Knowing the Other Us
Raya and Namaari had sex when Raya was in heat but they didn't love each other then, they hated one another actually. It was all instincts, a primal urge deep in their bodies that one they could satisfy. It as as much of a fight for who was gonna be on top as it was sex. Teeth, pulling, biting, scratching and insults were thrown around on the regular for almost a week that they spent in a cheep inn.
Namaari pressed her whole body on top of Raya's more athletic one. Where she lacked in flexibility she more than made up in strength, "Someone's having trouble keeping her eyes open. Did I finally tire you out Raya?"
"I'm not the one… who had to lay on her back for an hour." Raya taunted as she crossed her legs over Namaari's hips and pushed her cock deep inside, all the way to her knot. It was dangerous to push it past that point, they should both know better then to push it past this point. But they were too consumed by the smell of sex, sweat and pheromones that accumulated in the small room over their time here.
Namaari growled in warning, not appreciating being perceived as not fit enough in Raya's eyes. It wasn't just that she was an alpha, it was that Raya was her rival and her enemy, she had more to prove. Her hands grabbed hold of Raya's thighs and hiked them up further on her hips, her cock sinking in deeper at the slightly elevated angle.
"You're bold for someone who asked me to be gentle before. Do you know how much you piss me off?!" The alpha felt the woman beneath her tense when her knot sank in and locked them in place. "Don't talk so big when this is the first knot you've ever taken!" With her movement limited she could feel every ripple, every twitch of Raya's inner walls, she didn't need to ask if she came, the omega could deny it but there was no point. Namaari wasn't far behind, sinking her cock in and letting herself shoot cum deep inside.
She felt a little relived knowing none of her seed would be wasted this time around.
Nine months later Raya had the results.
But it wasn't nine months later that Namaari saw Raya, it was 5 years later. During those years Namaari grew increasingly anxious about the Heart Princess's whereabouts. She was growing more irritable too, more aggressive.
Then someone stole the Sisu scroll and there was only one person who still believed in that legend.
When she finally tracked Raya she was surprised that it wasn't her who was waiting but a little boy and Tuk Tuk outside the canyon. Namaari halted her warriors, this was a kid after all, he was no danger, rather she was curious as to what Raya was doing dragging a little kid around.
As she approached on her serlot the kid narrowed his eyes and tried to appear big. But compared to the two huge animals and an army it was comical. "Go away!" He shouted at Namaari.
"I'm not going anywhere until I get back what's mine." Namaari rolled her eyes at the kid trying to growl at her, "Cute. Now move aside pup." Namaari picked him up by the back of his shirt and had full intention of putting him on Tuk Tuk's back. But when she reached to open the bag that was in the side the kid almost bit her hand. "That's pretty brave of you kid. Your parents would be proud that you stood up to me. Make sure to tell Raya to visit their statues and tell them that?"
The little boy tilted his head to the side, his big brown eyes and long black hair creating a confusing emotion in Namaari. "Mom tells me I have to be a big boy! I'm brave! She's not a statue! She's-!"
"Tiko! Tuk Tuk!" Raya's voice boomed through the canyon and The boy, Tiko, used Namaari's momentary distraction to wiggle out of her grip and onto Tuk Tuk's shell. When they were close enough she picked the kid up, "I told you to wait here. What were you doing up there?"
"A big lady is here." He pointed towards Namaari who was quickly approaching.
"Namaari." Raya's voice sounded… almost hopeful.
"Raya. Now I know why that kid's scent was so familiar. I never took you for the motherly type." Namaari smirked but when she thought that this might mean that Raya was someone's mate she clenched the reins tighter. It didn't sit right with her.
"I didn't either." Raya held her son protectively against her chest as she got on Tuk Tuk's back, joined by a silver haired lady she never saw before.
"Hey little man! You ready to get out of here?" She spoke to the kid in an overjoyed tone before she saw Namaari, "Hello! I'm Sisu, nice to meet ya!"
Raya whispered something to her friend at which the silver haired woman frowned and looked back at Namaari. For some reason she felt guilty under that gaze. Even more when he boy looked at her, not with fear like before but with big wide eyes. Then they ran. Try as she might to catch them Namaari fell short of it. She hated that she could never really get close to her goal. The closest she got to capturing Raya was during Raya's heat but it felt wrong then. Actually it made her want to take care of the omega a lot more, yes to still take her back to Fang but perhaps she wouldn't need to treat her too harshly. A kid complicated things. Namaari was pretty well loved among the kids of Fang, she likes teaching them and being someone to look up to.
She learned two things in her fight with Raya at Spine. One: Sisu was actually Sisu, the dragon from legends, she was back and she was traveling with Raya and her friends. And two Raya wasn't mated. There was no bite mark on her neck, no foreign scent, nothing to indicate she wasn't single. Except that kid.
A kid who couldn't be more than 5 or 6 years old. Exactly the amount of time that passed since Namaari spent that heat with Raya.
"Not like she'd come and announce it even if the kid was mine." Namaari mumbled into her hands as she looked at the distance.
"What's this about kids? Am I finally about be a grandmother?" The warrior jumped at her mother's voice. "I'm glad you're finally thinking about the future of Fang rather than chasing long lost stories."
"I… maybe." As unlikely as it was maybe…
She couldn't get any sleep that night, constantly tossing and turning, pacing around her room until she got a message from Raya, complete with the Sisu necklace she gave her long ago when they were kids. Perhaps she could finally get some answers. But of course her mother insisted that she doesn't do this unarmed, it could also be a trap.
