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“Good gods. I thought you were someone breaking in.” His mother's voice caused Meegi to jolt in place and whip his head around. Standing in the kitchen with a plate of cold bread covered in cheese and meat, Meegi looked as though he had been caught with his paw in the cookie jar. “I do actually live here, Mom,” Meegi scoffed with his mouth full, causing the dragoness to shake her head in mock disapproval. “Do you, though?” she replied, stepping into the kitchen and sitting down across the counter from him. Despite it being five in the afternoon, the dragoness was alert and her work-issued harness was pulled right around her slender body. It was clear she was working tonight and was likely just about to leave. “I swear I haven't seen you in a week. You've been spending so much time with that Reeva 'ness and got no time for your old mother. I see how it is,” she scolded with a smirk and reached forwards to take a piece of bread from his plate. Swallowing as he rolled his eyes, Meegi then shook his head as he cleared his throat. “First of all, you're forty. Not exactly old. Even if you have turned forty a few times now,” he began, causing his mother to tilt her head and chuckle. “Secondly…” he continued but quickly realised that he didn't have a good excuse for not seeing her as often as he should. Meegi knew his mother's work meant she was asleep during most days, and when she had been getting up, he had already left to be at Reeva's work for when she finished. It wasn't every night that Reeva and he would go out on a date, but every night he would fly her home and talk along the way. “Secondly… shush.” This made his mother's sides vibrate with a soft chuckle as she ate. “I take it things are going well between you two?” she asked. ‘Going well’ downplayed how he felt. Every moment he was with Reeva was like an updraft under his wings, sending him soaring without effort. She was like an the warmth of a warm spring’s sun on his scales, even if kissing and holding one another was the most carnal activity they would do. When he nodded, his mother sat back on her haunches and looked at him proudly. “Ya know, it sure would be nice to be able to put a face to a name. Maybe even meet this 'ness who is making my handsome drake all swoony and absent.” “Swoony…” Meegi laughed and shook his head while not denying the description. His mother's broad, toothy smile was infectious, and he finally relented and bobbed his head. “I know, I know. Soon. Okay?” “Better be soon. All I've got to go on is an old yearbook photo of her.” “You didn't!” Meegi exclaimed while reaching for another piece of the Turkish bread and paused with it halfway to his maw when she nodded. “You're not joking, are you?” “Nope! She looks pretty cute, though. Not at all what I thought she would look like.” “What did you think she looked like?” Meegi asked in confusion and tore off a large chunk of bread with his mouth. He didn’t care that it was cold, but something about the cold meaty and cheesy bread was comforting and reminded him of coming home after school and eating a snack before his actual dinner. “Well, when you said she was nothing like Tiiphani, I thought she would be… you know… a bit heavier,” she said, causing Meegi to force himself not to inhale while his mouth was full. His intense glare made the dragoness recoil her neck back, and she brought a forepaw to cover the front of her chest defensively. “Hey now, you gave me fuck all. All you said was that she wasn't like Tiiphani, had blue scales, a red frill, and ‘nice’ eyes. I was kinda expecting someone like that brooder you used to hang out with… Miikalah? Yeah, but with a frill and whatever ‘nice’ eyes means.” She teased, using the digits on the wrist of her wings to do air quotes. “Don't tell her I said that though, I want this one to like me.” The mental image of Miikalah with Reeva's frill and fiery orange eyes made Meegi hiss a barely contained laugh. “Oh gods, that’s a vibe. No-no, she isn't anything like Miikalah.” He started, and when he went to take another bite of his bread, he saw his mother was looking at him with an almost expectant look on her snout. “...Would you like to see a recent photo?” he asked and smirked a lopsided smile when his mother practically wiggled with excitement and bobbed her head enthusiastically. Tossing the rest of the slice into his maw, Meegi sat back on his haunches and pulled his tablet-like phone out of its holster and began tapping at the screen. Opening his photos, he swiped past the photos he had sent to Reeva of plants he had planted at home. Unsurprisingly, the brilliant dragoness was also quite knowledgeable about what certain plants needed, and he had recently found himself enjoying a bit of gardening. Swiping past a few photos of the city skyline he had taken while flying to meet her, he continued until he found some from their last date. “Gotta get past the spicy pics, huh?” his mother teased, making Meegi's snout burn and his eyes flick up and meet her look of amusement. He knew there was no risk of that. Other than a few conversations about past experiences and preferences, they had kept their time together completely innocent. “Oh, wouldn't you like to know,” he retorted and tapped on an image of the two of them when they had gone to see a movie together. Reeva had been the one to take the photo, and it captured them both snuggled together on the red velvety cushions at the back of the cinema. Reeva had coiled her neck back to lean into him while holding her phone out as far as possible with one forepaw. At the exact moment she had taken the photo, he had playfully taken the tallest spine of her frill into his mouth, making her laugh in surprise. Turning the phone around, he slid it across the counter so his mother could see and picked up another piece of bread. His mother's eyes lit up, and a genuinely warm smile made the scales at the corners of her lips almost crinkle with amusement. “Nawww, look at you two!” she crooned and lowered her head to study the photo. “You both look so happy! You look so happy,” she added and flicked her eyes towards him briefly before placing a paw on the screen and spreading her digits to zoom in on Reeva. The dragoness hummed a soft crooning sound and nodded in warm approval. “Oh Meegi, she’s gorgeous, isn't she? I'm proud of you.” “Thanks,” Meegi replied automatically and reached out when his mother went to swipe to the side. Caught in the act, the dragoness simply grinned and then pushed the phone back towards him. “She really is awesome,” he added and locked his phone before slipping it back into the holster on his foreleg. “She looks it. I can't wait to meet her.” “I know you do,” Meegi replied. He was very aware of how his mother had felt in the company of Tiiphani and while he would never say he was embarrassed by his mother, he couldn't deny the differences between them had been polarising. Afraid that she might be thinking he was stopping her from meeting Reeva for the same reasons, he knew she deserved an explanation. “The last few weeks have been pretty busy for Reeva. Tonight's gala has her pretty stressed out, and I didn't want to overwhelm her any more than she already is. Okay?” “Oh, I'm stressful, am I?” His mother countered while smiling a playful smile. When Meegi nodded as though he was being serious, she gasped and put on a mock look of offence that was more fitting for a high school drama. “Fine. I see how it is. I know my place. I'll just continue to put a roof over your head while you go gallivanting out at night like a stray tomcat.” The layers of inaccuracy in her accusation made Meegi laugh. Joining in with him, the dragoness chuckled before somewhat composing herself. “Well, that is very considerate of you. Once it's all over and things quieten down, I'm keen to meet her. Maybe bring her past the restaurant. I'll get you a good spot, and I could get out the ol’ sequin and bell harness. Give you two a ‘lil dance-” The look of pure mortification on Meegi's face broke the dragoness, who tilted her head back in a joyous laugh. She had been working at the Turkish restaurant for all of Meegi's life, and while she now practically ran the establishment, there was once a time when she had been employed as one of the dancers who would entertain the guests. Bordering on lewd, the dancing was a traditional yet highly sensual display of the dragoness' physique. Every move included small jiggles and undulations of the dancer's hips, wings, and tail while moving around the restaurant. He didn't think poorly of her past, but it wasn't information he volunteered about his mother. Meegi was sure she wasn't serious, but the threat still made him glare once she had stopped laughing. “Well, I was going to, but now I'm crossing that off as a date idea…” Meegi threatened, making his mother pout. “Fine… if you insist, I won't dance. I promise I'll play nice. I will be a perfect host. I’ll get you a good table, free starters, maybe those little mini lahmacuns you like. And then I'll secretly judge you from the kitchen,” she teased before cocking her head to one side and resetting her wings. “I can text you what you're doing wrong if you want. Me and the girls, we can tell when a date is going bad. We see it happen all the time.” “Now I'm definitely not going to bring her over, knowing we're the entertainment for you and the other clucky hens,” Meegi retorted without any malice and shook his head in disbelief when his mother didn't deny it and simply roared with laughter. “Clucky hens… you cheeky sausage,” she hissed through a smile, calling him a nickname she hadn't given him since he could fly. “I just want to help. You know I always thought Tiiphani wasn't good for you, and I'd like to get a read on this Reeva 'ness, just in case. Call me overprotective, but you will always be my little egg. Okay?” “I know. And yes, you will meet her. I'll organise something after tonight.” Meegi offered and gave a small nod of commitment when his mother softened her posture. “Or who knows, maybe we will just drop in on you one night.” “Either is fine, but give me a text beforehand. Just so I can brief the clucky hens.” His mother beamed before reaching forwards and collecting another piece of bread. In doing so, Meegi saw her eyes flick towards the clock hanging above the stove. Judging by the small tightness in her jaw, she had to be cutting it fine, but she didn't rush herself. “You said tonight is the night of the gala? Did you decide to go?” she asked as she scanned her eyes over him. He had taken time to scrub and polish his scales and even filed his talons to correct a small chip in one of them; however, he wasn't wearing his harness. “Yeah. I figured I would go,” Meegi mused while absentmindedly picking at a few errant bits of cheese that littered the plate of bread. “Figured I would use this Crestie fame for some good while I can. Right?” he said, partially for his own benefit. Reeva had been more than accommodating when he had told her he would attend and assured him that if he changed his mind, then she wouldn't be offended. “Is that going to cause any issues with the team?” His mother replied, her expression losing all merriment and becoming serious. “Like, I get that Reeva means a lot to you, but…” A small shake of his head caused his mother's words to drift off, and he sucked the cheese he had collected off his digit. “Nah, it should be fine. I'm not going as a Crestie. They haven't put me on any of the marketing material or invites. I'm just a drake going as Reeva's plus one. But… should there be a senator there who likes the team, it's no harm if I happen to talk to him,” he explained but could tell that his mother was still sceptical. “I'll be careful. That's why I'm not wearing my uniform either. I'm just going as Meegi. They haven't stopped me being me,” he added while collecting another piece of cheesy bread. “I guess…” his mother began before forcing a smile. “A gala sounds nice. Pompous, but nice. Are you going to be okay on your feet all night?” she asked right as he bit into another piece of bread. Unable to form much more than a hum of acknowledgement, Meegi bobbed his head. “Are they feeding you there?” Bobbing his head again, Meegi moved the food to the corner of his mouth and used the paw holding the rest of the bread to cover his snout, sparing his mother the view. “They are, but it's more of a stand-up-and-waiters-bring-food-around sort of deal, and last time I went to something like this, I was stuck talking to a group while everyone else ate. So I'm pregaming this time,” he added and continued to eat. “Sounds like an interesting event. Far too wanky for my taste,” his mother mused and adjusted her wings. Meegi could read the discomfort in her body. Between her tight wings, pulled-back neck, and coiled tail, she looked tense, but she didn't say anything and instead looked at him proudly. “Well, if you need an excuse to leave early, shoot me a text and I'll pretend to have had an accident at work. Us clucky hens are so prone to accidents in our old age.” Smirking briefly at her joke, Meegi pretended she was serious and nodded along knowingly. “Thanks, but I should be okay. If I ask Reeva for a mango juice, she knows I need an out and will excuse me from whoever I'm talking to. She also has a room booked for storing all the banners and signs before the event, so I can hang out there if it gets too much, or just come home.” “That's very considerate of her.” “Yeah, she is good like that. But it honestly should be fine,” Meegi said while forcing his wings not to pull against his sides. “I've done this sorta thing for the Cresties. But this time it's not about me or the team. There are a bunch of other celebrities coming to talk to the politicians, so I think it will be nice not to be the focus.” “Yeah, you're right. But my offer still stands,” she said reassuringly and rose to all fours after glancing towards the clock again. “Try to have a good time though. And promise me you won't forget Reeva with all the hype and celebrities, okay? This is a big night for her.” “Trust me, I know. She has been going over the plans a dozen times over the last few days,” Meegi explained. How the dragoness managed everything was admirable. Despite having the constant pressure of keeping everything organised, she hadn't become short or irritable. Instead, she had been incredibly appreciative of anything he did to help her, even if it was something as simple as putting away the groceries or running a cloth over the kitchen to clean up. “Are you heading to hers first? Oh, where is this happening, by the way?” his mother asked, clearly torn between needing to leave for work and wanting to know more about her son's endeavours. “She is there now setting up. She didn't want me there until after seven,” Meegi replied and turned his head to look at the clock behind him. He too needed to start moving, although not as urgently as his mother. The flight into the city would only take forty-five minutes given the calm winds, but he wanted to take his time so he didn't arrive panting. “As for where, it's at the Grand Imperial. The one that looks kinda like a cigar. Apparently, the top floor is a function space and the roof is going to be opened.” “Oh, the penis building!” his mother replied gleefully, causing Meegi to snort in amusement. “Oh come on, it does! It looks like a human penis. Even the landing pads kinda look like it has piercings down it.” Despite his best efforts, the vivid image became burned into his mind. “Been looking at many human penises, have you?” Meegi asked and raised an eyeridge at his mother, who recoiled back with a laugh. “Oh, wouldn't you like to know-” “Nope! No, I don't! Please, forget I asked.” Meegi conceded and shook his head. “I would like to have some appetite tonight.” “Another time then. But I guess a dick-shaped building is fitting for a bunch of politicians. I've flown past it a dozen times and always wondered what it was like there,” she continued and looked him up and down with a look of nostalgia in her eyes. “Maybe for your next fortieth I'll get you a room there so you can see for yourself,” he said with a cheeky grin and reached for a kitchen towel to rub his paws on and clean off any breadcrumbs. “I'm sure there are some good rooms towards the head.” His mother chuckled before she shook her head. “Nah, you don't need to do that. I don't think I could relax in a place like that. I’d be too afraid that I'll knock over some priceless vase or something. But you enjoy it and tell Reeva I said hi,” his mother replied while tugging on one of the shoulder straps of her harness to make sure it was tight. Bobbing her head farewell, she turned towards the door that led out onto the backyard. Opening the door and stepping outside, she froze mid-step and looked back at him with a playful smirk on her snout. “Maybe bring me back a towel as a souvenir though, I could do with a new one.” ==Page break== His mother's remarks on the building’s design echoed in his mind as Meegi glided effortlessly towards the towering structure. While not as tall as the Spires apartments he was used to, it was still a significant landmark. With its distinctly circular floor plan, and the fact that it rose up from between two smaller structures, it did look incredibly phallic. Especially with the curved taper that started halfway up its length and then gradually increased to the point that the very tip was so curved it became almost spherical. However, tonight was clearly a special occasion, and the topmost sections of the glass dome had been opened to reveal the function space. Hinged on impossibly strong hinges, crescent-like sections of the roof had been tilted backwards and now overhung the streets below to give the building the appearance of a blooming glass flower. Adjusting his wings, Meegi angled himself towards the topmost landing pad that jutted out of the building. The building housed five identical landing pads, all stacked in a row at various floors. Each one was supported and protruded out of the building by its own circular bridge-like ring. By having two separate paths leading to each landing platform, it helped manage the flow of arriving and departing dragons, but did indeed look like a row of piercings up the spine of a metal and glass penis. Even the landing pads themselves were hemispherical and, when looked at from an angle, gave the illusion of trinkets threaded by a loop. With a small beat of his wings, he adjusted course for a landing on the topmost platform. When he was only fifty feet away from the platform, Meegi caught sight of another dragon descending from his high right. While there weren't many rules for flying in the congested airspace of the city, it was only natural to keep an eye out for others flying nearby, and right of way was often decided by who had the most space and airspeed, as either could be sacrificed to manoeuvre. Meegi was only slightly closer to the platform and was approaching from a more horizontal angle compared to the incoming drake, who had both altitude and distance, yet the drake continued to descend with an assertive pace. Not wanting to risk a collision, Meegi cropped his wings and dropped a few feet before banking sharply away from the building to make it clear that he was getting out of the way of the dark blue drake. Looking back over his shoulder, Meegi tried hard not to scowl and watched as the drake flared his wings and slowed to a crawl while drifting towards the platform. It would have been polite to land quickly and maybe even wave to say thanks, but the dragon seemed to be too absorbed in himself to notice. Shaking his head and inhaling a deep lungful of air, Meegi pounded his wings three times and soared up to just above the unfolded roofline and began a lazy orbit around the building while the drake ever so slowly landed. Holding a gradual banking turn, Meegi looked down the length of his left wing and could see the various guests and Reeva's colleagues milling about a dozen small tables that dotted around the space. Bathed in warm yellow lights mounted on the inside of the unfurled roof, the intricate veins in the marble floor looked as though they were flowing. Broken up by a lattice of smaller black and gold stripes, the space looked suffocatingly prestigious. He saw a collection of human waiters moving about the guests with trays of drinks and hors d'oeuvres held out for the guests to sample, each wearing matching black shirts and pants or skirts. Stationed at various locations towards the edge of the gala, large paintings had been erected of various artworks, each supported on slim timber easels and forming a part of a silent auction the foundation was doing to raise funds. A flicker of white light caught his attention and, when he focused on the landing pad, he saw a photographer waiting in ambush to take pictures of the arriving celebrities. Judging by the fact that there was only one photographer waiting at the door, rather than a horde of paparazzi, he suspected that this was something organised by the