Love Coils

'''Written by: Cynical_Writefag '''

[Gentle Femdom, Role Reversal, Light Yandere, Sappy/Romantic, Monster Girl, Lamia/Snake girl]

Proofread by: Q This story only contains light yandere elements, and does not depict hardcore yandere behavior such as violence

Chapter One
'To understand the story, we must take you to another Earth, not unlike our own. On this alternate Earth there exist a plethora of additional races within the species known as mankind. While mostly humanoid, and compatible with normal humans on almost every level, these people possess attributes and abilities similar to that of creatures and beasts, from both reality and fiction alike. A world where mermaids, centaurs, harpies and so many more are all functioning members of our society, where they learn, grow and develop feelings. They are considered ordinary, just like you and me. ' 

That is the world where this story of childhood love unfolds.

Disclaimer: Nothing lewd happens in the prologue, ya sick fucks ---10 years ago---

His heart was pounding, and his lungs struggling for air as the young boy tried to outrun three larger students. Cecil McConnell was eight years old, had short jet black hair, blue-grey eyes, and was noticeably shorter than most boys his age. Down the sidewalk he raced. Raced to keep the piece of paper he clutched in his left hand safe. He finally saw his salvation, and dived onto a seemingly random front lawn of a suburban home. The three other children surrounded him, and without much effort, took the parchment from Cecil’s grasp as he laid on the lawn in fear of what was to come.

“Ha, look at McConnell! He made a little drawing for his only friend: the monster!” One of them mocked. The two other boys gazed at the picture and laughed.

“Look, it even has a little heart and everything!” One of them pointed out, mockingly making kissing noises. They began to laugh even harder. The third one then took the picture in his own hands, and ripped it down the middle.

“Pfft, what kind of weirdo has only a monster for a friend?” He sneered as the two halves landed in front of Cecil. "What’s the matter? Can’t make any real friends so you hang out with a freak?" Tears swelled under his eyes as Cecil quickly retrieved both ends before the wind could whisk them away.

“Well, no wonder he has no friends, he’s such a crybaby! C’mon guys let’s get out of here.” One of them scoffed while he rolled his eyes. They turned back to leave as they continued laughing to themselves. Suddenly, they heard the soft sound of hissing approach them. The stopped dead in their tracks and peered over their shoulders. What they saw next struck fear into their hearts like lightning. The monster herself. Her golden eyes that pierced right through their souls, her sharp fangs that rested behind her lips, and the ever volume increasing sound that was her hisses, the noise that plagued their nightmares. Soon, the bullies were gone, and all that was left was Cecil and the Lamia. The Lamia known as Amber.

“It’s okay, they’re gone now, Cecil.” An elegant voice whispered. Cecil looked up to see Amber, with her warm eyes and a large, welcoming smile across her face. Amber Eulrich was a thirteen-year-old Lamia. She had dark hazelnut hair that stopped at her neck’s length, wonderfully golden eyes, and a pretty face with the lower cheeks sporting some dark blue scales. Despite being a Lamia, Amber was still fairly shapely, and her snake half was comprised of the same azure scales, with white patterns across.

She extended her hand, and as Cecil’s soft fingers curled with hers, Amber pulled Cecil up from the dirt. She noticed Cecil wiping away his tears as Amber patted dust off his t-shirt. “Hey, what’s wrong buddy?” Amber politely asked while she playfully parted Cecil’s hair. Cecil didn’t say anything at first, instead, he handed her the two pieces of his artwork.

“I, uh…” Cecil began as he wiped his eyes with his forearm “I drew this for you, but they tore it up. I’m sorry it’s ruined, Amber” Amber looked down to see what Cecil had made. The picture depicted the two of them, holding hands and smiling, with the words ‘best friends’ written inside of a cartoon heart. She was beyond charmed by the boy’s drawing, and took him in for a hug to comfort him. Because of their notable height difference, Cecil rested his head on Amber’s stomach, with his frail arms wrapped around her waist.

“It’s not ruined, Cecil. A little tape will fix this right up.” Amber kindly reassured as her embrace on Cecil tightened.

“I really wanted you to like it” Cecil admitted. Cecil felt Amber gently roll her hand through his hair, something she liked to do often. Cecil loved the feeling of it, but never confessed it to Amber. He didn’t have to, Amber already knew.

“I do like it! In fact… I love it.” At this point, Amber’s voice cracked as she held back tears of her own. “Thank you so much, Cecil. I know it’s hard, being friends with a monster. But I’ll always protect you… I promise.” Amber’s face scrunched, and she began to quietly sob as she lowered herself closer to Cecil’s height. She stood there, holding her only friend in her arms as she let her emotions get the best of her. After a solid minute of crying, Amber felt Cecil’s gentle and warm hand wipe away her tears. She looked to see him smiling at her with his adorably boyish face.

“Don’t worry, Amber. I’ll always be your friend!” Cecil eagerly promised, his cute voice rang nicely in Amber’s ears. “I don’t think you’re a monster! I think you’re my best friend in the whole world!”

Amber sniffed as her lips formed a smile. She rose back up, and kissed his forehead as she held his face in her palm. “Thank you, Cecil. You’re my best friend, too.” Amber then gently grabbed Cecil’s hand and led him inside her home. “There’s some scotch tape in the garage. Let’s fix your artwork, okay?”

--

There was an electrifying aura in the air as a bell rang over every intercom, heralding that recess had begun at Ted Jameson Middle School. As the fenced-in turf filled with the restless youth and their amusements, a lone Lamia slinked out from the main building and into the warm yet harsh sunshine. The look in her now-dilating eyes was of clear intent, and her head swivelled from side to side while she glanced at all the nearby benches in hopes of finding a certain someone. Her search hadn’t been wasted however, and almost immediately her gaze locked on to an acutely small boy with dusky black hair, his feet dangling above the ground as he sat alone on a park bench that currently resided under a large oak tree.

Before she could call to him, Amber’s pointed ears gently flailed as a friendly voice spoke from behind, “Hey Amber!” The snake girl reluctantly pulled her glare away from her previous target, and to the trio of friends from her class that were approaching her. “You wanna come play cards with us in the library?” The tallest one in the middle asked, sporting blue framed glasses and short, mahogany red hair.

“Huh? Oh, sorry Jessica…” Amber half-heartedly answered, her eyes relentlessly peering off to the side, irrationally worried any minute someone would try and steal Cecil away when she wasn’t looking. The monster girl’s heart skipped another beat as she noticed the radiant sunlight bouncing off the small boy’s lovely face. “But uh, I… I have something else today.” She confessed, now incapable of looking away even for a second as a couple of girls harmlessly walked by Cecil’s bench.

The girl shrugged with grin as she pardoned the Lamia with, “That’s okay.” Her eyes followed Amber’s, which was firmly fixed in a single direction like a compass, and took note of the vaguely familiar 8-year-old settled under the shade. “You sure do spend a lot of time with that boy.” Jessica nonchalantly remarked, but raised an eyebrow when the monster girl neglected to reply. She had a hunch of what would grab Amber’s attention and amusingly began to wonder “Hmm… What’s his name? Steven? Sam? Cec—”

“Cecil!” The serpent schoolgirl fervently answered, finally turning back to her peers. Realising that she had just inadvertently confirmed her infatuation, Amber instantly reeled herself back, timidly hiding her mouth under her clasped hand before clearing her throat and calmly repeating, “His name is Cecil.”

One of the other girls, which had snow white rabbit ears sticking up out of her blonde, curly hair, chuckled as she spoke up, “Maybe he’s her boyfriend.” They all began delightfully giggling to each other while Amber’s face reddened by the second.

“Pff— Whaa? It-It’s nothing like that!” The Lamia attempted, and failed horribly, to defuse. Struggling to even convince herself it wasn’t anything deeper than just friendship, the monster girl managed to mumble, “He’s just my… best friend.” Amber started to nervously laugh while playing with her long brunet hair as she tried desperately to keep her composure.

“Well whatever he is, I hope you two have fun.” Jessica encouraged as she kindly patted the monster girl’s back, assuring her friend that the harmless teasing was over. The two other girls nodded their heads in agreement as they headed back towards the school entrance, with Jessica sending Amber off with, “We’ll see ya later, Amber.”

“Bye guys.” The Lamia replied as she waved farewell. Without any further interruptions, the monster girl auspiciously slithered closer to her darling friend, approaching the bench from behind as she quietly yet heartily called to him, “Hey buddy!” She always loved seeing his face enliven whenever she surprised him like this. The kid was quick to turn his whole body just to get a good look at who beckoned him, and his mouth curved into sweet smile when he saw who it was.

“Hiya, Amber!” Cecil answered with his typical zeal. The boy politely meandered himself to one side of the bench as he watched Amber walk up and seat herself right next to him, all the while his jovial expression remaining unchanged.

Even with his usual lively manner, Amber couldn’t help but wonder for Cecil’s wellbeing as she questioned, “Have you been waiting here long?” She leaned over him, playing with his face and hair as she patiently waited for his opinion. There was more than enough room for the two of them on the bench, but everyday, without question, Amber would sit as close as possible to Cecil, feeling his delicate, warm legs pressed against her snake half. It was truly the highlight of any given day when she was this intimate to him.

“A-A little bit…” the young man shyly confessed. Being this close affected him as well, and his heart hammered inside his chest as he continued to fumble around his thoughts. The onslaught of affection he received whenever Amber was with him left Cecil overwhelmed with emotions, to the point his head felt dizzy. “But I’m happy you’re here now!” He affixed to his assertion to keep Amber from feeling guilty. The last thing Cecil ever wanted was seeing Amber upset from something he said.

The sincerity in his overmodest voice enchanted the monster girl. The only way Amber could respond was by placing her gentle hand on his small shoulder, recline herself in even closer, and receptively giggle to him, “Mhm, me too Cecil.” Some time had passed when Amber caught herself combing Cecil’s head with her hands without saying a single word to him. In an instance of minor panic, the Lamia quickly struck a chat with him, “Well, w-whaddya wanna talk about today?” Though her hand continued to groom the boy’s comely tresses.

“Well in class we read a story about a Lion that lost his voice, and then he…” All his restrained gusto exploded into a sea of words like a tsunami as Cecil jumped right into the conversation without reluctance. He always loved talking to Amber. The snake girl of course had no qualms about this, as she would listen to his voice for hours on end and still find immense delight in Cecil and his companionship. Being together, for them, was an experience that no one else in the whole world could possibly hope to replicate.

--

It was finally the weekend, and it was around 10:30 am when the Eulrich’s family phone began ringing off the hook. Mrs. Eulrich, Amber’s mother and a Lamia herself, answered.

“Hello?” She began.

“H-Hi, Mrs. Eulrich…”

She heard the timid voice on the end of the line and didn’t even need to ask who it was. “Oh, Cecil! Are you calling about Amber?”

“Y-Yes” Cecil gulped as he clutched the phone, “Can she play today?”

“I believe so. Why don’t you come over?” Mrs. Eulrich giddily responded. Cecil’s crush on her daughter was so obvious it was cute. It almost reminded her of how she and her husband used to act in high school.

“O-Okay! Tell Amber I’ll be right over!” Cecil’s voice buzzed with excitement. Mrs. Eulrich then suddenly heard a click and then the monotonous dial tone shortly follow. She chuckled quietly to herself as she hung the phone back on the receiver. She poked her head in the living room and called for Amber, who was watching TV.

“Amber, your little boyfriend is coming over to play~” She teased.

“Okay… Hey! Cecil’s not my boyfriend, Mom!” Amber contended fiercely while her face blushed bright red. She looked all around the room, desperately avoiding eye contact with her mother.

“Oh, sorry. But, your little friend is still coming over for a date!” Mrs. Eulrich corrected, deviously smiling and slithering back into the other room. Before Amber could give chase, she heard a knock at the door. She approached and not to her surprise, she opened it to find Cecil waiting with a delightful smile on his face and a plastic toy sword tucked under his arm.

“Hi, Amber!” He cheerfully greeted. Whatever Amber was previously feeling, it soon drifted away when she saw Cecil’s bright smile.

“Hey, buddy. Did you make it here alright?” Amber inquired as she played with his hair once more. Cecil nodded sheepishly as he felt Amber’s warm fingers run through his soft locks, making a cute face that he thought would go unnoticed by Amber. She noticed, and it drove the monster girl to continue twirling his hair.

“Well, yeah. I only live over there” He reminded, pointing across the street to the adjacent house. Cecil’s mother gave a warm smile and waved from the living room window. Amber looked up and waved back

“Hey. Don’t sass me, mister” Amber replied in a jokingly haughty tone as she placed her hands on her hips. “I’m just making sure you’re safe, alright? You don’t know how upset I’d be if anything ever happened to you” her eyes sorrowed as she leaned down to give Cecil another warm hug. He requited Amber’s gesture, and wrapped his arms around her, resulting in his toy sword dropping to the ground.

“I’m sorry, Amber. I didn’t mean to make you upset” Cecil apologized with his voice hushed low. Amber longingly gazed into his sweet eyes and held his chin with her slender hand. His skin was tender and warm, and his expressive eyes shone in the sunlight, reminding Amber of the ocean’s azure hue.

“You didn’t upset me, Cecil” Amber whispered. Her tail picked up the toy sword off the welcome mat, and she slowly passed it back to Cecil. “I just want to keep you out of harms way… Now, what are we playing today?” Amber asked with a grin. Cecil noticed her saffron eyes fiercely examine his every action, and as her brown hair swayed in the light breeze, Cecil couldn’t help but admire her natural charm. Cecil found Amber extremely stunning, even her being half snake.

“Can we play Snake Queen again?” Cecil perked up, and his speech returned to it’s usually cheerful tone. Amber smiled wide and giggled to herself as her fingers ran across Cecil’s left cheek. ‘Snake Queen’ was Cecil’s favourite game, and Amber was quite fond of it herself.

“Mhm, of course!” Amber responded gleefully “Are you sure you’re not sick of playing that?”

“Nope. It’s always fun playing with you, Amber!” Cecil declared as he leaned in closer. One arm found its way around Amber’s hip as Cecil rested his head on her midriff. Amber awed a little and kindly rubbed Cecil’s back. “You’re not tired of it, are you?” Cecil quizzed.

“Not at all, I’ll always be happy to play with you!” reassured Amber as Cecil looked up, gleamed with his pretty face and nodded. Amber led Cecil by his wrist around the outside of the house and opened a small gate that led to her backyard.

The two friends properly costumed themselves, and it wasn’t long before they had commenced their afternoon activities. Cecil had a blue towel draped over his shoulders like a cape, with two corners tied into a knot around his neck, keeping it in place as he wielded his colourful toy sword. Amber was outfitted with a purple housecoat over her normal clothes, and a plastic crown that rested on her head. How the game worked was Cecil, who played the role of the hero, is tasked with lightly tagging the Snake Queen, Amber, ten times with his toy weapon before she could get the chance to bind him with her tail.

“I’ve… almost got… you” huffed Cecil as he gasped for air. Amber was just too fast, and Cecil had yet to land a single hit.

“Are you sure about that?” A sinister voice asked from behind. Cecil felt Amber looming over his shoulder, and he quickly swung his sword 180 degrees, but Amber was already out of range. He sprinted forward with his toy held out like a jousting lance, but Amber had zig-zagged out of the way, and by the time Cecil realized he was effectively trapped, it was too late.

He first felt his legs bind together, then his waist, then finally his arms and chest. The toy sword dropped to the grass, and Cecil could only watch as Amber’s golden eyes looked down upon him with a Cheshire grin that fully showcased her fanged teeth. Her tail coiled tight enough to keep Cecil in place, but Amber left it somewhat loose as to not actually harm Cecil. Amber let out a dramatically evil laugh as her finger wiped across Cecil’s forehead. He gulped in genuine fear, Amber could be scary when she wanted to.

“Did the little hero think he could defeat me? The all-powerful Snake Queen? How laughable.” Amber scoffed, she was clearly putting on a show for her part, and Cecil enjoyed that.

“Alright! Y-You win this time, you vile monster! W-What’s the price for my freedom?” Cecil demanded in his toughest voice. It wasn’t very intimidating and Amber chuckled. She quickly returned to character and toyed with Cecil’s hair as she thought about it.

A minute passed, and Amber finally spoke up “Hmm… A kiss will be satisfactory…” She explained. Amber leaned in closer to Cecil’s ear and he could feel her warm breath quickly rush against his skin as Amber whispered, “…this time, on the lips.”

“Lips? W-Why not the cheek, like last time?” He quizzed, his face turning ever so red. Amber’s face moved closer to his, and she laughed at Cecil’s bashfulness as her hands glided downward on his red-hot cheek.

“That’s not enough anymore” she softly murmured. Cecil squirmed as he tried to escape, but it was ultimately a fruitless attempt, as Amber’s coil was just too strong for his young body. “What’s the matter? You don’t like me?” Amber inquired in a sultry tone.

“It’s not that! I’ve… never kissed anyone before” admitted Cecil as he turned his head away in shame. His mouth formed a frown, and he closed his eyes to avoid making eye-contact with Amber. “What if I’m not good enough for you”

“Aw, Cecil” Amber sympathetically sighed. She took his cheek in hand and gently turned his head back to face her. Cecil opened his lids, and what he saw was Amber, softly smiling as her deep yellow eyes narrowed right at him. “I haven’t either, but it’s not that hard. Here…” Amber puckered her red lips and veered her head closer. Cecil closed his eyes in preparation for the inevitable. He felt her warm mouth press up against his, and after an audible smack, Cecil felt the gentle summer breeze once more as he opened his eyes and witnessed Amber slowly pull her head away. Without words, Amber uncurled her tail, releasing Cecil, who just stood there. “Was that so bad?” Amber smirked. Cecil said nothing as he approached her and hugged her. Amber was caught off guard, but quickly wrapped her hands around him.

“Not really. It was nice…” Cecil confessed. He lightly grasped one of Amber’s hands with his own and looked up to her. “Amber, I like you”

“I… like you, too.” Amber replied. She felt Cecil’s fingers intertwine with her own as he began to quietly cry.

“No! I mean… I really like you, Amber! Please don’t be mad. I like you because you’re so smart, and nice and pretty and…” Cecil’s words drifted away with the wind as he fell to his knees. Amber quickly lowered herself down to keep at eye level with him. She tightened her grip on Cecil’s hand and sat down with him on the grass as she wiped away his tears.

“Why would I ever be mad? I’m so flattered that you think of me like that!” Amber chuckled “I really like you too, Cecil… That’s why I wanted your first kiss.” She scooted closer to him, and Cecil responded by resting his head on her upper arm. Amber then kissed his forehead, making Cecil shiver in delight. “Aw, you know; you’re such a gentle, loving and lively boy who likes me for who I am. That’s something I’m not used to.”

“I’ll always like you, Amber. Forever.” Cecil sighed.

“I’ll never stop liking you either”. Amber responded. The two gazed at the orange sky as the sun began to settle behind the horizon.

--

“Happy Birthday, Amber!” Cecil exclaimed as he presented a small red gift box to his best friend. A large grin showing off his pearly white teeth ran across his cute face as Amber leaned down to kissed his forehead, and gently take the box from his open hands. The gift paper was clumsily cut and barely held together by an excessive amount of scotch tape. It was obvious that Cecil had wrapped the present himself, which made it all the more endearing.

“Aw, that’s so sweet of you! But you didn’t have to buy me anything, Cecil. Your friendship is more than enough!” Amber admitted as she slowly shook the box next to her ear. She heard the contents rattle around inside.

“I-uh… I made it for you, Amber. I wanted it to be special just for you. Open it!” Explained Cecil. He looked on with wide eyes in anticipation as Amber softly unwrapped the box. She lifted the lid, and what she was bestowed with was a bunch of small plastic charms strung together by elastic string. The small trinkets were molded to look like hearts, cartoony snakes and crowns. The most eye-catching pieces were colourful bubble letters that read “BFF”.

“It’s a friendship bracelet!”. Cecil joyously declared. He held his left arm up, showing Amber that he himself was wearing something similar. “That way, we can be best friends forever, and we can always think of each other! Do you like it?” Amber said nothing as she pulled the bracelet over her hand, letting it rest on her right arm. Her smile became greater as tears formed under her eyes. She silently pulled in Cecil to her embrace, with her arms wrapping themselves around Cecil’s arms and chest. Her tears ran down her check and past her scaled chin while she rested her head on Cecil’s shoulder.

“What’s wrong, Amber? Is it not a good present?” Cecil anxiously inquired. Amber pulled her face up to meet her yellow eyes with his steel blue gaze. Cecil worryingly looked around, but his eyes eventually settled on Amber, and nothing but Amber while her cold hand held his cheek still. Her other hand made their way behind Cecil’s head, pushing his face closer to hers as she drew him in for a kiss. A minute went by as their closed lips rubbed up against each other.

They pulled back, with Cecil’s face burning a bright ruby red, and Amber whispered to him, “No, it’s the greatest gift ever. Thank you.”

“Well, I have one more gift, but I can’t give it to you yet!” Cecil confessed. Amber’s long ears perked up at this exciting news.

“Oh, why’s that?” She quizzed with a sly grin.

“Well… Uh…” Cecil’s eyes darted around the room, rubbing his hands together nervously until an idea struck. “J-Just… Wait here! I’ll be right back!” He finished. Cecil sprinted out the doorway and into the living room where Amber’s father was sitting on the couch, eating a piece of birthday cake. Amber quietly followed and watch from afar as curiosity left her restless.

“Mr. Eulrich!” Cecil called out as he approached the mute green sofa. Mr. Eulrich turned his head from the television and smiled as Cecil sat next to him.

“Ah Cecil, are you having fun?” He politely asked.

“Yes! But, I have a very special request!” the boy stated as he nodded wildly. Mr. Eulrich raised an eyebrow and he stuck his fork back into the chocolate cake.

“Sure thing, kiddo… what is it?” Mr. Eulrich stirred as he went for a bite.

“Can I marry your daughter?” Asked Cecil earnestly as he leaned closer with a big smile. Mr. Eulrich was thrown through a loop and began to choke on his cake. After a couple of coughs and pounding his chest a few times, the cake finally went down, and he cleared his throat to speak once more.

“I’m sorry… what was that, Cecil?”

“Well, I was watching this movie, and… before the guy could propose to his true love, he had to ask for her father’s… uh… um…” Cecil trailed off as he tried desperately to think of the word that had just escaped his mind.

“A father’s blessing?” Mr. Eulrich guessed. Cecil turned and nodded exuberantly with a big grin.

“That was the word! Can I have your blessing?” Cecil restlessly entreated. Mr. Eulrich saw a sparkle in Cecil’s eyes. His words were somewhat naïve, but genuine. After a minute of thinking it over, Mr. Eulrich chuckled as he quickly patted Cecil’s shoulder.

“Cecil, you’re so sweet and kind to my dear Amber. It’s always been so difficult for her… but you’re her best friend and a treasure to her… You have my blessing. But please, wait a while, you’re both still too young to get married right now, but I know you’ll take good care of each other one day”

“I promise! Thank you Mr. Eulrich!” Cecil echoed as he jumped off the couch.

“Okay, I can finally give you your other present!” Cecil huffed proudly as he returned to Amber. He slowly took Amber’s hand while he kneeled down. Amber had to lower herself to keep Cecil’s hand entwined with hers. Cecil deeply stared into Amber’s golden iris’, he kissed the back of her hand, and in a hushed yet nervous tone he asked, “Amber. Will you marry me… someday?”

Amber’s heart began beating loudly like a drum. Without thinking, she pulled Cecil up from the floor by his hand into her arms. Amber had no doubt of what she wanted, and this could be her only chance. “Yes! Of course!” She blubbered spinning in place as she securely hugged Cecil “One day we’ll get married, and I’ll take care of you, and protect you, and you’ll be all mine forever!” Amber exclaimed as she kissed Cecil’s face repeatedly. She settled down, sighed and whispered, “I can’t wait for that beautiful day…”

“What’ll we do until then?” Cecil asked in a perplexed tone. He sat down on the now vacant couch with Amber as she tightly held his hand.

