenaline began to fade from his body. Tommy was safe, and now came the hard part.
Actually convincing the boy to come home with them. To give them another chance.
Wilbur frowned, lowering his shoulders. “I know. We broke your trust, and we put you in danger because of it. I’m sorry.”
Tommy’s tail slapped against the rock quietly, thumping against it in a way Wilbur could tell the boy was uneasy. “And you forced me to get up when I was just about to take my nap. With your— your— screaming. I was so confused because it was so quiet and far away then suddenly right in my ear! Honestly, can’t believe you crawled all the way down here. And through that direction no less. I don’t even use that tunnel!”
Wilbur smiled sheepishly, trying to push all the passion he felt into his grating voice. “We just picked one and I went in.”
Tommy grabbed his hand, starting to pull the man along. Wilbur followed easily, letting the boy guide him just as he had in the forest. “I sss-still don’t even know why you came down here! It’s ridiculous. And now I have to drag you back out. I’m just bringing you to the surface, by the way. No further.”
Wilbur squeezed the boy’s hand. “That’s fine. We can talk on the way there. I came all the way down here because I was worried about you. There’s a big blizzard coming.”
Tommy squeezed his hand back, grunting. “Yeah, I know. That’s why I came all the way down here.”
“Then I’m glad I caught you before you slept.”
Tommy stopped for a moment, grabbing Wilbur’s other hand to help maneuver him over a rock. “What do you mean?”
Wilbur carefully followed Tommy’s movements as he spoke. “You’re going to try and brumate. That’s dangerous.”
Tommy stayed quiet for a moment. The slithering of Tommy’s scales scraping against the ground and the stomps of Wilbur's boots kept them from going mad from the silence.
“What’s that?” Tommy finally asked.
Oh. Tommy didn’t know? Tommy didn’t know. It must have just been something he started to do on instinct. Which meant he fought his instinct to go back above ground to feed. Or perhaps the instincts were what was keeping him down here and away from prey.
“It’s kind of like hibernation but for snakes. Typically snakes would just burrow below the frost layer and their bodies would shut down for the winter. But because you’re a gorgon you’re body also has some human anatomy. And humans can’t hibernate. So you need to eat a lot before brumating as well as ensure you’re not alone in order to keep temperatures at a manageable level.”
Tommy stopped in his tracks, forcing Wilbur to a halt. “Sss-so… I’m going to die?”
Wilbur linked their arms together, leaning over to press a kiss to the boy’s scalp. Tommy didn’t protest. “Not necessarily. It’s… it’s just very dangerous. Especially given the fact you haven’t eaten in a whole week. You have not had any of the meats or nutrients you need. And no one can keep you warm. That's why I came down here. I just wanted to warn you, and make sure you got what you needed. And if we could… maybe try again? Reintroduce ourselves? Make things right, and keep you safe?”
Tommy kept moving, once again dragging the man along. Wilbur stumbled forward, tripping over his own feet. He felt something softer beneath him, the man gasping as he felt it move. The boy beside him flinched.
“Sorry! Sorry.” He quickly moved his foot, letting the boy’s tail move away from him.
“It’s-sss okay. I’m sorry, too. I shouldn’t have pulled you like that.”
Wilbur wanted so desperately to be back on solid ground. Where he could walk down a path with minimal fear of tripping and falling to his death. But at the same time he wanted this little walk to last forever. For time to pause.
Because he’d rather walk a million caves with all their perils than lose his son.
And right now, Tommy was with him.
“I don’t… I don’t know, Wilbur. I’m scared. Everything is screaming at me to not go back out there and get also yelling to stockpile on food. It’s… confusing. And my head hurts.”
Wilbur wrapped his arm around Tommy’s shoulders. He felt Tommy press his weight against him, a small sniffle echoing around them.
“I miss you.” Tommy said.
And oh how it broke Wilbur’s heart. Wilbur squeezed the boy tighter. “I’m right here. I’m right here. And I’m not going anywhere. I promise. Just please… You can stay in the mouth of the cave, and me and Sally will stay a distance away, if that’ll make you feel better? Just please let us try. I promise we won’t disappoint you.”
Tommy hummed, helping the man climb up a small incline. “Promise?”
Hope burst through Wilbur’s heart. An opportunity. They had one more chance. Just one more to prove to Tommy that they’d love him. They’d cherish him. They’d never hurt him.
They couldn’t mess this up.
Wilbur leaned down, kissing his temple as he whispered. “I promise.”
Tommy took a deep breath, releasing it slowly. “Fine.”
Wilbur nearly exploded into giggles, excitement racing through his veins. His body was sore and tired but Wilbur couldn’t even feel it anymore. Because they would fix this. They were going to make this right.
Just as Wilbur was about to strike up conversation again, a small bit of light hit his eyes. He gasped, pointing towards it. “Is that—“
Tommy chuckled. “Yeah, we’re almost there.”
