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Durin's human body brought him joy every single day.
There were some drawbacks, of course - his center of gravity was different when he was flying now, and having to keep up with human bodily functions could be annoying - but those were nothing against the fact that he was now able to exist and live like a human.
Some of those little issues with his new form were of particular note to Albedo; for example, Durin's tolerance to pain had to be rebuilt from the ground up as his newborn nerves adjusted to the feelings, and his ability to process common drugs like caffeine and alcohol was markedly low.
(These traits fought against him together the first time he had too much coffee; an amount that would leave a regular human with the jitters and a minor headache left poor Durin alone in a dark room with a throbbing migraine for the evening.)
If his human form ever started to fail, he knew he could trust Albedo to fix him. Durin was both Albedo's proudest alchemical achievement and his darling brother; while he couldn't promise to protect Durin from everything, he could at least prepare him for what was to come.
Some things, however, could manage to blindside both of them.
It started with a minor discomfort in his abdomen. He felt that he couldn't eat quite as much, like there was something else already sitting in his stomach. Was this what people meant when they said they felt "bloated?" His bodily functions were still normal - the only difference was this new, strange fullness in his belly that wouldn't go away.
He figured it was just some bloating, or he was starting to put on weight. It shouldn't be anything to worry about.
This unusual feeling was a constant nag in the back of his mind for nearly a week straight; the pressure never receded, only continuing to build in his stomach.
When he was getting undressed for bed one night, he took a proper look at himself and noticed his stomach looked… rounder than before. It wasn't exactly difficult to notice given his lithe frame - a particularly heavy meal could make his belly bulge out slightly - but he hadn't looked like this in the morning, and he hadn't eaten anything in a while, and this bulge was firm and hard when he cautiously pressed his fingers against it.
Even the gentle pressure was enough to send a shiver down his spine; his skin felt more sensitive than usual as he slowly rubbed at the strange bump.
He was starting to think this wasn't something he could sleep off, but right now he could only lay down and hope it would resolve itself.
Durin awoke to find that, despite his wishing, his abdomen had swelled up even further. Now it was somewhat visible even when he put his clothes on, the bump pushing uncomfortably against the zipper of his vest. The skin on his stomach was warm and tinted red, and the feeling of his clothes brushing against it was starting to irritate him.
He could hardly eat with the pressure in his belly, made even worse when it started to cramp. He'd dealt with stomach aches before, but this felt odd compared to a normal upset stomach.
Whatever was going on, Albedo would probably have a cure. In fact, Albedo noticed something was off about Durin today before he could even bring it up.
"Durin, is something the matter?" His eyes moved down to look at Durin's hands; he had been fiddling with his vest and kept absentmindedly rubbing his bloated belly. "Does your stomach hurt…?"
The question caught Durin a bit off-guard, as he hadn't realized Albedo was looking at him. "Oh, um, yeah… I've been feeling weird all week, actually."
Albedo frowned. "You're supposed to tell me when you start feeling anything weird, especially after what happened with your Abyssal power-"
"I know, I know, but it's not- I thought I was just a little sick, but I haven't gotten any better…"
"Alright, then tell me what you've been feeling."
Durin hissed as another cramp fell over him, like his entire stomach was closing in on itself, and then subsided. "Well… Earlier this week, I felt this weird pressure, like I had eaten too much or was bloated or something, and it just didn't go away."
While Albedo's face was usually hard to read, Durin could see both concern and curiosity in his eyes.
"A-and then, last night, I looked in the mirror, and-" Something shifted inside of him; there wasn't any pain, just pure discomfort, yet it completely interrupted his train of thought. "Sorry, I- it started hurting this morning. Really hurting…"
Albedo was quiet, his expression subtly shifting from curiosity to… embarrassment? "…Ah. I hadn't even… considered that could happen."
Durin cocked his head. "Considered… what?"
"Do you remember what I taught you about dragon reproduction when I was explaining anatomy and reproduction to you?"
"Uh… Kind of…?"
Albedo had already prepared to launch into an explanation of the subject. "Most types of dragons are simultaneously gonosimulistic, and some will lay unfertilized eggs periodically, akin to the menstrual cycle of humans. While the Durin of Dragonspine had male reproductive traits when he died… it seems as though your body didn't get the memo, and has started producing eggs."
Durin had only just begun to process what that meant when another cramp racked his body. Something shifted in him again, the sensation moving down inside him. He groaned as his legs began to spread in his seat entirely on instinct.
"You'll need to take off your pants, Durin." Albedo was shockingly calm in this situation, quickly getting up to fetch some cushions and towels as Durin fumbled around with his clothes.
Durin was a little hesitant - he'd been naked in front of his brother before, but it still felt embarrassing - until he felt a trickle of liquid between his legs that quickly turned into a gush. He kicked his shoes and pants off, his now wet underwear threatening to stick to his body as he discarded them.
Albedo placed the cushions on the floor beside his desk. "You can kneel on these. Gravity will help ease the process."
He did as he was told, the time between cramps just barely allowing him to get into a comfortable enough position. Durin grasped the edge of Albedo's desk as another one hit, significantly stronger than the ones before it. "A-Albedo, it really- really hurts now…" He could still hardly believe what was happening even as he felt the egg pressing against his insides.
"It's going to hurt, but you'll be alright. Next time you feel a contraction, bear down until it stops."
Durin just had to trust Albedo's guidance.
Another cramp - no, a contraction - hit Durin, and he did just as he was told. He pushed as hard as he could muster, and felt the egg slowly move downwards from his womb into his birth canal. Every little millimeter it moved was excruciating - this was without a doubt the worst pain he had ever felt.