“We can still play games, and eventually go on dates. It’ll all be fun; don’t you worry your precious little head.” Amber listed with a loving grin. Cecil looked down at his feet for a bit, he then uneasily looked back at her.

“But, will I be a good husband?” He wondered sheepishly. Amber pulled him closer, and Cecil rested his head against her as Amber rubbed up and down his arm.

“Of course you will! You’re you! And even if you don’t think that, we still have plenty of time” Amber reassured as she lightly brushed away Cecil’s hair. Cecil leaned closer and closed his eyes.

“I just think… The perfect girl needs the perfect husband” Cecil explained. Amber awed and kissed the temple of Cecil’s forehead, she cutely giggled as Cecil’s face flushed red. The snake girl slowly coiled her tail around Cecil’s legs, and he powerfully yawned as he struggled to stay awake.

“Well, don’t worry, I think you’re perfect… We’re a match made in heaven” The Lamia affectionately rubbed her half-scaled cheek against Cecil’s face, with Cecil giving a weak tired smile as Amber made cutesy noises.

They were interrupted suddenly when Mrs. Eulrich poked her head in and called out, “Oh Cecil, your mother is on the phone, she needs to speak with you~”

Cecil looked back at Amber, and gave her hand one last explicit squeeze as Amber uncurled her snake half. Cecil made his way to the kitchen, and as he looked back, Amber playfully winked and blew a kiss in his direction. Cecil responded with a red face and a warms smile.

The next three minutes felt like a millennium as Amber patiently waited for Cecil’s return. She looked over, and was glad to see him standing at the doorway. That excitement soon faded when she saw Cecil’s face, who looked to be on the verge of tears. Amber slithered over and rested her hand on Cecil’s face.

“Cecil, what’s wrong?” She whispered. Cecil gazed into her eyes and sniffed as he wiped under his eyes.

“M-My dad said he got a new job in New York…” Cecil revealed.

“W-What?” Amber asked, her heart visibly broken. In a single moment, Amber’s world shattered around her.

“I have to go tomorrow. I have to move away… Amber… I don’t want to leave you” Cecil buried his face in Amber’s arm as he began to sob. Everything Cecil had done to be Amber’s best friend, was about to unravel, and he felt his whole life fall apart around him. Amber held him close as she said nothing. What could she say? There was no choice in the matter. Her only friend, her one love, her future husband, had to leave her with no proper goodbye or farewell. Amber felt a small part of her die inside of her gut feeling. She felt Cecil stir as he unsettled his face from her shirt. “Amber… Can I sleep over tonight?” He requested.

Amber kissed his cheek and softly murmured, “Yes… Please do…” --

Amber could absolutely not sleep that night. The images of Cecil’s pretty face, corrupted by overwhelming feelings of deep regret and utter sorrow were engraved on Amber’s mind and appeared every time she closed her eyelids. She was left restless, still upset over the situation she found herself in. Losing so much on what was supposed to be her happiest day of the year. Her tail fiddled and slid from under the covers. Amber hadn’t noticed her end had rested near Cecil’s sleeping bag until it was too late. She winced as she felt his warm arms wrap around her tail. Amber peeked over the edge of her mattress to see the still asleep Cecil gently hold her end like a stuffed animal in his arms.

Cecil nuzzled his face against it, and murmured to himself, “Mm… Amber… I love you…” Those beautiful words rang in the Lamia’s ears, causing her to softly cry into her pillow as to not wake Cecil from his slumber. She wouldn’t know the next time she’d feel Cecil’s tender hands or the hear the sound of his humble voice, and it was eating her up inside and toying with her emotions. She eventually drifted off simply from exhaustion.

Amber woke up the next morning, but Cecil was already gone. He was nowhere to be seen, and in the place of his sleeping bag, there laid his toy sword. A note was taped to the plastic blade, and in Cecil’s unmistakable chicken scratch handwriting it read,

“Dear Amber, I’m sorry I couldn’t say goodbye, but my Mom said we had to leave early. I wish I could’ve stayed with you, but Dad says I can’t. I will save all my love for you when I come back, I promise! We’ll get married, and live in a big house, and have lots of kids! I love you, Amber. Please don’t forget about me. Your Best Friend Forever, Cecil”

The dead silence weighed down on Amber’s shoulders like a thousand tonnes. She clenched the note in her left hand as she stood up from the floor. She slithered over to her bedside, and leaned the toy against her table, right next to the taped up drawing and her friendship bracelet. Nothing crossed her mind at all as she got back into bed, and hid herself away from the morning sun peeking in through her window.

Chapter Two
10 years later

Amber thanked her lucky stars it was a slow shift as she pulled out her phone. Ten more minutes until her work day ended, with not a single soul in sight. She nervously looked around in case her manager was nearby, and when the coast was clear, she began tidying up and packing away her area for the afternoon. She quickly grabbed her purse and clocked out before heading out the side entrance that was only used by employees. As Amber entered the alleyway, she heard some commotion as the sound of trashcans falling over grabbed her attention. She turned, only to see some large gentlemen with a scruffy face hold a knife to the throat of a much smaller young man. As Amber quietly slithered closer she could finally hear their conversation.

“I said… Hand over what’s in the bag! Now!” The thug demanded as he drew his knife closer to the boy’s throat.

“I-I told you! I don’t have anything! I just got here!” insisted the young man as he tried to scoot away. He tried talking, but the fear of what was going to happen next made the man choke on his own words. It appeared he was pushed to the pavement, with a trashcan blocking either side. His back was against the wall, and the brutish thief inched closer with fire in his eyes. Amber heard the small man’s voice, and gasped when she recognized his cute face. Her situation quickly dialed to eleven when she realized who exactly was on the sharp end of the blade.

“Do it! Or I’ll-” The man’s threat was quickly interrupted as something grappled the wrist of his left hand, forcing him to drop his knife. With great force he was pulled off his feet until he was face to face with a pissed off snake girl.

“Unless you want me to crush every bone in your body, you’ll get the hell out of here. Last warning.” Amber sneered as she proved her strength by tightened her grip on his wrist. Every word she uttered was offset by her hissing. Her golden eyes dilated like a cobra’s, and the thug took the first chance he got, running away and whimpering to himself as he held his broken wrist with his right hand.

The younger man, who was cowering in fear, looked up and felt his arm strain as he was pulled to his feet by his savoir. He looked at her face, and even if she had matured by quite a lot, those eyes and blue scales were unmistakable. She was still curvy, though now her chest and hips seemed more pronounced than he remembered. He guessed that she “stood” at 6’2’’.

“A-Amber… is that you?” The meek eighteen-year-old asked, his eyes shining with enlightenment. “You… saved me…” Amber said nothing as she nodded her head, her smile growing larger by the second. She quickly slithered closer to him, and embraced her friend for the first time in 10 years as she raised him up from his feet with her surprising Lamia strength.

“Yes, Cecil, it’s me!” She exclaimed. “I’m so glad you’re okay!” Amber then unwrapped her arms to let Cecil regain his footing. She ruffled his beautiful silky hair, just as soft and shiny as she remembered. He had remained fairly lithe after all this time, standing at 5’9’’. She was overwhelmed and her eyes swelled with feelings of nostalgia. “It’s been too long, how have you been?” She asked. “Are you okay? You’re not hurt are you?” Amber anxiously wondered as she eyed Cecil from head to toe, trying to find any bruises or cuts.

“I’m fine, Amber. Really… Thank you. The ecstatic snake girl pulled Cecil’s hand into hers and quizzed, “You have to tell me everything that’s been going on! I missed you so much”

“I… I missed you too, Amber. Well, New York was fine. But I’m here attend an Economics program over at the college” He explained, dusting the dirt of his jacket before giving off a loud sigh “I’ve just got off a four-hour plane ride…” the young man yawned. He slowly blinked and rubbed under his eye, he was exhausted from the trip.

“How wonderful! I always knew you’d grow up to be so smart!” Amber happily chirped. She noticed the glasses hanging on the bridge of Cecil’s nose and playfully pushed them back closer to his eyes with a giggle, “You even look like a little scholar!”

“Hey! I got taller!” Cecil laughed, standing on his tippy-toes. He huffed out his chest proudly and placed his hands on his hips, giving Amber a dramatic pose. Amber smirked and raised herself even further, towering over Cecil and casting a shadow over him.

“So have I…” Amber muttered. Cecil’s posture reverted back when he saw the look in Amber’s still wonderfully yellow eyes. The monster girl laughed and lowered herself as she said, “Don’t worry, you’ll always be my little Cecil!”

“Thanks” Cecil responded in deadpan. He yawned and lazily turned to his friend. “Hey, Amber? Could you walk with me to the nearest hotel? I got to find a place to stay until school starts”

“A hotel?” Amber inquired. Her expression became worrisome. “Oh no, no! You can’t stay at a hotel!”

“Why not? What’s wrong?” Cecil wondered as Amber slithered closer to him.

“Did you just see what almost happened? A hotel isn’t safe! There’s all those other people there! People that aren’t me! And if something…” Amber trailed off as she clutched Cecil’s hand “If something happens to you again…”

“Amber? Are you okay” Cecil stirred. He placed his soft hand on her shoulder. Amber looked at him. Cecil was her pride and joy, and he was going to disappear again after being gone for so long. She took the hand resting on her shoulder and rubbed it against her cheek. That warm tender touch was just one of many things Amber had so dearly missed. She stood there, calming herself. Suddenly, a brilliant idea struck Amber and she smiled wide, revealing her pearly white fangs as her eyes opened and gazed at Cecil’s beautifully boyish face.

“Why don’t you stay with me?” She proposed, pulling Cecil closer by placing his hand over her chest. Cecil stumbled forward and looked into her golden eyes. They were mesmerising, and Cecil couldn’t help but smile. “That way you won’t have to spend money and I can keep you… safe! Safe from danger, I mean.”

“Really, you’d do that for me? Thank you so much, Amber! It’d mean a lot!” Cecil thanked. He noticed how touchy-feely Amber was acting, but immediately chalked it up to the excitement of seeing an old friend.

“Of course! Bring it in, best friend!” Amber happily proclaimed. Cecil willingly entered into her arms, and the two shared a long, tightly cherished hug. Amber quickly pecked Cecil’s face as he rested his chin on Amber’s shoulder. “I know you’re tired tonight, but we have to spend some time catching up soon. I want to hear about everything”

“Of course, Amber. I missed you so much…” Cecil patted her back with one of his wrapped hands and whispered, “And I promise I won’t leave this time.” A tear ran down his cheek. Cecil was more than happy to see his best friend again, but the guilt of his family leaving more than ten years ago still loomed over his conscious like a ghost of the past.

“I missed you more than you could ever imagine. It’s been so long… I know you’ll keep your promises, Cecil” Amber finished. She rubbed the back of his neck, hoping to alleviate some of the tension she knew he was feeling. Her love had come home to her, and her mind raced as it tried to formulate what was going to happen next for them. Was it fate that brought Cecil here before her? Who knows, but the bigger question was; did it matter if it was fate? No, it didn’t. All that mattered was that Cecil was right where he belonged, in her loving embrace, as close as physically possible to her as she felt his soft breathing on her nape.

Her love was home, and she was going to make sure he won’t go anywhere.

Ever again.

--

The door slowly swung open, allowing the orange evening sunset to illuminate the dim living room before Amber could turn on the lights. She slithered inside and flicked a switch next to the door, causing every light in the room to suddenly flash on. Cecil followed behind her as he took in entering the same house 10 years later.

“Wow, you still live here, Amber? This brings me back…” Cecil noted as nostalgia washed over him in a flood of fond and sentimental memories. He looked around, and besides the TV being bigger, not much had changed. He wasn’t all that surprised, as Amber was never one for interior decoration. As he set down his suitcase, Cecil wondered to Amber, “Are you sure your parents won’t mind?”

“Parents?” Amber asked confused as she turned to face him. “Oh, the folks moved across state a few years ago.”

“Oh, so you live here…” Cecil left the sentence unfinished, hoping Amber would fill the gaps without it seeming like Cecil was prying into her life.

“Alone.” Amber finished as she helped move the suitcases out of the main walkway.

“Oh… so do you have a boyfriend or…?” Cecil questioned. Amber looked over her shoulder and burst out laughing. She leaned against Cecil’s shoulder for support, and after what felt like a solid minute, Amber calmed down and sighed with grin on her face.

“You vastly overestimate how many guys want to date a Lamia in this town” Amber giggled. Cecil’s head hung low and his face turned red. Amber was laughing but he could tell thatit wasn’t that funny.

“I’m sorry, Amber I-I didn’t mean to…” Cecil stumbled around his words before Amber rested her cold hand against his warm face. She rubbed it in place ever so slightly as they stared into each others eyes.

“Hey… It’s okay, you didn’t know. Don’t worry, now that you’re here, I won’t be lonely anymore” Amber’s smile was more than enough to lift Cecil’s spirits as he graciously nodded his head at her words. Amber took her other hand and grabbed a hold of Cecil’s wrist. She played with his bracelet and whispered to him, “Best friends forever, right?”

“Right…” Cecil happily agreed. He stretched his arms up and opened his lips for another hearty yawn. “C’mon, you look exhausted. Lemme show you to the guest room.” Amber grinned and gently tugged his wrist, motioning him to follow her upstairs. Cecil diligently marched up the stairs behind her, and after passing what he assumed was the master bedroom, the stopped at the next door over, and Amber quickly opened the entry.

“Hey… wasn’t this your old room?” Cecil recognized. Amber nodded her head and led him inside. She flicked on the light and patted the bed she was standing next to with a warm smile. Cecil didn’t require any further justification and flopped down on the mattress with a soft ‘thump’. Laying on his stomach, he turned his head to Amber’s general direction, and in a tired voice said, “Mm. Thank you so much for letting me crash here, Amber. I’m… glad to… have a… friend… like…” His words quickly turned into snores as sleep claimed him.

Amber sat on the edge of the bed and whispered, “Cecil, you still awake?” After no response besides the occasional snore, Amber gently combed Cecil’s hair aside with her fingers, revealing his cute face in it’s entirety. Seeing his lips so defenseless and slightly agape, Amber leaned over and slowly pushed her mouth against his. A solid minute rolled by, and Amber disengaged her lips with an soft ‘smack’. “Mm, I’ve missed those lips of yours, my dear. So warm, and so soft.” Amber told him as she stroked his soft midnight black hair.

He was still completely unconscious from exhaustion, but Amber kept talking. “I don’t have to worry anymore, though. You’re here now, and you’re all mine.” She kissed his cheek one last time and finished with, “And I’ll be sure not to share you with anyone else…” Amber slowly stood up from the bed, and slithered over to the door. She looked over her shoulder and smiled as she turned off the lights. “Good night, my love…” She whispered as the door quietly shut behind her.

--

Cecil eventually woke up the next day, and was greeted by the silence of an empty household. He gazed at his phone, which displayed the time as ’11:34 am’. He sat up and stretched his arms before grabbing his glasses off the end table. He pondered for a second, as he didn’t remember taking them off before crashing onto the bed. Well, that was nice of Amber. At least his lenses didn’t break.

“Amber?” He called out as he opened the guest room door. “You there?” No response. Cecil shrugged and made his way downstairs. Entering the kitchen, he grabbed a clean glass off a shelf before filling it with tap water. After drinking about half of it, he set it down after noticing a folded piece of paper with his name scribbled in big capital letters on the outside. He flipped it open and it read: “Hey, Cecil! Sorry I couldn’t be there to help you unpack, but I got a shift at the store today. Feel free to eat whatever’s in the fridge and watch TV if you want. Don’t go anywhere though! I’ll be back by about 5:30. Xoxo Amber~”

Cecil smiled. Even in her writing, Amber’s bubbly voice gladly echoed in his head. His smile quickly fell when he thought about his situation. Here he was, freeloading off of an old childhood friend that he left alone 10 years ago.

Cecil sighed and looked at the paper again before saying, “I’m so sorry, Amber…” as if he was trying to reconcile with her through her paper. It didn’t work, and Cecil did nothing as he lamented in the dead silent kitchen. He made his way to the spacious living room, coughing violently when the dust filled his lungs. “Amber probably doesn’t have time to clean. Can’t blame her though, it’s a big house for just one person…”. He tried relaxing on the couch, but as he anxiously tapped his toes, a moment of clarity struck him. He smiled, almost jumped to his feet and began exploring through the living room closet under the staircase.

“Aha! Found you!” Cecil announced triumphantly after scrounging through boxes of Christmas ornaments and old calendars. The vacuum. “I hope Amber doesn’t mind if I tidy up a bit for her.” He wondered as he plugged the cord into the nearest outlet and flicked the machine on. He decided not to think about it too hard and just let his body go to work.

Three hours past by, and Cecil had easily outfitted himself properly in that time. He was now wearing a light red apron over his shirt, wielding a duster in his right hand, and a damp cloth in his left. He wiped the sweat from his brow and exhaled with a grin. “Finally, the living room’s done. Now for the upstairs” He assured himself. The bathroom was easy, as it was probably the cleanest room in the house, as it only took him 15 minutes to clean what little mess there was. Cecil walked down the hallway, saying to himself, “Now all that’s left is the… master bedroom.”

He stood there at the bedroom door for probably a good five minutes. “I mean…” Cecil began as he weakly clutched the duster by it’s handle, “It’s not like I’m in there to take anything. I-I just want to make sure she doesn’t get sick in her sleep…” he justified. Those words rang from the bottom of his heart as he spoke to himself quietly. He really didn’t want to betray Amber’s trust, especially after those lonely, quiet, and heartbreaking ten years. Cecil’s expression changed to reflect his determination and huffed, “In and out. Just a quick go over for dust-bunnies!”

“Look out, microbes. You just met your worst nightmare” Cecil boomed as he exuberantly flung the door open. He began cleaning the dresser until his attention turned to the nightstand next to the large king sized bed. “I can’t believe it…” Cecil murmured as he gazed the contents of the table in disbelief. He picked up a small photo frame, only to see the drawing he made Amber all those years ago, safely tucked behind the glass. He looked down and also found the toy sword leaning against the table. He wiped his finger across the plastic, and as he expected, it was almost coated in dust. Cecil picked up the toy by it’s handle and began dusting off the grey plastic blade. “This takes me back…” reminisced Cecil. He playfully gave the prop a few swings. “Simpler times, I guess” Cecil sighed as he placed the sword back down in it’s usual resting spot. Finally, the last piece of their old friendship, Amber’s bracelet. Cecil picked it up and as it rested in his palm, he studied it and was surprised to see it was in excellent shape. The plastic was still solid, and the paint hadn’t faded much.

Tears swelled in Cecil’s eyes as he came to realize that Amber still clearly cared about him. This thought had clouded his conscious even more, and Cecil felt twice as wretched as his guilt heaved down on his shoulders, causing him to sit on the edge of the bed and sob quietly to himself. He knew that if Amber still cared for him, he’d have to show her the same kindness.

Cecil stood up triumphantly and clenched his fist. It was his mission, nay, his sole purpose to prove that he still cared for Amber. Saying sorry wasn’t going to cut it anymore. He had to be a better man than he already was, to rise above the threshold, and show Amber his true feelings through his actions. The commotion had caused something from under Amber’s pillow to fall onto the carpeted floor. Cecil looked down and kneeled to pick it up. It was a small bright orange book, and a certain page had been bookmarked with a sticky note.

The page that was saved had scribblings of the names ‘Mr. Cecil Eulrich’ or ‘Mrs. Amber McConnell’ written multiple times, with the minuet leftover space decorated with hearts of varying shapes. “Aw, did Amber write this when we were young?” Cecil smiled. He recognized that it was common for young girls to write things like this. Cecil decided not to pry any further and slipped the small booklet back under the velvety pillow.

The ongoing silence Cecil had gotten so used to was shattered when he heard the front door open and a sweet familiar voice called out for him.

“Oh Cecil~”

Cecil politely hurried down the stairs to greet Amber. As he took the final steps off the staircase, the two locked eyes. The Lamia processed what she was seeing and giggled, showing off her cute fanged smile in the process. “Oh my, did you clean up for me?” Amber inquired as she surveyed the room. The house was notably cleaner since Cecil had started.

“Y-Yes. I wanted to do something nice since you’re letting me stay here rent-free” Cecil admitted as he slowly approached her. Amber, who was carrying a large pizza box, set it on the couch and quickly jumped to hug Cecil. Her arms wrapped around his neck as she rubbed cheeks with him

“Cecil, you didn’t have to do that. But thank you so much!” Amber smiled. She then drew attention to the fact that Cecil was still wearing her bright pinkish red apron. “By the way, that colour looks good on you” smirked Amber, her arms resting on Cecil’s shoulders. Cecil recoiled and began to untie the back string. “Ah! I’m sorry Amber. I didn’t mean to wear your apron, but I didn’t want to get dust all over my clothes! I’m sorry!”

Amber quietly slithered over and placed her hand over Cecil’s and he tried handing the now folded apron back to her. She leaned and whispered, “No, it looks better on you. Trust me. And again, thanks for your hard work today…” Amber quickly pecked his face, causing Cecil to faintly blush, his cheek now burning. “Now let’s eat, I bet you’re starving. Don’t worry, I remembered your favourite kind of pizza! Pepperoni and green peppers with extra cheese!” Amber announced proudly as she opened the box, presenting the pie that lie within.

“T-Thank you, Amber!” Cecil responded as he took a slice and chomped into it.

“No problem! See isn’t being with me better than some boring old hotel?” Amber quizzed. Cecil, whose mouth was full, simply nodded. Amber giggled and leaned over to his side of the couch. “A hotel isn’t as personal as living with me…” Amber noted. She took her slender index finger and picked off a piece of warm cheese from Cecil’s cheek as she whispered, “Mhm, just as messy as I remember you…” Amber then slid her finger past her lips and sucked it down until the finger was clean once more. Cecil could do nothing, but watch and let his face turn red as Amber gave him a playful wink.

--

The next evening.

“Aw, Cecil. You really didn’t have to actually cook dinner for me!” Amber blushed as she patiently waited in the dining room. All the while, Cecil was hard at work of a stainless steel pot, occasionally pouring in meat sauce and stirring it with the pasta that boiled within. “I’m the host, I should be doing these things!” She laughed.

“It’s just… you work so hard all day and I’d feel horrible if I didn’t do at least something!” Cecil replied with red cheeks as he set the plate of pasta in front of Amber. “I’m sorry…” As he leaned over to set the plate down, being so close to Amber’s beautiful face, Cecil’s chest began beating faster and he awkwardly looked away. Amber stood up to meet his eyes, and she slowly turned Cecil’s head and kissed his cheek.

“Thank you Cecil” She whispered sweetly into his ear. Cecil’s heart was now racing, and Amber smiled. She was better at hiding it, but her stomach filled with butterflies every time she felt Cecil’s soft skin under her touch or lips. She wanted to take him right there, but it wasn’t that time yet. She knew the clock was ticking, and the moment would come soon enough. Cecil didn’t have to say anything, but the way he reacted and shied away, Amber knew he had similar thoughts. That made Amber extremely happy.

“Alright, let’s see if your culinary skills match your cleaning!” Amber proclaimed as she took her fork and twirled it on the plate until her fork was woven with noodles. The bundle of noodles was steaming, and smelled heavenly. Amber quickly chewed and savoured the pasta, letting every taste bud sample the divine flavour before swallowing it whole. As it journeyed down her esophagus, Amber was left with a large content smile. She turned to Cecil, who was standing there, waiting for her verdict as if Amber was some judge on a cooking show. “It’s wonderful! It’s almost like I have a real husband cooking for me!” Amber delightfully noted.

