Chapter Text
Eren sat busy on his perch, the feathers of his tail curled protectively over his clutch of six eggs. It was high enough up the mountainside that the phoenix didn’t have to worry about many predators seeking to make his little ones into a meal, but the predators that did make it this far up the mountain…
He only hoped that none of them paid him any notice.
Currently, the phoenix sat in his humanoid form. Human in shape with little talons at the ends of fingers and toes that could be sheathed away if need be. Eren kept them out now to better clutch at his nest, tutting at the hastily assembled bed of sticks. His skin was a beautiful gold, passable for human in the shade, not so much in the sun, and his flesh was feathered in places. For example, the proud tail that sprouted from the base of his spine in brilliant gold flecked with blues and greens or the smaller feathers that trailed a little ways up his back and sides. His feathers were at their brightest, signalling to both Eren and the world that he was ready to mate. That was part of the reason for taking on a human-like form; he didn’t want to give off any scent that could lure humans or their pesky tracking hounds close to his temporary nest. Better to leave a more human scent lingering, just in case any of the nearby villages sent out hunting parties.
Most humans would kill just to have a few feathers from Eren’s tail. They would do far worse things to get their filthy hands on his clutch and the phoenix would not have that.
And that was why he’d come so far up to escape them.
The chilly mountain air whipped at Eren’s skin and the phoenix shivered but he only huddled down closer in his nest. It was constructed of sticks and woven vines, perched somewhat precariously on the boughs of an old, dying tree that hung off one edge of the mountain. The tree’s roots burrowed into cracks in the stone, taking what nutrients it could from the shallow soil available. It wouldn’t do for a permanent nest but Eren didn’t plan on staying there for long.
He was just waiting for…
A deep, thunderous sound echoed through the mountains, causing Eren to ruffle his feathers in agitation.
That. He was waiting for that.
For most creatures, that noise was a sound of terror. Rarely heard, too.
Dragons, after all, weren’t known for being particularly abrupt. They were stealthy hunters, striking quick and silent other than the heavy beat of their wings. For such huge creatures, stealth should have been difficult. Eren found it best not to ask questions because usually taking the time to think up a query was just enough time to allow yourself to be caught.
It was a dragon that Eren was waiting for. Had been waiting for since he’d sensed that his time to lay was approaching. That had been a week ago and Eren had been forced to lay in the early hours this morning, unable to put it off any longer. The only thing left to do had been to wait for his guardian to arrive and transport him and his clutch to a safer haven.
Only that guardian was late.
Probably hunting or stocking up on food for the winter. Eren scowled at the thought. Food was all very well and good but his eggs wouldn’t last long if they were left exposed to the chilly, late autumn air.
Another deafening bark shook the mountainside. The phoenix readjusted his position in the nest.
For a dragon to be making any sort of noise at all was odd, but Eren knew the purpose of this sound. The short, sharp noise was a call. Dragons had few such sounds and Eren recognised this call as a demand for him to reveal his location, but he remained quiet. The phoenix sat brooding in a sullen silence, eyeing the clouds. After being made to wait so long, Eren saw no point in offering any assistance to the creature currently trying to find him. Instead he waited, knowing that keen eyes and a keener nose would soon track down his location.
Below, the line of clouds swirled. The grey and white barrier swirled ominously, but nothing broke through. It was almost too quiet.
And then Eren heard it. Slow, rhythmic beats. The noise grew steadily louder, always below.
What are you doing, Levi, Eren thought in silence. He narrowed his eyes, the pupils flaring a brilliant gold as he sought the huge form that lurked below the clouds.
And there is was – the barest shadow silhouetted against the fluffy clouds, right before that form surged upwards. The clouds surged with the movement and something dark soared up past Eren, the wind of it ruffling russet hair and vibrant feathers. The phoenix clutched a branch by his nest, holding on and waiting for the tree he was perched in to stop rattling. Eren brought his legs closer together, feeling the press of his eggs under him. Securing the little ovals between tensed calves, the brunet snapped his eyes up to glare at the spiralling shadow that had rocketed past.
“Dammit, Levi!” Eren gave a protesting squawk after the dragon.
The shadowy silhouette gave an answering roar, the sound quieter since the dragon was up so high, and Eren rolled his eyes. As his heart calmed from the surprise he turned worried eyes back down to his nest.
