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Cold. So incredibly cold. And so much regret.
Gary didn't know it was possible to feel like every muscle in his body was slowly freezing over and the blood pumping through his veins was more akin to a thick unhappy sludge. Where he came from, these climates were unheard of. Winter months were spent inside a dome of solace. Artificial lights cascading down on his scales and the soothing warmth of a rock beneath his belly. The deep trenches of snow he was currently slithering through were a far cry from his home — a place he wished deeply he could return to.
He wished for his family huddling together watching snowflakes tumble outside their burrows, a quiet laughter, the sun beating almost uncomfortably against his back, and his favorite rock he slept on every morning.
Gary had no choice though. He had no choice but to keep going, keep trudging along the ice and spindly fingers of Hell washing into his spine. The police were surely hot on his trail and here, Tundratown if he remembered correctly, was what he was forced to dive into to save his tail. One thing he could be thankful for about his reptilian self were his blue scales. Not entirely perfect for camouflage, but better than black or some other obnoxiously bright color trying to desperately hide in waves of white.
At the end though, there was no hope. Gary could barely move.
He flopped down, out of breath and out of energy, acknowledging the slight glimmer of yellow and orange cupping him in bittersweet relief. It was seldom what he was used to. Really, it teased him. Made him think he was safe with the tiniest hint of heat.
Gary didn't know what was worse. Getting captured or freezing to death.
He had heard such horrific stories of what mammals would do to reptiles like him. Stories of snagging their throats with shock collars, muzzling them, removing their venom glands, or instead breaking their fangs clean off.
One of those had been true so far.
Gary coiled around himself and poked gingerly at the still sore area of where his fang had once been. His precious fang. They were everything a snake had to defend themselves. Of course, Gary would never harm anyone by injecting venom into them, but if necessary he would bite. Now, he didn't even have that ability at its full strength.
The world was shades of blue. Pure blue.
At least it seemed like he had lost those policemen. And yet, Gary didn't feel accomplished. He couldn't even shiver to maintain his body heat. All his remaining energy ended up a sheet of thick ice.
He huddled his nose into the wrappings of his body.
Was this how he was going to die? A failure to his family? His species?
He had promised them and instead he only became a disgrace to snakes all around and trapped in an environment he couldn't escape from. If it were possible, he would be crying now, letting tiny icicles bead down his snowy cheeks.
Gary wasn't usually a snake that gave up.
It was just so cold...
"Hello?"
A voice sounded nearby and Gary shot up out of his huddle, falling back into a pile of stinging white dust. Staring down at him was a large cat — a species he wasn't familiar with — in lighter wear for weather such as this. He supposed mammals probably didn't have to worry too much about instantaneous hypothermia.
Colored in a series of different shades of brown and cream, they were suited with a dark blue crop top and matching shorts alongside multiple golden bands adoring their thick set of arms. Their amber eyes watched with a keen curiosity before narrowing and taking a few steps back, the snow crunching beneath their bare paws. "You're a.."
Gary tried to worm away, but his entire self gave in under one small wiggle. The cat glanced around, massive puffy tail swishing anxiously. It appeared they were thinking about something, their bushy eyebrows mingling into a tight pinch of concentration.
Gary's little heart pounded in his chest. Their claws shimmered under the light and their lips had pulled back to reveal a fresh set of carnivore teeth perfect for chowing down on a frozen dinner like the one set in front of them. However, after taking another glance past their shoulder, they murmured a quick, "You shouldn't be out here."
Using their tail, they twisted and gave it a shake, brushing some sparkling pellets off of Gary's scales. Gary braced himself despite the gentle gesture, instinctively wanting to curl back up. Instead, fuzzy hands were at his sides, taking him into a pair of bulky arms. The cat proceeded to pick up Gary with a small grunt, trying to wrap him around their shoulders gingerly. It was harder than it looked considering how huge this damn snake was.
Gary paid no mind to it though.
Instantly, he melted.
Finally. Warmth.
The sweet release of warmth.
