So This Is A Bit Of A Combination Of Ideas From IsabelleFukawa And Sapphire On Ao3.

So this is a bit of a combination of ideas from IsabelleFukawa and Sapphire on ao3.

Btw, uploads of drabbles might slow down in comparison to the rate it was before. It’s cause I am working on three different aus at the same time. (Which you can check out on ao3. I have a few completed ones there as well.) But yeah, just wanted to let y’all know about that. I trying to not fry the brain.

Also, I do in fact know that being cold and wet do not actually cause sickness. So let’s just pretend it does for this chapter. ‘Kay? ‘Kay!

In Nagito’s humble and correct opinion, there was nothing better than spending time with his small human.

He constantly reminded himself of how lucky he was that he had a companion. Nagas usually were solitary, preferring their own company over others. But he had been different. Especially about the human species. He found them fascinating and desired to know more about them. But he didn’t get the chance to during his childhood.

His parents had left him on his own when he was old enough to catch his own prey. He didn’t hold it against him, as that was the naga way. So he went off to find his own territory. And Lady Luck blessed him with a bountiful and enormous forest. There was even a human residence nearby. He would occasionally peek out at them, but never make contact. The repeated warnings about the species from his parents echoed in his mind. And by the time he worked up the courage to go interact, the humans had moved out.

It had been a very lonely few years as the house sat empty. He found himself constantly passing by the house, hoping that one day, it would have life within it again.

And once more, his prayers were answered. A moving truck pulled in and began unloading items into the house. Someone was going to live there! It was so exciting!

Nagito had managed to hold himself back from showing himself for the moving day and the day after. But the years of no interaction caught up to him and he went to introduce himself early in the morning.

The human had certainly been surprised. And almost a bit resistant to his attempts to comfort and help transport around. But now, things are much much better. He had someone who he could talk to and express his affection towards. It was very easy to do so, as Hajime was receptive to his requests for conversation. And his personality was extremely likeable in Nagito’s eyes.

And since they had managed to talk about the human’s boundaries and him respecting them, they had gotten closer. Hajime was more talkative and happy when they went into the forest now. More excited to see new sights. It filled the naga with glee.

That was what they were doing currently, in a meadow of flowers down in a valley. The sweet scents were very strong as well as the abundance of color.

He was laying on his stomach, tail stretched way behind him. His head rested in his crossed arms, eyes closed as he felt Hajime occasionally climb on him to place blooms in his hair. He had requested this of the human, partially because he wanted to see his cute flushed face. Hajime agreed with crimson cheeks, gathering flowers by the armful and placing them in between his snowy locks.

It was so nice. He was loving every second.

Eventually, Hajime sat down on his arm, leaning back against his cheek as he took a break. He let out a content sigh as he reclined. “Who knew being a naga’s hairdresser would be a workout?”

Nagito giggled. “Exercise is important. And I am happy to provide such a means.”

He felt Hajime bat him lightly. He returned to his relaxed position and stared up at the sky. “There really is almost no end to new discoveries in this forest, is there?” he thought aloud.

Nagito answered the thought. “Things are always changing here. Even I get to experience new sights occasionally. I’m just glad I have you to share them with.”

“Thank you. I do appreciate it. And I hope you know that,” the human said softly.

Nagito moved slowly and carefully so that he could reach a hand up to gently touch his small body. “I do. And I hope you know how much I enjoy your company.”

Hajime snorted. “Oh yes. I am very aware of that. I have such a clingy snake.”

The naga giggled again, hugging the human tighter to his cheek. “Only for you.”

A comfortable silence filled the valley, only the slight wind rustling the plants making noise. And both of them were perfectly content just laying there. Enjoying the sunlight, clean air, soft breeze, and the company of another.

Until the sky darkened and the wind began picking up.

Nagito’s instincts became more alert, getting more rigid as he reopened his eyes. His tongue darted out as he tasted the air. And the results were not good.

