Chapter Text
Months passed since the incident with what Stan had explained later was a Colombian cartel chief whom he had been forced to work with in his lower moments. Stanford had understood and apologized that his twin had to result in such drastic measures in order to survive. Their parents' visits hadn’t been easy to handle so soon after Stan’s imprisonment and both events took a considerable toll on Ford’s body.
After everything, it took him two weeks to fully recover and even after that, he could feel the phantom limbs behind him. But with great care from his brother, some good rest and delicious meals did wonders and soon he was back to normal. His gut was back, to his everlasting dismay, but he could stand on his legs without them shaking or a tail throwing him off balance.
As winter turned to spring, Ford’s lethargy and narcolepsy improved as the temperature warmed. He no longer slept until mid-day and would wake around eight, nine at the latest. His energy was rising and with the spring, the prospect of changing into a full dragon seeped into his head. But he brushed that thought to the side. He wanted to change, but he wanted to keep that special moment for a special occasion with his brother.
Stan made him so proud in the last month. He had taken Corduroy's offer to work at the lumber mill to help pay for the house and the chores. This new work had helped build his own muscles, they weren’t at the same level as his own, not with the help of the fruit, but they seemed to be of equal strength. Something both twins never thought they would be.
Spring turned into summer and with the new season, came a special occasion Stanford hadn’t celebrated in a long time. Something he intended to share with his twin… With the help of a little bit of a magic fruit.
It was likely that Stan caught onto his excitement, though he never said anything about it. Probably didn't want to assume or get his hopes up...
Still, he managed to keep himself from blurting everything, and the night before their birthday, Ford waited impatiently for his twin to fall asleep before sneaking downstairs to retrieve what he needed before slipping out into the night. Better he take care of the messy, uncomfortable part of things out at the cave, rather than risk waking Stan...
The next morning, Stan roused at his usual time and ambled downstairs to the kitchen to start breakfast. He noticed the coffeemaker hadn't been started yet, so he figured he had been the first one up today, since Ford always started the coffee before anything else when he got up first. Some twenty minutes and a couple fried eggs later, and Stan was starting to worry. Usually the smell of food would have coaxed his twin downstairs by now…
"Ford? You up?"
Stanford had observed his twin do his morning routine from outside the house. Peeking through the many windows and barely containing his excitement. His brother exited the kitchen, probably to go looking for him, those eggs did smell good. He followed his movements from the windows and bolted around the house to reach his own bedroom window.
“Ford? I’m coming into your room…” He heard his brother say as he peeked inside the house.
Stan stayed in the doorframe for some time, shifting his weight from one foot and the other, clearly befuddled by the fact that the bed hadn’t been disturbed.
Ford decided to end his brother’s worry and gently tapped the window.
It took a second for Stan to figure out where the tapping was coming from, having started poking at the heaped pillows and blankets in the hopes of rousing a sleepy twin, but he did eventually look up.
"What the-?! FORD ?!"
A pleased rumbling warble, and the transfigured twin backed off from the window, trotting in a circle and flaring his wings to show off a bit before he sat down on a sunny spot on the lawn to wait. Either Stan was going to yell some more, or he was going to go thundering down the stairs…
Both would be funny.
Stanford counted the seconds it took for his twin to make it downstairs. With his enhanced ears, he could hear Stan tumbling down them at blazing speed. A rumbling sound erupted from his scaly broad chest and his tail swiped the clearing left and right behind him.
He was not disappointed.
Stan burst the door open and stepped into the clearing bare foot and walked up to Stanford, craning his neck to see his face.
“What… why…” He passed a hand over his hair, messing them even more than they have been. His mouth opened and closed a few times without any sound coming out of it.
Ford laughed at the befuddled look on his twin’s features, a low gravelly sound coming out of his reptilian lips. He rested his belly on the ground and lowered his head to meet his brother.
"Holy shit... Ho-ly shit -! FORD!" He gasped.
Stan reached up, hesitated, then caught his brother's scaley muzzle, his eyes widening as the contact solidified the reality he was seeing.
"How- What- What happened?! You were fine yesterday!"
The current human twin tried to tilt his head, eyes darting all over in search of injury or pain, and the dragon gave a low huff. He scooted closer so he could bump the tip of his snout against Stan's brow, startling him out of his almost frantic state. Another huff, ruffling his twin's hair, and he dragged the forked tip of his tongue up the side of his brother's face.
"Aghk! Ew, Ford! The hell?!"
Stanford just smiled, as best as his scaley lips would allow him, and kept licking his brother’s face until he fell to the ground. He moved his snout over his twin’s sides, huffing and tickling him. Stan tried to put up a fight, shoving Ford’s snout away, but his scaly twin had the upper hand and it was hard to do much when you were bending over yourself trying not to laugh.
After a few minutes of this, Stan was panting, trying to catch his breath between laughing and screaming at his twin. Both brothers were resting on the ground floor, the dragon one curled protectively against the human one.
“Ok… seriously… What… what… happened?” Stan panted as he tried to remove his brother’s sticky slobber off his face. He wiped his hand on Ford’s long scaly neck, ignoring the growl he got in return. “Ya weren’t… angry or… scaly yesterday. What tipped you off?”
Rolling his eyes, Ford gave a little huff before he was shoving his nose into his twin's side to get him to sit up. He hadn't thought Stan would believe he'd changed unwillingly, maybe he should have written a note first…
Oh!
