FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Aislin cut down from the sky, making a beeline toward a building marked as Postal Services by a large sign over the doors. It was nestled against a larger, unimportant corporation that was owned and operated only by humans, and it was directly across from a local store, separated by a large parking lot where the humans stowed their vehicles for a short time.

Located near the edge of town, the street in front of the postal building was always bustling with activity because it led straight into the city. The smell of exhaust was much stronger here than what she was used to. She hated the stench of it, but it was inescapable.

Aislin flared her wings and touched down on the sidewalk next to the road, her paws landing sorely on the concrete. She grimaced and shook it off. A few taller passersby gawked at the gray dragoness that suddenly landed in front of them, but she paid them no mind. She was used to the humans and their idiocy.

Aislin walked through the doors into the lobby. There was a desk at the back of the room where a female attendant was talking to a man. She padded through the room, trying not to make any eye contact with those waiting, heading straight to the door labeled Employees Only that was right next to the front desk. She reached her paw just above her shoulder and twisted the doorknob.

She was immediately greeted by William, a tall and lean man and probably the only human she didn't detest here. He was sitting at a desk in the corner, his hand and pen busy writing while his glasses hung loosely at his nose. He managed the dragons that worked there, and he was fairly friendly to them. "Hey, Ash. Boss's got a few letters for ya."

"Already? But I just got here," Aislin complained, twitching her tail. She was early too--it was a little bit before four o'clock in the afternoon. "I don't even have my suit on yet."

"Your buddy, Eve, quit about half-an-hour ago. She was covering for both Kale and Rhona, so they need to be delivered fast."

Aislin sighed with displeasure and rolled her eyes. "Of course she did." She was expecting for her to quit anytime now, but it was still an unpleasant surprise.

She walked over and opened a tall, wooden closet. Inside, lain on individual shelves, were white and orange reflective suits custom made to fit dragons. Aislin wasn't the only dragon that worked here for urgent deliveries, but only she and Evelyn worked this shift. Since Evelyn quit, Aislin was now alone for the evening and would be for the next few days until some other dragon filled the position. She complains about the job all the time, she tries to grab more hours while covering for two others, and then she quits. Unbelievable!

William chuckled. "You should've seen her storm out of here! She was tryin' to take her suit off while angrily growlin' and hissin' at us, barin' her fangs and such. Funniest thing I've ever seen a dragon do."

Aislin grinned at that and picked up a shredded flight suit at the bottom of the closet. "And this is the aftermath?"

He burst out laughing, holding his hand over his mouth while trying to stifle his fit. "Yeah! Oh, I wish you could've seen it! Boss was pissed too!"

She laughed with him, baring a genuine smile, and tossed Evelyn's old suit back inside. She grabbed her own that was tagged "Aislin" and withdrew it. It was lightweight, durable, insulated, and it kept the biting wind from chilling her body. Around this time of year, it was almost necessary to wear to keep warm, but if she had the choice not to wear it, she would not. She'd throw it in the dumpster out back in a heartbeat.

With the suit held loosely in her mouth, she went to go change in the small locker room right next to the closet. It was big enough to comfortably fit six or so humans, maybe four dragons. Though humans were generally taller than dragons, dragons were lengthier and stockier, but weighing about the same as an adult human.

Thankfully, no humans were inside, though most of the human employees never even bothered to use the locker room. It wasn't that she was embarrassed to dress herself openly; it was that she just didn't want any awkward situations to arise from it.

Humans were weird about their clothing and bodies. They almost always changed in separate rooms, careful not to invade another's "privacy." As a dragon, Aislin was "naked" all of the time until she put this ridiculous suit on, and it never bothered her. She liked the freedom of not having to wear anything--especially this silly uniform.

She began dressing, fitting one limb at a time through the stretchy sleeves. The material stretched snugly around her gray scales, fitting comfortably despite how absurd clothing looked on a dragon. One half of it pulled up to her body while the other half pulled over her right flank and snapped together at three different places along her backside: one at the top of her neck before her ivory horns, one at the base of her neck just before her wings, and the last one at the beginning of her long tail just after her wings ended.

It was a nuisance slipping it on, but having to snap it together was almost impossible without help. But Aislin would never dare to ask a human to help her dress, including William, so she did it all herself. The first fastening was easy, as was the third one, but in order to latch the second one, she had to dexterously use her wings, folding and bending them until she could barely push each piece into place. It took a lot of practice to do that.

After it was all said and done, Aislin strutted to the mirror to admire her work. The flight suit fit tightly over her light-gray scales as the fabric stretched to fit her body. Sleeves came down on her limbs to her black-scaled paws. The orange and white striped pattern wasn't complementing her gray scales at all, and it especially didn't complement her dark-green eyes. The only thing it matched was her white horns and talons, and her black paws. Around her ankles, her gray scales burned into black, looking a lot like socks that humans would wear.