“R-Really?” Cecil wondered. His smile widened as feelings of admiration and amour from Amber’s words overcame Cecil’s heart. “I’m so glad you like it! The secret is—Ahh!” As Cecil tried to walk closer to Amber, he suddenly fell to his knees as a jolt of pain ran up his leg. Amber diligently turned her attention and was dismayed by the meek boy holding himself up by his outstretched arms.

“Oh my God! Cecil! Are you okay?” Amber anxiously called for while she helped Cecil off the hardwood floor and slung his arms over her shoulder.

“Yeah… I’m okay” Cecil strained as he tried to focus “I think I… sprained my ankle when that guy tried mugging me…” He sheepishly admitted. Amber walked him to the couch, and sat him down as she slowly began to unnerve.

“Stay right here! D-Don’t move!” She ordered to Cecil. Amber quickly slithered to the bathroom and hastily retrieved a bottle of ointment and some gauze tape from the cabinet as her mind raced, trying to calm herself, and failing.

Amber quickly returned and sat on the empty side of the couch. “This might sting a bit, okay?” She warned. Cecil nodded, and Amber gently rubbed the ointment on with a cloth. Cecil would occasionally wince, but it wasn’t unbearable. As Amber started to slowly roll the tape around the bruised ankle, she began talking, mostly to herself. Her anxiety subsided and was quickly replaced with anger when she realized someone had the gall to harm her only love. How could anyone dare lay a finger on Cecil? Her Cecil!

She angrily stated, “If I ever see that no good, lowlife son of a bitch again, I’ll… I’ll-” Her anger took over her thoughts entirely, and Cecil began to whimper a bit as Amber absent-mindedly tightened her grip on his leg, sending slight shocks up his leg.

“Ah, Ah Amber!” Cecil quietly called. His sweet, mousy voice had snapped Amber out of her current exasperation, and she reeled back when she noticed her hand gipped firmly around Cecil’s ankle.

“Oh! I’m so sorry Cecil! Did I hurt you?” Amber worryingly inquired as she rolled the gauze around his foot one more time before securing it in place.

“N-No… it’s fine.” Cecil truthfully responded as he rested his foot on the cushion. He looked back up at Amber, whose face was awash with concern. Cecil flashed a cute smile and said, “Really. Thank you, Amber. It feels a lot better…”

“I’m so glad I could help” Amber admitted, her concern renewed into joyful relief as she gently stoked over the dressed ankle. Her head lifted and her eyes glimmered as a wonderful thought crossed her mind. She stood up and said, “Cecil, can you please sit up for a sec?” Cecil obediently responded and lifted his upper body from the couch. Amber slithered to the other side, and sat down. She then gently guided Cecil’s head to rest on her lap. As she sat there, Amber began to tenderly and playfully play with Cecil’s hair, stroking and twirling her fingers though his locks, and occasionally brush along his cheek.

Amber noticed Cecil subtly reacting to her actions like he used to, and decided to play with him a bit. “Do you still like having your hair brushed?” Amber whimsically asked. Cecil responded in a very low tone, but Amber couldn’t hear. “Sorry, didn’t catch that” She replied.

“Y-Yes…” Cecil coyly confessed as he turned his head around, allowing Amber to play with his other side. He was literally rolling over for Amber, but he didn’t mind. He never did.

“How much do you like it?” Amber pushed as she started using both her hands.

“I… I like it… a lot.” He continued. Cecil’s mind was beginning to scatter, and he realized sleep was inevitable at this point.

“Am I the only one that knows how to do it right?” Amber finally quizzed with a devilish grin.

“That’s right” Cecil affirmed with a timid voice. Cecil was starting to sound sleepy, and he yawned. Amber’s heart thumped like a machine at the thought of Cecil falling asleep on her lap. Cecil found Amber’s lap to be surprisingly soft, and he nestled his face a bit as he tried to get more comfortable than he already was.

A feeling Cecil hadn’t felt in 10 years flooded back to him. In Amber’s care, on her lap with her hands feeling around him, Cecil felt safe. The subtle pain in his injured leg slowly dispersed as comforting emotions took over his tired mind. It didn’t matter where or when, but every time he was this close to his best friend, he truly felt protected from… anything. He hadn’t felt it in so long, but it was amazing, and it made his heart beat like a drum. He loved it. He loved Amber, and he never wanted to let go of her. Hopefully, he would never have to…

Amber sighed, and closed her eyes with a big smile as she leaned back into the sofa. “The more things change, the more they stay the same, right Cecil?... Cecil?” Amber peaked down her lap, and it hadn’t been long before Amber’s tender, yet delicate strokes had lullabied Cecil to sleep. His eyelids were securely shut, and his hands were idly feeling around Amber’s scaled skin. Cecil’s hands were warm and faint to the touch, everything about him, from his voice to his skin to his personality, it all made Amber’s heart melt with love. Cecil was the fire that kept Amber’s heart warm and passionate.

Amber slowly took one of his hands with hers, and kissed it with her red and supple lips before letting it rest, as their fingers wove together perfectly. Amber’s troubled thoughts about Cecil’s well-being drifted and her heart slowed back down as she realized the truth.

“I’ll always be here for you, sweetie” Amber murmured. With her mind was finally at ease, Amber followed Cecil’s example, and was soon in dreamland herself.

--

Finally, it was Friday, Cecil thought to himself as he hung the freshly washed laundry out in the backyard to dry. The sky was blanketed in grey clouds, and there was a strong breeze that almost chilled Cecil to the bone.

“Amber has all these pretty clothes, but I only ever see her wear plain shirts” He noted to himself. It honestly wasn’t a big shock; Amber had never shown interest with dolling herself up like other girls when they were younger, why would that change now? Cecil caught a whiff of the lingering detergent scent that was left on her shirts. Lavender, which Cecil had finally concluded was Amber’s favourite scent. He knew this because her room smelled of it, along with her hair, and now her clothes.

The thought of her beautiful face giving off a warm smile entered Cecil’s mind, and his heart fluttered as he took another smell, holding the red shirt close to him, but it was nothing like hugging the ravishing Lamia who usually wore it, prompting Cecil to check the time, hoping Amber would be home soon. To his dismay, there was still an hour left before the usual time Amber returned from her shift, so Cecil continued his work, hoping the minutes would quickly pass. Only after what felt like hanging up 100 tees’, was the basket finally empty.

“There!” Cecil sighed contently as he wiped his hands dry on the pink apron. “I’ll just have to remember to bring ‘em in before it rains…” he noted to himself as he looked up at the overcast sky. Cecil whistled merrily to himself as he headed inside, and as he returned the basket to it’s proper spot in the laundry room, he heard those delightful words he had waited so patiently for.

“Cecil? Are you around?” Amber called out as she hung her jacket on the nearby coat rack.

“I’m in here!” Cecil diligently responded. Amber’s long ears perked, and she followed his voice into the kitchen, and through the door that led into the laundry room. As she stood in the doorway, she saw Cecil finish tidying up the space, as he tightened the caps on the the bottles of detergent and set them back on the wall-mounted shelf. Cecil turned around, and his eyes sparkled when he saw Amber waiting for him. As he approached, Amber extended her arms and embraced Cecil in a hardy hug when he was close enough.

Amber began to gently rub Cecil’s back and quietly asked, “Did you do the laundry?”

“Yeah… I hung them outside to dry, I got most of it done” Cecil disclosed. He rested his head on her shoulder and continued, “I’m sorry I didn’t get all of it done.”

“Don’t be, doing even just part of it, was more than you needed to. Thanks, buddy.” Amber gazed at Cecil’s ankle and spoke up, “Is your leg feeling better?”

“Yes. It’s a lot better. Whatever you did, it really helped, Amber” Cecil gladly admitted as he raised his head to make eye contact with her sweet, golden eyes. Cecil could stare into them for hours, and they would still make his heart jump in excitement.

“I tried my best. I’m so glad it worked” Amber grinned. Her hand ran down his warm, smooth cheek. Still as silky smooth as they day they met. Her cold blood appreciated being around Cecil, for he kept Amber feeling (literally) warm and fuzzy. They stood there, in the doorway, in silence, until Amber cleared her throat and said, “Um, I have the weekend off. Do you wanna… maybe… go to a nice restaurant? To properly celebrate you coming home, I mean!” The words stumbled out of Amber’s mouth, and Cecil was listening and watching intently with his bright azure eyes, making Amber feel nervous.

“Of course! I’d love to Amber!” He chirped. Cecil was ecstatic, finally, the chance to spend some time with Amber, and hopefully finally tell her what he wanted, no needed, to say.

“That’s so wonderful!” Amber agreed as she happily clasped her hands together. “I know this nice place downtown… oh! I can finally wear that dress I was saving, and we’ll look so nice together!” Amber continued, but Cecil excitement soon disappeared when he realized something.

“Oh… uh, Amber? I… I don’t own any kind of suit or anything. I’m afraid I’ll look underdressed next to you” Lamented Cecil as he turned his head in shame. He thought to himself, he couldn’t even look nice for a special occasion with someone he dearly loved.

“Why do you say that?” Amber questioned uneasily. Her stomach tied into a knot, and it left a bad feeling. She wondered why Cecil had to be so harsh on himself, and it tore her up seeing him like this.

“Because you’re so pretty…” Cecil answered, still averting his eyes away. “I would just bring you down…” Amber wasn’t going to let something so small keep them from enjoying themselves. She swept his hair aside, catching his attention once more.

“Hey. You’d never ever bring me down, Cecil.” Amber spoke up, her voice cracked a bit, but she meant every word. “And please don’t frown, your face is much cuter when you smile. You know, I’ve got some old dress shirts, we could throw a tie on you, and you’d look so handsome!” The Lamia giggled cheerfully while she gently pinched his cheek. She would do anything to make him happy, because that made her happy.

“Really? I’d like that a lot!” Cecil’s gloomy disposition was overruled when he felt her touch him once more, and he returned to his smile. Amber’s pep-talk had raised his spirits, and he was reminded why she was his best friend in the first place; it was always clear she really cared for him. “Um, but can it be a darker colour? I don’t really want to wear a pink dress shirt”

“That’s okay! I got this nice blue shirt. It’ll probably fit, even if it’s for a girl! I’ll go get it!” Amber hummed as she slithered away, leaving Cecil alone in the kitchen.

“Uh… Thanks?”

Cecil was fiddling around with the apricot coloured tie, and exasperated when he had failed to tie it properly after the 20th attempt. He heard the stairs softly squeak, and he turned his attention to see Amber slowly descend, wearing a dazzling burnt orange dress that went down her tail, and accentuated her beautiful Lamia figure. Cecil felt thunderstruck, Amber was so beautiful to him, and her looks had aged like fine wine after all these years.

Amber approached the breathless Cecil, and giggled as she began to tether and straighten his tie as she said “Mhm. I can’t believe you don’t know how to knot a tie!” Amber teased “How’s my little businessman supposed to look sharp and make lots of money if he can't tie a tie?” Amber laughed. Feeling her breath on his skin and her slender hands this close to his chest, was not helping Cecil keep his composure. Amber had taken noticed, and felt extremely flattered that she had left her Cecil like this. She finished, and brushed the dust of his shoulders before withdrawing a few feet to see Cecil in his entirety. “There! Like I said, you look so handsome!”

“Thank you, Amber” Cecil finally worked up as regained his composure. “You look… fantastic” He sighed like a lovesick puppy.

“Oh, stop it, you~” Amber blushed, “No need to exaggerate so much!”

Cecil gently took Amber’s hand and held it to his chest. His heart now racing, and his tongue feeling almost tied as he quietly explained, “The truth isn’t an exaggeration”

Amber wrapped her other hand around Cecil’s as the end of her waved back and fourth idly, signalling her content. She could feel his heavy breathing on her fingers. Cecil’s hands were so warm and delicate, just like the rest of him. And he was just so damn cute! She knew he needed someone strong in his life and who would treat him right, and she knew, that someone would be her.

Amber smiled and lewdly whispered, “well, let’s promise to be more truthful to each other from now on, okay?” Cecil could do nothing and slowly nod as Amber leaned down and kissed his forehead. Their moment was cut short when they heard a honk out in front of the house “Oh, our ride is here! Shall we?” Amber offered as she placed her hand on her hip. Cecil smiled wide and wrapped his arm around Amber’s, cuing them to leave for their date.

--

The taxi ride over was fraught with nothing but silence. Amber sat next to Cecil in the back, though he was too preoccupied trying not to blush embarrassingly in front of Amber to try and stir conversation. What didn’t help was Amber’s forthcoming approach as she gently rubbed her hand up and down his pants. She couldn’t wait until the moment those legs would bare before her, seeing her one love in his purest form, wrapped around her arms, deep inside her through passionate lovemaking as their lips pushed hard together, only to unlock after they’ve completely exhausted each other, and to finally fall asleep with their stark bodies pressed together. The thought had completely taken over Amber’s mind and had failed to realize they had arrived.

Cecil noticed Amber’s eyes had dilated, and her breathes were long and audible. He spoke up as he opened the passenger door, “You okay, Amber?”

Amber snapped out of her emotional love-lust and replied, “Yeah… I’m good. Let’s have fun, okay!” She gleefully exclaimed as she exited the cab.

“Sounds like a plan!” Cecil agreed as he opened the front door for her. As Amber passed, she titled her head to look at Cecil straight in his eyes, and kissed his forehead without warning, making him blush. The waitress near the front, who was already gathering menus for them giggled, and showed them to their seats.

--

Cecil couldn’t shake his desire to tell Amber his true feelings. It rattled in his head until he couldn’t concentrate on anything. He would look up at her, but quickly lower his head to stare at the half empty plate in front of him. Amber noticed that he hadn’t spoken a word since they sat down, and she began to worry as she anxiously tried to sit in her seat.

“Cecil, are you okay? You haven’t said anything. Please tell me what’s wrong…” Amber pushed as an uneasy feeling rested in her chest. Was it her fault? She had hoped like hell that wasn’t the case, but it still poisoned her thoughts.

“Amber? Do you ever think about the promise we made?” Cecil asked as he finally gained the strength to look up at her “I… I always think about it, but I always feel so horrible that I had to leave you.”

Amber’s heart thumped. Was this finally it? The time was now, and her chance had finally presented itself, and she decided Cecil should know nothing but the truth “Cecil… I thought about it everyday you were gone.”

“Really? Oh…” Cecil was taken back in surprise. Did it really mean that much too her? Because that only made him feel much worse.

Amber spilled her heart out, there was no going back, and she was happy about that. “I’d try to go out with people, but then I’d think about you, with your cute face and your wonderful… everything.” This speech wasn’t helping Cecil, was he the reason Amber lived alone, and rarely went out? He was right, he was holding her back. He hung is head in shame, but Amber continued, “And our promise. What you said to me before you left. My dates never lasted long, because all I could think about was you.”

“I’m sorry Amber… I didn’t mean to make you feel alone like that.” Cecil profusely apologized as his voice strained, tears almost swelled in his eyes, until he heard Amber respond.

“No, stupid! Don’t you get it? I didn’t save myself because I thought I had to, I did it because I wanted to!” Amber finally admitted. Those words turned the table silent, and the two could do nothing about it except look into each others eyes.

“Amber…” Cecil exhaled while his chest began to ache. He needed this. He needed to finally say it, but his lungs felt empty.

“Say it. Say what you want from the bottom of your heart, Cecil” Amber encouraged as she somewhat leaned over the table. The anticipation was sending her over the edge, and she really needed to hear what her love had to say.

“Amber... I love you so much. I love you with all my heart! I want to keep our promise, a-and I want to spend my life with you! Can we… can we do that? Please?” In a single moment, the world lifted off Cecil’s shoulder, and he fell back into his chair, feeling weightless. That was it, and now all he had to do was gauge Amber’s reaction. Whether he made the right choice, or just lost his only friend. His head still low, he asked, “Do… Do you love me?” Cecil heard nothing, and raised his head, only to see Amber giving the largest smile, ear to ear, as her golden eyes watered.

“Oh Cecil, of course I love you!” Amber more than happily professed “I still love you more than you can ever imagine. I wanna keep our promise! Let’s get married, and keep each other safe forever, and do everything we said we would! I wouldn’t want anything more!” Amber grabbed Cecil’s hand off the table. Cecil had no words, for the first time in his life, he took a chance, and it paid off. His face was almost blank and agape but on the inside, he felt so happy. Happier than he had ever felt before.

“Come closer...” Amber whispered with a loving grin, slightly tugging on Cecil’s hand.

“Okay…” Was the only word Cecil could muster as he accepted her invitation. He moved his chair closer, but Amber’s tail grabbed one of the legs and pulled the seat right next to her. She pulled Cecil in for a hug. It was the same all the other times she held him, but now, it felt different to Cecil. It felt intimate, and he liked that. He then rested he head against her chest and sighed because today… today was the greatest day of his life.

“Mmm… Doesn’t this feel right? Just the two of us? Nobody else…?” Amber joyfully asked as she kissed his head over and over again, now that he was finally hers, as she branded his forehead with her lipstick. No more secrets, no more anything, except the two of them together. Forever.

“It feels so right. I love you, Amber.” Cecil blissfully sighed. He kissed Amber’s neck, and felt Amber’s neck gasp ever so slightly.

“Mhm, I love you, Cecil…” Amber returned while she rubbed the back of his head and continued her crusade of kisses. The world could come to end, and it wouldn’t matter anymore. This is what was meant to be, and the both of them knew that.

Amber nudged Cecil for his attention, and without warning, embraced her lips with his. Cecil’s lips were soft and warm, and so was Amber’s, surprisingly. Amber pushed her tongue further, and broke through Cecil’s closed mouth, making him moan. Her longer Lamia tongue coiled around Cecil’s, and gently squeezed it. Little noises of pleasure left their lips as their tongues wrestled between each other. After the minute passed, they disengaged their lips, but kept their eyes locked on each other, and their faces within breathing distance as they smiled. Their first real kiss together, only but a small step of what was to come.

--

Finally, they returned home, still holding each other in their arms, every now and then stealing smooches from each other and parrot the phrase, “I love you”.

“Let’s go to bed, Cecil” The monster girl suggested, her eyelids closed in such a sexually intimidating way. He gulped, but Amber laughed and explained herself, “Mhmhm, don’t worry, sweetie. We’re not just jumping into anything just yet, but I’m always cold when I sleep alone.” The Lamia then teased her boyfriend a bit by wrapping her arms around herself and swaying back and forth as if she was cold. “Won’t you cuddle with me?” She playfully pouted as her arms opened, letting Cecil rest against her once more.

“Of course, I will!” Cecil responded exuberantly while he nuzzled Amber’s breasts with his cheek. “All I want is for you to be happy, Amber!”

“Well, making you happy, makes me happy. So come on, that bed won’t keep itself warm!” Amber chirped. She gently pulled Cecil’s arm, quickly leading him upstairs and into the master bedroom. She turned her back to Cecil, and in a lewd tone, requested, “Help me with my dress, Cecil.”

“I-If you want…” Cecil timidly agreed. As he took hold of the zipper and pulled it downwards, his warm hand brushed against the monster girl’s exposed back. She arched her back forward as the sensation of her lover touching her exposed, cold skin sent shivers down her spine. After pulling the zipper down enough, Amber slithered out of her dress, leaving her wearing nothing but a laced bra and panties on her shapely form.

Amber pushed Cecil’s chest inward, and guided him to sit on the edge of the mattress. “Now, it’s my turn…” She softly teased as she quickly pecked his lips one more time before unbuttoning Cecil’s shirt slowly. He exhaled sharply every time her tender fingers felt up against his chest. Cecil’s mind blurred with thoughts of love and infatuation. The shirt came off shortly after, but Amber kept her momentum going, and began to unbuckle his pants.

“A-Amber… wait, I-” Cecil tried to pull away, but his train of thought was interrupted by Amber as she placed her index finger over Cecil’s cute moist lips.

“Don't worry sweetie, I won’t take everything off. But I want to be as close to you as I can.” Amber said in a hushed tone. Cecil nodded, and she unzipped the dress pants, leaving him exposed except for his boxers. Amber got up, and pushed Cecil further on the bed leaving him to give an ‘eep’ as he once again forgot how strong she was.

Keeping each other close, their arms protectively wrapped around them, and layered by the thick soft blankets that cocooned them, everything was almost perfect. Almost.

“One last thing…” Amber whispered. Her tail began to move under the sheets, and her snake half coiled around Cecil waist, and spiralled downward to his ankles. “There” she smiled “My tail always gets really cold. But not anymore with you here… Are you comfortable, my love?” Cecil was exhausted and nodded his head as a yawn left him. Despite her scales feeling chilly, they soon warmed up, and Cecil felt exponentially safe and coddled like this, which was a feeling he couldn’t live without. “That’s good. Because I need you every night to keep me warm, so I can keep you safe, okay?” The meek man only had the energy to kiss Amber’s nape and quickly fall asleep in her hold.

She caught the scent of strawberries from her lover’s hair, and realized how much Cecil had in common with them. They were small, sweet, even juicy, and usually had a flushed red look. Amber giggled softly at this conclusion, before hooking her arm around Cecil’s head, and pulling it right up against her chest. “I’ll take that as a yes. Good night, my sweetheart”

Chapter Three
Cecil was awoken by feeling of warm moist flesh repeatedly smacking against his forehead, and lazily opened his eyes to see Amber, kissing his face. With every smooch, Amber moaned ever so slightly. She was clearly enjoying as much, if not more than he was.

Amber noticed he was awake, and whispered, “Mmm… Good morning, sweetie”. Her arms were wrapped around Cecil’s neck, and she gently pulled him close once more, kissing him again, this time on the lips. Cecil’s mouth was just as dreamy and sweet, even with their morning breath. “Did you sleep okay?” she asked in-between kisses.

“Yeah…” Cecil yawned. His hand reached from under the covers, and rested on Amber’s face as he ran his palm gently across her smooth cheek-scales. “I’m… I’m just so glad it wasn’t a dream after all. I love you so much, Amber…” They were always close and touchy to each other. Despite not much changing, it truly felt they were closer to being one with each other.

“Baby…” Amber’s voice cracked a bit. Cecil’s touch was sizzling against her cold-blooded face, and she felt like she was going to choke on the pleasure it gave her, “I loved you since the day we met” She admitted, “From the moment I saw you, when your family came over to greet us to the neighbourhood… when you held my hand for the first time, and asked if I wanted to be your friend, I thought to myself: ‘He’s definitely the one.’ I’m more than happy I was right about that” Amber started to quietly cry, but Cecil was quick to kiss the tears off her face.

“Please don’t cry, Amber” Cecil petitioned “We’re getting married, and we’re going to be together forever! We should be excited and happy... Right?”

Amber wiped her face with her forearm, and smiled back at Cecil, “Right. Of course, my sweet boy... Do you want to hear the dream I had?” Amber wondered.

“Y-Yes” Cecil answer diligently. His face perked up and his arms wrapped around Amber’s curvy waist as she pulled him in.

“It was such a wonderful dream.” Amber began, her eyes sparkling as she recounted her thoughts. “I was the mother of five beautiful Lamia children. They were so rambunctious and full of energy. Every day when their daddy came home, they’d tackle him, and try and wrap their little tails around him. They’d only let go if they each got a kiss from daddy. So one by one, their daddy would smooch their cute little faces. Only after he was finally free, he’d go up to his beautiful wife, and always save the biggest and best kiss for his true and only love. Can you guess who’s the husband in my dream?” Amber playfully quizzed as her hand swept through Cecil’s messy black hair. She leaned in close and whispered “Here’s a hint… He’s with me right now”

“M-Me?” Cecil meekly responded. Five children? That seemed like a lot, but his worry was outweighed by how happy her dream made him feel. To be married to her, have children with her, and to simply be with her. His heart jumped as he wanted all of it, now that he knew it was a very real possibility. “I hope it’s me…” He trailed off and look deep into Amber’s eyes, patiently waiting for her reveal.

