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The morning after their nightmares and quiet talk about them, Nom slept in far later than he usually would.

Luckily neither of them had any responsibilities for the day, so as Nom woke up feeling more well rested than he had in a while with Scott still curled into his side, he stayed put.

He preferred the lazy mornings like this, if the gentle rumble in his chest was any indication. Nom was barely conscious enough to really think about how often that noise and the feeling was happening. Especially around Scott. No, it was too early to figure out why that was. For now, he stayed in the warmth of his bed, happily letting his wings curl just a little tighter around Scott.

Eventually though, Nom heard as Scott stirred awake, yawning as his eyes blinked open.

"Morning," Nom murmured as Scott's eyes met his when he lifted his head slightly.

"Mornin," Scott mumbled in reply, plopping his head back down against his chest. His voice was rough with lingering sleep, groggy from waking up. "We slept in a while didn't we."

"Yeah," Nom hummed, arms tightening around Scott a bit as the half-elf practically burrowed further against him. "But it's fine. If we were needed for something, someone would have come to grab us."

"Sleepin' in is more your thing though, I have chores to do in the morning…" Scott grumbled a bit half halfheartedly, making Nom chuckle lightly.

Nom hummed, nodding a bit. "Right, sure. You can get up anytime you like, you know."

Letting his wings fall open to expose them both more to the bedroom, Nom loosened his hold on Scott to help prove his point. The half-elf fell silent for a moment, unmoving before he turned to bury his face against Nom's chest. "But I'm comfortable…"

"That's what I thought." Nom laughed as a soft warmth spread across his face. The rumbling noise in his chest grew stronger, but neither of them seemed to mind.

As much as Nom wanted to keep lazily laying in bed, they had to get up eventually. And since they weren't in any sort of rush to be anywhere, Nom just followed Scott around the cottage as they went about morning routines.

The greenhouse was taken care of quickly enough, the plants moved as needed and watered, all without breaking any on accident this time. As Nom worked, Scott went and prepared breakfast for them both.

Soon enough, they were both sitting on the grass outside the cottage, Scott's picnic blanket set up underneath them with their usual breakfast spread out in the late morning breeze.

Nom was busy talking about plans for later in the day when he noticed Scott looking off to the side. When he followed the half-elf's gaze, he spotted a patch of wildflowers that had grown next to the blanket where he was sitting.

He supposed he was just used to them popping up so often around the mage that them appearing now completely slipped his mind. Most of his mornings around the cottage were spent delicately pulling the little flowers from the thick patches where they'd grown around their breakfast spot to help keep Scott's lawn neat and tidy, just the way he liked it.

"Whatcha looking at?" Nom asked, startling Scott's attention back to him.

"Oh, nothing just." Scott leaned forward, spreading his hand over the patch of flowers that had been growing as they had been eating and talking. A soft glow appeared around his hand and around some of the flowers. "I have an idea."

Nom watched as Scott slowly guided the flowers, his magic making them grow and multiply in the little patch they were in. Carefully, Scott plucked a few of the more fully grown ones until he had a small bundle of little yellow and white flowers in his hands.

"I want to braid them in your hair, is that okay?" Scott asked, looking at Nom hesitantly as he sat back a little.

Tensing slightly, Nom hesitated. The last time he had any sort of flowers in his hair were the wilting ones from the crown as Scott's reign ended and Nom's began. He remembered staring at himself in the mirror in the monarch's chambers that night, before the horns and claws, and hated the way the lilies that had been so carefully woven around the crown were all but withered away.

Scott seemed to sense his hesitation, glancing quickly to Nom's tail at his side curling slightly tighter around himself. "I don't have to! I just… I thought it would look nice-"

"No, no," Nom said quickly, taking a breath to clear the unwanted memories from the front of his mind, "If you want to, you can. I don't mind."

"Are you sure?"

"For you? Yes." Nom reassured, smiling softly as he made himself more comfortable in his spot on the picnic blanket.

The warm smile and soft blush on Scott's face was worth it as the half-elf shuffled over behind him. Being mindful of his wings and tail, Scott settled in to start weaving the flowers into his hair.

Nom let his eyes slip closed, that same soft rumbling in his chest that seemed to have been following him all morning starting up again as Scott's fingers gently raked through his hair around his horns.

"You do that a lot," Scott noted after a while, breaking the comfortable silence between them.

Nom frowned a little in confusion, holding still as Scott continued to work on weaving the flowers around his horns. "Do what a lot?"

"That noise," Scott hummed, "That's how I can tell when you're feeling comfortable, you make almost like a purring sound."

Whipping around, Nom stared back at Scott, brows furrowed in lighthearted annoyance. "I do not purr!"

Scott's hands grabbed the side of his head, turning it back to where he had been before. "Don't turn your head I'm not done yet." Nom grumbled, but didn't resist him guiding him back into place.

"I don't purr," Nom repeated, muttering as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Right," Scott laughed, soft and light as his fingers returned to his hair, "so then what do you call it when I do… this?" He scratched at the base of Nom's horn, being mindful of the flowers already there.

