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Selen and Finana sat there, slack-jawed.
“Are…are you sure?” Selen swallowed dryly.
“If I was joking, I would have made that abundantly clear,” the doctor stated, “but this is not something to take lightly. Yes. She’s pregnant.”
Finana had said nothing since he dropped the bomb just moments ago. She was in stunned disbelief, Selen casting side glances at her, her eyes flicking between her face and…
…her tummy.
Nothing was obvious yet as it was still far too early but when they came to the doctor’s office to see why Finana suddenly seemed to fall ill and couldn’t seem to keep her food down for the past few days, this was not on Selen’s list of things to be prepared for.
“On that note,” the doctor continues, a tiny smile flashing on his features, “congratulations, you two! It’s exceedingly rare for a dragon to be conceived these days.”
Finana finally pipes up. “That’s why I really hope you’re not messing with us right now. We’ve been-”
“I promise you, ma’am, I will resign if my diagnosis is false. I have some faith in my test results haha.”
Distracted as she is with her mind racing, Selen feels Finana’s hand grab hers. It grounds her back to reality and she sees she’s not in the middle of some dream.
This was it. After all the trials and tribulations she went through in her life with her now-wife Finana by her side since childhood, the next big milestone in their new life was on the horizon. She was going to be a mother. Wait- a father? Technically? A parent for sure though!
The doctor assures them of Finana’s health being normal and that the nausea should subside after some weeks but to check in if anything seems amiss. One more congratulations and they’re out the door, silence filling the air as Selen drives them back home.
The quiet persists when they enter the house, neither seeming to want to speak first lest it break some sort of made-up magic block they conjured in their heads. They retreat to their daily activities as usual but Selen keeps stealing glances at her wife, Finana doing the same when Selen wasn’t looking.
That night as they get ready for bed, Selen brings a small trash can and a bottle of water for Finana in case the nausea hits too suddenly.
“It’s real now huh,” Finana says, breaking the spell.
Selen rubs at her dragon arm. “I guess so.”
“Are you scared?”
Selen makes a noise that’s a mix between a scoff and a laugh. “I was ready to shit myself, I’ll be completely honest.”
“Oh no, so was I. This is so…much? I don’t know. We’ve been trying and failing for years, I kinda just forgot it was a goal, y’know?” Finana toys with the edge of the blanket absently as Selen slides into the covers next to her.
“Weird that we were so ready but now it just feels like we were faking it the whole time. Well, at least for me.” Selen lays down, hands folded behind her head as she stares at the ceiling.
Finana turns to her. “Did you change your mind about it?”
Selen shoots a look of surprised confusion. “Huh???”
“About starting a family.”
“No??? What makes you think I did???”
Finana studies her face before she replies, seemingly satisfied with what she sees. “Just making sure.”
Selen huffs offendedly. “Okay ma’am, did you change your mind though?”
Finana frowns and her fins drop. “Selen Tatsuki, I did not go through hell and back with you and drag you back to me for YEARS to marry you to suddenly ‘change my mind’. You’re not stupid but you still say some dumb shit every so often.”
Selen pulls her hands out from under her head to put them up disarmingly. “Look, I need to make sure too!”
Finana lays down on the pillow with an exaggerated sigh. “Besides, you put a baby in me. You can’t leave.”
“I thought I already wasn’t allowed to?”
“Not ever.”
“Damn, you ain’t sick of me yet?”
“I mean I am throwing up every morning because of you, so yeah, maybe I am.”
Selen chuckles. “It was only a matter of time, Fina.”
“Go to bed, asshole.”
“Goodnight, pukey.”
—
A couple of weeks pass and things were changing around the Tatsuki household. Often Finana would wake up and the bedroom would be spotless - dusted, shelves organized, laundry done and put away, vacuum waiting in the corner ready to go. Again.
Finana blinks awake, pushing herself upright to get herself out of bed.
Bathroom.
When she goes to wash her hands and her face to help her wake up, she’s taken aback when she notices something shimmering on her neck in her reflection. She turns to see it better.
A scale? That’s odd.
She pulls down her shirt collar out of curiosity. Sure enough, another stray scale on the right side of her collarbone. Her eyebrows furrow. What the heck is going on?
Setting it aside for now, she continues her morning routine. The water feels refreshing on her skin and Finana sighs in content, letting herself savor it, even contemplating filling the tub up and just dunking herself in it. Morning bath sounds pretty nice, if she was honest.
When she opens her eyes again from the brief reverie, they widen when they see her reflection again, a gasp leaving her in surprise. More scales have popped up in visible blotches where her skin was exposed with more presumably where she couldn’t see them under her clothes, her horns were beginning to sprout from her head, and her left eye’s sclera seemed to slowly darken in real time.