He shifted his tail, peering past the blue, green, and gold of his feathers to check on his eggs while the dragon arced through the sky above.
From above, Levi sounded a cry of greeting and triumph alike. Eren just rolled his eyes again, the orbs flickering back from gold to their usual teal. As the wind settled back to its usual breeze and Eren’s nest was stable once more, those heavy wingbeats returned. Levi, having plummeted back down from the great heights of the greyed dome above, now hovered by the side of the mountain with measured flaps of enormous, leathery wings. Considerate aim directed the gale away from the phoenix and his tree this time, wisely so, and Levi landed with as little impact as he could manage. Huge, black claws dug into the mountainside for purchase and the dragon turned big, colourless eyes on Eren.
Those eyes, entirely white from pupil to iris and more, reminded Eren that this dragon was old, not the cheeky youngster he acted like. While his playfulness was worrying, Eren knew that Levi would not do anything to bring harm to him.
Or his as yet unhatched little ones.
The phoenix was greeted once more in a softer, hissing exhale. The sound escaped on steam hot enough that it made the cold air around them seem to shimmer. Heat washed over the brunet, hot like flame, and Eren almost relaxed at the feeling. Heat was comfort. Eren had missed such temperatures since he’d had to leave the rest of his kin when sticking together had become too perilous. Despite the pleasant warmth from Levi, though, Eren wouldn’t let the oversized reptile escape his reprimand for acting like some hot-headed yearling.
“You took your time.” Eren said in an accusing chirp, preening his feathers back into place.
Armoured lids lowered – white eyes narrowing at the phoenix’s casual use of a human dialect – and Levi gave a disinterested sniff.
It was a habit of Eren’s. After spending years, decades, centuries around humans, even if only to avoid them, Eren had picked up more than a little of their languages. He knew that the dragon didn’t appreciate words, especially human ones, as much as he appreciated actions. Nevertheless, what Eren did next was speak.
“I’m loathed to admit it aloud, but I missed having company.”
Those words did the trick.
A jagged-toothed smile leered at him, a low rumble of amusement escaping on air hot enough to singe leaves from the tree Eren was perched in. The phoenix clucked in protest, worrying over the state of his nest next to a dragon as old as the one that had landed.
But the scales, deepest midnight with a sheen of dark green in the sunlight, were familiar to the brunet. Like a raven’s feathers, the colour was mirrored in smooth scales harder than diamond. Levi had a very distinguishable appearance, in both this form and his humanoid guise. A massive snout nosed at the sticks of Eren’s nest, upsetting the phoenix’s balance, and he gave a cross squawk. Those massive jaws opened, though, and the dragon waited obediently for the phoenix to shuffle off of his clutch and place each speckled oval onto the heat of a waiting tongue.
Levi knew what he was here for. Good.
Eren’s eggs needed somewhere extremely warm to incubate properly. The Phoenix was a rare creature, eagerly hunted by humans the world over. They made their homes in many places, but nesting required very specific conditions. Namely: heat. A phoenix was born in fire just as they passed each life cycle in fire. It was an essential part of the process. Normally the brunet would have sought out a volcano but more and more humans were growing wise to his and his kin’s ways. It was too dangerous to leave a clutch unattended at any site.
Recently, however, Eren had discovered a new solution. A living incubator and also the brunet’s most recent choice in mates.
A dragon. Unpredictable creatures, really, considering that despite all their assumed patterns and behaviours one would still consider cross-species mating habits. It worked, though, and that was all that the phoenix had needed; an alliance with the world’s most feared creature.
And the world’s loneliest.
Eren had chosen well in making this beast his protector. There was no creature better equipped to care for his clutch or more capable of protecting a nest. And the trade-off? An eternity as company. Eren promised monogamy and Levi promised protection. For as long as they continued to live.
Forever sounded like a long, long time.
Eren blinked as the dragon stirred beside him, the eggs having been swallowed down and currently lying safe in Levi’s belly. With a deep rumble, Levi lowered his head to invite the phoenix onto his back. It would be safest for them to travel that way. Without having to worry about the safety of his clutch, the brunet could focus on holding on while they were in the air.
