Scales & Fish Tails

Chapter 10 A Salty Naga

(Song: Gymnopédie No By Erik Satie)

The gentle breeze blew through his rough wavy black curls that hung in his closed eyes, shadowing them from the sun that glistened, seeping through between leaves and through parts in the jungle trees. Arms held him close and something coiled around his lower half to keep him warm as the soft current of the pond water lulled him to a light slumber. Sollux chuckled, he'd stayed up all night protecting his precious ocean treasure. Inspecting the golden peircing that poked through Eridan's earfins an rings on his fingers. He couldn't help but stroke his cheek and hold him closer, breathing in his sweet lilac scent. Eridan's earfins twitched as he purred softly in Sollux's grasp. "Can y0u be any cuter?" Sollux's head snapped around to see the human kneeling down next to the pond, brushing past tall grass she smiled warmly at the boys. "AA, II-what-" She stopped his foolish stuttering with her hand. "Shush, y0u'll wake him." Sollux calmed down shuddering from his recent startle. He nodded and proceeded to adore his pearl. "Kanaya wanted t0 inf0rm y0u that she's g0ing 0ut f0r a bit to gather s0me things f0r y0ur friend." "I DONT T)(INK T)(ATS )(IS FRI-END." Feferi spoke from behind Aradia, pushing back the tall grass she sat next to her companion. "Are y0u suggesting that they are perhaps m0re?" "I'M NOT SUGG-ESTING ARADIA, ITS OBVIOUS!" She giggled. Sollux flushed a deep mustard yellow, his face twisting into shock. "Excussse me but we were doiing jusssst fiine before you two deciided to iinterupt!" He spat  before a splash of cold water smacked him right in the face. "Sollux, bad boy!" Oh look, the sleeping beauty has awoken. "Noww you better removve the salt from your attitude, I otta slap the taste outta your mouth for bein' so rude!" Eridan scolded. Feferi quickly covered her mouth, doubling over in laughter. "00h, s0me0nes in tr0uble."

Eridan scowled giving him that horrible look, the kind that makes your sins poke at you until you beg for mercy. "Apologize! Apologize right noww!" Sollux was astonished at his sudden angry tone. He raised his hands in defeat. "II'm sssorry!" "Not to me, apologize to them! They wwere just doing as they wwere told, you big bully!" Sollux turned towards the girls. "II'm ssssorry!" Sollux flushed with embarrassment, he felt like a guilty pet who'd knocked a vase off the fireplace. "It's 0kay." Aradia snorted. "Well, I Think Someone's Feeling Better." Kanaya aproached the four, her legs crushed leaves as she walked behind Aradia. "Back s0 s00n?" Kanaya chuckled softly, shooting a motherly gaze upon them all as if they were her children. "Yes Dear, Were You Worried?" Eridan shuffled around under the water wriggling out of Sollux's grasp yet unable to uncoil the reptile's tail that had wrapped itself around his own. "Thank you, Kanaya." He said giving her a veritable smile. "You Are Very Welcome Dear." She moved around Aradia and stepped down into the pond, the waters rippling with every step she took. Kneeling down she cupped Eridan's face turning it side to side inspecting him for cuts and bruises. "Do You Ache Anywhere? Any Bad Pains Or Scratches?" She looked at the skin of his arms and touched at the fins on his forearm. "Uh-no ma'm." He spoke as though she were an adult. "Good, Could You Try To Swim Around Or Move For Me?"

A mention of such actions made a certain naga very unhappy. A deep growl emenated from Sollux's throat as he squeezed Eridan's body to his chest. "II thiink he'sss doiing jusssst fiine riight here, he doesss'nt need to go anywhere." Sollux emphasized his last words as if it were a threat. His bi-coloured eye narrowed at the jade blooded spider, glaring down upon her with a scowl. Eridan belonged to him and him alone, in time he'd make sure of it and that everyone knew who's property he was. "Pardon Me Sollux, But If He's Going To Get Any Better Then You Need To Stop Squeezing Him, He's Very Fragile After Last Night If You Remember What Happened?" Kanaya crossed her arms, clearly stating her dominance over the subject. No matter how much he wanted to deny it she was right. "Hmph, fiine, but don't you dare do anythiing to hiim or II'll ssswallow you whole." His voice deepened as his words dripped with venom, with every word he flashed his white double pair of fangs. Slowly, he uncoiled his tail and let Eridan go who was breathing strangely and slightly terrified of him. "Alright, Are You Sore?" Eridan nodded. "Yeah, a bit." "Where, Might I Add Is Your Soreness?" Eridan grunted, his tail twitching with its feeble attempts to move and his sudden small sense of fatigue. "Sorta, evverywwhere." He breathed heavily. "Hmm, You Just Need To Stretch Out A Bit, You're Weak But Given A Few Days You Should Be Fine."

She assured. Eridan groaned feeling his arms get shaky. "I...don't feel so wwell." He breathed out, his face flushed a light purple. "Oh My." Moving the hair that hung down in his eyes, she placed her cold hand on his forehead in which he leaned into. "You Have A Light Fever, Doesn't Seem Too Hot, Just All That Time You Spent Out Of Water Must've Made You Sick." Sollux quickly pulled him back into his arms before his strength to sit up threahtended to give in. "Hmm, If It Doesn't Go Down In A Bit, Let Me Know And I'll See What I Can Do." Sollux nodded waiting for her to leave them before he spoke. "Are you alriight? Don't go dyiing on me." Eridan mustered up a chuckle. "Sure, wwhatevver you say." Feferi gushed over the two. "AWWW, LOOK AT YOU TAKING CAR-E OF YOUR
BOYFRI-END!" Sollux hissed getting extremely flustered at the word 'boyfriend.' "Augh! He'sss not my boyfriiend! But he iisssss miine ssso don't even thiink about iit!" Aradia giggled patting his cheek. "Well if he's n0t y0ur b0yfriend d0es that mean I still get a chance with him?" She teased. Sollux hugged Eridan tighter in an embrace. "No! You can have hiim!" "W)(AT ABOUT A KISS ON THE
C)(-E-EK?" "Back off, FF!" "You two quiet teasing the poor man!" Rose called down from their treehouse.

(More updates are coming! And sorry if this ones not that good I'm busy planing a trip right now so my mind is constantly drifting other places but also thank you for reading and enjoy!
:3)