Wilbur’s jaw dropped. “But— but I was in here for hours!”
The boy giggled, the sound echoing around them to magnify it. Truly, it was the most beautiful sound Wilbur’s ever heard. “I told you! You went through a tunnel with a bunch of twists and turns. I never use that one. This one just goes straight up and out.”
Wilbur sighed dramatically, smiling as the boy continued to laugh. Oh, he couldn’t wait to hear that every day.
As they got closer to the light, Wilbur began to wonder just how long he had spent in there. It was about sunset when he stepped into the cave, and was now probably around sunrise or a bit later.
12 hours. And he got out of there in a matter of minutes.
But, as soon as Wilbur felt the sunlight hit his face, everything else faded away. He was out. He was free. He could cry. He would cry, actually. There were already tears pooling in his eyes as he took in the shapes and colors. Never had he been so thankful for light. Even if it burned his eyes, a bit.
Tommy slipped out from under his arm, and the ecstatic moment was over as soon as it began.
Right. Now it was time for Wilbur to fulfill his end of the deal. Wilbur smiled at the boy, at least, where he thought the boy was. “I’ll step out that way, and call her over. You can stay right there at the mouth of the cave, okay?”
He didn’t hear a response, but he took that as confirmation to continue.
Once he made it a small distance away, he put two fingers in his mouth and whistled. In only a moment, his wife fell from the sky and landed next to him. Wilbur giggled as he heard her wings snap shut and her footsteps tread towards him.
“Darling? Oh, dear, your face!” She said in a voice laced with concern. Wilbur allowed her to feel over his face, fingertips fluttering over all the cuts. She grabbed his hands, running her thumbs to trace over each injury. “You’re so hurt!”
Wilbur chuckled quietly as he leaned into her palms. “I’m okay. I promise. Just took a few tumbles, that’s all.”
“Never do that again,” she reprimanded. The man just shrugged, lifting his voice into a singing tone.
“I make no promises~”
Sally smacked his shoulder, cheeks puffing out but a smile still remained on her face. The two giggled to each other, nearly forgetting their circ*mstance.
The woman then frowned, wings drooping. “Tommy, is he… Did you find him?”
Her voice was strained, dipping down into something sad. She could see there was no Tommy with Wilbur, so the man went down for nothing. But at the same time, Wilbur didn’t seem disappointed.
Wilbur smiled, gesturing towards the cave. “He’s right there. He wanted some space, but agreed to talk.”
Sally glanced over, squinting as she searched the darkness and—
There. Two glowing blue eyes sat near the edge of the cave, staring unblinkingly at her. A small, quiet hiss sounded as their eyes met.
She looked back to Wilbur, gripping his wrists tightly as she began to whisper. “He’s there. I see him. But what do I do? What if I mess up? I don’t want to scare him away again.”
Wilbur gave her a reassuring squeeze in return. “You’ve got this. Just stay calm, make yourself not a threat. You’re not going to hurt him, make sure he’s aware of that both verbally and with body movements.”
She nodded. Right. She could do this. She wouldn’t scare away the nestling again.
This was her last chance, and she wouldn’t mess it up.
-/-/-/-/-/-
Things had been so good for a short period of time, but Tommy should have known it wouldn’t last. The moment he laid eyes on that harpy he knew it was over.
At first, he was afraid for both of them. But then Wilbur revealed that was his wife. The predator. The one that could kill him with one easy swoop of her claws.
For once in his life, Tommy tried to use his powers. But they didn’t work. All the sudden, Tommy went from the happiest snake on earth to absolutely terrified. His instincts slammed into him harder than they ever had before. They knocked the breath out of him and turned into a loud hiss.
Tommy had his instincts act up before. Fight or flight has been something he experienced from time to time when humans came into his forest to try and kill him. To kill the monster.
But this was different. For the first time, Tommy experienced what it was like to look into the eyes of a predator.
Humans were scary sometimes. They had their torches and their pitchforks but as scary as that was, he knew they wouldn’t be able to do much damage to him. His scales were thick and his eyes killed before they even got the chance to truly recognize he was there.
But that didn’t work. Which meant this was a predator. He was prey. So, Tommy ran away. He slithered through the forest with his heart racing and his mind filled with nothing but run-run-run-hide-hide-predator.
It was so loud, he could barely breathe. Not only that, but Wilbur said he was out to get her food. That Tommy was perfect.
He’d last them at least a week!
Betrayal, terror, hurt, and loneliness all hit him at the same time and it was the worst he had ever felt. So, when he managed to slip right past the harpy’s claws and into the cave, he made his way as far down as he could.
And then he cried. He cried out of betrayal. He cried in pain as the adrenaline began to crash. He cried knowing he was never truly loved, and he could never be loved. Perhaps he wasn’t a monster to Wilbur or Sally, but he was a meal. So he sobbed into his arms. He lost a home he never even truly had.