Eren considered shifting into his other form so he could fly alongside Levi. But dragons were much faster than any other creature of the sky and the phoenix did not want to have to slow their journey – more time in the air meant more time spent in danger.
Humans were a remarkably good shot with a bow and arrow.
He wasted no more time, scaling the dragon’s curved neck. Eren dug in his claws enough to keep a steady grip, knowing that Levi wouldn’t mind. His scales were thick. It would take a lot more than a clinging phoenix to bring a dragon any discomfort in this form.
A rustling breath left Levi’s mouth, the heat sizzling in the cold, mountain air, and Eren understood the silent message.
Time to go.
They had lingered long enough. Even this high up, it would only be a matter of time until someone or something spotted an adult dragon out in the open.
Eren gave an acknowledging cluck and nestled down close to the heat of Levi’s scales, flattening his belly against the back of the dragon’s neck. With a last, quick inhale and a blast of hot air, Levi turned to scan below the cloud level. His eyes picked out the skittering shadows of animals and the silhouettes of trees. No humans in sight, though, and no lingering smell to signal that their presence had drifted this way in a while. Good. Knowing this, he launched them off of the mountain. Having scented the air and deemed it safe to fly, Levi beat his wings hard to get them higher up.
Higher was safer, after all, and he had precious cargo on this particular trip.
Eren lost himself in the wind that moved around them, whipping his feathers back. It was cold against his skin but Eren needed no other warmth than his own.
He all but relaxed, only tensing to grip on when needed. It was easy enough to read Levi’s movements ahead of time, feeling the muscles beneath him shifting before each dive.
Had Eren known that it was this calming to ride a dragon, he would have converted a long time ago.
The journey was short in time at least. Levi travelled leagues away from the phoenix’s temporary nest, weaving through the air high above the cloud cover. Hidden from any suspicious gazes below, Levi followed his unwavering sense of direction that pulled him towards the mountain range in which his lair was located, tucked away and tunnelled into jagged peaks.
It was a tight squeeze getting through – Levi had only carved out enough space in the rock for himself to fit through, as he had been the largest of his kin to ever live in this particular lair. The rock was smooth, though – polished from the scraping of scales time and time again – so Eren didn’t complain. He tucked himself into the space behind the spines that jutted out from the back of Levi’s head and only his tail feathers trailed against the ceiling.
The light grew less and less until pitch darkness took over. Inside it would be lighter; there were little cracks in the stone that allowed light through from the thinner edges of the mountain and ventilation pockets would help to illuminate the cave itself.
At last they were free of the tunnel and Levi crawled out into the main cave of his lair. Spacious enough for him to stomp around a bit, to be able to enter the lair and turn around safely should anything follow him. But it wasn’t the enormous, echoing cavern that a lot of humans seemed to think. Piles of coins and trinkets littered the floor, heaped into mounds and easily carved through by thick claws. But there was no ocean of wealth, no mountain of booty. This treasure would not make a king out of any human.
A rich man? Sure. It was more than enough to draw fortune-hungry villagers.
Treasure was to a dragon what rugs were to a human – something pretty with which to line the floor.
Eren slid down off of his colossal steed, coins plinking as they shifted under his feet. He started off around the lair, a place that was becoming more and more familiar to him with every trip.
The scent of dragon was heavy in the air and Eren ruffled his feathers. To him, the smell of dragon was one to be feared. All creatures had that hardwired into them, a survival instinct of sorts like the urge to run from wood smoke or to stay away from human villages. Eren bristled at his own wariness, knowing by now that Levi wouldn’t just kill him. He took in slow, deep breaths in the hopes that taking in more of the scent around a calm and clearly unhostile dragon would help to calm his nerves. It was worst in these initial moments; Eren knew that once he had been exposed to Levi’s scent long enough he would be able to calm himself. That was how this always worked.
Maybe one day he would even be able to override the instinct to fear this apex predator? Eren certainly hoped so; it was a pain in the ass being terrified of his own mate at times.
Levi wouldn’t mind his edginess, at least. Eren was always edgy around this place.
The dragon gave Eren as much space as he could, slithering off to the farthest wall of their lair and settling down to wait. It would only be a matter of time before the little brunet warmed to him. Levi was content enough to play the waiting game. His jaws came to rest on the coin-covered floor, tail trailing out behind him, and huge, all-white eyes focused on the uneasy phoenix.