Wide awake now, she shook herself back to the present but it did nothing to cease her draconic features from spreading across her body, only becoming more apparent. She forced the transformation to stop, reeling herself back. It paused for but a moment before continuing its crawl, Finana’s eye completely changing to its abyssal black around her iris.
She…couldn’t stop it?
Panic began to sink in, Finana taking a towel to dry herself, thinking that maybe she got too caught up in wanting to be in water that she briefly lost control of her sea dragon self. To no avail. She didn’t know what to do.
“Se- Selen! Selen!!!”
She had barely gotten her name out the second time when she heard the handle twist hard, nearly enough to rip it off the door. Selen was in and on the alert, headwings spread out and a dangerous snarl sounding.
“Finana!?” Her name came out a growl.
Finana was nearly in tears. “I don’t know what’s happening. I-I can’t stop my shifting. I don’t know what’s wrong!”
Recognizing that she wasn’t being attacked and being more than experienced with this scenario, Selen loosens up somewhat and guides Finana out of the bathroom, through their bedroom, and into the living room for enough space.
Finana pushes away the urge to hunch down to the floor when she feels Selen’s firm but reassuring grip on her hand.
“Listen to me, okay? Try not to fight it. You might hurt yourself. Just breathe, focus, and let it do its thing.”
Finana screws her eyes shut. “But what if it- The baby-!”
Selen squeezes her hand harder. “You’ll both be okay! Feel it out and relax. Your body isn’t gonna hurt you or the kid.”
“I’m-!” Finana could feel herself shaking. “I’m scared…!”
Selen’s demeanor softens, her thumb stroking along the back of Finana’s hand. “I’m right here, Fina. Do you trust me?”
Tears fall down Finana’s cheeks and Selen can feel her shaking. “Yes.”
“Do you trust yourself?”
That gives Finana enough pause that she swears even her transformation halts briefly.
“I do.”
“Do what?”
“I trust myself.”
“Trust yourself to what?”
“Not hurt anyone.”
“And you won’t. You know you won’t betray yourself. You’re too honest for that, ain’t ya?”
If Finana had it in her to laugh right now, she would.
She was so glad Selen was here.
“Please don’t leave me alone right now.”
Selen touches her forehead to Finana’s, other hand going up to affectionately pet her horns. “I’m not going anywhere. I got you.”
In a similar fashion to how Selen refuses to open her eyes and holds tightly onto her wife when Finana takes her out on swims, Finana clings to Selen like a lifeboat in the living room. Selen’s hand wasn’t enough and Finana quickly found herself feeling better as she wrapped herself around her partner.
Her warmth, her scent, her voice.
Everything felt so much better here.
She even sometimes felt Selen giving soothing rubs to her back and arms.
“Fina?”
Awake as she was, Finana felt like she woke up from a nap as she comes back to the present.
“Huh?”
Selen gives her a tiny smirk. “You made it.”
“What do you mean?”
“You finally stopped.”
Finana gasps and immediately looks down to check her arms-
-only to see they’re fully scaled and draconic.
“YOU SAID-!”
“Hey hey, I only said you stopped and by that I meant you were done actively shifting. You’re all big and sea dragony now.”
Big? Finana peers down at- Ah. She gets it now.
Sure enough, Selen is strangely smaller in her bearhug, dimmed luminescent stretches and dark-scaled patterns covering Finana’s body. Her dragon hands were large enough to rival Selen’s single transformed one, if not bigger. She didn’t even realize her finned tail was also wrapped around Selen, settled on top of hers.
“Oh.”
Selen nudges her. “Looking good. Feeling good?”
“Um…” Finana takes a moment to assess herself. “I think so? Maybe?”
“Great. How about-” Selen puts a hand gingerly against her stomach, “-here?”
Finana gives her stomach an experimental touch. She’s not sure what or if she’s supposed to feel anything unusual but nothing makes her feel the need for concern.
“Yes?”
Selen is pleased by that.
“Good~”
Finana returns to holding Selen against her, her presence comforting. “Sorry if that was awkward or anything. I’m, uhhh, not used to it, I guess.”
“What, the transforming? Without meaning to, I mean.”
“Yeah.”
“Eh, not my favorite thing in the world but I’m kind of an anomaly among dragons being a halfbreed and all. No judgement here hahaha.”
She said it in a joking tone and it helped Finana feel a bit better.
“Sooo” Selen began, eyes roaming over Finana’s form, “you gonna be like this for a while or…?”
Finana’s eyes narrow at her. “Why do you ask?”
Selen beams at her. “I’m just saying I wouldn’t mind~”
Finana rolls her eyes, though she’s not serious about it. “You’re the worst emotional support.”
—
“Finana? I’m home!”
Selen folds in her wet umbrella and drops it into the holder, kicking off her wet boots before stepping into the living room. It was strange to not hear a response when she got back from work. Was she napping?