foundation. Another flash from the middle of the function space caused Meegi to refocus, and he saw that there was another human photographer. However, this one kept in close proximity to a dragon who wore a harness bristling with pouches that likely held additional camera gear. While watching them, the human effortlessly stood up on a stirrup integrated into the dragon's harness and knelt one knee on their shoulder to get an elevated angle. Another series of rapid flashes flickered across the space as the man snapped off a quick burst of photos before stepping down. Seeing how the dragon leaned with the human to help him up and down suggested that this was definitely not the first time they had been used as a makeshift ladder, but they seemed to take it in stride as a part of their job. After the photographer had moved on, the guests who had posed for the photo returned to their drinks, which they had left perched on one of the tall bar tables dotted around the space. Reeva had mentioned that the tables were a great way to anchor dragon guests to certain areas, which made it easier to co-ordinate the various celebrities into zones. After all, this wasn't like their high school prom where drinks were served in clear plastic bladders that could be hung around their necks. Instead, the drinks for the dragon folk were served in large ornate glasses and brought to the tables by the smartly dressed waiters. It meant that Reeva and the other coordinators had to be vigilant about who they introduced different dragon guests to, as wherever they started drinking was likely where they would stay until they had finished. Of course, the human guests, and those dragons who came with human partners who could carry their drinks for them, would be far more mobile, which meant Reeva would be busy supervising where everyone was drifting to in order to make sure everything went smoothly. With members from various political parties and conflicting views, the event could turn sour quickly if the guests were left to their own devices. Completing his circumnavigation of the tall building, Meegi double-checked the sky to see if anyone was on approach. Being a late Friday afternoon and with the sun low on the horizon, the sky was full of dragons. Some were likely heading home at the end of a long day at work while other, younger dragons were coming into the city to hit the clubs and begin their weekend. Almost everyone was flying in unregulated lanes that crossed the skyline at various heights, as it was far safer to fly alongside others going in the same direction than it was to carve a path through the busy sky. Seeing that no one was peeling off from the various lanes to approach the hotel, Meegi pulled away from the building and then banked sharply to make his approach. When he was three body lengths away from the landing platform and flared his wings for a landing, he saw the photographer look up from checking their camera and make eye contact with him. Keeping his wings stretched wide and pulling his neck back to shift his weight backwards, he let his hind end sink down below his wings and extended his back legs. The restrictive cast limited just how far one of his legs could go, and with a small correction of his wings, he maintained his lopsided glide down to the red-carpeted platform. Dozens of small bright lights shone upwards from the edges of the landing area and connected bridges, outlining the limits of the platform while also casting a striking light on anyone landing. His chest tightened as the photographer's camera flashed at him once, then his heart began to quicken as a series of additional flashes rang out from the man's camera. Forcing himself not to grimace, he buried his anxiety and focused on his landing. Reeva had said he could cancel if he changed his mind, but now that he was on approach, any thoughts of leaving were crushed by the fact that he had now been spotted arriving. Remembering his media training, he kept his eyes focused on an imaginary horizon as he landed. He was a Crestie after all; flying was more than just second nature, and one as talented as him shouldn't need to concentrate on where the ground was. With an effortless glide, Meegi drifted down to the middle of the landing pad and, while favouring his good leg, touched down briefly on his hinds before sinking to all fours. With a deliberate and trained gait, he rolled his shoulders to keep his body perfectly steady as though he was still flying and kept his wings mantled, only folding them after giving one small flap as if clearing them of water or dust. Rolling his head and neck with a small flick, he tossed his blonde mane up and around so that it fell completely to one side. If it wasn't for the cast making one of his legs clumsy, the transition would have looked completely seamless and powerful, subconsciously broadcasting that his prowess wasn't just limited to the sky. It was showy, and he knew it, but it was how he had been instructed while attending various press events or sponsorship meetings. Walking as best he could with his cast weighing down one leg, he continued to prowl across one of the bridges linking the landing platform. Once halfway across, he bobbed his head in acknowledgement to the woman who waited behind a black podium and was already scanning a list with a pen in hand. “Mister Meegi, it's our pleasure to have you here tonight. Welcome to the Grand Imperial.” The usher began as Meegi came closer and the photographer fired off a few more photos. Despite standing at the edge of the connecting bridge, and the afternoon breeze causing an updraft around them as it pressed against the building, the woman's hair stoically held its form in the tight ponytail she wore. Looking away from the blinding flashes, Meegi couldn't help but notice what was written on the woman's sheet. A list of names ran from top to bottom, but alongside each of the names there was an outline of two dragons and then a human. For each of the dragon guests, someone had coloured in the outline with what looked like coloured markers to capture the guests' scale colour and had even gone as far as to draw their horns or frills. It was comically childish, but Meegi couldn't help but admire the effectiveness, as it allowed the usher to quickly confirm who was landing and greet them by name. He also saw that some of the guests looked to be arriving with a human, and the human had been marked with a male or female icon above them and a hair colour. “Towards the eastern side of the building you will find the open bar, and the lavatories are located down the grand staircase on the floor below. Programs have been spread out on the tables, and the main presentation will begin at nine. If you would like, we can take any of your pouches or your harness.” The woman continued in a polite voice that sounded so natural Meegi could almost believe that it wasn't rehearsed. With a small shake of his head, he dismissed the need to remove his harness. He imagined that those arriving with humans on designer saddles would likely prefer not to be carrying the heavy seats all night, but he was wearing his slim peanut-butter-brown harness with only one pouch. Realistically, he didn't even need that, but it was always helpful to have somewhere to store an offered business card or the like rather than be caught out. “If that's the case, can we offer you a foundation pin?” the woman continued and reached under the podium to present a small metal badge. It was the same logo that was displayed on the window of Reeva's work, a circle with two dragon paws and a human hand overlapping. When he nodded, she stepped towards him and with a delicate hand held his shoulder strap and secured the pin to his harness. It clicked together with a muffled metallic snap, and Meegi mused that it was likely magnetic in order not to pierce the expensive harnesses or suits that some of the guests would be wearing. “There we go. Now, if there is anything you need, please don't hesitate to ask myself or any of the hotel staff,” she added with a small bow as she stepped out of his way. Dipping his head in thanks, Meegi took a step forward and scanned the room for any signs of Reeva. When he moved from the plush red carpet that lined the bridge and landing pad onto the smooth marble floor, he felt an artificial warmth through his paws. No doubt the floor was networked with countless pipes to heat the stone surface, and Meegi shuddered to think of the cost of heating such a large area against the night air. A flutter of wings behind him pulled his attention to the landing pad, and he watched as two dragons landed one after another. The first, a dark green drake with horns that curved down and forwards in a graceful spiral, touched down and without pausing, trotted forwards three steps. Pausing on the bridge to look backwards at the other dragon, he held himself in such a way that directed anyone watching’s attention towards his mate. It was a polite and respectful gesture, clearing the space while also making sure that no one came too close to ruin their landing. Following behind him, a mature dragoness flared her wings and kept her neck back in a regal arch. As she came over the small bright lights that framed the edge of the landing pad, her scales sparkled the same fiery colour as the setting sun. “You made it!” Reeva's voice behind him caused Meegi to jump and whip his head around. The smile that came to his snout was automatic and genuine as he saw the dragoness quickly trotting towards him with an exasperated look. Her wings were tight by her side and, as she walked, her tail looked as though it was made of stone by the way it didn't bounce and stiffly moved to counterbalance herself. He could tell she was stressed, despite her attempt to flash him a welcoming smile. Wearing an elastic black band around her left horn, and a matching lapel microphone attached to the shoulder of the same harness she wore for work, Meegi was reminded that tonight was still work for the dragoness. “How could I not?” Meegi said in a soft and reassuring voice before stepping forwards to meet her and pressing his front against hers. Curling his neck and tilting his head to one side, he nuzzled her cheek, but when he gave her a small kiss she hummed in thanks and pulled away. “Everything okay?” His simple question seemed to trigger a range of emotions in the dragoness as she smiled a defeated smile and made a circling motion with her head that was neither a nod nor a shake. “Someone forgot to get the signage files to the hotel, so they didn't update the screens in the lobby. So Tiizome is down there now to direct guests who aren't landing up here. Catering got the dates wrong, but we caught that at midday, so they are cooking everything now. They say they will only be fifteen minutes late, but I don't know.” “I'm guessing a McDonald's run is out of the question?” Meegi offered to try to lighten the mood but was met with a glare from the dragoness as she momentarily thought he was serious. “Also, there's a typo on the programs, and Kat exported the presentation in the wrong format. She and Ruuniah are back at the office trying to export it again and will fly back. Tiizy booked the band and got a string quartet. But he forgot that the senator from Vermont can't stand the sound of violins. Plus, one of the easels for the art collapsed, so we are trying to fix that…” By her flustered expression and the way she hardly paused to draw breath, Meegi could tell she was spiraling. Lifting a forepaw to gently stroke the inside of her front leg, he halted her words and caught her attention. “Reeva, it's going to be okay. Tonight is happening regardless of that, and look! Everyone is having a good time,” he said softly and gestured with his snout to the various guests chatting amongst themselves around them. This momentarily seemed to calm the dragoness' panicking and, as she followed his gaze, he caught a small flicker of a smile in the corner of her lips. “Now, how can I help? I'm not very good with music, but I can do a mean shadow puppet show if you need me to buy time,” he added, earning a brief scoff and a genuine smile from the dragoness. “That won't be needed, but now I'm intrigued,” Reeva replied and looked back at him with a less anxious look in her eye. “Another time though. Do you remember your area? Senator Taanith hasn't arrived yet, but can I get you to mingle with the others until he does?” A part of him had hoped that Reeva would have been able to be beside him for the night, but he knew that wasn't possible anymore. Inhaling deeply despite the tightness forming in his chest, he forced a smile and nodded. “Zone two, furthest from the bar, right?” he asked, already knowing the answer. His confidence visibly put the dragoness at ease, and she nodded softly. “Thank you, Meegi. I really appreciate this. I'll herd people over to you who are pretty chill, and I'll take them away if they get dull.” With a forepaw, Reeva reached up and looped her digits behind the left strap of his harness and ran a talon across the badge. “If I see you adjusting this, I'll know you want me to move them on, okay? And if you need to pull the plug-” “Mango juice. I remember-” His words were cut short as the dragoness pulled her paw away from his shoulder and looked intensely into the distance. She looked as though she was concentrating on something else, and Meegi understood when she moved a paw to her own harness strap and pressed a discreet button. “On it,” Reeva said quickly and sharply before pausing and rolling her eyes. “Yes, on it… Green Leader,” she added and shook her head. He could see a hint of reluctance in her eyes and, when she inhaled deeply and reluctantly looked towards the stairs, Meegi could see that she didn't want to leave him. “I need to go. Tiizy has already lost his card for the elevator and is trying to send guests up-” “Go, I'll be okay,” Meegi offered in reassurance and then nodded towards where he should mingle. “Do what you need to do, we can talk later,” he added and took a step to one side to give her space. Reeva nodded in thanks and went to walk past before pausing and quickly darting her head towards his to give one last peck on his cheek. The gesture sent a surge of warmth through his chest and, as she hurriedly trotted off towards the stairs that led to the lower level, Meegi turned and began to walk to where he was meant to hang out. The simple fact that she was in the building and would be looking out for him did wonders to ease the shortness in his breath and the tightness in his chest. It didn't quell it entirely, and as he spotted the collection of dragons and humans he was meant to entertain, he had to make a conscious effort not to pull his wings against his sides. His cast made him limp with every step, but he tried to minimise the awkwardness in his gait by putting as much weight as he could on the damaged leg. Inhaling deeply through his nostrils, Meegi renewed his casual smile and scanned the group. While there was a mixture of both humans and dragons huddled together around the tall bar table, Meegi noticed that most seemed to be absorbed by the conversation happening between a royal blue drake with pristine white frills and a man who appeared to be in his late thirties, despite the fact his skin looked as though it had been worn by the sun for decades more. The man was wearing a tuxedo, and despite the fact he clearly spent a lot of time outdoors, he wore the suit with the ease of someone long accustomed to the attire. “...You are just going to have to trust me on this, Howard. I know it looks bleak, but oil is going to spike next week. Just don't ask how I know,” the large blue drake implored with an arrogance that made the others at the table chuckle. Stepping closer to the group, Meegi's presence caught the attention of the sun-tanned man, who stretched out his hand to gesture towards Meegi. “Oh good, we have someone to save us from this dribble. I appreciate your insider knowledge, Deeran, but I think I will be investing in tangible fuel rather than stocks. I'm more practical like that,” Howard joked and welcomed Meegi in with a wave of his hand. Flicking his eyes towards the blue and white drake, Meegi was surprised to see that the drake didn't seem offended by the man's jest and simply chortled a low rumble in reply. “Besides, your financial advice has always been questionable at best. Last time you were telling us to invest in air! Correct me if im wrong, but its still free!” Howard added, halting Deeran’s laugh as he pretended to be offended. “Now, now, clinical air IS a valuable IPO and is criminally underpriced. It will surge any day now, especially with the holiday season coming up. Nana is going to need her fresh cans to visit the family,” the drake replied before turning his head and looking towards Meegi. Compared to his athletic build, the blue drake was thicker and more rotund while only a few inches taller at the shoulder. “Good gods, there's the bastard!” he announced sharply, making Meegi flinch. For a brief moment, Meegi saw a hostility in the drake's eyes he hadn't expected. It lasted for no longer than a heartbeat before the drake renewed his charming expression. “This prick here has cost me fifty g's this season. Last time I'm betting against the Crimson Army,” he added, causing another ripple of laughter from the small crowd. Meegi felt as though all eyes were on him as the crowd focused on his arrival. It was clear by the looks in some of their eyes that there were only a few who didn't recognise him. Realising that the drake had lost money gambling against him, he put on a cheeky smile before nodding towards the man. “Well, Deeran, was it? I'm going to have to agree with what Howard said. If you're betting against the Cresties, I do have to question your financial advice,” Meegi replied and was glad that the drake seemed to understand he meant no offence. “Oh, I see he's just as quick in this arena too,” Deeran replied and took a small step to one side to make room for Meegi to fully join the group. “Don't worry though, you've got an easy crowd tonight. Both Howard and myself are quite eager to have everyone marrying one another. Lord knows it will get his 'ness off his back.” The blue drake nodded and flicked his eyes towards a dark green dragoness lingering at the back of the group. The girth of her horns suggested she was likely as old as Meegi's mother; however, they looked surprisingly thin compared to the dragoness’ broad frame and muscular neck. Her scales didn't twinkle under the lights like the many other polished and proper dragons attending the gala. Instead, hers had the lustre of someone who had spent years working under an unforgiving sun. Draped across the base of her neck, she wore a sparkling white-gold necklace. The chain was as thick as an anchor rope, and with a ruby the size of a small apple, Meegi dared not ask how much it would have cost. Despite the expensive adornment, the dragoness looked uncomfortable and unaccustomed to this type of event and restlessly reset her wings. “Oh, Maaky isn't on my back that much,” Howard remarked and looked back behind him. With a small tilt of his head, he invited the dragoness forwards and moved to one side to make room. “Are you, hon?” he added as the dragoness moved to sit on her haunches behind him. Her size dwarfed Meegi, both in height and in bulk. However, as she moved, it was clear that she was far from unfit. The powerful muscles all throughout the dragoness shifted and rolled under her dark green scales, and even the underside of her sea-green throat was taut with honed power, and Meegi mused that she would likely make for a formidable brooder on the Dragonball field. When she came close, he caught sight of a few scars across her shoulders and neck. They didn't appear to be new and looked more as though she had been hurt through years of manual labour than through any form of malice. Even though her mate had made space beside him, the dragoness took the opportunity to loom behind him and curled her neck down to gently nuzzle the top of his head. “Oh, never, although it would be nice to have a bit of paper to certify that I hoodwinked the farm's CEO,” the dragoness mused and smiled a playful grin while giving the group a wink. Howard simply chuckled and leaned back to rest against the front of her chest while stroking a free hand along her foreleg. “Howard's family own Agri-Corp and own almost every farm on the east coast, and well… pretty much all of the wheat belt too,” Deeran explained for the group. The way he said it sounded almost prideful, as though this small piece of information somehow made him more knowledgeable than anyone who didnt know. Meegi tried not to let his surprise look too obvious and nodded in understanding. Now the man's complexion and his mate's size made sense, likely having spent many days outside tending to the business in different capacities. “Bit of a dark horse, that one. I imagine your folks aren't too supportive of the cause, are they, Howard?” Deeran asked, making Howard shake his head. “No, no they