A Nagas tale

the dog house?

It's been a week and four days since I told Audrey about the contraceptive I'd been giving her along with her tea. After she talked with the girls I noticed her writing about babies in her notebook. After which she decided to go with her father and the elder and has been with them for the last four days. I look at Leo and Idris as they help organize the records for the past year. At night she fights me when offering cuddles which she normally accepts without a fuss. Her taunting touches and teasing words have stopped as well. I frown 'Did I really mess up that bad? should I have told her like Mother said?' I set my pen down feeling frustrated. She's been nose-deep in her notebook which has nothing but Aurabonding and the birthing process and pregnancy information she's gathered. 'Did I misjudge Audrey? Did I act on my own fears?' I pinch the bridge of my nose. "What's the matter with Ya?" Idris asks. I frown not wanting them to pry in my business. "You look like a kicked dog." Leo chuckles. I look at them as they sift through the papers. "Come on Kogen you can trust in us." Idris demands. I give in really needing an outsider's perspective. I told them about everything so far only to get looks of disgust. "I can't believe you made Audrey take contraceptive tea without her knowing." Leo scoffs. Idris slams his face with a stack of papers. "I swear are you a dumb ass?" He asks. "I thought it would be fine since I didn't think Audrey would want a kid right now." I answer in my defense. Leo nods "While your intentions were good, not telling her is deceptive and might make her lose trust in you." He states. I frown "My sister's husband pulled something similar and she ended up dumping him for it." he shakes his head. "Audrey would..""What makes you so sure? you are saying she is retracting affection and seems hyperfocused on a baby. What makes you think she wouldn't leave you for somebody who would give her a baby?" Idris asks. I flinch 'There is no way she would leave!' I feel my frustration only grow. I stand up "I'm going for a walk." I huff not wanting to hear their words anymore. I leave the barracks and head towards the village hoping to find a gift for Audrey to apologize. I look at the stalls not seeing much catch my eyes when I hear Audrey's voice. "Dad, You are being stupid!" Audrey laughs as she holds up a baby blanket. I feel my stomach drop 'I messed up.' She looks at the blanket and smiles "I'm just glad I managed to get that cleared up so I can tell the girls and their husbands how to handle it." she giggles as she picks up two more blankets. "why three? will that be enough?" her dad asks. She nods "Yeah, I think three is enough, for such little things three is enough." she picks up three stuffed bears. 'She wants three?' I feel a rush of elation. 'She might dump you for deceiving her.' My stomach seems to sink lower.  "Gosh, I should not have told you about our family finances." Her dad huffs. She giggles "If you think this is bad! wait till I...." She stops talking and shakes her head. "Are you alright?" he asks her she smiles "Yeah! just need to remember to note that down later." she pats her bag. "Oh in the Naga log your grandfather gave you?" he asks. She nods "Yeah, I have been using it a lot more lately to log our trips to the caves." they start walking towards us. She spots me she smiles at me "Kogen!" she quickly walks over. "what's wrong?" she asks taking my hand. Her brown eyes seem curious. 'Would she leave?' I feel my heart ache. "Hello? Kogen?" she waves her hand in front of my face. 'Can I give her what she wants? would she leave if I dont?' The questions seem to pile up. "Kogen? Do you feel sick?" she asks putting her hand on my forehead. "You look pale." she points out. "Audrey, are you sure this is Kogen?" He asks. Audrey nods "I would know my own husband Dad! I'm not like you who had three wives." She jabs at him. He nods "What? Having more than one partner is more productive!" he defends. 'more than one?' Audrey shakes her head "You and the older generations are gross for taking more than one partner." she fights him. Her dad nods "Well, If one wife can't produce children the second one is there and while the second one is pregnant the third one can please me." he fights Audrey 'If one can't produce a child then another will be an option?' I feel my stomach squirm. "Ugh thats disgusting." she shakes her head and  puts her hands on her hips "I will only have one partner." She scoffs 'Will she replace me if I don't give her a baby?' I feel my head start to ache from the worry. "Kogen? Honey?" she grabs my face "Hello! Earth to planet Kogen!?" she seemed worried. 'No, I won't let that happen.' I frown as she pinches my cheek. "Oh gosh, I guess I will need to put that off till later." she sighs. "Is he okay? He looks like he's about to kill somebody." Her dad seemed worried. She shrugs "I'm not sure, I need to get him home in case he has a fever." she takes my wrist. 'I messed up...' I feel like shit as she drags me away from the village. "Kogen, If you had a fever you should have told me." she scolds as she leads the way home. I look at the bag she is carrying with the baby items. 