Chapter Text
The light filtering through the open balcony was beginning to turn golden as the afternoon drew to a close. Infernal Sin lay reading on the bedroom chaise longue. That evening he had chosen to wear a delicate, semi-transparent silk tunic with no jewellery or adornments. The tunic was long and flowing, cinched slightly at the waist, with straps that left much of his chest and back exposed. He turned the pages of the manuscript that had him thoroughly engrossed. His sharp ears caught the sound of heavy but hurried footsteps approaching from the hallway. The faint scrape of claws dragging across the floor tiles betrayed who was coming. He decided not to react, knowing they would come to him, and continued reading. The footsteps paused for a few seconds at the door, hesitant, before the heavy double metal doors swung open to reveal a hunched Goetia with lowered ears. He too was wearing a simple tunic, though his was thicker and looser; he walked barefoot as usual, and on his face was a mixture of irritation, exhaustion, and longing.
"What's wrong, Goe?" The demon paused his reading to wait for the bird's answer. Instead of a reply, Goetia walked over to the chaise longue and, with careful movements, lay down at Sin's side. The demon noticed the slight difficulty in his movements and felt through their bond how it irritated the hybrid. Goetia tucked himself into the crook of the arm that had been turning pages and rested his head on Sin's shoulder, closing his eyes and letting out a sigh. "I don't like it, it's uncomfortable…"
For a moment, Sin thought he was referring to the new boots he had asked him to wear on outings outside. That idea was quickly dismissed when he remembered that those boots had lasted less than five minutes on Goetia's feet before being shredded by his claws, while Goetia himself hissed and complained about how horrible they were — and that had been no more than two weeks ago. Puzzled, Sin raised an eyebrow and waited for the ruffled ball of feathers at his side to keep explaining. Nothing came from his mouth but faint growls and grumbles as he struggled to find a comfortable position. Sin's eyes wandered over Goetia's feathered body in search of the source of his discomfort. While he looked, he made a mental note to give his feathers a thorough grooming later. He found no wound or anything unusual. And yet he could feel Goetia's mind weighed down by an intense, nagging discomfort, now that their closeness had deepened the bond's connection.
Goetia's hands gripped the fabric of Sin's tunic as though resisting the urge to make some other movement. His body pressed against his in search of… warmth? Sin wasn't certain, but what was clear was that Goetia was yearning for something he wasn't telling him, and that frustrated Sin slightly.
Sin sat up on the chaise longue, moving Goetia aside to look at him directly. "What's going on with you, why are you acting so strange?" Goetia tried to ignore him and lie back against Sin, but Sin stopped him. "Tell me what's happening. I'm not going to read your mind. We've talked about this — use your words." Goetia was very stubborn, but so was Sin, and even more so. After a few grumbling protests, Goetia spoke.
"It's my stomach. It hurts." The bird stared at him with an intense, irritated look, making clear he wanted to say as little as possible and get what he wanted in the shortest time possible. Sin then understood what he meant: the hunched posture, the cautious movements, the fact that he hadn't flung himself on top of him the way he usually did.
"Is it an egg?"
"…"
Sin sighed and set the book aside as he lay back down. He gently pulled Goetia toward him so he could lie down again, this time fully on top of him; Goetia's wings folded comfortably behind his back, allowing Sin to wrap his arms around him while the demon subtly raised his body temperature.
Goetia had come looking for his favourite personal heater to ease the pain in his abdomen, where the egg was forming. Under normal circumstances he would have no trouble complaining, demanding, and making a scene — but it seemed his vulnerability embarrassed him.
The bird closed his eyes as his body moulded itself to the shape of his other half beneath him. Sin placed one hand on Goe's abdomen and massaged it gently in circles, applying warmth as he did. Meanwhile, his other hand moved idly through the feathers along his arms, pausing to pluck half-moulted ones or to split open the sheaths of new ones. Why not take the opportunity to get started on grooming him?
Goetia relaxed gradually; his hands stopped clutching Sin's tunic and he occasionally rubbed his face against the skin of Sin's chest, letting him know he was enjoying it.
"The nerve you have, always throwing yourself at me without a second thought — and then when it's not just a whim you can't bring yourself to ask for it… there's no understanding you," Sin muttered. Goetia turned his head briefly and bit Sin's skin.
"You bastard!"
It wasn't the pain but the surprise of the bite that made Sin cry out. The increasingly limp ball of feathers lying on top of him opened his eyes to a narrow slit, watching him with a look of smug satisfaction. The demon took one slow breath, restraining himself from retaliating against his already aching partner, and instead massaged Goetia's stomach a little faster.
"Do you know when the laying will be?"
"Hmm… in a couple of days, I think…"
"So until then I'm your personal heater."
"Yep."
Sin didn't reply or say another word. Despite how much he liked to complain and push back at Goetia, he would do anything to make sure he was always comfortable.
So the hours passed until night had fully fallen, when Goetia was deep asleep and a small pile of discarded feathers lay on the floor. Sin carefully gathered Goetia in his arms and made his way to the canopied bed, which he opened with the help of his tail. He settled them both in the same position — one lying on top of the other — in the nest of pillows Goetia had arranged that week. He pressed a kiss to Goetia's forehead, then closed his own eyes to rest, holding the bird close and giving him all the warmth he could ever need.