Chapter 1: Testing the Waters

Zaeryn was starving for love. More than anything, he longed to experience the events which, for too long, had played out only in his fantasies: To caress and kiss another, to exchange sweet nothings, to hold hands and play footsie out in public, to snuggle up and binge-watch a show together - all that lovey-dovey shit. Just thinking about it made him feel light-headed and drunk. Well, at least that's what he imagined being drunk felt like.

At seven feet tall, moderately muscular and adorned with spikes, he may not have looked the part, but Zaeryn was a sensitive drake (a dragon without wings) and a hopeless romantic. Every night, he watched some mushy anime, played a dating sim, or poured through a romance story. With increasing regularity, he even wrote his own. They weren't strictly romance, though; They were filled with the kind of shameless smut that would make housewives jealous. Of course, nothing compared with experiencing the real thing. Hell, writing about such things only made him want them more. There was just one problem - one colossal fucking problem: Zaeryn felt very anxious around strangers.

It had been that way for as long as he could remember. The drake used to walk with his shoulders slumped over and his eyes fixed permanently on the ground. If someone tried talking with him, it was a one-way conversation; He'd only answer direct questions and even then with one-word answers. His soft-spoken, often monotone voice only made it harder for others to understand him. He also found it impossible to maintain eye contact, which meant he couldn't pick up on social cues like facial expressions and body language. At one point, it was so bad that all he could do was stare at the other person's feet. Over time, he had to teach himself social skills which just seemed to come naturally to everyone else.

But that was years ago; Zaeryn had made great progress since then. For instance, he could endure eye contact for short periods and whenever he started to feel uncomfortable, he could instead focus on the bridge of the other person's nose, or read their lips. Whenever he needed them, he'd also learned coping strategies from hisnutcrackertherapist, and from those, um... y'know, those thingies what have words writted on 'em. The medication seemed to be helping as well. It got him in touch with Seamus, the arsonist leprechaun who lived in his brain.

But Zaeryn had also found more physical solutions. Background noise tended to stress and distract him, so he invested in a pair of noise-cancelling headphones. They were invaluable for drowning out his noisy next-door neighbors, or the loud roar of his own car. The thumping music it played also kept him motivated during many an evening at the Iron Hall, the local gym.

Zaeryn attended it at least three days a week after work. However, it wasn't unusual for him to show up after closing time; 24/7 access was one perk of premium membership. He knew from experience that no one else showed up around ten o'clock and that was just perfect. It gave him plenty of time to work out, swim in the indoor pool and grab a shower before the short drive home - all in peace and solitude. Well, that changed one fateful Friday night in October. Zaeryn was about to collide, literally, with the love of his life.

The Iron Hall's large, open main room stretched out before him. It used to be an office space before someone bought it and moved in their equipment, which was staggered along a carpeted island in the middle. There were treadmills, ellipticals, bench presses, dumbbell sets and a machine for every set of muscles one could imagine. Surrounding that was a smooth, rubber-coated track, which he always lapped a few times just to get the blood flowing.

Phone in fist, Zaeryn equipped his headphones, fired up Dotify and pressed shuffle on a playlist of death metal. (It was surprisingly effective workout music.) Then, he slipped his horn-rimmed glasses into their case, retrieved a hand towel, and was ready to pump some iron. He warmed up with some stretches and cardio, which was important. (He once found that out the hard way.) Then, he made his usual rounds around the room, stopping at each of the resistance machines to focus on a different area of the body. By the time he'd circumnavigated the room, it had only taken about thirty, forty minutes tops. At any rate, it was a great workout; His muscles felt tight and warm, which was nice. But the drake was also low on energy, so he needed a place to rest. Well, there was none more ideal than the gym's own heated, indoor pool.

After a quick change in the men's locker room, he was there. Zaeryn lowered himself into the water and settled just above the surface. Taking a deep breath, he closed his nictitating membranes (semi-clear, vertical lenses), then his regular eyelids. Having found a peaceful reprieve, he attempted to meditate. Forgetting all his daily stresses, he focused solely on his own breathing and the gentle slosh of water. Soon, he could no longer even tell the two apart. The dragon was so relaxed, in fact, that the ASMR effect (a relaxed cranial tingling) took hold. But there was a downside to being zoned-out like that: Zaeryn was slow to react. For instance, he didn't notice the stranger rocketing toward him at full speed.