Eren puttered around, breathing deep and listening to the low sounds of Levi’s massive lungs expanding and compressing with each breath the dragon took. Gradually a new smell mingled with the scent of fear – this undeniably sweet – and Eren huffed out a grateful sigh. Levi, like all dragons, was capable of emitting poisonous gusts of breath that were mostly used to cover the areas around lairs in order to either kill prey or make them sluggish. While enough of this air could kill a creature, small amounts only dulled the senses.
Dizzy already, Eren staggered to a nearby pillar of stone before his legs could give out on him. His mind clouded and the phoenix pressed his faced against the cool column of stone to gain his bearings. Across the lair, Levi gave a deep rumble of reassurance. It was dark in the corner where he had taken up residence but Eren could see the glinting whites of his eyes watching in the quiet.
Eren slumped, hearing the clinking of trinkets under his weight, and then the sound of a much larger shifting weight sounded.
Time for Levi to make his move, while the phoenix was more or less incapacitated.
Levi moved slowly, finding the middle of his lair and pausing. No more fumes for now; Eren was well drugged for the moment. The phoenix wouldn’t be going anywhere and, even better, he wouldn’t be able to think straight enough to worry about dragon scent.
Eren blinked sluggish lids, managing to heave himself up. His legs protested, shaking as he got to his feet, and walking would be difficult to do but the brunet managed to stand on his own well enough. He leaned against the stone of the pillar beside him, training his gaze on where Levi had paused.
The dragon made a garbled sound, the muscles of its throat convulsing, and the cave grew warmer with the heat Levi was giving off. It warmed the cold stone and treasure, the heat encouraging Eren to relax.
Across from him, the dragon gave a wet cough. Eren’s eggs were hacked up in a ball of molten stone from the dragon’s belly, left in a misshapen pile atop treasure. Levi would have been swallowing stones and small boulders along the way to get to Eren, knowing that he would need the material to be able to keep his eggs at a higher temperature. Once Levi’s stomach was empty he growled, skin beginning to steam, and crumpled into ash. From the embers a more humanoid form rose, its pale skin littered with the same black-green scales that the dragon before had donned. These scales dappled milky skin in places, along shoulders and trailing up the throat, curling around the sides and hips but leaving the stomach bare.
This form, closer to human than dragon, was one that Eren was infinitely more comfortable with. This form couldn’t swallow him whole at a moment’s notice, nor could it crush him underfoot. Eren was actually taller than the dragon when they took on their human guises and he was in no small way pleased by that.
It was always in this form that they mated. Far easier, this way. The anatomy worked more easily than in their natural forms, with only minor merging of human-animal biology. Eren retained his cloaca, useful in the absence of a human male womb, and Levi...well he was just his usual, mischievous self only without the flaming breath. Thank God the proportions were manageable in this state; Eren didn’t even want to think about trying to coax a dragon’s cock inside his body in either of his forms. Perhaps had Levi been a younger male then it might have been a possibility, but the raven had been alive for so long now that the sheer size of him wouldn’t allow for any mating outside of their humanoid forms.
It was a pain, but at least Eren had been getting more experienced with this other form. It was far easier to avoid being hunted in this form as most creatures recognised human forms as threats. Even humans themselves could be fooled by his appearance if he made up thorough enough lies about circus freak shows or crazed human experimentation. Most were concerned enough to simply leave him be.
Lately, though, the brunet had taken to nesting high above the forests in the crests of rock that crowned the mountain peaks. Humans had a difficult time getting up that high and it was the safest place for the phoenix to birth his clutches and guard them until his dragon returned.
Speaking of which, said dragon was slinking his way over the treasure mounds towards Eren, eyes lighting up like little spheres of molten rock embedded in the raven’s sockets. White teeth, still sharp even in this form, were bared in a smile.
Eren warbled at him, still dizzy, legs shaking.
A low rumble sounded in response as Levi drew nearer. He clicked his tongue, a warning for the phoenix not to run.
Eren lowered his head in respect, biting back any anxious noises that tried to break though.
He would not run. He refused to run.