“There is a storm coming. And it is coming fast,” he informed the human, who hadn’t noticed anything. “We need to get to shelter as soon as possible. My cave is closer. I will take you with me.”

He didn’t wait for an answer, grabbing Hajime in a firm grip and raising himself off the grass. He began slithering towards his cave at a fast pace, hyper focused on the storm’s approach.

Hajime didn’t struggle in his hold, which relieved him. But he did speak up. “You can tell? I guess your animal instincts are better at picking up changes. But do you know how long it will be?”

Nagito scented the air again, daring to peek back towards the darkening clouds. “I cannot say with certainty how long. But I feel it will be lengthy. And strong. It will not be safe to be outdoors.”

He continued forward, as quick as he dared. At one point, he had to put Hajime down on top of a steep hill so that he could use both of his hands to hoist himself up. And of course, that was when the heavy rain began. Both were drenched in seconds.

“Curses. I was hoping this would not occur,” Nagito grumbled to himself as he successfully climbed onto the hilltop. He swiftly regained his hold on the small human, using his other hand to shield him from more raindrops. He could feel Hajime shiver a bit, though it died down with the close contact to his human half’s heat. “We are almost there. Just a little longer,” he promised.

They arrived a few minutes after the rainfall began. And though Nagito was still not happy with how long it had taken, he was grateful for the cover. “Okay, we are out of the rain. We will stay here until it passes.”

He set the human down on the hard stone before moving away. Once a safe enough distance, he shook his head, getting the water out of his hair. Thankfully, he got most of it out with this action, satisfied when he ran his hand through his hair.

But once he turned back, his heart sank at the sight of his poor human shivering and hugging himself to try and warm up.

Nagito grabbed a bit of soft moss that was growing on the roof of the cave, approaching and offering it to Hajime. “I wish I had something better to help dry you off. Perhaps this will get some off.”

“Th-thanks,” the human managed, grabbing hold of the moss and doing his best to wipe off the moisture. But it wasn’t enough to get all of it. So he was still shivering by the time he tossed the moss aside.

Nagito knew he had to warm the human up. Getting too cold meant dreadful sickness. He was certain the human would get ill from how wet he still was, but he could try and prevent it from getting really bad.

He raised his hands close to his mouth, breathing a few puffs of hot air onto them, then reached down and cupped them around Hajime.

The brunette practically melted into the touch, legs losing strength as he collapsed into the hands around him. Nagito found the sight to be equally adorable and concerning. He brought the rest of his body closer, cradling the smaller one and curling his tail around them. It was the best he could do to increase the temperature.

“I’ll take you home as soon as the rain stops. I swear to you that I will,” he whispered, careful of his volume.

“That… sounds good. You… are so… warm,” Hajime muttered, eyes closing and body becoming limp. “I… can’t stay awake… Can you…?”

Nagito nodded, resting his head near his cupped hands. “Yes, I shall wake you up when it finishes.”

Hajime needed no further prompting, breaths evening out as he fell unconscious. Nagito did not follow suit, eyes remaining open and alert. And they were focused intently on his human, watching for any sign of something going wrong. Very occasionally, he would flick them over to the cave entrance to see the state of the weather.

He didn’t keep track of time. The amount of minutes that passed meant nothing. All that mattered was when the storm ended and when he needed to wake Hajime back up. But he would admit it did take some time. More than he expected.

But the storm did clear up, the dark clouds leaving the forest behind to travel elsewhere. And once the naga saw the beginnings of sun rays shine again upon the plant life, he moved. He nudged a finger against Hajime’s side, slowly and gently. “The storm has passed. You can wake back up now.”

The human grumbled but did not open his eyes. Or move much at all. It made Nagito tilt his head. “Hajime? We can go back to your house now.”

“Mmmmhh.” The human rolled over and hugged one of his larger fingers, burying his face into the warm skin. “Tired… stay…”

Nagito felt his own face flush at the action. Hajime had never done anything of this sort before. What was happening?