Selen pushes open the door to their room, finding the bed mostly untouched, only with a few of her clothes mixed in a sort of blanket nest. No Finana though.
She checks the bathroom. Also no sign of her.
Selen was starting to get worried when she sees the back door open. Did she go outside then?
She peeks outside the crack and is met with the sight of Finana standing there, facing the sky, eyes closed and letting the rain fall on her freely. Selen gasps in almost theatrical indignation.
“Finana! You’re gonna catch a cold out here, stupid!!”
Selen wraps a hand around Finana’s arm but doesn’t pull. Finana’s fins twitch at the contact but otherwise she stays put.
“Welcome back, Selen.”
“Don’t give me that right now, goofy, get inside please.”
Finana chuckles at her. “I’ll be fine. I’m literally the queen of the sea, remember? A little water isn’t gonna kill me.”
Selen frowns in return. “I know but…”
Finana shakes her head to futilely shake some water off. “Alright alright, I’ll go inside so YOU don’t stay out here and get sick because of me, stubborn dragon.”
Putting a hand to her distended belly, Finana goes back in, followed close behind by her wife. They get Finana into some new dry clothes before Finana settles down on the couch, Selen leaning over the back of it to put her head on top of Finana’s and draping her arms over her to help warm her up. Finana smiles when she sees and feels her hands playing over her belly fondly.
“Is it dinner time now?”
“Unless you wanted takeout.”
Finana makes a face. “We had nothing but that all last week. I want some of Daddy’s home cooking.”
“Don’t call me that please.”
“You didn’t mind it two days ago.”
“Different settings, babe. Think you can stomach some udon?”
“Hell yeah!”
Selen gets to work prepping the meal, Finana enjoying the ensuing smells that gradually build from the kitchen.
“So Finana, you wanna tell me what you were doing standing outside in the rain?”
“A sea creature can’t just enjoy some water?”
“You have literally never done it like that before.”
Finana reclines in her seat, rubbing circles around her growing tummy. “I dunno. I opened the window and the smell of rain and cool breeze was really nice so I, y’know, went outside to be in it.”
Selen samples the udon soup before answering. “Still unusual for you. Did you wanna go out for a swim when the weather clears up later?”
Finana perks up at the suggestion. “Can we?”
“As long as it’s not right after we eat, just say when.”
“Yeahhhh!!”
—
“This is your fault!” Finana yells from the backseat.
“You’re right! It is!”
Selen can hear claws raking against the seat. There’s no way those would come out unscathed after this. Finana cries in pain as another contraction wracks her body.
“Selen…!”
“Baby, I can’t drive much faster in case this bigass raincloud moves over here so we don’t die before we fucking make it! I’m doing my best!”
Miraculously, the sunshower kept it bright enough that Selen could make out the wet patches on the streets better and, despite herself, stepped on the gas pedal when it looked clear enough. She had to make it to the hospital in time. She had to.
Selen basically swerves into a nearby parking spot the second she makes it there and pretty much sprints to get some nurses out to help wheel Finana in. Selen follows close by, fussing over her wife as she’s helplessly watching her wince and squirm in agony as the contractions happen more and more frequently.
They get her through the doors to the delivery room, talking over each other in getting everything ready. They’re so abuzz with frantic energy that they nearly leave Selen locked outside in the hall, only notified when Finana screams at them that she needs her there and to let her in.
They rush to comply, shoving a spare patient gown at her before allowing her a spot next to Finana. Selen holds Finana’s hand, who clutches her hand with surprising ferocity that actually borders on being painful for even her powerful dragon limb. She endures it, knowing it’s nothing compared to what Finana is dealing with currently.
“Alright, ready Mrs. Tatsuki? Just like you practiced. Measured breaths now.”
Finana is practically wheezing as she inhales.
“Now PUSH!”
Selen has never seen Finana’s face turn so red and it was rare to see her pop a vein but the sheer amount of strained effort this was taking had Finana dripping with sweat. Selen did her best to encourage her as a means of support but felt utterly useless, reduced to being an abused de-stress ball as her hand was crushed every time Finana pushed.
“We see the head! You’re doing great, hang in there!”
It felt like an eternity, the pained sounds from Finana only broken up by the tiny moments of quiet where you could hear the pitter-patter of rain against the window.
And then finally.
Finally…
Finana gives one last wailing cry and a beat goes by before they hear the shout.
“We got ‘em! We got ‘em!!”
And then tiny shaky blubbering cries. Little warbled squeaks.
They cut them from Finana and one nurse reassures them they’ll be right back after they clean up and check for any abnormalities or immediate threats.
And then it’s quiet.