As he ran out of tears to cry, leaving him only a sniffling, snotty mess, he could hear them. He could hear Wilbur calling out that he was sorry, and that they weren’t going to hurt him.
And the worst part was some part of him wanted to believe it. Even after all of the terror and hurt and being chased. He wanted to believe that was true.
But he couldn’t let himself be tricked. He wouldn’t go back up only to be snatched from his home and made into a snack.
So he stayed in his spot, curled into his own tail in hopes to preserve the warmth he had left. They would give up eventually. At a certain point the meal wasn’t worth it, and they’d leave.
And Tommy would be alone again.
-/-/-/-/-/-
They didn’t leave. It had been days, and they didn’t leave. Tommy still heard Wilbur’s echo trickling down to where he was. Sometimes it was more clear, and sometimes it was mere mumbles and incoherent words that were lost to the caves and tunnels above.
But they all promised safety and love, as Wilbur’s voice always did.
And with each call, Tommy couldn’t stop the droplets of hope filling up his heart.
Maybe he wasn’t lying? Maybe Wilbur was telling the truth? Maybe it was all just one misunderstanding—
No! No, he couldn’t let himself give in so easily. He wouldn’t be bird food. That was not how the great Tommy would die.
But…
Tommy couldn’t help but close his eyes and listen to the echoes. They sounded so much like home, even if Tommy knew better. The voice would wrap around him in a hug, and suddenly Tommy could feel Wilbur’s arms wrapping around him and lifting him to his lap. Tommy tightened his tail, shivering as he found nothing to tighten around.
Wilbur wasn’t there. Not anymore. Tommy buried his face into his hands, tears brimming at the sides of his eyes as the images flashed before his eyes.
He missed Wilbur. He wanted Wilbur. He hiccuped, body shaking and tail continuously wrapping over and over itself in his irritation.
He wanted the Wilbur he knew back. The one who sung to him and sun bathed with him and promised to adore him no matter what.
Was it all a trick? Tommy hated that he was starting to grow unsure. Wilbur led a harpy right to him. What other evidence could he possibly need?
But Wilbur was also non-stop calling for him. He sounded so sincere. So desperate as he kept calling and calling his name.
Such sweet names that Wilbur would repeat over and over.
Tommy wanted to hear them so much closer. He wanted them to be whispered into his hair as the man pressed kisses into his scalp.
He wanted to go home.
But he didn’t know where that was anymore.
And it continued for days more. That’s when it happened. The thing that set his instincts off all over again.
There was… something coming. Tommy wasn’t entirely sure what… but he felt the intense need to go to the surface and hoard food.
A storm, perhaps?
No. The temperatures were dropping too extremely for just a storm. A blizzard.
He had never been in one before, but he knew about it. He could feel it in his bones. A blizzard was coming, and he needed to prepare.
But he couldn’t prepare. As soon as he started to head back up, he was hit with the same fear all over again.
The harpy was still out there, waiting for him.
Wilbur was also out there, waiting for him.
It was all so confusing. His mind couldn’t take all the conflicting emotions and orders from his instincts. They couldn’t make up their mind. No where was safe. The cave wasn’t safe. The surface wasn’t safe.
Wilbur was safe. Except he wasn’t. Or maybe he was. Tommy didn’t know!
He grabbed his head, whining as he heard Wilbur’s voice all over again.
“Tommy! Hey, bud! It’s been a few days, and we’re really worried about you! Do you think you could come out so we could talk?!”
The man’s voice sounded so broken. Even with the cracks and grittiness, Tommy couldn’t help but find comfort in it.
Still, he would not follow. He couldn’t risk it. Not yet— not now.
He didn’t know what to do.
So he simply sat and he waited. For what? Tommy didn’t know. But he was too confused to move. He was just a kid, and trying to do anything sounded like a horrible idea. Staying where he was was the safest option. Yeah.
He’d just wait right here.
-/-/-/-/-/-
Wilbur was close. Tommy knew this from the way the man’s voice started to grow louder.
Tommy curled into himself, eyes wide as he heard his voice become clearer and clearer as time passed.
Why would Wilbur come down here? It was dangerous for humans. It didn’t make sense. A meal wasn’t worth dying for, and Wilbur could very well die down here.
Perhaps the woman forced him to do it? But if she needed to she could have just eaten the human. Wilbur was bigger than him, and probably tastier.
Was the man really coming all the way down here… just for him?
Tommy tried to shake the thought away, but hope burst in his heart against his will. Wilbur was coming down a dangerous cave just to get to him.
The closer the voice got, the more Tommy melted. He missed Wilbur. He wanted his dad. He wanted to go hug Wilbur and wrap him in his coils and let the man just cradle him.
The desire to be loved became stronger with each passing hour. With each crack of the man’s voice as he kept calling even if Tommy knew it hurt.