Then he noticed a particular detail. The human was much warmer than he usually was. So he was sick. That explained the change in behavior. “Okay, now it is very imperative that we get you home,” he declared, lifting himself up and beginning to slither out and into the forest.

“Nagito? Are we… moving?” Hajime sleepily asked, his hug tightening ever so slightly to better hang on.

The sight was too cute. And the naga couldn’t help but stroke the brown hair softly with a finger. “Yes, we are. Do you want to stay where you are for the trip?”

The human nodded, the action more felt than seen. “Yeah. You’re warm. And comfy.” He then turned his head to reveal one tiny hazel eye. “You are so caring. What did I do to deserve someone like you in my life?”

Alright, this was bordering on too much for him to handle. Compliments were not something he was used to. And to hear his beloved human say something like this was giving his heart a workout from how fast it was beating. “You… you are too kind.”

Hajime shook his head. “No. It’s the truth. You are really important to me, you know? So I gotta say it to let you know,” he said in a loopy voice. “And yeah, you are one of the greatest people I know. Which is funny, cause you’re a snake. Heh.” And then he proceeded to fall silent and back asleep.

Nagito could practically feel the steam blowing out of his ears. His face flushed and his pace stuttered. Hajime was going to kill him with all these kind words.

He repeated the words told to him in his mind the rest of the way, managing to get a grip on himself by the time the house was in sight. He loathed to disturb Hajime again, but he knew it was necessary. But he made himself feel better by doing it with a nuzzle.

“Mmph… what?” Hajime grumbled, rolling on his side and weakly batting at the cheek. “I was sleeping. Why?”

Nagito smiled warmly. “Because we are here. You need to go get changed and take some medicine. If you do that, your sleep will be even more comfy. Can you do that?” he asked, lowering his hands to the patio door.

Hajime didn’t look happy about the prospect of leaving, clinging tighter. “But…”

The naga shook his head. “No ‘buts.’ Off you go.” He slid the grumpy man off and guided him over to the patio door. He hooked a claw on the door, opening it and giving Hajime a small push inside. Slowly, the human walked further in, a bit wobbly but managing to stay on his feet.

Satisfied as he watched the brunette disappear into the house, Nagito relaxed and rested on his coils. His human should be alright now. He wasn’t terribly sick so he trusted that he could function enough to help himself. Now he could replay the words told to him earlier all he wanted. He knew that sickness tended to loosen the brain enough for one to speak their mind more easily. So he was confident that what he was told was really the truth.

Oh, the decision to inform the human of what he had said or to not until later. Nagito giggled as he imagined the reaction. It might overwork his brain if he was informed now. He would wait until the human was better. And he looked forward to it.

Masterpost

Is it bad that my immediate first thought to seeing this new character was:

Holy frick. Izuru Kamakura is in Pokémon?

How many drabbles of this au am I going to do? The answer is: yes.

So here, take this.

Inspired from @tortadecereji

They actually did a drawing of Naga Nagi and Haji being cute. Go check it out here!

When traveling through the woods with a naga, there were several ways to accomplish it, as Hajime had discovered. The least effective way was him walking on the ground with Nagito slithering next to him. That method resulted in little ground coverage, so it was not one that was utilized often.

Which meant that he was carried in various fashions. Sometimes on a shoulder, where he held onto the white hair for balance. Other times, in the naga’s hands, which was the creature’s favorite. And on other days, such as today, Hajime rode around in the white hair.

The naga’s hair was extremely soft and fluffy, almost unusually so. Especially given the fact that Nagito lived in the forest. But he didn’t try and fry brain cells thinking about it. All he needed to do was hold on to it and enjoy. Which was fairly easy to do, as the naga’s movements were slow and practically graceful. Hajime never worried about falling.

“We are almost there,” Nagito announced cheerily, continuing steadily through the trees. The human hummed in response, indicating that he heard. But other than that, he really didn’t move much from his position. This one was very nice, in his opinion. It was like he was on the world’s softest bed. He was sure that he could easily fall asleep up here. He was even tempted to try.