“Of course it’s you, silly!” Amber laughed as she kissed his head again. Cecil was always a bit absent-minded, but he never stopped being perfect in her eyes. “No one else is here… besides, I don’t love anyone else as much as you, ya know… C’mon show me those delicious lips of yours again” Amber brightly demanded with a smile.

Cecil happily obliged as he was reeled in for another sloppy morning kiss, with Amber giving off womanly moans and Cecil responding with mousy little coos. Their arms slowly reached around each other’s head to tenderly hold one another and push their mouths even closer, leaving no space for their love to escape. Both Cecil and Amber felt it as their tongues danced together in the warm recesses of their mouths. The next chapter of their lives had begun together, and neither would’ve wanted it any other way.

“Mmm…” Amber whispered in a breathy tone as they hesitantly uncoupled their lips. “Wanna go on another date? I don’t have to work on the weekends, and all I can think about is spending time with you” She asked confidently, her hand joining with Cecil’s as they tightly wrapped their fingers together, as if they were afraid what were to happen if they were to let go of each other.

“Yes please” Cecil didn’t even need to think it over, and instantly responded like it was instinct. “I want us to make up the last 10 years” His chest thumped, and he felt like his heart would catapult out of his throat.

“Of course… we have the rest of our lives to make up any time we’ve spent apart, my love” Reassured Amber in her nurturing tone. She drew Cecil close with her tail, still protectively wrapped around his lower form. She tenderly pushed the back of Cecil’s head into her neck, and delightfully shuddered when his warm breathing discharged against her chin. “But let’s slow down and spend the rest of the morning like this”

“I’d really like that. I Love you.” Cecil hushed against Amber’s neck. “I’m sorry I say it a lot, but I really mean it, Amber. I-I hope it doesn’t lose it’s meaning to you” Cecil frowned, but Amber began to rub his hair and kissed the top of his head

“I love you too~” She chuckled. “Sweetie, I could hear those words a million times from you and it would never get old. So tell me as much as you want.”

“… I love you”

--

It was 11:30 when the two lovebirds had finally worked the strength to pull themselves away from their warm and cozy cuddle session. Cecil was waiting patiently in the living room, watching TV as Amber finished “freshening herself up”. Without so much as a creak in the floorboards, she stealthily approached the sofa from behind, and gently placed her hands over Cecil’s face as she kissed his head. She whispered, “You ready, sweetheart?”

Amber lifted one of her hands, and Cecil tenderly grabbed the other before kissing it, and guiding it to rest on his cheek. Amber’s skin was cold, yet velvety soft. “Mm, ready when you are, darling…” He whispered. Amber leaned over and grabbed Cecil’s other cheek, moving both in a slow methodical circular motion as Cecil let off little sounds of pleasure, only to be interrupted when Cecil’s stomach loudly growled. Amber laughed as Cecil embarrassingly whispered, “S-sorry”.

“Don’t be sorry~” Amber soothed. Cecil was so bashful; it wasn’t hard to believe she was five years older than him. She rested her chin on Cecil’s shoulder and kissed his cheek “Let’s go get something to eat, I know this nice little diner downtown we can walk to.” She suggested as Cecil nuzzled his cheek with hers. “It’s such a nice day, too.”

“That sounds really nice.” Agreed Cecil as he got up to join Amber at the front door. They adoringly grabbed each others’ hand and left for their date.

“I also get to show you off to everyone who sees us…” Amber mischievously smiled as she locked the door behind them.

--

Downtown wasn’t very far from the housing district, and in no time, the two were strolling down Grey Hill Ave., which was filled with various stores and small businesses that wined down the main street. Cecil rested his head on Amber’s arm, and every so often, Amber would playfully squeeze Cecil’s hand to make be sure he was paying attention, and reacted by kissing her sleeved arm. As the two waited at a crosswalk, Amber took notice to another young couple, both human, waiting on the opposite end of walkway. Amber was left embarrassed as the couple nervously glanced at each other before deciding they were better off to continue down the pavement rather than cross paths with the snake girl.

Amber’s cheery demeanor had almost vanished, she looked down at Cecil who was occupied with his thoughts elsewhere. She stared longingly into his cute face and wondered if Cecil was better off with someone more “normal”. She decided not to let it get to her, today was just about her and Cecil.

The cross light struck green and as they crossed the walkway, they arrived at a building on the street corner, with the sign “Sunset Kitchen” resting above the entrance. Amber pushed the door open, and quickly seated Cecil and herself. They silently agreed on a nice booth near the window, keeping the beautiful midday sky in view. The diner was decorated like a typical 50’s diner would, with the use of bright red and minty green, and the decorative jukebox that had been turned into a conventional radio that softly played jazz music through the establishment. The food being cooked wafted through the air, and it smelled absolutely divine.

“I forgot how nice small towns are after living in New York for so long” Admitted Cecil as he glanced over the menu. He lowered the laminated print and reached across the table to rest his palm on Amber’s cold hand. She was occupied with the menu herself, and gasped when a quick jolt of heat ran up her arm. She looked up, and saw a blushing Cecil looking at her with his soft eyes. “S-Sorry Amber… I-I just really wanna keep holding your hand. I’m sorry”

“Aw baby…” Amber replied with a big smile she flipped her hand over, allowing Cecil’s fingers to curl around them. Amber couldn’t shake the feeling that every time Cecil held her hand, her libido rose like the tides, leaving her chest to feel hot and heavy. “You can hold my hand anytime. You’re so warm and soft and cuddly... Hey after this, wanna-”

Her proposal was cut short when the attractive waitress approached, notepad open and cheerfully asked, “Have ya’ll decided on what ya want?” with a polite smile.

“Surprise me, I’ll just have whatever’s the special today!” Amber cheerfully affirmed, handing the menu to the attendant. “You guys always make good stuff!”

“Aw shucks, hun! You’re too kind!” The waitress beamed. She chuckled, then turned to Cecil and inquired, “And for you handsome?”

“O-Oh… just your “House burger” please” the mousy young man replied while he returned the menu back to her.

“Alrighty! One daily special and one house burger coming right up!” She bubbled, quickly scribbling down the order on her small pad before tucking the menus under her arm, leaving Amber and Cecil alone once more.

Handsome? What did she mean by that? Amber theorized to herself in silence. Her eyes widened when the horrific idea someone would snatch Cecil away from her crossed her mind. She began to rub the temple of her head, her anxiety leaving her with one nasty headache. She opened her eyes and refocused back to Cecil who modestly observed, “She seemed nice”.

“Yeah… yeah” Amber inattentively agreed. She leaned over to the side, and caught another glimpse of the waitress. She was no doubt pretty, which made it all the worse! How dare she!

“Hey Cecil?” Amber piped. “Can I… sit next to you?” she requested as her face turned beet red. With these kinds of thoughts running through her mind, she needed to hold her love to confirm that he was still hers. “I’m feeling a little lonely over here”

Cecil’s eyes shone bright and his smile became wide as he agreed, “Of course, I’d love that!”

Cecil scooted closer to the window as the fair and beautiful Lamia sat next to him, draping her arms over his shoulders, and holding him tight. “Cecil…” she began, looking right into those pure and honest eyes, hidden behind thin framed glasses, “You… love me… right?”

“Amber, why would you even ask? Y-You know I love you…” Cecil hastily reminded, his face awash with concern. “Where’s this coming from?” he queried, resting his left cheek on Amber’s chilly nape.

“It’s just…” She began “Wouldn’t you rather be with someone who had… legs? Someone normal? I heard that guys like girls with ‘a good pair of legs’” The restless monster girl blushed.

“What’re you talking about, honey?” Cecil responded. “You are normal… and I don’t have to worry about something as silly as legs to find you attractive. I love you because you’re you! Snake tail and all…” He raised his head, and kissed the cold, scaled cheek before finishing with, “I’ll always love you”

“But that about all the looks we get out in public?” The anxious snake woman asked, her hold tightening around Cecil.

“That only means more people get to see how madly in-love we are” Cecil cheered quietly. His own arm wrapped around Amber’s curvaceous waist, and he pulled himself closer.

Amber kissed her meek partner’s rosy faced and responded with, “Thank you, sweetie. I’m sorry I made you worry… I’m so lucky to have you” She admitted, affectionately wrapping her tail around one of Cecil’s legs. They sat there, lost in each other’s embrace until the moment was forced to past by the waitress returning with their meals.

“I see you got more comfortable” The waitress joked, resting the plate on the table, “Enjoy”. Just before she turned to help another table, Amber quickly shot her a cold glance, sending chills down her spine as the possessive Lamia rubbed her fiancé’s hair. Cecil was too busy resting his eyes to notice, but perked up when Amber kissed his forehead.

--

The two had left the Sunrise Diner in considerably higher spirits as they held each others hand and almost hummed their words when they spoke to each other. As they waited to cross a busy street, Amber’s ears perked when she heard a voice call out to her.

“Amber!” She looked over her shoulder, and to her surprise saw her friend, Ali, approach them. She was about as tall as Amber, and her skin was tanned to a nice bronze. Her hair was cut short, and was of a dark hazel hue. Her eyes were a solid green, seemed sultrier than Amber’s usual bright eyes. Her figure wasn’t as voluptuous as the snake girl’s, but her body was definitely more defined and toned.

“Ali, you’re back from Fiji already? Why didn’t you call?” Amber teased with a large smile as she embraced her friend.

“I would have but it’s been hectic moving into my own place!” She laughed. She noticed the shorter young man holding Amber’s hand, giving her a warm smile. “And who might this be?” Ali inquired.

“This is my boyfriend, Cecil!” Amber more than happily proclaimed as she gently pushed him forward by groping his butt. Cecil made a little ‘eep’ and Ali chuckled at how cute he was. “Sweetie, this is my good friend, Alison”

“Oh THIS is Cecil” She recalled, taking his extended arm for a handshake. She was a lot tougher than Cecil imagined, as she almost shook him off his feet. The bronzed woman grinned and joked around, saying, “THE Cecil? The boy Amber never stops talking about?”

Amber playfully punched Ali’s arm before embarrassingly whispering “Shut up, girl”. Amber went to hold Cecil’s hand once more, and turned to ask, “So where are you heading to?”

“Oh just down the way to that nice jewelry place, ‘The Blue Diamond’” The tomboy motioned.

“Oh, that reminds me!” Amber eye’s sparked with interest as she softly smacked her head in realization. “I have to pick up something I ordered from there… Oh Cecil, are you okay with coming along? I know it’s not really a guy’s store but I don’t want anything happening to you” She held his hand tighter as she finished.

“Yeah that’s fine, Amber” He politely agreed, moving closer and allowing Amber to wrap her arm around his waist. “Any time I’m with you is the best”

The two got lost in their affectionate fawning, causing Ali to roll her eyes and amusingly say, “You guys are going to give me diabetes with all this talk”

Amber and Cecil looked back, and the two laughed as Amber spoke up and said, “Oh sorry, Ali. Do we make you jealous?”

“Only a little” Ali chuckled. “I gotta find a man soon… maybe that cute catboy at the sports outlet…” She noted to herself as the three decided to leave for the Blue Diamond

“Trust me, Ali…” Amber began as she her fingers weaved with that of her soft docile boyfriend’s “It’s worth it”

--

The three arrived at the Blue Diamond, with the interior sporting what one might see inside an average jeweler’s. All the counters were lined with glass display cases, showing off their expensive wares. All of their inventory consisted of the usual; Rings, necklaces, bracelets, and even fashionable watches. There was an area near the door furnished with Leather recliners, a small table with a stack of men’s magazines resting on it. A small flatscreen TV was mounted on the wall, broadcasting some local news station. “Look, they even have the boyfriend corner” Ali chuckled.

Cecil smiled got comfortable on one of the leather cathedra. Amber leaned over to hold his cheek with her palm, and kissed his forehead before telling him, “I promise I won’t be long sweetheart.” He pulled out his phone, idly keeping himself busy as the two women walked up to the counter.

“Can I ask you something?” Ali started while looking around the glass cases, “Cecil… looks pretty young. How old is he exactly?” Amber’s cheeks reddened, and she looked away as she honestly whispered, “He’s… He’s eighteen”

“Eighteen?” Ali exclaimed in a hushed tone “Girl, your man is barely legal! Are you sure you’re not rushing him into this? You’re the adult, so I’m asking for his sake”

“Hey!” The love-struck Lamia retorted, “I know he’s a little younger than most guys who get married… but…” She trailed off and started to twirl her own hair “It’s true love, Ali… Trust me. We both feel the same way” They both turned, and Cecil happily waved at Amber when he saw her beautiful face smile back at him. Amber waved back and finished with, “Every time I hold him in my arms or kiss his face, I feel my heart beat at a million miles an hour! Please Ali, trust me when I say that it’s true love”

“Look… I’m not here to judge what’s true love or not. Hell, even I’m still single” Ali sighed, rubbing the upper bridge of her nose, “By the way you always describe him so… earnestly, and now the way I’ve seen you two act… I trust your judgement. Just please don’t do anything rash, Amber” She placed her hand on the monster girl’s shoulder, “You’re a great person, but sometimes you get carried away with your own excitement If you want to keep him, and trust me, he seems like a keeper, you’ll make sure you put him first, like how real married couples do it. Sound good?”

“Yeah… Thanks Ali” Amber pulled her friend in for a hug and said, “You always know what to say”

“I know” Ali laughed smugly as she patted her back. “Now go on… I’m sure you kept your fiancé waiting long enough” She laughed. “And yes… I’ll rsvp”

“You’re right. I’ll see ya around, Ali.” They disengaged their hug, and Amber approached the cashier to present her receipt. After a small exchange, Amber tucked a small gift box into her purse before approaching the exit and leaving with Cecil around her arm.

The two were halfway home when Cecil meekly spoke up, “What’d you need to pick up, Amber?”

“Don’t worry, sweetie” Amber assured, pulling her boyfriend closer by the hip “You’ll find out soon enough…” She proceeded to kiss his temple and continued with him as the sun lowered over the horizon behind them.

--

“Mm, Cecil…” Amber cooed as her young lover rested between her arms. It was the very definition of a lazy Sunday as the two were sprawled on the rather large sofa in their pajamas, with Cecil resting his cheek on Amber’s supple breasts. The monster girl’s arms were wrapped around her fiancé’s chest, and her tailed spiralled around his right leg, giving him support as she played with his unkempt hair in her safe embrace. She giggled at the sight of Cecil’s beautifully soft face and continued, “Is there anything you want to do today?”

“Well…” Cecil began whilst raising his head to connect his eyes with Amber’s. There was hesitation in his voice as he said, “T-There is… one thing…”

“Don’t be shy” Amber hummed, pulling Cecil closer to her face. Holding his snug cheek by her slender hand, she pulled Cecil’s face to hers, and planted her plump lips on his silken jowl. Subtle moans filled silence as she gave him another much needed dose of her love. “Please don’t hesitate to ever ask, sweetheart.” Her arms gently squeezed around his body more as she ended off with, “I’ll do anything for you…” while their cheeks rubbed together, creating lovely heat between them.

“Um…” Cecil fidgeted in the snake girl’s hold, trying to work up whatever courage he had. “Can we… go to the beach?” He requested. “I mean I haven’t been in a long time, and my classes start soon, and it’s so warm out, and-” He cut his confession short when he looked up to see Amber with nothing but a cutely fanged smile across her face, and he felt his heart skip a beat.

“Mhm Yes, of course~.” Amber happily obliged, sealing the promise with a smooch on his forehead. The sight of a flustered Cecil was endearing to the Lamia. She could never say no to him, nor did she ever want to. They found each other’s hand, and as their fingers locked Amber went on with, “Nothing but the warm sand and salty ocean air… and you” --

“A-Are you sure I have to wear these, Amber?” Cecil wondered as he awkwardly stepped out of the change room. He felt rather vulnerable wearing the small dark blue speedo Amber had bought him. He winced as one side rode up his leg, and tried desperately to correct the issue without looking too vulgar. “Can’t I just wear swim trunks?”

“Sorry, sweetie” Amber apologised. “That’s all I could find last minute. And besides…” She continued, slowly slithering closer with her lovely smile. Her arms wrapped around her lover’s waist, and both hands then groped either cheek, pulling him close before softly murmuring, “I think it’s a very good look for you. So cute and… form fitting.” As their lips met for a quick kiss, her fingers buckled, squeezing his soft butt and provoking a muffled coo from Cecil. “Don’t you agree?” She asked in a mildly cheeky tone. Amber herself was wearing a moderate two-piece suit comprised of dark orange fabric.

Cecil’s face blushed ruby red. With Amber’s hands yearningly clutched to his backside, and her saffron eyes appraising every inch of his form, he bashfully avoided eye-contact with his dearly beloved as he felt his chest tighten. “I mean… if you like it, I-I don’t mind… I mean, they’re actually really comfortable” he squeaked.

“That’s good to hear” The snake girl affirmed, her left hand now tenderly caressing the back of Cecil’s head as she nuzzled their faces together. Amber felt the scales on her jawline slowly kindle with her lover’s red hot cheeks, much to her pleasure. With her right hand giving Cecil’s rear one last gentle love tap, Amber remembered why they were here and suggested, “Let’s go find a nice spot near the shore, sweetheart~”

While the beach was busy, it certainly wasn’t packed, and finding a spot took no longer than 5 minutes.

“Mmm…” Amber hummed as she unpacked the contents of her travel bag, “The sand is so warm today, it’s making me… a bit sleepy” She yawned, burrowing the end of her tail under the surface. She looked up to find Cecil preoccupied as he fanned out his towel, letting it slowly drop on the ground. Amber slowly approached him from behind, mischievously grinning as she rubbed her hands together with sunscreen. She reached out, and tenderly grabbed her boyfriend’s shoulders. The suddenly brisk feeling of the lotion mixed with Amber’s cold hands sent a shock down Cecil’s spine, making him cutely arch his back with an “eep!” leaving his lips.

“Oops! ~ Sorry, sweetie!” She teased while affectionately spreading sunscreen down Cecil’s back. “I would’ve warmed it up with my hands… but you know…” Her hands were cold, yet so soft, and every gentle stroke against his skin made Cecil shiver with delight. Her motions were loving, yet it was firm enough to remind Cecil that she really did only have eyes for him. As soon as his back had been completely canvassed, the Lamia ran her hands under her lover’s arms, hugging him in a way similar to how she spooned him in bed. Pressing herself against him and receiving his body heat, Amber went, “Mm… I just don’t won’t you getting burned, ‘cause that means I wouldn’t be able to hold you”.

“Thanks, Amber” He obliged, turning his head to see her resting on his shoulder “Though if I did get sunburnt, you’d be able to take care of me all day!” Cecil affectionately jeered.

“Y-Yeah”. It was a truly a thought to behold, and Amber began sighing heavily as the scenario in her head made her heart jump. She tightened her hug, pecked his cheek, and asked, “Could you help me?” as she handed him the bottle of sunscreen. The monster girl slowly slouched over the towel, presenting her almost completely stark back to her boyfriend. She looked over her shoulder, and ever so faintly wiggled her tail half, shooting him a playful smile.

“A-Alright…” Cecil gulped, his face turning red. He slathered his palms with lotion as he settled down to his knees next to Amber and began caressing her smooth, chilly skin.

The snake girl mewled ever so slightly at the feeling of warm lotion being gently pressed against her. Cecil’s motions were passive and easy, a reflection of his character. Amber blushed that her fiancé was making such sensual gestures in a public place. The more she thought about it, however, the more it didn’t matter. Their love was theirs’ alone, and no one else mattered.

“I-I’m done…” Muttered Cecil. Amber overturned to lay on her back, shooting her lover a devious smile without any words. He piped up again, “Do you want help with—” Amber quickly grappled her arms around his neck, pulling Cecil down to her face for a kiss.

Their lips met, making audible smacks amidst the crashing waves and gull cries of the shore. Amber pushed forth her tongue, parting Cecil’s mouth open to attack his tongue with her own as she pulled him inward. Several moments passed, and only after they couldn’t breathe no longer did Amber loosen her grip as their faces parted. “I’m sorry, Cecil…” Amber huffed between deep breaths, “You were driving me crazy with those… magic hands of yours”

“It’s… It’s okay” He responded, holding himself just over Amber with his arms extended. His eyes shone like sapphires as he formed a smile between his moist lips. Amber thought he was so cute when he smiled. “I felt the same way. I always feel like that with you.” He confessed, combing Amber’s hair aside as the ocean breeze pushed it around.

“Isn’t it the best feeling in the world?” She wondered as her hand ran across Cecil’s face.

“Yeah… it is”

--

“Are you sure you don’t wanna join us, Amber?” Cecil asked the monster girl as she lied under the sun with her tail now almost completely blanketed by sand, “They said they don’t mind one more person”

“That’s okay. I’m fine riiiiight here” She yawned, “You go have fun with your new friends… I’ll be here if you need me” Amber rolled over to lay on her stomach. With one last squeeze of their hands, Cecil departed to join some others clad in swimsuits for a game of beach volleyball. Seeing her boyfriend having so much fun left a smile on her face as she started to drift off to dreamland, thanks in part to the warmth of the beachside.

When the Lamia finally woke up from her nap, she was shocked to see the sky had become a light orange as the sun seemed a hell of a lot closer to the horizon. She felt footsteps approach her from behind, and turned to see a tall, well trimmed man with a bronze tan and bleached blonde hair smiling at her.

“Uh… can I help you?” She asked, slightly unsettled by his unmoving smile.

“How’s it going? ‘Names Steven” He introduced while extending his hand to help her from the ground. Amber glanced at his gesture, only to raise herself up. The man awkwardly lowered his arm before continuing to stir the mostly one-sided conversation, “I saw you from the other side of the beach, and I gotta say… you’ve got it going on”

“Got what going on?” Amber asked in annoyance as she crossed her arms, hiding her chest from the beach boy’s wondering eyes. Her eyes only slightly dilated, but the body-builder failed to notice. Cecil, who wasn’t too far from them, moved in so he could hear what they were saying.

“Ahh…” Struggling for an answer, the bronzed man eyes quickly shot elsewhere, finding the snake girl’s yellow glare somewhat scary. He lightly coughed to clear his throat, then went on with, “That doesn’t matter. What does matter is why such a pretty little lady like you all alone at the beach” He placed his hand on Amber’s shoulder, who quickly shot him a cold glance.

“Actually…” She corrected with a disgusted look on her face, “I’m here with my fiancé, thank you very much” She asserted, pushing away the bronzed hand firmly.

“Fiancé?” He chuckled to himself, “I promise, whatever your fiancé has, I’m a hundred times that!” He bragged, a smug grin running across his face.

“Humph” Amber scoffed and turned her nose the other way. “You don’t know anything about him…” This guy was failing to take the not so subtle hint, and was really close to hitting Amber’s last nerve. What gave him the right to say something like that?

“No need to be so cold-blooded, babe!” Laughed Steven, obviously content with his “clever” jab. “One thing I know is what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him, so we don’t we find a cozy little hiding spot and—” In a split-second, he felt his leg bend backward, sending him face first into the sand. He pulled his head from the ground, and looked back to see a blue tail wrapped around his leg. It uncoiled, and his eyes followed it until he found himself eye to eye with an outraged snake girl. The last nerve had been struck.

“You really expect me to leave my *sweetheart* behind for some meathead like you?” Her voice gradually raised in rage, and hisses followed behind every word. “You walk up uninvited, you don’t even ask my name, and then you start calling me ‘babe’ and feeling me up like I’m some beach slut?” The shore ran quiet as everyone around them was made well-aware of the monster girl’s anger.

Steven had no response. He sneered before simply picked himself up from the dirt, and dusting the sand off himself before leaving in a scorn. “Whatever, snake bitch…” he muttered under his breath. Amber’s pointy ears flickered, and she responded with an exasperated, “Yeah, blow it out your ass!” The redness of her face slowly faded, and she turned to see Cecil standing there, looking a little more than scared. Contempt quickly turned into compassion as she pulled him in for a hug. “…I’m sorry you had to see that” She regretfully informed, kissing her lover’s forehead.