Perking up with an idea, the dragon shoved himself to his feet and quickly galloped to the edge of the clearing, nosing through the underbrush until he had found what he wanted, dragging it back with him. A moment to burn a small patch of grass down to bare earth, and Ford fumbled a moment with the large stick before resigning himself to having to use his mouth instead of his paws. It took him a couple tries, but he got what he wanted.
Stan stared at the marking in the scorched earth, squinting a bit before he moved to stand and get a better angle.
" On... Purpose. .. What is that, a box there? What's on it, a frog?"
Ford rolled his head and sighed, small tendrils of smoke coming out of his nostrils. He thought his twin was clever and his message pretty obvious. He thought wrong.
Adjusting his grip on the stick, he circled the number he had scrambled into the dirt and pointed to himself and Stan alternatively.
His brother just raised an eyebrow and scratched the side of his head. Still lost.
The dragon dropped the stick to the ground and cleared his throat, making Stan jump in the process with how deep and animal-like it sounded. Moving his lips and mouth as slowly as he could to make the right sound. As best as he could, he tried to sing Happy Birthday.
Once done, he gave his brother a lopsided smile and tilted his head to the side. Waiting for an answer or his reaction.
Realization at last dawned with Stan's eyes widening, darting from his twin's face to the attempted writing and back, then he broke into a somewhat befuddled smile that spread lopsided across his face.
"...it's our birthday?" He asked.
The dragon bobbed his head, prancing a little in place with excitement, and Stan gave a short snorting laugh.
"Geeze, Ford, thought somethin' went wrong overnight-! Wait, you did this on purpose ? What for?"
Stanford glanced left and right and turned on himself, pacing up and down before Stan. He flapped his wings, stretching them as wide as they were, to show them to his brother. He made sure his twin could clearly see all sides and new features he now had in this form. He wasn’t half a shaped human-dragon hybrid, he was fully scaled! He stood high on his hind legs and raised his head. Ford roared loud enough to scare the few birds still sleeping in the trees nearby and let out of his mouth a burst of flame.
He fell back on all fours and observed his twin expectantly.
Stan had taken a step back and was looking him up and down. He frowned.
“Ya changed… for me?” He said tentatively.
Ford huffed affirmatively, his wings shivering on his back. He dropped on his elbows and looked his brother in the eyes expectantly.
"Ford... You didn't hafta do this..."
The younger of the twins seemed torn, his eyes trailing over the creature his brother had become, big and strong and healthy, unlike the partial forms he'd turned into before. Giving a low crooning whine, the dragon lay on his belly once more, tucking in his limbs to make himself a compact loaf of muscle and scales as he stretched his neck to nose against his twin.
Stan gave a soft laugh, shaking his head but reaching out a hand to pet over the smooth, soft scales of his brother's nose.
"You big dork... I would'a been happy with surprise pancakes or whatever."
Another lopsided smile, and Ford gave a pleased rumble when both hands were brought up to pet over his face.
"This is pretty freakin' cool, though."
Ford nodded in agreement before crawling closer to his brother. He lowered his neck to the ground, followed shortly by his shoulders. He got them as low to the ground as he could and motioned for Stan to climb on.
His brother smiled and shook his head. “As much as the prospect of climbing a dragon is… I still wanna eat breakfast and get changed.” He motioned to the white tank top and the boxers he was wearing.
As if on cue, Stanford’s stomach rumbled, surprising even himself. He was sure he had a good meal before changing.
The loud gurgle had Stan staring, and then he broke into a wide grin, letting out a laugh.
"I doubt we got enough food in the house for your giant stomach, how 'bout you go hunt or whatever while I get myself sorted, huh?"
A disgruntled grumble, and Ford sighed as he nudged his brother before straightening. It would probably be easiest to go and bother the Gobblewonker, they usually let him fish without too much issue…
He took a few steps to get into the middle of the clearing and glance back at his brother.
Stan had gone back to the house and was now on the porch. He had his arms crossed over his chest and smiled.
“Well? Whatcha waiting for? Go on! I’ll be ready in an hour.” He assured Stanford.
The dragon nodded and shook his whole frame. He crouched and leaped high into the air before unfolding his wings and taking off. As he passed the treetops he let out a triumphant roar to let the forest know he was back.
Once in the air, he felt the currents pass over his scales, indicating to him how to tilt and pass between them to fly. He glided for a while, enjoying the familiar sensation he had missed during the winter months washing over him before diving toward the lake.
While the forest was all a twitter with busy plant and animal life taking advantage of the warm weather, the lake was comparatively calm, only the occasional birdsong and splash of a jumping fish breaking the comfortable quiet. He circled a couple times, just to be sure he had the right section of embankment, before coming in for a landing. It was a much smoother landing than the sorts he'd pulled off last summer during his first couple stints in full form, but he still stumbled a little over a hunk of driftwood he hadn't noticed.
Still, he didn't fall on his face! Progress!
A moment to shake himself, and Ford padded up to the water's edge, waiting a moment before he took a seat. It had been a while since he'd come down to the lake, he hoped the Gobblewonker wouldn't be annoyed with him for his absence…
He took the opportunity to quench his thirst and dipped his head in the water. His tongue lapped profusely at the cold liquid and he picked up all the different scent in the lake. He purred happily when he picked up the familiar whiff of something old and big.
Ford smiled and raised his head to see the familiar large shadow of the lake resident coming closer. It’s gray-green head slowly exited the water as two glowing knowing eyes looked at him. The dragon straightened up before bowing his head in greeting.