*Splash! Fwumpf!*

The bulk of their back slammed into him, sending the pair careening into a nearby wall. Facing the corner, Zaeryn braced his arms on the pool's ledge and coughed up water, chlorine stinging through his nostrils. The drake clutched his sore ribs, which must have taken the brunt of the impact. He was going to be sore in the morning.

When the clumsy stranger first spoke, Zaeryn realized they were female. Her voice reminded him of a flute - soft and sweet, slightly smoky. There were no discernable pauses between her sentences and her accent was, for lack of a better term, valley girl. Not quite as thick, though.

"Shit aw shit I'm so sorry dude I didn't see you there until it was too late and I mean I tried to turn at the last second but I still hit you anyway I hope you don't think that was on purpose I'm not that kind of person I didn't even know anyone else was here I thought I was all alone tonight but no I guess I was just so focused on swimming that I wasn't paying attention to anything else hey does that ever happen to you I tried to sharp turn at the last moment but just collided with my shoulders and back and damn I must've been going pretty fast cause I hit you pretty hard hey I didn't hurt you did I?"

Zaeryn turned to face the source and was momentarily speechless. Not only was he taken by surprise and short of breath. Not only was a stranger talking to him. But he found himself face-to-face with the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen.

Standing mere inches away, tilting her head like a confused pup, was the distinct figure of a shark; Her skin was slate grey with a sandy yellow undertone, though her underside was milky white. Several fins, bordered in black, sprouted out from prominent places - her spine, elbows, and knees. Curtains of chestnut brown fell loosely around her soft, round face and beneath her brows, arched with concern, were a pair of piercing, sapphire eyes. Just looking into them made Zaeryn feel winded. Below her graceful neck was a pair of... moderately-sized breasts, cradled by a lime green bikini. He averted his gaze. Better not stare.

Unable to maintain eye contact, the young male skimmed his eyes from the bridge of her nose, down to her lips, and back again. It took a moment to find his words. "N-no, I'm fine," he insisted, brushing off his broad shoulders for... no reason.

"Okay. I'm sorry," she apologized. Even to Zaeryn, it was obvious: She wasn't really convinced. That guilty expression betrayed her. Still, reluctantly, she turned away. The girl wanted to get away immediately, so that's exactly what she did. She shot through the water like a silver torpedo, paddling her arms, feet and tail. Seconds later, she had already cleared the pool's sixty-yard length, reached its far end and emerged for a quick rest.

From that distance, especially without his glasses, Zaeryn could only make out a slim, grey figure. 'Fuck me.' he thought. 'If that's what hit me, then it's no wonder I'm in pain.'

Then the stranger's guilt caught up with her. 'Damn it, Liana,' she thought, 'What's up with you? That was pretty rude of you. Why are you so nervous? He's just a guy. Shit. Better go make it right.' She gave a friendly wave, then rolled her shoulders and neck. Then, arms flush with her body, she fell into the water and shot straight through it, her figure swaying like a wild snake. This time, she was somehow even quicker. In all his life, Zaeryn had never seen someone swim so fast.

When the girl resurfaced, she added another long sequence of run-on sentences. "You sure you're okay dude? Don't want to cause any trouble but I can't believe I did that guess I can be a bit of a klutz sometimes I mean we all can but me more often than most even in the water of all places and that's double embarrassing considering who my parents are but why am I even mentioning them to you since we've only just met I guess because I'm nervous but why should I burden you with my problems this is-... is... I'm sorry."

The drake was taken aback. 'She's really that concerned about me?' he wondered. 'But why?' "Hey, it's no big deal," he waved dismissively, "I'll be fine." In truth, he knew there'd be bruises later, but she didn't need to know that. 'Man, that girl sure can talk. Maybe it's just her nerves. Not like I'm in any place to judge.'

She sighed with relief. "That's good." She smiled and so did he, for fear of being thought rude. Then there came a lingering silence and an exchange of awkward glances. Zaeryn had no idea what to say. At times like that, his reptilian brain, frozen in panic, consulted any random piece of music it could find. On that occasion, it was "Don't Stop Bereaving". 'How did that go again? Let's see... Just an uptown girl... she's been living on a broken road. Will I see you tonight on that downtown train to Georgia?'

He waited for another long string of sentences from her, but that didn't happen. Strange because until then, she'd been talking up quite a storm. Instead, she just studied the water and played idly with some wet strands of hair. Behind, her tail did its best imitation of a serpent. 'Gods, that's so cute,' he thought. Then, he noticed something curious: a flush of pink on her cheeks. 'Why, though? Perhaps the silence is getting to her? Well, that makes two of us. Well then, better say something.' Didn't matter much what it was. So, genius that he was, Zaeryn said the first thing that popped into his mind.