“Amber…” Cecil stirred as he locked eyes with her, “You’d… You’d never leave me right?” He inquired with a grimace, warily looking down and away from the Lamia’s beautiful face.

He felt a familiar set of fingers run themselves through his damp obsidian hair, leaving him feel at ease as he heard above him, “I’ll never ever leave you… I promise.” She grinned as her fragile boyfriend wrapped his delicate arms around her waist.

Though worried at first, his melancholy all but dispelled as their arms tightened around each other. What at first felt like unrest developed tender amity in her arms. “I’ll never leave you either…” He pledged, a tear running down his face.

The sky darkened with clouds, and thunder began to roar in the distance. “We should probably leave soon. I know how easy you catch colds~” She teased, holding Cecil close as the wind picked up around them. “I feel like I’m gonna freeze solid in this two-piece… I’m gonna go get changed really quick. Can you pack up our things, sweetie?”

“Sure thing!” Chirped Cecil with that lovely smile of his. His spirits were noticeably lifted, even after the trouble Amber had caused. Without further incentive, he began to quickly roll the towels neatly up before stuffing them in the travel bag.

“Thanks, darling! I’ll be quick!” She called, slinking away to the nearest change room. She was only glad he was so forgiving of her monstrous behavior, though it worried her another outburst like that would push the only man that loved her away. The very thought made her stomach turn.

Cecil whistled cheerfully to himself as he pulled the large umbrella from the ground, closing it as he waited for Amber’s return.

“Hey Cecil” A womanly voice called from behind. It wasn’t Amber, but one of the other players from the earlier volleyball game. She was probably taller than Amber, and wore a quite revealing two-piece. Her long auburn hair flew in the wind as she quizzed, “You heading out already?”

“Yeah, it’s pretty late” He explained, pulling a t-shirt over his head to keep warm, “You were guys were great today, though!” Cecil gave her a big a friendly smile, but soon felt uncomfortable as she leaned down close to his face.

“Ya know” she started, eyeing him with a provocative glance, “Me and some of the others are heading down for a lodge party… You interested?” She brazenly placed both hands on his shoulders, keeping him securely in place.

“Ah, well… That’s not really my kind of thing” Cecil politely declined as he fidgeted in place. She was coming off a little strong, and without much he could do, Cecil decided to bide his time. “I mean… you guys were so nice, there’s no need to go that far for my sake”

“Oh, but it’s no problem…” She smirked deviously, her grip becoming even tighter, “Especially not for a cutie like you…”

Cecil gulped. This woman wasn’t going to take no for answer, and the worst part of it was his clear lack of self-defence. He nervously muttered, “A-Actually… I’m in a—”

“Oh Cecil~” A gleeful voice rang from afar. As if the bell of salvation tolled, Cecil sighed, and they both turned to see the scaly-tailed monster girl return to her love. “There you are, *my* sweetheart!” Amber emphasized whilst pulling him in for a hug, thankfully releasing him from the woman’s grasp. Her voice seemed… overly-bright to Cecil, even by her usual standards. “I was worried for a minute there~” She reeled his face for a kiss, obnoxiously making out with him in front of this other matron, “I’m so glad you’re okay. I’d hate to imagine what drastic measures I’d have to take if something happened to you. Especially if someone else was involved~” A bolt of lightning crashed into the ocean in the far distance. “But I mean, no one would be that silly to try and take my dearly beloved out from under me. That’d be incredible foolish… and dangerous~”

By the time Cecil looked around, the other woman was gone, leaving them alone. “Thanks Amber” praised Cecil while resting his face on her neck, “That woman was crazy.”

“Mhm” She acknowledged, planting her lips on his forehead. “Don’t fret, sweetie. I meant every word” As she stared into his eyes with her infatuated gaze, it began to drizzle. Trying to speak over the raging sea next to them, she said “Let’s hurry home…”

--

When they had returned home, the rain had evolved into a wild storm. The front door forcibly swung open from the harsh winds, and was only closed after Amber has struggled for a few seconds. She flicked on the lights with her tail as Cecil set down the duffle bag next to the door way, and hung the beach umbrella’s handle on the coat rack. They quietly followed each other up to the second floor, entering their bedchamber for the night.

“Are you okay?” Amber asked, throwing a towel around the shoulders of a drenched Cecil. He was looking a little pale, but not sickly, though it didn’t stop Amber from worrying given how frail he was.

“Yeah…” He responded quietly, sitting down on the edge of the bed with Amber joining him soon after “I’m fin— ‘Cho!” The sheer force of the sudden sneeze abruptly threw his head forward before reeling back. “Sorry…” he sniffed.

“Bless you~” The snake girl hummed. Cecil closed his eyes with Amber’s fingers traversing across his face. Even with her frigid snake blood, the touch was extremely comforting. “You’re so handsome and sweet…”. She choked between words, “I’m...I’m so lucky to have you” she relayed fondly. Without much effort, Cecil veered himself closer to Amber’s side of the bed, feeling her warm breath on his hair.

“You’re the most amazing woman I’ve ever met” He muttered with a meek smile, feeling his hand being seized by hers. The rain had calmed his nerves, and he was excited to hold his love for another night. Cecil sneezed once more, this time he was prepared, covering his face with his forearm.

He looked up, finding himself once again looking to the shining yellow eyes he was ever so fond of. They had fallen deep into each others gaze until the snake girl’s face lit up with excitement, “Oh! I almost forgot…” She hummed. She reached over the mattress and grabbed the small box settled on the bedside next to the mementos of their childhood. “I… I had these specially made after you came home” She sheepishly presented, lifting the top of the small black box. Inside rested two beautiful silver bracelets, decorated with small blue and orange gems. One with a thin sheet of metal with the word ‘Queen’ engraved front and center, with the other reading ‘Prince’.

“Amber…” Cecil uttered, periodically shifting his gaze from the box to his snake lover. They looked undoubtedly of high quality. “You didn’t have-… Why?”

“Because I was so happy you came back to me after all that time” She smiled, her eyes watering as the lingering feeling of sentimentality filled the air around her. Her boyfriend looked uncertain, and she wondered, “Do you not like them?”, asking him with a worried frown.

“No, not at all!” He contended zealously. He sighed, placing his hand over hers and hanging his head low, “They’re so nice, they make the ones I made with plastic string and tiny beads look like cheap junk”

He felt his forehead pecked by familiar moist flesh as he heard her say, “It’s not about what they are, but what they mean” She pulled him in closer, leaning her cheek against his hair, and rubbing up and down the arm her hand hooked around, “Yours will always mean something special to me… but since we’re, ya know… a little more than just best friends now… I thought it would be appropriate to repay the feeling you gave me… now with proper titles. Don’t’cha agree?”

“Yeah…” He recognized, nuzzling his temple against her nape. He looked up eagerly and asked, “What do I have to do be your Prince?”

“Oh, sweetie…” Choked Amber, her tears of joy now fiercer than ever. He looked so happy to be called that, with his blue eyes that resembled the stones on their bracelets, and a bright smile that looked no different than the one ten years ago. It gave her a profound sense of infatuation. “You were always my Prince” She merrily explained, taking the ‘Prince’ bracelet and fastening it around the man’s elegant wrist. She then proceeded to put her own on, flashing the plate that read ‘Queen’ to her lover. They both giggled at each other and held hands once more, letting the chains of both bracelets to lightly shackle against each other and creating a small metallic sound that gently rang in their ears.

Amber’s free hand slipped under his soggy t-shirt, the cold hand against his wet skin making him wince. “Take this off, it’s better if you do” she whispered. Cecil obliged, undressing his torso and tossing the polo into an open laundry basket. It still felt a little embarrassing disrobing in front of his childhood friend, even if they were no longer kids and had “gotten serious” with each other. He looked back at Amber, whose fingers was still circling around his flat chest. Almost as if she was equaling the playing field, she removed her own top, revealing her usual laced undergarments. She smiled, now gently rubbing the young man’s thigh. “You can’t sleep in this. You’ll get sick.” She explained.

“B-But…” The meek man began to blush as he restlessly crossed his legs “Then you’ll see my—”

Amber moved her slender finger over Cecil’s lips, and kissed his cheek before continuing, “But dear, we’re getting married… We were going each other eventually. After today, and how I acted like I did… I want to show you.” She hung her head, with regret in her eyes, “…Show you that I really do love you with all my heart”

“I already know that, Amber” comforted Cecil as he grabbed her hand and held it close to his heart. He kissed the back of her hand a few times and said, “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want for my sake”

“But I want to… words can’t express my love anymore.” Her sentence trailed off, averting her eyes in a shameful fashion. She felt like she had come off too strong, “Is that a bad thing?”

She felt the bed shift, and glanced over to find Cecil bashfully removing what was left of his clothes, “It was never a bad thing, Amber” he justified as the swimsuit fell down his legs and onto the carpet. “I was just worried because… I’ve never done anything like this before…” His pale complexion turned a bright cherry red as he stood there in his stark natural form. After a few moments, he took both of his hands to cover his private sector and said, “…I love you. I don’t wanna disappoint you”

Amber rose from the mattress, approaching Cecil with a sympathetic smile. As she slithered over, her arms reaching behind her shapely chest, uncoupling her bra, and she slowly threw it aside. Cecil’s heart skipped a beat, and he tried looking away from her almost perfectly rounded breasts. The monster girl’s hand rested on his chin, guiding it back to face her. He had a hard time keeping his eyes focused as his heart felt like it wanted to jump out his chest.

“It’s okay, you can look all you want. You’re the man I want to spend my life with. I love you so much…” She encouraged, showing her small fanged teeth through another genuinely loving smile. Their height difference left Cecil only as tall as the snake girl’s neck. “Don’t be scared, I’ve never done it before either” She said, now as close as physically possible to him. “It’ll be an experience for the both of us”

Her right hand gently grabbed his, pulling it away from his nether region, leaving Cecil’s other hand to survey the side of the Lamia’s hip before resting it behind her waist. He was worried, hoping his appendage wouldn’t press against the Lamia’s panties as he awkwardly pulled his pelvis back to give them some space. She noticed, and pulled his entire body in for a lascivious kiss as her arms enveloped around his neck. Eventually, with enough leverage, Amber pulled Cecil back down on the bed with her, not letting up their lips for a single second.

Their tongues twirled and twisted as they dearly held each other during what looked to be the biggest storm of the summer as it came crashing down from the heavens just outside. The distinct sound of rain harshly striking against the window was only surpassed by the wet smacking of lips, coupled with lewdly muffled cries of the two enjoying each others mouth. Both their faces faded a carnal red as the two tried so desperately to hold in their deep breathes, only so they could keep their kiss going. Finally, when they couldn’t hold it no more, they hesitantly disjoined their faces, getting lost in each other’s eyes as they did so.

“S-so…” Cecil asked bashfully as Amber’s hand dragged across his narrow chest, “What happens now?” To say he was feeling nervous was the very least of it as his slowly hardening member raised slowly in the air. He never felt so exposed as it awkwardly stood there.

The monster girl looked back with a somewhat embarrassed display, her hand freezing in place over her boyfriend’s heart. “Uhh… I’m not sure exactly…” She admitted, feeling Cecil’s warm blood and heart beating through his rib cage.

“I mean, if I understand things correctly… The thing goes into a—” Cecil began lecturing rather daintily.

“I know how it works, silly!” Amber chuckled, giving her lover a quick nudge to gently hush him. “But… I-I’ve never seen one for real myself” “I’m not sure how we go about it, either.” He puzzled, leaning his head against Amber’s shoulder.

“I guess there’s not much we can do but… try it out a bit?” She suggested, her hand slowly advancing to the half-erect length. Before she could fully take hold of it, a sudden burst of heat ran up her arm as if someone set it on fire, and she recoiled with a small, audibly scared hiss. After a moment, she regained composure and whispered, “… Sorry”

“Are you okay?” The young man uneasily queried. “Is something wrong with it?”

“No, no. Nothing’s wrong with you, darling.” She kindly affirmed as her other arm circled around his back and perched on his shoulder. “It’s just really hot to touch, is all. It’s like touching a stove”

“Oh… Sorry” He apologized soft-heartedly. He almost forgot about his fiancé’s cold blood, and felt remorseful that he indirectly caused her pain. “I-If you wanna stop now, I won’t mind”

“No… I want to be with you, in every sense.” She admitted yearningly. “Don’t you feel the same?” She loved him with all her heart, but she knew her emotions couldn’t be fully realized by just kisses or hugs anymore. She knew it was time to give this sweet young man the one gift that no one else could take ever again. “You mean the world to me…”

“Of course I feel that way!” He answered anxiously as he moved his head closer to hers. All he could really think about was making Amber happy, as that was his job as her future husband after all. “You’re my everything. If this is what you want, I’ll try my best for you.”

“The only thing I want is you” She cooed with an adorable smile, puckering her lips for another kiss. Engrossed in each other’s sweet taste, the Lamia’s tail began to slink across the boy’s stomach affectionately. As she observed her own appendage in the corner of her eye, Amber smiled as a brilliant idea stirred around in her head. Still locked in a kiss, her tail gently crawled over towards the standing phallus, and softly circled around it a couple of times before carefully constricting itself.

The scales were icy, causing his shaft to twitch, and forcing Cecil to let out a stifled muffle before withdrawing his mouth. “Amber?” he asked with a look of mild concern. It didn’t feel bad by any means, but it was still startling that she didn’t even ask.

“Sshh… I think I’ve fixed our problem” The monster girl grinned as her tail slowly began to stroke up and down in an almost rhythmic pattern. “So just sit back, and relax…” The first stokes felt awkward and left him wincing, but soon, the soft scales gently brushed against his sensitive skin. A feeling Cecil could only describe as euphoric, almost downright bewitching as a few perky moans involuntarily left his throat. “Feels good, right?” She lulled as she combed her lover’s hair aside for a better look at his red face. Cecil nodded, giving her an expression halfway between happy and hypnotized by the feeling. “After all these years practising and using my tail as third hand… It really comes in handy” The Lamia lovingly boasted, opting out to kiss her fiancé’s lips but rather his face to let him breath. Her own face had flushed as well, as the sensation of her tail’s blood heating through the friction of her motions combined with that of her love’s naturally velutinous skin left her with a lusty smile across her face.

She felt her own honeypot begin to moisten, and as she revealed herself by discarding her adorned lingerie. She uttered, “Sweetie… um, could you… help me with something?”

“Of course… I can” He smiled between deep breaths, “I won’t let you do all the work… But, help me out a little. I’m not to familiar with… that”

“Certainly~” She cooed. The snake girl gently grabbed his hand, escorting it to her already leaking petals, which were just at within the bounds of her human side, resting right at the line of scales that began her snake end. His touch flared her skin, like it always did. She suppressed her own fervid whines. Without any prior knowledge, Cecil’s intuition had him simply gently canvass her fleshy outer walls with his temperate, mild touch.

The juices had spilled all over Cecil’s hand at this point, and Amber loudly moaned as his fingers slipped between the gates. “A-Ah, Sorry Amber!” he chuffed, he was getting closer, and his mind began to blur.

“N-No… don’t stop, my prince!” She lewdly cheered, tightly holding his wrist tight to keep it nestled within her tunnel. Her inner walls were deceptively warm within, not unlike her mouth, which Cecil had plenty experience with. His fingers pranced around her sheath, every now and then unknowingly glossing over her G-spot. Every few seconds a jolt ran up the monster girl’s spine as her lover tenderly kneaded inside her slit. Her childhood love was feeling every inch of her, she was glad this moment came sooner rather than later. It wasn’t long before she cried out joyously, her nectar spilling out in a frenzy as she let Cecil remove his hand. Not so long after, and following a few more strokes with the Lamia’s snug tail, the young man’s rod began to twinge and tremble before a healthy discharge of his seed spilled over onto the scaled end of the monster girl.

Sitting there, covered in their own juices. “I’m… I’m sorry I made… a mess” Cecil atoned between huffs.

“It’s okay… people always say… ‘sex is messy’” Absolved Amber, holding her boy’s chest, “I guess we know that now, right?” She giggled. Even with such a lewd expression, Cecil couldn’t help but find Amber’s face majestically beautiful and laughed with her.

“Yeah…” her lover agreed, resting his head on a pillow.

“But… We still haven’t…” She alluded, her face reddening as she tried to carefully choose her words, “I wanna give you that more than anything”

“O-Of course, and I want to give you mine” He nervously nodded, sitting up from his resting position. “I guess… I’m ready when you are… My Queen.”

“I'm always ready for you…” Amber replied with a longing grin on her face as she rolled over. “My Prince” Lovingly holding his hands, she pulled him, using her long snake tail to coil around his stomach, keeping him in place as the two sat up, almost upright. Cecil’s stiffness became conspicuous once more, and with the help of her cold yet tender hand, the Lamia focused it right at the precipice of her womanhood. “Together…” She began closing in on his face.

“Forever…” The young man finished, seizing forward on his end.

A few minutes went by as they tried to properly position themselves, with Cecil wrapping his legs around Amber’s snake end. Even with the added difficulty of his lover having no legs, his shaft eventually slid into her tight, wet quim, separating her sacred gates, and pushing up against her hymen as he gently drove his length in entirely. She quivered as her sex clenched against his, and winced as she kissed her love deeply and passionately. It was so hot, like a fire had been kindled in her stomach. It was an amazing feeling to her.

“I-I’m gonna start… Okay?” Cecil requested, looking at her with uncertainty. Amber smiled with tears running down her face, and nodded as her arms wrapped around his head, letting him lean on her nape. Despite sounding (mostly) collected, he was left in utter disbelief as he slowly pulled and pushed his hips into her. With every move the walls clamped down on him, as if trying to so desperately to keep it inside her recesses. With a tender, yet deep thrust, Amber felt something split inside her, and the shock provoked a loud vulgar cry as a small bit of blood trickled out her warm entrance.

She did it. She gave her true love the absolute one gift that could never be returned, refunded, or gifted to anyone else. Any pain she felt before meant nothing now that she was overcome with utter content and bliss as she vigorously pulled her loves head in, pushing his face against the apex of her chest, and sloppily kissing his forehead over and over without fail.

Cecil returned the favour, kissing the sweaty skin that was her breasts. He was almost in shock as he came to fully understand what just happened. His childhood friend, the girl who always kept him safe. She just gave herself to him as he did, and he didn’t want it any other way. After the initial impact, they had soon built up a slow, but moderate speed, and with every thrust the sheath around his length squeezed tighter, eliciting unchaste sounds from the two as they lost themselves in lust-filled ecstasy from each other.

The rain could hardly be heard over the noises of their moans and cries, and the satisfying sounds of wet skin smacking into each other as the pace continued at a crawl. Their form was sloppy, imperfect, and every now and then they’d lose their tempo, causing some minor pain, but most of all, it was passionate. And that’s all they could feel while they struggled to hold each other in their arms.

“Mnnh… I’m sorry I was gone for ten years… I love you so much Amber!” He moaned. Even at a deliberate speed, he felt strained as his pelvis bucked like a piston. He seemed outwardly distraught, with his cracked voice and teary-eyed expression. Despite this, the only feeling he could comprehend in this moment was infatuation. He no longer questioned why Amber was so eager to have him physically, as those ten years of guilt melted away in an almost instant. He felt free of regret, a void which was soon replaced by more love the Lamia.

“Cecil!” She moaned, her arms keeping him in her tender vice. “All those years… I thought about you everyday! Sometimes you were all I thought about! My soon husband… my prince… I love you with all my heart!” she panted. She was so happy all her patience had paid off, just so she could be with him, and only him in this moment. It was amazing, they only felt like this because of each other. A truth Amber was gladly ready to accept. Her hands shifted from the boy’s shoulders to his face, amorously attacking his lips as they almost drooled over each other.

Tears rolled down both their cheeks, and Cecil began to feel his member twitch inside the swelling trench that was his lover. “Amber, we should be careful! I feel like I’m gonn—”

“I don’t care!” She huffed as her tongue hung from her agape mouth and her yellow eyes glazed over. “I don’t care if it’s safe today or not. If you made a baby with me… I’d be the happiest woman in the world. Give me everything, my prince!” She wailed, her tail anchoring her boyfriend in place.

A few final pumps were enough as his shaft erupted with semen, violently shooting in Amber’s sheath. She had never felt so warm, it was magnificent as she threw her head back and tightened her affectionate embrace around her true love. Rapture blanked her mind, and she cried out her lover’s name, almost announcing to the world what they had done as the skies continued to thunder, even in their climax.

Cecil was not left without euphoria of his own as the monster girl’s sex constricted tightly around his length, squeezing every last drop he had inside her. He could barely breath as he became intoxicated with waves upon waves of jubilation crashing down on his brain. They fell to the side, tightly hugging and facing each other as they soaked in the wet sticky bedsheets in a glorious post-coitus glow.

“I… love… you” Cecil strained, trying to stay awake, before effectively going comatose from the almost paralyzing feeling of satisfaction that overcame him. “My… queen…”

“I love… you too… My prince” She kissed him one more time, barely awake for just a few moments until she blacked out as well. --

Amber groaned as she reached for her keys from her bag. She had felt sluggish all afternoon, and even got chewed by her manager for falling asleep during her shift. She was glad to put the day behind her, and see her lover boy Cecil. At least she had that one last bright spot in her life. The snake girl closed her eyes, and imagined his sweet body in that adorable bright red apron again.

“Baby, I’m home~” beamed Amber as the door swung open, leaving her contempt at the front door.

“Dining room, honey!” He called back as his words echoed through the hall, “We have a visitor!”

“A visitor?” She chuckled, throwing her purse on the couch and slinking towards the dinette. “Who’d want to visit—” As soon as her head poked into the dining room, she felt her heart stop, and all the positive vibes she may have had before vanished into thin air. There she sat at the end of the mahogany dinner table, the wolf girl with grey ears and a tail that slowly waved back and forth. Her eyes we’re deep jade-green, and those fangs that decorated her grin. Wearing nothing but a tee and summer shorts over her fair figure. All those years without having seen her mug, Amber’s stomach twisted.

“Hey, Amber!” The wolf girl grinned as she politely let Cecil pour more piping hot tea into her cup “Long time, no see!”

“Hey… Monica” Amber welcomed with a phony smile. Luckily, being employed in the service industry, it had become one of her hidden talents. “It’s… been too long” She forced, gritting her teeth ever so slightly.

Chapter Four
“So, Monica…” Amber began, sipping her freshly poured tea as she sat opposite to the wolf girl. The silence was deafening as Amber took her time. Cecil pulled a chair next to Amber and reclined himself while Amber grasped his palm with her free hand. “To what do I owe the pleasure of this… visit?” The Lamia asked with a hint of sternness in her throat.

“I heard from…uh, *somebody* that you two are planning to tie the knot.” She smiled as she clasped her hands lightly. “I wanted to stop by and congratulate you both!”

Amber crossed her arms, and sighed, “Ali told you, didn’t she?” as she slouched back into her seat. Monica nodded as she took another drink. “Thanks. Is that it?”

“There is… actually one more thing”. Monica’s tone shifted as she fiddled awkwardly in her chair. She looked up at the young man who wore a kind expression and said, “Cecil, I know it’s been a long time, but… I’m sorry for how I treated you when we were younger.” Cecil piped up. “H-Hey, it’s no problem. That was so long—” He tripped around his words as the conversation suddenly switched focus on him.

“No, there was no excuse for my actions” She interrupted, hanging her head. She looked down into her empty teacup. “I was older than you, I really should’ve known better. I hope you can find the heart to forgive me… I’m so sorry” Monica felt anxious as she recalled her actions towards a younger Cecil. She was always a tough kid, but learned too late not everyone could play rough like her.

“You’re right” The snake girl sharply agreed. “There’s no excuse for how you treated him” Under the table, her tail found itself snuggled around Cecil’s left leg protectively. Without raising her voice, the Lamia went on, “And now after mulling over it for ten years, you decide now’s the best time to apologize?”