Aislin hissed with distaste and whirled around and walked out of the locker room. Any blind moron could see me just fine without these ridiculous colors!

"Do you have the letters?" she asked William, who was busy back at work. He retrieved three different envelopes from his desk and handed them to her.

"Deliver the one to Strickland first," he instructed. "He's especially pissed."

She took them, looked at Strickland's address, and tucked them away in a perfectly-sized, built-in pouch at her side. "I don't get paid enough for this."

"I'd trade you jobs, but you can't write and I can't fly!" he retorted teasingly.

Aislin playfully growled and replied, "I can too write!" She lifted a paw and wiggled her toes at him. "These aren't as clumsy as you would think."

He chuckled and waved her off. "I believe ya! Put those claws away before ya hurt somebody."

She grinned smugly and exited through the door to the lobby. It seemed to have cleared out, only having one client inside at the desk. Good timing too. I hate being seen in this!

She opened the front door and immediately leapt to the sky, climbing high over the city. She knew exactly where to go, so she turned east and continued flying over the edge of the city, passing over buildings, streets, and humans. A few different hues and colors speckled the skies around the city as other dragons continued their day. The sky was their sidewalk, so she never really saw dragons and humans walking side by side which, to both races, was probably a good thing.

Since the human population was constantly growing and outnumbering her kind, dragons were forced out of their homes, sent off to live somewhere else. There have always been conflicts that often end badly because of that, but more and more dragons are beginning to comply and cooperate with humans, swallowing their prideful egos.

Aislin, being a dragon born in the city, found herself a job just like any human could. She was required to deliver urgent letters to those who paid for the service. She could do something a human could not: fly. It made for the fastest mode of travel, especially from one side of the city to the other.

Although humans and dragons were cooperating better each day, there were undoubtedly hostilities from both parties. Discrimination is the biggest flaw in humanity, and it was more often than not directed at dragons. And most dragons despised humans because they're forced to comply with their stupid rules and ideals.

Most restaurants wouldn't serve dragons, many stores wouldn't let dragons inside, and countless services were often denied to a dragon. There haven't been many laws created for the rights of dragons, so private businesses could get away with almost anything. Humans like William were few and far between, which was why Aislin detests them.

Aislin angled herself downward, gliding over a few tanks filled with propane. She landed lightly and walked up to a small building. She had delivered here before--she recognized the property and she was beginning to remember something she didn't like. She walked inside, making sure to first wipe her paws on a rug of any grime they could have accumulated. It seemed like a common courtesy since humans liked their things to be kept perfectly clean.

"Hey, hey, hey! Shoo!" a large, portly man grumbled, standing up from behind his desk while pointing at the door. "I said out! Get!"

Aislin scowled at him, careful not to bare her fangs. That's what I forgot about: this old, fat bastard. Despite having been delivered to by the postal service Aislin worked for, the stupid, fat moron behind the desk never seemed to realize that dragons were the deliverers. And he was one of those humans.

"I'm here with your letter," she said and withdrew the one for Strickland. She took a step forward, ready to hand it to him, but the man rudely yelled at her to stop.

"No!" he barked. "Don't you touch my damn carpet!" He rushed over, stumbling around his desk, and snatched the letter from her. "You're late!" He glared angrily at her, seeming to expect an apology.

"Sorry about your weight," she replied cleverly with a slight grin. She couldn't help it!

"I'll be informing Mr. Donley about your tardiness," he squinted at the badge on her chest and continued, "... Asslin."

"Ash."

"What'd you say to me?" A nasty glare scrunched his face tightly.

"It's pronounced Ash-lin, you incomp--" Aislin bit her tongue and quickly opened the door and left, nearly getting her tail crushed in the process.

The dragoness sighed and looked at her next letter. Smith. Oh, how generic! she commented to herself while reading the exact address. A lot of the humans she delivered to frequently requested the post office's service, so she remembered a lot of addresses with certain names, but with common names like Smith, she could never tell which one.

I'm already off to a good start, she grumbled. No wonder Evelyn quit.

Aislin wasn't too pleased with working alone today, but she was quick to deliver the next two letters in the city, and she was done in less than an hour. Lucky for her, delivering the other two envelopes went smoothly without incident. She even received a small, hard-tack candy as a tip! If the humans knew how to do anything, it was making tasty treats for her to drool over. She decided to save it for later and stashed it in her right pouch.

When she returned to the postal building, William was still sitting at his desk, but this time he was playing a game on his phone.

"Busy as always?" Aislin asked sarcastically.

"Yup," he replied tersely, absorbed in his game. Being the manager of dragons, there really wasn't all that much to do since they were out delivering all day. It was probably the easiest job there!