probably wouldn't be. We had to wait until they stepped down and I took the reins before we could be together,” Howard mused and lovingly gripped the leading edge of his mate's foreleg while looking up at her. “Country folks don't really get it. There is some deep-seated racism just outside the cities, isn't there?” he asked rhetorically, and Maaky nodded in exaggerated frustration. “Nothing like there was when we were growing up, of course. Things have really changed over the last decade or two.” Looking between the pair, Meegi began to understand the value of having Howard and his mate supporting the cause. Being a major employer of people living in the more rural areas of the country, the farming magnate would have significant influence over elected officials. “What about yourself, Meegi? Got yourself a special someone making you come here? Or is it just for the paycheck? Wait, weren't you dating the owner's daughter or something?” Deeran asked, but before Meegi could reply, one of the women beside him placed a surprisingly firm hand on his wing wrist. “Oh, I heard that Tiiphani was now dating the team's new claimer. Susan joked that it must come with the contract,” The woman said in a grating voice. Turning to look at her and then glancing down at her hand, another voice from across the table spoke. “She sure as heck looked pretty cosy with him in those pics. But don't worry, Meegi. Just between you and me, I think you can do better,” the other woman added with an incredibly patronising voice. This revelation was news to Meegi, but before he could process what she had said, the large green dragoness spoke up. “Hell yeah he could, look at him. Could pull whoever he wanted… well, once you've healed. That does look awkward,” Maaky mused and nodded towards his broken leg. “I know a dozen 'nesses who would love for you to say hi, if you know what I mean.” Having his previous relationship discussed so openly put Meegi on edge, and he grimaced through a forced smile while nodding in polite acknowledgement. He couldn't shake the feeling that he had somehow become an injured rabbit amongst a circle of predators, all smiling at him with snarling fangs. “Thank you, but I’ve already found someone. They actually work for the foundation-” “Ahhh, I knew it!” Deeran announced loudly, his wings partially mantling in enthusiasm. “For a moment I thought the Cresties had stiffed you and you were here for the money. But no!” he added, encouraging the others in the group to chuckle and look towards Meegi. “So which one is it? That blonde was pretty easy on the eye,” the drake continued and nodded across the floor towards a woman who was hastily adjusting a piece of artwork on its easel. “Oh, no. She is a dragoness,” Meegi replied automatically and hated the fact that he had inadvertently fed their curiosity. “And it's not as though I'm here just for her. This is a pretty important step. For all of us. Am I right?” Meegi added with a haste in his voice that betrayed his attempt at sounding calm. Glancing around, he could see that the crowd hadn't bought his poor attempt at a deflection and looked at him expectantly. “Reeva, her name is Reeva. She helped organise all of this.” “Ah yes, Reeva. My assistant said she was… very tenacious,” Deeran replied while reaching for his drink and lifting it up. Curling his neck, he took a small sip and glanced across the group with a knowing look. Meegi couldn't shake the feeling that Reeva had somehow become the punchline of a joke he didn't understand, and his tail twitched behind him with anxious energy. “Who is she, sorry?” Maaky asked and looked between her mate and Meegi. Howard only answered with a chuckle of his own while shaking his head, and it was Deeran who spoke up. “Oh, she was apparently incredibly insistent that I come and even called to follow up, I think, six times before tonight. Many like her don't seem to take no for an answer, but it seems a yes doesn't satisfy the 'ness either.” Meegi still wasn't sure if the drake was praising Reeva or not, but nodded along while attempting to direct the conversation. “This means a lot to her, and she wanted everything to go well. She's good like that,” Meegi offered and was met with Deeran nodding in exaggerated acknowledgement while swallowing a mouthful of what smelled like old whiskey. While the drake seemed to find something amusing about what he had said, Maaky looked at him with a twinkle of pride in her eye. “So then, which one of these pretty lasses has caught the attention of this prize stud?” she asked and grinned broadly when her mate playfully swatted her leg. “Oh come on, you think us farm gals don't like a bit of gossip? Makes the days go quicker after all.” While it pained him to drag Reeva into the petty social chatter, he felt as though they wouldn't relent until they knew the truth. Likewise, it was probably only a matter of time until Reeva checked in on him, and they would likely realise it was her eventually. Renewing his smile and resetting his wings, Meegi composed himself and cocked his head. “Oh, I'm surprised you haven't worked it out yet. She's the most beautiful 'ness here after all… present company excluded, of course,” he replied, earning a scoff from the drake and a small coo from the large green dragoness. Now that he had clawed back some control over the conversation, he allowed himself a small smirk of confidence. “I'm sure you will be able to put a name to a face with that bit of info,” he added and watched as they all looked across the room. “Well, I think that is a bold claim, given that the most beautiful dragoness is walking right towards us,” Deeran replied in a loud enough voice to broadcast that he wasn't actually just talking to Meegi. Glancing briefly at the blue drake, Meegi then whipped his head around to look behind himself. His eyes widened when he saw the same striking dragoness he had seen land after him. The dragoness approached their group with an elegant arch in her neck and her wings casually tucked in perfect posture. With every sauntering step, the tip of her tail flicked out from behind her, accentuating every step. Even under the more even light, her scales still sparked the orange of a scorching hot flame. Every overlapping plate seemed to trap the light within them, making her silky smooth scales even more uniform and blemish-free. From snout to tail tip, she was a singular shade of orange, with the exception of her paler throat and underside. Guessing her age based off her horns was difficult, as while their girth suggested she was older than Meegi's mother, both were impossibly well polished and completely void of any chips or marks from age. They looked as though they could have been extensions, however as she came closer Meegi began to realise that they were completely natural. Combined with the impossible standard the rest of her body had been cared to, she could have passed as a 'ness many decades younger than she likely was. Her body was unburdened by any harness, and instead wore long black stockings that started with a loop around one digit and extended up to her knees. Unlike the comfortable sock that Meegi wore over his bulky cast, the dragoness' stockings clung to her legs like a second skin, and their inky black colour contrasted brilliantly with her radiant orange scales to give her a captivating appearance. With every step she took, the loop of a golden horn ring twinkled and flickered as the light was refracted through the countless diamonds that ran around its perimeter. Meegi was sure he had seen her somewhere, but as he tried to recall if she was an actress or singer, he realised he genuinely didn’t know. One thing was for sure, the way that she walked, the expensive ring she wore and the fact that everyone else stopped to look, made it clear to Meegi she was clearly someone important. “Oh Deeran, you are simply too kind. I see that they took my request seriously,” the dragoness mused politely as she entered the group of humans and dragons. “After the last one of these dinners, I threatened that my beloved mate and I wouldn't donate another piece unless they gave me someone interesting to talk to. Howard…” the dragoness continued and nodded towards the man before her powerful amber eyes flicked towards the heavier-set dragoness behind him. She didn't address Maaky by name, or even really acknowledge her with more than a subtle bob of her head before turning to look at Meegi. “I'm sorry, I don't believe we have met before. Seelena,” she introduced herself. “I'm the one responsible for tonight's auction. Although I must confess, it is mostly my mate's talent on display here,” she continued boastfully and swept one folded wing back to gesture towards the closest easel displaying an oil painting. For half a second, Meegi failed to find his voice while the dragoness looked at him so intently. It surprised him, given that he had worked side by side with countless stunning dragonesses, including the fine group that made up the Cresties cheer squad. Yet this older dragoness looked at him in such a way that he felt as though she was looking past the facade he was trying to hide behind and was already judging his reaction. “This is Meegi, who was flying as a claimer for the Coastal Cresties until recently,” Deeran interjected with an eagerness that tempted the conversation back towards himself. His answer made Seelena’s eyes narrow for a beat before she pulled her head back and tilted it to one side. Her eyes swept over his body and lingered on his damaged leg before she gave him a small bow in greeting. “The Coastal Cresties? I apologize, I do not care much for the sport, but if my daughter was here, she would likely be talking your ear off about your latest games,” she said with a detachment in her voice that Meegi couldn't place. Clearing his throat, Meegi dipped his snout in return. Judging by her introduction, he guessed that she was here to entertain the lawmakers. However, when he saw how she effortlessly command the attention of the group, and everyone’s eyes followed her Meegi began to wonder if she was instead the mate of a senator. Reeva had briefed him in detail on Taanith, the senator who was his mark for the night, but hadn't mentioned anything about this stunning dragoness. “Your daughter is a fan, is she? Maybe we could get a photo then, next time the photographer comes around,” he offered and felt as though he had somehow misspoken when the corners of the orange dragoness's lips twitched momentarily downwards. The expression was fleeting, and with the speed that the dragoness recomposed herself, Meegi wasn't even sure he had seen it. “Oh no, that won't be necessary... Besides, the lighting is always gaudy in this place. Do tell me though, there was a claimer on their team, oh... decades ago now. Daanic. Do you know what happened to him? Or was he before your time?” Seelena asked, and Meegi caught her wings relaxing back to resume their natural position. He hadn't even noticed her tucking them tighter, but something about what he had said had clearly struck a nerve. “I feel like I'm showing my age here, it was so very long ago,” she added with a small smile that caused the group to chuckle and one woman to shake her head in support of the dragoness. “Daanic? Oh yeah, he was my coach! Not for the Cresties though, back at school,” Meegi replied and nodded when the dragoness looked genuinely surprised and pleased at his answer. “Liberty Scales High. He taught me so much. I owe him a lot,” Meegi continued and held her gaze as it softened further. “That's good to hear. I'm glad he is doing well,” Seelena mused softly but continued to look at Meegi with an almost nostalgic look in her eyes. He was sure he had never met the dragoness, yet her gaze lingered as though something was playing out in her mind. “So… Seelena, was it? I'm guessing you are supportive of the cause?” Meegi asked, hoping to shift the conversation away from himself and back towards the reason for the event. His question seemed to startle the dragoness from her thoughts and, when she refocused on him, he wasn't sure if she had heard him. “Mixed marriages, I mean,” he clarified and clenched his jaw shut as the dragoness' pupils narrowed and she recoiled back. “No,” she said sharply before catching herself and relaxing her expression to one of forced politeness. “Well, not as much as others. I’m more supportive of those wanting to keep things within the same races. Afterall, humans aren't the only ones capable of love,” she continued defensively before becoming almost flustered by the group looking at her in surprise. “Forgive me, but while I'm not one for politics, even I can see that this foundation is really the best shot of dragons getting a fair go. So, should this come to fruition and it means some are able to find someone different to marry, then I guess that's okay. Just not my cup of tea.” Meegi could almost feel the temperature of the room shift and guessed the dragoness could too as she turned to direct her attention towards the group. “But, I think we can all agree that it's high time that draconic unions are recognised. Not just the symbolic aspect, that's all for show. I mean proper legal recognition is what is needed. Without it, mates are considered afterthoughts when contesting a will and have no claim to an estate in the event of their mate sleeping around.” Deeran's chuckle managed to draw the group's attention, and Meegi watched as he nodded along. “Oh, Seelena, surely you don't see it as just a money thing, do you? After all, with the right lawyers, anything is possible,” he mused before winking to the group. “Within the law, of course.” His attempt at lightening the mood seemed to stoke the fire within the orange dragoness, who took a half step closer towards the drake and flashed him a smile that revealed her pristine fangs. “Of course not, Deeran. But while you say lawyers can make anything happen, plenty of 'nesses are trapped in loveless mateships because they can't afford a lawyer to fight for them.” She replied before lifting a paw to stifle the drake's rebuttal. “And don't tell me you think that those cereal box 'no win no fee' lawyers can hold a candle to proper legal counsel.” Meegi flicked his gaze towards Deeran, who seemed to deflate with an exasperated laugh. “No, Seelena, that we can agree on. The leeches don't even bother to show up half the time, and when they win, they take everything.” He conceded before breaking the 'ness's gaze and looking past her. “I guess some people like the idea of their mate not taking them to the cleaners,” he added and gestured with his snout. “But don't tell him I said that.” As one, the group turned to look at whom he was referring before most broke out into smirks that they hid behind their drinks. Approaching the table with Reeva walking beside him, an overweight drake with scales the colour of fresh lavender strode towards them. The thick black leather straps of his harness were pulled tight, creating some of the only contours in his thick body. Taanith, the senator Meegi had been tasked with entertaining. Glancing briefly towards Reeva, Meegi caught the look in her eyes and flashed her a reassuring smile. Shuffling closer to Deeran and making space between himself and Seelena, Meegi welcomed him into the group. “Senator Taanith! It's been too long. How are you?” Meegi announced, putting on a wide cheerful smile that would have fooled anyone but his mother and maybe Reeva. His attention seemed to spark something within the senator, who livened his steps and practically trotted over to the group. “Oh, better now! I was sure Tiizome was lying when he said he had the best claimer attending tonight!” With every step, the looseness in his jowls caused them to sway and bounce until he finally came to a halt beside Meegi. The closeness of the purple dragon was suffocating, and Meegi couldn't help but take in the drake's scent. The overpowering smell of chemical fragrances masking his natural scent made Meegi's eyes water, but he forced himself not to break his composure. With an extra half step into the group and a small turn of his body, Taanith managed to isolate Meegi from the group and curled his neck to address him. Up close, Meegi noticed that the drake was so overweight that it was hard to tell exactly where his neck joined his skull as there was no defining curve of the back of his jaw. “I thought if anything he would get some Nixi here tonight. Especially when the Cresties are doing extra drills tonight. But it seems I'm pleasantly wrong.” In his peripheral vision, he saw Reeva lingering on the edge of the group, watching on with a concerned look in her eye. She must have picked up on how the fat drake had managed to corner him and was making sure Meegi was okay. Swallowing, Meegi pulled his head back in semi-fake surprise. “You really must be the team's biggest fan! I've never heard of a fan tracking our training routines,” he lied, but Taanith simply swelled with pride and nodded cheerfully. “Have you been enjoying the season?” Taanith nodded while resetting his wings and lumbered down onto his haunches, his thick tail and rump landing with a dull thud. “Oh, it's been harder lately, now that you're not gracing the pitch. They sure could have used you last game. That Looran... well... she is just a blunt instrument. The composition just isn't right,” the drake commented with the confidence of a trained coach. Leaning his head closer, his pungent breath washed over Meegi's scales as he continued. “Are you sure you can't be tempted to join the Cresties as a coach or trainer? Your old boss and I are pretty close, and they could learn a lot from you. I could say something.” The drake's offer caught Meegi off guard, not because of the drake's supposed influence, but because he didn't suggest he play for the Cresties and instead should coach, nor did he ask about his injury. “Oh no, I think it would only tempt me back into playing.” “You say that like it would be a bad thing,” Taanith retorted with a loud booming laugh. With a folded wing, he reached out and jostled Meegi with a firm shove. “Let me know if you change your mind though. Not many players work their way up from egg fetcher to claimer and then coach. It would be the makings of an inspiring movie.” The tempting idea occupied more of his mind than he wished to admit, and he instead simply laughed along and bobbed his head. “Thanks, I'll give it some thought. Although I must say, this type of event is far more enjoyable. Good food, and the company isn't trying to rip my wings off,” Meegi replied, making the purple drake laugh. “Oh-ho, this really is your first time in the political circus, Meegi. Don't let your guard down here, everyone is trying to get something from someone. Your allies will backstab you just the same,” Taanith countered with a smile that almost hid the knowing look he gave Meegi. A cold chill coiled in the depths of his gut, and Meegi began to wonder just how much this drake knew. Surely there was no way that anyone would have told the senator about his ability to do magic, but he couldn't shake the feeling that Taanith knew far more than he was letting on about the circumstances of his career ending. It could have just been a power play, some lead-in to get him to do some sort of favour for the heavy drake, and Meegi had to consciously stop his smile from fading. “Well... I'm always learning, so I appreciate your advice, Senator,” Meegi replied, bolstering the drake's ego even further. He was worried he was layering his compliments on too thick, but the senator didn't seem to mind. “Though Taanith, I can call you Taanith, right?” Meegi asked and continued when the drake nodded. “Back when I was with the Cresties, I remember the social media team saying you were a big fan, but they never said exactly how long you've been one of the Cresties crew.” “Oh, Meegi. I've been bleeding red and gold since before you were an egg. Hell, basically since I hatched, I've always been a Crest head. That's what their marketing team used to call us. Hell, I can still remember when they stopped chaining the brooders to the nests. Gods, now that caused a controversy.” The senator explained and smiled a lopsided, nostalgic smile before refocusing on Meegi. “I'm only not a fan when you're playing against my home team. Not a good look is it, A senator is cheering against their own team, now does it?” he asked rhetorically and gave Meegi another playful shove with his folded wing. “The Minotaurs, right? I hear they are getting better and better-” “Oh please!” Taanith hissed and wrinkled his snout as though he had tasted something foul. “Half the time I wonder if they know which end of the field is theirs. The other times I wonder why I even bothered watching.” The senator added and looked around to see if he could get the attention of one of the waiters. He wasn't lying, and Meegi knew it. They were a bottom-tier team on a good day, and he remembered his coach's advice was simply to not get hurt accidentally and let the win come naturally. “Their players are quite capable, but their strategy