As a child, Adder had read in a book once that "the eyes are windows to the soul." He knew that through the eyes, one can convey a myriad of emotions; joy, mirth, love...but at that age, he'd never seen things like that reflected in the gaze of another. No, he had only ever seen the hateful eyes of his enemies as they slowly petrified.

The gorgon never did it out of malice, it was only evert protect Nadre Tor, as the former high priest commanded. Even so, it had made him wonder; was his soul so repugnant that the moment someone met his gaze, their hearts and minds filled with hate?

His mother had tried to convince him otherwise, but her words had been drowned out by Father Sheppard's venomous tones. After all, Sheppard was the voice of the pantheon, the man who had civilized the Adder...If the priest proclaimed Adder was a repugnant beast, how was a gorgon to argue?

The monster sighs, ruminating on this as he looms over the half-elf, eyes wide as hazel meets crimson.

The man is smaller than him. Not that he's petite—he has a muscularly lithe frame, and an average height for a 27-year-old. But Adder is longer, heavier, and much, much, stronger. He's a true monster in every sense of the word, from the top of his head, to the tip of his green-black serpentine tail.

Even so, the hazel eyes crinkle with amusement.

"Cree—py," Eben sing-songs.

"You don't look very afraid to me," the gorgon rumbles.

The man underneath Adder turns his head to the side, exposing his neck as he giggles. "I'm terrified. A giant lizard is trying to have a staring contest with me."

Adder retaliates for the insult by kissing up the column of freckled skin. Eben laughs and squirms, half-heartedly pushing the broad chest away.

Adder caresses his lover's cheek, minding his long dark claws as he gently turns the man's face to his. "Keep your eyes open while I kiss you."

Eben laughs, pointed ears twitching slightly. "You and your eye contact. You can't even see anything that close!"

The gorgon ignores the half-elf's protests, leaning down to brush his lips against his lover's. Eben giggles into Adder's mouth, eyes filled with mirth as his hands trace patterns into the gorgons skin.

When they're like this, Adder forgets everything that evil priest had told him. He feels whole, loved, good—and how could he not? When his lover meets his gaze with such warmth?

The half-elf's eyes narrow salaciously as the grogon pulls away, a smirk spreading across his cheeks. "Are my eyes the only thing you wanna look at?"

Warmth, amongst other things.

Adder takes the invitation, tugging the blanket off his lover's body and revealing the man's nudity.

He sits back, appreciating the constellation of freckles that dot all across the half-elf's skin. They decorate the curves of soft muscle beautifully, only occasionally interrupted by a faint scar or two.

Even more alluring, however, is the tattooed snake that coils and moves across Eben's skin. It's much more than just a magical decoration; it's a visualization of the man's power, why the half-elf can meet Adder's gaze unflinchingly without fear of petrification. Once it had been a curse that bound them together through hate...now, it bound them through something much stronger—love.

But as the gorgon's eyes drift south, he frowns at faint bruising on his partner's hips. He traces the light discoloration gently, eyes full of concern.

"Eben, you should've told me I was hurting you last night."

Completely unabashed, the half-elf licks his lips, hand coming to caress his arousal. "If I did that, you might've stopped."

Adder growls, grabbing Eben's wrist and pulling it away. He leans down, mouthing at the bruises softly.

Eben sighs breathily. "So you're going to torture me now? Mean, Adder. I thought you loved me."

Adder moves his lips to his lover's strained arousal, flicking it with a forked tongue. He smiles as Eben jolts, licking a long stripe from root to tip.

"I love torturing you a little more."

The half-elf groans, covering his face. "What happened to the shy little snake I met five years ago? I've created a deviant."

Adder chuckles. "I had no idea your powers reached such heights...although, I've always suspected you may be a God—one of perversion that is. We just woke up, and you're this excited already?"

"How can I stay calm when I awaken to you hovering above me?"

The gorgon flicks his tongue again, startling a whimper from the redhead. "Most people would respond with fear, not arousal."

Eben thrusts his hips into the air impatiently, whining when Adder moves his mouth away. "It's a little known fear response. You know—fight, flight, fawn, and fuck."

Still, the gorgon denies his lover, tracing a teasing claw up and down heated skin. "Hm, very interesting."

"Agh! Adder, just get on with it!"

Adder smiles innocently. "Magic words, my love."

"Adder, I need you..."

Adder's tail wags with excitement. "You were supposed to say please, my love, but that works too."

The gorgon finally lowers his mouth, carefully minding his fangs as he attends to his partner. Eben sighs, biting his lip as his head falls back into the gorgon's nest of furs and blankets.