Maybe… maybe it was okay? Maybe Wilbur was being honest? That they were sorry?
Tommy heard a loud shout and his head shot up. He started slithering towards the sound, eyes wide.
He was headed towards Wilbur. He was going to see Wilbur again. Wilbur was hurt.
Tommy missed his dad, and he wanted to go home.
He made it to a small cave, letting out a small gasp as he saw Wilbur dangling from a rock face. He helped the man up, and then he was embraced.
It felt so wonderful. Oh, how Tommy missed this. He missed his dad’s kisses and sweet names so much.
But even still, he knew he couldn’t stay with the man. He was thinking emotionally, not logically. And he didn’t want to die today.
But he couldn’t leave Wilbur here all alone, either.
So he brought Wilbur back up, and as they walked they talked.
The man offered a deal. Tommy would talk to his wife from a safe distance and he’d give Sally a chance to explain herself.
Tommy doubted it would change his mind, but he agreed. Even with his doubt, he hoped it would. He hoped they would have a perfect explanation for why they acted the way they did. He hoped he could go back to his home.
They made it to the cave entrance and Wilbur summoned his wife. They spoke quietly with one another for a moment, and Tommy watched as the woman caressed all of the man’s cuts so gently.
He wished he could be part of that.
The woman then asked about him. Tommy felt his heart flutter from the soft way she asked about him. She whispered, like she was afraid she’d break his name.
That didn’t… sound like a predator?
Wilbur gestured towards him, and Tommy quickly shrunk back. He peaked out just behind a rock, glowing blue eyes meeting her own. A quiet hiss rose in him, his instincts starting to shout in the back of his mind.
But he quieted their unease.
He wanted to see where this went.
The woman looked back at Wilbur, mumbling something to him as her face pinched in nervousness. Tommy tilted his head, ears twitching as he tried to listen in.
Before he could catch a word, she turned back to him. She took a deep breath, released Wilbur, and took a short step towards him. Tommy curled into himself, backing away slightly. He needed to be ready to leave if she jumped at him.
Then—
She dropped down onto her knees, forcing her wings to close behind her. Her neck bent forward, head going lower to the ground as she placed her palms face up on her knees.
Tommy blinked in surprise. She was making herself smaller. Predators don’t make themselves vulnerable like that.
She softened her features. Her lips quirked up only a little and she kept her voice low and sweet as she began to speak.
“Hello, little one. I apologize for my actions before. I believe we got off on the wrong foot. Well…” she chuckled quietly. “Wrong tail.”
Tommy leaned closer, keeping his tail coiled behind him.
The woman looked back, letting out a near-silent whistle towards her husband. Wilbur gave her a smile and nodded quickly.
She looked back at him, keeping herself small. “Wil and I had been wanting to adopt a child for quite some time. But due to me being… me, I wouldn’t be able to do such a thing. So, Wilbur and I had been hoping to find someone in need that we could provide for. Someone we could love. But no one we found fit right, or had already been given the love they deserved. Then, Wilbur finally found you. Someone who deserved to be loved but hadn’t gotten it yet. Someone we could love.”
That was all… nice to hear. It lines up with the way Wilbur spoke of him, too. But he could have just told her what to say. Still, Tommy couldn’t help himself from scooting a bit further towards the entrance of the cave.
He deserved love, and he hadn’t gotten it. It was offered to him now. But he just didn’t know if taking this chance was worth it or not.
Sally shifted slightly, her hands twitching. Though, Tommy could tell she was trying to stay still. Was she shifting because she planned to attack? Or was it because she was nervous?
“And well I just… I got a little excited. Oh, who am I kidding? I got very excited!” She chuckled, moving one hand to scratch at her face.
Nervous, then.
“I had started to give up hope that we’d ever find a nestling. Then I saw you. Wilbur told me he found you. That you were perfect. And I regret not seeing that at the very start, I had just gotten a bit spooked because gorgons can be very dangerous. We’ve spoken about if Wilbur would be affected by one or not, but we’ve never tested it. So I just wanted to be sure. But once he said that you were the one. I knew it too! I trusted Wilbur wholeheartedly, and if he said you were the one deserving of all our affections, then I was ready to start pouring out.”
Tommy blushed. She sounded just like Wilbur. So… easily affectionate. So open and clear about herself and her wishes. Was it true? That he had found two people who wanted to love him?
The woman’s wings drooped behind her, head dipping further in apology.
“And then you ran away, and I became afraid. I was afraid we’d lose you already. And you were just a baby. I didn’t think it was safe for you out here all by yourself. So I went to go find you and try to explain myself. I hadn’t meant to scare you, I was just trying to show you that I loved you. I wasn’t thinking, and I only scared you more. I’m sorry.”
And Tommy… wanted to forgive her. Sound coiled in his mind. This could all still be a lie. She may just be saying all this to get him closer.