does leave a lot on the table,” Meegi admitted, and the drake grunted in acknowledgement before lifting a wing to get the attention of Reeva, who was circling the perimeter. “Maybe you could offer them some pointers. I imagine you know all the Cresties' plays like the back of your paw.” “Meegi…” the purple drake replied with a humourless chuckle and looked across the group momentarily before bringing his head down closer so he could whisper. “Look, I get that you're being paid to suck my dick, I'm all for it. But not in the middle of the floor. Let's take it to the tack and jacket room,” Taanith said with a bite in his voice that made Meegi's eyes widen. “Come on. You might even like it,” he added with a louder voice that drew the attention of Deeran, Seelena and Howard. Meegi was sure he wasn't being serious, and racked his brain for every snippet of information Reeva had told him about Taanith. He knew Taanith’s last mate was a dragoness, Caarianah, yellow scales and a blue frill. They recently broke off a multi-year relationship, and now his support for the cause had waned. Not once had Reeva's notes mentioned that he was in any way interested in drakes, nor was Meegi prepared for such a proposition. Taanith continued to stare at him with a stern and sincere look before a playful smile pulled at his snout. “Gods, Meegi, you are fresh, aren't you?” Taanith remarked and let out a low rumble of a laugh. “I'm just yanking your tail. Giving tips to the Minotaurs... You crack me up. Maybe try not coming on so strong, and maybe pick your marks better. I'm not really into all of this,” Taanith added and gestured with a folded wing towards the rest of the attendees. “Your mouth could be as soft as the warmest cunt and I wouldn't be changing my mind on all this. Some traditions are better suited for the human folk.” Taanith's statement hung in the air like a gunshot and silenced the group. While some only raised eyebrows and took sips from their glasses, both Seelena and Maaky’s expressions darkened as they turned their heads to look at the senator. The orange dragoness was the first to react and turned her body towards the senator. However, when she opened her mouth to interject, a different voice spoke up. “Can I get anyone a drink?” Stepping into the small gap between Meegi and Deeran, Reeva pressed between them and extended her neck higher than most. “I’m doing an order. What can I get everyone?” she offered, her amber eyes flicking between the different people while her frill remained extended to full height. Her question seemed to put a small pause on tensions. Deeran ordered first before others followed suit. All while they spoke, Meegi could see the building tension in Seelena's body and took a small half step backwards. While the dragoness might not believe in all of the foundation's core values, she was far more experienced in handling a guest like Taanith and clearly had a fire in her that gave even Meegi pause. “Meegi? They have mango or orange juice for a screwdriver if you want?” Reeva offered, and Meegi momentarily shook his head, thinking she was offering him an actual cocktail. He wasn't an expert in mixology, nor could he tell many drinks apart, but he knew what a screwdriver was. It would look and smell just like a glass of juice and wouldn't draw attention to the fact he wasn't drinking. The small gesture made him smile and swing his tail across to brush against hers. “Orange sounds good for now,” Meegi said politely and bobbed his head in a small bow in thanks for both the refreshment and the offer to be excused. “Although I might try that mango one later, that sounds refreshing.” He added, and locked eyes with her for a second longer than necessary. “Thank you, Reeva.” “Of course,” Reeva said and swept her gaze across the room while mouthing the orders under her breath. The bulky green dragoness, Maaky, seemed to find something amusing and glanced between Meegi and Reeva with a knowing look. Pulling back, Reeva took two steps before turning around and trotting off towards the bar. For a moment, nobody spoke, but instead focused their attention on Taanith and Meegi was sensing there was a risk of the drake becoming ostracized by the group. Despite agreeing with the groups sentiment, he reminded himself that ultimately they needed to get the drake on side, but he struggled to think of how he could direct the conversation to something persuasive. Clearing her throat with a small and tight cough, Seelena took charge of the moment and cocked her head in a polite yet curious expression. The fire was still burning in her eyes, but she too seemed to recognise that hostility was not the best course of action. “That is very disappointing to hear that you feel that way, Taanith. I always thought you were one of the foundation's biggest supporters,” Seelena started while lifting a forepaw to brush against her front and down her left leg. “I was sure I read somewhere that the people of Minnesota were quite supportive of the movement too. What happened?” The purple drake let out a hiss of a scoff and pulled his head back as if the answer was obvious. “Oh please… We only supported this because that runt of a real estate developer thought he had a chance in the election. Turns out he would rather be banging his secretary than his wife. That scandal lost him fifty points, and his party are still scrambling to find a suitable replacement.” “Oh no…” Seelena said while moving closer to the drake. “Surely that can't be the only reason. I know you and Caarianah were a regular staple at these events. Don't tell me you are throwing this away because of her?” Seelena asked rhetorically. Meegi guessed that she had either been briefed by Reeva or simply kept pace with the gossip of the upper echelon. “I didn't think you would let her get to you like that,” she mused with a soft detachment and turned her head as if going to talk to someone else. Meegi clocked the gesture and looked towards Taanith to see the drake's jaw set firmly. The dragoness was clearly an expert in getting what she wanted, and Meegi could tell that she was deliberately using her looks and status to lead the drake on. Taanith had made his remarks to get the group's attention, and now he was at risk of losing it unless he answered Seelena's question. Likewise, by insinuating that his ex had gotten to him, she was setting up a trap that would ensnare the drake in his own words. “Well, finding her with a yoga instructor under her tail put things in perspective,” Taanith replied, but while he forced a laugh, Meegi could feel the defensiveness in his voice. “The dumb bitch would have taken me to the cleaners if this had gone ahead. I guess it's a good thing I caught her when I did then, am I right?” Taanith added and managed to reclaim some small nods of acknowledgement from the others. “The yoga instructor, oh my.” Seelena started and did an admirable job of not showing her amusement, even if Meegi caught a small twitch in the tip of the dragoness's tail. “That is a real shame. I thought she was a good egg. So now she is making you go back on your word? What a manipulative bitch,” she added, making Taanith open and close his mouth in confusion. “Oh, Taanith. You can see that, right? She is playing you like a fiddle! Trying to ruin your good name. I bet in your next election they will be digging up those speeches you gave. You know the ones, the one love, one law speech you gave last year. I bet they will twist them to say you can't be trusted.” “Oh, I'm prepared for a slander campaign. I knew as soon as the bitch flew out that the papers would drag me through the mud. At least I had the sense to get her to sign a gag order before we became serious. If she runs her tight little mouth about me, my lawyers will go after her like dogs-” “But Taanith, don't you see? She is making you destroy your own chances!” Seelena implored before smiling a defeated smile and shaking her head as though she had just realised something. “Gods, she is a sly one, isn't she? You are far better off without her. But I would ask you to reconsider. You were so committed to the cause, and what would it really mean if you continued?” “It would look like I wanted her back-” “No-no-no,” Seelena retorted and extended a forepaw to place on his while stepping even closer. With her neck curled into a tight S shape, she looked at him with a surprisingly warm expression. “It would show that she means absolutely nothing to you. Also, it would show that you weren't doing this just to impress her. Pull out now, and it tells her that you were like some love-struck high schooler trying to win her attention,” Seelena added before breaking her gaze and looking towards the group. Howard cleared his throat and nodded before gesturing towards the drake with an almost empty glass. “That, and you're probably not going to stay single for long, are you?” “Yes!” Seelena hissed in an excited voice before turning back to focus on Taanith. “That's what you need! Imagine that, getting this signed into law with someone else by your side! That would show that bitch her place!” Seelena continued with an enthusiasm in her eyes that almost looked predatory. “That reminds me, I have a little gathering at my mate's and my place. Just a cozy little reveal of Tuurt's latest collection. You have to come! I'm inviting a few 'nesses over from the ol' harness days. Most of them have kids now that are all grown up and appreciate good art like yourself.” The line of conversation sat uneasily with Meegi, but when Seelena glanced towards him expectantly, he felt obligated to chime in. “I guess you're in a good spot, Taanith. Given how much momentum this movement is getting, it's going to happen eventually, right? And the sooner it does, the less pressure on you to make some grand gesture to marry right away,” Meegi offered, and was rewarded by an enthusiastic nod from Seelena. “And don't forget about prenuptial agreements. Humans have been using them for decades now, and I don't think we are trying to get around those.” “Absolutely, her leaving you is actually a blessing in disguise! Given that she was unfaithful, no one will blame you for getting back in the game and finding a prettier 'ness,” Seelena cheered and turned to make room for a pair of waiters carrying trays of drinks. In doing so, she deliberately put herself alongside the senator and brushed her side against him. With a nudge of her wing against the heavy drake's side, she pulled her head back into a regal pose. “A fresh start with a new 'ness. You can give her everything Caarianah had, and more. And this one will appreciate you properly!” Looking at the drinks being placed on the table, he noticed that his glass was absent and turned to see if more waiters were coming. Movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention and he whipped his head around to the other side to see Reeva trotting briskly towards him, a glass of juice left on the floor behind her. The panicked look on Reeva's face made his stomach sink and he quickly stepped backwards out of the group and moved to meet her. “What's wrong?” He could barely get the words out before Reeva sidestepped and then pressed her front into his shoulder to turn him ninety degrees. Unfurling her wing, she pressed it against his rump and back while trying to get him to walk with her. “Meegi, I'm sorry. This wasn't what I wanted. I didn't plan this. It wasn't my intention-” Reeva said hastily and frantically. Something had spooked the dragoness and now she was genuinely fearful. Taking a step with her, Meegi coiled his neck to look at her in genuine confusion. Her frill was nothing more than a crimson line against her neck and her lips trembled with nervous energy. “Reeva, what's-” “Now where is my fallen claimer!” boomed a voice across the gala. The deep, resonant timbre sent an icy cold chill down Meegi's spine and made his scales feel as though they were being raked backwards by iron nails. Instantly his paws became fixed in place as he recognised the voice and regretted coming here. His heart thudded heavily and when he looked at Reeva, he could see the genuine remorse in her eyes. “Oh, there he is!” the voice added and, when Meegi tore his gaze away from Reeva, he looked behind him and saw the familiar crimson drake standing in the entrance to the rooftop venue. Haanith stood with his wings partially lifted from his sides and looked across the room at Meegi with a charismatic smile. The owner of the Coastal Cresties wasn't alone, and behind him stood the three primary claimers and the brooders behind them. Each wore their uniform, but Meegi couldn't tell if they had either come straight from training or dressed specifically for the occasion. The wall of red and gold-uniformed players contrasted against the rest of the attendees, all of whom were now looking between the new arrivals and Meegi. With Reeva's wing still over him, he felt as though he had been caught cowering, and with a trembling wing, he pressed it against her side to guide her away. Forcing a breath of air through his flared nostrils and into his tight chest, Meegi returned the drake's broad smile and turned around. “Haanith! What brings a busy drake like yourself here?” Meegi asked and began to walk towards the drake. With his cast creating a dull thud with every step, he felt as though he was once again prey in the eyes of a hungry wolf. However, this time he couldn't shake the feeling that he had been unmasked. He wasn't wearing the uniform, nor was he representing the team, but the drake's presence here could only mean he had miscalculated horribly. “What am I doing here?” Haanith asked, turning his head from side to side as if asking the rest of the guests. “I could ask you the same question!” Haanith added, but while his smile made it look like he was jovial, Meegi was sure he wasn't imagining the stern look in the drake's eyes. “You should have said you were coming here, we would have backed you up! And you could have at least worn your uniform!” he continued and, while he was walking towards Meegi, performed a small turn around himself to address the crowd. “I wouldn't want anyone thinking that the rest of the Coastal Cresties were against this progressive movement. After all, bringing people together is what Dragonball does best!” He boasted, winning the crowd over, who clapped their hands together or beat their wings against their sides in polite support. Meegi still felt as though the drake's words were more for show than anything else, and as the crowd settled and Haanith came within a polite distance. “When a little purple birdy told me that the best claimer Dragonball has ever seen was meant to be here, I knew right away it could only be you,” Haanith said in a regular voice that was still overheard by the people closest to them. A purple mass in his peripheral vision broke both Meegi's and his former boss's attention, and the crimson drake reared his head back into an elegant 'S' shape. “I see you have met my half-brother?” Haanith mused and nodded towards the senator. “Bigger half, and probably better. Depending if you're winning or not,” Taanith remarked towards Haanith. The realisation made Meegi jerk, and he looked between them both quickly but failed to see any resemblance between the two other than that they were both large drakes. “Your boy still has a lot to learn in this space, Haanith. Maybe I should take him under my wing now that you're done with him,” Taanith said before looking down at Meegi. “Usually it's Haany who got the hand-me-downs. Would be a change to have it the other way.” “You're related?” Meegi stammered, realising now why the drake was such a fan of the Cresties and seemed to have insider knowledge of the team's training. “I mean, why didn't you say something?” he added in a valiant attempt at sounding composed. “Well. Father dear was with mother for almost twenty years until she passed. Terrible thing cancer is. But father moved on pretty quick, didn't he?” Taanith asked with a hint of accusation in his voice that Meegi's boss simply shrugged off with an exaggerated roll of his wing shoulders. “I'll have to take your word for it, I hadn't hatched yet,” Haanith mused, casually deflecting the attack with the practised ease of someone who had already had this argument before. “And don't be bitter, father bequeathed the team to me, and a fortune to you. We both came out pretty good, wouldn't you agree?” “Well, I'm doing alright. But if you don't win this championship, I'm going to dig through his will for any clauses,” Taanith countered, but Haanith simply laughed and shook his head. “Now if you will excuse us, Taany. I need to have a word with my friend Meegi here.” The red drake said without creating an opening for rebuttal and opened a wing to practically catch Meegi and turn him around. “Go easy on him, he was playing nice,” Taanith called out and, when Meegi looked back over his shoulder, he could see that Reeva was lingering on the outskirts of the gala with her boss by her side and talking hurriedly. The rest of the Dragonball team had already spread out and were making themselves present amongst the various groups. The knowledge that he had brought on a group of gatecrashers who were now risking the ruin of the evening made Meegi pull his wings tight against his sides and his steps fell into a stiff rhythm. Trying his best not to let his cast slow him down, he moved with his former boss to a quieter section of the floor. The walk across the rooftop felt as though it dragged on forever, and his bosses silence only added fuel to Meegi's building anxiety. Finally they came to a halt beside one of the paintings that had been erected, a large half-finished portrait of Seelena herself, even with what looked like the start of black leggings on her forelegs and, curiously, black wings. “How is the leg?” Haanith asked, his voice lacking all of the showmanship and bravado he had shown while addressing the crowd. For a moment it sounded as though he was talking to him like Meegi imagined a father would. When Meegi looked up at him, he saw the drake's gaze linger on his sock-covered cast. Meegi was sure that it wasn't idle small talk, and that the drake was asking him something deeper. His anxious mind rapidly ran through as many possible scenarios as the growing silence would allow before he finally inhaled deeply and gave the bigger drake a curt nod while sitting down on his haunches. “Getting better each day,” he said while curling his tail around himself. The gesture wasn't missed by the drake, who looked away and glanced over the skyline. With the roof opened like a flower, they had a partially unobstructed view of the city skyline and the countless dragons flying overhead. Each one carried a small white navigation light between their paws, which gave them the illusion of looking like a moving starscape. “You really should have told me you were doing this-” “I'm not here as a Crestie,” Meegi retorted defensively, which earned him a raised eye ridge from the drake. “I'm here as me, for a friend,” Meegi clarified but deliberately kept Reeva's name a secret. He had already caused enough of a ruckus without dragging her further into his old life. “I know, I know. Relax. You're not in trouble,” Haanith said as he turned and sat down directly opposite Meegi. “Taanith and his mate had been nagging me to come to one of these for years, and when he heard that a Crestie was going to be here... well, he may have exaggerated why you were here,” Haanith continued before giving Meegi an approving nod. “I appreciate that you didn't wear the uniform though. It's good to see you are taking our deal seriously.” “Of course I would, I signed it,” Meegi replied, resetting his wings before shrugging them up and down. “Besides, I don't have a uniform, and the ones from the merch store are a poor imitation.” “Let's not lie to one another, Meegi,” Haanith said with a hint of amusement in the corner of his lips. “You're surprisingly good at it and I don't want a repeat of last time. I promise, I'm not mad about all this. I was just concerned. You wouldn't have been the first player to break their termination contract, so I had to see for myself. Given the topic in question, draggin the team along only felt right,” he explained before inhaling a long, deep breath through his nostrils. “Give my apologies to the organisers though, I got the impression that they didn't appreciate us crashing their gig.” “You didn't have to though, they did send you an invite.” “Meegi. I get asked to go to many places and do many things. You know that,” Haanith replied, his expression softening as he refocused on Meegi. “But if you had asked, I would have made myself available. It's a really good cause,” he added and nodded slightly as he looked back across the guests. “Unlike so many others, Dragonball is not what many would call an inclusive sport. Even amongst dragons we don't allow just anyone to play. Between excluding wingless and magic folk, we can sometimes appear quite... draconian in our image,” Haanith continued while scanning the room. Meegi couldn't