Their fur was as soft as the feathers of a newborn duckling, paws ever so tender wherever they touched and the blood flowing through them left trails of orange licking against his blue. He closed his eyes and pressed his face into their side. Little hairs tickled his nostrils and subsequent pit organs next to them.
In a matter of seconds, all the cold seeped into a boiling pool of sweet, sweet lava. He could've sworn this was heaven for a moment and the lovely mammal lifting him to the clouds was an angel in disguise. After all, what animal other than a reptile would look at him and not scream or immediately run away.
Gary could sense the soothing emotions curling around him like his mother on a stormy night. Lights, a crackling fire, a cozy atmosphere pelting him similar to the fresh sprinkle of rain, the delicious smell of what reminded him of a home cooked meal, and a heavy weight suddenly resting on his metaphorical shoulders.
Peeking a look, Gary noticed the brightly patterned blanket taut on his noodle-shaped figure. It wasn't as nice as the fur he had been engulfed in, but it was certainly better than whatever laid outside.
The area he had been taken into was an interesting abode. A flurry of flashing sunny colors painted every corner, especially the one where he assumed a fire was currently raging. All the lights were dimmed, leaving it to be the main source of not only heat, but life. Apart from that, stars twinkled above from the ceiling tops. Gary rose and stared with wide eyes at the multiple glimmering pieces of what he perceived as glass hanging by thin threads to create a glorious picture of a galaxy all in this one animal's living room.
Gary loved the stars.
Although, Heaven was quite a humble sight from what had been passed down in his family.
"Thank goodness you're awake. I thought you had died in my arms or some shit," a vulgar tone snapped at his side. Gary startled and hurriedly dug his nose into the blanket's folds, hiding underneath. "Oh, sorry. Didn't mean to startle ya'. Are you okay, uh, whoever you are?"
Admittedly, once the shock of jumping between extreme temperatures wore off, Gary was still chilly. It was easy to tell how his body temperature was stuck below average. Yet, he remained.
"I'm not gonna hurt you. Promise. Just want to make sure you're not injured." The blanket was lifted and the two met eyes. The cat's were large, pupils dilated and sparkling. Such a sight made Gary's heart skip a beat. No matter how pretty those yellow globes acted, a primal instinct roared in him, telling him to escape. Since there was really nowhere to escape to, he instead yelped and crawled backwards until he hit the arm of the couch he was on.
They, meanwhile, let go of the blanket and continued staring. A soft rumble started in their chest, audible, but quiet as they tilted their head. One of their stubby ears twitched. "I knew it. You're one of those snakes, aren't you? I thought your species disappeared from Zootopia years ago." Gary whimpered and draped a sliver of his body over his snout and eyes. He felt the vibrations of footsteps creep to the other side.
"I'm telling the truth. Really, I don't know why you're so scared of me." They scoffed. "Reptiles are venomous, right? I should be the one terrified of you. There ain't much a couple of claws and teeth is gonna do up against whatever you got under your sleeves."
Gary remained hidden. The mammal sighed, frustrated. "Can I at least know your name? Here, I'll even go first. Name's Cal, pleasure to be the first to meet a reptile around these parts."
Still, no answer.
Cal crossed their arms, tail swishing rapidly now. Their ears pinned down. "Fine. Be that way." And off they went out of the living room, leaving Gary to sneak a peek from in between his makeshift home of scales.
He supposed they had a point.
Even with one fang loose, he could still deliver a dosage of venom potent enough to kill someone of their size. Despite that, there wasn't a reason to put more wanted signs on his name. Nor did he want to necessarily kill someone. He was merely scared of what this non-reptilian had in store for him, hidden away.
Muzzles, chains, handcuffs, collars, surgical tools, nothing more than a rock to finish the job. Perhaps worse things his species had failed to mention. For all Gary knew, these animals could have a device that skinned him alive as a means of taking his scales for precious trophies to hang on their walls.
A shiver ran up his spine.
He had to get out of here.
But out there was a wasteland of death. In here was nicer, but also spelled out his doom. Hiding was worthless, he was about a 32 foot snake. Doubtful he could manage to squeeze in anywhere inconspicuous.
Running, staying, hiding. Running, staying, hiding.
Killing.