But then why did Wilbur come all the way down there? It didn’t seem like it was forced at all. There were plenty of easier to hunt things in the forest that would have provided just as much of a meal as he was. Wilbur spent so many coins on breads and fruits from the village.
If they didn’t want to love him, why’d they already show so much of it?
“I am so genuinely sorry for scaring you, little one. I’d like to start over. Could we do that?”
Could they? Tommy bit his lip. The doubt in his mind wanted to say no, but his heart sung yes. So, he slithered forward, letting the light hit his face. He watched Sally’s movements carefully, squinting when she twitched. But she made no move to come closer. He nodded slowly, wringing his hands together.
“My name is Sally. Wilbur is my husband. And what’s your name?” She introduced herself.
The boy hummed, tail curling and uncurling behind himself. He looked over at Wilbur, who had a small smile on his face.
“My name is Tommy.”
Sally beamed. “Well, it’s wonderful to meet you, Tommy. Wilbur here has told me so much about you. He told me you love flowers, and exploring the forest. We live in a forest, too. He also told me that you’ve got a very warm personality. That you’re very witty and smart.”
Warm personality. Tommy liked that.
He inched forward, feeling the sun warming his tail.
“I know you don’t know me as well as you know Wilbur, but I’d really like to get to know you a bit better myself. There’s a big blizzard coming, and we’d love to take you somewhere warm and safe. Somewhere we can get to know each other a bit more, and where we’ll be able to love you like you deserve to be loved.”
She held her hands out, palms open. “We promise to do you no harm, and protect you forever. You’ll be loved everyday, and fed, and we’ll get you some new clothes too.” Her voice raised a little, body starting to rock back and forth. She was excited.
Genuinely excited at the thought of loving him.
Tommy wanted that. He did. He looked over at Wilbur, the man nodded with every word she said.
Trick! You’ll be food! His mind warned him.
Love! You’ll be loved! His heart shouted.
And he held a hand out, slowly moving towards the pull of his heart. Before long, he had crossed the halfway point. He was closer to her than the cave. His heart was pounding, eyes glued to the woman’s sharp talons. But they just stayed outstretched, unyielding in their offer of comfort.
Her smile created crows feet, cheeks squishing higher and higher as he made his way closer.
Then he was right in front of her, their hands mere inches away. Tommy frowned, hand hovering just over hers. One hand was tucked into his chest as he fisted his loose shirt.
“You— you promise you’re not gonna hurt me? You promise?”
The two both spoke at once.
“We promise.”
Tommy gulped, squeezing his eyes shut as he lowered his hand into hers. He prepared for anything to happen. For the claws to dig into his skin as he was yanked forward into the arms of a predator.
But that didn’t happen. Instead, he felt a warm hand press against his face, a talon lightly tracing the top of his cheek and just under his eye.
Tommy forced a single eye open, cheeks reddened from the adoring look the harpy was giving him.
Was she going to try and take his eye?
The woman just pressed forward, bonking their foreheads together. Tommy stared in awe as her face took up all his view. Her eyes shined, lighting up like she was looking at something beautiful.
“Thank you. Thank you for giving me another chance. I promise I’ll make it up to you.”
She pulled back, leaving Tommy gaping. Before Tommy could speak, Wilbur kneeled next to them. He reached forward, cupping the other side of his face.
“I’m so sorry that we confused you so much, sunshine.” Wilbur said, smiling at him. “But it’s okay now, alright? We’re going to take you home, and you’re going to be okay.”
Tommy nodded, slightly spaced out. This was all very confusing for him. He was exhausted. His brain was all muddled from the instincts to the cold to the fuzzy feelings.
Wilbur turned his head towards Sally, whispering though Tommy could still hear him. “How are we going to get him home? Are we just going to walk?”
Sally shook her head. “I’ll fly you both.”
The man’s brows creased in concern, lips turning downwards. “Both? Do you think you can carry both of us?”
Sally nodded. “Yes. I’ll be able to do it. We can’t walk, the freeze will get to us before we get home. If I fly straight through, we’ll get there in time.”
Wilbur shook his head. “Just take Tommy. I’ll be alright while you get him home, and I’ll start my walk.”
Sally’s wings bristled. “No. You’ll get caught up in the storm and I don’t want to have to fly back and forth.”
“But are you sure you’ll be able to carry both of us in one trip? That’s exhausting with just yourself.”
Sally leaned over, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “You sacrificed for us, now it’s my turn. Let me do this.”
Wilbur sighed, bonking his forehead against hers. “Okay. How do we plan on… managing this?”
Sally smiled, looking back at Tommy. She softened, voice full of encouragement and understanding. “Hey, Tommy. I’m going to need to pick you up and fly you home, okay? Do you think you could help me out and wrap around me?”
Tommy nodded, too tired to question anything anymore. Was it getting colder?