She was about to walk into the next room where she could get some water and maybe a snack, but he suddenly piped up, "Oh! You have a new friend to meet." He put down his phone for a moment and pointed to the locker room. "He just walked in not too long ago, lookin' for a job. Since Eve just quit, I'd say he's got lucky timin'! He's been in there for about twenty minutes... you should probably check on him."

"Just because he's a dragon, it doesn't automatically make him my friend or buddy, you know," she retorted, already making her way into the other room. "And why didn't you help him?"

He rubbed the back of his head and smirked. "Busy doin' stuff."

Aislin teasingly scoffed, shaking her head disapprovingly. Humans were always preoccupying themselves with something, often distracting them from what's important.

Inside the locker room was a male dragon with violet scales lining his slender body, struggling to put on the flight suit. Aislin grew wide-eyed as she watched him attempting to put on his uniform. It was hard to impress her, but he certainly outdid himself! That male was handsome and attractive in every possible way she could think of!

Blue hues mixed in with his dark-purple hide. His chin, the tips of his wings, his hind-paws, and the tip of his tail were all the same shade of dark blue. Polished ivory horns protruded crookedly from the back of his skull, just above small cheek spikes that gave his face a tough, masculine appearance. Small white spines traced down his back to the middle of his tail.

After having looked over her new "friend" once... maybe twice... definitely three times, Aislin finally realized just how clumsy he actually was. He had the wrong half of the suit on his underbelly, one forearm was through the wrong hole, and his head wasn't even through a hole. He was so focused on trying to put the flight suit on, that he hadn't even noticed her.

"You're quite the mastermind," Aislin commented.

His head jerked toward her just as his cheeks flushed. A pair of crimson eyes stared helplessly back at her. "I... uhhh." He hung his head low, admitting defeat. "Can you please help me? I just started here."

She laughed amusingly and bared her teeth in a friendly grin. "I can tell that much. Get it off."

He listened to her, stepping out of the suit once it was untangled from his limbs.

"Okay, here," she said, guiding his paws to the proper holes. He didn't say much and slightly flinched when she touched him. She could tell he was nervous.

"My first time putting one of these on wasn't easy either," she reassured. "They're the worst things ever designed." That got an uneasy smile from him.

Aislin directed him through each step, focusing mostly on which limb went through which hole. He lifted his wings for her, and the bottom half of the suit soon met the top half as she snapped it together for him.

As she pulled the suit up and clicked the third fastening together, he groaned and shifted uncomfortably.

"What's wrong?" she asked curiously. She knew she did everything right, and the suits stretched evenly to fit a dragon's body, so it shouldn't have been too tight.

"N- Nothing," he replied with a hesitant smile. "It's just that the suit is... well... it's constricting."

Aislin picked at it around his shoulders, testing its elasticity. "It seems fine. It should fit snugly once you get used to it. This was my first piece of clothing ever too."

He laughed awkwardly. "It's not that. It's more in the lower regions..."

She delightedly went to inspect his hind end, but he pulled away. She scowled disappointingly at him. "Can you move your tail alright?"

"Yeah, it's fine." He waved his tail back and forth to double-check. "Forget I said anything about it. Thanks for helping me put it on," he said politely, deterring the subject. "My name is Saber."

She dipped her head courteously in return and replied, "My name is Aislin. Welcome to the team." That sounds way more official than what it actually is, especially since it's just the two of us for this shift.

"Thanks." He took his attention away from her for a moment and looked at himself in the mirror along the wall. "I look ridiculous in this..." he muttered while turning and lifting his wings.

Then, Aislin finally realized what he had been complaining about. She caught a quick glimpse beneath his tail and saw that his balls were smashed against his body. Two separate orbs bulged where the fabric pulled them tightly against his crotch. She blushed and averted her gaze.

Poor guy. I'm glad I don't have to worry about that!

Aislin chuckled happily, glad to see someone share her distaste. "You look ridiculous? I look even more ridiculous!" She lifted her wings too, making sure he got a good look at her graceful body. She even did a little twirl for him.

"I think you look good, Aislin." He smiled sincerely with an adorable, toothy grin.

She beamed in return, not caring that he was just being polite. She knew she didn't look that great in this, but she was hoping that he looked less at her clothing and more at her body. She liked shy guys!

"Thanks. Let's go see if we have anything to deliver." He nodded eagerly and followed her.

William, still thumbing at his phone, heard them walk in and said, "I don't have anythin' right now, so why don't ya show Saber around, Ash?"

"So take him to the break room and back?" she retorted dryly. "That will take a whole two minutes!"

"Hey, don't get sassy with me!" he teased. "I meant take him around town or somethin'. Sabe's new here. If somethin' comes up, I'll page ya, so try not to venture too far."

"Sabe? And I thought Ash was bad!" Aislin checked to make sure her device was in her pocket, and then made sure it was on. Humans had all sorts of neat devices, but she didn't really have a use for any of them.