help but notice that the drake wasn't holding himself like he did when the cameras were looking at him; instead, he slouched slightly as though he were tired. “I suspect it's only a matter of time before all this is legalised, and generations will probably look back at this moment and wonder why we took so long. It would be good to be seen publicly supporting this, to show that we are progressive. Good for the brand, you know that.” The drake's words carried a somber tone, but not one of regret. It was as though he was hiding his true opinions behind the facade of what was best for the team. “So you really aren't upset?” Meegi asked, making the older drake snort in amusement and shake his head. The weight on his mind eased, but Meegi didn't allow himself to let his guard down. The red drake was a businessman first, a showman second, and Meegi couldn't stomach the thought of the drake doing something that would cause Reeva any more stress. A small silence hung in the air before Haanith’s gaze lowered to focus on the sock that covered Meegi's cast. “Blue and red. Now that is a striking combination,” he mused before looking up and across the room towards Reeva. “I take it that's her?” A flicker of possessiveness ran through the back of Meegi's mind, causing him to shift his weight further over his forepaws and lift his wings an inch. His paranoia flared and Meegi's mind raced with what the drake was really meaning. Even though Haanith had said that he wasn't upset with him, Meegi still didn't welcome the drake singling out the dragoness. He didn't reply right away, and it was only when the drake turned his focus back to him that he finally answered. “Yes,” he said shortly. “Are you happier?” Out of all the things Meegi expected the drake to ask, this caught him off guard and his eyes narrowed in confusion. His expression caused the drake to inhale deeply and break eye contact. “I'm not here to cause you pain, Meegi. Genuinely,” Haanith added softly before nodding towards Reeva. “I'm just asking if she is making you happier than Tiiphani did. Seeing you with her was... painful to watch.” For a moment, Meegi thought that he meant Reeva and his mind spiralled to how he knew. However, there was a look of regret in Haanith's eyes that made Meegi second-guess himself and wonder if he was referring to Tiiphani. “I don't follow.” Pulling his neck back and exhaling softly, the large drake looked genuinely torn before forcing a defeated smile and reaching a forepaw out to grip Meegi's shoulder. The drake's calloused paw was like iron, but Meegi refused to pull away as the drake looked down at him. “One day, if you ever become a father, you will know why I wanted to make her happy. But know that it still hurt me greatly to see you be torn down by her, especially after seeing how happy you looked during each game.” Meegi couldn't find a reply, nor did he really know how to feel. He had always thought that Haanith had stood side by side with his daughter, and to an extent he was right. However, the emotional weight the drake put behind his words made it abundantly clear that he wasn't just saying idle words. Knowing that Haanith sat by, knowing the frustration that Meegi felt while he was with Tiiphani, made his mouth taste sour and when the drake shook his shoulder, Meegi couldn't help but look down at the drake's paw with some disgust. “I hear Tiiphani is with Riian. Do you feel the same about him?” Meegi's words struck a blow to the drake and he withdrew his paw from Meegi's shoulder. “Riian has a few notches in the belt and knows how to handle a 'ness like her. But I will be keeping a closer leash on her,” Haanith admitted before leaning forwards and pushing up with his hind legs to rise to all fours. He took one last look across the room before giving Meegi a stiff nod. “Next time you have a good idea, Meegi. Talk to me first.” Meegi was slow to respond as his blood simmered with a range of emotions, and it was only when Haanith had taken a step that he found his voice. “I won't,” he said softly but just loud enough for his former boss to hear him. Haanith curled his neck back to look at him in confusion, and Meegi rose up to stand. “I'm not going to ask you for permission to do what I want to do. Only if it involves the Cresties directly will I come to get your blessing,” he added, his voice staying remarkably calm despite the fire burning in his blood. “But I don't work for you anymore. I'm going to do my own thing.” What he said didn't get the reaction Meegi had expected, and instead of being reminded of his contract or being guilted by the opportunity the drake had given him, Haanith simply looked back at him. It wasn't a stern look, but one of understanding and possibly a hint of pride. With a final dip of his head, Haanith looked forwards and left Meegi alone. The crimson drake continued across the room until he joined the group that Meegi had been assigned to. With the distance between them, Meegi had no chance of overhearing what was being said, but the drake seemed to become very engaged in talking to his half-brother. Staying where he stood, Meegi watched on while breathing in through his nose and out through his mouth. His heart still beat heavily in his chest as he processed what the drake's look had meant, and if there would be any repercussions for what he had said. “Mango juice?” Reeva's caring voice was in stark contrast to the writhing emotions running rampant in Meegi's mind to the point that he jerked in surprise. Approaching from his right flank, Reeva paused briefly when she saw his reaction and then trotted closer on three legs while holding a large drink against her chest with one forepaw. “If you need to go, I understand-” “No,” Meegi interjected and leaned back to sit down on his haunches. The cast on his leg caused one hind leg to kick out under him at an awkward angle, but he didn't pay it any attention. “I'm here tonight. This is me,” he added and nodded reassuringly when she continued to look at him with concern etched into her eyes. Lifting a wing, he invited her close and when she pressed her side against him, he felt a soothing calm run throughout his body. Curling his wing around her like a cocoon, he held her close and swept his tail around to find hers. The steady pressure of her chest expanding and contracting against his with every breath she took hijacked his thoughts, and within a matter of seconds he felt his own heart rate slow and his breathing match her cadence. “Say the word and I'll have security kick them out,” Reeva offered, making Meegi snort at the idea. “I mean it, I don't care if it creates a scene-” While she sounded serious, Meegi pulled her closer and leaned his head to one side to tuck the bridge of her snout under his jaw. “No, it's okay. Turns out they want to help,” Meegi mused and felt her frill try to perk up despite being pinned by the underside of his throat. “Turns out Haanith is Taanith's half-brother. I guess that explains the names, doesn't it?” he mused softly and looked over towards the group. For the most part, they were all absorbed in one another's company to notice Meegi, although he did see Maaky glance briefly towards him with a small grin, clearly happy with herself for noticing who he had been so cryptic about. “I really didn't know-” “I know, it's not your fault...” Meegi reassured her and lifted his head slightly so he could angle his snout and kiss the leading edge of her frill. “Haanith probably should have told me when I first met the senator,” he added, but knew that she hadn't forgiven herself by the way she pulled her head back to look at him with an apologetic look. “No, I should have seen that. I looked up everything about him, his likes, dislikes, his parents and where he went to school. I can't believe I missed this,” Reeva replied, but Meegi simply shook his head and renewed the pressure of his wing. “It turned out okay though,” Meegi said soothingly and leaned in to nuzzle the side of her cheek with his snout. “I'm just sorry they gatecrashed. It's probably fucked up the table plan, hasn't it?” he said, but knew he had inadvertently injected another level of panic into the dragoness' mind when she recoiled away and whipped her head around to see where everyone had migrated to. “I'm kidding, it's fine. It's fine,” Meegi cooed and circled his tail around her to brush against her own. “Look! Everyone is getting along, everyone is having a good time. All because of you.” The reluctant whine that Reeva made spoke volumes to how she really felt, and Meegi continued to hold her close. “A few more hours, we do the speeches and then everyone goes home. We are almost there,” Meegi added softly and when he pulled away and looked down, he realised she had only brought a drink for him. “Can I get you something? A drink? Or a snack? What would you like?” “More of this,” Reeva replied and practically went limp against him, bringing a loving smile to Meegi's snout and tightening his wing around her. Pressing his snout between her horns, Meegi felt a sudden tense surge through her body and a soft vibration run through his jaw. With his jawbone against her skull, he momentarily felt a voice speak from within his own head. Having trained with horn-mounted bone induction headsets before, Meegi recognised the feeling and pulled his head away while Reeva reached for the transmit button hidden in the strap of her harness. “Roger, Green Leader. Give me five,” she said while curling her neck down and speaking into a small black mic. “Problem?” “No, I need to get back to work,” Reeva replied and nuzzled back into him as she took a long, deep breath. “Gotta get everything ready for the auction. Are you sure you're okay?” she asked, and Meegi nodded quickly. “Here, take this…” she added and leaned into him while rummaging in a slim pouch in her harness. After a second of struggling with the small pocket, she produced a thin white keycard with the hotel's logo printed on one side. “I was meant to get this to you earlier. Room 1802, it's just downstairs. Use it if you need some time,” she added and tucked the card under the strap of his harness. “I'll be around,” she added and reluctantly extracted herself from under his wing. “Thanks, Reeva,” Meegi said softly and coiled his tail around his feet as best he could with his damaged leg sticking out. “If I'm not here, I'll be there,” he added as she looked back and gave him a nod of understanding. Collecting the glass of juice from where Reeva had left it, Meegi lifted it up and dropped his head to take a sip. Pausing with his snout a few inches off the lip, he smelt the sweet blend of both orange and mango juices and smiled as he remembered their movie date night. Drinking a small sip of the chilled fruit juice, he lifted his head and looked over the crowd. He couldn't bring himself to rejoin the group he had been assigned to, and thankfully no one seemed to notice him sitting by himself. He took a moment to calm himself and tried to listen to the music that was being softly played. The sound was almost completely drowned out by the band's hubbub of chattering guests, but the few notes he picked up helped distract him from the event. Tracking Reeva as she moved across the space, he was surprised at how quickly yet professionally she was able to navigate the guests. Her crimson frill made it easier to follow her as it looked like a flag as she bobbed and weaved between people. A couple paused to ask something of her, and while answering them with a polite smile and a nod, she kept moving like a stream of water between rocks. When Reeva moved by one of the tables in the middle of the hall, Meegi's attention shifted to one of the guests standing at the table she passed. The dragoness was looking at him directly, with both eyes focused exclusively on him through a gap in the crowd. If it wasn't for the fact he had been tracking Reeva, he would never have noticed her staring, but now he held his former teammate's gaze. Compared to the more colourful dragons, Looran could have faded into the background if it wasn't for the bold crimson and gold uniform and pads she wore. Despite the padding being freshly washed and polished, the muscular dragoness looked completely out of place amongst the tuxedo- and sequin dress-wearing guests. Compared to the other dragons at her table, even the larger ones, she stood out with her powerful legs and chest. He hadn't seen his former teammate since he was on the team, and now he wasn't sure exactly how to react. Judging by the way that she tightened her jaw and looked towards him with a remorseful look in her eye, Meegi guessed that she probably didn't know either. After a pause, Looran gave him a small upward nod in acknowledgement. It was stiff and cold, like one would give to a stranger in passing. Meegi felt it was appropriate. After all, he doubted that he would ever call her a friend again after what she had done. The game was everything to her, just as it had been to him, and while he was sure that he wouldn't have done the same in her situation, he understood why she betrayed him. Swallowing past the lump in his throat, Meegi stopped staring and scanned the rest of the room. He could easily make out the rest of the Cresties team by their crimson uniforms, but he didn't feel any obligation to join them. Looking back at Looran, he saw her jerk her head towards Reeva, who was talking hastily to her boss. The Dragonball player then cocked her head as if asking if they were together and, when Meegi nodded, a small proud smile formed on Looran’s snout. For a brief moment, they found something they were both happy about and Meegi's posture relaxed further. They might not be friends, but it was clear that neither wanted to be enemies, and for what it was worth, Meegi was grateful. Lifting his own glass up above his shoulders, he tilted it towards Looran in a silent salute and waited as she collected her own glass. In the brief silent exchange, Meegi communicated how he felt about what Looran had done, and she had offered her apology. ==Page break== “Alright, are we going to fight to the death, or am I going to have to play the disabled card?” Tiizome asked, his eyes flicking down towards the last and very cold paw-sized quiche that remained. It looked almost discarded with the crumbs surrounding it and a stack of unused napkins tucked under its large white plate. Meegi snorted in amusement and cocked his head at the two-legged green drake. “Well, that depends. Reeva, would you like the last quiche?” Meegi asked and curled his neck to look towards the dragoness who leaned heavily against him. He hadn't realised that the dragoness had her eyes closed and she opened them slowly with a low pained whine. “No more questions. Please... no more questions,” Reeva protested before inhaling sharply and pulling herself more upright against him. “If I get asked one more thing, I'm gonna start snapping necks,” she added, making Tiizome snicker and Meegi pull her closer. “Just eat it or something. I really don't care.” Curling his neck down, Meegi kissed her just ahead of her neck frill and then nodded towards Tiizome. “You're the boss,” he replied and flicked his eyes towards the remaining food. Meegi wasn't sure what time it was. With his phone strapped to the same foreleg that was now trapped in Reeva's clutches, he was never going to lift it to check. However, he guessed it had to be late by the number of dragons flying overhead and the fact that they were the only guests remaining. Half a dozen of the hotel's staff moved about the now-empty rooftop, sweeping up any crumbs and litter and removing the used black tablecloths from the small bar tables. “That's right! I am the boss,” Tiizome chuckled and rolled forwards on his wheel brace to come closer and stabbed the quiche with the talon on his wing wrist. The gesture would have been considered crude and uncivilised in the presence of the evening's guests, but now that they had all gone, no one cared. Lifting his wing and coiling his neck, Tiizome took the whole thing into his maw and wrinkled his snout in disgust. “They were nicer when they were hot,” Meegi mused as the drake hastily swallowed and his entire body shivered. The green drake bobbed his head as he licked the inside of his maw with a small snarl and swallowed again. “It just feels bad to let it go to waste,” Tiizome explained and leaned back to sit on his haunches. If it wasn't for the custom-made harness that Tiizome wore, the posture would have given Meegi an unobstructed view of the scars that replaced the drake's front legs. “My nan would have whooped the green off my scales if she knew I was leaving something like an entire quiche to get tossed. Although she would probably be making some remarks about not helping them tidy up.” “I think you've done enough for one night,” Meegi mused and lifted his tail to place it over Reeva's. In her exhausted state, she still coiled her long slender appendage around his and he couldn't stop the small hum of approval escaping his lips. “Everything came out okay in the end. You guys put on a good gig. I'm just sorry the team dropped in-” “Pah! It made it interesting!” Tiizome countered and laughed when Reeva groaned again and glared at her boss. “Besides, I did fuck all. Reeva here was the real star of the show. Without her, I would still be stuck writing invites,” he added and mimed typing slowly with the talons on his wing wrists. “So, thank you, Reeva.” “Don't thank me yet. This could have still been a waste of time. Taanith was still being an ass, even after your boss talked to him. Although he kinda warmed to Seelena’s idea when she started showing him pics of ‘nesses she knew. Kinda weird to see her playing matchmaker to be honest. But she is incredibly insistent. Oh and I swear, Kiirith needs to be on an edge table next time. The drunk prick swiped three guests with his damn excited tail-” “Oh, I saw that! Took that influencer right off his feet. Vwoomp!” Tiizy laughed and swung his tail behind him in imitation. “But hey, it will make for good content on their daily post-” “He twisted his ankle!” Reeva exclaimed and lifted her head away from Meegi, now very much alert. Despite her tone, her boss simply fluttered his wings and smiled a cheeky smile. “I had to fetch him a seat and an ice pack! Thank gods he took it in good humour. A lawsuit is the last thing we need.” “Oh, he’s fine. He at least has all his legs,” Tiizome grinned before shaking his head and laughing as Reeva leaned her head closer with her frill slowly rising in warning. “Fine! I'll schedule a follow-up with him and see if I can take him to lunch or something. Happy?” the drake added and, when Reeva pulled back, he nodded towards Meegi. “Great work getting the Cresties on board though, well done. I've been trying for years to get a decent sports team involved.” “Oh, it was nothing,” Meegi joked and coiled his tail tighter with Reeva's as she adjusted her grip on his foreleg. “I mean that. I feel like I did nothing tonight but smile and nod, and then cause chaos.” “Nah, you did good. I'll need to square it away with the hotel for springing extra guests on them. But otherwise they didn't cause any real inconvenience. And that's completely irrelevant if it means having our logo on their uniforms and the odd player at our gatherings. I mean, another player,” Tiizy quickly corrected, but Meegi dismissed him with a wave of his paw. “I knew what you meant,” Meegi said softly and turned his head when a low rumbling sound rang out all around them. The multiple segments of the unfurled roof were slowly lifting at the edges of the rooftop. Each one pivoting on large hinges as they were heaved back into position by hidden hydraulic rams. “So what happens now? I don't really know how a law gets made,” Meegi confessed. During school the whole process had been explained, but he hadn't committed it to memory and never thought he would find it relevant. Tiizome seemed eager to explain, but adjusted his wings closer to his body. “Oh, these things take time. I wouldn't want to get this presented until we know we have enough support. The last thing we want is to get it on the floor and have it shut down,” the drake said and shrugged his wings. “It's frustrating, but once something has been thrown out, it's really hard to get people to back it. So we need to be sure we have people's support.” He continued and gave Meegi a reassuring smile. “But give it time. Remember, we’re young and many of the old-fashioned senators aren't! Worst case, we make Reeva here run for senator and make her support it-” “Nooooo,” Reeva groaned while pressing her head into Meegi's neck as if trying to hide in him. Her whine drifted off before being followed by an exasperated chuckle of pure defeat that made them both laugh. Rearing back on his hind legs and using his tail to balance himself, her boss kept his wings folded but moved them in an arc above his head. “Senator Reeva! Host of the most amazing galas. Organises everything herself and everyone always has a great time. Ask her anything!” “I'll slash your tire,” Reeva threatened without