But a certain someone needed attention. “We are here! It’s really pretty today!” A large hand rose up and poked the human’s back. “You like it?”

Hajime patted the finger and rose to a sitting position. He took in the sight in front of him. An absolutely stunning waterfall. The sunlight hit the spray just right and created a rainbow midway down.

Nagito paused near the edge, looking around himself. But then he continued forward, much to Hajime’s surprise. “Hey! Wait! What are you doing?” he shouted, grabbing tighter to the white locks.

“Huh?” Nagito inquired with an innocent tone. “It’s warm today, so I wanted to cool off. Don’t worry! I won’t put my head under! You won’t get wet!”

The human relaxed, tension leaving his body at the words. So he didn’t protest as the creature went deeper and deeper into the water. The pond beneath the waterfall was deeper than he expected, enough so that Nagito was able to get in up to his shoulders. He sighed in contentment, but made sure to keep his head still. “This feels so nice. You should try it with me one day!”

Hajime leaned back on his hands, staring up at the roaring waterfall. “Perhaps. I’ll need to wear swimming trunks if we do.”

The head underneath him vibrated from the giggle. “I look forward to it.”

Together, they enjoyed the sounds of nature. The rushing water, the croak of frogs, and the wind rustling the trees. Peaceful and beautiful. And something Hajime was growing to appreciate.

After a half hour, it occured to the human that he had never properly thanked the naga for showing him these sights. He had been too caught up with being annoyed at being snatched away from his home with little input. But since their talk a week ago, things had gotten better. Nagito still had moments, but still, it was better. So he figured now was a good time to express his appreciation.

He patted the hair, hard enough to get its owner’s attention. “Hey Nagito. There’s something… I want to tell you.”

“Oh? Whatever could it be?” the naga said excitedly.

Well, here goes. Might as well come out and say it. “I just wanted to th-”

A loud sound interrupted him. And more followed after the first one. Hajime knew that sound. Gunfire. Someone was shooting in the woods.

He felt himself get angry. Whoever was shooting, they were not supposed to be here. Let alone use firearms. “I’ll tell you later. This requires our attention more.”

Nagito began creeping forward, towards the bank. “I agree,” he replied in a cold, flat voice. “It seems there are trespassers in our woods. And they have brought along objects that I strongly dislike. They need to be dealt with.”

If not for the fact that he knew they were on the same page, Hajime would have been worried and maybe even scared. He had never heard the naga talk like this. It was clear that Nagito was ready to chase these trespassers out.

“Let’s sneak up and see what we are dealing with first. If things look relatively negotiable, then I shall go and talk to them. If they get hostile, then you may come in. Does this work for you?” Hajime asked as the snake scales met dry land.

“Yes. But do know that I shall swoop in the second I feel you are in danger.” Nagito raised a hand up to the top of his head, offering a platform for his passenger. Hajime got on, feeling himself being lowered. Nagito put him on the ground when they were closer to the sound’s origins. Which turned out to be near the waterfall’s edge.

The naga had placed him towards the top, so he didn’t have to climb much. Meanwhile, the creature himself remained hidden, the cliff obstructing the sight of him. With one last silent confirmation of his location, Hajime walked forward.

He came across two men, both about mid twenties and each kneeling over their own firearm. They were both excitedly blabbering to each other, counting out the magazines of bullets next to their weapons. It appeared to be safe to approach.

“What are you doing here?” he demanded, tone stern. It freaked the trespassers out, them scrambling back a few steps from the new voice.

“Wh-where did you come from!?” one asked.

“That is not important. What is is that you are on private land. You cannot be here,” Hajime stated.

The two glanced at each other before turning back to the angry man in front of them. “Well, we just got these and wanted to try them out! Surely it’s fine to shoot a few rounds and maybe bag a buck! Come on, you can let us do that right?”