"Two syllables are too much for me," he retorted.

"Your name has three," she stated.

"And you can call me Will if ya want. Now get going! I'm very busy," he said, returning his attention to his game.

She rolled her eyes. "See you later!" She happily padded through the lobby and out the door with Saber close behind.

"Where do you want to go first?" she asked him.

He glanced around and replied, "I don't know. This is my first time in a human city."

That surprised her. There weren't many dragons that had never been in a human settlement anymore. Aislin thought of her favorite places and decided that the city's park would be a good way to introduce him. "Follow me, then!" She jumped into the sky and flew west toward the center of the city.

They flew together silently for a moment while Aislin thought of a question to ask. They rose above the tallest buildings, even the ones that seemed to scrape the sky. Beneath them was what looked like a maze, constructed by the human builders. Roads connected and broke apart, shifting and changing directions while weaving between buildings. There were a lot of simple square shapes, but the pattern seemed to change with different sections of the city.

"Where are you from?" Aislin finally asked, curious. He was too well-groomed and polite to be a wild dragon, but this was his first time in a human city, so from where else could he have come?

"I came from a secluded estate about fifty miles away from here. I was born and raised there, so this is my first time seeing the outside world," Saber explained.

"You were raised by humans?"

"In a way, yes," he answered. "I lived with a few other dragons along with my father, and we were all domesticated and well cared for by a rich, human family. We were mostly used for shows and sometimes breeding, if we agreed to it."

"That sounds rather pleasant..." She looked at him with curious eyes, admiring his lithe, violet body as he flew. He must have been the handsome product of two, beautiful dragons that had bred there. I wouldn't mind mating with that one bit!

"What made you leave?"

A somber smile spread his lips. "I didn't want that life. I enjoyed everyone there, human and dragon alike, but I wasn't happy with being someone else's property. I was never treated like an animal, but the similarities were there. I didn't feel complete, so I ran away to start my own life."

Aislin understood the feeling. Dragons weren't meant to be pets, and there were laws avidly against it. Although there were laws against domesticating wild dragons, there were plenty of loopholes and ways around them, such as being born into it like Saber was.

Once a dragon reached a certain age, they were considered free no matter their living condition, but most domesticated dragons were never told of this and would never know. There was also no way to accurately prove their age. Saber didn't know about the law, but he ran away anyhow. Nevertheless, he was free.

Aislin chuckled and said, "So you chose to work as a deliverer?"

He grinned. "It wasn't my first choice, but I accepted the option pretty quick. I asked around other places in the city for a job that I thought would work for me, but I was shooed away from most of them, even yelled at. I didn't realize humans were so... rude."

Aislin nodded in understanding.

"A kind dragoness noticed my plight after being kicked out of a store and referred me to the Postal Services building. She said a position just opened up, so I immediately went there."

That had to have been Eve, she thought with disbelief. "You will get used to the humans. They're all pretty much the same."

Saber disagreed. "They're a lot like us, but there are more of them, so it's just harder to find the good ones."

Aislin frowned at him. "The only nice human I've ever met is William, our manager. The other humans are either respectful or rude." Then again, he may be right. I don't really try to talk to them.

"The family that cared for me was very nice. I got along well with their children, and they enjoyed playing with me." He smiled briefly, seeming to have recalled pleasant memories.

"I wish I could have met them," Aislin said. She saw the park down below them, surrounded by streets and buildings. Amidst the dull looking buildings were a few city blocks painted in vibrant hues of autumn colors. Oaks, pines, maples, and dogwoods shaded the trimmed grass and flowers beneath them. Their colorful leaves were just beginning to fall.

"Here's the first place I wanted to show you," she said, leading him down to the center of the park. They landed in a clearing next to a cobblestone path that ran from one end of the park to the other. Their paws crunched the fallen leaves beneath them, but the grass was soft and well cared for. A few human gawked at them from a distance, appearing to have been disturbed by the two dragons.

"It's beautiful here," he commented, completely ignoring their gaze. His nostrils flared as a breeze blew past. "And it smells delightfully fresh."

Aislin grinned and walked to the path, beginning to follow it with her claws clacking against the stone. Saber trotted to catch up and was soon walking next to her.

"It's my favorite place to go to relax when it's not a busy day. I usually have a lot of downtime during the week."

"Did you ever take the other workers here?" Saber asked inquiringly.

"No, not really," she answered. "The dragoness that worked here before you kept to herself. The only time we really spent together was the first week where I trained her, just as I will be doing with you."

"Oh, so we will be working separately?" he asked, sounding disappointed.

"It only takes one dragon to deliver letters--having two just speeds things up if one of us is already out delivering." Aislin smiled softly. "But it doesn't mean we won't get to see each other from time to time."