It was almost like Scott had hit a button to make Nom actually melt at the touch. His eyes slipped closed as his body relaxed, and sure enough, the rumbling, not purring, in his chest getting louder. Beside him, Nom was vaguely aware that even his tail thumped faster against the ground. Scott's fingers running through his hair, lightly scratching him around his horn just felt nice.

"See it is purring!" Scott laughed again, pulling his hand away so he could return to weaving the flowers through it. Slowly, the sound became softer, more like the background noise it had been before. "I didn't know dragons could purr!"

Nom huffed, but he remained relaxed and calm as Scott worked. "Neither did I. Please don't tell Mae, she'll never leave me alone about it."

"It's our secret then," He could practically hear the smile in Scott's voice. "Though there's nothing I can do if she finds out on her own because she hears it," He teased, briefly scratching at the same spot again in order to make the rumbling louder for a moment.

"You're lucky I like you, Scott Springwell," Nom huffed again, though there was no malice in his voice at all. A warmth spread across his face, and he was glad for a moment that Scott was behind him and not in front of him.

Scott laughed lightly again, and finished up the last of the flowers in his hair. "Well I like you too, Nominal Bravery." He backed up, admiring his work for a moment before he nodded in satisfaction. "There. All done."

Nom hummed, shifting to face Scott once again. He delicately reached up to one of his horns, tracing over the petals of the flowers that were gently woven in with his claws. He was almost afraid he would ruin it, unworthy of the care put into it and the delicately grown plants that now sat in his hair.

But the look on Scott's face was worth it, the subtle pride in his eyes and soft blush on his cheeks. Nom would let Scott do anything to him just for that look alone.

And later in the day, as they finished up breakfast and split off from each other after Scott's chores around the cottage were all done, Nom still wore the flowers. Even as Mae teased him, even as Owain looked at him in confusion, Nom didn't care. Because they were a gift from Scott, and he would cherish them until he inevitably would have to pull them from his hair.

Nom never liked being startled awake. It was disorienting, being thrusted back suddenly into consciousness in an almost violent manor sometimes.

His heart raced, as if the very blood in his veins was on fire and his lungs were both too full and almost empty of air at the same time. Swallowing thickly as he screwed his eyes closed, panting through his nose as he tried his best to calm himself.

But his eyes didn't stay closed for long. Not when the darkness behind his eyes morphed into the darkness of trees, of faces of other knights and their blood on his hands. Nom could practically hear it all over again, the way the mace smashed into his own men. Not even the swamp water could wash away that much blood.

Nom's breath hitched, forcing his eyes back open. His hands itched, twitching slightly with the need to be clean. They could never truly be clean, not with the amount of blood he'd spilled.

Shakily as he stared up at the ceiling, Nom brought one of his hands up to stare at it, ignoring the way it trembled slightly. He was expecting to find blood dripping from it, for the red to shine in the limited moonlight that poked through the windows.

Instead, he saw the darkened tips of his claws, nails sharpened into a new kind of danger entirely.

Of all the things that the Knight God could have turned him into that day, a dragon felt the most appropriate, Nom supposed. The most dangerous creature from myths and legends. Maybe it was a reminder of the oath that Nom had broken that day in the swamp. A reminder of the day he had broken Scott's trust when he lied directly to the King's face. A reminder of the day Nom had dug up his mace in order to kill his best friend, his brother.

Maybe it was a reminder that even despite already broken his oath once before, Nom continued, and would always continue, to break it.

When Nom let his arm fall back against the bed, he was suddenly reminded he was not alone as there was slight movement at his side.

Nom tensed slightly, turning to be met with soft blonde hair and finally registering the weight of a body pressed close to his.

Right. Scott.

The half-elf groaned slightly in his sleep, almost as if Nom had disturbed him in some way. His hands, no, claws, itched once more and he couldn't tell if he wanted to push Scott away to no longer disturb him or pull him closer to sooth him back to comfortable sleep.

Nom very nearly followed through with trying to carefully peel Scott away from him so he could go sleep somewhere else for the rest of the night, or try to. Scott didn't need a beast like him, didn't need the disappointment of a knight at his side.

A soft, pained noise of discomfort stopped him before he could even make an attempt.

Immediately, the part of his brain that was getting harder and harder to ignore screamed at him. Something was wrong with Scott, and he needed to protect him.

Instinctively, Nom's wings curled a bit tighter around them, almost creating a cocoon of leather as he held onto Scott just a little tighter. He could hear sniffling, incoherent mumbling falling from the still sleeping half-elf's lips.

Nom would recognize the signs anywhere.

Scott was having a nightmare too.

He curled tighter into Nom's side, almost as if subconsciously seeking out his warmth and comfort. It tore Nom's heart apart, half of mind practically purring at looking for safety from the nightmares that plagued him from him. The other half didn't feel worthy to provide that safety.

After all, Nom couldn't be sure that he wouldn't hurt Scott again.

He was a monster now, after all. Maybe he always had been, ever since the swamp. Nom wasn't worthy of the title of knight anymore, and he didn't feel worthy to hold the title of friend either.