any conviction, making Meegi snort an undignified laugh before forcing some semblance of composure. Thankfully, Tiizome didn't seem offended and laughed a low chuckle. “No, I'm done with galas. They're lame. Next time we take the senators bowling or something. Pay for someone else to run the show.” “What do you mean? I do pay someone to run the show!” Tiizy hissed with a cheeky smile. “And she does a great job! But no, I think you're right. Galas are so done, we should mix it up a bit. Bowling is kinda gross, some of us have to use our mouths and those balls taste like ass.” Tiizome continued before looking lost in thought. “Dancing. That's what we need. And better music! None of this wank with flutes and shit. Proper classic rock. Everyone likes classic rock. We could get a band on board, and then get them to do a few sets. That way there is time to chat and mingle between rocking out. Oooh, with waiters on roller skates, I'm thinking old classic diner sort of vibes. Some of those old crusty senators might get all nostalgic. Reeva, are you writing this down?” “Nope!” Reeva giggled and looked up as a heavy thud rang out above them and the roof became sealed. “I'm off the clock. You can talk to future Reeva on Monday,” she added playfully and grinned as her boss pouted dramatically. “Fine. Future Reeva's problem then. But I'm locked in on dancing. Get some dancers in who can carry the human senators and show them what a proper skydance looks like. What do you think, Meegi? I'm guessing you can move to a beat?” Meegi pursed his lips and cocked his head as if he had to think about it before nodding. “I can hold my own in the air. But I think if you put some of those older senators in saddles, you might just give them a heart attack.” “Oh noooo…. We wouldn't want that…” Tiizome joked before lowering his front down and supporting his weight on his wheeled brace. “We will do this again someday. But not anytime soon. Promise,” he added and looked towards Reeva. Meegi could tell by the drake's expression that her boss was genuinely appreciative of the work she had done, and knew how much of a toll it had taken on her. “But enough for tonight. We have done all we can. Meegi, it was lovely meeting you. Reeva, good to see you've caught a good one. Don't come in on Monday, take the day. I'll try not to cause too many problems.” The two-legged drake said warmly before lifting his hind end and taking a few steps backwards. Lowering his wings down to the marbled floor, the drake dipped his head in farewell and, when both Reeva and Meegi returned the gesture, he turned around and began to move towards the exit. Meegi watched for a moment before opening his mouth to talk, only to catch himself as Tiizome continued to talk. Although it was quickly clear that the drake wasn't talking to them and instead was doing a surprisingly good job of singing while he walked. “...I'm floating around in ecstasy… So don't stop me now… Don't stop me, 'cause I'm having a good time, having a good, good time…” The tip of Tiizome’s tail bobbed and flicked in time with the words and he continued even as he stepped out of the rooftop and onto the landing pad. The small lights that circled the perimeter were initially dim, but flared back to life as they detected movement and the drake spread his wings. Curling his neck to look over his shoulder, Tiizome bobbed his head once more before launching into the sky with his wheeled brace still strapped to his chest. “He is an interesting drake, that's for sure,” Meegi mused while slowly shifting his wing up and down while it was curled around Reeva. Her supple wing membranes felt incredibly soft against his, a testament to her life out of the sun and the daily care she gave them. “And has a voice on him too,” Meegi added and paused his stroking so he could simply hold her against him. “Yeah, he sings when he’s happy,” Reeva mused while cocking her head. “And at Christmas… gods, he doesn't shut up until after New Year's,” Reeva added and pulled her neck back into a lazy curve. Turning her head to look at him with an exhausted smile, Reeva's amber eyes looked at him with a warm and loving expression before she closed them. Relaxing her neck, she let herself fall and flopped into him, letting her head drop into the crook of his neck. “It's finally over.” “And no one died,” Meegi added, his smile growing wide when Reeva vibrated with a muted giggle. Angling his neck, he let her fall further into his embrace and moved his head so that hers was tucked more under his jaw. “How do you feel about ice cream? There's gotta be a place still open, and I think we should celebrate.” “Mmmm, ice cream sounds good. But I'm thinking room service. I am waaay too exhausted to fly right now,” Reeva said while rolling the bridge of her snout against his neck. “I just need to lay down on something soft, and be told I'm pretty. I'm done organising things for a while.” “Room service? you want to get a room?” Meegi asked and curled his neck to look down as Reeva blindly patted her paw against his chest until she found the strap. “Oh! We have that room for tonight too?” he asked and turned to her as she pulled her head back to look at him with a tired yet happy smile. “I thought it was just for the event. Well, that's a way better idea!” Meegi said and rolled his wing shoulders to rock her softly. “After all... it would be wasteful not to use a room we paid for.” “Absolutely! It would be downright irresponsible not to,” Reeva cooed and let go of his forepaw while still staying tucked under his wing. The playful glint in her eyes and the way her tail gave him a squeeze had his heart skip a beat and suddenly the fatigue from the night faded. He was confident that he wasn't misreading the signals she was giving him, but tempered his reaction while rising with her to his feet. He knew tonight had kept her on her toes and the very least he could do was make it up to her. ==Page break== Tapping away at his phone, Meegi was surprised to see that it was only ten thirty, despite it feeling so much later. The sound of running water caused his ear to twitch and he briefly looked towards the hotel's bathroom and where Reeva was currently. Compared to his room at home, the hotel suite was quite spacious and clearly designed with dragons in mind. The bed was large yet ovoid in shape, with the edges curving upwards a few inches to create a natural depression in the middle. It looked incredibly inviting, and perfect for snuggling close to a partner, but Meegi simply sat in the middle of the floor and scrolled on his phone. The fact that he could order room service by scanning a square code on the room's only desk meant that he didn't have to talk to anyone, something that he now greatly appreciated. They had a variety of options on their menu, and after he selected a couple of simple desserts and saw that he could pay with his own card rather than charging it to the room, he tapped back and began adding more. He knew he could have asked Reeva what she wanted, but her words about being over answering questions and the fact that he wanted to make her laugh made his decision clear. The water being turned off, followed by the door clicking open, made Meegi hurry and confirm the order. With a happy chime, his phone signalled that everything was done and he looked up to see Reeva sauntering towards him. There was something so incredibly alluring about seeing her without her harness on. Even though it didn't cover much, seeing her bare shoulders roll with every step made her appear so much more lithe and exposed. The small flecks of light glinting off her sky-blue scales looked like tiny stars twinkling as she moved, while her crimson frill remained swept back with just a small perk of budding excitement. Unfurling her wings to relax by her sides, Reeva didn't walk with her head back in an overly pretentious way, but instead kept her head slightly forwards as she approached him. “Do you hear that?” she asked while Meegi leaned to one side and placed his phone on the writing desk. Meegi shook his head and cocked it in confusion, but the dragoness simply smiled wider. “It's nothing. How good is it! No one is bragging about their new yacht, no one is asking for a drink or what time the auction happens. It's glorious!” “It's far more peaceful, that's for sure,” Meegi replied and, when she came closer, he extended his neck forwards. Tilting his head to one side, his maw caught hers as she kissed him and continued to move closer. Reeva pressed him back until he was sitting almost upright with his broken leg kicked out to one side. Without breaking their kiss, she moved a forepaw to his chest and began to fumble with the buckle. Understanding her intentions, he braced himself against the ground with his tail and partially opened his wings for balance. Using his forepaws, he hastily pushed each strap upwards through their buckles and began to shed the leather garment. All the while, his tongue roamed and pressed against Reeva's in a soft, wet caress that started slow but quickly became more hurried. Once one strap was free, Reeva ran her soft paw pads across his scaled front. The sensation of her sharp talons grazing across his smooth scales sent a shiver down his spine and, as soon as he could spare a forepaw, he lifted it to hold her shoulder. The buckle on his right shoulder strap was proving problematic, and without being able to look down and see what he was doing wrong, he tugged at it repeatedly. Reeva seemed to find his attempts amusing and parted just enough to giggle before sitting back onto her haunches. She kept her head close, and simply angled it downwards, inadvertently bringing her frill within nibbling range. Not wanting to pass up the opportunity, Meegi first placed a kiss on the leading edge of the membranous frill while Reeva used both paws to work the strap. Her laughter intensified and her frill flattened as he extended his tongue and ran it up the front of the crimson frill. Clearly, the delicate structure was ticklish, and he grinned to himself at this newfound knowledge. However, before he could stroke his tongue across it again, the second strap fell free and the dragoness bounced to her feet. “You can do the rest,” Reeva grinned and, when she turned around, she made a conscious effort to sweep her hind end wider than necessary. In doing so, she pressed the crook of her tail base into his chest in a gesture that made Meegi's eyes bulge. Then, while stepping away, the sky-blue dragoness brushed the full length of her long tail across his front in a provocative invitation. Meegi sat dumbfounded for a second as he focused on trying not to expose himself. While sitting so upright on his haunches, he knew that there was little chance of hiding his excitement and even though the muscles in his groin tightened, a distinct purple line was visible between the scales around his vent. Dropping his forepaws down, Meegi lifted his rump and quickly began removing the rest of his harness. His paws trembled in excitement, but now that his rig lacked the tension of being secured around his shoulders, the rest of the buckles came free with ease. With a dull thud, the tangle of straps slipped down his legs and landed on the carpeted floor. Stepping out of the leg holes, Meegi practically tore the holster for his phone off his foreleg and prowled towards Reeva with a hungry look in his eye. His enthusiasm only seemed to excite the dragoness, whose frill perked up to full height and, with a small hop, leapt up onto the bed. How far she was willing to go was still unclear to Meegi, but when she rolled onto her back and sprawled her wings out while stretched across the middle of the bed, she left no room for him other than on top. Stepping to the edge of the bed, Meegi paused, his heart hammering in his chest. This was moving quickly, and he wanted their first time to be special. Swallowing and then forcing a deep breath, Meegi calmed his raging emotions and looked down at the dragoness. While she was lying on her back, he was treated to a beautiful sight that made it hard not to leap up onto her. The supple curves of her body were on full display, and he couldn't help but admire each of them. Starting at her tail, the subtle bulges of the powerful muscles she used to control the appendage created small contours at the edges of the lighter plates that protected her undertail. Likewise, the way that her tail base transitioned into her hind legs offered a soft, sensitive area that he couldn't wait to press his paws against and trace their curves. Roaming his attention up her rump and the thighs she held bunched against her body, Meegi took in the creases and angular protrusions where the joints of her digitigrade legs folded. Looking higher, he smirked as he saw the plump pinky-cream-coloured paw pads that dotted the palms of her paws and digits. While tempted to kiss and tickle them, he instead dropped his head lower. Pressing the tip of his snout to the midpoint of her tail, Meegi looked up along her body and smiled as her head lifted to look back at him. She had a look of surprise in her eyes, and gasped when he kept his head in place but brought his elbows onto the bed and hooked his paws around her thighs. Opening his maw and rotating it to one side, Meegi ran his teeth across the curve of her tail and felt a quiver run through her body. His tail thudded to the ground as he dropped his hips to half-sit and half-lie on the ground before beginning to pull her backwards towards the edge of the bed by her hips. The gesture made Reeva whine a happy noise through her nose, and while kissing further up her tail, he continued to move her until her hips were on the padded mattress of the bed, but her tail spilled over and onto the floor. She knew what he was doing without him asking, and her hips rolled in uncontrollable instinct as she slowly parted her legs. Breaking eye contact momentarily, Meegi's attempts to keep his cock inside his slit failed miserably as he saw his future mate's vent. Framed by a soft plumpness on either side, the area glistened with her arousal and as he brought his snout closer, the scent of her excitement made the tip of his shaft begin to emerge. Choosing to softly kiss each band of scales that lined her undertail, Meegi moved closer and closer to the source of her scent. He didn't rush, instead taking the opportunity to explore his way up while returning his gaze to her head, which was watching him. Pressing his snout to the side of the gentle crease that separated her tail from her body, Meegi politely avoided her anus and instead extended his tongue to stroke across the side of her tail. The tremble of excitement he felt in her hips made him smile, and instead of moving to lap at her vulva, he took the opportunity to nuzzle in behind her thighs and apply a steady pressure before tracing up her rump with his lips. A ragged gasp rang out from Reeva's lips as he moved halfway up the back of her haunch and then, with a single broad lick, pivoted his head in between her hind legs and kissed the middle of her inner thigh. “Mmmnnneeegi…” crooned his dragoness, making him huff against her leg with a small proud smile. With a touch so delicate that it didn't seem possible for his sharp teeth, he began to alternate nibbles and small licks up and down the soft scales. Each time he would delve lower into the fork of her legs before slowly tracing back towards and circling her knee. After what felt like minutes, Meegi eventually began to nuzzle into the dragoness's flat lower belly and could feel a series of tenses and quivers that wracked her lithe body. Flicking his gaze back up towards her face, he slowed down further when he saw her panting softly. “Too much?” he asked and rested his chin just above her slit while she tried to catch her breath. Words didn't come quickly to the dragoness, but with a feverish shake of her head, she encouraged him to continue. “You're incredible, Reeva. I feel like I don't tell you enough,” he murmured and shifted his forelegs further under and around her rump while pulling his head back. Sliding his forepaws up to her waist, he held her like he would if he was mounting her from behind and lowered his snout down to her slit. A rush of warm air from his nostrils ghosted over her slick entrance and while he planned to take his time before touching her soft-looking vulva, the dragoness bucked her hips up to make contact with his snout. A single string of her arousal connected them briefly as Meegi pulled his head back an inch and she dropped her hips again. “Gah, I didn't mea-” “It's okay, I've got you,” Meegi replied while spreading his digits wider across her waist and then scrunching them to hold her ever so slightly more securely. Swiping his tongue around the tip of his snout, Reeva's scent and taste short-circuited his mind and his cock throbbed hard in the small gap between his underside and the hotel room floor. Before he could do anything more creative, his snout found itself pressed against her vent and he caught himself just before plunging his tongue into her. While he wasn't new to this, he remembered that she was, and instead stroked his tongue up the middle of her slit. A sharp thud of Reeva's wing suddenly unfurling into the wall made Meegi grin into her groin. Looking across her chest, he couldn't see her face and guessed that her head was thrown back. He could see the rapid rise and fall of her ribs, and on the next stroke of his tongue he instead focused on the outer lip of her puffy entrance. Feeling her warmth, combined with her scent and now taste, was intoxicating, and as soon as he finished a lap of the fine scales that framed her slit, he then stroked back up the middle with his tongue. Rolling his own hips back and forth at an idle pace, Meegi continued to tend to her with his tongue. Rotating his snout from side to side, he rubbed the apex of her vent with his nose and began to slowly add more pressure with his tongue until his tip slipped into her. The moment heralded a gasp and a sudden tensing through her body, and Meegi immediately stopped but didn't withdraw. He wasn't sure exactly how her previous mate compared, but he was certain that his tongue could reach places she hadn't had anyone explore before. He wasn't ignorant of the fact that dragonesses took care of their needs from time to time with their own tongues, but the way that Reeva clamped down on his and cooed softly suggested that he was doing things in a way that she wasn't familiar with. With just the first few inches of his tongue inside her, he paused his movements until he felt her exhale and relax before continuing to slide in and out with his slippery licker. “Gods… okay… I get it now,” Reeva muttered under her ragged breaths. Her revelation made Meegi scrunch his eyes up and refrain from laughing while he stroked his tongue up her vagina and began to circle the cluster of nerves just inside the apex of her slit. “You're really good at this. It feels… deep,” Reeva added while curling her neck to one side and, while keeping her head against the mattress, looking down the underside of her wing to watch. Her nostrils flared with every heavy breath, and Meegi held her gaze with a hungry look as he pushed his tongue back into her. The encompassing warmth of her depths around his tongue was incredible and his cock felt as though it was going to split with how hard it was. His knot had become plump even without being stroked, and the fleshy nubs on the top and bottom edges of his tapered shaft were completely rigid with his own excitement. Confident that she was ready for more, Meegi pressed his tongue in further than before and then swirled it in a circle. The sharp inhale of Reeva's breath made him refocus on her face, but he only saw an intense look of desire and pleasure in her eyes. With her back against the bed and horns pressed against the mattress, Reeva's frill was almost completely trapped. However, when he found a particularly sensitive cluster of nerves a few inches in and upwards, the crimson sail ejected sideways in a bid for freedom and unfurled as best it could. Focusing on the sensitive spot, he continued to rhythmically lap at the same place again and again. Each time, her walls collapsed around his slippery tongue and tried in vain to hold him in place. Pausing only to swallow, Meegi kept his attention squarely on her pleasure. Even though his cock bobbed and throbbed in frustration, and her whines slowly escalated, he maintained his pace and depth. At some point Reeva had tightly closed her eyes and was now rocking her hips in time with every plunge of his tongue. Her tail, dangling over the edge of the bed, was far from idle as it swept from side to side. Occasionally it would bump into his compressed hind legs and try to coil around them before giving up and flailing around in restless, pent-up energy. The slick, wet sounds of his tongue moving in and out of her filled the room along with her ragged breathing and his occasional growls. His neck was beginning to get sore from being arched over so tightly and for so long, but