Hatchling… came… not… see… in a… long… time…
Came the familiar deep and soothing voice in his head. It wasn’t quite a female nor a male’s voice but it was an old one that he was certain.
Apologies, I wanted to but... I found myself sleeping for most of winter, unable to come.
The sea creature rose from the water, making a shrieking sound as his long slim neck dipped forward and hovered a few spaces away from Ford. The latter raised his head to meet its eyes.
What… brings… you… here..?
Ford gave a low rumble that verged on a purr, happy to see the lake beast looking healthy and well, though perhaps a little bored.
I wished to ask if it would be alright to go fishing for a little while? My brother is visiting, and I know if I eat too much land meat I will want to sleep the day away .
He wiggled a little in place, bouncing cheerfully on his forepaws.
It's our birthday today, and I'd like to spend time with him.
The leviathan gave a deep uneven growl of a laugh, making the water around him wrinkle. It’s lips curled upward at the eagerness and joy of the hatchling standing in front of him. It lowered its head back into the water.
Plenty… of fish… in the… lake… for both… of us…
As to emphasize its point, the water beast waved its body underwater, making the water ripple, and pushed a fish high above the water. It splashed back in the lake a few seconds later.
Hatchling… can feast… and spend… day… with brother…
The dragon bounced and reared up, voicing a happy bellow, his tail sweeping back and forth across the pebbly beach.
Thank you!
Another happy bellow, and Ford was on his feet, trotting down the beach to a spot he'd found was a bit easier for him to dip into the water. He wasn't the best at fishing, but he'd definitely improved from his first attempts, especially once he figured out how to use his wings to help him dive. Bigger fish swam deeper, and with some effort, he could get deep enough to catch fish he only needed to eat two or three of to sate his hunger.
Taking a deep breath, he gingerly dipped one paw in the water, shaking at the coldness. He didn’t hate water per say, but cold water was definitely something he didn’t enjoy soaking in. Warm water was fine but the lake water was particularly cold and would make his limbs groggy. He had to be quick when he went dive fishing. He did discover that he could fish salmon just as bears did by sitting by the waterfalls and opening his mouth to wait for the fish to jump in. He might invite Stan to follow him on one of those fishing trips, he bet he would love it.
Shaking his head, Stanford slowly sank into the lake to hunt for some fishes. If someone was standing on the other side of the lake looking toward him, that person would just be able to see his head and back breaching the surface, looking distinctively similar to a crocodilian.
Since he was still floating at the water surface, his wings were tucked and all his legs were positioned on his side to give him a more streamlined position similar to his flight position. His long tail trailed behind him and made serpentine movement, propulsing him forward.
After a while, Ford dipped his head and tasted the water with his tongue a couple of times until he got the scent of one of the larger species of fish inhabiting the lake. He huffed, took a deep breath and dived.
As soon as he was underwater, he closed the second pair of eyelids, his nictitating membrane that he had discovered during his first try at fishing. They came in handy and allowed him to see almost as clearly underwater as above water. Tasting the water with his tongue was the biggest help to orient him. Slithering through the water and waving his tail furiously he gained speed and zoomed in on a dark shape deep below the water surface.
The last ten or so feet were given an extra burst of speed as Ford opened and gave one hard beat of his wings, giving him just the boost he needed to snag the deep water fish. It wriggled and writhed in his grasp, but his teeth were sturdy and his jaw was strong, so it was not able to escape him as he used both wings and tail to speedily resurface with his prize.
Sturgeon were not his favorite fish for flavor, but they were big and that made it much easier for him to fill his stomach. The one he'd snagged this time around was nearly six feet long, muscled and armored like some sort of prehistoric beast. He had to drag it all the way back to the shore to eat it properly, since the long bony fish was too big to swallow in one go.
Not a bad start, if he did say so himself!
He burned small spaces of the shore to warm and dry his cold limbs. Ford settled on his makeshift bed and attacked the sturgeon, ripping it apart and gulping it down.
He winced inwardly. Since his first transformation, fish were far from being his favorite meat. His taste buds have developed a particular taste for red meat. He will still eat the fish out of necessity but wouldn’t enjoy it as much as if it had been a deer or any other mammals. Plus fishes did have less fur then his other prey items. Still it was worth it to spend a day with his brother and not fall asleep immediately after eating.
Ford had to admit that fishes weren’t as messy as his other meals. Barely any blood dripped off and by the time he was done, he just had to wash his face in the lake to clean himself. There were barely any traces of his presence afterward.
Happy and his hunger satisfied he cooed before stretching his limbs one last time before he took off. He dug his claws in the ground underneath him and arched his back, making a few vertebrae pop in the process. It felt good.
He shook himself and glanced around. Out of curiosity, he stuck his tongue out a few times to taste the air and purred when even from the lake he could still get a scent on his brother, despite the distance.
He raised his head and let out a third happy bellow. This was going to be a good day.
From a little distance away, the Gobblewonker responded with a low warbling croon of its own, the creature pleased that its young friend seemed to be honestly happy. But then, who wasn't happy to reunite with their beloved family?
The dragon took a moment or two to double check and make sure he was properly dry, huffing a few breaths of heated air over his wings and between his claws. Once he got into the air again, any remaining water, no matter how little, would evaporate and give him an unpleasant chill. And he really didn't want to risk cutting the day short just because his body decided it was too cold and sleep would be a better idea.
Assured that he was properly dry, Ford rumbled a farewell to his watery friend before taking off at an energetic lope, soon leaping into the air to make his way back home to his brother.