He tried so hard to stay as still as he could even as Scott practically cried in his sleep. Despite his inner turmoil and the lingering panic still coursing through his veins, Nom couldn't bring himself to move Scott away. Not when he could risk hurting him with his sharp claws, or with his tail, or with his horns-

"N-Nom…?" Scott mumbled, though it felt more like a whimper, face still scrunched up in discomfort and cheeks shiny with stray tears. "Not… you too…"

Breath hitching, Nom completely froze as he stared up a the ceiling.

He didn't want to close his eyes, not again, but he didn't want to wake Scott no matter how badly he was hurting in his dreams. Scott would wake up on his own, right?

Sure enough, after more tossing and turning and crying in his sleep, Scott gasped as his eyes flew open. He breathed heavily against Nom's chest before he turned away slightly as if he were going to get up. Slowly, Nom let his wings fall open to give Scott the space to do so, ignoring the screaming in the back of his mind to curl them tighter instead.

Scott flinched with the movement, and Nom had to bite back a wince. "Oh," Scott breathed when their eyes met, green emeralds shining bright with tears that hadn't fallen yet. "Sorry, did I… wake you?" His voice sounded so scratchy, wet from the unconscious cries and still groggy with an uneasy sleep.

"No," Nom replied, this time unable to hold back the wince at the sound of his own voice, just as groggy as Scott's with the same unease. He hated it.

"Oh," Scott swallowed thickly before settling back against Nom's side just as he had been in his sleep. Good, the back of Nom's mind purred, good, keep him safe.

How can you keep him safe when you're the one who caused the pain? The still panic ridden side of his mind countered.

"Nightmare?" Nom asked instead of forcefully pulling away now that he wouldn't have to worry about waking the mage.

Scott hummed, nodding against his chest, taking deep breaths to slow his rapid breathing. "Yeah…"

"Do… you want to talk about it?" Nom found himself asking before he could stop himself.

In the momentarily silence, Nom's own bad dream crept into the back into the front of his mind. The same kind of silence that fell across the beach, the kind that fell across the training grounds after a rogue arrow hit a final blow.

Nom's hands twitched again, though to wrap tighter around Scott or let him go completely he couldn't tell.

"Why are you awake?" Scott finally said instead, catching Nom off guard completely. "Are… are you okay?"

"Yeah, of course," Nom answered maybe too quickly, heart pounding harder in his chest, "Why wouldn't I be?"

Scott reached to take one of his hands in his, intertwining their fingers in a painfully familiar way. Nom paid very close attention to how tight he was holding onto the half-elf's hand, scared of hurting him with his claws. Letting their connected hands lay over Nom's chest, Scott looked back up at him despite the awkward angle. "Nom… you're shaking."

Nom's breath caught in his throat, only barely aware of the way his tail curled tighter around Scott reflexively. "Well-"

"Did you have a nightmare too?" Though he had interrupted, Scott sounded so worried, the same gentle concern he always had. Nom didn't deserve that kind of care.

Not after everything he'd done.

There were lies on the tip of his tongue, on the verge of falling through like he would for anyone else.

"I'm fine, Scott." "Go back to sleep, Scott." "It was nothing, Scott."

His breath hitched. "Yeah…" He admitted instead.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Scott asked, squeezing Nom's hand just that much tighter.

Nom sighed, swallowing thickly. "Just… a lot of the same really. That day in the swamp… the beach with 4c…" A shudder went through his body, and he was too tired to stop the odd, instinctive noise of distress in the back of his throat, a cross between a growl and a whine. "But, I'm fine. Really."

"Clearly not if you're having a nightmare about it." Scott countered softly, idly tracing circles with his thumb against the back of Nom's hand.

"It's… complicated." Nom sighed, shaking his head. "You never answered my question, don't think I see you also deflecting."

An amused, slightly nervous laugh, bubbled out of Scott's chest. The sound soothed some part of Nom's mind, calming him slightly. "We're talking about you right now though."

"I asked you first." Nom countered.

"Fair enough," Scott sighed, deflating a bit against him as if he was finally letting go of the last bits of tension he'd been holding on to. "It was… about the same, I suppose. About your time as king."

Nom felt like he was going to be sick, unable to hold in the wince he let out as his breath hitched.

"Not like that!" Scott said quickly, his hold on Nom tightening even further. "Just… With everything that happened at the end of my reign, and everything that happened in yours… I still get scared for what could have happened. If you were never saved from the Creaking King."

"This war is already so complicated," Scott continued as Nom stared down at him, "I don't like thinking about what could have happened if that resin overtook you completely… just seeing the start of it still haunts me… I don't want to lose you."

Nom threw aside all of his fears, pushing down the memories brought back from the nightmare as he pulled Scott tighter against him. He gently nuzzled against the top of Scott's head, letting his wings close back again around them as his tail curled protectively around the half-elf's waist.

Just as quickly, Scott settled into the comfort, breath hitching with the last of his tears as he let Nom comfort him. He could feel Scott's ear pressing against his chest, looking for his heart. Without holding it back, a gentle rumble rolled through his him, and it seemed to help in calming both of them down.

"I took a new oath, did I tell you that?" Nom said softly after a moment.

Scott hummed slightly and shook his head. "I think… I think it's why they did it. The gods." He paused for a moment, taking a shaky breath. "I took it to protect the people I care about, to do all this for you and not the crown. I wanted… I wanted to try again, to become worthy enough to be the knight you think I am. I guess the Knight God heard me and decided it was good enough to save me."