By the time he blinked back up to look for the raven, Levi was already before him. Eren was greeted with a forceful nuzzle, Levi already working hard to get the phoenix smothered in his scent. Curved claws flexed from their sheaths to trail through proud feathers, leaving secreted oil there for Eren to preen away later. Nothing poisonous this time, just the natural drug that was dragon scent. The brunet clucked, fanning out his feathers at the touch before they settled back down. He was glad that Levi had a hold of him or else he might have fallen over from the vigorous greeting.
Levi nosed at his throat, assessing how able Eren was in his current state. Deeming him useless at doing much more than standing, the dragon improvised.
Strong arms scooped Eren up and Levi carried his prize across countless coins, some almost melting together beneath the scorching kiss of the dragon’s bare feet. His hold was gentle for a creature so strong. It was easy to trust that hold. Levi padded over, heading for a small pit. This was the raven’s goal. In it there were various scattered furs; the one place in his lair that Levi had been sure to specifically cater to his new mate.
Eren’s kin liked to nest. More than like, it was a necessity for them to form attachments to area that they intended to make their home.
This pit would act as Eren’s new nesting site.
It was especially important that the materials there were suitable for creatures of Eren and Levi’s nature. Namely: things that were not particularly flammable.
Hellhound furs lined the shallow pit, providing a thick layer of comfort over the otherwise harsh bed of coins and other treasures. The type of fur was essential as only several creatures in this world have fireproof bodies. The hides and furs of Hellhounds were one such fireproof covering, acting as both comfortable padding and a place where neither phoenix nor dragon had to worry about burning their nest materials away. They were tricky to come by but Levi finally had enough to make the otherwise hard stone of the ground comfortable.
Teal eyes blinked groggily down at the furs and Eren gave an appreciative cluck. He squirmed, eager to inspect the bedding, and Levi nipped at his earlobe fondly, glad that the phoenix was pleased with his efforts.
Eren was set on his feet by the pit and chased into it with biting kisses. His descent was shaky and Eren settled down into the furs quickly before he could collapse. Levi followed after him.
The raven dragged in air through his nose, getting used to the way it felt to be in his current form. His senses were less sharp in this state, still keener than any humans, and it took some adjusting considering that Levi had been in the sky more than he had been land bound these past months. He would get used to the new movement in this body quickly enough. Crawling down, Levi tested the joints in his human limbs while Eren fussed over the bedding.
Given their lack of coverings, Eren half expected one of Levi’s quick, rough matings – possessive and impersonal. The first time around always was. Tenderness came later, after the pair were familiarised with each other again.
The phoenix was surprised when Levi only sidled up alongside him with a near-inaudible purr that Eren could feel through every part of their connected skin. Levi sneaked arms around a lean waist, the tips of claws peeking from their sheaths to knead gently at tanned flesh. A sensation that began like tickling, sharpening to a point just shy of pain. It wasn’t a cruel treatment, more of an affectionate one. Something the phoenix was still growing accustomed to. Levi paid strict attention to Eren during these quiet moments, reading his scent for any traces of distress. He wouldn’t hurt him on purpose. Eren wasn’t sure if the sensation was harsh enough to be irritating or if the action was, in its lack of pretension or feigned gentleness, pleasing. Levi didn’t baby him, didn’t struggle to hold back strength. Instead he trusted Eren to let him know if he was ever going too far. The system was one that worked well between them. As for the kneading, it was a little habit that the dragon had, one of his least vicious ones, that couldn’t be helped. Eren was sure that Levi would have done the very same to his former mate, working scaled fingers almost imperceptibly against the skin to encourage the secretion of scent.
A teensy twinge of discomfort made Eren shift, frowning a little as Levi’s claws dug in a little harder than intended, but he swallowed his warble of protest. The little habit comforted Levi more than he would probably ever admit aloud but Eren could smell the way the dragon relaxed. His hold, while firm, was gentle also. Slow sounds of thunder rumbled in Levi’s throat, so quiet that most could only be felt. Ashen breath tickled Eren’s skin, hot over the pulse beating in his neck where Levi tucked his nose.
They lay in familiar quiet, the hush filled with noises of contentment and the occasional shift of coins here and there throughout the lair.
Basking in their mingling scents, Eren closed his eyes. Slow as the process was, they would make this feel like home.