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Fauna’s eyebrows furrowed as she knocked on the door.
“Kronii?” She called out. “You alright? Did you not want breakfast?”
“I-I’m fine!” There’s some muffled shuffling from beyond the door. “I- uh- I wasn’t awake, I’ll be out in a bit.”
The kirin tilts her head. According to Sana, Kronii was awake, enough so to say she wasn’t hungry.
“Everything okay?” Fauna keeps her hand on the doorknob, not trying to turn it, but just in case. “We’re here if you need us.”
Albeit, it was just Fauna at the door, but there was no doubt in her mind that everyone would come rushing if she so much as said a concern.
“N-no!” Kronii panics from beyond the door. “I-I’m fine. I just… I need alone time.”
Fauna lifts her hand off the door. “Oh, alright. Let me know if you need something, okay?”
“Okay…”
She waits for a second longer, but just as she steps away, the door opens, and Kronii peeks her head out from the gap. There were patches of scales scattered around her visibly distressed face. Her pupils had shrunk and fangs bit into her lip before she spoke.
“A-actually…” She whispers. “Can you run a warm bath for me?”
“Of course.” Fauna smiles, turning back around to start heading towards the bathroom. “Do you need towels too?”
“Yes, please…”
“There we go.” Fauna hums as she sets some towels down on a nearby stool, bringing more than one just in case. “Do you need anything else?”
Kronii sunk down further into the bathtub, curled up on herself as she hugged her knees. In this pose, the water had only gone up to half of her upper arm as she slouched forward, staring into the water like she was contemplating going in deeper. She shook her head no, ears tinged from embarrassment.
Fauna is all the most comforting though with a smile as she turns around to unlock the bathroom and head out. “Alright, just call me if you need something, okay?”
“W-wait-” Kronii suddenly stutters, sitting up as the water dripped from exposed skin. “You’re leaving?”
She’s given an inquisitive hum as response. “Did you want me to stay?”
The redness spreads to her cheeks. “No, it’s um, it’s okay. I don’t want to bother you anymore than I have.”
Fauna rolls her eyes with a small huff as she steps away from the door and picks the towels off the stool. “You’re not a bother, Kronii.”
“Right…” Kronii goes back to sinking into the tub, wondering if she could submerge herself and never come back up.
Yet, in the corner of her eye, she watches as Fauna moves the towels from the stool to the counter before sitting onto the stool itself, set behind Kronii as a hand goes to support herself leaning forwards.
“So,” Fauna starts, reaching out to lightly comb through Kronii’s hair, who flinches at first before relaxing. “Is this why you didn’t want to come out for breakfast?”
“Yeah…” Kronii closes her eyes as she leans into the touch. “I knew it was coming for a few days, but it wouldn’t come off cleanly.”
Fauna hummed in response, now taking the opportunity to inspect the patches of scales that were still around Kronii’s body. Usually they were near invisible, only becoming noticeable in the time when Kronii would need to shed. Of course, Kronii would always lock herself away in her room during this time, shedding during the night when she would bother nobody at all.
This makes Fauna wonder how long Kronii had been struggling with her scales for.
“Kronii?” Fauna asks, continuing to idly brush her hands through Kronii’s hair as the rest of her soaks in the bathtub.
“Hm.” Kronii hums in response, a quiet noise to make sure Fauna knew she was paying attention.
“Can you look at me real quick?”
Even though she doesn’t exactly understand why, Kronii still sits up again and turns around anyways. Fauna’s hand floats its way over to her cheek, but not touching her when she realizes there’s a patch of scales there. Instead, her hand goes upwards to pet Kronii on the head, now brushing her fingers through bangs.
“Oh, you poor thing,” Fauna coos as she looks at the darkened skin under Kronii’s eyes, a symptom of being tired, and one that would often show up on Kronii enough that Fauna would’ve been concerned if they were permanent at that point.
“What?” Kronii asks, still confused and becoming slightly insecure. “If- If it’s about my scales-”
“No,” Fauna corrects her, not at all meaning for Kronii to feel shame over something she couldn’t control. “You just… you haven’t gotten a lot of sleep, have you?”
Kronii’s eyes widened with realization before nodding. “The- I, um… It’s a little rough to sleep like this.”
The kirin hums, understanding what it was like when her own hair got a little too fluffy during winter, or when her horns wouldn’t properly shed when she was trying to sleep.