In a few wing flaps he was hovering over his home. He circled the property a few times before roaring in greeting for his twin to know he was back. He landed heavily in front of the house, his claws sinking in the soft warm dirt. A happy rumbling coming up his chest as he waited for his twin to show up.
Ford waited patiently as he heard his twin rummage inside the house. Moments later, the door opened and Stan stood out wearing a plaid vest and some jeans and a smile on his face.
“Quite the voice ya got, Sixer. I don’t know where ya were but I could hear you all the way here.” He stopped in the middle of the clearing, only a few paces away from Stanford. “Aren’t ya worried about being caught?”
The currently draconic twin gave his sibling a look that spoke volumes before spreading his wings and walking in a circle, as if to say 'caught by who ? I'm a dragon '. It was a display that had Stan half choking on a laugh, shaking his head as he came down the porch steps. He sat down on the last one to re-tie his boots, careful of the thin material so as not to snap it.
"Okay, okay, I get your point. Still, there's people besides you that live out this far. Aren't you trying to keep this whole... Shapeshifting things on the down low?"
Ford huffed and walked closer, picking up his stick back in his teeth. He lowered his head down and scribbled more stick figures on the soft ground. One was of a man entering a dark hole in a triangular structure and coming out as a wiggly long thing with wings. He might want to practice using a stick to communicate better with his brother if he wanted his transformation to be a regular thing around him.
He looked at Stan who was frowning and holding his chin between his hands. He raised an eyebrow and starred at Stanford.
“So… this is you entering a… cave?” He said tentatively. The dragon huffed and nodded enthusiastically before motioning him to go on. “And when you get out you’re changed. I bet this cave isn’t near then?”
Stanford nodded and pointed toward the forest with his snout. A rumbling sound coming out of his throat. That cave was his second home, the one in which he slept in when he was all scaly, it’s not as if he could fit in his own house in this form anyway.
Stan clapped his hands together, bringing his attention back to him. “So… what’s the plan Godzilla?” He had a broad smile on his face.
Ford huffed, pouting at being compared to a radioactive beast rather than a mystical creature of legend, but he supposed it could be worse. His brother didn't quite have the literary background to tease him with Tolkien, and at least Godzilla was still scaley and had a breath weapon.
He could have called him King Kong.
Tossing the stick towards the porch so he wouldn't have to hunt down another one later, the dragon padded up to his sibling, circling around him to butt his head up against Stan's back, shoving him forward a couple steps before he figured that he was probably a bit too high.
Backing off slightly, he hummed to himself, then tried again, ducking down lower, and warbled throatily at his success when he managed to get his snout between his brother's legs, using the angle for leverage to heft his twin off the ground.
"Ford-! The fuck-?!" His brother yelped.
He felt Stan roll down his neck and land on his back between his wing’s shoulder blades. It was a strange sensation, one he never thought would feel this way. A part of his brain told him to get rid of the unwanted load on his back but another part wanted Stan there so they could explore the forest together. He shook his shoulders. It was as if there was an itchy sensation on his back that he couldn’t get off.
He sensed his brother sit up, resting both his legs on either side of his spine and squeezing his legs to keep his balance. Ford turned his head to see Stan giving him a befuddled look before his face lightened up in understanding. He straightened up and tried to find a comfortable position between the spikes and wings. After a while he stood still and glanced a look at his brother.
“Okay, this is officially the best thing I’ve ever done. I’ve never ridden a horse but it’s gotta be the same thing right?.” He said with a broad smile before frowning. “What do I hold on too?”
Stanford gave him the best smile his draconian lips could muster before turning back to roar at the forest and galloping at blazing speed into the undergrowth.
Stan yelped at the sudden movement and Ford felt him crouch down on his back and hold onto two spikes to keep his balance. He laughed and changed gears, going even faster through the bushes and trees.
The surge in speed had Stan yelling, spouting curses as he had to work hard to actually keep his seat, but he didn't fall so Ford figured he was alright. Besides, it was fun to hear just how many languages his brother could swear in, he was actually a bit impressed!
Dodging between trees and bounding over various obstacles, the dragon let out a gleeful bellow, announcing his joy to the whole forest. Several woodland creatures startled at the cacophony he caused, but none of them were hurt so he didn't feel too bad about spooking the various birds and small animals. He did feel a little bad for almost running over the Hide Behind, the strange gangly creature having been napping in the shadow of a slender birch sapling that he had almost clipped coming around a larger, older tree.
The headlong gallop eventually slowed as their destination grew close, and Ford went from a run to a trot before finally settling to a jaunty but relaxed amble as they came through a last circle of trees.
He was panting from his sprint and when he turned to look at Stan he saw his twin in the same state. Although Stanford didn’t have his hair standing on end from the speed at which he was going. Horns were handy that way.
Stan seemed amazed and a bit out of it as he let go of the spikes he had held onto. He passed a hand nervously through his hair and laughed.
“You have… officially ruined… horse riding… for me.” He panted. “And you weren’t even… using your wings…”
Stan shook his head before taking a good look at the part of the forest Stanford had brought him too.
“So what’s special about this place?” He asked as Stanford kept walking.
The dragon made a series of growling noises and took his twin to a cave entrance. Or more precisely à mine shaft that had become his second home.
They entered a large space where an even larger burned rock stood in the middle, amidst small piles of gold nuggets.
Stanford purred and strode in the middle of the space, circling it so Stan could see everything in it. He was proud of this second home and hoped his twin would love it too.