"You know, I haven't seen you around here before. My name's Zaeryn." Out of habit, the awkward drake extended his hand for a shake but turned that into a lazy wave instead. 'Dude, what are you doing?' he wondered. 'This isn't a job interview!' The thought made him crack a smile, at least.

Perhaps eased by his change of mood, the shark chuckled internally. "Well, my name's... my name's Liana. Nice to meet you, Zaeryn. Guess you've never seen me around 'cause I just joined today. Brand new, that's right and a premium member too so I can come here whenever I like and go wherever I like kind of like a VIP of course I'm guessing you're in exactly the same position well not exactly the same since I-I-I'm..." She cleared her throat. "Never mind."

She sure didn't look like she'd missed many gym visits. Then it occurred to Zaeryn: Perhaps she'd just moved to Varenport and was active at some other gym. That would explain it. 'Oops. Better answer her.' "Uh... well, welcome to the Iron Hall. Heheh, I'm guessing you've already had the full tour and sales pitch?"

"Haha, yeah," she acknowledged. "They've already tried to sell me protein powders for bulking up my muscle mass supplements and juices and detoxifying stuff but that happens at most gyms so I'm used to it but I mean like they're just doing their job trying to turn a profit like anywhere else which I don't hold against them. But, like, it's water under the bridge, dude.

The slightest of a chuckle puffed from between the reptile's scaly lips. 'Did she really just make a water-based pun? Hey! Dad jokes, lame puns, and the like are my shtick!'

"Besides," she added, "this coming Monday, selling memberships and pushing products is gonna be my responsibility here. Lucky me, huh?"

"No kidding?" he asked, "You're gonna work here? Guess we'll be... seeing a lot more of each other, then." Oh, Zaeryn definitely wanted to see more of her - preferably without clothes.

"Heh. That's right. I'll be here seven days a week, except for holidays." Was the drake flirting with Liana? Not that she'd mind; Hell no, she'd actually welcome it. She just couldn't be sure. The guy seemed reserved and didn't express himself much. But that just made him seem mysterious, which was something she found attractive.

"So," he asked, "what kind of work will you be doing?"

"Well, for starters, I'll be teaching swimming. So, I can look forward to dealing with screaming kids and their whiny parents. I hate to sound like a boomer, but it seems like every year, more kids behave like complete shit - kind of like I did, haha. Kinda feel sorry for them. Kinda want to slap their parents. Anyway, I'm getting off-track. I'll be teaching yoga here in the mornings, so that's fun. On top of that, I've got to sell memberships and products - protein powders, supplements and stuff. Oh, and sanitize the machines between uses."

"Damn. You might as well own the place."

"Haha. I know, right? They're pretty short on staff. But it's not as bad as it sounds. Plus it pays well."

"Cool, cool. Ah, well. Don't want to bore you with work stuff all night. So, you said your name's Liana? Must confess: I've never heard one like that before. Mind if I ask where it's from?"

Flashing a proud smile, the shark turned and motioned for Zaeryn to follow. The pair waded over to the pool's edge and crossed their arms over it. Up close, he could see hers in detail; They were finely sculpted - even rivaled his in that respect, though they were about half the diameter.

"My name? Well, my family came from the islands of Hawaii, so they picked it. To be honest, I've never been a fan of it; 'Liana' is too pretty and girly-sounding for my taste. Funny enough though, it's actually the name of a climbing vine from the Amazon rainforest."

Well, to Zaeryn, she was worthy of such a pretty, girly name. "Heh. Does that mean you enjoy rock climbing?"

She laughed dryly. "Eh heh, heh-heh. Ya know, you're totally the first person ever to make that joke. But, uh," she mumbled, "Yes, actually."

"Hmf ha hah-!" He covered his mouth, as if something offensive had slipped out. Sadly, that was another product of suppressing himself. He had to learn to just let himself laugh.

"Haha, yeah," she chuckled. "Well, I'm glad you got that. When I tell that one, you have no idea how many dudes just stare blankly at me and I'm like, 'Uggh.~ Kill me.' I do enjoy climbing, yeah. But, as you can probably tell, swimming is my number one passion. Shocking, isn't it?"

"Never would've guessed," he replied flatly.