He let Sally lift him off the ground and Wilbur guided his tail around her body. The human made sure that Tommy’s tail didn’t go over her wings. Tommy squeezed, laying his head down on her chest. He was tired. His brain felt so fuzzy.
She spread her wings, beating them a few times to get up in the air. Wilbur held his arms up as she wrapped her taloned feet around his upper arms and pulled.
It wasn’t the most comfortable or flattering position to be in, but Wilbur could make an exception given the circ*mstances.
Sally huffed as she flapped her wings harder, the wind rushing beneath each stroke.
Slowly, she lifted higher and higher. She adjusted her arms, keeping Tommy’s back cradled to her. The boy looked like his mind wasn’t quite there all the sudden, and she could only assume it was the change in the atmosphere.
She could get them home. After causing such a large set back, she’d set it right.
She flared her wings, diving forward and bursting through the air.
It would be a long journey home.
They only made a few stops along the way. Just a few breaks to change positioning and give her wings a moment to breathe. No matter how much Wilbur tried to convince her they could walk from there, she wouldn’t do it.
She wanted to bring them home. She just wanted to get home. After all of this stress she really just wanted to lay down in her nest with her family and take a nap.
But as they approached the house, Wilbur oh so sweetly reminded her that Tommy didn’t sleep in trees, and the nest they had on the bottom floor of their house would probably be more appropriate for their boy.
After a full day of travel, the home came into sight.
The main house was on the ground, attached to a thick tree. A nice sized cabin with a small chimney on the side. A staircase traveled up the trunk, leading to another home that was supported by two trees.
Reluctantly, she flew down to the lower entrance, slowly lowering and letting Wilbur get his footing before releasing.
She placed her talons on the ground, wings snapping shut. She adjusted her arms, keeping Tommy from falling down. She busted open the door, wings screaming to just be spread out and relax.
Sally speed-walked through the house, ignoring her husband trailing after her. She threw the door to the nest open, her entire body relaxing as she saw the mess of pillows and blankets.
Sally released the boy, letting him drop into the middle of the nest.
Finally.
She flopped down face first into the nest, letting her wings spread out across it. She sighed as she relaxed, eyes drifting closed.
Before she could check on her family, she fell asleep.
-/-/-/-/-/-
Tommy was sent tumbling into the blankets, eyes wide as wings spread over him and blanketed him in darkness. He quickly coiled up, heart racing.
He was brought here and it was new and everything was different. Tommy had never been on a blanket before, and his tail didn’t move over it like it moved over the dirt.
He didn’t like it.
He tucked himself into his coils, keeping his head covered.
There were some giggles above him, he recognized them as Wilbur. The wing was shifted and Wilbur tucked himself underneath. Tommy kept his eyes screwed shut, starting to breathe heavily.
He was somewhere new, with people he didn’t fully know, and they acted like everything was just okay! Sally was snoring!
All three of them had the ability to hurt each other, and yet they acted all so relaxed. He heard Wilbur shuffling before a hand touched his tail.
A hiss involuntarily left him, and the hand was quickly moved away.
“Tom? Is everything alright?”
Tommy shook his head, gripping at his ears. Maybe this was a mistake. He didn’t know this environment. He didn’t know anything about this place. He wasn’t even fully sure how to get home from here.
Suddenly this didn’t feel like home. It was dark, and the people around him didn’t care that he didn’t belong.
He released a high, needy whine. He could sense Wilbur’s frown.
“What’s wrong, sunshine? Can you talk to me?”
Tommy shook his head, trying to burrow deeper. The ground beneath him was soft but as he nosed into it it didn’t move. He couldn’t burrow.
This wasn’t normal. He didn’t like it.
Tommy knew he was over emotional. He was exhausted. Everything about this situation made him feel small. So he wanted to be small. But he couldn’t hide. He was out in the open.
“Sss-scared.” He managed to wheeze out.
“Oh, I’m sorry, little one. What are you scared of?”
Tommy didn’t really know what he was actually afraid of. He didn’t think Sally or Wilbur would truly hurt him. But being exposed and vulnerable made him feel bad.
He whined. “Not sss-safe.”
The man paused, a small hum leaving him as he let the moment linger. Tommy could practically hear the man think. A tense silence hung in the air before Wilbur finally made a noise of understanding.
“I understand you may feel that way. It’s understandable that you feel a bit… overwhelmed in this space. Does overwhelmed sound about right?”
It did. It did. He was overwhelmed. And tired. And sad. And hungry. And scared. And happy. And—
He felt everything at once.
“Mmhmm,” Tommy hummed in acknowledgment.
“Well, that’s okay, Toms. Everything is new here and a bit scary. Would you like Sally to move her wing? So it’s not so dark?”
Did he want that? Tommy shivered at the thought of being even more exposed. No, no he really didn’t.
He shook his head, making a noise of his disagreement.
“No? Okay, that’s alright. Hm… how about… do you want a blanket to lay on top of you? So you can use it to cover up more?”