“No. Please leave.” Hajime spoke firmly, wanting to give no indication that he could be bargained with. “I wish for this forest to remain untouched and untainted. Take everything you brought and go back.”

But instead of listening, the brunette could see the stubbornness and frustration begin forming in the trespassers’ eyes. Not a good sign. “You know, you are not being super smart right now,” one commented.

Hajime crossed his arms and retained his unbothered expression. “How so?”

The other gestured to the weapons on the ground. “You are interrogating two armed men. You are unarmed and alone. You better choose your next words wisely. That is, if you don’t want to get hurt.”

Hajime raised an eyebrow. “Who said I was alone?”

He could both hear and feel the movement right behind him. Nagito had heard the threat and was none too pleased. He ascended from his position, towering over the humans. All the while glaring and hissing, fangs exposed.

The blood in the trespassers' faces drained at the sight and sound. They were now terrified beyond belief. And they screamed when Nagito brought a fist down next to them, destroying the firearms. Their legs collapsed under them, the terror rendering them temporarily immobile.

Hajime took this time to step forward, phone camera unlocked. He took a few pictures of their faces while they were distracted. “Show me your identification,” he requested.

The two scrambled to do so after their inactivity made Nagito hiss louder. They handed their driving licenses to the more relaxed human, who took pictures of them as well.

He handed them back. “I have your faces and information now. I could potentially report you to the authorities for trespassing and threats. But I shall refrain on two conditions.” He held up a finger. “One, that you never return to this forest.” The second finger joined the first. “And two, that you do not tell anyone about my naga. He is to remain a secret. Do you understand?”

Frantic nods. It was clear they had no intention of breaking these conditions. So Hajime felt confident in letting them go. “Now please leave.”

They obeyed quicker than Hajime thought possible. They were gone in all of a minute. Once he was certain they were far enough away, he let out a heavy sigh. “This is not how I expected the day to go. Life is full of unexpected turns, I suppose.”

The sense of vertigo began as he was grabbed and raised. The naga was no longer threatening. Only worry was evident. “Are you okay? Are you hurt? Did they touch you? I heard them threatening you. I responded as soon as I heard it. Was I fast enough? Are you still scared? I can comfort you if you are! You did so well and were so brave. I’m so proud of you!” All of this was said as the creature nuzzled him delicately.

Hajime patted the large face near his. “I’m fine! I’m fine! Everything is okay now!” he assured, slightly exasperated. If he was being honest, the naga’s instant shift from terrifying to endearing was a bit mind reeling. “Honestly, I don’t think that they would have made good on their threat. I think they were just trying to scare me into compliance. But I am still grateful for your help.”

“I’m glad! Now our forest is peaceful again!” Nagito cheered.

The human took notice of something. “You said this earlier, and just now. You consider these woods… ours? Not only yours?”

Nagito nodded. “Of course! I may not fully understand the details on owning property, but I know this forest technically belongs to you. And you have allowed me to remain its guardian. So I think it is appropriate to consider it ours!” His green eyes then squinted as he smirked. “And do not think I didn’t notice what you said earlier as well. You called me your naga. Oh, it is such an honor that you consider me yours.”

Hajime blushed, having momentarily forgotten exactly what he had said. But he didn’t deny the words, which made Nagito even happier.

He hugged the human against his cheek. “You truly are the greatest human. I am so glad we met. And I hope for so many more years together.”

Hajime felt his face flush even more. “Yeah, yeah. I’m glad to have met you, too.” He smiled and leaned into the embrace. “And thank you, for everything.”

Masterpost

He is coming and none can stop him.

God himself.

@draconicsparkle

Oh don’t you worry! I shall be using this idea for sure!

Btw, I love this a ton!

Does anyone wants more of our snake boy? Bc I definitely do!!!

This is a little idea I had for @draconicsparkle 's naga!nagito au hehe🤭🤭

A suggestion from the glorious @tortadecereji!