Adder lets a hand wander his lover's body, gently scraping sharp claws over freckles skin. Eben twitches and groans, gripping the gorgon's long horns as the monster's head bobs rhythmically. Adder hums happily as the half-elf squeezes his eyes shut, thighs flinching as the gorgon speeds up. After a few minutes of this, accompanied by gasping sighs and sinful moans, Eben reaches the precipice of his pleasure. The gorgon rubs soothing circles into the slightly discolored skin of his lover's hips, whispering soft praises for every jolt and twitch.

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After the rush of endorphins has finally calmed, the half-elf smirks drunkenly. "Here you are treating me so nice but it's your birthday."

Adder leans over, kissing his partner on the forehead. "Yes, it's my birthday, so please go make me breakfast."

Eben entraps the gorgon with his arms, pouting. "You don't want me to return the favor?"

The gorgon yawns, easily breaking free to curl back in bed. "Return the favor with eggs and bacon."

Eben snorts. "Okay, but I don't make them as good as you do."

The half-elf pads away to the living room, leaving Adder alone in the nest. As he leaves, the gorgon buries himself under the blanket and furs.

He sighs, eyes closing. It was probably bad to lie about why he wouldn't be able to enjoy himself...but Adder didn't want to discuss the tumultuous feelings surrounding his birth. This day reminded him of all the horrible memories he wanted to forget about his hatching. What was there to celebrate, on this accursed day?

Tears prick the corners of his eyes as he tries to dismiss the memories, breathing slowly. He just needs to get through it all until sunset...it will be over soon. Thankfully with Eben around doing his best to cheer Adder up, the time really does fly.

Soon the sun is setting on the horizon, and the first guests arrive. He smells them before he hears them—the scent of a werewolf is strong. Sure enough, Daisy appears from the forest in all her glory, carrying the fanged Fern on her back.

Eben greets them at the mouth of the cave, petting and stroking the blonde werewolf before she transforms into a her humanoid form. She's still putting away a pair of sandy colored ears and a wagging tail when she grins widely, holding her satchel high.

"Adder, we found you the best birthday present ever."

Adder smiles, checking that his blindfold is on securely. "I do smell something in your bag...what is it?"

Fern sets her bag on the table, retrieving something from within. "It's an egg, a massive egg!"

Immediately, Adder is intrigued. He studies the egg intently—it's the color of cream, with auburn brown freckles spotting the surface.

"Gods above," Eben marvels, "that thing is massive. You could feed all of us if you boiled that monster. What laid this beast?"

The vampire puts an ear to the shell, humming. "We don't know, we just found it. Do you wanna try eating it?"

Adder frowns. "I don't know if that's a good idea. What if it's poisonous?"

"Can you sniff test it?" Eben asks.

"I can try..."

Fern hands over the large egg to the gorgons clawed hands gently. He brings it to his nostrils, searching for any sign of toxins.

He finds nothing but...something is making him give pause. He focuses hard, heart jumping when he realizes a fluttering feeling is emanating from within.

"It's alive!"

"Ooh! Really?!" Fern squeals.

"We can still eat it, right?" Daisy asks, sounding disappointed.

Adder's heart jolts with fear. "Uh, ah, we should wait for Helia to get here. She would know better..."

"Alright..." Daisy huffs, disappointed.

The group sets about beginning the celebration; eating sweets, drinking mead, playing games—but Adder can't focus.

All he can think of is that tiny little flutter of life inside the egg... and how it was getting weaker as it cooled.

He grabs the egg, turning toward his room.

Unfortunately, Eben seems to notice his lover's suspicious behavior. "Uh, Adder?"

The gorgon freezes. "Yes?"

"Where are you going?"

Adder curses internally as his tail thumps, giving away his frustration. "To my room. My head hurts..."

"Why are you bringing the egg?"

"I don't want you to eat it," he half-lies.

Eben rolls his eyes. "Alright. Do you want me to bring you some willow bark tea?"

Adder shakes his head. "No...I'll be okay."

"Okay. Get some rest."

Adder nods, retreating to his room. He sighs as finally, he's alone with the egg.

He opens his eyes, studying it closely. It has a brown hue with dark speckles all over that remind him of Eben's freckles. The comparison sets his heart racing again even though his brain is trying adamantly to fight his instincts.

This isn't their child, he knows it's not! It's just a random egg. He needs to get a grip...he needs to put it back in the kitchen! Ultimately, his brain loses. He places the egg into the nest, securely wrapping it in warm coils. It's safe now, with him, and he sighs with relief knowing that.

