Little patchwork Gracile meets huge blond Robust

Mairr pushed aside one last bush and found himself looking into a sudden clearing in the forest... and directly at a single, obviously pregnant Gracile with strange black patches on his skin who was crouched in the grass holding his stomach. Kiian's eyes widened in terror as he was suddenly confronted with a giant Robust holding an axe. He flinched backwards, wanting to escape but trapped by the trees and brush which walled the other side of the clearing. Confused and immediately ashamed to be the cause of such fear, Mairr lowered his axe even as he looked around the clearing and found no dangerous animals or other dragons, Gracile or Robust.

?Erm...? Mairr ruffled his free hand through his crest, suddenly shy at the prospect of talking to a Gracile alone and wondering exactly what he had intruded on. ?Are you okay? It sounded like someone was in pain...?

Kiian was frozen in terror, and it took him a long moment to process what the giant Robust had said. Even when he comprehended the words, the idea that anyone, but especially a Robust, might be concerned for him, was such an alien concept that he couldn't quite wrap his mind around it. But he gathered up his shattered nerves **** out the one question his skittering heart really needed to know the answer to. ?A-are you not going to kill me, then??

Now it was Mairr's turn to blink, then flush with shame. ?What? No, I ? it just sounded like somebody needed help. I just brought the axe in case,? he hesitated, fearing to give any further threat or insult to the poor little Gracile by mentioning ****, then seized with relief on the more innocent explanation, ?in case a tree-cat was attacking you or something.?

Again Kiian could only blink in astonishment at the big Robust, but seeing that he had lowered the axe and hearing his apologetic tone of voice Kiian relaxed, deciding that, astonishingly enough, he wasn't about to die. Of course, as soon as he relaxed he was hit by a contraction. ?Owowow hell!? escaped him before, made self-conscious by the watching Gracile, he gritted his teeth and swallowed the rest of his complaints.

?You are hurt!? Mairr dropped the axe and took a few steps toward the oddly-colored Gracile. He reached out to him, then paused, realizing the other dragon might not want to be touched. ?Is there anything I can do to help?? He observed that the black and white Gracile was clutching his stomach, and although it was hard to tell from the way the little Gracile was doubled over, that stomach appeared to be pregnant.

Kiian, still trying to catch his breath from the last contraction, looked up at the yellow-feathered Robust towering above him looking so incongruously concerned. Suddenly the hurt and stress of the whole day ? Borrad backhanding him, calling him names and saying it was better his egg should die, the bodily pain of the contractions and the spiritual pain of being so damn helpless, thinking that he was going to die, then suddenly being presented with exactly what he needed, a Robust, who wanted to know what he could do to help but would never in a million years just lay down and let Kiian lay the egg into him ? it just all boiled over into bitter laughter. ?Oh certainly. Certainly there's something you could do to help, but you'd never agree, and I don't even dare ask you.? Kiian hiccupped a bit, laugh threatening to turn into a sob. ?So just... just leave me to lose this egg and-? Another contraction hit, cutting off whatever else Kiian had to say.

Mairr drew a startled breath as he suddenly realized what was going on. Lose an egg, gods, Mairr couldn't even imagine how horrible that would feel, to know your child was dying. Why was this Gracile here alone? Didn't he have a mate, family, friends, who would help him... Mairr's thoughts stumbled. Help him what? Help him **** a Robust? That wasn't a solution either, **** was wrong no matter what. Help him bribe a Robust into carrying the child? There was such a stigma against carrying a Gracile child that hardly anyone would do it voluntarily, and the ones who would charged a small fortune ? an amount equal to all the money Mairr had saved in his adult life, and probably more than this little dragon could possibly scrape up. The patchwork Gracile had told him to leave, and Mairr wanted to honor that, but he also really wished he could help, his heart ached to see the pretty little dragon in pain and **** out a laugh that was only a feather's-breadth away from a sob. ?Just tell me one thing. Would you... would you want to keep the egg, if... if I...? Mairr gathered up his courage, took a deep breath, and took the plunge, ?if I was willing to carry it for you??

Kiian's gaze jerked up to meet that of the huge yellow-feathered Robust. He stared into the bigger dragon's green eyes, trying to determine if he could possibly be serious. ?Of course I want to keep the egg! But,? the faint hope in his voice gave way to sadness, ?I have nothing to offer you.?