So I am confident that some of you know where this is going if you are on tumblr. There was a specific piece of art that they uploaded that was of a scenario they had envisioned. And I was a big fan!

Link to the piece if you haven’t seen it.

And yeah! Enjoy snake boy!

It was cold. So very cold. Both externally and internally. And that worried Nagito like nothing else.

That was his first thought as he looked around. He wasn’t sure why he was laying in a deep section of the forest. But that’s where he found himself. How long… have I been out? Has… it been days? Wait! I need to make sure Hajime is alright!

Nodding to himself, he rose to do just that. But something felt… off. His arms and tail felt heavy. And it made all of his movements slow. No matter how much effort he put in, his speed remained slow. And the sun in the sky was moving at an accelerated rate too. What was going on?

He shook his head. He could figure out the strangeness later. He needed to get to his human as quickly as he could. So he began to slither in the direction of the house, feeling like he was moving through thick mud.

The sun set and rose multiple times as he traveled, but he didn’t bother to keep count of how many cycles occurred. He was focused entirely on his destination, pushing himself to the limit.

Finally, FINALLY he saw the forest’s edge. It renewed his spirit and gave his exhausted body enough energy to push forward. Gasping heavily, he practically lunged towards the tree break.

He reached it. And his heart sank.

The little house in the woods he had grown used to seeing was no longer in the same state as he had left it. The wood sidings were dark and rotten, some pieces having fallen or were hanging on by a rusty nail. Windows were shattered. The roof had holes in it. Grass and ivy were overgrown, some plants reaching inside the broken and open doors. And there was no car in sight. It was as if the place had been abandoned for years.

But that couldn’t be! He hadn’t been gone for that long, had he?

His body no longer felt weighed down, but his movements were still slow as he creeped to the house. He dreaded what he was about to see. But he needed to look.

“Hajime?” he weakly called out, the coldness inside growing with every passing second. “Hajime? Please answer.” The creaking shutters tapped against the wood with the small gusts of wind. “Haji… me?”

He reached the house, lowering his head to peek in as he had done so many times before.

He began with the patio door. The living room was empty and dusty. No furniture in sight. The coldness was reaching freezing temperatures.

Shakily, he willed himself to raise up to the bedroom doors. Nothing. Nothing except one thing that had been left near the doors on the floor.

There was a single piece of paper. On it was a single word, written big enough for him to see.

‘Goodbye.’