Saber nodded. "So what's the worst part about the job, besides these ridiculous uniforms?"

Aislin grinned toothily. "Well, dealing with the humans to start with. A few of our clients are extremely racist towards dragons, and you'll know who fairly quick. During our runs this week, I'll let you know ahead of time if I know them."

He nodded in understanding. "And the best part?"

"Hmm. Probably the treats!"

Saber looked at her questioningly. "Treats?"

"Some of the humans like to tip us with snacks like candy." She withdrew the hardtack candy she received earlier and handed it to him. "Try it."

He sat down for a second and clumsily unwrapped it with his forepaws while eyeing it with scrutiny. He must have never had a piece of candy before. "What does it taste like?" he asked uncertainly.

"Try it!" Aislin insisted.

Saber placed it in his maw and immediately bit into it. With a loud crunch, the candy shattered in his mouth. He chewed on it some more and swallowed the pieces.

"You were supposed to suck on it, but that works too," she remarked.

"It tastes fruity," he said with surprise.

She nodded her head excitedly. "The humans somehow put different flavors into the candy that taste just like real things. I'm surprised you haven't had some before."

"We were fed a specific diet and weren't allowed to eat much of anything else," he explained. Saber happily licked his chops clean. "I enjoyed that. Thank you."

They continued along the path for a few minutes before they came across some humans. Aislin noticed two humans specifically, a male and a female, walking side by side just as she and Saber were. She guessed that they were mates because she often saw couples like that walking around the park. They'd often press their faces together and hug, showing affection in the human way.

Aislin smiled softly. She imagined being mated with Saber and felt butterflies forming in her stomach. He was a very handsome dragon, and he was kind too. She wouldn't mind being his mate at all! Although, she wondered how he felt toward her. After all, they had met only an hour ago!

Aislin had mated a few times before with two different dragons and given or received oral from another few. She never really knew them and didn't really care to know them. They were instinctual flings that came about from lust, and she wasn't ashamed of it.

But looking at Saber now, she wanted more than just a onetime deal with him. She liked his personality and his ravishing looks. He was a perfect, potential mate in her eyes, and she hoped he saw her that way too. She wondered if he had ever mated before, since he lived with some breeders. He could be really good at it for all she knew.

"Aw, look, honey! They're so cute together!" the female said after they passed Aislin and Saber. "They even have matching outfits!"

Aislin growled and turned around to protest, but Saber stopped her before she could. "That was a compliment, Aislin," he said, convincing her to keep walking forward. "And I don't mind if they think we're mates. It's an easy mistake to make."

Aislin was going to retort, but Saber caught her off guard. His toothy smile was genuine and sincere, and his crimson eyes were filled with kindheartedness, glinting beautifully like two ruby gems. She stared at him for a moment, lost in thought with a very warm heart.

Then, her pager began beeping and vibrating, requesting for her to return to the office. She mumbled a curse and said, "Looks like we have something to deliver. Let's hurry back."

He nodded and followed her.

They only had to deliver one letter, and it was to a small business not far from the main office. It was the perfect opportunity to show Saber how to read addresses and deliver, and they had it done in no time.

The evening led into night, and they only had a few more letters and a package. Saber was slow to catch on to reading the addresses and finding them without a map, so William gave him a small map of the city to study during their breaks, and Aislin taught him how to read it.

Aislin was more than happy to assist him. Normally, her work day dragged on and on for about six hours, but today she didn't even notice time passing. The next thing she knew, she was taking off her suit in the locker room around ten o' clock with Saber, who was also done working for the night since they were on the same shift.

She undressed quickly, which was much easier than dressing, and folded her uniform neatly. With a quick look-over in the mirror, she was glad to see her bare light-gray scales again. With that suit on, she couldn't see her mottled, black scales that clung to her shoulders and back. Now that it was off, she saw the change in color where her thickest gray scales darkened to black along her spine.

Then, she noticed Saber having a difficult time with his flight suit once again. She chuckled and padded over to help him.

"You're very clumsy," she commented while unfastening the top half for him.

"Whoever invented these created a cruel joke," he grumbled. Once he was able to step out of the suit, he elicited a long sigh of relief.

"That bad, huh?"

He nodded and noticeably shifted his hind legs farther apart than normal.

Aislin grinned, thinking to herself, Probably making sure his stones are still there! She figured she could tease him more about it now, since they were well acquainted.

"I never realized how constricting these uniforms were down there until you came along. The only other male that works here takes an earlier shift, so I don't get to hear him groan about it."

Saber blushed and fumbled for his words, refusing to make eye contact with her. "I... yeah... It's not very... pleasant. I wish they had been more... considerate when making these."

She laughed and folded his suit for him. "I'm sure you'll get used to it." She handed it to him, but he was acting extremely shy. "What's wrong?" she asked, concerned that maybe she took a step too far.