The pain in his stomach gradually faded, though the pain between his legs only grew stronger. Durin's breath hitched as he bit back a sob - literally bit, as the taste of blood trickled into his mouth, a little spilling out as he panted.
A hand on his back startled him back into reality - Albedo was gently yet firmly massaging above his tail. It felt… good? Comforting? It was a sensation to focus on that wasn't burning pain, and that was all he needed. He practically melted into the touch.
Durin was finding it hard to focus on anything other than the pain and Albedo's touch; he could hear his brother muttering something about "about four minutes," but couldn't really process the words. That was until Albedo spoke directly to him: "If my observation is correct, you should feel another contraction in a few seconds."
Almost on cue, a contraction rippled through Durin's body. He pushed again, and again, and again as the pain intensified. He could feel the egg moving, stretching out his insides, making its way into the slit between his legs. His head was spinning from the pain and the sensation of this thing coming out of him.
"You're doing a very good job," Albedo told him. "I can just make out the tip of the shell. You don't have very long to go."
The fact that Albedo was looking so closely at his genitals was an obvious one, but it sent a little shiver through Durin all the same. This experience was not only painful, it was incredibly embarrassing.
Another long couple of minutes passed by - Albedo's timing observation remained correct - and another contraction started. Durin was starting to lose his strength by this point; he knew he'd only been there for twenty minutes at most, but it felt like he'd been kneeling for hours trying to lay this egg. His legs were shaking as he held onto the table and started to bear down again despite his whole body aching.
The worst part - even though Durin hadn't thought this could get any worse - began when the egg rocketed forward, stretching his slit open suddenly. He yelped at the sudden jolt of pain, and the contraction wasn't even over.
"Ah… Albedo, I… I can't do it…"
"You're nearly done. Most of it is already out." Albedo paused briefly, then continued: "Besides, this is a process that will continue whether you want it to or not."
Durin groaned, both at Albedo's commentary and at the searing pain between his legs. Every muscle in his body was screaming at him to rest, but he couldn't relax with (what felt like) a massive egg trying to come out of him. Even though it felt like he'd pass out if he tensed up again, he began pushing again.
It burned, it ached, and it felt like he was being torn apart… and then it was gone. There was a muffled thud as the egg fell out of him and onto the cushion below. The contraction fizzled out and a wave of relief took its place. He looked over his shoulder to see Albedo giving him a gentle smile.
"There you go; it should be over, though you might want to stay in that position for another few minutes just to be sure." Albedo stood up from where he'd been sitting behind Durin, only stopping because Durin grabbed the tail of his coat.
"What do you mean, 'just to be sure'…!?" Durin whined.
"Well, there's a chance you may have been carrying more than one egg. It isn't likely, but I wouldn't want you to waste energy getting up just to have to return to this position." Albedo was incredibly nonchalant when delivering this information. "I'm going to go get you some water."
Durin reluctantly released his grip on Albedo's coat, though the idea of having to lay another one of these was making him lightheaded all over again. He felt alright at the moment - as 'alright' as someone who just laid an egg could feel - but he wasn't sure he had it in him to do this a second time. He was achy and sore and dizzy even while kneeling… did humans have to do this every month?
The clock on the wall ticked away, though Durin wasn't exactly keeping track of the time. He thought enough time had passed without a contraction, maybe he could move from this now agonizing position…
Slowly, carefully avoiding the egg, he shifted his body around and sat down on one of the cushions his knees were resting on.
He almost immediately regretted it when another cramp hit him, but it was over just as soon as it began. He didn't feel any urge to push and expel anything else out of his body; it really was over.
The door handle clicked open, signifying Albedo's return. Durin sat up straighter and covered his crotch with a towel, his horns now peeking out from behind the desk. Albedo set a platter of cups down on the desk, handing one to Durin and taking one for himself.
"I got some water and some herbal tea; it should help with any lingering pain and tension." Albedo picked up the egg as Durin drank the tea, examining it in the light. "I assume there was only one egg after all?"
Durin nodded, staring at the egg. Just as he'd thought, it was large - roughly the length of his hand - with a swirled purple and red shell. That combined with the fluid surrounding it definitely explained the bulging of his stomach. It sort of made him uncomfortable to look at.
"It isn't fertilized, so there's no real point in keeping it." Albedo thought to himself, then muttered: "At least, I'm assuming it hasn't been fertilized."
Durin nearly spit his tea back into the cup at that comment.
A proper examination found that Durin had sustained no lasting injuries, though the muscle pains would continue for a few days following. Albedo said that was probably the feeling of his internal organs shrinking back to their normal size after being moved around by the egg's growth, which wasn't a pleasant thing to think about.
The level of pain he felt was unexpected; Albedo's theory was that it was simply because his body wasn't fully prepared to use its female reproductive traits, so the process of dilation happened too fast for his muscles to adapt to. If Durin were to lay another egg next month, he could try and compare reported pain levels… but for his brother's sake, Albedo hoped his body would regulate itself properly and not produce another one.
While the experience was awful and hopefully something that would not happen unexpectedly ever again, it was really no more than a hiccup in the process of synthesizing a human body for a dragon.
When it came to the egg itself… it was nothing special. Durin didn't particularly want to keep it. A few ideas were thrown around - including cooking it, which was immediately rejected - but in the end, it was left in good hands.
Those hands being Alice's, who wasn't sure what to do with an unfertilized dragon egg either. She then returned it to Albedo and Durin, who contemplated just giving it to Klee to smash up… before deciding to keep it and use it in place of a chicken egg as an alchemical reagent. Maybe something interesting would happen.
The expression on Sucrose's face when Albedo explained the egg's origins was not one he had ever seen her make before.