Mairr swallowed. Well, there was his opportunity. Did he want a Gracile badly enough to bear a child for one? He examined his feelings and found that he didn't mind the idea at all. He wanted this pretty, unique-looking little Gracile to be happy, he thought it would be interesting to try being pregnant without actually being committed to becoming a parent, and he really didn't care if a few people looked at him in horror or made snide remarks. Instead, the one thing that stopped Mairr from just making his offer was the nagging feeling that it was totally unfair to hold someone's child's life hostage unless they agreed to sleep with him. Just the fact that this dragon had gotten pregnant in the first place suggested that he probably had a mate somewhere... ?You do-? Mairr noticed his voice was husky with desire, swallowed, and started again in a more normal tone of voice. ?You do have something to offer me. But... what of the sire of the egg? Where is he, doesn't he care whether the child lives or dies??

?No.? Kiian averted his gaze and glared at a spot on the ground. ?This egg has no sire.? he pronounced, bitterly but firmly. ?There's no one who cares whether it lives or dies but me. And no one,? another contraction set in, but Kiian, panting, fought to speak through it, ?...no one who cares whether I live or die, for that matter.? Meeting the big Robust's eyes again, he demanded, ?So please tell me what it is I could possibly have to offer you, because these contractions are getting closer together.?

No mate. That one little fact sent Mairr's emotions on a rollercoaster. No family or friends either? Mairr couldn't even imagine how painfully lonely that would be, and his heart went out even more strongly to the little patchwork dragon. ?What I want is... well, two things. First, I want you to promise to stay with me until I lay the egg. I definitely don't want to be left alone with a child that isn't even related to me. There's no way I could raise a Gracile child-?

?Done.? interrupted Kiian. ?He's my child, I want him even if no one else does, I won't abandon him. What's the second thing??

Mairr felt a bit wounded about being lumped in with the 'everyone else' who didn't want the child. ?Alright, I'll do it, I'll carry the egg for you. The second thing, you don't have to do it if you don't want to. I would really like it but I would never **** you to do it and I won't hold a child's life hostage just for something I... desire.?

Kiian's eyes widened. ?You'll really carry my egg? You're really going to just lay down and spread your legs and let me implant the egg into you??

Mairr blushed but nodded. ?Yes. But I don't exactly know how, so you'll have to tell me what to do.?

Kiian panted and groaned his way through another contraction (he could finally feel the damn painkiller kicking in). Then he took a few breaths to recover and consider the fact that this giant Robust had just agreed to carry his egg, and he might really have a child after all. He couldn't believe his luck. There had to be some sort of catch. ?But what is the second thing, what is it that you said I have to offer you??

?Um.? Mairr blushed more. ?Well see, I always... Since the first time I saw a Gracile, I... I think they're really beautiful and I always wanted to mate with one.? Mairr looked away. ?But like I said, you don't have to do it if you don't want to. I'll bear the egg for you anyway, because ? well, just because I want to.? he shrugged one shoulder shyly.

Kiian was once again non-plussed by this odd Robust. ?You want to mate with me??

?Um, yeah.? Mairr nervously ran his hand through his feathers, hoping the little Gracile would agree but afraid he was about to get called a pervert. He knew it could reasonably be considered perverted to want to mate with someone of a different species, but... well, it was what he really, deeply wanted, and it would hurt to be rejected for revealing his innermost desires. ?Or, if you didn't want to but you had a friend who was willing to, I suppose that would be okay too. But I do like you.?

Kiian looked away. ?I don't have any friends. So it would have to be me. You really... you really want to mate with me? Even though I'm a freak?? The fresh memory of Borrad calling him that still stung, and Kiian kind of spat the word out as if flinging it back at Borrad.

Mairr blinked, confused and tipped his head to examine the little Gracile. ?You mean... because of your skin??

?Of course because of my skin!? still not looking at Mairr, Kiian scowled and dug his claws into the ground.

Realizing that this must be a sensitive topic, Mairr searched for a diplomatic response. ?Well... a Robust who wants to mate with a Gracile is a freak too isn't he?? It hurt Mairr a little to say that about himself, but when the little black and white Gracile looked up at him in wonder, that felt more than good enough to make up for it. ?I- I like your skin. It's... exotic. Special. It makes me want to...? Mairr blushed scarlet and his voice dropped to a whisper, ?It makes me want to lick a black patch and a white patch and see if they taste the same.?

And then Kiian felt the strangest feeling ? felt the arousal engendered by the big Robust's words mix with the clench of the next contraction and somehow make it less painful.