'Yyvonne is at a camp this week, she won't be home.' I follow Audrey home once within the confines of our home. I pull her into my arms she struggles in my hold. 'Don't fight me.' "Kogen? hold on I stink." she protests. "Don't leave." I manage to demand. She peeks at me curiously. "Are you alright?" she asks trying to free herself. "Audrey, are you upset?" I ask wanting to know how she feels. "Upset? no, why?" she finally escapes my arms. She fans herself with her hands. "Kogen? What's going on?" she asks me. I look at her 'as many as she wants.' I push her to the floor catching her off guard. "Kogen!?" she shouts holding the back of her head. I pin her arms down "As many as you want." I mutter kissing her lips. She struggles under me. "An army if you so demand." I declare as I reach for her pants. She suddenly slams her knee into my stomach. I groan and grab her knee "Kogen!? What is wrong!?" she demands. "Don't leave me." I whisper "Leave? Where? What do you mean?" she asks anger in her voice. I kiss her neck feeling her skin moist with sweat. "Ugh! Kogen stop! I stink!" I unzip her pants ready to give as she demanded. "Kogen!" she struggles "Honey!" she sounds angry. I look up at her "I'm sorry." I kiss her lips hoping she would forgive my stupidity. She bites my lip hard enough to draw blood. I pull away startled by her refusal I feel my nail scrap her arm as she pulls her hand free. She shoves me off flaring her aura and adding more strength behind her shove. I fall back hitting my head against the door. I look at Audrey as she breathes heavily taking a step back. "W... what's wrong with you?" she asks. 'Does she hate my touch that much?' I watch her fall onto her knees. "Kogen, what happened to words? what are you talking about an army? and not leaving?" she asks. I sit up ready for her to hate me more. "Idris and Leo said you might leave because of me deceiving you." I tell her what I've been thinking. She sighs leaning against the wall. "W... what nonsense are they on about?" she sounds annoyed. "I told them about not telling you of the contraceptive." I explain. She sighs "Oh god those fucking nitwits." she grumbles. "And what's with this army?" she asks. "W... well you've been so focused on babies and Leo said his sister left her husband because he refused to give her a baby." I connect the dots for her. She groans "Those two... Ugh!!! How good they are at planting seeds of doubt." she gets up and walks over. She sits at the edge of the floor near me. "why do you think thats true?" she asks. I look at her seeing her sitting with her knees wide apart her elbows resting on each elbow. "You've been avoiding sex and cuddles. You haven't been as teasing as you normally have been." I explain. She drops her head "Oh boy... what a mess those two made for me." she sighs "First of all let's get inside and calm down a little." she stands up and picks up the bag I made her drop. She put the bag in the dining room where she instructed me to sit in. "I will be right back, don't go jumping into pools of conclusions." she scolds. I look at the bag resting against the wall. 'she wants three?' I feel like I only pissed her off more. She walks in with some tea and crackers setting them down between us. She sits down and takes a deep breath. "First of all, I didn't mean to make you feel lonely." she wipes the sweat over her brows. "It's just been too hot to want to be too close." she explains. "I feel like I've sweated a 10-ton bucket every day." she sighs. "secondly about the contraceptives sure at first I was a bit upset with you for not telling me and letting me panic on my own." she leans back onto her palms. "I would have asked your mother for some at some point anyways." she leans her head back "I don't currently feel like, I could be a good mom." she sighs finally falling onto the ground "Fuck it's too hot!" she complains. "Thirdly, I've been so focused on babies because Willemina is pregnant and I felt anxious about how the bond would aid in the safe delivery of the kids and Willemina." she starts fanning her face. "I have been going with Dad to the cave to ask the ancestor about what needed to be done for the aura bond to protect Willemina and what we should look out for." she answers annoyed. "What about the items you just bought?" I ask looking at the bag. She looks at the bag and smiles "I got some gifts for Willemina and her babies." she explains. 'So I've been understanding everything wrong?' I lean closer to Audrey her brown eyes held annoyance. "Next time you have doubts ask me silly. like I said before about the contraceptive as long as you let me know and communicate with me I will be fine." she pats my cheek. I nod 'How idiotic of me.' Her assurance felt like a stone statue's been lifted from my shoulders. "Are all of your questions answered?" she asks. I shake my head "No, how many do you want?" I ask honestly curious about it. She looks at me and chuckles "As many as you can handle." she winks before getting up "I need to go wash up, Ugh I feel like I stink of sweat." she walks out of the room. I followed her with my eyes till she vanished from my sight. I turn my attention to the bag and smirk 'As many as I can handle?' I get up and follow after her.