“I know it might not seem any better than not saying sorry at all” Monica sorrowfully replied, looking into the eyes of the snake girl. “We were all stupid kids once, Amber”

“The difference is your stupidity hurt Cecil” Amber placed both hands on the table as she rose from her seat and leaned over. She sniffed, clearly holding back tears, and sat back down as her arm swathed over Cecil’s shoulders. Cecil meant more than the world to her, and here she was, face to face with someone who put him in harms way all those years ago. Taking a deep breath, she finished with, “I’m not going to yell. You know the way out. Please leave.”

“I can understand that” Monica murmured as she ascended from the dining room chair. Standing at the doorway leading into the living room, the wolf girl looked over her shoulder and said, “I just hope you can forgive me one day…”. There wasn’t a hint of anger or even sadness in her voice as her words rang in the dining room. She simply accepted that not everything can be corrected with words, and left.

A few moments later, the two heard the front door quietly shut, leaving but both of them alone once more.

“Amber… Why’d you do that?” Cecil hesitantly inquired as he collected the tea cups and carried the try into the adjacent kitchen. Gently settling them in the sink, he turned the tap, allowing hot water to run through. He sighed, worrying that Amber’s temper might’ve gotten the best of her again.

“Because she can’t be trusted, that’s why” The Lamia answered, hugging Cecil from behind as he rinsed and scrubbed the china. Her arms clung around his chest under his arms, pressing her body against his. He could feel her breathing on his neck as the monster girl happily exasperated. It felt good to be close to her love again, feeling his warm body close to hers, and smelling the unmistakable scent of strawberry shampoo leaving his onyx hair.

“She’s not a criminal, Amber” Cecil justified, gently resting the cups on the drying rack. “She was only here to apologize” Amber noticed a slightly anxious tenor in his speech. Cecil moved away from her embrace to return the apron back to it’s proper hanger near the kitchen door.

Amber grabbed his shoulders from behind and stated, “But she hurt you… I can never forgive what she did to you” Her words became somewhat tense as well as her fingers curled tighter around her boyfriend. Her head titled, resting on the back of his cranium. “I’d never forgive someone who did that to you…”

“She was apologizing to me… doesn’t that mean I decide whether to forgive her or not?” He contested, turning around to uncouple the Lamia’s hands from his shoulder blade. The action was sudden, leaving Amber with an uneasy feeling at the bottom of her heart as she soundlessly gasped. They stared into each others eyes, and without words, Cecil was quick to hug his fiancé once more before he could realize what he’d done. “…That was over a decade ago, Amber.” He cordially whispered into her pointy ear “People can change for the better in that time, ya know? You just have to give them a chance.” He raised his head and kissed her scaly cheek. The Lamia followed his example, pecking his warm face before he slowly recoiled from the embrace with little resistance. After thinking it over for a few moments, he silently walked to the front door, grabbing his jacket from the coat rack. Neither upset nor angry, Cecil felt heavy air lingering on his shoulders.

Amber followed him. “You sure you should be going out this late?” The Lamia worried, drawing their attention to the now evening sky. It wasn’t an easy decision, but she ultimately decided to give Cecil some space in fear of pushing him away.

“Yeah... Just a little walk.” He approached her while zipping his jacket up, and puckered his lips to gently kiss her one last time. He was having the hardest time maintaining a steady gaze with her eyes and motioned his head elsewhere. “I promise I won’t be out too long” He pledged, holding his girlfriend’s hand. “I just need a little fresh air after being inside all day”

“Please don’t be gone long…” The snake girl requested pulling the boys hand to her face for some last minute warmth. He turned, but before he could take his next step, he felt Amber’s tail wrap around his ankle. Looking behind him, she heard him mutter, “Promise me…”

“I promise” Cecil murmured. The snake girl then willingly unlatched his ankle as he waved goodbye as the front door closed behind him.

All alone in a big empty house, Amber stood by the window until she could no longer see her prince walking down the street. “Ya did it again, Amber” She chastised herself, turning away and sitting on the now unfortunately spacious sofa. “You got caught up in your own world and didn’t think or even ask what he wanted…” She frowned as she rested her head against a pillow. “I’m so sorry Cecil…” Her eyes watered and she began to remember what it was like before his return. For the first time in a while, she felt alone and so cold, with her blood chilling to the bone. She hoped he would come home soon as sleep eventually claimed her. --

Cecil began to sulk as he glanced out to the night fallen city from within the now almost deserted Sunset Kitchen. Sighing to himself, he pulled out his phone to check the time, and as the numbers 9:37 flashed on the screen, Cecil worried if Amber was alright. His heart felt heavy as their last discussion replayed over and over in his mind, much to his chagrin. He wondered to himself if there’s more he could’ve said before leaving, or how the night might’ve played out if he had stayed. Knowing he didn’t want to be out for too long, Cecil began to grow impatient, tapping the table with his index finger to break the silence. The tapping quickly stopped when he recognized a voice ask him, “What’ll it be?”

He raised his head, only to see a familiar wolf girl dressed waitress uniform, holding a notepad and pen in her hands. “Monica? You work here?” he queried in a preoccupied tone.

“Oh hey, Cecil.” She returned kindly. “…Yep, the graveyard shift isn’t glorious, but someone has to do it, right?” She looked around, and after a few moments she wondered, “Amber not with ya?”

“No” he answered in exasperation. Resting his frowning face on his hand, he said, “We… had a little disagreement after you left.” His eye’s looked tired, and there was an uncertainty in his voice. “I’m really sorry about how Amber acted. She’s not usually like that”

“Don’t even worry about it” Monica courteously assured, seating herself opposite of him in the booth. “Amber was always fiercely protective of you. Can’t fault a person for loving someone. Right?” she explained with a friendly smile.

“I know… I just feel so awful” He admitted, slumping back into the leather. “I rushed out in a hurry because I was afraid to talk things out. That’s me I guess, useless at the first sign of trouble.” He closed his eyes, sniffling to himself. “I’m nothing but a coward…Amber deserves more than that”

“Being scared is totally natural when you’re in love” Abated the wolf girl. She handed him a napkin which Cecil promptly blew his nose into. “All of this relationship stuff is so new for you guys. Even if you’ve been best friends for a long time, there’s certain things that you can only know as lovers. I’m sure it’ll work out for you two… Because true love always finds a way.”

“You really think it’s true love?” Cecil questioned. “I mean; I’m don’t disagree with you or anything… but you haven’t seen either Amber or me in years…”

“Cecil, anyone with a working pair of eyes could see that you two were always in-love” Monica smirked. Even with her past actions still haunting her conscious, she was genuinely glad Cecil was able to find happiness through Amber. “You always look cute together, no matter how old you are” She added.

“Do you think she’ll forgive me?” Cecil pondered with a bit of doubt lingering in his voice.

“Of course she will!” The monster girl beamed as her emerald eyes lit up. “I don’t think there’s anything in the world Amber wouldn’t do for you!” She looked to see a glimmer of hope sparkle in the young man’s eyes as he raised his head. “The love two you share is extraordinary”

“Yeah… you’re right” Accepted the young man as a smile formed from his lips. His somber notions dispersed as the thought of being gently coiled and held by Amber emerged in his mind. He happily sighed and proclaimed, “I know every guy says it, but I feel like the luckiest man in the world when I’m with her.”

“You should go tell her that!” Advised a very cheerful Monica.

“Yeah, that sounds good! I-I’ll make sure she knows!” Cecil exclaimed as he jumped to his feet. A big hearty grin covered his face, and his sapphire eyes shone with conviction. After throwing on his coat, he turned to the wolf girl and said, “Thank you so much, Monica. I’ll be sure to invite you to the reception!”. His voice was clearer and his eyes were bright as stars.

“Oh, that’s good! I love weddings.” She grinned. Her smile was fanged, just like Amber’s. She could hardly sit still with all the excitement in the air around Cecil. “I hope everything works out”

“Me too” Nodded Cecil.

He left in a hurry, and continued down the sidewalk in a noticeably brisk walk, unaffected by the chilly autumn wind blasting against his face. He felt invincible, knowing nothing could stop him as he had one thing on his mind above all else: Amber. He slammed the crosswalk button zealously and restarted his stride as the light flashed green. As he crossed the pavement, Cecil raised his hand, shielding his face from the right as a bright light grew in the corner of his vision. He heard a screeching noise and abruptly turned his head.

The last thing he could see was the front end of a crimson sedan flying down the road towards him. Before he could react, the vehicle slammed into him, and the monumental pain overwhelmed his senses until his mind drifted into nothing but darkness.

--

It was around midnight when Amber’s phone began to ring. The loud noise startling her, she snored, “…Cecil?” as her head shot up from the cushion. She looked around the almost pitch black room, with the only light being her phone’s screen as it continued to ring. She sighed as she realized her love hadn’t returned home yet, and hung her head wistfully in response. She finally reached for her phone, and to her concern, saw the time as 12:21 am. She answered, “Hello?” with a tired inflection.

“Amber, oh thank God you finally answered!” sighed the wolf girl. “I tried calling you like six times!

“Oh… whaddya calling about?” she replied in deadpan. Why was she getting a call from the her at such a late hour, and where was Cecil? With every second she waited for an explanation her anxiety slowly began to take over, and her breathing became weighted.

“It’s about Cecil...” She stopped himself, and Amber could hear her unease as she talked. Taking a calm deep breath, she continued “They had to rush him to St. Alexandria…”

A pin could drop as the Lamia’s world fell silent. If she had been standing, she most certainly would’ve fallen to the floor, and tears swelled under her golden eyes. She eventually mustered enough energy to answer, “W-What …”

“…He got in a car accident not too far from Greyhill Avenue… I told the EMT guys I’d call you because you’re his fiancé” Monica explained. Her words were stiff and awkward. She heard her near-muted sobbing over the line and quickly added “B-But, they said he wasn’t fatally wounded! …Amber?” The dial tone rang in the monster girl’s ear as Amber ended the call without so much as a goodbye. The conversation didn’t matter to her as she threw on her coat, almost running out the front door and slamming it behind her. Her emotions eventually collapsed on as the monster girl realized that she failed her promise to protect him, causing a sharp pain to strike through her chest. “P-please hang there, my prince…” Amber cried to herself as she pushed herself to continue moving forward against the harsh flurry of wind.

The dark foreboding clouds that had tucked the moon away didn’t matter.

The freezing gale blowing tears off her face and chilling the already cold blood didn’t matter.

Nothing mattered to her.

Nothing but Cecil mattered.

--

The entrance leading into the hospital’s lobby swung open as Amber approached the reception desk. The blonde, bespectacled nurse looked up from her monitor at the nervous wreck of a snake girl looming over the counter and politely asked, “Can I help you?”.

The Lamia’s auburn hair was unkempt from the windstorm, and her eyes were still watery, even if she managed to stop crying. “Cecil McConnell… I-I’m his fiancé, A-Amber Eulrich.” She responded. It was clear she was still shaken by the recent turns of events, and with every other word trying so hard to hold back tears. “I-Is he ready for visitors?”

“O-Oh… Of course” The nurse solemnly nodded her head. “Right this way, dear.” Standing up from her chair, she revealed her short stature and led Amber down one of the many sterile and stilled hallways. She’d occasionally look the left of her and with every step, the snake girl looked more and more restless, fidgeting with her hair. Amber peered through every open door as they passed, hoping her love would come into view.

They eventually reached a room numbered “C-119”, but before they could proceed they were halted by a tall, fairly lithe man in a white coat with a 5 o’clock shadow and light brown hair. “Amber Eulrich? A Ms. Wright was on the scene and told our EMTs you’d be visiting” He guessed, with Amber anxious nodding her head. “I’m Dr. Blanchard. I was part of the team that helped stabilize your fiancé.” He introduced, extending his palm to shake her hand.

“Oh, hello…” Amber returned, though she barely had the energy to reciprocate the gesture. All she could do was look at the floor and anxiously inquire, “Can I see my Cecil?”. There was anguish in her eyes, and Blanchard began to feel uncomfortable.

“Yes… But, prepare yourself.” The doctor began sympathetically. “It’s always different for everyone, but if you don’t think you’re emotionally prepared to—”

“Just let me see him already!” Amber hissed sorrowfully as she grabbed Blanchard’s coat in anger. After a minute of dreadfully staring down the man with her dilated cobra-like eyes, Amber quickly regained her composure and murmured, “Sorry… Please, let me see him”

“It’s quite alright” Blanchard insisted, swiping his id card against a reader on the wall. “I understand that you must be quite emotional right now… Go ahead, Ms. Eulrich” He stepped aside for the snake girl, finally allowing her to enter. The nurse sympathetically patted her shoulder and nodded when their eyes met as the monster girl reached for the knob.

She slowly opened the door, and what Amber witnessed next broke her heart in two. The meek, young man laying in bed dressed in a patient’s gown, with visible bandages wrapped around his neck, torso and arms, and hooked to a couple of machines. “C-Cecil?” She almost cried out. The Lamia hurriedly approached the bedside, once again visibly on the verge of weeping. Her arm gently curved between the back of his head and the pillow it rested on, holding his face close to hers as she veered over him.

His body was unmoving and his skin notably colder than usual. Amber wasn’t used to it but it sickened her heart feeling like this. “…I’m so sorry, my dear prince” she mumbled in his ear. “I’m sorry about everything!”. Tears ran down her face as she pecked his cheek with her cold lips. She couldn’t stop looking at his beautiful but emotionless features, feeling almost completely responsible for what had happened. A sense of distress filled the air as the room fell silent, only to be broken by the beeps of nearby machines. The doctor entered the chamber shortly thereafter. Amber looked away from her sleeping boyfriend and asked, “Please tell me he’s going to be okay!” almost frantically as she tried to speak clearly between her sobs.

“We predict full recovery with no foreseeable permanent damage. For all intents and purposes, your fiancé was extremely lucky.” Dr. Blanchard consoled. “His vitals have been stabilized, but we’re unsure as of late when he’ll wake up” He sighed with deep regret, circling the left temple of his head with his index finger. “It could be a day, month, year…” He averted his gaze from the sad scene presented before him. A beautiful woman crying from the near loss of her dearly beloved. A situation he had seen too many times that never got easier to watch.

“…Or even longer. We don’t know just yet.” He gazed back, with Amber only half-listening as she pulled a nearby chair right next to the mattress with her tail, and reclined in it as she continued to hold her lover close to herself without interfering with the machines. “I’ll… I’ll leave you two alone. As long as you allow the staff to do their routines, you don’t have to leave anytime soon…” He excused himself away with the nurse not too far behind.

“I know I failed my promise to you. And I’m so sorry…” She whimpered to him as her fingers brushed away the disheveled jet-black hair away from his comely face. She sniffled to herself and told the unconscious Cecil, “But please keep yours…”

“…You promised you wouldn’t leave again…”

--

The storm eventually dwindled, and the sun began to rise, beckoning a brand-new day for the quiet metropolis. Fast asleep in a chair next to her lover’s bed was the exhausted, yet endlessly troubled Lamia. Her arms had carefully wrapped around Cecil as she shared the young man’s cushion, laying her face ever so close to his. Even with his stilted breath and bruised skin, it had been enough to eventually lull Amber into slumber when she was finally able to vigilantly hold the boy she loved in her arms again.

Her large ears flickered as the halls roused with the hospital’s morning staff clocking in for the day. Amber slowly lifted her head from the large shared pillow, opening her mouth wide as a long-winded yawn left her lungs. After rubbing the crust from her eyes, the snake girl turned back to the bed. Much to her dismay, she was met with her continuously impassive fiancé, whom of which was still hooked up to various machines fixed behind the bedstead. Like her typical morning routine, the monster girl leaned over and planted a wet kiss on the boy’s brow before gently whispering, “Please wake up soon, sweetheart” to him with a grimace.

The loud door handle clicked from the outside, and the snake girl looked up from her lover’s face in response. Amber waited with baited breath as the knob slowly turned, and the door creaked open for the first time since her own arrival. Two adults emerged from the entryway and approached the cot where Cecil rested.

Only after a minute of visually dissecting their faces did Amber lightly gasp at the revelation of their identity. The man was tall, and his finely-chiseled face displayed eyes that were of a weary emerald green, complimenting his neatly-combed charcoal hair. The other was a petite woman, her iris was a bright sky blue, and whose face possessed similar cute features reminiscent of the young man asleep before all three of them.

“Oh, my God… Jack, I can’t believe it” The teary-eyed woman respired, averting her gaze from the boy. She pressed her face against the man’s chest, and as tears ran down her cheeks she quietly cried, “They always say it can happen to anyone, but you never think—”

“It’s… okay, Diane” The gentlemen gently hushed in comforting tone. Even without tears, it was evident within his inflection that this was just as upsetting to him as it was to her. Wrapping his stout arms around the woman and stroking her back reassuringly, he whispered to her, “Dr. Blanchard said he’ll be okay. We’ll… we’ll get through this as a family…”

The room became dreadfully quiet as Amber could do nothing but watch these two try to comfort each other. It was too upsetting for Amber’s already distressed heart, and she weakly rose from her seat with anguish. The older couple glanced over as the Lamia slowly advanced towards them with waterlogged eyes. “Mr. and Mrs. McConnell?” the monster girl snuffled. “I don’t know if you remember… I-It’s me—” Before Amber could finish, she felt the convivial touch of Mrs. McConnell lightly holding her shoulder.

“Of course we remembered you, Amber…” Cecil’s mother faintly smiled, obviously struggling to push through her immediate sorrow for the Lamia’s sake. Both her and her husband opened their arms to accommodate the weeping Lamia into their shared embrace. With her disorderly outward appearance and dark circles under her drenched ashen eyes, Amber was a nervous wreck to say the least. “Sweetie, when was the last time you had proper sleep?” Diane questioned with deep concern.

Amber cleared her throat, and feebly responded with, “N-not since Saturday…” She dreadfully gripped the sleeves of Mrs. McConnell’s windbreaker, trying so hard not to fall to the floor, even if it felt like her best option.

Almost like a maternal instinct, Diane began softly whispering into Amber’s ears, “Sshh… it’s alright, dear. It’s going to be alright…” as the snake girl’s relentless weeping filled the sombre silence of the impersonal room.

“N-No it’s not!” the monster girl argued, pushing herself away from their hug. She didn’t deserve this kind solace, not from these lovely people, and especially not after what she did to their only child. It was more guilt that fell onto her shoulders, making it hard for her to stand. “It’s all my fault! I-If it wasn’t for me… H-He wouldn’t be here!”

“Amber…” Mr. McConnell spoke up. His voice was concrete, yet calming as he spoke up, “Please stop, you had nothing to do with—”

“You don’t get it!” She interrupted, embarrassingly turning away from them. Keeping solid eye-contact with her fiancé’s parents was all but a herculean task in of itself as her guilt slammed against her conscious like a sledgehammer. “That night…” She clarified, spluttering every other word as water kept running down her expression, “W-We had an argument… and then he went out late… a-a-and then he…”

Veiling her face with both hands to avoid her self-appointed shame, the snake girl immediately slithered out the room, yelling, “I’m so sorry!” before slamming the door behind her.

Cecil’s father took a concerned step towards the door, but ceased as his wife held his arm and shook her head deliberately. They found each other in one more hug as Diane expressed, “Give the girl some time, Jack. She’ll come around eventually, it’s been a miserable day for her…” --

Amber looked up at the clock fixed above the door as she tidied the space around her dearly beloved. She sighed, watching as the hour hand barely ticked closer to 12. It wasn’t even noon and she was already emotionally drained. The Lamia’s only solace was that the McConnell’s were currently absent, as she found it incredibly strenuous to face them, even more so after yesterday’s… incident.

She heard a light knock at the door before it swung open without warning. There was Ali with a beautiful bouquet of flowers in her arms. “Knock, knock…” The tomboy whispered while she approached the bedside. Setting the vase of assorted red, orange and white roses on a nearby table, Ali placed her hand on Amber’s shoulder, provoking the monster girl to finally glance away from her boyfriend. “How’re ya… How’re ya holding up?” The tanned woman asked supportively, though she already knew the answer as she gazed into the snake girl’s uneasy golden eyes.

“Not well.” Mumbled the preoccupied Lamia, half-heartedly shaking her head as she lifted herself from the chair. It was difficult in her current state of mind, but Amber reached over and wrapped her fingers around Cecil’s palm. He was still cold, devoid of all affection or warmth. She longingly gripped his hand and snivelled to her friend, “I still can’t believe I let this happen... Cecil deserves better”

Grabbing her friend by the shoulders, the bronzed woman let out a hearty sigh, and turned the monster girl around to face her. “Amber…” She whispered, solemnly tightening her grip to keep her attention. “I’m telling you this as my best friend; The more you blame yourself, the more you hurt those trying to help”

Amber was only half-listening to her friend as she continued to reprimand herself with, “But if it wasn’t for me, he’d wouldn’t be here!” Her voice cracked, and she looked down at the floor in disgrace as she pathetically wiped her runny nose with her forearm.

Ali sighed sympathetically in response. The snake girl truly believed it was her own fault, and it most obviously showed in her stutter-filled dialect, sounding like a broken toy. “Amber, criticizing yourself like this isn’t really—”

“I promised him, Ali! He kept his promises for me, but I can’t do the same for him!” The Lamia interrupted with a heart-breaking declaration, throwing her head upwards to face the tomboy yet again. “What kind of friend does that make me? Huh?!” She asked almost explosively as her eyes watered, and her pupils thinned closer to a cobra’s as her heart strained.

Realizing the conversation now could turn ugly at the drop of a hat, Ali attempted to ease the increasingly upsetting situation with, “If you just calm down for a second and think about—”

“What if he wakes up a-and he hates me for what happened? I won’t lose just my best friend, but the only boy I’ll ever love!” The monster girl proclaimed, her emotions eventually boiling over and her grief flooding her thoughts like a tidal wave of self-loathing. Her yellow eyes returned to their more human shape, and instead of misplaced anger, her heart merely filled with more anguish as she candidly confessed to her friend, “I’d rather die than lose him!”

Ultimately reaching the end of her patience, her fuse lit and Ali took a deep breath to shout, “Amber! For God’s sakes, put away your ridiculous ideas for once and think rationally!” at her friend. Her words echoed throughout the room, and Amber felt speechless as it rang in her ears. Even with her vastly elevated tone, Ali sounded more concerned then angry.

“None of this is your fault… You weren’t the bartender that served that driver too many beers, and you certainly weren’t the one behind the wheel that night.” The tomboy explained, returning to her natural volume, and easing her clasp on Amber. She disturbed to see her friend like this, especially after seeing her once so happy with her husband-to-be. “Do you want to know what you are?” she thoughtfully asked.

With her emotions currently in disarray, Amber only softly nodded her head in response, but stayed hushed as she moved back to sit next to Cecil’s bedstead.

The snake girl then returned attention to her bronzed friend who expressed, “You’re the incredible woman whose loves this man with all her heart! And you proved it with everything you’ve done for him so far!” with an almost smile while resting her hand on the Lamia’s head. “Blaming yourself isn’t going to make him mend any faster. So, stop thinking about what you could’ve done, and think about what you can do when he’s awake. I know you love him, Amber… and if he truly loves you… he’ll wake up soon enough”

They smiled at each other as the Lamia ascended from her seat and wrapped her arms around Ali. “So… that means he’ll wake up then, right? Because our love is really strong?” Amber queried into her friend’s ear. What Ali said resonated with the monster girl, and for the first time in three days, Amber had a reason to smile.

Tears tickled down the flesh and scaled face of the snake girl, cuing Ali to pat her friend’s back. Recognizing with great certainty that they were tears of joy, the tanned woman hushed words of comfort into her angular earlobes. “Yes… I don’t think even fate, or God, or whatever can keep you two lovebirds apart.” She encouraged as she felt Amber’s embrace tighten.

The bronzed gal meant every word of it, knowing that reuniting with her star-crossed lover was the only permanent solution to Amber’s misery.

