Morning light filtered through the room, casting a warm, soft glow across the walls. Rudra stirred first, his senses always sharp, even in sleep. He hadn't shifted back to human fully; instead, he remained in his serpent form, coiled protectively around Mahnoor's body. As the world woke around them, he realized she had sprawled atop him during the night, her limbs tangled with his coiled mass.
Instinctively, he transformed back into his human form, careful not to wake her as his muscles shifted and lengthened. His chest rose beneath her weight as he let out a quiet sigh, only to freeze when she shifted against him, her body pressing more snugly into his.
Mahnoor, still in the depths of sleep, nestled closer into his neck. Her soft breath warmed his skin, and then, before he could anticipate it, she began to nibble at the side of his neck—right at his pulse point. The sensation was unexpected, a strange mix of softness and teasing pressure that sent a rush of heat through his body. His heart skipped a beat as he felt her lips brush over his skin, her small teeth grazing the sensitive spot.
His mind momentarily clouded as her gentle touch did something to him he hadn't anticipated. Even in her sleep, Mahnoor held a kind of power over him that made his normally sharp focus waver. He wasn't sure if it was her audacity or the vulnerability of it all, but something about the way she had unconsciously claimed his neck in that moment made him hesitate.
She nibbled softly, pressing her lips to his skin, before her body relaxed again, falling back into a peaceful slumber.
Rudra lay there, staring up at the ceiling with an unreadable expression. His pulse hammered in his ears, and for a fleeting moment, he let himself indulge in the intimacy of the moment. Her small frame curled against his, the heat of her body warming his skin in a way that made the reptilian part of him uneasy.
But then, reality crashed back. He couldn't let this go on, not when he knew the unpredictability of her actions, even in her sleep. Shifting slightly, he attempted to ease out from under her, his muscles tensing as he prepared to slip away without waking her.
Quietly, he allowed his body to change, his form growing smaller as his serpentine shape took over once again. His massive human form dissolved into the sleek, scaled body of his snake self, and he began to slither away, careful not to disturb her rest.
Just as he thought he had succeeded, Mahnoor stirred again. Her hand, which had been resting limply beside him, reached out unconsciously, searching for his warmth. But instead of finding the comforting warmth of his human skin, her fingers brushed against something cold and slimy.
Mahnoor's brow furrowed in her sleep, and her body reacted before her mind could catch up. In a groggy, half-awake state, she took hold of the small, snake-like object near her lips and—without thinking—drew it into her mouth. Her lips closed around what she assumed was his neck, and she began to nibble again, much like she had moments earlier.
Except this time, her teeth were sinking into the small, scaled head of a snake.
Rudra froze, his tiny snake form stiffening as he felt the warmth of her mouth envelop his head. His forked tongue flicked out nervously, tasting the air in a panic. She has me in her mouth. The absurdity of the situation struck him hard, but there was no time for humor. He couldn't transform back into human form without severely hurting her or worse.
He lay perfectly still, his snake body motionless as her lips gently closed around him. There was no way to tell if she knew what she was doing, but each moment dragged on, heightening the tension. He felt like prey in her grasp—vulnerable, defenceless in a way he had never been before.
Mahnoor shifted again, her teeth grazing his scales, her lips tightening slightly as she became more aware of the slimy texture against her tongue. Slowly, reality seeped into her foggy mind, and the strange, unfamiliar sensation registered.
Her eyes fluttered open, the remnants of sleep still clouding her thoughts. For a moment, she stared blankly ahead, her brain sluggishly trying to piece together what was happening.
Then, it hit her.
Her eyes snapped wide open in horror, her gaze falling on the small snake dangling from her lips. The tiny forked tongue flicked in and out, brushing against the inside of her cheek as if in protest.
With a sharp gasp, Mahnoor bolted upright, her heart hammering in her chest as she spat the snake out of her mouth, holding it in front of her like a dangerous weapon. Her breaths came in short, panicked bursts as she stared at the small creature in disbelief.
The snake—Rudra—dangled there limply for a moment before quickly slithering out of her grasp. The moment his body hit the floor, he transformed back into his human form, rising to his full height with a sudden burst of speed. His sharp, yellow eyes gleamed with a mixture of anger and disbelief as he towered over her, his jaw clenched tightly.
Mahnoor sat there, her mouth slightly agape as she stared up at him, her face flushed with embarrassment. She looked down at her hands, still wet from the sensation of holding him, and then back up at his furious expression.
"Even sleeping, you're fucking dangerous," Rudra hissed, his voice low and venomous. "If you're not tearing me apart, you're eating me alive!"
Mahnoor's face burned, her cheeks turning a deep shade of red as she scrambled to find her voice. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't know!" she stammered, her hands shaking as she tried to explain herself. "Last I remember, I was sucking on your neck... I didn't mean to... I didn't know it was you!"
Rudra's nostrils flared, his eyes narrowing as he crossed his arms over his chest. "You could've killed me if I were in a more vulnerable state. Do you even understand what you're playing with?" His voice was cold, laced with an anger he was trying hard to control. The idea of being so powerless, even for a moment, clearly didn't sit well with him.
Mahnoor swallowed hard, looking away from him as shame and guilt washed over her. "I said I'm sorry," she muttered, her voice small. "I didn't know."
Rudra let out a low growl of frustration, his hands flexing at his sides. For a long moment, he simply stared at her, the tension between them thick and suffocating. Finally, with a frustrated sigh, he shook his head. "You're lucky I didn't rip you apart on instinct," he muttered darkly.
Mahnoor nodded, still too mortified to speak. She couldn't believe what had just happened. The embarrassment of having accidentally tried to eat him was almost too much to bear.
Rudra let out a slow, controlled breath, his anger simmering down slightly as he regarded her with a mixture of annoyance and something else—something softer that he couldn't quite name. "Just... don't do that again," he said, his voice losing some of its harsh edge.
Mahnoor nodded again, her eyes wide and apologetic as she finally managed to meet his gaze. "I won't," she promised, her voice barely above a whisper. "I didn't mean to... I really didn't."
Rudra, still tense from the ordeal, simply grunted in response. As he turned away from her, Mahnoor couldn't help but let out a small, relieved breath.