he used the ache to quell the burning desire in his loins. Unbeknownst to him, a long string of pre was dangling from the tip of his long tapered cock and whipped steadily back and forth as he began to rock into his mate. The added motion was what the dragoness needed as she let out a whimpering whine of pure ecstasy. “Eeeegah- fuck… Meegi... Meegi, I'm close,” Reeva pined before her hind legs shuddered closed on either side of his snout. “Don't- don't stop… don't fucking stop-” Meegi swallowed again before letting out a low rumble-like growl from the back of his throat and slipping his tongue back in. This time, he applied a fraction more pressure and added a small flicking motion with the tip against the small cluster of sensitive rough patches in her core. The sudden buck of her hips made him tighten his grip with possessive intent and he listened to the sudden shift in the pitch of her cries as she edged closer to climax. Her scent and taste were raw fuel to his drive, and the noises she made were pure music to his soul. Grunting into her, as one of her forepaws landed heavily on the back of his head, Meegi intensified his efforts as her digits combed between the locks of his mane and pressed him tight against her. Every squirm and shift of her hips made her passage clamp down on his tongue and, as he continued with escalating intensity, he felt her legs tighten briefly against his cheeks before they lost their strength and shuddered violently. “Nnnnnnggguuckk! Meeeee!” Reeva cried as her pleasure rose to an unsustainable level and crashed back down on her. Meegi's lower jaw quickly became soaked as her arousal spiked and she came undone. Inside her, her vagina gripped down on his tongue like a fist and threatened to push the slippery invader out if it wasn't for him growling hungrily and holding it in. He didn't stop, and for almost a full minute he continued to pleasure her with relentless enthusiasm. Only when her arched back finally collapsed against the bed did he begin to slow down and extract his tongue. Even then, he didn't rush the process. Instead, taking his time to lick her sensitive walls at ever-lessening depths before cleaning the outside of her slick vent. “Fuck, Meegi… fuck…” Reeva gasped, her eyes open and looking at him but occasionally blinking as if she was struggling to focus on him. “That was… that was…. Was that… did you do magic?” she asked breathlessly, and while Meegi would have loved to appear suave and say something intelligent, his words failed him and he instead grinned like an idiot before shaking his head and giggling. “I didn't know it could feel like that. By the gods… fuck!” Reeva continued and her hind legs fell limp onto Meegi's shoulders. “We need to do that again-” A sudden rapping of knuckles against the hotel door caused both of the dragons to suddenly turn their heads and in unison they both pulled their wings close to their bodies. Thoughts that they had been too loud made Meegi's blood run cold, but thankfully a polite voice called out from the other side that their room service had arrived. Sharing a guilty look between one another, Meegi swallowed and bobbed his head even though the staff member couldn't see him. “Can you leave it outside, just… working on something,” Meegi called back and grimaced at his choice of words. “Of course, sir,” came the reply and after a few seconds, Reeva broke out into a fit of giggles. “Working on something?” she teased and looked between him and her glossy groin. “Really?” “Oh, shush!” Meegi countered with a joyful laugh of his own. “I panicked, okay?! I wasn't going to say I was getting busy with the most beautiful 'ness ever. He'd get jealous!” he added with a cheeky grin that made Reeva purse her lips in a cute affectionate expression. “And besides, it's still a work thing… right?” “Oh right… yes. Of course,” Reeva agreed and nodded as though they were being serious before her smile betrayed her and she wiggled contentedly on her back to settle further into the bed. Placing a final parting kiss on her vent, Meegi held the position for a moment longer and inhaled deeply before rising to all fours. Looking down at her, Reeva was a picture of absolute contentment despite her chest still rising and falling quicker than it would at rest. Meegi's cock throbbed in neglect as he admired the dragoness's lithe form and the way her forelegs were tucked down at her chest. His instincts told him to step up onto the bed and bracket her body with his forelegs while he took her belly to belly. However, he controlled himself, telling himself that this was for her. She had done so much for him and others, and now needed to be treated like the queen she was, rather than him satisfying his own desires. Reeva's expression seemed to mirror his thoughts, and she looked at him with a look of torn desire. He didn't want her to feel obligated to return the favour, and quickly flashed her a warm smile. “How about you just stay right there and I'll get the dessert? I got us a few things we can share,” he explained and knew he had done the right thing when she nodded happily. “Alright, you just keep looking beautiful,” he added and flashed her a cheeky grin when she let out a small coo of thanks. Taking a clumsy step backwards with his cast, the sudden jolt caused his cock to bounce and slap up against his lower belly with a wet smack he hoped she didn't hear. However, mid-turn, he caught her eyes flick down to his underside and briefly widened in a look of concern. After being so focused on her pleasure and with his senses dominated by her intimate areas, and without the tight confines of her vent around it, his knot had swollen to an angry and intimidating size. Pausing for a moment, Meegi wasn’t sure what to say, or if he should apologise for the vulgar display after what they had just been doing. Swallowing, he bobbed his head and then walked as quickly as his cast would allow towards the door. The combination of stepping away from the bed and his powerful leg muscles moving helped quell his erection. It didn't fade immediately but slowly began to droop and dangle heavily towards the ground. Passing the spacious bathroom on his left, the narrow section of the hotel room was less like a corridor and more of a section of unavoidably wasted space. Apart from the hooks on the wall to hang harnesses on, the area served as a reassuring gap between the bedroom and the door to the hallway. When he reached the door, he looked back to see if Reeva could see him and, once he was sure she couldn't, he craned his neck under himself to look at his semi-hard cock. He wanted to be able to enjoy the moment of sharing the desserts with Reeva without his aching cock distracting them, or making her feel obligated to do anything that she wasn't ready to. Looking down his long tapered length, he could see that his knot, while still well formed, was starting to shrink, even though his shaft still stayed out of his slit. Pulling his head back up and turning it to one side, Meegi pressed the side of his snout to the door and looked through the peephole to see if the coast was clear. It took a second for his eyes to focus and make out the details of the hallway due to the way the lens distorted the image. However, other than the silvery cart laden with a collection of covered plates, the hallway appeared deserted. Confident that no one was there, he used a paw to open the door just enough to stick his head and neck through. Using his snout to wedge into the gap between the trolley and its handle, he dragged the wheeled cart back towards the door and opened it further to roll the cart inside. “Okay, not gonna lie, I kinda ordered a lot,” Meegi mused and moved the trolley past him so he could close the door. The stainless steel cart clattered with the sounds of a dozen plates and bowls on top, each one covered with a small metal lid, with the exception of a large oval-shaped platter that contained a banana split made out of an entire hand of bananas. With one forepaw on the handle, Meegi pushed the cart forwards and made his way back to the bedroom portion of the hotel room. “Where did you want to eat? We could pull that table away. Saves getting the bed sticky,” he mused as he hobbled back into the main sleeping area. “How about afterwards?” Reeva asked simply, and Meegi was helpless to stop his jaw from parting. Not only had she rolled over, but she had moved her rear half off the bed while keeping her chest down on the soft mattress. The slightly elevated edge of the bed followed the contours of her lean underside perfectly, supporting her body and angling her hips slightly upwards. She didn't hike her tail or present her vent to him like the dragonesses in online movies, but with her hind paws planted on the ground just past the width of her hips, and her wings unfurled to sprawl lazily across the bed, her invitation was obvious. “O-oh?” Meegi stammered, his words failing him again as his attention tore itself away from the supple curves of her rump and tail base, and flicked up towards her face. With her neck curled back and her head turned to one side, she looked back at him with a loving expression. Holding her gaze, he cocked his head to one side as if to ask if she was sure and her smile grew while her frill slowly crept higher. “Yeah?” Reeva asked and gave a small nod. Without concentrating, Meegi moved the trolley against the wall of the hotel room, its metal frame clattering against the plasterboard. Its positioning was the last thing on Meegi's mind as he padded forwards, his paws moving on autopilot. When he was only two paces away, Reeva's tail swished to one side and partially lifted in anticipation while she craned her neck backwards. Not needing to be asked twice, Meegi stepped up onto the edge of the bed and placed both forepaws on the bed just ahead of her wing roots to stabilize himself while lowering his neck to kiss her. Despite having her under him, and feeling her scales pressed against him, Meegi slowed himself and kissed tenderly. The croon of joy from the dragoness made Meegi's lips flicker into a grin as he angled his head and deepened their kiss. Standing with his hind legs behind hers, he kept most of his weight favouring his good leg, but as his tongue roamed her mouth and ran across her teeth, he rolled his hips forwards. The sensation of the side of her tail being pushed further to one side by his hip made his cock reharden with a vengeance and flex upwards. However, instead of finding the scales of his own belly, his cock pressed upwards against the soft underside of her tail base and landed with the curve of his shaft sandwiched between the sides of her puffy vent. The wet smack sent a sudden jolt through the dragoness's frame and she yanked her head away from him. “Woah!” Reeva croaked and looked at him with a parted mouth and wide eyes. “Umm… Meegi, I just need to say something… I've done this before, right?... but just not with… you know…” she said with uncertainty in her voice. “A drake.” “Do you want to stop?” he asked and when she didn't reply right away he pitched his hips backwards and away from her. “Sorry, I can stop-” “No!” Reeva cried out and her frill flattened in embarrassment. “No, I want this. I do. But like… can we like… take it slow?” she clarified and gasped when Meegi dipped his head down and pressed the bridge of his snout into the side of her neck. “Of course we can. I don’t want to rush this,” Meegi cooed and felt her relax under him. Understanding her trepidation, and nuzzling her between each kiss, he calmed himself and showed his appreciation. “We can go as slow as you want, whatever works best for you. Okay? This is your night,” Meegi murmured and began to place kisses up the side of her neck. Each one caused the dragoness's head to tilt further skywards and she curved her neck to offer him more. “Thanks…” Reeva's words trailed into a pleasured hiss as he pressed the tip of his muzzle into the space just behind her jawline and parted his jaws to trace his teeth across the delicate scales. “I love you, Meegi,” she added softly and Meegi hummed his thanks before kissing the back of her jaw and moving his hips forwards again. “I love you too, Reeva…” he purred, before nuzzling her head further upwards so he could kiss her throat. “You're smart, sexy, and drop-dead gorgeous…” he continued, pausing between each phrase to kiss around to the other side of her jaw and almost coil his neck with hers. Rolling his hips again, he gently reintroduced his cock to the silky sensation of her smooth scales and sensitive vent. The contact made Reeva momentarily tense again, but this time she didn't pull away and slowly relaxed her body. Shifting his forepaws closer to her body, Meegi held her shoulders with his forearms in a reassuring embrace while continuing to kiss her throat. Pausing briefly to swallow, Meegi's heart soared when Reeva curled her neck backwards and dipped her snout to catch his. At the same time, she pushed backwards slightly with her forelegs and rolled her hips against his cock. Groaning into her mouth, Meegi closed his eyes as he felt the wet warmth of her parted vent slide across the fleshy ridges that lined the top and bottom of his sweeping, tapered shaft. With her movement, each one of the small hard ridges brushed across her slit and stimulated the sensitive scales that framed her entrance. The pleasure was not exclusive to him as, when she rolled her hips again, she let out a small keening noise into their kiss and continued to move forwards until the tip of his cock was the only part touching her vent. Feeling her pull her mouth away from him made Meegi open his eyes and he looked at her with nothing but love and anticipation while she stared back at him and her frill flattened against her neck. With a silent nod, she encouraged him to continue and Meegi ever so slowly shifted his hips down and then rolled them upwards. Two small thrusts were all it took before the tip of his hard shaft found the middle of her vulva and slipped an inch inside. The penetration caused Reeva's neck to arch back and her frill to flick up suddenly, and while the sensation of her wet heat wrapped around his tip demanded he thrust, he fought against his instincts to hold steady and wait. Thankfully, he didn't need to be idle for long as, with a small double nod, Reeva encouraged him to continue. “Tell me if it feels weird, okay?” he whispered and when a warm smile of appreciation formed on her lips, he pressed into her with his hips. The enveloping sensation of her vagina being parted by his cock stole Meegi's breath away. The first eight inches pressed into her with relative ease, however as the tapered girth of his cock continued to get thicker, the tension in Reeva's core began to clamp down around him. Other than Reeva closing her eyes and pitching her snout down against her neck, she didn't complain or tell him to stop. Slowing to a stop as he reached the halfway point, he waited and held her close while her depths began to alternate between clamping down and relaxing around him. Feeling the powerful egg-laying muscles flex and contort on his cock was intoxicating, and as a warm trickle of her arousal leaked down his exposed shaft, he groaned and pressed the side of his snout against her neck. “You feel incredible, Reeva,” he murmured softly while stroking his snout up and down her neck in an affectionate rub. His praise made the dragoness moan softly and he could feel the vibration through her neck. “How are you going? Too much?” “No… it's good…” Reeva replied, her voice as soft as a feather. “It's just… deep,” the dragoness said and, while keeping her eyes closed, gave a slow content nod with her head. “Okay, a bit more… I can take a bit more,” she said before inhaling deeply through her nostrils. Adjusting his hind legs, Meegi stepped his hind paws up closer to hers and pressed further in. Stopping his kisses and affectionate nuzzles, he focused on her expression for any signs of discomfort as he continued to press more and more of his cock into her. Pausing with only an inch before his semi-formed knot, Meegi held his position before sliding backward. The slick friction of his shaft dragging backwards through her core made the dragoness's head pull backwards and her mouth part to gasp skywards. “Fuck, Meegi,” she hissed as he slid back until half of his cock was inside her and began to thrust back into her at a slow and steady rate. “That stretch… it feels so good,” she cooed while he was mid-thrust. Sliding deeper, Meegi felt her whole passage clamp down like a vice as the thick curve of his knot parted her vulva further than before. “Oof, okay… that's right, there's more,” Reeva added to herself, making Meegi fight against the desire to giggle. He didn't seem to be alone though, and Reeva turned her head to look at him in embarrassment. Smiling affectionately, Meegi gave the tip of her snout a playful lick and began to pull back again. This time he moved with slightly more authority. When he thrust back in, both of them groaned in unbridled pleasure. With the gentle tapering of his shaft, every thrust was a renewed stretch of her core which in turn created an ever-shifting tightening around his cock. It was as if her body was intentionally encouraging him to thrust deeper, and her pussy became completely soaked as he settled into a steady rhythm. The wet schlicking sounds of her vent being parted by his shaft and the low grunts from Meegi's throat blended with Reeva's soft moans to create a symphony of pleasure. She didn't whine or carry on like the dragons in online videos, nor did he hammer away at her as if cameras were watching. Instead, their sex was as tender as their love and he kept going at a steady rate despite the coil of pleasure in his loins getting tighter. “Good?” Meegi asked with a low groan and when she nodded while panting, he adjusted his hind feet and, when he was pressed up to his knot, added a small circular grind with his hips before pulling back. The rotating roll of his knot against the lips of her slit sent a shiver through Reeva's frame and caused a hiss of pleasure to escape her mouth. “Gods, Meegi… that's meant to fit?” Reeva asked while rocking her hips to meet his next thrust. “It feels so big,” she added and looked at him with an exasperated but breathless look of enjoyment. His concern must have been evident in his eyes as the dragoness nuzzled into him and moved both of her forepaws backwards to grip his wrists. “I mean… of course it can fit… eggs are bigger, right?” “It's okay, Reeva,” Meegi mused as he nuzzled her back and forced a deep breath of air to try and slow his racing heart. “We don't have to do that. I know it can be a bit much,” he continued and dropped his tail down onto the ground before sweeping it to one side. After a second of blind searching, the long slender appendage found hers. The tender brush of his scales against hers made his tail instinctively coil around hers, but to his delight she also moved hers to intertwine in return. “I can finish myself, it's fine. Honestly.” Reeva frowned in concentration as she seemed to process what he was saying, all while he continued to steadily thrust in and out of her sweltering depths. “No, don't pull out. I don't mind if you finish with me, I'm not due for another month or so,” she said and swallowed before panting for air. “It's just… I don't know,” she said and relaxed herself around him as best she could when he thrust in. Her attempts, while endearing, made Meegi appreciate the situation more. “Reeva, it's fine. I can't get there unless I tie, but a paw works too,” he murmured into her neck before kissing her behind the ear with a tender sincerity. “I want to make you feel good tonight, okay? It's not about me,” he added and was surprised when she pulled her head away to look at him. Pausing mid-thrust as he saw her looking at him with a sceptical expression, Meegi cocked his head. “What?” “You can't… you know… unless you get it in?” Reeva asked and, when Meegi nodded, she pulled her neck back into a tighter arch. “Really? You're not fucking with me?” she added and when Meegi pursed his lips to stop himself from speaking his mind, Reeva realised her poor choice of words and rolled her eyes briefly before nodding back towards their rears. “I mean, I thought that was just what drakes said to get the girl to take it-” “No!” Meegi said quickly and shook his head briefly before rocking it from side to side. “Okay… sure, there are probably drakes that just say that. But it's a real thing for some of us,” Meegi added and rocked his hips again in a restless thrust. Exhaling as he felt her wet lips slide further down his shaft, Meegi tried to contain his desire and focused back on her. “It's fine though. We can try it another day.” “So-no. Hold on… what you're saying is, if you don't tie, you can keep going… like… forever?” Reeva asked with a coy smile that turned into a playful grin when his expression dropped. “What?! I'm curious?” “It's not comfortable, trust me,” Meegi chuckled and resumed thrusting when the dragoness giggled. The vibrations