"I'm glad they did," Scott said without any hesitation, holding onto Nom just as tightly. "I don't want to see a world where they didn't…"

A comfortable silence fell over them after that. Nom felt better, both from being able to talk about it and from ensuring that Scott was okay as well. From around Scott, his tail began thudding gently against his waist the same way it was prone to doing whenever Nom was around the half-elf for long enough.

"Feeling better?" Nom asked after a moment, almost mirroring the yawn Scott let out before replying with a slight hum and a small nod, eyes slipping closed.

"You?" Scott asked, a tiredness creeping back into his voice as sleep threatened to take them both.

That rumble in Nom's chest grew stronger, louder in the space around them. "I always feel better talking with you."

Sleepily, Scott smiled. "I'm glad."

It was a strange sight to get used to, even if it felt entirely and completely natural to Scott to see it.

He was no stranger to having Nom over, most of their time was spent together anyway, so much so that if anyone wanted to find either of them, they just needed to find the other most of the time. So to have Nom be wandering around outside his house, moving between the patches of carefully planted flowers, wasn't all that unusual for Scott to see. In fact, it made him happy to see Nom helping out around the cottage.

What was strange, though, was the changes that Nom had gone through that turned him into a dragon. The dark wings and tail were a startling difference to the bright array of colors in the flower beds. And while Nom's usual dark armor had always stood out against them, the draconic features seemed to make it more obvious.

Despite how much Nom looked like he didn't belong anywhere near the gardens, Scott couldn't help but smile as he watched the knight tread as carefully and gently as he could through the bed of flowers as he helped tend to them.

Nom, the monarch who instigated a declaration of war against Red Kingdom once again. Nom, the knight who had broken his oath and wielded the strongest weapon in the Blue Kingdom. Nom, who fell into the clutches of the Creaking King and nearly turned into one of its wretched creatures only to be turned instead into a dragon of all things by an act of the Gods.

And yet, Nom treated Scott and his garden like it was the most precious thing in the world despite it all.

A gentle warmth spread across Scott's face, and he shook his head to try and push it back. Nom had always been gentle with his garden, and with him, even before all of this. Scott trusted him with taking care of his home while he had been away all that time ago. And he still trusts him now. That was all, nothing more.

Almost as if Nom could tell that Scott was watching him, he turned around to face the house, finding Scott on the other side of the glass wall of the greenhouse. Nom smiled brightly, waving at him before getting up from the ground.

Scott mirrored the smile, gentle and easy, as he returned the wave. He couldn't help but laugh as Nom stumbled over his tail a little as he began making his way towards the house, practically able to hear the grumble Nom let out as he grabbed the tail to lift it more off the ground.

The door to the house creaked open, followed by the sound of low muttering and the flapping of wings. Scott walked out of the greenhouse and into the main room of the cottage, only to find Nom standing in the doorway with his head turned towards the wings on his back as he tried to get them to fold up on his back.

"You alright there?" Scott asked, the hint of a tease on the tip of his tongue as he watched the struggle unfold.

"Yeah. Yeah I just," Nom said quickly, stepping back out of the door to finally get his wings tight against his back, "These stupid things have a mind of their own I swear to God-" Once the wings were secure, Nom stepped back through the door, this time without getting stuck, and he let out a heavy sigh of relief.

Scott laughed softly as Nom's wings seemed to pop back out, no longer forced to be so tight against his back in order to fit through the door. Nom scowled playfully at him, even sticking his tongue out a little. "Oh yes, ha ha very funny, the dragon can't fit through a simple doorway."

"I mean," Scott moved closer to the door, standing close to Nom as he inspected the doorway and the surrounding wall, "I could always take it down and make the doorway wider for you if that's easier."

Nom stared, blinking at him in confusion. "You… you would do that?"

"Mhm," Scott hummed, nodding as he smiled brightly, "Of course. You spend enough of your time here anyway, I want you to be able to fit in."

A familiar soft rumbling sound started coming from Nom as his cheeks flushed a little, and Scott even noticed the way his tail seemed to swish a bit faster behind him. The knight quickly looked away, clearing his throat. "That… that's really nice of you, Scott, thank you."

Scott's smile softened, feeling that same warmth return to his face. "Of course. I know that this has been a lot to get used to, so if I can help make it any easier, I will."

"I really do appreciate it, Scott. I…" Nom looked like he was going to say something more, mouth opening before he quickly shut it as his face flushed a little deeper. Clearing his throat, he moved further into the house and towards the greenhouse. "Uh, why don't I help you finish cleaning up and then we can have lunch."

"Oh, um, yeah. Sounds good." Scott watched as Nom headed into the Greenhouse, starting to busy himself with cleaning up around the space like usual. He turned to head to the kitchen, his fond smile never really leaving his face.

A sense of familiarity filled the space around him as they both fell into their routines. Nom in the greenhouse tending to the last of the chores Scott hadn't gotten to, and Scott gathering and preparing lunch for the both of them.

It was nice, quiet and familiar in a way that was comforting to Scott. It was a routine they'd fallen into ever since Scott had come back from Barrowhill and one morning found Nom in the greenhouse watering his plants just as he had been in the weeks he'd been gone.