"I didn't think you'd show." When Namaari looked behind her she just saw Raya approaching. She took her sword and placed it to the ground as a show of good faith. "I see you got my gift."
Namaari smiled and tucked her hair behind her ear, "I though I'd never see this again." She ran her fingers along the dragon necklace. "Or you. You have a real gift of taking me by surprise, not many can do that, dep la." It's been a long time since she called anyone that. "I never stopped looking for you."
"You wouldn't have to if you didn't leave. We could have settled all of this years ago." 5 years ago. 5 years… Namaari couldn't take it, it would expose them if true but she had to know.
"The boy-"
"Tiko." Raya supplied. "And what you're thinking, yes. There was no one else after."
Shit. Namaari's blood ran cold. What now? Her mother had a plan, Fang had a plan. Capture Sisu, get the gem pieces, save their people.
"Raya! Raya! It's an ambush!" Raya turned just in time for Namaari to pull a crossbow. Her friends, Sisu and her son… Namaari's son all ran out while Fang warriors closed in from the forest, cornering them on the cliff. Tiko ran where he felt the most safe, to Raya's arms. Namaari felt sick to her stomach. It shouldn't be like this. None of this should be happening, none of this should have ever happened.
"Let's all just calm down, we can settle this." Sisu tried to calm the two opposing sides.
"Give us the gem, then we let you go." One of Fang's warriors stepped closer to Raya.
"Stop." For a moment Namaari's arrow was pointed at him, before she pointed it back at Raya. Her responsibility and her instincts to protect her kid and mate were at odds. "We don't have to… I don't want…" It all happened so fast, so much movement, Raya running, Sisu running, an arrow fired, and Sisu falling.
Namaari ran once again, she couldn't stand Raya or Tiko to look at her. But unlike all those other times when she messed up and ran to her mother to hear her words of comfort and wisdom she found none this time. All she found was cold stone. And after? Anger. She lashed out at the first person she saw, which happened to be Raya. She wasn't thinking, she was just angry, she lost. It felt good in a way.
"Don't look at me like that, binturi. Go on." There was nothing for her anymore. Her mother was gone, her people, her future. But once again Raya surprised her. Not only did she spare her but she trusted her to be the one to put the gem back together.
What really touched her heart was Tiko, cradled in his mother's arms, handing her a broken piece. "If mom trusts you, I trust you, scary lady." That was the deciding factor. She wanted to run again, but she couldn't let that little boy down. Him, Raya, or the rest of Raya's friends. And it turned out that she made the right choice. Not only was Sisu back but so were all the other dragons as well as everyone who was turned to stone.
It would take time however, for Kumandra to heal.
Until then it was time to joy, time to celebrate and to reconnect. At least for Namaari it was. Well, there wasn't much to connect to when all that she did with Raya was betray her, reunite, fuck her, reunite, betray her again and reunite again. It was messy. There was one thing, well one among many, but one very important thing that made Namaari want to try: Tiko.
"Enjoying the party kid?" Namaari sat down to the little pup who was excitedly watching all the dragons.
"Are you my sire?" Sheesh. This kid was blunt. He must have gotten that from both Raya and Namaari.
"I am. Or… I'd like to…"
"Tiko." Raya interrupted, "It's late for you isn't it? Don't think that I'm letting you stay up just because you helped save the wold." She picked him up and kisses his cheeks, much to the kids embarrassment. "You need to sleep if you're gonna fight Namaari one day."
Tiko pouted but allowed his mom to carry him to one of the rooms that was provided for them in Fang.
Namaari wasn't sure if she should follow, then she saw Raya nod at her to. She kept a distance while Raya put Tiko to bed. She kissed his forehead, Namaari wanted to do it too. She babysat lots of kids before, she knew how to handle them. It hurt to be unsure if she could tell her own kid goodnight.
Without a word Raya walked her into the neighboring room, the one that was for her.
It was awkward to sit next to Raya but they had to start somewhere. "Did you tell him?"
"No. He asked why your scent was comforting when you looked so scary." Namaari chuckled. Apparently she had a lot to work on if she wanted to bond with her son. "Namaari, I know you have questions. To begin with yes, I was planning to raise him alone and I was damn good at it."
"Was it hard, being alone during that time?" Raya's body language tensed for a moment, before she let out a long breath.
"Yes. I was scared. It was scary to bring him into a world where he could be turned to stone. He was always so full of energy, even as a baby, it was hard to get him to understand that he should keep quiet. I had to bribe him with food."
"Causing trouble as such an early age. That sounds like my kid." She was just a little bit proud of him in that moment. She didn't say this to Raya of course. "I know you have to help your dad, I don't expect you to leave Tiko here or anything like that. But I could… visit?"
"If you want to." Raya tried and failed to hide her mild excitement at having Namaari close. Her scent changed from anxious to sweet as soon as Namaari mentioned visits. She did want her pup's sire in their lives after all. "It's gonna take a lot of getting used to. You know, having you around and not running." That was gonna have to be an adjustment for them both. "I'm glad I trust you, Namaari."
After a few moments of silence the alpha stood up and tried her luck, "I'll try to be someone you can rely on from now on." She stopped inches from touching Raya's face, not feeling like she earned that yet. "Good night, Raya."
"Hey, Namaari!"
She stopped at the door, shoulders tense with anticipation. Truthfully she wanted to kiss Raya but it wouldn't feel right yet. "Yeah?"
"Meet me for sparring first thing in the morning, dep la." Fuck, how Raya could pull off a smile that smug and cute was something that Namaari never understood.
"Deal." Not the ideal first date, but it would be uniquely them. A step in the right direction.