of her laugh sent a shudder through her internal muscles and Meegi scrunched his eyes closed to stop himself from delivering a heavy thrust. “But no, it doesn't just stay hard forever. Unless you're stroking it, it goes down naturally. But if I don't squeeze it from behind, I won't finish.” He explained and felt as though he was giving a biology lesson more than sharing an intimate moment with his mate. She was clearly curious, and her genuine innocence made the moment feel even more special, but at risk of making her feel uncomfortable he dismissed the idea. “Forget it though, I don't want to ruin the night. Let me just enjoy this for a while longer.” Reeva picked up on his embarrassment and rolled her hips backwards to meet his next thrust. Curling her neck down to press her snout into the crook of his jaw, she hummed a soft coo that made him close his eyes. “Let's try it,” Reeva mused softly, her voice so quiet and intimate it felt as though she was speaking to his very soul. “What makes it easier?” she asked and Meegi's chest tightened. He knew what made it harder, but having never actually followed through with Tiiphani, he suddenly found himself struggling to provide advice. “Just… just relax. And tell me if it's too much, okay?” he asked and when she nodded, he began to thrust with more power but at the same steady pace. “I think if I get it in early, it won't-” He caught his words as he almost said the word hurt. That was the last thing he wanted to do. Thankfully, Reeva understood and nodded while shifting her forepaws ahead of herself and bracing against the bed. He continued to work himself in and out of her gloriously wet and plush vent, closing his eyes to absorb himself in the enveloping sensation and the sounds he was creating. “Did you say you think if you get it in early?” Reeva asked, but when he stopped thrusting again, she gripped his tail tighter and pushed back to encourage him to continue. “You and Tiiphani would have done this, right?” The mention of his ex sent a wave of conflicting emotions through his mind and he tried not to imagine the crimson dragoness's face, or the acts they had done. “Not all the way. We did… this, but not… that,” he said. When he opened one eye to look at her, he was met with a look of genuine surprise. “Sorry, can we not talk about her?” he asked and dropped his head down to stroke the side of her neck with his snout. “I'm having a sexy evening with my sexy mate. I don't want to think about her.” His words made Reeva grin like an idiot and a small proud chuckle resonated in the dragoness's throat. “Sexy mate, huh? I like that,” Reeva said cheerfully, and let out a huff of air as Meegi thrust firmly into her. “Ooh- okay-yup. That's good. More of that please.” Her rambling dialogue in the moment made Meegi stifle a laugh, and he rewarded her with a passionate kiss to the base of her frill. “Coming right up,” he mused and shifted his thrusts to a more engaging pace. Each drive stroked his entire length into her humid core. Her slick arousal would have made every drive effortless if it wasn't for the way her walls clamped down on him. At the apex of each stroke, his swelling knot kissed her folds and yawned her vent into a wide circle but failed to slip inside. With every thrust, the small, firm ridges on the top of his cock rubbed directly across her clit as he plunged into her again and again. Timing his breathing with his thrusts, each pant was becoming ragged as his pleasure coiled tighter and tighter. Judging by the way her front paws now bunched the bedsheets and how she pressed back into his firm shoves, he guessed she was feeling a similar intensity. With every drive, he could feel the way her body was adapting and stretching to his cock. It was gradual, but he slowly felt each thrust landing with more and more ease. With her tail base snugly pushed up and to the side by his hip, he rocked her against the bed with every firm press. He clenched his jaw as he felt added strain on his knot and knew that it was slowly swelling larger, even though it wasn't secured inside her. “Gods, I don't know if I can do it. You feel so fucking… tight,” Meegi groaned as he plunged into her and then devolved into delivering a series of rapid thrusts. Catching himself on the fourth and holding himself with his knot mashed against her entrance, he apologetically nuzzled her before resuming a slower, steady pace. “Sorry, you're just too good,” Meegi growled into her ear while she panted raggedly and shook her head. “No-no, that was okay…” Reeva whined in a strained but pleasured voice. Any doubts that she was simply saying that to make him feel better vanished as she lifted her front up an inch off the bed and slid herself back further. He stopped his thrusts for a second and lifted his scaled chest off her back as she moved. With an arching of her back, and a small adjustment of her hind legs, she rolled her hips further so her tail rose even higher and gave him another nod to reassure him. Continuing his elevated pace, Meegi felt her move her wings from being sprawled out over the bed and instead pull them to lie loosely by her sides. Without hesitation, he lowered his own wings around them both and tightened the grip on her tail. Now secured under him, her body relaxed further and as he picked up the pace, he began to feel less resistance when he pressed his knot up into her vent. The change made his eyes widen in realisation and he began withdrawing only a couple of inches before trying to press his knot into her again. “Fuck Mmmmmeegi, YES,” Reeva cried out and her whole back bowed and then arched in strained arousal. With her maw parted and tipped towards the ceiling, Meegi could see the tension in her neck muscles as they created contours in her scales. Rolling his hips in wide arcs, starting downwards as he withdrew and then whipping them upwards as he took her, the sounds of their union escalated. Reeva inhaled deeply through her nose and exhaled in a series of jagged breaths as he continued to share his love with her until, with a sudden surge forwards, the thick bulge of his semi-formed knot pushed further than before. Instantly, both of their eyes snapped open in realisation and they froze all movement to look at one another in surprise. The crushing pressure on all sides of his knot caused it to suddenly pulse and swell further, securing its place in his beloved mate. Shifting his footing forwards, he tried to withdraw and shuddered as he felt her slick silky walls slide and shift across his hypersensitive knot. Meegi's pupils narrowed in primal instinct as he suddenly shoved forwards and began to thrust at a rapid rate. Throwing her head back in elation, Reeva's lips curled back into a snarl of bliss as he began to swell larger and her hips were rocked forwards and tugged backwards by the friction of his growing knot. “Fuck Reeva- I can't- I can't-” Meegi whined as he let his instincts take over and he began to take her like a dragon of old. With a clumsy twist of his hips, he pulled his casted leg up and placed a hind paw on her stifle joint. The motion twisted her hips slightly to one side and changed the angle of his drives to run his small ridges across an area that made Reeva whine in wanton ecstasy. He couldn't stop, even if either of them had wanted to, and growled from low in his chest as his pleasure skyrocketed. He wasn't alone on his climb, and long rivulets of her arousal streaked down his inner thigh as he shifted with what little room he could manage. Clutching her tail like his life depended on it, he pulled it upwards. All while he tasted her scales as his mouth found the side of her neck. His sharp fangs held, but didn't cut into the delicate plates that lined her throat. The gesture took Reeva's breath away before she suddenly and violently came undone. His knot surged to become a thick, girthy ball lodged inside her passage as her walls began to undulate as though she was trying to pass an egg. Locking his hips forwards in a final lunge, Meegi pressed his knot as deep as he could get it while her vagina stroked and rippled along and around his bloated length. The keening cry of Reeva's climax shattered all self-control, and with a low rumble into her neck, Meegi came hard. His entire length jerked and spasmed inside her as her tight walls locked around him, crushing him with her pleasure and in turn causing his release to jet deep inside her. The first rope caught Reeva by surprise, momentarily causing her cry to become a yelp and her whole body to jolt before she moaned a delighted tone and he pulsed again. With his mouth still parted on her neck, Meegi continued to hold her steady as he continued to release into his beautiful dragoness. Instinctively jerking his hips in sharp pulses that timed with his throbbing cock, his body tried its best to make sure Reeva was seeded as deeply as possible. After what felt like minutes, Meegi's release slowly tapered to a steady throbbing pulse and his hips began to shudder with every weaker surge. Replacing the firm hold of his teeth with long loving licks, Meegi made sure that he hadn't done any damage to the plates and listened to the crooning noise that Reeva made. “I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bite… it just felt-” “No, that was… that was good,” Reeva gasped, her heart beating so hard that Meegi swore he could feel it through his hard cock. “Fuck… yeah, that was good. Better than good… gods…” Reeva added, her arched neck relaxing to droop her head with fatigue. She continued to breathe heavily through her mouth as she tried to catch her breath, all while her vent continued to rhythmically clench and instinctively pull his release deep inside her. “You were incredible… are incredible. You're fucking amazing,” Meegi sighed and scrunched his eyes closed, before opening them again as his body began to feel sluggish. He felt as though he had just completed a rigorous training exercise, but while his wings weren't sore, the rest of him began to feel like it was made of lead. Slumping forwards, his broken hind leg slipped off her stifle joint and thudded to the ground. The dull thud and the added weight of him on her back made Reeva's lips pull back into a happy and exhausted smile. “Naww…” Reeva cooed and rolled her wing shoulders under him. With him still lodged deep in her, she stretched her forepaws forwards and spread her digits wide before closing them again in a poor attempt at a stretch. “I may not have fully thought this through…” she mused and curled her neck to one side to look at him. “Mmmhmm?” Meegi moaned, his mind failing to find anything wrong with the moment. He was still slowly firing smaller and smaller throbs of seed, his internal testes clenching as they continued to empty into his mate. Compared to when he used his paw, the sensation was far more visceral, hotter, wetter, and exactly what his primal desires needed. “What's wrong?” he asked when he finally found his words and looked at her with growing concern. “Um… my legs are kinda getting sore. And it might be hard with you… to, you know… get up on the bed.” Reeva explained and Meegi growled a low rumble when she suddenly rotated her hips and shifted her silky, gripping walls around his rock-hard knot. The sudden change made his hips involuntarily and sharply hump up into her and jostled her forwards before he could stop himself. “Fuck… sorry,” he whined while scrunching his eyes closed again in a grimace of what almost felt like pain. “Ooof, sorry… sensitive. Okay- yup… I getcha.” Meegi spluttered and opened his eyes only to see her trying hard not to laugh. “Oh, shush you-” he hissed and pulled his forepaws around her front to hold her close as she giggled. The shuddering and quivering of her laugh had him groaning and he pressed his lips to hers to try and quell her amusement. Tasting her mouth again was heavenly and their embrace threatened to deepen before she pulled back once again. “Can we try to get onto the bed fully? My feet are killing me from standing all day,” she asked and turned her neck to look back down his body that sheltered her from the world. “Move together?” she offered and Meegi grunted in acknowledgement. Untangling their tails, both took a deep breath to steady themselves and then began to move. She waited for him to lead, and when he lifted his heavy cast, she matched his movements and stepped one paw up onto the edge of the bed. Shifting their weight to one side, Meegi let his broken leg slide under her and with an unglamorous flop and a grunt, they fell onto their sides. The curve of the mattress helped as Meegi wrapped one forepaw around her chest and, while using his folded wing and other paw, lifted them up just enough to slide towards the middle of the bed's depression. “That's better,” Reeva crooned as she rolled onto her side and flopped her neck down onto the bed. Her tail remained bent by his thigh, but then draped over his hip before it followed his tail and became intertwined at the tip. Wiggling from side to side and with another tender press of his hip, he curled her into a crescent shape with him curled around her. Meegi's heart swooned as he enjoyed the tender warmth of her body pressed against his and extended one wing to wrap around her in a loving embrace. Arching his neck back and then angling his head towards her, he looked down at her resting form and smiled when she looked back up at him. The simple eye contact made her frill twitch upwards and a smile form on her lips. Her growing smile was the only warning he got before she clenched her thighs together and forced him to buckle over himself on a tense groan. “Wow, you can feel that?” “Fffuck, yes… gods, Reeva!” he gasped and when he opened his eyes he had to laugh when he saw her looking back at him with her mouth open in playful amusement. “Yes, Reeva, I can feel that. It feels too good,” he added and slid his good hind leg down hers to press his rear paw against hers. “But we are going to be here all night if you keep doing it.” “Would it be so bad?” Reeva said with a grin and lifted her head up to nibble the bottom of his slender jaw. “This feels better than I thought, not gonna lie.” She added and gently rocked her hips. Spurting another pulse into her, Meegi rumbled a low groan and pulled her tighter against him with his forepaws. “How long does it last?” “I don't know… maybe half an hour?” Meegi replied softly and lowered his neck to the bed to rest. Matching his movements, Reeva dropped her head back down and once he was settled, flattened her frill and pressed her neck up into his throat. Feeling the soft pillows against his scales and his mate snuggled close to his chest, he was at risk of drifting off into a deep sleep. Not wanting to lose the moment, Meegi pulled his neck back so he could angle his snout to her forehead and began to tenderly lick the scales between the root of her horn and her frill. “It's not too uncomfortable is it?” “No, it's kinda weird, but a good kinda weird,” Reeva mused before suddenly pulling her head up from the bed and looking across the room. Keeping her still was beginning to become a full-time job, but when Meegi followed her gaze he realised what she was looking for. “We really need to plan this better,” she mused and twisted her neck to look at him. “They are gonna think we are weird if we order more in… half an hour did you say?” “Yeah… here, let me see what I can do,” Meegi murmured and took a deep steady breath while closing his eyes. “It might mean I can't play, but if it means having ice cream with you, it's worth it,” he added and calmed his mind. Curling his neck into a tight arch, he rested the tip of his snout against her frill and breathed in her natural scent. In the quiet hotel, with his mate held close and knowing that they were safe and secure, his mind found his gifts with remarkable speed. Usually he had to concentrate, but it was as if the noise of the world had been turned down and only he and Reeva existed. Keeping his eyes lightly lidded, he saw the dragoness's body against his as a body of bright blue light in the darkness of the hotel room. With his wing covering her body, it was impossible to feel where his body ended and hers began, but he still took a moment to savour the moment before reaching out across the room. Whenever he had operated a light switch or lifted a trinket with his magic, it had always felt slightly clumsy. He likened it to the feeling of learning to walk for the first time, not impossible, but requiring all of his concentration to make work. Now, in his calm and relaxed state, he reached out with effortless ease and coiled a tendril of his mind around the handle of the dessert trolley. Pulling with a constant and gentle tug, the silver trolley turned around and began to make its way across the room and towards the side of the bed. The bright blue shape of Reeva flared as her excitement and amazement filled her mind, but while Meegi smiled into her neck, he continued to pull the trolley until bringing it to rest next to them. Exhaling and opening his eyes again, he felt a small wave of dizziness wash over him before he lifted his head and focused on a painting across the room to get his bearings. “Okay that's fucking sick,” Reeva exclaimed and twisted her neck to look back at him. The look she gave him was one of pure wonder and elation. “Like I've seen it in videos before, but only little things. Not moving furniture around!” “To be fair it is on wheels,” Meegi clarified but it did little to dampen her enthusiasm. Taking one forepaw away from the dragoness's chest, he went to reach out but found himself unable to stretch far enough to grab one of the plates. “Uh… can you reach?” he asked and jokingly rolled his eyes when she shook her head. He knew full well that she could, but clearly she wanted another demonstration. Inhaling again, he could feel her anticipation as she looked between him and the trolley of desserts. “What would you like?” he asked and wasn't surprised when she pointed towards the large banana split that dominated the top shelf. This time, keeping his eyes open, he reached out and could feel the cold curved platter that was filled with a combination of ice cream, fruit, berries, nuts and drizzles of caramel and chocolate. Coiling a tendril of his mind under the base of the platter, he spread out the force across the entire perimeter of the dish before gently lifting it up over the rest of the desserts. Thankfully the chef had balanced the dish and Meegi didn't have to move it far, but as he brought it closer it began to wobble. Sensing an impending mess, Reeva quickly extended both forelegs and supported the dish. Relaxing his grip on the bowl, he let her bring it the rest of the way and hummed in appreciation. “It's not always that helpful,” Meegi murmured as she placed the dessert down in front of her. “Sometimes it's better to do things physically,” he added and wrapped his forepaws back around her front and gave her a tender squeeze. “Mmmm, still pretty cool though!” Reeva mused and extended her neck towards the dish. Watching her work, the dragoness collected one of the bananas in her maw and pressed it through a combination of different flavoured ice creams and toppings before undulating her neck to lift it upwards without spilling any. Looping her neck around herself, she grinned as she brought the banana towards him. Seeing what she was intending, Meegi aligned his neck and moved to bring his snout towards hers. However, when he was so close that he could smell the sweet scents of the cold ice cream and nuts, Reeva paused and her frill flicked up to full height while her lips closed as tight as possible. With a sudden slurp, the banana disappeared into her maw and was replaced with a cheeky ice-cream-covered grin. Not to be denied, Meegi lunged his snout towards hers and instead of kissing her, latched his mouth over the tip of her snout in a playful bite. Her giggles made his heart soar as he swiped across her snout to collect the remains of the delicious treat. Once he was satisfied he had cleaned her snout, he let her go before swallowing and then darting another playful lick between her nostrils. Devolving into a fit of giggles and laughter, the two lingered over the last of their desserts and each other's company. Conversation came easily now, drifting from grand plans to meaningless observations and back again. Even after Meegi's length had finally softened and slipped free, neither made any effort to move apart. Instead, they remained curled together beneath the night sky, trading stories, teasing remarks, and the occasional comfortable silence. The world beyond them had not changed. There were still senators to persuade, laws to pass, the foundation to support, and a future to build for countless dragons. There would be setbacks, disappointments, and more work than either of them could imagine. But for the first time in a very long while, neither felt as though they were carrying that burden alone. Their work was unfinished. Their story, in many ways, was only just beginning. And that felt perfectly okay.