“Thanks Ali… I’m sorry for all the trouble,” Amber answered with a weak grin. She sat down back in her chair, and brushed Cecil’s hair aside to admire his lovely face. Gently kissing his cheek, Amber laughed a bit as she said to her friend, “It’s funny to think I was the one that needed a wake up call…” Her words were clear once more, unflustered as her self-doubt faded away from her thoughts.

“Anytime…” The tanned beauty reassured, resting her hand on the Snake girl’s surprisingly relaxed shoulder. She spoke up, comforting her friend with a final thought, “He’ll wake up soon, Amber. When he does, I hope that holding him in your arms will end all this absurd guilt you’ve been having”

“I know it will…” The Lamia quietly coincided without looking away from her boyfriend. She grinned, allowing her small fangs to show as her heart fluttered jovially like a hummingbird in anticipation to see her lover’s sky blue eyes again.

They sat there in silence, but unlike the previously uncomfortable silence, the unfamiliar stillness was quite tranquil as a glimmer of hope shone in Amber’s golden eyes.

--

Even as the staff dispersed and interchanged for the coming evening, corridors still echoed with the amalgamated sounds of Doctors and nurses conversing, noisy trollies being pushed forward, and the repetitious stirs of medical equipment. It was all white noise to Amber as she sat in her chair, penciling away inside a small notebook, only to look up occasionally to study Cecil’s features as he rested motionlessly before her. Amber grinned, admiring her handiwork that was a fairly realistic sketch of her beloved Cecil, dressed in a suit and standing under an alter. Her newly found optimism had helped dismiss the severe anxiety she had felt all week, and helped her keep her mind busy as more days past, still waiting for her boyfriend to wake up from his condition.

The Lamia was so distracted with her penciling that she failed to notice as someone else enter the room, and only looked up from her sketchpad when the visitor politely cleared her throat to begin speaking. As Amber gazed upward, she displayed a friendly smile, recognizing the same bespectacled nurse she met the night of the accident. “Oh, hello again!” Amber instigated. As she rested her notebook on the side of the bed, the Lamia courteously asked, “Is there something you need?”

“I should be asking you that, Ms. Eulrich.” The nurse chuckled. “I was worried when I came this whole ordeal might’ve taken a bigger toll on you…” The nurse hesitated with bated breath, but eventually finished her thoughts, “If you don’t mind me saying, you’re looking a lot better than the night you came in.”

The monster girl sheepishly looked away, confessing to the nurse, “It did take a lot out of me for the first little while… But I know my darling will wake up soon because… I love him and… he loves me… And we’ll always be together.” Her voice cracked, but Amber knew she had to stay strong for him, only letting a few tears trickle underneath her eyes before wiping them away.

“Don’t worry, Ms. Eulrich.” The golden haired woman consoled as she pulled a chair next to Amber. “His recent results have shown promise of a faster recovery period than we expected!” She gladly informed, giving the monster girl a supportive pat on her left shoulder.

The snake girl smiled and replied, “You have no idea how happy that makes me.” Taking a deep breath, Amber slouched back in her chair as she queried, “Thank you, Miss…?”

“Oh sorry! Please, call me Lily!” The nurse introduced with delight. She was fairly chirpy all around, and her voice was gleeful and saccharine when she spoke, not unlike Amber. The monster girl guessed she couldn’t have been any older than herself, which was a welcome change of pace.

“Thank you, Lily. I’m Amber.” She finally introduced to the bubbly nurse as she grabbed her sketchbook of the bed, and flipped it open to her current drawing. She began to clean up the portrait, erasing sketch contours and going over it with solid strokes.

“Oh… wow.” Gasped Lily as she got a better look inside the pad. Her eyes darted back and fourth between the page and the young man resting in his cot, comparing the likeness of the illustration with the real thing. “Did you make that? It’s really good!” She bluntly complimented, as she was never one for subtlety.

“Oh this?” The snake girl looked up in bewilderment, not used to hearing people talk about her art. It was a nice feeling, and she quietly chuckled to Lily, “Thanks, but… Be honest. On a scale of one to crazy, how bad is it I drew my boyfriend dressed up at our wedding months in advance?” She propped up the sketchbook on her lap to give Lily a better view as she waited for her answer.

“I think it’s really cute, actually!” The nurse laughed jovially. The more Lily learned about them, the more she wanted to ask, “He’s so lucky to have someone who cares about him so much. If you don’t mind me asking, how long have you two known each other?”

“Let’s see...” Amber pondered for a moment, placing her finger on her chin as she did the math in her head. “I was twelve at the time, so he must’ve been seven when we first met!” She answered after a few seconds of silence.

“Oh! So it’s childhood love?” Lily giggled madly like a school girl who’s read too much manga. “Oh my God, that’s so adorable! It’s like a movie! Aww, no wonder you love him so much!” She giddily smiled, her bright blue eyes shining through her wireframe glasses. The tonal shift in the air was welcoming for both the monster and the nurse, compared to the usual hum-drum, gloomy mood the rest of the building radiated.

“Yep. I’ve loved him with all my heart ever since.” Amber proudly acknowledged. There was nothing she took more pride in than her love for her man. Tilting her head, she raised an eyebrow and began to recall her memories for the nurse who was kind enough to listen, “Let’s see, it was sometime in early April I think? I can see so it vividly… I’ll never forget that magical day…” --															~11 Years ago~

“See, honey?” The man stirred, catching his breath as he set down the last small, yet surprisingly heavy box down on the carpeted floor next to the others. “I told ya this was a good house for the price!” He lovingly smirked to his wife as she slithered closer. “Nice and spacious for a growing Lamia, good school districts, close to my new office…”

“Alright, alright, sweetie.” The mature snake lady chuckled, affectionately wrapping her arms around her husband’s shoulders and kissing his lips before affirming to him, “I’ll admit; when you’re right, you’re right.” She deeply sighed, presenting a worried expression to her spouse as she pondered with a heavy heart, “I just hope this isn’t all too fast for Amber…”

The man shared her concern while reaching for one of the monster woman’s hands, and gently squeezed it in reassurance as he supportively answered, “A fresh start is always good, Annie. I’m sure she’ll make some friends in due time.”

“I really hope so, Richard…” The Lamia sniffed, pressing her cheek against her husband’s shoulder. She closed her eyes, and restively murmured to him, “It’s always been so difficult for her because she’s like me. I just want our daughter to be happy, you know?”

He lowered his face and kissed his wife’s head in response to her uncertainties. “I want her to be happy too. But please, don’t blame yourself my dear… It’s best if we stay positive about all this.” He rationalized in a hushed voice, as to not disturb their daughter.

It was true that a reason for them moving across state was for Amber’s sake, as being a monster girl proved her an easy target for harassment, as well as making it difficult for her to make friends. The result had left Amber isolating herself more and more, which eventually even affected her grades in school. Both her parents felt truly afflicted as they could only hope a clean slate was the right answer to their daughter’s troubles.

“Right.” The serpent mother agreed as she regained composure. Smiling at her husband with her fangs tucked behind her supple lips, she reflected to him, “The last thing Amber needs is thinking we’re upset because of her.” Mr. Eulrich silently nodded and he embraced his wife in agreement with a kiss. The doorbell chimed, and the two spouses puzzlingly looked at each other. Mr. Eulrich eventually decided to answer, and was greeting with a cheerful looking couple, comprised of a tall, dark haired man with emerald eyes and thin glasses, accompanied by a woman of shorter stature and a cute face holding his hand with a small, mousey looking boy between them.

“Oh, hello there!” Mr. Eulrich introduced as he slowly swayed the door open all the way.

The tall man respectfully extended his arm for a handshake, giving a smile as he introduced himself, “I’m Jack McConnell, and this is my beautiful better half, Diane, and of course, our pride and joy, Cecil.” He patted his son’s head, and chuckled as the boy shyly hid himself behind his mother’s legs in response. “We’re from across the street, we just wanted to welcome you to the neighbourhood!”

“Good to meet you, Jack, Diane.” Mr. Eulrich reciprocated, heartily shaking both their hands. He motioned them inside and continued talking as he closed the door behind them, “I’m Richard Eulrich, and this wonderful woman is Annie.” Richard awkwardly chuckled as he cleared some floor space for their guests while uttering, “Sorry for the mess, we weren’t expecting visitors!”

Diane kindly shook her head and absolved to Mr. Eulrich, “Please, there’s no need to apologize. We just dropped by for a quick hello is all, no need to worry about us!” The snake women joined her husband’s side, wrapping her arms around Richard’s waist as she appreciatively avowed, “My, it’s so nice to have people you can call neighbourly for a change!”

“Well, we hope to help in any way we can!” Diane offered in her usual bouncy tenor. She felt her son still pressed against her legs, and kneeled down to reach his eye level. He looked worried, and as Diane combed her gentle fingers through his silky hair, she gave him her usual motherly smile and said, “It’s okay, dear… you don’t have to hide from Mr. and Mrs. Eulrich.”

Cecil sheepishly nodded, “O-Okay, mommy…” His cheeks flushed red as he turned to face them, and timidly stared at the floor as all eyes fell on him. Having similar feelings to his first day of school, he struggled to even mumble, “Um, hello. my name is Cecil and…” The boy took a deep breath to prepare himself, his voice cracking as he profusely apologized, “I’m sorry for hiding! It’s just… your very tall, sir, a-and you’re very pretty ma’am! You both seem really nice!”

He stood there, waiting for the worst to come, but only after a few seconds of silence did all four adults break into laughter. Mr. Eulrich wiped a tear from under his eye, and chortled to the young McConnell, “Don’t worry, Cecil. You won’t get in trouble for compliments, I assure you.”

Taking off his glasses and wiping the lenses with his shirt, Jack smiled proudly and lovingly tasselled the boy’s hair as he expressed, “He’s a little shy around strangers, but there’s no better kid I’d want for a son…”

Annie leaned down, and benignly whispered to the nervous child, “Aw, it’s okay Cecil. I was just worried I scared you or something…”

“N-No, you’re not scary at all, ma’am!” Cecil hastily clarified, gaining courage to look at her face-to-face. He noticed her radiating a similar maternal glow like his own mother, and Cecil’s anxiety quelled. He cleared his throat, and proudly insisted to them, “I really like making friends! I wanna be friends with everyone I meet, no matter who they are!”

Richard awed with the rest of the room in response to Cecil’s endearing naivety. “That’s an interesting way of thinking, Cecil.” Mr. Eulrich favourably nodded to the boy as he advocated, “I hope it works out well for you.”

As Annie’s eyes glimmered with an idea, she turned back to Cecil, and pleasantly asked, “Speaking of… Cecil, would you care to meet out daughter, Amber?” She stood up, and slinked closer to the staircase, motioning Cecil to follow with, “She’ll be fairly lonely for a while. I’m sure she’d appreciate meeting a new friend like you right about now.”

“O-Of course ma’am!" Cecil happily accepted without hesitation. He stood up from the floor and ran over to the stairway, showing the brightest smile as he claimed, “I’ll be her friend, I promise!”

The snake woman smiled, shedding a single tear of relief as she replied, “Thank you, Cecil… that would mean a lot to Amber.” Annie’s troubles seemed to fade as she led Cecil up the staircase to her daughter’s room.

--

Trying to get comfortable while she laid on her stomach, the snake girl propped up her torso with a pillow as she opened a blank page inside her small, orange journal. Before her pen could even land on the paper, she sighed in self-defeat, realizing the last few days of moving between cities hadn’t given her much to reflect on at all. Looking up from her pad, all she saw were four barren walls and packed-up boxes of varying sizes taking up most her flooring. She couldn’t say she missed her old house, or the community she “was a part of”, but knew it would be at least a while until this place became home.

“Amber, honey?” Mrs. Eulrich pleasantly called as she gently knocked on the door. Troubled by the silence, her hand was already wrapped around the doorknob as she announced, “You have a visitor! May we come in?”

Her attention finally caught, Amber raised her head while cautiously calling back, “Huh? Yeah, sure mom.” as she sat upright on the end of her mattress. She raised an eyebrow in suspicion. A visitor? She didn’t know anyone from around here, not that they’d want to visit her even if she did.

The motherly snake woman entered with the young boy in tow, presenting a suspiciously eager smirk as she stepped to the side so they had a clear look at each other. Cecil especially was thunderstruck as he laid eyes upon the young Lamia. Her face was still conventionally cute with an interspersed trace of maturity, her shiny hazelnut hair was ever so gracefully styled around her shoulders, and her alluring eye’s sparkled like yellow diamonds as the natural light reflected off of them. Cecil found all of her entirety eye-catching as he stood there, his eyes lit up like the summer sky and his mouth agape, empty of words.

“Amber… this is Cecil. His family lives across the street.” She explained, patting his dishevelled sable hair and provoking a subtle blush from the cute boy. “He’s a very nice young man, and with us living in a new place, I’d hope you two could be friends.” Mrs. Eulrich suggested in an overly enthusiastic voice. There was a hint of unease in her words, but neither of them picked up on it.

Not fully processing what all this was about or why her mother was overjoyed to have her meet someone, the snake girl awkwardly waved her hand, feeling too uncomfortable for words.

Cecil shook his head, trying to refocus back into the conversation. He fervently waved back before lifting his head to meet Mrs. Eulrich’s gaze. With his predictable, yet saccharine voice he inquired, “Ma’am, is that your daughter? Because she’s super pretty like you!”

Choking on her own breath, the monster girl managed to sputter out a shocked, “W-what?” amidst all the commotion.

Amber’s mother grinned, chuckling to her daughter “Oh my… Seems like you’ve already got yourself an admirer, dear!” Though genuinely charmed by the rapidly unfolding situation that played out before her like a lifetime film, Mrs. Eulrich slinked out the door, with her parting words being, “I’ll leave you to it.”

Amber reached for the door, calling out, “Wait, what? Mom! —” Slightly annoyed by her mother’s meddling, the monster girl audibly huffed as she remembered that there was no changing her mind once she settled on something. “You don’t have to lie, you know. I know you think I look scary…” The Lamia exasperated without even turning to face the boy. Unpleasant memories began cascading back to the snake girl, and her voice cracked as she attempted to hold back tears, “Everyone else seems to think so.”

“I-I don’t think that at all!” Cecil was quick to defend, approaching the Lamia cheerfully. His adorable smile fashioned back onto his face, as he praised her in his most sincere voice, “I think your very pretty, Amber! Why would I lie to a nice person like you?”

“You… actually think I’m pretty?” Amber sniffed as her lovely yellow eyes met his innocent azure gaze. He didn’t look or sound like he was lying, but the monster girl’s heart still felt uncertain. Not entirely convinced of his intentions, Amber refused to let up her despondent attitude, “But what about my snake tail? A-and my fangs… my ears and my—”

“All of it is pretty!” The boy intervened, standing on his toes to raise his eye level by a negligible amount. His words resonated with honesty, for even just talking to the Lamia made him feel things he never thought possible. “You’re really, super ultra pretty! You must have a lot of friends!” Guessed the boy with great conviction as he lost balance and retuned to his feet.

Amber shook her head despairingly, finally opening up to something that wasn’t her journal, “N-No, Cecil… I don’t really have friends.” She could see Cecil’s lips slowly form a frown, and she looked away uncomfortably as she continued, “A lot of kids are afraid of me. You’re the first kid who didn’t run away or call me names.”

“W-Well then bullies don’t deserve a friend like you!” The boy exclaimed wiping the few tears from his eyes.

Her story hit too close to home, and Cecil fell to the floor, sadly admitting to the snake girl, “I want to make friends with everyone I meet… but most people make fun of me because I’m small and because I can’t play sports very good.”

Surprised by this revelation, Amber discarded her previous apathy as she lowered herself closer to the snivelling boy who kept talking, “But you’re so pretty a-and you’re super nice! You should be a princess!” Wearing a smile, Cecil titled his head up to meet her face, but felt dismayed when all he could see were those beautiful yellow eyes flood with tears. “Uh-oh… Did I say something bad?” He anxiously whispered to her.

“N-No It’s just…” The snake girl rubbed under her eyes and mumbled in an appreciative voice, “No one’s ever called me a princess before.” A smile began to creep on her lips, allowing Cecil to see her pearly white fangs offset her red lips, along with the rest of her lovely face, for the first time.

Smiling along with the monster girl, Cecil kept his momentum going, adding, “Well that’s cause you’re even better than a princess! You should be a queen! Queen Amber!” He began saluting her as if she really was royalty, placing his hand over his heart and gracefully bowing. He’d do anything to keep her smiling, as it made his whole being fluster with emotions.

“Just call me Amber, Cecil…” Amber chuckled as her cute laugh made Cecil redden some more. Her voice carried a bubbly inflection as she began to almost hum her words. She had no idea how or why this boy was doing it, but for once in her life, Amber didn’t feel so alone in this world. With a cautionary smile, she asked one last time, “So you really wanna be my friend?”

“Uh-Huh!” The boy wildly grinned, his eyes sparkling like the ocean shore. Cecil felt dizzy, drunk on the wonderful feelings his new friend gave him. He grabbed the Lamia’s hand, and as he held it compassionately, he exclaimed to the world, “I’ll be your best friend! Your bestest friend in the whole world! Someone like you deserves a best friend!”

Their embraced hands sent a wave of body heat flaring up the snake girl’s arm, who reacted with a startled, “~Aahh…” It was as if her hand was kindling over an open fire, but without any of the pain. The feeling was unbelievable, and her mind went blank for several moments before regaining her grasp on reality.

Unsure of what Amber’s response meant, the boy tilted his head to a certain degree, nervously inquiring to her, “What’s wrong, Amber?”

“N-Nothing… Nothing’s wrong.” The monster girl managed to respond as she took a deep, soothing gasp. She looked down in astonishment at their interlocked fingers and calmly hissed, “Your hand, it’s… so warm and soft. I’ve never felt like that before.” She was dumbfounded, not even her parents gave her the same feeling, even if they had held her hands many times in the past.

“O-Oh…” Cecil awkwardly replied. He began to loosen his grip and lean back, asking her, “D-Do you want me to let go?”

Desiring anything but that, Amber fiercely hissed, “N-No!” as she stiffened her grip on his small palm. A few seconds went by before she realized how aggressive she had acted, and the snake girl blushed hard, momentarily turning away to collect herself. “but… um, actually, can I… Can I hold your other hand too, Cecil?” She timidly requested of him, feeling totally inexperienced of these emotions that occupied her mind.

“Of course!” The boy concurred without a moment’s hesitation. He was finally glad to find someone who he felt confident being with, and slowly raised his right hand to meet hers in the little space between left between them. Looking deep into her eyes, the boy giggled, and promised to her, “I’d do anything for my best friend!”

The monster girl carefully, yet affectionately gripped both hands, letting more of the addictive warmth surge throughout her body. She never wanted to let go of him, especially now that she understood what having a friend felt like. Sitting on the carpet together in almost silence, Amber reciprocated to him, “Me too, Cecil. I’ll… I’ll do anything for you.”

--


 * Update*

It was well after midnight when the repetitious droning of Cecil’s heartrate monitor abruptly increased its tempo, harmonizing with the now accelerated beating of his chest. The hospitalized boy groaned, struggling to open his eyelids as he struggled against the dust coating his tear ducts. His already bemused thoughts scrambled further as he finally unlocked his eyes, letting them wander. Taking in the unfamiliar and sterile atmosphere, Cecil’s mind raced with several questions, struggling to remember where he was, how or why he arrived there. The image of a red sports car eventually surfaced in his thoughts, and he sighed as the rest of the pieces fell back into place. As soft puffs of air cuffed his left cheek, the boy sluggishly turned his head, and what he witnessed next brought a weak smile to his lips.

Resting her soft head next to his own was the ever beautiful Lamia that Cecil dearly loved. A fierce sense of solace washed over him as he recognized her company as a sign that she still loved him. His fingers gently coiled around the snake girl’s hand resting on his bandaged chest, bringing it to his lips, and smooching the back her fingers as he lovingly whispered, “Amber… you awake?”

“Mm, Cecil…” The sleeping Lamia murmured, instinctively nestling her now blushing cheek closer to the boy’s. She sweetly yawned, and lazily opened her eyes as the shared warmth from Cecil’s hand woke her from a deep sleep. Her gaze fell upon the now awake young man, and the snake girl shook her head in disbelief before gasping, “C-Cecil?”

Without warning, Amber raised her free arm forward, letting her willowy fingers stroke the smiling boy’s flushed, yet silken face. As the heat that she so dearly missed ran through her fingertips, she began to visibly shake as tears of utter joy trickled down her scaly cheeks. Seeing her lover awake and even smiling at her, it was more than enough as Amber’s heart uncontrollably thumped against her now heavy chest, and she struggled to talk through her own blubbering, “Oh… Oh my God, you’re finally awake! I-I can’t believe it!” Passionately enclosing her arms around her fiancé’s shoulders, the Lamia audibly cried as she pulled Cecil in for a lengthy, loving hug. Emotions of gratitude and affection quickly infected her heart, and she finally felt at peace again as she began kissing his face over and over without fail. “I-I was so worried about you, sweetheart!” The snake girl blissfully mumbled between smooches as her pent up tears stained the young man’s infirmary gown.

“Amber… I-I remember… I wanted to tell you—” Cecil struggled to sit upright until sharp pain stabbed right through his ribcage, making him clutch the side of his chest. He scowled in agony and gasped for air as if someone just drove a knife through his lungs.

Seeing her boyfriend like this was torturous, and the monster girl responded by kissing his brow hearteningly, coupled with, “Sshh, oh please don’t strain yourself, baby.” Cautiously guiding the boy back down against the divan, the snake girl’s hand cradled his head, and the other caressed his delicate chest to help him breathe. She lovingly looked down at his face, and smiled to him, “None of that matters now, my love… I’m so relieved you’re okay.”

As the aching dwindled, Cecil tiredly peered up at the snake girl, letting them feverishly lock eyes after what felt like an eternity of sleep, which lessened the pain the longer they stared into each other. Cecil was overjoyed to be with her again as he faintly sighed, “Amber… How long was I—”

“You’re were asleep for almost two weeks! I-I never left your side for even a moment!” The Lamia interrupted, dotingly clasping her hand around the boy’s. The monster girl leaned over to join him on the cot, eagerly closing the two-week gap between them, hoping it would never be that long again. She planted her lips hard against her boyfriend’s face, protectively squeezing his palm as her voice cracked, “I’m here for you! I’ll always be here for you, and don’t worry, I’ll keep my promise this time!”

Reminding Cecil of his own broken promise, he turned his head away as he became awash with crushing guilt, “I wanna apologize… I’m sorry for what happened.”

“Cecil? —” The Lamia awkwardly whispered into his ear as she shuffled closer, the unexpected change in the sweet boy’s speech worrying her greatly.

“I know it was selfish to walk out, but I was afraid we began fighting, and then we’d stop loving each other… And I don’t think I could love anyone as much as you… I’m so sorry, Amber…” He confessed with severe regret. The young man turned over completely to hide his shame, urgently trying to mop his face dry with a pillow as he confessed, “I love you with everything I have! I’m sorry I broke my promise of never leaving again…” from the bottom of his heart.

The Lamia rolled over top of him, lifting herself with her outstretched arms and boxing the young man in as she proclaimed, “Cecil, look at me. I will never ever stop loving you. I’ll love you until the world ends, and even after that!” Her manner caught the boy’s attention, sounding halfway between upset and annoyed, unmistakably anguished by Cecil’s self-contempt. As he laid on his back to face her, the monster girl immediately lurched her face forward, joining their lips together. Unsatisfied with just giving her lover a single peck, the snake girl drove her tongue past her fiancé’s mouth, and the two moaned almost in unity, savouring the forgotten taste of each other.

