[Gift] nesting instincts

Nono pulled his little wooden handcart with him as fast as he could. It was packed full with linen, the fluffiest blankets in his home and a bunch of his pillows—all of which carried his scent. On top of them all was his beloved Cygnette Youra. His walk to Nene, who lived right down the path from him, was usually done within a few minutes but with the added luggage, the walk there felt like an eternity.

(He was being dramatic, of course, it took a bit less than an eternity.)

When he finally reached her cottage, he opened the unlocked front door and went inside, his handcart in tow. Walking into the living room, Nono grimaced as he realized he left dirt tracks in his wake. Nene was already there, also surrounded by pillows and blanket, tapping her hoof with impatience.

“My floor,” she cried out. Helios, her Uniqor, woke up from his nap on one of the pillows, startled. Nene glared, though the expression lacked the heat needed for it to be taken seriously. “You better clean that up!”

Nono tugged on his ear. “Later,” he promised with a pout. He shifted, the insistent itch in the back of his mind increasing now that he was here. “Please?”

Nene’s expression softened immediately. She walked to him and pulled him into a hug—Nono burrowed his face into her soft fur immediately, slowly beginning to feel at ease.

Nono sighed in relief.

Breeding season brought with it a myriad of instincts that screamed and tugged at him until he indulged; most notably for Nono, who had a very low libido and identified as asexual, was the instinct to nest.

He craved to be close to Nene—his littermate, his best friend, his family. Snuggled together, with their imps, in a cozy little pile of pillows and blankets, surrounded by the soft and comforting scent of family.

Though Nono could do without the incessant wailing of his instincts, nesting time was his favorite and most cherished time of year.

“Are you okay?” Nene asked with a tilt of her head once they broke up the hug. Nono shrugged and she sighed. “You should’ve come earlier, silly. Work isn’t more important right now!”

Nono huffed and gave Youra a soft look. She and Helios were already cuddled together, content with doing absolutely nothing. He looked back at Nene. “She didn’t want to leave until everything was in order. You know how Youra is.”

“Training an imp to become a work assistant,” she said, shaking her head in disbelief. Nene walked to her own pile of pillows and blankets. “I just don’t get you. Are you ready to begin?”

“Ready!”

Nono and Nene worked together seamlessly and with efficiency—building their nesting pillow fort was one of the few things they were pretty good at. There was little need to talk during the important tasks of arranging blankets and fluffing pillows.

Linen sheets were hung up and secured and makeshift load bearing pillars were made out of books Nono left at her house by accident.

Inside their little nesting shelter the blankets were carefully arranged on top of each other, creating a soft ground for them to lie on. Pillows were arranged in a half circle shape and one extra blanket—the softest of them all—was neatly arranged into a round nest for Helios and Youra to share.

“Careful, careful,” Nene mumbled as she and Nono strung up the fairy lights across the fragile ceiling and across the equally fragile walls. It was finicky work and in the end they hung a bit too low, but their fort didn’t crumble to the ground, so he took that win.

Once the finishing touches were applied—mainly snacks for both buns as well as for their imps—Nono and Nene stood in front of their nest, filled with pride.

“This looks even better than last years,” Nono marveled, straightening out his neck fluff. “What do you think, should we name it?”

Nene grinned. “Fluffy town.”

She crawled inside first, her swishing tail almost knocking into the pile of books holding the linen ceiling up. She sighed in content as she got settled and Nono followed after her, feeling the last bits of restlessness leave his little body as he cuddled close to her.

Nono burrowed his face into her soft fur once more, barely noticing Youra and Helios enter their own nest to cuddle together as well. It had become their own tradition after many times of Nono and Nene nesting.

The entrance to their nest was left open. It would allow for fresh air and they also had a perfect view of the television, where Nene was already working on getting their comfort show on.

“This is perfect,” Nono said softly. “Thank you for nesting with me, Nene. Love you.”

Nene snorted softly. She gave him a soft kiss on his head. “Of course, silly. Love you too. Now, which season of The Big Bun Theory do you wanna start on?”

Nono hummed. “Season four, please.”

She complied and they managed to watch two episodes through half-lidded eyes, eating the occasional snack and cuddling the whole time. Youra and Helios took their time to find a fully comfortable position for them, but eventually they settled into a tangled pile of limbs.

Then, slowly, both Nono and Nene fell asleep to the soft bickering of Shelbun and Bunard, content with the world within their little piece of nest heaven.