The cave was warm and well lit from the combination of glassy rock reflecting the outside sun and the soft glow of various kinds of phosphorescent moss he'd spent some time cultivating, the large stone that served as a bed clawed and burned and partially melted into a comfortable bowl shape. Evidence of his visits while in human for were less obvious, a metal table tucked away in one corner with some less delicate equipment arranged on top and around so he didn't always have to go all the way to work with samples, a leather bag in which he stored his collapsible telescope, a worn but well kept wooden trunk that held clothing for when he shapeshifted from dragon form and didn't want to head home in the buff.
Ford came to a halt once he'd shown off his sort of home away from home, looking back over his shoulder at his brother with a curious warble.
Stan whistled, impressed by all the work that had clearly gone into making this place comfortable and livable, both for a dragon and a human. He patted Ford’s side absentmindedly while his eyes kept glancing around.
“I gotta admit that’s impressive. You got a nice place here, Sixer.” He said softly.
Ford’s tail wiped back and forth. He was happy his twin appreciated his little home as much as he did. The movement caused his back to shift a little and Stan fell forward, bumping his head against the dragon’s neck. He quickly recovered and laughed.
“People usually built themselves a man cave in the basement.” He said while dusting himself. “But you literally made yourself… a cave.”
The dragon rolled his eyes and made a series of indignant rumbling sounds. It’s not as if he wanted to have this place so far away but he clearly couldn’t fit in the elevator in that form.
“Hey, hey keep your scales on, Pointdexter.” He laughed while raising his hands in a peaceful manner. He pointed to the bowl shaped rock. “Although this explains the pillow hoard you have going on in your room.”
The dragon made a face and stuck out his tongue at his brother. It wasn't his fault he couldn't make a proper nest as a human!
Still, looking at it now, he could see how it made sense. He really did much prefer being warm and snug while sleeping...
A huff, and Ford gave the cave a quick once over before he was giving his twin a questioning look, wordlessly asking him if he had any particular ideas in mind. As much as he wanted to show off and explore with Stan, he also knew his brother was still getting used to the weirdness of Gravity Falls and didn't want to overwhelm him. Though, he'd gotten used to chasing off the few brave gnomes that chance the part time dragon's territory for choice garbage. That broom had seen more use as a pest deterrent than a cleaning tool.
Both brothers stared at one another until the human one broke the silence.
Stan gave him a non-pulse look and shrugged his shoulders. “You’re the one who wanted to transform into a lizard today. Didn’t you have anything else in mind?”
Stanford shuffled on his paws, making his brother jump in the process. He did have something but he wasn’t sure Stanley would be onboard with it.
Only one way to find out.
He exited the cave and shook himself one last time before trotting through the forest. He stuck his tongue out and sniffed the air to get his bearings before turning in one direction, heading for the cliffs.
His twin held on tight and would comment about some of the creatures they would pass by. Stanford wanted to answer some of Stan’s questions but kept them for another time.
He really needed to figure out a way to better communicate with his brother while being a dragon, not being able to tell Stan about the Scampfires or Beard Cubs was extremely frustrating. Especially since he couldn't tell him their names! Scampfires were not Burn Buddies!
Even if the alternate name was honestly kind of endearing.
At least he got the reference to Star Trek with the Beard Cubs, though he did mentally smack himself for not thinking of it. Why hadn't he thought to call them Tribbles?!
In any case, it only took about twenty minutes to make it to the floating cliffs on foot, and another five to climb up them high enough to get a decent view of the valley. Ford lifted his head, inhaling deeply of the cool dry breeze that cut through the low brush and grass. This was one of his favorite places to visit in all of Gravity Falls, it was just so beautiful up here, far away from the hustle and bustle of the town…
He looked back towards his brother, a smile tugging at his mouth, only for the expression to fade when he got a better look at his twin.
Stan clung tightly to his back spines, fingers white knuckled from his grip, and his eyes were wide as saucers he stared out over the cliffside, face so pale he almost looked blue.
The dragon frowned, not understanding what had got his twin in such a distressed state. He made a series of inquiring growls and nuzzled his brother with his snout, just as a mother cat would with her kitten.
The attention only made Stan tightened his hold on his spine. His twin closed his eyes tightly and hid his face away.
Ford tilted his head one way and the other before nuzzling Stan again, trying to dislodge or at the very least loosen his grip.
“Too high…” Stan whispered through his clenched teeth.
His head reeled as the words of his twin sinked in. He turned back toward the valley and had to admit that they were quite high. He never thought Stan’s high anxiety had gotten worse over the years.
Part of his brain didn’t understand why his brother was afraid of heights. Flying high was the best thing he ever experienced. It was freedom and excitement. He had hoped Stan would love the sensation of flying, even from his back.
He sighed and slowly stepped away from the cliff. Once he was sure they were far enough away, he settled on the forest floor, turned his head and rubbed circles as best as he could on his twin’s back with his snout. Ford gently licked the side of his face visible and purred softly to cope his brother out of his trance.
It took longer than he anticipated for Stan to come around, going from frozen and holding tight to shaking and hunched on himself. He was still shaking some when he pushed up to sit, rubbing both hands over his face as though Ford couldn't smell the salt of his twin's panicked tears. A quiet thrum, nosing at his brother's arm, had Stan finally looking at him, face flushed and blotchy, eyes red rimmed.
"Sorry, Ford, I- I'm really not good with heights..." He chuckled hoarsely, dragging a hand through his messy hair. "One crappy run in with some jerks on the Empire State building, y'know?"