A slam hit the coffee table in front of him, making Gary jump again and dive under the blanket's safe haven. "This should help." Cal pushed a bowl forward. Rivets of steam made their way to Gary's senses. He stuck his nose out, tongue popping free into the toasty air to grab a better whiff. "Rodent stew. Always manages to warm me up."
"I knew I recognized that smell!" Gary spoke, flying into a sitting motion.
"Ah, so you can talk." Cal rested their elbow on the table and their chin in their palm. He hunkered down a few inches. "Like rodent stew, too?"
"Um, Y-Yes. My, uh, mother used to make it for me all the time."
"How do you even do that? Ya know, with the whole no arms dilemma."
The end of Gary's tail freed itself from the blanket's confines and wrapped around the spoon resting inside a lake of shimmering broth and bits of artificial meat. "Our tails are very prehensile."
"Oh! I see. That's cool. I lowkey was thinking I would have to feed it to you for a second there." He couldn't help but feel inclined to flush. If it were possible. He swirled the soup. "Go ahead and eat it. It ain't poisoned or anything."
Just as Gary lifted up a spoonful to his maw, he halted and gawked at Cal, realizing his stupidity.
"Oh lord.." With a not so subtle roll of their eyes, Cal grabbed the bowl and leaned down, allowing their tongue to lap at the soup. They licked their lips afterwards, snaggleteeth seemingly giving them a struggle at doing so. "See? It's fine. Now shut your mouth around the damn spoon and eat."
Gary grumbled, but ended up swallowing what he had taken. No chewing required, it all went south in one fell gulp. "Wow! This is amazing! It tastes almost exactly like my mother's recipe! Did—.. Did you make this?"
"Of course. Store-bought rodent stew is nasty. If you want something done right, you do it yourself." Cal pushed the meal closer. "Have at it. I have plenty left."
Gary didn't have to be told twice. He shoveled it in like he had been starving for weeks (which wasn't the biggest lie in the world). He had to remind himself a couple times in between gulps that these sort of animals probably didn't appreciate much slurping or lack of chewing or, well, finishing a meal in less than a second. He had heard that somewhere in mammals and some other variations of species that they saw manners in different ways. Thus, Gary tried to take it slow, no matter how much he wanted to ditch the spoon altogether and hunker the bowl to his lips.
Cal didn't look disgusted thankfully. It eased a little tension from Gary's mind. They honestly just looked incredibly curious. Their pupils were fully dilated, black saucers in a ring of honey. Additionally, their tail was straight up, slowly flicking about. Gary hoped it wasn't a bad sign. Also known as, a sign that Cal was instead fattening him up for a hearty meal all to themselves.
His next swallow was a nervous one.
Soon enough, Cal's interest broke, and they went to lick their paw a couple times before smoothening out the fur on their cheek.
"So, reptile, huh?"
"Uh.. yes? Mammal, right?" Cal snickered and moved to put spit on the other side of their face. Gary had never interacted with another animal outside of reptiles before, only heard stories about them, so he was bewildered witnessing this.. display Cal was putting on.
"Yes. Pallas cat to be exact." They scratched their ear. "Last I checked, reptiles aren't allowed in Zootopia. I don't even know of a place where they are allowed at all to be honest. Most say they went extinct."
"O-Oh no, no, definitely not. We sort of live in a society that's off the map. We were forced there a long time ago thanks to a few.. incidents that occurred. Our ways weren't considered natural compared to other animals, and mix that with many reptiles having venomous or poisonous traits, we were pushed away to protect others. Although, some still argue it was mainly to keep us safe." Gary's eyebrows furrowed. He stared deep into the leftover droplets of soup.
"Shit." Cal sat straighter. "I'm.. so sorry." After a small pause, they spoke again, "What brings you here then? I doubt they're gonna like seeing a snake in Zootopia if what you've told me is the case."
Gary grimaced. That would be rather difficult to explain. He also didn't want to tell this random mammal his plans in case at another time, this cat turned out to be nothing but a rat. Lying wasn't his strong suit, but it was better than spilling an infinite number of beans. "It's a little.. complicated. I got separated by my family. I'm kind of on the run right now." He set down the spoon and pulled the blanket more rigid over his tail. "The police found me and chased me into.. here, but I think I was able to lose them. Of course, it didn't matter because here isn't really built for someone like me."