His heart shattered. And he shrieked in despair.

~~~~~~~~~~

Nagito gasped desperately for air as he awoke, eyes flying open. He could feel the sweat dripping down his brow and his limbs felt shaky. And most apparent was the twin waterfalls of tears running down his cheeks.

He… had been dreaming? It was such a horrible and terrifying one. The most dreadful nightmare.

But that knowledge did little to calm him down. As the possibility of it happening in actuality was very much real. Hajime could leave him. And he would be alone again. He had grown to love the company he was blessed with. The idea of the relationship terminating so suddenly and harshly scared him more than anything. He couldn’t bear to go back to lonely isolation. He wasn’t sure his spirit could handle it.

So that is why he hurried to the house, desperate to confirm that the dream hadn’t come true. Thankfully, his body moved at its regular speed, making the trip much faster than the nightmare’s. When he burst through the tree line, he sighed when it wasn’t broken down. It looked sturdy and undamaged, as his past memories recalled. It gave him some relief.

So he slithered closer to the house. “Hajime?” he called out, perking his ears to listen for any sound within the house. But to his dismay, he heard nothing. He tried to not lose hope too quickly though, as there was a possibility that the human was asleep. So he peeked through the windows, like he had in the nightmare.

But no one was there.

Heart plummeting again, Nagito quickly moved around to the front of the home, desperate for some answer. But there was no car in the driveway.

Hajime was gone.

Heart breaking again, the tears started flowing once more. He collapsed where he was, not caring about the tiny sharp rocks digging into his soft skin. Nothing mattered anymore. He was alone again. The one he cared for most had left him. Without telling him why. The realization of that fact doubled the pain, leaving him crying so hard he couldn’t breathe properly.

This was truly the worst he had ever felt. Nothing came close. He felt as though his world was shutting down. That all of his reasons for existence had been extinguished like someone dousing a candle. He already had accepted that he was a pathetic excuse of a naga, needing company to keep him sane. But he had truly felt something special with Hajime. Something that he knew would never be present in any other human he may meet. So what was the point of existence anymore?

Drowning in misery, he didn’t hear any sounds occurring around him. There was no reason for him to pay attention. Some hunter could try and capture him for all he cared. He had no fight or energy left.

Then he barely felt something making physical contact with his arm. He didn’t lift his head from where it was buried in his crossed arms, but he did try and focus enough to listen.

“-ito! Nagito! Answer me! What’s wrong!?”

That sounded like… Hajime!

As fast as he could, he raised himself so that he was supported by his crossed arms. And glancing down revealed what he had hoped for. The brown haired human was there. And looking worried.

“Nagito. You’re crying. What happened?” he asked, rubbing the pale skin in front of him gently. “Are you hurt? Sick?”

So kind. But who knew how long it would last. This experience had taught him that he was taking the human’s company for granted. It wasn’t infinite. And it could be erased in a matter of minutes.

All these negative thoughts overtook the earlier happiness. Tears continued to fall as he stared sadly down at the human. “You… you weren’t home. Just like in my dream. I… was so terrified. That… that you…”

Hajime continued to rub, gaze supportive. “That I what?”

Nagito hiccuped before he was able to talk again. “That… that you left for good. That I was… all alone again.” His voice dropped in volume, practically a whisper now. “Are… you going to leave me one day? Move away to some other place?” he asked as he lowered his head down to the ground again, almost hiding his face behind his crossed arms.

The arm pets stopped, as did the responses. It worries Nagito, but he dare not say or move any more for fear of total rejection. He didn’t have to wait long though, as he felt Hajime climb over his arms and jump down into the space between them and his face.

Giving him a warm and comforting smile, he slowly started raising his arms. “Hey, look,” he said calmly. “I’m here.” He emphasized his point by placing his hands on the naga’s cheeks. “I’m not going anywhere.”

He then started rubbing soothing circles, the actions and the words helping to calm Nagito down. “R-really?”

“Of course. I would never leave you without discussing it way in advance. That would be a huge jerk move. And even then, it would not be for very long. This is my home. And the home I plan to stay at for the rest of my life.” He patted the large cheek with one of his hands. “I’ll make sure to leave a note explaining what I’m doing if I leave. If I had known you would be this distressed, I would have told you it was only a grocery run.”

He had… gone out to get groceries? Now he felt embarrassed with himself. “Such an overreaction. The stupid nightmare messed my mind up. But I should have known. I don’t know why you bother to comfort me. I’m weak and pathetic. Just a disgusting waste of space and time. Why haven’t you abandoned me and gone onto better things and people yet? People who are the same species and closer to your size. People who don’t lose their minds at you being absent for only a few hours.”

He knew he was being backwards. But he couldn’t help but blurt those things out. Would Hajime be happier if he was somewhere else and surrounded more by his own kind? The idea tore him apart inside, but he would not fight it if it meant the human having a better life.

There were some beats of silence. The circles stopped too as Hajime fell still. Had he said too much? Was he going to leave now?

But that guess proved to be incorrect as Hajime leaned in closer, doing his best to run his smaller cheek against the larger creature’s. Nagito blushed as he registered it. Hajime knew what this gesture meant for snakes. So was he…?

“This is a way to express affection, right? Well, I’m not about to leave behind something or someone I clearly like. And also, try not to talk badly about the one I care about. I would appreciate it.”

Both the human and the naga blushed heavily at the words spoken. But it made him smile for the first time that day. “I’ll try,” he replied, nuzzling his human back. “Thank you.”

Masterpost