“You’re my everything; my sunshine, my sweetheart… my Prince.” Assured the Lamia, her face a beet red after pulling away her mouth to speak. Her gentle hand wiped away the young man’s sadness from his own blushed cheeks as she continued, admitting her own failings, “It’s my fault for trying to speak for you, and you had every right to be mad at me. I was so obsessed with my own feelings and what happened a long time ago…” The monster girl trailed off, carefully hugging his neck and pulling his head into her cushiony chest. Amber kissed Cecil’s cranium some more as she purred, “I forgot love goes both ways. Could you ever find it in your heart to forgive me, my darling?”

The young man’s face snuggled against his girlfriend’s beating chest, and his arms rounded over her midriff as he finally answered, “…W-When I was asleep, all I could see was pitch black, and it was terrifying to say the least. I couldn’t see or feel anything…” Cecil’s hug around the snake girl tightened, pausing to swallow his fear as Amber stroked the back of his head compassionately in response. “Until I heard someone call for me. It was the most loving voice in the world, a-and I tried my best to follow it said my name over and over again.”

“That voice belonged to the most incredible woman I’ve ever known. The same woman I want to spend my life with. But I figured it out too late; I didn’t need to walk away, because I now know where my strength comes from… She was with me the whole time.” The young man finished, valiantly and honestly looking right into his lover’s glare as warm smile creeped back on his face. “I love you, my Queen…”

Amber’s golden eyes shimmered with infatuation, and she gladly pulled Cecil to her eye level, declaring to him, “I love you, my Prince…” before assailing his mouth for another kiss. In that very moment, all the hardships they had endured, all the pain they felt, it all was made worth it now they were finally together again.

--

“You doing okay, sweetie?” Amber doted Cecil in the back seat of the silver tinted car. As the snowy streets streamed past their windows, she leaned over, planting her lips on the boy’s temple and catching his hand with her own in a tenderly embrace. The Lamia’s ears flickered, and her mouth curved into a grin as a barely audible coo left the back of Cecil’s throat.

His face instantly blushed bright red from the affectionate sensation, and the boy softly murmured, “I-I’ll be okay.” Resting back in his seat to take a deep breath, the young man found himself lost in the Lamia’s enchanting yellow gaze once more, and he confessed, “I always feel better when I’m with you.” Amber’s love truly did numb his aching joints more than any painkillers could, and he gladly preferred it that way.

“You’re so sweet…” The snake girl awed, obviously taken by her boyfriend’s honeyed words, which personified by her snake tail spiraling up Cecil’s left leg. The monster girl grinned as their hands clutched tighter together, and she slowly rested her cheek on his head as she pleasantly whispered, “Mm, Good to see you didn’t lose that in the crash.”

“Everything alright back there, you two?” Beckoned a motherly voice from the front seat. The young couple looked up from their own musings, meeting a pair of cerulean eyes looking back at them in the rear-view mirror. Subtle laughter elicited from the spectator as she observed the two passengers, already wrapped around each other fondly, unable to wait until they were home.

“…We’re good, Mom.” Cecil awkwardly replied, his face now red for an entirely new reason. The soul-crushingly uncomfortable thought of getting lovey-dovey in front of his own parents compelled the young man to bashfully avert his eyes as he stuttered back, “T-Thanks for driving us home.”

“It’s the least we could do, champ.” His father obliged in a composed yet oddly upbeat manner without taking his focus off the road. “We’re just relived you’re up and about so soon… And seeing you growing into a fine young man so quickly!” Jack laughed, mischievously winking to his wife as he added more fuel to the fire.

Diane looked over her shoulder, approvingly nodding to the snake girl with the timid boy in her arms as the air of young love fanned throughout the car. “And if there’s anything else you need, please don’t hesitate to ask!” She offered.

“And… here we are!” Mr. McConnell announced triumphantly as the car came to a steady halt in front of the familiar suburban home. Shifting the gear into park, he called back to them, graciously inquiring, “You two gonna be fine getting inside?” with a tinge of concern.

“Don’t worry about us, we’ll manage.” The snake girl politely replied. The cold air hit the Lamia like a brick wall when she opened the door, and she hurriedly slithered around the vehicle, wincing as her already cold-blooded tail was forced to trudge through the snow. Unlocking the door on the other side, her arms carefully embraced her delicate lover as she helped him to his feet, and sighed in relief when she began to sense his warmth. She hated the cold, hated it as much as she loved Cecil. Which was to say, passionately, and with every fibre of her being. As Mrs. McConnell rolled down the front seat for their farewell, the monster girl parted with, “Have a safe trip, you two!”

With the unforgiving frigid weather, alongside his newfound, yet thankfully short-term disability, Cecil struggled to look straight ahead, let alone stand upright with his crutches, and he leaned back into his snake girlfriend who gladly steadied him. His words turned into visible puffs of hot air as he weakly waved back to the car, uttering, “Bye Mom, Bye Dad.” Feeling Amber’s breath against his messy hair, the boy gave a tired yet genuine smile as she fondly kissed his neck.

“Good-bye, my little lovebirds!” Diane called out, cheerfully waving her arm out the window as the car began to slowly drive away, eventually disappearing into the snowfall as it gained traction.

The once harmless flurry rapidly developed into a full-blown snow storm as Amber visibly trembled under the wind-chill, huddling herself close to Cecil. Watching her boyfriend shake with every step he took, the monster girl finally asked in a worrying tone, “How you holding up with those, sweetheart?”

Without taking his eyes off the ground, Cecil hesitantly answered back, “I-I think I’ve gotten the hang of— Ahh!” As he pushed off his heel for leverage, the young man felt his right leg suddenly swing forward, and his entire body began to plummet backwards. He braced for the icy bed that awaited him, but was instead met with a familiar embrace with protective, yet gentle arms hooking around his slim torso.

“Oh my…” The Lamia huffed rather nervously. The fear of seeing him in any more pain got to her as she constricted around her beloved. “Are… Are you okay my love?” The monster girl checked as she tried so hard to keep herself collected, refusing to let go of Cecil.

“I-I’m so sorry…” The boy stammered in his small state of shock. His anxiety dwindled in Amber’s embrace, and he was ever thankful of her love, even in a raging storm. Looking up at her beautiful face, Cecil hugged back as he began to profusely apologize, “I didn’t see the ice and—”

“SShh… It’s okay, I’ll never let you fall, I promise.” The Lamia whispered, bringing her mouth to the boy’s for the promise-sealing kiss. His lips were nothing short of an inferno compared to her cold maws, spreading across her face like an open fire, and keeping her warm in the blizzard. “Let’s hurry inside… okay?” The monster girl proposed with a smile, picking up Cecil’s crutches from the snow with her tail before handing them back to the boy.

With a turn of a key and a click of the latch, the front door slowly swayed open, and the couple eagerly stumbled in from the snow, happy to be back in the privacy of their own home. Slithering towards the large bay window, the Lamia pulled aside the heavy drapes, letting natural light illuminate the foyer with an icy silver glow. “Much nicer than turning on the lights, right?” She asked, spinning back to her lover boy, who approved with a nod and his distinctive cute smile.

“It’s nice to be home. No more noisy machines, or bright lights, or breezy gowns…” Cecil sighed in relief. The monster girl pecked his cheek while taking hold of his arm, giving him reinforcement as they leisurely walked down the hall before halting at the foot of the staircase. Cecil looked up at what seemed like an endless flight of steps and mumbled, “Stairs might be a problem— Ah!”

“Mind if I help a bit?” Interjected the radiant snake girl, effortlessly sweeping the boy off his feet with one arm supporting his back, and the other behind his knees. Carrying him up the stairs without struggle, the young man blushed hard, which the Lamia found even cuter, and she couldn’t help but softly laugh. She elevated her right arm, bringing the boy closer to her chest, lessening the gap between her nape and his head as to plant another kiss on his warm forehead.

“N-Not at all!” He sheepishly reacted, conveying both disbelief and his trademark shyness with the same expression etched on his ever-so cherry red face. He felt so helpless, unable to do anything for Amber and her seemingly infinite affection in his current state. It was an upsetting thought until he finally conceded, “I just don’t wanna be a burden to you.”

Opening the door with her tail, Amber took her boyfriend over to the awaiting bedside as she bestowed a vigorous smooch on Cecil’s lips. “You’re not a burden, my Prince, and you never will be…” She almost hummed as she unlocked their lips, gently laying Cecil down on the bed. The monster girl sat next to him, gleaming her lovely fanged grin and twirling her graceful fingers through her lover’s thick onyx hair as she sighing to him, “Just relax and let me take care of you… It’s been such a long day for everyone; I think some rest in a proper bed would do you some good. You want some tea?”

“Yes, please…” The young man nodded drowsily, his eyes drooping shut from exhaustion. It was hard to tell from his expression alone, but Cecil was in a state a bliss he hadn’t felt in a while; he was back home, with the woman he loved with all his heart, resting in their cozy bedstead as a calming snow storm raged on outside. He had almost forgotten what a normal bed felt like, and he eagerly burrowed his head into the large silk pillow before softly yawning, “I love you, Amber…”

“I love you too~” The Lamia fondly hissed, leaning down to kiss his brow. She eventually left his side and slinked out the door, making her way downstairs to brew tea. As the kettle whistled like a steam engine, she pulled out two mugs with floral deigns to pour out the boiling water. A few minutes later, she returned with the tray in hand, and asked, “Did you want one sugar or two in your…”

She looked up from the reflective dish, and quickly stopped herself once she realized her lover had already drifted back to sleep. Bringing a chair next to the bed, Amber began lightly sipping her tea as she watched him slumber. The young man’s left hand was open and empty, which the snake girl was happy to remedy, resting her own palm with his. She flinched, surprised that even in a deep sleep, Cecil locked his fingers around hers almost instinctively. Her own fingers fastened tightly as she stared fondly into his adorable features and whispered tenderly, “Mm, rest well, my darling…”

Chapter Five
Struggling hard against sleep, Cecil lazily opened his eyes and blinked to clear his vision against the sudden light peering in through the nearby window; yawning cavernously as conscious thought replaced his vanishing dreams. Stretching his arms open, he finally rolled to his side, only to be welcomed back to reality by a familiar affectionate smile. One, that was not only contagious, but could only belong to the most beautiful woman in the world.

“Mmm… ‘Morning, sleepyhead. You feeling okay?” Amber caringly queried, their hands still tenderly linked together from the previous evening. Without a moment’s notice, the snake girl pulled her boyfriend’s hand to her face, where she drove her plush lips against his warm fingers, before guiding them to her vacant cheek. The shock of hot and cold-blooded skin magnificently clashing together left both lovers faintly trembling as pleasant sighs filled the room.

Pushing apart his tousled hair, Cecil drowsily smiled back and answered, “Good morning. I-I’m doing alright.” His adorable face then tightly furrowed as another yawn escaped him, and he could already feel the aches of the night dwindle away all thanks to his fiancée’s glowing fervour. The young man’s expression eventually softened in response to the sound of girlish laughter.

“I’m so happy to hear that… I was a little worried, but then I saw you sleep like a rock!” The weary snake girl giggled with a tinge of relief. Seeing Cecil awake and fine had reassured Amber, who’d spent all night fretting for his wellbeing. The monster girl rested her palm upon the boy’s knuckles, while the other kept a firm yet gentle grip on his wrist, steadily keeping Cecil’s hand in place on her own flesh and scale cheek. She grinned, nestling her face even deeper to garner her dear's heat as she noted, “You make the prettiest little snores, you know.”

“R-Really?” Cecil stuttered as his face blushing a more notable shade of scarlet. Using his free hand to mask his blushed features, the boy averted a rather coy gaze before guiltily mumbling through his palm, “Does my snoring bother you?” Amber braced her arms around Cecil’s shoulders, pulling herself intimately close as she unwaveringly refuted, “Of course not! I love everything about you, and then some…” The snake girl helped move the boy’s hand away to get a better view at his amiable eyes, and with her chilly yet gentle hands still fixed on the young man, the Lamia pursed her lips with a large smirk, showering a flood of firm and moist smooches on her man’s crown.

At last rewarded with the sound of his gratified coos, the monster girl gave him one last enthusiastic peck on the nose before laying back down to share the large silk pillow with him. “I… I just wanna stay like this with you. Forever.” She murmured, with Cecil still securely enveloped in her loving cuddle. Her only regret was Dr. Blanchard had forbidden her from snaking around his lower half until his recovery was deemed complete. Though she was certain he would be safe regardless, her heart wouldn’t be convinced otherwise until she could coil him once more.

“Me too… I love you with all my heart.” Cecil sweetly answered, repaying the kiss to the snake girl who was almost joined to him by the hip. Being cushioned between fluffed pillows and his girlfriend’s silky-smooth skin had made it incredibly easy for him to forget that just outside those dark indigo walls was a town turned icy wasteland. None of this bothered him, as Cecil knew he could endure anything with his girlfriend at his side. “Do you work today?” He quietly, yet troublingly pondered as he vulnerably hugged the monster girl.

“Nope, cold blooded people get time off in the winter for health reasons.” The snake girl gleefully explained in hopes of ending the docile man’s silent but apparent fears. Amber felt the boy’s tension slowly withdraw as she sincerely ruffled his hair and held his head against her torso, soothing him with the rhythmic beating of her own lovesick heart. Unable to contain her obvious delight on the matter, the Lamia granted even more kisses to the top of her love’s head while avowing to him, “Now I’ve got all the time in the world to make sure you get better. Isn’t that nice?”

“Really? Then, I’m gonna get better as soon as I can for you!” Cecil promised with vivid optimism, his usual lovely smile lighting his visage up as the monster girl’s affection washed over him like an emotionally refreshing downpour. “I just hope I’m all better for Christmas.” the boy verbally longed to his lover as he pulled the comforter over themselves, mustering what little energy he could in his current condition.

The serpent girl leisurely nodded in agreement, and resettled her embrace on the boy while pleasantly answering, “I hope so too, my Prince. A proper holiday with you sounds perfect!” Envisioning brightly decorated evergreens and the smell of freshly poured hot chocolate by an open fireplace, Amber’s eyes wandered around the plum painted room aimlessly as she tried to find the ideal location for a mistletoe. “I wonder what my darling wants this year…?” The Lamia kindly teased with a playful smirk across her face, and reached out for Cecil’s cheekbone now that her focus squarely landed on him once again.

After a brief minute of uncertainty followed by careful consideration, Cecil gave Amber a decisive look as he sincerely told her, “…All I want for Christmas is to be with you!”

“Awe, me too! But, I still want to get you something!” Amber gently chuckled, relishing the boy’s innate modesty as she tried to cuddle his delicate body without harming him. Before she could ask him further, the Lamia felt her boyfriend’s breathing against her chest diminish, and his whole frame slacken in her arms. Casting her hand across his torso and fondly kissing the bridge of his nose to help him relax, the snake girl kindly proposed, “…Don’t worry about it for now, you can go back to sleep if you’re still tired.”

“But I’m… I’m not—” The weary young man began to protest even with his eyelids practically anchoring themselves shut, followed by a long, profound yawn disrupting his notion. Having never felt so exhausted before, all Cecil could do was weakly shake his head in silence, knowing full well that wouldn’t disprove his fatigue. Despite his body implying otherwise, the young man didn’t want to sleep anymore. He’d been essentially dead for two weeks straight, and all he wished for now was to spend time with his Queen again.

After bearing witness to his effort, Amber crushed her mouth against her man’s, but reserved her usual tongue play for his worn-out condition. “Sshh, please don’t push yourself, babe. I’ll still be here when you wake up… Just like always.” The concerned monster girl reminded, gently massaging the side of his head in a circular fashion. It was a simple trick her own mother had used on her, and it was just as effective as Cecil fell back into tranquil slumber.

“Amber?” Cecil weakly called out as however many hours of sleep seemingly flashed by in a mere moment. He could only guess it was at least past to midday, as sparse glimmers of orange sunlight slipped through the window’s curtains, and the sounds of the nearby shower running confirmed the bedridden boy’s suspicion that his beloved wasn’t far. Though for the moment, he was alone, barring the shopping bag in Amber’s place, which the nosy young man discovered was filled to the brim with knitting supplies like long plastic needles and an assortment of coloured balls of yarn.

The bathroom door soundlessly swayed open as the Lamia slipped into bedroom, her form enveloped in a steamy haze. The mist quickly lifted, and garbed in a loose-fitting, mauve coloured housecoat, she continued to dry her gleaming russet hair while softly humming to herself. “Oh Cecil, you’re already up?” the snake girl pleasantly remarked. A startling shudder of realization ran down her backbone as she recognized the shopping bag from her morning trip was carelessly left out in the open and beside her infamously curious lover.

She hastily devised a plan in her head, and the crimson towel in her grasp plummeted down to the carpet as the monster girl practically leapt towards the bed, attacking her boy with numerous zealous kisses on the side of his face. All the while, Amber slyly wrapped her tail around the sack, pulling it under the bedframe without a single word.

As if her lips had an aphrodisiac-like effect on him, Cecil’s concern regarding the knitwear instantly dispelled in favor of giving a divine smile and answering his fiancée with, “…Yeah. I’m not so tired right now.”

The compliant man blissfully slumped back into the headboard as the half human, half serpent lady held his arm. ‘Crisis averted’, Amber thought, his Christmas gift would go unspoiled as she hoped. It was only a small victory, but after the strenuous half a year the couple had, she would accept any kind of success with her companion. The only thing left to do in this moment though, was to lean her head against his and supportively respond, “See? All you needed was more rest… You want something to eat?”

--

The full moon eventually settled over the evening sky while the streetlights systematically flared on to illuminate the residential district. The young couple were securely nested in their bedroom, lost in each other’s embrace as a late night educational channel aired historical documentary about the origin of monster people through the wall mounted TV.

As the program showcased a dramatic re-enactment of Ancient Grecian men being abducted from their cities by tall monster women, a narrator calmly spoke over the footage, “Even as far back as 800 B.C., the ancestors of our monstrous viewers were intermingling with humans. Most female members of these tribes would develop a great interest in human men, leading to abduction, and eventually, copulation. This would alter the evolution cycle of mythical creatures into what we know now as ‘Monster people’.”

That word. Copulation. It persisted inside Amber’s mind until she could feel something rousing beneath her sheets. She discreetly gazed over at her only love as he continued watching the show in silence. While she was over the moon that her prince would eventually heal back to his normal self, the simple matter of when that would happen agonized the snake girl to no end. The Lamia wanted nothing more right now than to climb on top of her adorable fiancé and bewitch him until dawn and thereafter.

The visuals then cut to a digitized rendering of a group of large, ferocious looking Lamias, the largest in the middle had it’s mouth wide open, presenting its knife-like fangs to the viewers. Cecil fearfully reacted to the unexpected jump scare, and he could feel Amber’s grasp settle around his waist, as if to quietly remind him that he wasn’t in any danger with her around.

“For example,” The narrator spoke up once more, “All Lamia citizens are direct descendants of the terrifying snake queen that most folklores unanimously call ‘Medusa and her sisters’.” With the focus back onto a live action dramatization, said snake creatures were raiding a town, making statues out of the guards that dared get in their way. “Most people are aware of her most infamous power thanks to the various legends; The ability to turn people into stone at will through eye contact. She, along with her sisters were said to often use this ability to make capturing human men much easier.”

The documentary then switched a still of an evolutionary scale, with the left most image being one of medusa herself. As the chart scrolled from one side to the other, the once fearsome looking beast started to look gradually more human until reaching the other side, which revealed an image of an ordinary looking Lamia that resembled Amber. Though Cecil knew she wasn’t nearly as breathtaking as his Queen.

The speaker eventually explained, “Much like how wolves were eventually domesticated into household dogs through breeding, the same principles were applied as many races of creatures started families and gave birth to new generations of children with humans, resulting in the monster people we know today. The ones we call family, friends, even lovers.” That last line brought a grin to Amber’s lips as she reached for the remote and she flicked the screen off while the show’s credits began to roll.

“That’s crazy.” Cecil remarked as he leaned even closer to his loved one. Every day it felt like he could power through to stay awake just a little longer, but even now, his exhaustion still dominated his daily lifestyle. Sitting up for just a measly few hours still weighed down on his body like a piano that had dropped on him. “Imagine if people still had those powers. Like if you could turn people into stone.”

Amber began to laugh at Cecil’s trivial unrest and comforted him, “It’s okay, even if I could, I’d never turn my Prince into a statue.” While that assertion was true, what the Lamia opted out to mention, was her desire to turn everything or anyone else that threatened her betrothed boy or their relationship, into stone. The amused monster girl then planted a pleasantly wet kiss on her boyfriend’s exceedingly velvety forehead after mischievously hissing into his ear, “You can’t kiss and cuddle a statue… Not properly, anyways.”

She was all ready to fall asleep with her darling wrapped in her arms, but hastily sat up when she remembered the medication that had been prescribed to him. “Oop! It’s almost six, time for your pills, sweetie. Here…” The Lamia softly reminded as she reached over to her bedside table to grab an orange, transparent pill bottle. She couldn’t believe herself, almost overlooking something that important! The concern for her honey nearly skyrocketed as a couple of pills tumbled out from the cylinder and into her open palm.

“Are you sure I still have to take these?” the bed-ridden boy grumbled as he titled his head back, letting the medicine slide down his throat. He winced a bit as the bitter non-flavour lingered in his taste buds, since the only thing worse than a bad flavour was no flavour at all. “My legs aren’t as sore as before.” Cecil proclaimed after taking a large swig from his glass of water. The slouched young man then took a deep sigh as he felt the pills settle in his stomach, and closed his eyes while sleep continued to draw near him.

Amber virtually rolled on top of her boyfriend with watery eyes as she replied, “I don’t want you feeling sore at all. Ever.” Despite her evident apprehension, the monster girl was strong enough to stop herself from crying as she looked deep into her lover’s eyes. Those sparkling blue irises brought an extremely calming sensation all through out Amber’s being. The snake girl then held Cecil’s hot cheeks as she nuzzled her nose against his, and giggled to him with a smile, “I need you to get better, my love.” “Thanks, Amber… Although, your love has definitely helped more than those pills.” Cecil slyly slipped in, as he followed in his luv’s example and began to play with her pointed, yet soft and squishy ears. The feeling of his nose being teased with abruptly stopped, and the drowsy man looked up to see the Lamia still looming over him, now with an even brighter smile on her face.

The snake lady finally broke the silence in an affectionate manner with, “Awe, you’ll always have my love, baby.” Her hand began to slip under the blanket, and past her fiancé’s baggy tee to tease him while she requested, “Now lift your shirt, I need to check the bruises.” Cecil eventually complied by rolling up his shirt as Amber smoothly grazed her palm across his chest, complete with occasionally kissing the bumps that her fingers ran over.

She could feel him squirm due in no small part to her chilly hands and lips embracing his vulnerable, warm skin, which made her stifle her laughter. Her partner was so naturally cute she couldn’t help herself. “Do these hurt at all?” She questioned as she continued to erotically smooch her significant other’s flat torso.

“N-not… Not really.” The subservient lover boy managed to croon out. It certainly wasn’t pain he was feeling, but the sensations running through his body made it no less hard to concentrate. After a few more pecks, Cecil felt the cottony fabric cover himself once more as Amber raised herself back to eye level with him, and push her mouth against his own.

One long passionate French kiss later and the snake girl drew her head away to pacifyingly sigh to her beloved, “Alright. Please tell me right away if anything starts hurting again.” Holding his cheek in her palm, these were the moments that she lived for, where the only thing important in her world was protecting her childhood honey.

“I promise, Amber. I love you.” Cecil yawned as sleep was finally ready to take him again. His head thumped back onto the pillow as he rolled on his side facing away from the Lamia. A faint smile surfaced on his face as he felt Amber’s chest press up against his back, with her arms slinking over his ribcage as she supportively spooned him from behind. The last thing he felt was her restful breathing against the back of his neck

“I love you so… so very much, my sweetheart.” Amber warmly reminded as she herself could finally relax, falling asleep next to her mate. She couldn’t help but think that his recovery couldn’t come soon enough.

WORK IN PROGRESS