"I saw that. Damn.. housing a fugitive." Cal stroked the tuft of fur on their chin. "Hm, definitely makes my Saturday a bit more interesting."
"Why did you save me in the first place? Or aren't calling someone to get me right now?"
"I wasn't going to let you die out there?" they said, almost offended. "And I couldn't care less. You haven't done anything bad. As long as you don't plan on choking me in my sleep, I have enough of a brain to understand you're just lost from home."
"Well, I appreciate the sentiment, and the food, and the saving me, b-but I really should be making my way—"
"Woah woah! You're not going anywhere! If you think that was bad, you aren't ready for a night in Tundratown. The snow picks up and gets ten times as worse without any sort of sunlight to give you a smidgen of relief. You're staying the night."
"I— But—"
Cal pointed a claw at him. "Stay. I'll help you return home in the morning when you won't freeze your butt off." Gary saw this as a losing battle and merely let out a sigh, defeated, before dropping to the couch, tongue vibrating. It was stupid of him to try and leave. He had already been over this in his head. He cursed himself internally and went to cover more of his body. Fruitless, he discovered once doing so.
Sure, the fire and the lights and the atmosphere that reminded him of his burrow were by far better than the Hell the outside world had to offer, but Gary still hadn't adjusted properly. He tightened his coils.
Cal stood and grabbed the dishes, raising an eyebrow. They swiftly returned them to the sink before sitting next to Gary. "Are you still cold?"
"Oh, no, I-I'm okay. It's plenty warm in here."
Cal squinted. "I have a hard time believing that when you're all curled up over there."
"This? Th-This is normal for snakes! It's just a comfort thing," he said beneath an anxiously filled chuckle.
"So you wouldn't be interested in cuddling with me?"
Gary nearly choked on his own saliva. "Wh— Excuse me??"
"Cuddling. You just looked really happy when I had first picked you up. You nuzzled into me and everything." Cal shrugged. "Don't worry, it's no big deal. I'd rather cuddle than watch you suffer."
"It's really— You don't—" Cal dragged their tongue along their shoulder a few times, eyes squeezed tight, and totally unfazed.
It was a very tempting offer.
"You don't have to if it makes you uncomfortable,” Cal replied.
"It's not that or anything—"
"You don't trust me?" they asked with a head tilt.
"No! No, no, I-I've.. just... never cuddled with anyone before?" Silence hung in the air until Cal bursted out into a small fit of giggles.
"It's easy! Probably easier for you. I'd be the one doing all the work." They opened up their arms. "Come on before I end up changing my mind about snuggling with a guy that can instakill me."
"I would never," he hissed softly.
"Cuddling?"
"Killing. It's very illegal where I come from." Slowly, Gary unraveled and inched forward. Cal helped him along by grabbing him in a cautious manner, lifting him up into their lap. "If a snake — or another toxic reptile — kills another animal, our venom glands are forcibly removed and our fangs destroyed. The sentence can vary. It can even spell out our own death depending on a number of factors."
"Is that what happened to you?" Cal cupped Gary's cheek and thumbed his gum where an empty pocket of flesh sat. Gary winced and immediately they pulled away. "Sorry."
"No, actually." He rubbed the spot with the tip of his tail. "This happened.. during the chase. When they were trying to apprehend me, they broke a fang off in the process."
"Does it still hurt?" Cal's voice lowered a smidgen. Their gruff attitude seethed into a more subdued one.
"A-A little. It's just kind of sore right now."
"I might have some numbing cream. I can go fetch it real quick." As Cal was about to get up, Gary wrapped his tail around their wrist.
"Oh no, please, you've gone through enough trouble for me already. It seriously isn't that bad." He presented them with a smile, inflamed gum and all. Cal huffed, glaring slightly.
"Okay. But I don't want to hear you complaining to me in the middle of the night."
"Pr-Promise! And for the record, I um, wouldn't kill you not only because of the law. If that.. was your idea. I-I wouldn't kill you simply because I don't want to. Obviously."