Well, quieter. Finana is gasping for air as if she just came up for oxygen, eyes closing as she nearly has to fight just to remember how to relax her body again. Selen hugs her, trying her hardest not to move her too much. She’s drenched with sweat and possibly saliva from all her screaming but Selen isn’t bothered.
“You did so good, Fina. Good job,” she says, taking a tissue and wiping Finana’s sweat from her face and planting a kiss on her head. Finana doesn’t notice, exhausted as she is.
Thankfully Selen’s hand isn’t dead and she uses it to now stroke Finana’s hand soothingly.
All but one of the doctors have pretty much cleared out now after cleaning up Finana, her breathing finally beginning to come out normal when the nurses return, one of them holding a blanketed bundle in her arms.
“Looks like everything went well! Tatsukis, would you like to meet your newest member?”
This catches Finana’s attention, life suddenly returned to her as she lifts her head up from the pillow for the first time since the delivery. The nurse approaches her, very gently lowering the precious cargo into Finana’s arms.
“Congratulations~! We’ll get out of here so you can get acquainted for a bit. Ring the buzzer if you need us for anything before then.”
And with that, Finana and Selen are alone with this little swaddled present.
Finana adjusts the blanket some, moving it to see the baby.
Their baby.
She’s met with a tiny chubby face, eyes closed as a tiny little tongue pokes out of her mouth. Her head has the start of light purple hair growing, with four very small headwings that have only just grown their fuzzy down.
The two inhale in unison seeing her, fascinated. Finana uses one finger to gingerly brush against her cheek, the action causing a quiet chirp to come from the little one.
Finana chokes out a laugh. “Oh my god….look at her-!” her voice cracks.
Beside her, Selen hasn’t said a word but her vision distorts as tears come unbidden to her eyes. She wipes at her eyes quickly then, hoping that when she opens them again, everything stays as she left it and that she doesn’t wake up. When she finishes, Finana is looking back up at her.
“You gonna say hello or what?” There’s only fondness in her grogginess. Finana pulls the baby up onto her chest, lowering her voice conspiratorially. “You wanna say hi to your daddy? She’s scawy but trust me, she’s a softie.”
Selen feels awkward, as if she were meeting an important businessperson. That changes when she kneels down, seeing her offspring up close. She stirs in the blanket, making herself comfortable in her new spot on her mother’s chest.
The thought sends a spike of happiness in Selen’s head. Finana, the mother of her child. Their child.
And what’s more, she looks just like Selen.
The newborn squirms more, seeming to kick weakly at the blankets wrapped around her before Finana loosens it to help her get readjusted. And there it is. Her dragon tail, again an almost perfect likeness to Selen except for the green scales at the tip, and two more small wings on her lower back.
Finana coos softly at their daughter, positioning her arm under her tail to help keep her in place so she doesn’t slide down. Both new parents crack and sob when they see the little one’s tail wrap around Finana’s arm in her sleep.
Selen, sniffling like a child, lowers herself next to and against Finana, her dragon hand nearing her daughter for the first time. She hesitates for merely a second before she strokes her cheek in a featherlight touch with her knuckle. And to both of their utter delight, the sleepy baby reaches out to grab Selen’s dragon pinky finger.
And holds it as she sleeps soundly.
Selen is sobbing on her wife and, for once, isn’t ashamed of it.
—
Finana and Selen lay on their bed, facing each other. Between them lies their newborn, sleeping between her mothers and nestled snugly in a “nest” made by their intertwined tails between them. They haven’t stopped looking at her since they got home.
Finana speaks first. “What do you wanna name her?”
Selen pets at one tiny headwing with the utmost care with a single claw. “I didn’t think that far, not gonna lie.”
“Well shit, me neither.”
“Don’t swear in front of the kid.”
“She doesn’t understand words yet, she’ll be fine.”
“Anyway, did you have any ideas then?
“Selen Jr.”
“Vetoed.”
“She literally looks like a tiny you.”
“Did you see her eyes when she opened them though? She has your eyes.”
“I did. She’s so goddamn cute.”
“Finana.”
“What? Oh, relax, Papa Wolf. Already being overprotective?”
Selen laughs. “Leave me alone.”
They stare at their daughter for a few more minutes in comfortable silence, a pleasant air around the new family, listening to the gentle rainfall outside as it slowly gets darker.
“Dusk,” Selen says suddenly.
“Hm? Yeah it is already that time huh?”
“No. I mean for her name. Dusk.”
Finana smiles. “Is it because she’s the child of a lunar dragon? Cute theming.”
Selen looks Finana in the eye, a soft dusting of pink rising to her cheeks. “Yeah sure. Let’s go with that. So what do you think?”
“A little on the nose but you know what? I like it. Dusk Tatsuki~”
Selen pats their daughter’s head, smiling with strong tenderness.
“Dusk Tatsuki.”