Perfect. He wanted to hide. To burrow. He nodded frantically and Wilbur began to shuffle around. Something soft was laid over his back, and Tommy quickly uncoiled himself to grab it and wrap it around himself. He tucked it around his tail before nuzzling back into his coils. Like a turtle shell the blanket was tucked around him.
Logically, Tommy knew it wouldn’t do much protecting. But mentally it helped soothe his anxieties.
The blanket beneath him shifted slightly as Wilbur laid down, getting comfortable inside. “Go to sleep, little one. You’ve had a big day.”
Tommy wanted to. He really did. But his heart was still racing. His instincts still buzzed every time he let his consciousness fade for even a moment.
Just as he was about to let out another whine, humming began to fill the room. Mumbled words that Tommy was far too tired to understand came from his right.
The shouts of his instincts died down, all the emotions he was feeling became wrapped in the sound. They became muffled, flowing through his brain with little resistance and unable to stick.
His eyes fluttered shut, body starting to relax.
In only a few minutes, the boy was unconscious.
-/-/-/-/-/-
Even after Tommy woke up, he stayed curled into his small ball. Though, he had his head poked out from between his coils as he watched the two run about the house. The door was left open, and he saw Wilbur walking back and forth doing chores.
Sally had left to do something or other, Tommy didn’t hear. Tommy could smell… something.
He wasn't entirely sure what it was, but it smelt good. Really good. Still, he stayed in his coils. The fear had mostly died down, but he still felt safest like this.
This way he didn’t have to have any awkward conversations with his… parents?
That was an odd thought. He shouldn’t be awkward with his parents but he was. He was almost… angry?
He couldn’t really read his own emotions well, and this upset him. He had no idea what was going on. He just felt like he was… here. No one asked him to do anything. No one really talked to him except the short good morning before they went off to do their tasks.
Perhaps they were just trying to give him some space. Tommy took this opportunity to better see at the room.
It was… quaint. The walls were all wooden except there was a fireplace at the opposite side of the room made of rocks. The area was almost entirely just blankets and pillows in a nest-shape. There was some kind of padding beneath, as well.
It was quite soft and roomy, but not great for snake travel.
Which was fine, for the moment. Because he wasn’t moving at all.
The good smell started to get closer, and Tommy heard the squeaky footsteps of Wilbur approaching. The man appeared in the doorframe, a bowl in hand and a soft smile on his face.
“Hey, Toms. Sally is out hunting right now to try and get us some good meat. But I made you some soup for now. Would you mind trying to eat some?”
Wilbur had made him some soup before, but it didn’t smell like this. Tommy squinted at him from his coils, giving a noise of approval.
The man beamed, stepping carefully into the nest and lowering himself inside.
“Would you like me to feed you or would you like to feed yourself?” Wilbur asked.
Tommy was a big man! He could eat his own food! He had eaten his own food in front of Wilbur before
Tommy swiped the bowl without hesitation, and Wilbur only put his hands up with a smile.
“Alright, alright. I get the message.” The human giggled.
Tommy set the bowl in front of him, making sure the blankets dipped to hold the soup. He scooped up some with his spoons, slowly raising it to his mouth.
As soon as it hit his tastebuds, he melted. Oh. That was so good.
He decided to forget the spoon, and simply took the bowl and began to drink from it. He hoped the two didn’t mind a bit of soup dribbling off his chin and onto the blankets.
Wilbur giggled at the sound of his large gulps. “Do you like it?”
Tommy continued to drink, only making a small noise of agreement. The man smiled at him, chest puffing out in pride.
The door squeaked open, and Tommy barely even heard it over the sound of his own drinking.
Sally stood at the door, shifting from foot to foot. “Hey, Wil? Can we talk real quick?”
Wilbur stood up, making his way out of the room and meeting up with Sally just outside the door. Tommy perked his ears, trying to listen in.
But sadly the sound of him eating this delicious soup drowned out anything they said.
But Wilbur’s face did not look pleasant. His lips were pursed and he was fiddling with the hem of his shirt. He took a deep breath, slapping on a smile before walking towards Tommy. He plopped down just in front of him, waiting for him to be down with his bowl.
Sally stepped into the room as well, walking along the edge and to the fireplace. She bent down, stuffing a few sticks inside before striking a flint and steel.
Tommy set the bowl down, letting out a satisfied ‘ah’ and relaxing into his coils.
“Hey, Tom? Can we talk for a second?”
Tommy peaked out of his coils, squinting. Whatever they were talking about outside, most likely. Glad they were cueing him in. “Yes-sss?”
Wilbur shifted uncomfortably. “Well… it looks like the freeze and blizzard are making their way here. We’ll be keeping the home as warm as possible, but you may still need to brumate.”
Tommy’s eyes widened. “But— but you said that was bad!”