"I shit you not. I was on the swim team in high school - even competed nationally a few times. Sometimes... I seriously, seriously consider returning. Bet I could compete with the best."

"Shit, I know you could. I watched you clear this long-ass pool in seconds flat. N-not to mention I'm still feeling your impact," he grunted, clutching his aching midsection. "Damn. Reminds me of when I played football, haha." He would've rather been doing anything else at the time, but still.

Liana looked like she was about to cry. "Shit I'm so sorry dude you know I didn't do that on purpose right I tried to stop but by the time I saw you it was too late to stop there was little I could do and stupid me by turning the way I did maybe I actually made things worse hitting you with the brunt of my body damn it why'd this have to happen and on my first night here too jeez what a first impression to make I'm not even on the job and already I'm injuring customers I mean this would look soo great on my record just imagine slamming into a customer a premium member at that and you didn't deserve that you seem so nice not like the douche bros I usually meet here-... Look, Zaeryn? Is there... any way I could make it up to you?"

Okay, Zaeryn really liked this girl. She was like a mystery novel he couldn't put down. With every detail uncovered, he found himself more and more enchanted with her story. He had to know more and couldn't have asked for a more perfect opportunity to setup a date. So, what was the worst that could happen? Well, rejection. But, fuck it. 'Nothing ventured makes Jack a dull boy' or some shit. So, he took a deep breath, jettisoned his doubts and popped the question. "How about... how about a date, then? Ya like coffee?"

Liana's cheeks blossomed. "C-coffee? Sure I do. The stronger the better. Just like my men, haha." Liana couldn't believe she just said that. What kind of slut would the drake think she was? If she acted like that, then it was no wonder she kept getting hit on by douchebags. She usually didn't act that way, though. Around him, that flirty feeling just came naturally. 'Came naturally', haha. Liana had a very sophisticated sense of humor.

Zaeryn chuckled, alleviating a little anxiety. "Glad you have a sense of humor." Right, one just as corny as his own. "So, about that date: How about... tomorrow, around lunch?"

"Sure, man. I got nothing going on." Liana tried to sound casual but in reality, she was sweating bullets... figuratively. (Sharks don't sweat.) Why, though? Well, he was fucking handsome. He reminded her of pinups that used to hang on her bedroom wall - cutouts from metal magazines. But... did the dragon like what he saw in her - muscles and all? Well, there was one way to be sure. "Let me just, um... dry off, first. I'll grab my phone and add you so we can stay in touch, 'kay? Be right back. Oh. One thing, though." Raising an eyebrow, she shot Zaeryn a devilish, little smirk. "Don't stare, okay?" With a knowing wink, she turned away.

Was she daring him to stare? Flirting? It sure seemed that way. There was little time to consider, so Zaeryn just watched her cautiously, ready to look away if their gazes should meet. Her figure was slim but curvy in all the right places, in that perfectly feminine way. That was more than enough for him, but every inch of her was also shaped by well-toned muscle. The water coating her skin only accentuated things, making her look subtly shiny. He'd never seen a girl quite like her before. There were all types at the gym: Overweight girls on the journey to lose, skinny cheerleader-types, and bodybuilder chicks with muscle mass similar to their male counterparts. Liana had moderate muscle tone, but still retained those traditionally feminine proportions, that sexy silhouette, those prominent assets. That's probably what lit the dragon's fire about her, at first sight.

Oh, and she had lit his fire. It started deep in his loins as a kind of tingly electricity and was accompanied by a growing warmth. Something warm and fleshy had emerged from his pelvic slit and was sliding along his right thigh, eager for freedom. Good thing his shorts were fairly loose, or its pipe-like outline would've been plain as day. 'Easy, boy,' he assured himself, 'Just wait until we get home.' At any rate, he knew he should just get out of the water. His, er... problem wouldn't go away in mere minutes. Hey, as long as he didn't actively gawk at the lovely shark girl, he'd be just fine. So, he took hold of the poolside ladder.

Zaeryn lifted himself out of the pool and Liana couldn't help but stare. But unlike him, she wouldn't look away - not for anything. He was moderately toned, not like the bulked-up jock types that usually flirted with her. The beading water only accentuated his musculature. From horns to tail, he was everything she wanted in a partner. For starters, he had a strong neck, broad shoulders, a plump ass and a pair of thighs she could get lost in. He was covered in scales of forest green that subtly reflected light, reminding her of a character in... a book she'd once been obsessed with. His arms, legs and spine featured darker tiger stripe patterns. From a distance, she thought they were just tattoos but no, they were all natural. His eyes were amber orbs with vertical slits. They were gorgeous. Looking into them made her feel as if she'd fallen under a spell. Maybe that's why she refused to avert her gaze, even though Zaeryn took notice.