"I don't want you to worry about anything now that you're back. You can take all the time you need to settle back in," Nom had told him that day, uncaring of how Scott had slept in and still looked a mess from both loosing his father and from the long journey home.

"I'm here for you. Whatever you need."

Scott had cried that day, held in the safety and comfort of Nom's arms in the quiet late-morning around the cottage. Now, he smiled to himself softly at the memory as he packed up fresh fruits and cooked meats for them both to take outside.

Just as Scott turned to go and grab the usual blanket he used for picnics, he was startled by a loud thud followed by what sounded like shattering pottery.

"Damn it- fuck," He heard Nom swear, muttering quickly under his breath before another shattering sound echoed from the greenhouse. "No, fucking- shit."

Scott whipped around, instinctively grabbing his staff and prepared to cast a spell, expecting to find some intruder forcing their way in.

What he saw instead was Nom frantically trying to clean up shattered plant pots as he held onto his tail tightly, wings tucked tightly against his back. He was still muttering under his breath, a low growling sound coming from him as well as he picked up shattered pottery.

Scott blinked in confusion as he set his staff back down, approaching the doorway into the greenhouse. "Nom? What happened, are you okay?"

Nom huffed, a heavy sigh as he gestured towards his tail, practically shaking it as he held it. "This damn thing I swear to god has a mind of its own!" The outburst was followed by his wings unfolding slightly, knocking into yet another plant pot and sent it crashing down to the floor. Scott cringed slightly at the sound, which was followed by another loud growl from Nom, "No- shit!"

"Nom- Hey it's okay," Scott said quickly, rushing over to pull the knight away from the carnage of the shattered plant pots and scattered dirt. Nom followed easily, letting Scott guide him away despite the low growling still rumbling in his throat and still having a death grip on his tail to keep it from hitting anything else.

"I'm- Scott I'm sorry I didn't mean to break anything," Nom said once they were back in the main room where he couldn't accidentally knock into anything else.

"It's okay Nom, I promise," Scott reassured him, not letting go of his hand, running his thumb over the back of Nom's hand in a soothing way, "I know you didn't mean to."

"I should have been more careful," An instinctive growl seemed to slip, and Scott noticed how Nom's pupils thinned a bit more into slits as he huffed. "Really I didn't mean to break-"

"Hey," Scott said firmly, turning to face Nom as he put his hands on the sides of his face, cupping the knight's cheeks gently. Immediately, his eyes returned to normal as his gaze met Scott's, softening enough to make the lingering, upset growl fade away.

"I know you didn't mean to. It's just a couple of pots, I can replace them easy enough. It's fine, I swear." Scott reassured him, firmly yet still soft. A gentle reminder, because otherwise Nom will work himself into a panic over something so little. Scott would be his anchor, remind him that it was alright.

Nom sighed, nodding before he leaned into Scott's touch. "But. What about your plants?"

Scott couldn't help but laugh lightly, grinning softly as he stared at Nom. "You remember I'm a plant mage, right? I can regrow them, it's not a big issue."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely."

Nom nodded again, exhaling slowly. "Right. Okay. If you're sure."

"Of course I am," Scott gave a small nod in return, letting his touch against the dragon's cheeks linger for just a bit longer before he pulled away, motioning for Nom to follow him, "Now then. Let's get some lunch. We can worry about the mess later."

And as always, Nom followed without hesitation as Scott went to pick up the food he'd put together and the picnic blanket he'd meant to grab.

In comfortable silence, Scott led Nom back outside and into the garden, setting up their usual spot before getting comfortable among the flowers and the shade of the trees around them. The ease and familiarity of it seemed to help calm Nom down until he was his normal, talkative self.

The shattered plant pots, the scattered dirt, and the frustration, all smoothed over like it had never happened in the first place. Now, Nom happily chatted Scott's ear off as he ate his lunch, his tail thumping softly against the ground beside him.

And in the back of his mind, Scott made plans to work on making his house a little more 'dragon friendly'. Because he didn't mind making adjustments to make Nom more comfortable in the house while he was still getting used to his new form.

It wasn't unusual for Nom to not be able to sleep.

Most nights it was a challenge to even fall asleep in the first place. He'd find himself tossing and turning, staring up at the ceiling for a few hours before climbing out of bed and instead finding ways to keep himself busy to pass the time until his body inevitably would crash in the very early hours of the morning. It's how Nom always wound up waking up late for things. Kingdom meetings, dungeon runs, hang outs with 4c or Mae or Scott, all things he'd stumble out of bed for, rush to get his armor on, and find that things had started without him.

It was fine, for the most part. Almost routine, in a way. War had trained him to never sleep, to always be on watch. And he didn't mind.

Except, tonight felt different.

Nom couldn't lay on his back. It was much too uncomfortable with the way the brand new wings on his back laid folded up, and the tail never stopped squirming in discomfort when he did. So, he laid on his front, letting the leathery appendages spread out across his bed to try and find some way to be comfortable.

But even still, Nom had fallen asleep in more uncomfortable ways. Slumped over an anvil in the forge, sitting up against the castle wall, up in a tree, all ways he'd somehow managed to just pass out. So why was it so hard to do so now?