The dragon’s ears drooped sadly on each side of his head. A deep whine came up from his throat and he bumped his head againt’s Stan. He kept making a series of apologetic cry, until his brother gently patted his head and pushed him away.
“It’s okay… S’not as if I told you.” He said. “Why’d you bring me here anyway? Just to admire the view?”
Ford shook his head and unfolded his wings to make a small flapping movement. It wasn't enough to lift him up the ground but it did create a strong wind around them.
Stan immediately grabbed tight to his brother's back spikes as his hair was blown about his face from the brief but intense backdraft. His eyes darted from those big wings to his brother's saddened expression to the cliff, and his already pale face somehow went even more white. The dragon gave a soft croon as he moved to lie down, his wings folding up neatly alongside his twin.
He wanted so badly to share the joy he felt while soaring under his own power, nothing but him, the wind and the sun. But the way his brother shivered and choked just from getting too close to the cliff edge...
Ford huffed, shaking the growing crick from his neck before turning to nuzzle against his twin once more, offering comfort as best he knew how without words at his disposal.
They both stayed curled for some time, until Stan managed to let go of his twin’s spikes. He took a few shuddering breaths and passed his hands once more in his hair.
“I’m okay, I’m okay” he gave Ford a lopsided smile. “I’m sorry, if ya wanna fly I ain’t gonna stand around.”
The dragon growled. If Stan wasn’t going to fly with him, he wouldn’t fly for now. Maybe some other time. Maybe once he was human he could look into some cure or some sort, something to help his high anxiety.
It didn’t matter if it wasn’t today but he would get to fly with his brother someday.
Stanford rested his head on his front paws and thought for a moment. There must be some things both twins could enjoy together, even as different species.
This high up the sun was very warm and seeped deep into his bones. It wasn’t enough to render him drowsy but he knew if he stayed too long he would be snoring in a matter of minutes. He frowned at the thought and his ears twitched when Stan spoke again.
“Whew… it’s hot. I mean, the sun is warm and you are too. Should’ve brought some water.”
Ford’s eye shot open.
That’s it!
In one swift movement, he was back on his feet and galloped back into the woods. Stan had to struggle to keep his balance and not fall off him. Stanford did help him with his wings and once his brother held on tight, he ran faster.
He knew what they could do and it was something neither of them had done in a long time.
Rushing back down the long hill was a combination of actual running and controlled falling, Ford much too excited to try and slow down any more than absolutely necessary. Thankfully, it wasn't too far to get to where he wanted them to be, and before long, they were bursting out of the trees onto a pebbly beach. It took some effort to come to a stop, and Ford almost tripped, but he did manage to get them stopped safely, knee deep in the lake water.
He looked back over his shoulder to his brother, sharp teeth bared in a brilliant smile.
Stan blinked a couple of times before glancing at the pebbled beach, his brother and the water. He burst out laughing.
“If we’re doing this I wanna get my boots off first.” He said with an equally toothy grin as Stanford, albeit with less sharp teeth.
Nodding in understanding, Stanford turned around until he reached a dry part of the beach. His twin slid down his back and strode to a log to sit and untied his boots. He removed his socks and shirt before walking back to the water.
Stanford had got back into knee deep water at the same time and when he saw Stan coming back, his tail wiped over the water in anticipation. He dropped on his elbows in a play bow and made a series of excited growls.
Maybe it was a little childish, maybe it sort of made him look like an oversized scaley dog, but he couldn't really bring himself to care too much when Stan laughed and proceeded to charge headlong into the lake with a play roar that the dragon happily echoed. It was a bit awkward at first, the difference in size being more of an issue than originally anticipated, but once they figured out the right water level and Stan got a better idea of how far Ford could reach- All bets were off.
The brothers roared and played, splashing each other with varying degrees of soaking success, Ford letting himself be tackled more than once and faking a fall for his twin's benefit. Stan was soaked head to toe in a matter of minutes, and Ford was pretty much doused after his first fake tackle, but the weather was warm and the sun was high and it was a great deal of fun.
A kind of fun neither of them have had since they were young. Oh sure they would wrestle on the beach and in their room as teens but it had all been interrupted too abruptly. This was just as fun as before, if not more. For a blissful afternoon, it was as if no time had passed.
Both were laughing and chasing each other as if they were kids again. Running up the shores and back into the water, splashing and wrestling such as they had at Glass Shard Beach.
As Stan shoved Stanford for ninetieth time that afternoon and the dragon dramatically fell on his side, a wicked thought came to him.
As soon as he was back on his feet, Ford moved slowly toward deeper waters, luring Stan to follow him. His brother didn’t see what was happening. The dragon smiled. His plan was working.
When he got deep enough, he leaped out of the water and stretched his wings, flying a few paces up from the surface before folding them and falling just as a rock would.
He created a wall of water that crashed into Stan.
Up to his waist, Stan only really had time to yelp before he got slammed by the wall of water, slipping on the wet rocks that made up the lake bottom and tripping backwards. He stayed under for a bit, which had Ford fretting for some moments, wondering if he'd underestimated his wave making capabilities. But then Stan came surging up with a bellow and tackled his brother around his neck, panting a little but laughing.
"Gotcha, ya big dumb lizard!"
The dragon huffed, spreading his wings under the water's surface to better let himself float, and started licking his twin's face just to make him splutter and laugh more.
Soon, Stan had climbed on Ford’s back to avoid his tongue and another game started. One to see if Stanley could hold on tight or if Stanford could knock him off.