He grinned awkwardly and reassured her. "Nothing's wrong. I just... You... You're very beautiful."

Now it was her turn to blush. Her cheeks heated and she took a step back. "T-Thank you, Saber." His smiled gained confidence, and she beamed sincerely in return. It normally took a lot to get Aislin flustered, but three simple words from him broke her solid poise.

"I told you the suits made us look ridiculous," she said.

"They are very distracting," he agreed. "I'm glad I could see you without one on."

Aislin smiled softly and went to put her suit away, feeling butterflies in her stomach again. William was nowhere to be found, so she assumed that he already went home for the night. "We'll have to get you a nametag tomorrow, but for now, put your suit on this shelf." She pointed to Evelyn's old shelf. He placed his folded flight suit neatly inside the closet.

She walked out of the door, making sure Saber was following her, and padded through the empty lobby.

"Does this place get locked?" he asked as they stepped outside. A single light lit the front entrance as they were greeted by the cool, night air. The breeze was welcomed against Aislin's bare scales.

"Mr. Donley, the boss man, closes up about an hour later. Everyone else has usually gone home. Hell, the normal mailmen finish their routes about six o' clock. That's why we get a little bit busier after that."

He nodded in understanding. "I see."

"I guess I'll see you tomorrow, if you're still interested in the job."

"I'll definitely see you tomorrow," he replied with a soft grin. He looked around, seeming to be lost. Aislin figured he didn't know his way around yet, especially in the dark.

"Do you need help getting home?"

He looked at her thoughtfully. "I... I don't really have a home yet. I was just going to sleep in the park until I find a place."

"Come stay at my apartment," she offered. "It's too cold to be sleeping out in the open like that, and I could use some company." She smiled reassuringly. "You can stay until you get your own place."

"Are you sure?" he asked. "After all you've done for me today, I can't expect you to also open your home to me."

"Of course I'm sure!" she said. "It's not a problem whatsoever. Just follow me."

Aislin grinned. Saber would be the first male--hell, the only dragon--to ever set a paw in her new apartment. She began renting it out only a couple of months ago, and it's been the most comfortable place she'd ever stayed. It was a dragon-friendly place, too, so she wasn't the only dragon around--and the owners were sort of nice. Not many humans would rent out a room to a dragon. Most of the human residents there were respectful towards dragons as well, so it really wasn't a bad place for her to live, but it was expensive.

They flew for about ten minutes until the large complex came into view. It was built on the outskirts of the city, and it looked almost like a hotel. Since there were a lot of dragons, the owners of the complex actually built it to accommodate them by making balconies on each floor so they wouldn't have to walk up the stairs. There was a door with a keypad lock on each landing platform.

Aislin and Saber landed on the fifth floor balcony. She tapped in a few digits, and the door unlocked. They walked inside and straight down the hallway until they reached her room, 504. She never left the door locked, so they walked straight in after pulling down the handle.

Aislin, of course, kept her hoard and money stashed away in a locked room so nothing would be stolen. Other than that, she didn't really have many possessions she cared about, besides what came with the rooms.

"Wow," Saber said, looking around inside. As they stepped inside, they were greeted by a comfortably warm temperature.

"I'll take that as a compliment," she teased. "Come on, I'll show you around."

The rooms were rather barren and small, besides some furniture, but they were all maintained, nice, and cleanly. The living area was the first they stepped foot into from the entrance.

In the living area, there was just a couch made for humans against the wall, facing them, a TV that she bought last month to their left, and a cabinet against the wall on the other side of the TV.

"You have a television?" Saber asked with awe, staring at his reflection in the black screen.

Aislin chuckled. "Yeah, though I don't use it much. I don't know how to work the damn thing."

Saber picked up the remote, turned the TV on, and stared at it wide-eyed as the news began playing. He tapped a button and brought up a guide, searching through it. Aislin watched him, surprised. He found a channel and selected it, bringing it up in an instant. It was a channel with cartoons.

"You know how to use that?" she asked with disbelief. I couldn't even change the channel once.

He smiled and nodded his head. "The humans taught me when I was younger. I had often watched these cartoons with them."

She sat down next to him in front of the television, their eyes glued to the animated show.

"Weren't you going to show me the rest of your place?" he asked, snapping Aislin back to attention.

She replied, "Oh, yeah..." She pointed to a closed door behind them, to the right side of the couch. "That's an unused bedroom." She pointed at the next room continuing on their right. "That's the kitchen, and there's another door in there to the right that leads to the bathroom." She pointed at another closed door to the left. "And that's my bedroom."

Aislin's attention immediately reverted back to the cartoon, having given up on a full tour. She had never really watched a TV before, with something entertaining on at the very least. The only thing she had watched so far was one of those drab newscasters going on and on about something completely unrelated to her.