Instead, an unfamiliar itch in the back of his mind wouldn't let him sleep no matter how hard he tried to ignore it. It felt like there was an ache in his chest, deep rooted and unfamiliar in a way that bugged Nom incessantly. The best way he could describe it was like it was as if a part of himself was missing, a longing for something he couldn't figure out what his mind was trying to tell him.

The worst part about having been changed into a dragon wasn't trying to navigate his new form, or the fact that he had nearly choked when his body brought back up the resin he'd consumed in rejection. Nom had been very grateful that he had been alone when that happened. No one needed to see the way he dry heaved the sticky amber colored substance back up as his body trembled, the wings on his back stretched out as if in panic.

No, the worst part about the change was the instincts he had no idea what to do with.

Nom groaned, burying his face further into his pillow as if that would help him get to sleep any faster. Beside him, his tail thumped against the bed restlessly, the sharpened claws of his hands practically tearing the sheets where he gripped them.

There was only a few options left that he had to consider. It was much too late in the night for any kind of sparring with someone else. He refused to bother Graecie or Owain this late, even if they'd be willing to help him.

Besides, Nom didn't think it would help. He didn't feel the same kind of itch to be holding his blade the same way he usually did when he felt restless. The idea of getting into some kind of fight right now, in a controlled environment or not against an opponent he knew could take it, made his skin crawl, his wings tucking tighter against his back.

No, that wouldn't help. Nom wasn't a ball of energy that something like a good spar could fix. So what was.

Nom let his mind wander to try and find any kind of solution. If the restlessness wasn't caused by unsettled energy and the urge to swing his mace around against some monsters in the arena, then there had to be an explanation. What did these gods forsaken instincts want from him?

The thought dawned on him almost as quickly as he'd figured out what wasn't the reason he couldn't sleep. Nom didn't feel safe, he realized. It wasn't often he felt this way, but it must be amplified by the brand new dragon instincts that would not leave him alone.

Climbing out of bed while trying not to trip over his tail , Nom stumbled over to where he kept his armor hung up when he wasn't wearing it. He couldn't remember the last time that being without his armor made him feel like this, exposed and like anything could sneak up on him at any time. But it was a feeling he was familiar with ever since he had brought 4c back to Blue Kingdom.

Except, as Nom's clawed hand hovered over the armor to start putting it on, he froze. Something in the back of his mind screamed that this wasn't right, this wasn't the kind of safety he needed right now.

A low grumble that felt too much like a growl rumbled in his throat as he squinted at the armor in confusion. The armor was what he felt the safest in, so surely wearing it could help him sleep, right?

No, something in his mind replied, no this won't do.

Instead, his mind supplied an alternative. He could hide away in the Well Well Well, a place he had intentionally built in order to hide away from the destruction of the war that had followed him his entire life.

When was the last time he had slept down there? Nom couldn't remember, not since he'd woken up after a night of excruciating pain only to find that he'd grown a pair of wings and horns, and a tail, his nails sharpened to claws. Once everyone had seen what happened to him, no one wanted to let him be too far away. So spending his nights in the blacksmith had become his new normal.

But the idea of heading down there to sleep sounded nice. He could rearrange his bed, drag pillows and blankets down there to make it much more comfortable for himself. Nom could almost feel himself relaxing, the dragon part of his brain purring that it would be the perfect, safe place to hide away and cuddle up among the piles of blankets and breathe in the soft floral scent that always followed Scott around-

Nom froze.

Since when did he think about Scott like that? He shook his head as if it would get rid of the idea entirely. No, no he would just have to think of something else. Maybe he should go dunk his head in the river. Or better yet his entire body. The cold water could probably shock some sense back into his mind, force the dragon instincts to shut up and let him sleep finally.

He didn't even bother changing, just slipped on a pair of shoes before he all but stumbled down the stairs to head out of the blacksmith. The night air was cool, a light breeze surrounding him as he moved. Normally, it was the kind of weather that would make him shiver a bit, pull his cloak tighter around himself to keep warm.

Now though, Nom ran warm enough that just being in his thin sleepwear in the cool night air wasn't a problem.

The path to the river from the blacksmith wasn't far or very long. Usually, he'd take the path up towards the castle and just leap from the bridge down to the river below.

Instead, Nom found himself taking the longer path down towards the front of the kingdom. He knew he should be heading towards the river, but every time he tried to readjust the direction he was heading, the ache in his chest grew stronger. His own mind fought with him, and by the time he had wrangled it back under his control to quiet the damn lizard brain, Nom realized he was nowhere near the river.

He was almost at Scott's house.

Nom froze for a moment, staring at the path leading up to the front door of the little cottage. Maybe he hadn't won over his instincts after all, if he wound up at Scott's without even realizing before he was practically at the front door.

But, he noticed the way the dragon side of his mind quieted, the ache lessening in his chest as he let himself take a tentative step forward closer to the cottage. Nom sighed, "God damn it…"

Nom continued down the path to the front door of the cottage.

A part of him wanted to pull back and run as fast as he could back towards the river. It was late after all, and Scott was likely asleep already. Nom didn't want to be a bother, especially over something so stupid. He could handle this on his own. He could handle ignoring the way his instincts were screaming at him to tuck himself and Scott away down in the Well for the night so he could finally sleep.