Feeling truly groggy now, the gorgon rests his head on the soft fabric of his nest. He focuses on the thrum of life behind the eggshell as he drifts off, feeling as if it's beating in tandem with his own heart.

A few hours later, he's awoken by a shuffle of sound in the room. He's alert immediately, coils covering the egg as he growls ferociously at the intruders.

"Gods!" He hears Eben startle.

There's a twinge of regret at the sound of Eben's fear, but it's overpowered by the fierce instinctual need to be rid of the intruders in his home. He turns his head to the other three; Helia, Daisy, and Fern...

"Get. Out. Now." he hisses, baring his fangs.

"Adder! What's gotten into you!" Eben asks, astonished.

Helia sighs. "Alright, who thought it was a good idea to bring a giant egg near Adder?"

When nobody in the room confesses, the woman continues. "Eben, I got you a book solely dedicated to gorgons, did you not read it...?"

Adder hears Eben shuffle his feet awkwardly. "Uh, Adder read it to me..."

"Adder!" Helia hisses. "Did you skip chapter 14?"

Adder growls, tail thumping the floor. "He doesn't need to know about that..."

The older woman groans, exasperated. "Clearly he needed to know how male gorgons can go extremely broody!"

"Oh my gods," Daisy exclaims, "like a chicken? He's trying to hatch it like a chicken would!?"

Adder hisses, insulted. "Not like a chicken!"

"Exactly like a chicken, you foolish boy. Give me the egg," Helia reprimands.

The gorgon tenses, growling in an inhuman tone. "No! Get out! Eben, help me!"

The half-elf crouches beside his partner. "Adder, that thing isn't a baby gorgon...listen to your mom."

The gorgon flinches away, hurt. "It's alive! It's mine!"

"Do we have to take it from him?" Fern asks.

Helia sighs. "Adder, just let me make sure you aren't incubating a basilisk—or something worse—and then I'll give it back..."

The gorgon growls once more, but allows his coils to ease up and reveal the egg. The elder steps forward, placing a hand on the speckled shell.

A few moments later, she speaks up. "Where did you say you found this?"

"It was just on the ground, near a cliff..." Fern explains.

"Highly unusual..."

"So what is it?" Eben prods.

"It's a harpy egg."

Adder's heart quickens at the realization. So it wasn't just an animal inside...it was a sentient being! The gorgon covers the egg more securely, more determined than ever to keep it safe.

Helia huffs at the action. "Adder, baby, you know harpies are dangerous right? That thing is a natural enemy of gorgons...not to mention, someone from its flock is missing it..."

"Find the nest and I'll give it back," he growls, "until then, it's mine."

"Fine. Daisy, Fern, you found it, so you're helping me..."

The party filters out of his room, leaving to do as instructed. All except Eben, who sits on the edge of Adder's nest. The monster opens his eyes, now safely alone with his partner. The half-elf gives him a concerned smile, stroking the gorgon's cheek.

"You silly snake. Why didn't you tell me about this brooding thing?"

The gorgon flushes, eyes darting away. "It's embarrassing, it's like—like an animalistic part of my brain takes over. I didn't think it would be relevant to tell you because, you know...we would never be able to have children..."

Eben frowns, eyes gentle. "I love every part of you, Adder. Not just the ones that look and act human..."

Adder nods, tightening his grip on the egg.

"Is that something you really want though? You want to be a parent?"

The gorgon blushes, hands twiddling with the furs and blankets. He didn't want to tell Eben the truth—that he'd been dreaming of this since he was a child. He'd always wanted a family; but would his lover even be willing to consider a thing like that, with Adder? It was absurd enough that the gorgon had been able to capture the half-elf's heart...

"I've thought about it before..."

Eben climbs into the nest of furs and blankets, laying beside the gorgon. "You know that if you hatch that egg, we can't keep it, right? It deserves to be with its own kind." The half-elf sighs, squeezing a clawed hand. "And besides, a former criminal wouldn't make a good parent."

Adder squeezes back tightly. He wants to argue with Eben that he's has long since redeemed himself for his past transgressions, that he would make a wonderful parent...but he bites his tongue. Eben has done so much for Adder, for Nadre Tor, for him. The gorgon won't insult his lover by attempting to unilaterally make such an important decision.

"You aren't a criminal, you're mine," Adder rumbles.

Eben chuckles, snuggling in close with his lover. "That's because I stole your heart."

The gorgon pulls his lover flush against him, sighing contentedly. "That joke was bad. Sleep."

Now securely wrapped up in his nest, he focuses on the thrum of three heartbeats in the quiet room.

Adder quickly loses consciousness.