As the hours passed and the shadows stretched, both brothers started to feel exhausted by all their games.
The dragon had only managed to knock Stan off a couple of times. His brother would jump back on his feet, almost taking a boxing stance and climb on Ford.
Now, both brothers were floating. Well, Stanford was letting himself float while Stan rested on his back, panting and still laughing at all the craziness they had done.
Ford thrummed contentedly, his outstretched wings helping to both soak up the last bits of the sun as well as keep them floating comfortably near the surface, only the occasional twitch of his tail or one of his paws needed to keep them moving in a wide, slow circle not too far from the water's edge. He hadn't actually had anyone to play with properly in a long time, even after meeting with the Gobblewonker a few times. The great leviathan of the lake was old and not prone to games...
Huffing, Ford lifted his head slightly, glancing back towards his twin. A questioning warble, and he waited for his brother to look his way before tossing his head towards the shore. It was getting late, after all, and Stan was soaking wet…
Stan followed his gaze and saw the shore and how stretched the shadows were. He yawned and stretched his limbs tiredly, Ford couldn’t help himself and followed soon.
“Yeah… I think it’s time to head home.” His brother said with a tired voice as he scrubbed his eyes with his hands.
Ford hummed and slowly swam back to the shore. As he stepped out of the water, he realized how heavy, tired and exhausted his limbs felt. His feet landed heavily on the pebbles and he almost lost his balance on some slippery ones. He blinked a couple of times and shook his head, in a poor attempt to shake the tiredness away.
Sliding awkwardly from his back, Stan walked to the log where he had left his clothes. Stanford came next to him and gently let out a warm breath to dry his brother. It worked for a while but the human twin made it clear that there was some truth to the whole ‘dragon breath’ expression. Still he managed to get dry enough to put his shirt, socks and boots back on.
Both brothers exchanged a tired laugh before laughing again.
Tired as he was, Ford was also starting to notice he was really quite hungry, and he frowned a little as he looked back to the lake. Fishing was usually the easiest way to get food, but he didn't think he had the energy to do more than trudge home.
Maybe they could get home, he'd have a small snack to get some energy, and then go hunting. Yeah, that sounded like a plan, he could go stealthy and stalk a few deer instead of deep diving...
His thoughts straying, the dragon began the slow trudge towards home, yawning widely and stretching his wings to get the growing soreness in the joints to settle. Oof, he may have overdone it a little, he wasn't usually this sore after swimming.
The crunch of pebble drew his attention, and he looked over to see Stan having to speed walk a bit to keep up with his long strides, already panting some.
Ford felt ashamed to have forgotten how his brother didn’t walk at the same speed as him. He stopped and waited for Stan to catch up. Once he did, he rested a hand on Ford’s shoulder, taking the time to catch his breath.
“Sorry… sorry… I’ll keep up, don't worry.” He managed to get out between breaths.
Rolling his eyes, Stanford lowered his body to allow Stan to climb. His twin hesitated for a moment before hoisting himself on the dragon’s back.
As he stood up, Ford could feel his limbs protesting the movement. He really was tired. He kept walking toward their home, his head high sniffing any prey items he could quickly hunt after getting Stan to the house.
He only walked a few paces when his nose got the scent of a deer only a few paces to the left from them. He froze.
Stan seemed to sense that something was up, as he hunkered down in the dip of his brother's shoulders, peering out at the woods around them. He didn't see anything off, but then, his eyes weren't all that great...
The dragon slowly moved into a low crouch, turning carefully so as to minimize any and all noise, and inhaled deeply to pinpoint the origin of the scent. One, maybe two deer if they were close enough together for their scents to mingle on the still air, unaware of his presence if the lack of fear scent was anything to go by. Though he had been fishing more recently, the larger forest herbivores might think he wasn't as interested in them as food. Maybe they were waiting for him to pass by…
Belly scales very nearly scraping the undergrowth, Ford carefully stalked closer, ears pricked and nose peeled.
Light brown fur could be seen through the ferns. He was so close.
“Stan… Stanford?” Murmured Stan.
A twig snapped under his paws and the deer, there were two, raised their heads, ears perked in alert.
The dragon growled and seized his opportunity. He leaped above the bushes, flapping his wings to glide faster toward the deer.
He landed heavily on the first one, claws digging into its sides killing it instantly. Before the second one could react, Stanford inhaled and lashed a wall of fire that killed it immediately.
Ford rumbled in content before raising his head to roar triumphantly, his wings spread wide on each of his sides.
“Hum… Sixer?” A voice said from his back.
Oh. Right.
Ford huffed and rumbled a bit, composing himself awkwardly before looking back towards his twin with a slightly sheepish half smile. Hunting took quite a bit of focus, he'd sort of gone tunnel vision and forgotten his brother was even there. Stan looked a bit pale, startled and unsure, his eyes wide as he kept his body hunkered down. It took a moment to realize that he was staying that way so he didn't have to see the bloody, burnt deer corpses.
Which looked much, much more gruesome now that he was looking at it through the lens of someone not really used to hunting for food.
The dragon gave a soft trill, head lowering apologetically a split second before his gut gave a thunderous grumble.
Stan rubbed the back of his neck with his hand and glanced sideways.
“You.. you are quite hungry… I get how it can make ya do things… I guess I just didn’t picture you as a hunter… or at least as a good one.” he laughed awkwardly.