Yeah, Nom could handle it. He just needed to leave the cottage and go back to the blacksmith to hide away for the night.

Instead, a solid knock on the door echoed around him.

"Shit," Nom grumbled to himself, shifting on his feet a bit anxiously. His tail flicked behind him at every movement he heard from inside the house. There was no way that Scott hadn't been asleep, and every second waiting for the door to open made him rethink this entire idea.

He was about to turn around and leave, contemplating heading to the river again, when the door to the cottage opened.

"Nom?" Scott rubbed his eyes groggily before he stared at him, blinking in confusion. "It's the middle of the night… is everything okay?"

"I…" Nom started, though he wasn't quite sure how to explain himself. He didn't think he'd wind up here. How was he supposed to explain that he was here because of the stupid lizard brain in the back of his mind that won't leave him alone long enough to get some sleep.

But Scott was waiting so patiently, and looked like he was on the verge of falling asleep where he stood. Nom's tail twitched at the sight, and he wanted nothing more than to just scoop the mage up and hide him away to let him sleep soundly.

One thing at a time, you damn overgrown lizard, Nom had to scold himself. Besides, Scott would understand him if he explained himself. And he did promise him to be honest, and Nom did not intend on breaking that over something so stupid.

"I can't sleep," Nom admitted, his shoulders sagging as his tail wrapped loosely around his leg. "And, I think it's because of these new dragon instincts not feeling… safe enough, I guess."

Scott nodded, suddenly looking much more awake. He pulled the door open more as if to give Nom room to head inside the house. "Did you want to come in?" He offered softly, and though he looked more alert, he still sounded sleepy.

Nom couldn't help frowning at the idea, his claws twitching at his side momentarily. Scott seemed to notice his hesitation, as he always did, and stepped a bit further towards him. "Or… did you have something in mind on how I can help?"

Screwing his eyes closed for a moment, Nom took a breath. This was stupid, this was so stupid, he knew he was going to sound crazy the moment he explained what the dragon side of his brain wanted to do. "This… is going to sound crazy," Nom started, opening his eyes to look at Scott again as he braced himself.

Scott stepped fully outside, wrapping his cloak around himself tighter to warm himself against the cool night air as he closed the door to the cottage behind him. Nom wanted to wrap him up to keep him warm, his wings loosening on his back as if they were going to extend and shield them both form the chill of the night.

Slow down, Lizard Brain.

Padding softly over to the steps that led up to the door of the cottage, Scott took a seat as he patted the spot next to him, motioning Nom to sit with him. Nom didn't hesitate to take the offer, though he had to keep a tight grip on his instincts to keep from letting his wings spread out and wrap around Scott.

"So, what're you thinking?" Scott pushed gently, soft and patient as he was all but huddled against Nom's side still wrapped in his blue cloak.

Nom sighed, looking away from Scott as he finally spoke. "I… I was sort of thinking we could go down to the Well and spend the night there. For some reason, it's the only thing my dumb lizard brain can think of to try and get some any actual sleep. And it's been long enough that at this point I'm desperate to get it to shut up and leave me alone, which…"

"Which is why you're here," Scott finished his thought, still gentle as he did. A purr nearly rumbled in his chest at just how patient the half-elf was being with him, only intensifying his need to get him somewhere safe and comfortable. Nom nodded, humming slightly in agreement.

"Like I said, it sounds crazy and it feels so stupid-"

"I don't think it's stupid." Scott interrupted softly, reaching to take one of Nom's hands in his own. He threaded their fingers together, squeezing Nom's hand gently as he smiled softly, sleepily, at him. It was obvious that he was still tired, barely awake and yet still Scott had answered the door for Nom. Scott was willing to sit out on his porch with Nom, listen to what was troubling him. All because he had asked.

Nom felt like his heart was going to burst with how hard it was pounding in his chest. He thought he was keeping it from being obvious as he squeezed Scott's hand in return, being mindful of his sharpened claws as he did so. But even still, there was a soft thudding sound behind him that he realized was his tail practically wagging as it thumped against the wooden porch he was sitting on.

Gods, he needed to get a grip on this. And fast.

"If I can help," Scott's voice pulled him from his thoughts, his thumb absentmindedly tracing lightly over Nom's knuckles, "Then I will. Whatever you need, okay?"

"Are you sure you don't mind?" Nom asked, unable to stop the way his voice went quiet with nerves that he hadn't been able to shake.

Scott's head tilted to the side as he smiled a bit wider. "Of course I don't mind. I mean, it's not like we haven't spent the night together before."

A soft laugh slipped from Nom, almost mirroring Scott's smile as he shifted forward to lean his head against Scott's shoulder. The urge to grab the half-elf and hide away was the strongest it had been all night. It didn't help that Scott was practically glowing in the moonlight around them, all soft with lingering tiredness and his eyes shining like emeralds in a way that scratched some new part of his brain in such a satisfying way.

"Yeah. You've got a point there," Nom mumbled, holding himself back from nuzzling against Scott as the half-elf put an arm around him. "It's just. These dragon instincts are so weird to get used to, I feel bad for bothering you over them."

