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The Wani let out a deep yawn as he stirred awake from his sleep, the sound rumbling through his chest like a roar.
A cold breeze passed through the room as he slowly blinked himself awake, a shiver tickling his scales in the cold night.
He was nestled in what looked like a sea of other bananawanis, each of them cuddled up against their mates as slumber caught up to them. They lay there in their tank, a place prepared specially to inhabit their species which sufficed most of their needs.
Yet, one of them was unsatisfied.
In a swift motion, the Wani rose up, before leaning back on his hind legs to give itself a stretch. There was a slight tingly feeling on the sensitive banana-like area on its snout, a sign that the room felt cold.
With only the faint shine of the moon there to illuminate the room, after taking a few moments to adjust to the darkness, he focused his eyes enough to try and find a solution to his problem. Perhaps a different resting area would suffice.
Between the sounds of snores and light movements echoing in the large tank, footsteps of a curious bananawani could be heard as he traversed his ways along the room, apair of large, calloused feet clanking against the glass could as it moved farer and farer away from its peers as the room slowly grew silent.
The Wani made his way to the entrance of the tank, which for today would serve the exit. There were some bars there blocking him from existing, although he knew all too well those could easily be bent with his teeth like the previous ones had.
A few pulls and pushes later, the chains were destroyed, and the large crocodile continued his travels onward.
He now stood in the middle of a large room, an office of sorts which his owner usually used for meetings. It was just as cold as the inside of the tank.
The layout of the building, while confusing to most, was known well by the Wani; having walked through it enough times to know it by heart.
Slowly, the sound of rough feet pressing against concrete floors returned, the Wani starting his journey toward the main hall of the building. With his large form it was quite difficult to fit through, although he managed with minimal damage, not seeking to wake up any other creature from their comforting slumber.
The main hall the Bananwani made his way through had a few doors which he peeked into whenever he passed by one.
The first door led into an office; decorated with fancy patterns of gold and white, with various images and framed quotes hung among the walls that the Wani could not understand. There was a large office desk sitting in the middle of it with a comfortable looking chair, looking perfect for the Wani to rest on.
However, the doorframe was clearly too small for him to fit, and the chair wasn't big enough for his large form.
After resuming his walk, the Wani noticed a door to a bathroom; one of the smaller rooms for sure, but likely the most elegant one. The floor showed a shiny tile pattern with light blue walls, some scented air flowing out the door which made the Wani shiver as it went past it.
Definitely too cold to rest there. He moved away from the room, only to turn his head and be faced with another.
This one was bigger than all the others, in the shape of a library. Books adorned every wall and shelf visible to the naked eye, ones discussing all kinds of topics too complicated for the simple mind of a creature labelled a beast by most to understand. It was very spacious and well heated, a gust of warm wind flowing against the Bananawani's face when he stood in front of the door.
However, instead of going in, he stepped back. It looked perfect, just what he wanted. But, mayhaps he was looking for a different kind of warm.
He turned back to continue his walk, yet when he reached the next room, he paused.
A light heat was simmering from the door, the air carrying it to wash the dry scales of the large creature’s body. It felt oddly pleasant, welcoming even. He didn’t hesitate before turning to slowly step inside, feeling the warmth of the air causing him to relax.
That room was by far the prettiest, that even the animal could tell. The walls looked clean and were a pretty shade of green, being small yet just large enough for the Wani to fit inside comfortably. There was a large bed leaning against a wall with a figure sitting on it, leaning back with a book in his hand.
If the Wani were to know how to read, it would’ve known that the title of the book read ‘Transitioning: expression & affirmation’.
When seeing its owner, the Bananawani let out a small noise of content, its tail flapping happily before hitting the ground with a thud.
The noise startled the man as he quickly shut his book, before sighing in relief when he saw the Wani.
”Oh,” he breathed out, “It’s just you.”
A moment of silence went by as Crocodile and the crocodile stared at each other, before the man set the book down and stood up.
”Of course it’s you. No one comes here at times like these."
His tone was a lot softer this time, a gentle smile even forming on his face. The Wani made a happy sound, clearly content to see his owner smile.
Crocodile slowly walked over to the beast, looking up at its face as he stood before him.
”What is with you and always coming here?” The man mused aloud as he reached up and placed his hand on the Wani’s snout, gently patting it.
”Maybe I should really invest in some more heaters for your tank, huh?”
The Bananawani purred, leaning heavily into the touch and nuzzling against the man’s hand. That earned a warm chuckle.
Crocodile went silent for a few moments before speaking up again, his tone quiet yet comforting.
”But, I suppose then I'd see you less.”
The two locked eyes for a few moments, enjoying the presence of the other with no words exchange. There was no need to, after all; Crocodile knew that the Bananwani couldn’t understand him. It was a monster, a beast, something he should be afraid of.
But how could anybody be afraid of this precious thing cuddling up to him like a puppy?
”You’re tired, aren’t you?”
Crocodile hummed, as he removed his hand from the Wani’s face. The animal frowned, making a small noise of disapproval which earned another amused chuckle.
”I am too. It really is… cold in here, isn’t it?” He mumbled as he adjusted the hem of his shirt in an uncomfortable manner. The piece of fabric under it wrapped tight around his body to keep it in a masculine shape felt uncomfortable as it pressed his large chest against his body. His frown returned as he let out a grunt, struggling to try and make it more breathable.
Seeing his owner frown, the Wani quickly moved.
In a swift motion, he leaned closer, pressing the beak of his face against the man’s hands to try and pry them away from his clothes.
Crocodile let out a small gasp at the gesture, although didn’t resist, feeling as the creature pried his hands away and made them return to rest on its face.
With another sigh, he closed his eyes.
”Maybe resting for a bit could help. …Keep us warm.”
He suggested, and despite not understanding his words, it seemed the Bananawani understood the message proven by his next actions.
He lowered himself down to the floor, the thud now a lot softer as he laid down against the carpet under them.
Crocodile slowly followed suit, sitting down on the floor before leaning back against the dry scales of the creature behind him.
They both shifted a bit to get into a more comfortable position, although it seemed that the light touch between them was enough to keep them both well heated,
It was nice, having someone with you, always there to have your back.
To keep you safe and warm.
Just like both of them felt as the tiredness of sleep slowly caught upon them both, eyes closing almost in sync as the room filled with the soft sound of stable breathing.