"Obviously." Their embrace furthered. Cal brought Gary in, a paw guiding his head to rest on their chest while the other stroked along his scales. "Get comfy. I ain't gonna bite either." Gary was rather hesitant, but the lingering heat radiating from this interesting soul was irresistible. His muscles worked on their own, tangling blue with brown until he had his whole length around some part of Cal, mainly their waist and torso.
"Is this okay?" He made sure to keep his coils relatively loose.
"Yeah. What about you? Warm enough?" Gary nodded. It wasn't enough for Cal though. They curled their tail up on top of most of Gary's back and situated their arms to cover as much surface area as possible. Unfortunately, their bracelets left prickling chills against Gary's scales. He squirmed.
"Uh, I don't mean to be rude, but your jewelry is kind of cold." Without saying anything, Cal released Gary for but a moment to slide off their bracelets and other golden bands around their biceps to the coffee table. Then they returned, their grasp even firmer.
"Better now? Whoever you are?"
"Yes.. and, uh, Gary," he replied, half toothless smile as worried as ever. "I never told you my name didn't I.."
"Nope. Eh, it's okay. Rodent stew is enough to distract any cold and hungry animal. C'mon, squeeze me a little. You're holding on like a wet noodle."
"I wouldn't want to accidentally hurt you." Gary understood he didn't have the muscular strength of other non-venomous snakes to constrict and therefore suffocate a person, but the thought lingered in appearing threatening.
"Gary, sweetheart, I'm fat and have the densest fur of any cat on this planet, you're not going to hurt me. And if you do, you'll hear it. Trust." The tip of Gary's tail wagged similar to the way a rattlesnake might emanate, although he had no rattle, so it was useless. He hoped Cal didn't notice it because he wasn't exactly sure why it was going wild, but he did understand it was plain embarrassing and impossible to stop once it started. It was just that word. Sweetheart. He swore he turned warm-blooded for a moment at such a nickname.
He tried to shake it off. In the end, he was helpless. Cal had everything a snake could dream of. Producing a constant supply of heat, protected by such a tantalizing coat that tickled Gary's underbelly, a voice somehow both rough and sweet at the same time, gorgeous golden eyes staring back at him and surrounding fluctuating abysses. They were a very pretty individual. He was a sucker for patterns. Cal's were served to him on a silver platter.
As he stared, Gary's jaw went slack and he tensed up against his own will. Cal smirked and stroked a claw down his back. "Your scales are really soft."
"Soft—?" he managed to choke forward.
"I guess. It's hard to describe it. They're hard, but your body is also really squishy, and the scales themselves are super smooth. It feels soft, but not in a fur texture sort of way. Does that make sense?"
"Suppose.." He glanced down at himself. It was a mistake because watching Cal's finger glide along his spine sent even more destructive tingles straight into his ribs. Quickly, he pulled his gaze away and tried to focus on something else. Although all of it was painfully distracting. Especially below where he got quite literally a perfect view of this creature's chest — cleavage and all. One glance and he felt like he was some kind of pervert.
"You're gorgeous, as well. Your scales. So.. shiny. I've never seen a blue animal before either. Are most snakes this coloration?"
Gary's tail was on the fritz. He swore he heard it slapping against a nearby pillow from its helicopter motion. If he didn't want to make it obvious, he would've already gone ahead and bit it. "My— Mine is rarer of my species. My father is more green than blue."
"Ooh." Cal's eyes enlarged, stars twinkling against the black of their pupils. Gary felt weak in the knees. Whatever the equivalent to those were.
"We can be found in all colors! At least, not specifically my species but other snakes." Cal's own tail gave a small interested flip. "There's even a snake called the rainbow boa! Their scales are reflective and give off a rainbow shimmer."
"That's fucking awesome. You've got me wanting to sneak away to where you live now. Seeing a whole collection of you guys would be.. I dunno. Badass." They rested their hand on Gary's head again. "Am I allowed over there?"