Was Liana staring at him? Not that he minded; Hell no. It was a great confidence boost. He just wished they had something to discuss. Anyway, Zaeryn retrieved a towel and began wiping the liquid from his scaly anatomy. "Hey, Liana. You alright?"

Liana blinked, returning to reality. "Oh. S-sorry. Hey, dude? You said your name was, um... Z-... Zaeryn, right?" Liana was relieved. Thank Gods she remembered his name. She was so nervous she wasn't even sure of that. Why, though? She wasn't a little girl anymore. But in a way, she felt like one, at least around him. But she barely even knew the guy. What the Hell was going on?

"That's right," he replied.

Liana thought even his voice was dreamy. Deep and smooth as silk, it reminded her of an anime villain. Every time he spoke, she hung on his every word. Of course, she would've much rather hung on something else. Maybe that's why she was such a wreck. 'Take it easy, Lia,' she assured herself, 'all you gotta do is make conversation. It's not that hard. That's what she s-... Shit.' "So, Zaeryn," she said, "where's your name from? Other than, like, your parents." Retrieving a towel from her gym bag, she began to dry off, from the tips of her fin-like ears.

"Ah. Well, it's Celtic - from Celtistan." Like a true comedian, Zaeryn paused for effect. "Nah, I'm fuckin' with ya." One could practically hear the crickets chirp. Maybe she was distracted.

"Dude," she sniffed, "I'm gonna come over there and punch you-" Soon as she said it, the girl recoiled. 'Shit. Should I have said that? I don't want to scare the guy off. Augh, why do I do this?' "H-hey," she spoke up, "you know that was just a joke, right?"

"Of course." Zaeryn packed up and approached Liana, who had finished drying off and was wrapping the towel around herself like a makeshift dress. "Well, if you weren't joking, now's your opportunity." 'Not smart, man;' he thought, 'Even dressed like that, she looks quite capable of kicking your ass.' What surprised him, though, is that he found the idea... strangely sexy.

Then Zaeryn realized something. Distracted by his shameless leering, he had forgotten his phone; It was still zipped up in his gym bag. That might have been useful if he wanted to add her number. He needed another distraction, and quick. "Um, uh. Oh, right! About my name," he resumed, fumbling around with his things, "My family is descended from Scottish and Irish immigrants. 'Celtic' includes those languages plus Welsh, Manx, and others. I think my name comes from one of those, but as for what it means, well... f-fuck if I know." 'Ah! Found it. There you are, you little shit.'

"Haha. Thanks for the lesson, Mr. Z. So, will this be on the test? But look, I really should get going. I've gotta put together plans for my swimming and yoga classes, and study the gym's products. Riveting stuff, dude. Oh, and there's this new anime I'd like to catch up on. So, could I have your number? Or I could just give you mine."

An anime? Zaeryn would have to bring that subject up later. "Nah, I got it right here. You ready for mine? It's 867-[REDACTED]."

"Mmkay, and... got it. Ready for mine, dude?"

"Uh, just one sec. Gotta pull up my contacts and... no, Gogol, I don't wanna fuckin' update fuckin' Bronze right now! Okay, there we are."

"Ha! Technology am I right it's such a pain can't live with it can't live without it sometimes it just makes you want to throw your phone into the ocean doesn't it for every advantage it gives us it also seems to give a dis-... ad... vantage."

"Heheh. You've got a point."

Liana cringed. 'Jeez, girl. What are you doing?,' she scolded herself, 'You've got to learn to get to the point and shut up.'

The drake didn't mind her occasional outbursts of gab. On the contrary, he found them kind of cute. Anyway, the two exchanged numbers and parted ways for the night.

Zaeryn's eyes would barely stay open during the drive home. He'd underestimated how late it had become. They'd spent far more time together than he thought. Time just kind of slipped away from the two. It reminded him of an old phrase: 'a stitch in time flies when... a penny has fun'? No? Forget it. That night, as he drifted off to sleep, Zaeryn could still feel the water's phantom motion around his legs and almost hear the sweet whisper of Liana's voice. He sighed. "That girl sure can talk."