Scott shook his head. "Don't be. Adjusting to a change like this takes time. It's like… when I was getting a handle of my magic, holding it in and suppressing it made it worse. You have to indulge a little to get used to it better. I don't mind being bothered by you over it."

Nom sighed deeply, breathing in Scott's floral scent for a moment. He listened to Scott's advice and didn't bite back the little noise of content in his throat, though he felt his face warm in embarrassment at it.

It didn't seem like Scott minded though, even pulling Nom closer as he let the noise slip. "Okay," Nom said after a moment of comfortable silence, "Can… Can I take you down to the Well now? I doubt you want to sleep outside tonight."

He could practically hear the smile in Scott's voice as he nodded, "Yes, Nom. Let's get you to bed, hm?"

It was all Nom needed before he abruptly scooped Scott up in his arms, holding the half-elf close and made sure that he was secure enough as he got to his feet.

Scott let out a little surprised yelp at the movement, but he settled just as quickly, wrapping his arms around Nom's shoulders and leaning his head against his shoulder. Nom was pretty sure his tail was wagging as he began making his way down towards the Well Well Well, but he couldn't be bothered to try and get it under control.

He was more focused on how pleased his dragon brain was at finally getting what it wanted. Scott was happily and willingly coming with him, and he'd get to tuck them both away in the safety of the Well. He would be safe, Scott would be safe, and that was all that mattered.

Getting down into the Well was not as hard as he thought it was going to be with his arms full of the half-elf, aided by his wings flapping lightly to help balance himself out. And in no time, Nom made his way down the cave and into his house.

As soon as he was in the bedroom though, he paused, frowning as he stared at the bed. It was almost right, just not as secure as he wanted. There were definitely something missing before he could lay down with Scott and fall asleep.

"What's wrong?" Scott asked, noticing Nom's hesitation once again.

"It… it's not right," Nom mumbled, still staring at the rather flat and empty bed in front of them. His instincts were practically screaming at him, so close to his goal and yet so far.

"What, the bed?" Scott turned slightly to follow Nom's gaze towards the bed. Nom just nodded and grumbled, his grip on Scott tightening a bit. "Okay," The half-elf soothed softly, "can you fix it or do we need to figure something else out?"

Nom huffed, and moved to set Scott down at the edge of the bed. He didn't want to separate from him, but the need to make the bed right was stronger than the urge to glue himself to Scott's side. "I can fix it," He promised, hesitating for just a moment longer, "Just… don't go anywhere okay?"

"I'll be right here," Scott promised softly, nodding in agreement as he reached to grab Nom's hand momentarily in order to squeeze it in reassurance. "Do what you need to do."

Squeezing Scott's and in return before letting go, Nom hurried off to grab more blankets and pillows out of storage. It was mostly thick comforters, stuff he usually kept put away until they were deep in the middle of winter and the extra, thick layers were needed to get through the freezing nights.

Now though, they were the perfect addition to make the bed just right, to finally quiet every instinct in his stupid lizard brain so that he could get some damn sleep for once.

Just as quickly as he had left, Nom came back with the extra blankets and pillows and got to work. He only felt a little self conscious knowing that Scott was there and watching him as he started rearranging the bed with all his extra blankets. But the longer he worked, the more comfortable he got.

Soon enough, Nom reached a point he was happy with. The blankets were piled in almost a ring overtop the extra pillows. As he sat back, he sighed a small breath of relief.

From beside him, Scott put a gentle hand on his back, and Nom couldn't help but lean into the touch. "Better?" He asked softly, the tiredness from earlier back in his voice.

Nom just hummed and nodded, his own exhaustion beginning to settle in. Carefully, he climbed further into the mass of blankets and pillows, turning to grab Scott's hand to gently pull him along with him.

In comfortable silence, Nom got them both settled in the bed. He had Scott lay back against the pillows before curling up at his side, practically on top of them.

They fit together like they always did any time they'd spend the night together, slotting together with ease. Only this time, Nom had a pair of wings and a tail to worry about. One wing tucked itself loosely against his back, while the other spread out over the both of them like an extra blanket.

Scott wrapped his arms around Nom in return, pulling him close and sighing softly in satisfaction as they got settled together. "Better?" Scott echoed his earlier question, though this time it was coupled with a yawn.

Nom didn't hold himself back, burrowing his head against the crook of Scott's neck while being mindful of his horns and let a pleased sound rumble in his chest. "Much… thank you," He mumbled tiredly.

"You're welcome," Scott lazily ran a hand through Nom's hair, making the rumble in his chest grow louder as Nom let his eyes slip shut. He heard Scott breathe a small laugh, "Sleep well, Nom."

Original by KennyTheLyr1c1st, Cover used is by Bu8bles and the Dess' scream is by Ragamuffin (peak)

Asgore and Dess are from Deltarune by Toby fox (otherwise known as Deltapeak by Tricky Tony)

Characters are Mae and Nominal from Bannerfall SMP by POWcreations, Honourary Bannerfall 4cvit mention for being the dashboard decor XD (and crushed by mace)

The pixel art (car view, THAT face, mini-mace, gas tank) and the editing and animation is all by me, MarshMelia!