“I think I also haven’t been drinking enough water.” Kronii mumbles. “Maybe that’s why it’s rough.”
“I’ll tell you what,” Fauna smiles, and Kronii looks up at her with nothing but trust, pupils dilating as she meets eyes with Fauna. “After we finish up in here, you can stay in my room and I’ll bring you food.”
“Your room?” Kronii tilts her head just slightly.
“I’d like to keep an eye on you, if that’s alright.” The kirin explains. “Make sure you’re sleeping well?”
Kronii scoffs, rolling her eyes as she glances away. “I don’t need a babysitter, Fauna.”
“It’s not babysitting.” Fauna sternly corrects, and Kronii looks back nervously. “I just want to make sure you’re taken care of, since you won’t do it for yourself.”
Kronii sighs. “I can take care of myself…”
“Kronii, you literally just told me you haven’t been drinking water and getting good sleep.”
“Wh-” Kronii looks up, but when her eyes meet Fauna’s again, her chest grows tighter and she closes her mouth, simply nodding. “Okay.” She finally mumbles, turning back around and slouching into the water.
“Good.” Fauna hums, taking her hand off Kronii (to Kronii’s dismay) as she goes to lean on the side of the bathtub again. “Now, is there a way I can help you shed, or… did you only need company?”
“Um…” Biting her lip, Kronii turns her head just slightly to see Kronii’s hand, taking her own and playing with Fauna’s fingers. “You can help.”
Fauna turns her palm upwards, holding Kronii’s hand and not at all minding the water that drips from it. “Okay,” She leans down to kiss Kronii’s knuckles, definitely catching the snake off guard for a moment. “Tell me what to do.”
The rest of the bath had turned out nice and relaxing. Fauna could even swear Kronii had dozed off a few times, being entirely relaxed in Fauna’s hands. Though, if anyone asked, Kronii would’ve strongly denied it.
Either way, the entire time, Fauna had to fight the warmth in her chest, the idea that Kronii trusted her enough to not only be there, but to help as well, made the butterflies in her stomach soar around. That wasn’t important though, the only thing mattering being Kronii’s wellbeing, and she was going to make sure of it.
She even goes as far to lead Kronii into her bed by intertwined fingers, and helping the snake get adjusted, albeit there was some hindrance from the snake.
“Are you sure about this?” Kronii asks. “I just shedded, I might get some stray scales on your bed…”
“A bed can always be cleaned,” Fauna hums as she lifts the covers before throwing them over Kronii, who she had gently pushed to encourage her to lay down. “But not everyday do I get the chance to take care of you.”
Kronii chuckles as she wraps her arms around a pillow she was putting her head onto, cozying into it. “I wouldn’t mind giving you the opportunity.”
Fauna smiles as she pulls up a chair next to the bed, leaning down to be just ever so slightly as she whispers to Kronii. “Really now?”
“Yeah.” Kronii’s hand once again finds her own, intertwining them as she plays with Fauna’s fingers. “I think it’d be nice.”
“Hm.” The kirin hums as she leans down just a tad more to press her lips against Kronii’s knuckles. “I’d like that.”
The two smile at each other for a moment, and it takes Kronii craning her neck up just a little bit to meet Fauna’s grin with her own, a delicacy meant just for her.
“Will you nap with me then?”
“Well, I wouldn’t mind, but I don’t think I’m tired enough to sleep.”
“Oh…” Kronii’s gaze immediately falls downcast.
“But,” Fauna adds, and Kronii looks up at her again in hope. “If you’re okay with a movie in the background, I wouldn’t mind watching it while you sleep.”
Kronii grins.
She’s not sure how many minutes into the movie she lasted for, definitely not even into double digit numbers, especially with the way Fauna held her. She had cozied herself into the crook of Fauna’s neck, arm lazily draped across Fauna’s stomach.
Fauna herself was staring at the muted television, reading subtitles instead of having the volume up in favor of listening to Kronii’s soft breaths that fell against her collarbone. A hand rubbed the snake’s back comfortingly, making sure to avoid being to harsh against still somewhat sensitive skin and instead smoothening out the folds of the soft shirt she had given to Kronii to borrow.
Though, at some point she had to tell Kronii that the shirt originally belonged to her, and Fauna had stolen it for herself. It was, after all, her favorite shirt.