Saber chuckled and crawled up onto the couch. "I'm exhausted after our venture today, so if you don't mind, I'll sleep here for the night."

She turned toward him. "You don't have to sleep on the couch. There's another bedroom with a soft bed and blankets right there. I'll even share my bed, if you don't want to sleep alone," she offered hopefully.

He looked at her thoughtfully, getting Aislin's hopes up. "I don't want to intrude on you, so I'll take the separate room. I've never slept in a room to myself before... thank you," he replied politely, stepping off of the couch.

Aislin tried not to show her disappointment and simply nodded. She didn't want to push him any further, as she didn't want to scare him off, but she hoped that he would wander into her bed sometime during the night. It was a decently sized bed for one person, but it wouldn't be able to fit two dragons together without some close, physical contact. She just wished that she could snuggle up with him as he held her against his warm body.

As Saber closed the door behind him, she sighed and continued to watch the television. She would just have to wait for him to make the first move, and then she would be all over him. Aislin smiled to herself.

Thanks to the TV and her vivid imagination, she was easily entertained for the next couple of hours before she decided to crawl into bed herself.

Her bedroom only had a bed and a nightstand with a lamp on it, but beneath her bed was where she stored her hoard, ranging from shiny objects to items that meant something to her.

The dragoness jumped up onto her bed and curled up, placing a soft, warm blanket over her body. She quickly drifted off into slumber while thinking about Saber.

Aislin lazily crawled out of bed the next morning earlier than what she was used to. She wanted to sleep a little bit longer, but hunger gnawed at her stomach, so she decided to get some food. After a yawn and a few stretches, she stepped out of her room, immediately noticing Saber lying on the couch, watching cartoons again.

"Good morning, Aislin," he said with a cheerful smile. "I hope I didn't wake you."

She yawned again, baring her sharp, white teeth. "No, you didn't. I'm surprised you're up this early."

"I don't sleep for very long. I'm used to taking naps whenever I get tired."

She nodded. "Just make sure you get enough sleep before work. I'd hate for you to fall out of the sky because of exhaustion," she teased. Aislin walked past him toward the kitchen, and then realized that she never offered him food. He was probably starving! What kind of hostess am I? she thought worriedly.

"You hungry?" she quickly asked.

He climbed down from the couch to follow Aislin. "A little bit, yeah. I could use a snack."

Aislin quickly padded to the fridge, finding eight packages of raw meat that she had bought only a couple of days ago. It was different from the raw food humans bought, as this meat was cured for a dragon to eat straight out of the package. That was going to be her food for the rest of the week, but she went ahead grabbed four packages out.

She split the meat with Saber, giving him two packages. They both hungrily ate the food while watching cartoons on the couch together.

"This is really a nice place you have," he commented politely. "And I hope you don't think rude of me for asking, but how do you afford all of this? Does delivering for Postal Services really pay for everything?"

Aislin smiled and replied, "I can't really afford it. I signed a six-month lease with the savings I had stored away. After the lease is up, I'll have to find a new place to live for a while, so I can save up money again."

"Where will you go?" He looked genuinely worried for her, and that made her happy.

"On the other side of town is a place for dragons to live. It's rugged, dirty, and not well cared for. I've lived there for most of my life because the rent is cheap. That's why I wanted to see what it was like to live in a place like this for a time," Aislin explained.

Saber nodded in understanding. "I'll have to check it out as soon as I can. I could probably start living there after my first payment."

Aislin frowned. She didn't want him to live there. She wanted him to stay here with her at least until her lease expired.

Once four o'clock was about to roll around, Saber and Aislin departed for work together. When they arrived, Saber had the opportunity to meet Kale and Rhona, the two workers who worked the shift before them.

They walked into the locker room together, finding a golden-scaled male and a white-scaled female taking off their suits after the end of their shift. Usually, they left a bit earlier, before Aislin arrived.

Rhona was the first to notice them and greeted Aislin casually. "Hey, Ash. Is that the new guy?"

In Aislin's opinion, Rhona was a very beautiful dragoness, as she looked pure and innocent. But she was persistent and talkative, not a good personality to mix with Aislin's, who kept to herself and was equally as stubborn. Rhona was also just as hormonally unbalanced as a young male first experimenting with sex.

Aislin nodded. "His name is Saber." She looked at Saber and said, "This is Rhona, and that's Kale."

Kale greeted them too. Aislin liked Kale as they got along fairly well. He was handsome, but not as handsome as Saber. She once exchanged oral pleasures with him, but that was mostly in hopes of annoying Rhona, if she had found out.

"Saber, eh?" Rhona said as she strutted over to him. She swayed her hips back and forth while seductively eyeing him. "You're a very handsome drake."

Aislin subdued a growl, but stared at her maliciously as she lightly sniffed Saber's neck. You have a mate, and he's standing right behind you. Back off!