"Not that I'm aware of. At least, not without going through some kind of process. That might've been dismantled though if no one has seen us in so long, they think we're extinct.." He sighed and gave in. Just a little. No matter how shot his nerves were. He nuzzled into the tufts protruding from Cal's chest. "The only non-reptiles that come by are from law enforcement."
"Damn. Ah, it's okay. I've seen at least one beautiful snake today." That was the last straw. Gary squeaked and completely buried his face in brown colored fluff, trying his hardest not to hiss from pure embarrassment. He heard most mammals don't appreciate hissing despite it being a manner of positive expression from snakes.
Cal merely chuckled. The sight to them was most amusing. Poor guy probably didn't even realize he was mostly burying his face specifically into Cal's bosom rather than a safer, less intimate area. They didn't mind in the slightest. It was cute in their eyes, especially with his adorable little tail wagging at their side. Did Gary know he was slapping Cal's hip lightly with the force it was going at?
They pressed their nose gently to Gary's head and got more snug themselves, increasing their hold on Gary tighter than he had done to them. Then, a rumble started in Cal's throat, loud and steady, like a ferocious growl. Gary startled, blinking at the heady noise vibrating his jawbone.
Cal went on to nestle into Gary and rest on their back rather than sitting, still keeping a firm hold on his noodley self. Using their foot, they haphazardly kicked the blanket on the other end up enough for them to be able to grab it in the most lazy way imaginable and drape it over the two of them.
"Wh-What's all this, um.. noise?" Gary asked. His forked tongue was sticking out.
"Hm? My purring?"
"Purring?"
"Oh, yeah, you probably don't know. It's just a sound cats make when we're content. Don't worry, it's nothing bad. Do reptiles do anything like that?"
Gary adjusted himself, nosing his way into one of Cal's very toasty paws. Their paw pads were squishy with a slightly rough exterior. Gary liked it. "Uh, no, we don't — what was it — purr.."
"Not purring silly! Just.. make noises when you're happy." A slitted pupil gazed toward Cal's expression full of pure interest.
"Oh. I-I guess.. Um, we hiss or rattle our tails when we're happy."
"Hissing?" Cal cocked their head. "We do that too, cats, but it means the complete opposite," they said with a laugh. Gary laughed alongside them, his smile less nervous.
"It used to be aggressive. Same with tail rattles. Clearly, I don't have one, but some snakes do where a special set of scales on the ends of their tails can make a rattling noise when they shake it. Both were a warning sign used by our ancestors that we were about to strike and to stay away from what my parents told me. Now, it's.. comfort. We don't have a reason most of the time to use it like that anymore."
"I see.. That's super cool. All of that. Especially the rattles, that just sounds adorable."
"I was also told non-reptiles don't like it. They still see it as a warning symbol." Cal frowned. They nudged Gary's cheek with their nose.
"I won't be afraid of it. You shouldn't feel ashamed to be comfortable in our society," Cal murmured.
"I was kind of holding it in this whole time, I gotta admit.. Your words and your actions, uh.." He cleared his throat. "Make me happy."
"Let me hear it then." They stroked underneath Gary's chin. Gary had no more willpower left. His maw opened, singular fang extending, and his snout scrunching as he released a low, but loud hiss at the feeling of such soothing claws. He swallowed shortly afterwards.
"That wasn't too much, was it?"
"Not at all," they reassured. "You can do it as much as you please." More stroking, more scratching, all leading to smaller hisses mixing in with Cal's already established purrs. "Wasn't so hard.."
"I forgot to thank you for taking me in by the way. Um.. thank you. Cal. Very much."
"Not a problem. I'll help get you back home tomorrow or whenever you're ready. Right now, you focus on staying warm."
Gary melted away, going boneless on the spot. He would be worrying about what tomorrow would bring and the whole fiasco of trying to explain to Cal why he was in Zootopia and how he couldn't exactly leave yet, nor did he want to leave. His family needed him here. He hoped they didn't mind his small detour with this caring mammal he happened to stumble upon.
Nonetheless, tomorrow was another day. Right now, he felt at peace, no worries to be had with all this loving and sweet talk and grumbles working their way up and down his belly. No worries until morning shone through those frosted windows.