A Bump in the Pantry [M]

[Lion]

The cage of his limbs formed a cradle with which he cocooned Sera and let her settle there. The couch was comfortable enough and he made no complaints. In this moment he had no concern for himself and instead he let himself just lean right back against her.

"Bad memories that make you sob like that. They must really be terrible. But they are dreams, and dreams can't hurt you," Maako murmured and he gave her a close-lipped smile.  Even if he wanted to kiss her, shower her with them, he held back and simply let his face nuzzle into her hair.

"Sera, I'm sorry you had a bad dream. She sounds very mean. Whoever this person is. But she can't hurt you anymore. Not here. If you will let me, I can be very scary to anyone that wants to hurt you. But only if you will let me, Sera."  He purred softly, and the rumble of it reverberated throughout his chest.

[Draconian]

A little nuzzle against whatever she could, her eyes closed. In Maako's arms she felt comforted and safe. Nothing could get her here. Not even monsters. Not even... Sera swallowed and opened her eyes slowly, looking up at her blue friend before she took one of his hands and thread her fingers between them.

Sera shifted in his arms, turning so that she was facing Maako. Looking at him on his lap, she blinked up at him and pressed her hands to his shoulders, thumbs brushing along the flesh. Already comforted she smiled at him. "I would like that," She whispered, shifting for comfort on his lap before she moved a hand to rest on his chest, "Are you rumbling?"

[Lion]

That confirmation was all Maako needed to warm his belly. He grumbled something softly in his chest and he nuzzled her with his chin. "Okay, Sera. My Sera. I'll protect you against anyone or anything that wants to hurt you. I promise," he purred again. Yes, he was rumbling. It was a soft vibration that simply couldn't be helped.

"I am.  Do you want me to stop? I'll try if it's very unpleasant," he said, loving the feel of her hands against his chest.

The clothing was in the way of course, so he shifted around so that her hand to be skin to skin with his chest and feel that rumbling more closely.

[Draconian]

Taking a moment, Sera leaned back after he nuzzled her and she just looked at him. Her fingers were pressed to flesh and she just... Looked. Examined. Her hand moved from his chest, pressing her palm to his neck to feel his heartbeat and her hand smoothed to press to his cheek.  Sera took a deep breath before she closed her eyes and leaned forward to press her forehead to his cheek.

A tentative kiss was pressed to his pulse before she curled her arms around his shoulders, tucking her face close to him. Her chest pressed to his to feel the rumbles he made. " No," She said softly, voice muffled by her arms and his neck, "I like it. Do you do that... On purpose? Or does it just happen?"

[Lion]

"I do it when I'm...content," Maako said, loving how she was touching him and his skin twitched and shivered underneath her touch. "I can't really control it. It just happens really. When I'm comfortable, I start to rumble. But I like that it doesn't bother you," he murmured.

He whined at the absence of the kiss she made to his pulse.  "Do that again," he whispered. "I liked when you kissed me there. It felt nice."

[Draconian]

There was a faint smile.

Sera looked up at Maako before she smoothed her hands over his shoulders and leaned back. At his request she kissed his pulse again, letting her lips linger there before she pulled back and finally, pressed her lips to his.

The lingering fear of he'd eat her was still very much a thing. Still, her tongue darted out to taste first before she pulled back. A long look at his face before she went in for a cheek kiss. Flushed, she snuggled in against him. One leg on either side of his waist, chest pressed to his.

Sera took a deep breath and was amazed at how comfortable she was. "You make me feel safe," she whispered, lips tingling from her stolen kiss, "not just because you're bug and scary looking." Sera sighed and looked up at him through her lashes. " Maako?" She whisperrd, "you're going to stay, right? With me?"

[Lion]

Maako couldn't resist one chill after another. Sera had an interesting attention to detail that only made him purr and want more of it. He leaned into that touch, the small curiosities made him shiver nigh uncontrollably.

"Of course I'm going to stay," he purred out, whining a little that she'd stopped her kisses. So instead he pursed his own lips and brought them to her forehead, dragging them down along her temple to linger at her cheeks. She had such nice soft cheeks.  Face cheeks.


His two upper hands reached up and brushed at those face cheeks, pushing her hair away.  "I'll stay as long as you want me too. You're nice. And sweet. I've never met anyone so nice and sweet."

[Draconian]

A shudder and Sera tried to get closer. Of course it failed, she was already snuggled as close as she could get. Turning her face into his hand, her lips lingered against his palm and she closed her eyes and smiled. A pleased hum before she wiggled backwards off of his lap, catching his hands and tugging on them while she backed up.

"I'm glad you think so," She said, threading their fingers together, "Come cuddle with me," her voice was soft and small, "I don't have any new bread to bake." Any bread baking could be done tomorrow. Or she'll just keep the place closed for a few days. It'd been a while since she'd not had to work. Not wanting to work wasn't a crime, right? Sort of.

"Maako?" She whispered, "You're sweet, too."

[Lion]

It was a wonderful feeling, this sensation. It was odd and Maako couldn't remember if he felt it before. Reason stood that if he couldn't remember it, he likely didn't experience it. His memory was usually pretty damn good in that regard. He only ever known comfort.

But this was something related, yet different. It was affection.

His belly did little somersaults when he was around Sera. He tried to keep his frame small and unassuming when he was walking out and about the tavern. As impossible a feat as that was.  When they were alone, he likes to cradle Sera in the crook of his whole body. Cocooning her with the same tenderness she showed him.

A full week passed since he arrived and Maako had no other place he would rather be. Although Sera had asked him if he couldn't stay, he never thought about going anywhere else.

Imagine that not even very long ago, all he wanted to do was find a way to go home. But perhaps now he found it.

And learning all the ways to bake and enjoy bread was utterly fascinating. Even if it didn't taste like chicken.