"T- Thank you," Saber stuttered. He stepped back a little, giving more room between him and Rhona. He stepped closer to Aislin, which pleased her immensely. "It's nice to meet you."

"Rhona, leave the poor guy alone," Kale said and walked up to them. "We can go have our fun now, so there's no need for you to get him all worked up.

She grinned deviously--which Aislin swore that was directed at her--and retorted, "I was only welcoming him. No need to get your tail in a knot." She returned her attention to Saber and finished, "It was nice meeting you too."

Kale and Rhona left, much to Aislin's relief. Saber seemed relieved, too, since he sighed as his tense body relaxed.

"Rhona is quite a handful," Aislin commented.

Saber nodded in agreement.

Aislin had to help Saber into his flight suit again, even after showing him how to put it on with herself as a model. She took her time too, making sure he got a really good look at her body. She dropped every subtle hint she could possibly think of, careful to make sure it wasn't that obvious like lifting her tail. But Saber never went forward with it.

While they had some downtime, Aislin showed him another one her favorite spots: the reservoir. It wasn't too far from the post office, located north in the city's outskirts. It was a large, mile-wide pool of water which held most of the city's water. During the summer time, Aislin liked to play in the water, despite the rules humans made against it.

They only had a short time to spend there before Aislin's pager buzzed them back.

Saber learned a lot more about the job, and he was beginning to pick up on it faster. Every delivery for them went smoothly. It wasn't rare for Aislin to run into a rude human while she was on her own, but now that Saber was around, all of the humans seemed nicer. He was polite to them and very sincere which earned him a lot of treats. Aislin felt a little jealous, but she knew it was just his nature.

Aislin warned him about their next customer. He was a short, stocky, and vicious little human. She liked to refer to him as the "angry elf," and Saber got a good kick out of that. They flew in the middle of town and glided down between buildings, finding themselves outside a grocery store with a sign in the front window saying Humans Only.

"Why does it say it's only for humans?" Saber asked.

"Because only humans can shop here," she replied. "Dragons aren't allowed inside."

He frowned. "They can do that?"

She nodded. "There's plenty more businesses like this, too. I'm surprised you didn't see them."

Aislin pushed open the front doors, and they both walked into the store. It was nice and clean inside. There were only two registers on their left side while the rest of the store opened up to many different aisles, sorted and organized.

"Wipe your paws," she said and did so herself. After making sure that they wouldn't track dirt around, they walked inside and approached the first register. A lady working the till turned and greeted them.

"Hey there!" She smiled kindly at them and squatted down so she was eye-level with Aislin. That surprised her, as that was a courtesy that humans rarely did for dragons. "I'd hate to kick you out, because you're both so adorable, but I'm sure you saw the sign out front."

Aislin ignored the comment and replied, "We're here to deliver an urgent letter to..." The name escaped her mind. She looked at Saber, who happened to be carrying the envelope, and asked him to withdraw it.

He pulled it from his pouch and read it. "To Mr. Kracinski," he finished.

"Oh, I see! Here," she said, holding out her hand. "I'll immediately take it to him. He'd have a fit if you two walked through his store, and he'd take it out on us for letting you in."

Aislin knew why, but Saber couldn't help but to ask, "Why? We didn't do anything wrong."

The lady smiled and took the letter he handed to her. "It's not just you. He just doesn't like dragons, and his excuses are that dragons will 'scratch up the floor, make a mess, break things, scare the other customers,' blah blah blah."

Saber frowned, looking a little frustrated. He wanted to say something back, but he couldn't quite form the words.

Aislin beckoned for him to leave and said, "Thank you. He's new to the city."

They turned to leave just after Saber thanked her as well. When the door closed behind them, he asked, "Why do humans think we're bad? It's not like we do those things on purpose."

"There have been many incidents in the past that led to those typical stereotypes. She was kind enough not to mention the worst ones."

"So they're dragons that actually do that?"

"Some of them, but it's out of spite for the most part. C'mon, let's grab a quick snack."

Later that night, William had a nametag ready for Saber and fixed it onto his uniform. He was now officially employed there, having two days of training already. Aislin was glad to see his genuine smile at the end of their second night. He look happy and accomplished, though he still had trouble with his suit. She helped him take it off and folded it up for him again.

Once they both returned to her home, Saber immediately retired for the night, exhausted and sleepy. Aislin was disappointed, having hoped that he would watch some more cartoons with her. She grabbed another slab of meat from the fridge, realizing that he had gone to bed without eating again. She sighed and stayed awake for another hour before finding her eyes to be too heavy.

When Aislin crawled into her bed, she immediately began thinking about Saber again. She couldn't shake him from her mind, especially since he didn't seem interested in mating with her. An idea came to her mind, and she decided to try it the next morning.