Wilbur put his hands up, softening his voice. “I did. And it does still have risks, but sadly it’s not likely something we’ll be able to avoid. Sally will be heading back out to get us some food to last over the blizzard. I’ll stay here with you, and we’ll make sure you stay as warm as possible.”
Tommy tightened his coils, frowning. He didn’t like that. Being asleep for so long didn’t sound appealing. But it didn’t seem like he had much of a choice.
He supposed it was only a waiting game, now. Hopefully he could force himself to stay awake.
-/-/-/-/-/-
Tommy was barely holding it together. Two days after Wilbur told him about the oncoming blizzard, it arrived. Temperatures plummeted, and the only thing they had been cooking was warm soups.
Tommy felt lethargic, curling in on himself with only his head peeking out. His vision was blurry, mind fuzzy as unconsciousness tried to pull him down.
But he refused to sleep.
The two whispered above him, wrapped up in their own blankets and nursing mugs of hot tea. Tommy was next to the fireplace, blinking slowly at the dancing flames.
Another blanket was placed over him, getting tucked around his tail to try and capture the heat.
But it was so cold. His heart rate was slowing, and his stomach was growling.
Truthfully, he was scared. There was a risk of him dying. He would have to fully rely on Wilbur and Sally to keep him safe.
He wanted to trust them. His emotions and fear of vulnerability had softened over the past few days, but they still lingered. Especially in his tired state. Tommy had never brumated before. He wasn’t entirely sure what it would even look like.
Something was shoved into his face, and a quiet whisper sounded in his ear.
“Drink, lovely. Can you drink for me?”
Tommy hummed, not even realizing his eyes were closed. He opened them, squinting at the blurry shapes.
Is this what Wilbur saw? He wasn’t sure. Wilbur’s was probably worse.
He felt dizzy, and his body ached to just sleep.
A spoon was pushed onto his lips, gently parting the bottom one. Oh right, Wilbur asked something of him.
He opened his mouth, letting the man pour the warm soup into his mouth.
“So good. You’re doing a good job, Tommy.”
Tommy’s eyes shut, body relaxing once more. Another bite was pressed to his lips.
“A little more, sweetheart.”
Tommy grumbled, but did as he was told. His consciousness began to fade. It flickered on and off, leaving him distant and confused.
He was so tired. He was so cold. He wanted— He wanted to sleep. And he wanted to be around something warm. He opened an eye, staring at the blurry blob he assumed to be Wilbur.
Wilbur was warm. He really wanted to curl around him.
But Wilbur probably didn’t want to be his personal heater, and Tommy didn’t want to get too comfortable. If he got too comfortable, he’d fall asleep. What if he never woke up?
Tears brimmed at the edges of his eyes as he shivered. He forced his hands to move, grabbing at his own face to try and wake himself up.
“What’s wrong, dear?” Wilbur asked softly.
Tommy hummed deeply. “Sss-sleepy.”
“You can go to sleep, y’know? It’s okay.” Wilbur whispered, a hand running through Tommy’s hair.
The boy leaned into it desperately, nearly falling from his coils. “But— dangerous.”
Wilbur seemed to recognize the boy’s neediness, continuing to scratch at his scalp. “It’ll be okay, Tom. We already knew it was going to happen. Me and Sally have made precautions to keep you safe. We’ve got food we’ll feed you while you sleep, and we can keep you nice and warm. You’ll be okay, I promise.”
That sounded nice. Someone to protect him. Someone that’ll make sure he awakens from his long sleep.
Tommy started to uncoil, tiredly looking at the mass of heat that was this human. “You— you promise? You’ll keep me safe? You won’t leave me?”
Wilbur had a smile on his voice as he spoke. “I promise. Someone will always be with you.”
The gorgon hummed, slithering across the blankets. Some bunched up beneath him, nearly making him fall in his out-of-it state. Wilbur held his arms out, and Tommy easily fell into them. Wilbur pulled him up, helping the boy wrap his tail around him several times.
Wilbur leaned back, wrapping several thick blankets around the two of them as he scooted closer to the fireplace. Tommy melted, warmth blooming on his chest as he snuggled into the man’s chest.
Wilbur shushed him quietly, kissing the top of his head. “I’ve got you, I’ve got you. It’s okay, just go to sleep. I’ll be here when you wake up, okay? And then Sally will go bother a witch until we get a nice heated blanket. We’ve got you. Shhhh…”
Wilbur was so warm. His body heat radiated from him, making Tommy’s muscles loosen. The man’s heartbeat was a constant drum in his ears, a beautiful melody to sleep to.
The man began to rock back and forth, humming under his breath.
Tommy relaxed fully, eyes shut as he finally just… let go.
No more fear. No more vulnerability. No more questions.
Just… rest. Just home.
His mind went blank, and he allowed himself to fall into a deep slumber. Wilbur and Sally would take care of him.
They promised. And he trusted them.
He was safe.