As if on cue, his stomach grumbled even more, stirred by the smell of burnt meat and fresh kill. Even his mouth was getting watery, despite his best effort to ignore the aroma.
Stanford frowned at the choice of word his brother had used. The first part of his sentence implied that he also had to do… some things while hungry that weren’t for the faint of heart. Some impulsive things just as he had.
Ignoring his own hunger for a moment, he straightened and turned so that he could gently nose against his brother's side, careful not to let his nostrils touch skin while still hot from his fire breath. The smoke was almost worse than the fire itself…
Stan relaxed a little, his nervous smile softening, and he moved to pat his twin between the eyes, rubbing his knuckles on the pebbly leather-like skin.
"I'm okay, Poindexter. G'head an' eat, I'll be fine."
Stanford nuzzled his twin one last time before turning back to the deer under his paws.
In five fast bites, he had wolfed it down as if it was nothing. Crunching the bones with his strong jaws and barely chewing on the pieces he swallowed. He gulped it down so fast, as soon as he was done he felt some of it come back. He managed to keep everything down but belched very loudly as he was done, a small burst of flame erupting from his lips. He even surprised himself by the sound.
“Don’t eat too fast or you’re gonna be sick.” He laughed and gently tapped one side of Ford’s long neck. It did soothe him.
He breathed slowly for some time before moving to the burned one.
With the deer charred to a crisp, the flesh came out easily from the bones and he just had to worry about the meat juices. He didn’t repeat the same mistakes as with the first one and chewed the pieces he would rip from the bones. He did make quick work, not wanting to keep Stanley waiting anymore then necessarily. So it took him a bit longer but he did manage to eat it whole, only leaving the hooves and antlers.
A contented purr rolled up his throat. It had been a satisfying meal.
"Geeze, you were really hungry, huh?"
Stan didn't seem to be all that perturbed by the rather vicious display of fang and claw in action, though it could be more effort than ease, not wanting to stress his twin by being freaked out. He did cling rather tightly to his back spike through the whole affair…
A smaller, but no less ferocious grumble echoed through the clearing, and Stan flushed.
"Uh, guess I am too..."
The dragon nodded to the statement and yawned which turned into a soft roar near the end. Sleep was coming in fast after his meal.
Stanford wondered if he should have left some pieces for his twin too. The venison from the charred one wasn’t half bad and edible for humans… probably.
Not wanting to ponder too much on the question when his brain was getting more and more drowsy, the dragon turned on his paws and headed to the wooden home.
After each alternate step he would yawn wildly, exposing his sharp teeth to anyone and anything passing by. He questioned whether he would have the strength to walk back to his cavern after dropping Stan at the house. With how sleepy he was becoming, he doubted it.
He had never slept outside his cave in dragon form… Would he even be able to sleep?
It seemed that his lethargy was shared by his twin, as Stan seemed to be fighting to stay awake himself, his grip on his brother's back spines wavering as he occasionally bobbed in place, jerking himself back to wakefulness at least every other yawn. He scrubbed a hand over his face, smothering a yawn of his own in his elbow.
"You gonna nap on the porch'r somethin'? I mean figure ya usually crash in that cave, but it's gettin' kinda dark..." He managed to say between yawns.
The porch..?
The dragon considered the proposition. It wasn’t as cramped or cozy as his cave would be but he bet he could squeeze enough to fit in. It’ll be fine especially if it’s just for one night. Just the prospect of sleeping on the porch was enough to make him sway on his feet. He had to catch his steps if he didn’t want to bump into a three.
“Wait until we are home before crashing, Sixer.” Stan teased.
Ford simply shrugged his shoulders as if he had meant to do that and kept walking toward a low branch to force his brother to bow in order to avoid it.
“I saw that.” He said.
The dragon feigned ignorance and gave his brother a non-plused look and tilted his head one way. After staring at one another for some time both brothers laughed at their antics.
They kept giggling until they reached the clearing of their home.
Ford couldn't help the pleased rumble that vibrated through his chest, a combination of relief and joy at being home. Maybe not the ideal one for his current shape, but it was still his.
And also Stan's, which made his tail swish with contentment at the thought.
He really enjoyed having his twin back in his life, reconnecting in the best way he could imagine.
Padding across the thick grass, the dragon yawned again, glancing around the near area just to check his perimeter before they got too settled to want to move.
Happy with what he saw, he trotted toward the back door and slumped lazily on his side next to it. He didn’t intend to move anymore than necessary for the rest of the day. Resting his head on the wooden porch, Ford closed his eyes and let out a contented sigh.
He sensed his brother slide down and land close by. He felt and heard the wood planks creak under his foot as he climbed the few steps. He stopped in front of the door and laughed.
“Are you gonna pass out already?” He asked.
A low grumble, and Ford pointedly stuck out his tongue at his brother, not even trying to hide the fact he was smiling. The day had been spent playing with his brother, he'd gotten to hunt, and now he was going to take a well deserved nap in the slowly fading sunlight.
What day could be better?
Stretching all his limbs to their full length, bumping his wings on the small roof above him in the process, before the dragon settled into a more comfortable position. Curling on himself and resting the tip on his tail near his snout, he folded his long bat-like wings on his flank and rested his head on his front paws. A smile was still plastered on his reptilian lips even as his mind drifted more and more toward the land of slumber.
Even as he gradually lost sight of what was happening around him, the dragon sensed his brother walk around inside their home, make himself a meal before returning to the back porch to sit next to him.
They both slept that night next to each other on the porch. Warmed by the presence of the other throughout the cool summer night.
