FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Pulling into the drive of Bishop’s parents’ house, Luke slowed to a crawl and made his way down the overgrown driveway. The tired old home had seen better days, but had a homely charm about it. Luke had visited it on a few occasions and he always quite liked how welcoming it looked. Judging by the mix matched paint and an irregular roof line, the home had likely had extensions built over the years, but none in recent history. By far it's most valuable feature was the size-able block of land it was situated on. The half acre plot would have been considered normal when the house was built, but as development in the area surged, many of the homes like it had been subdivided into smaller parcels of land. The narrow dirt driveway was really only meant to serve the double-car lockup next to the single-story house, but judging by the number of cars parked either on the drive or just off it, Luke and Teeba were the last to arrive. Pulling up behind the open-topped 4x4 that he recognised as Kodiak’s, Luke killed the engine and turned to Teeba. “Can we forget about the gun and my father, just for tonight?” he asked, trying to hold her gaze as she looked at him with her deep amethyst eyes. “Please?”

Teeba swallowed, took a deep breath, and nodded softly. “Fine, but we aren't done talking about this,” she said. When he agreed, the dragoness carefully extracted her head from the passenger window.

Luke opened his door and was halfway out of his truck when the entire vehicle rocked so much that he had to place a hand on the door frame to steady himself. Turning his head toward Teeba, he saw the dragoness stand on all fours and stretch her large wings. Even with the folded air mattress, the long, cramped ride had taken its toll on her, and she groaned as she curled her neck this way and that. “Are you okay?”

“Yup, just stiff,” she replied, then turned around to step off the back of the truck. Once on the ground, she took two steps forward on her forelegs and straightened her spine in a long, dramatic stretch.

The temptation to tease her about a “biiig stretch” floated through Luke’s mind, but he held his tongue and closed his door before walking around to the passenger side. “Did you want me to leave your bag in the truck, or did you want it with you?” he asked, now aware that she might need to access her medication. Teeba paused to consider before shaking her head. “Alright, I'll leave it here. But I'll keep the door unlocked, just in case,” he said, rolling up the window before going to close the door. He stopped when he noticed a small mark in the corner of the doorframe where the paint had been worn away. Having washed the truck just yesterday, he was sure the mark was new and frowned as he tried to figure out its cause.

“Ah… that might have been me,” Teeba said softly, sitting back on her haunches and dipping her head so she could rub her horn with a forepaw. “Sorry, I think I was resting my horn against it,” she added, examining her paw for any paint flakes.

Luke hadn’t realised that while she’d been resting her head on the window sill, her horn had been rubbing against the paintwork. He shrugged to dismiss her concern. “It’s all good; it’s not the first scratch on her,” he said, closing the door. Genuinely, he didn’t care. While many people he knew would fuss over every scratch or dent, his truck was a work tool first, and a few scratches were a small price to pay Teeba’s company on the drive. Glancing inside the vehicle, he checked that the interior dome light had gone out before straightening up and turning to his friend. “Don’t worry about it, Tee–”

“Are you sure? I feel bad–”

“Really, it’s nothing,” Luke replied quickly and nodded towards the house. Many of the windows glowed orange as the warm interior lights were diffused by mixed-matched curtains. Judging by the sounds of talking and laughter coming from the other side of the house, Luke assumed they were gathered around the back. “Shall we?”

“But aren’t you forgetting something?” Teeba asked, and Luke caught the hint of a smile beginning to form on her lips. “You bought something for your special gal, remember?” she added, glancing between him and his truck.

Blushing, Luke sighed and opened the door once more. Reaching into the now almost-empty paper bag, he pulled out the punnet of large, plump strawberries and the bottle of caramel sauce. Closing the door again, he looked up at her and could see she was holding back a laugh. “Oh, shut up. It’s polite to bring a gift,” he added, trying to bolster his lie that the strawberries were originally bought for Bishop’s mother.

“Oh, it’s cute! I’m just jealous. She gets strawberries and caramel, and I just get this lame scarf,” she said with a chuckle that told him she wasn’t serious.

“And bacon,” Luke said and began to walk towards the side of the house. The wind shifted slightly, and on it carried the fragrance of burning wood mixed with the mouthwatering aroma of cooking meat. “And chicken necks,” he added with a smirk, looking up at Teeba as she walked beside him. “And you practically inhaled those wings.”

“Okay, they were pretty good… and I do like this scarf. Thank you,” Teeba replied, looking from left to right at the lawn ornaments scattered around the gardens.

Following her gaze, Luke was surprised by how many porcelain statuettes littered the garden beds. It was clear that someone in Bishop’s family was proud of their hoard of gnomes, fairies, and dragons. Each collection of foot-tall statues seemed to tell a story, or a fragment of one, with some of them fighting over a mushroom or working together to push rotten timber wheelbarrows. Glancing up, Luke saw Teeba smirking at the displays as she walked close beside him, and he made a mental note to ask her if she found them as tacky as he did.

Passing the row of vehicles, Luke walked ahead of Teeba, subconsciously noting each one. Kodiak still owned his trusty 4x4, though it looked taller than he remembered and sported enough light bars to cast a shadow on the sun. Ahead of it was an equally tall pickup with instead of the large knobbly tyres, its large rims were wrapped in tires that were almost rubber-band-thin. The body of the truck was also vinyl wrap advertising a vitamin water company, and after counting the vehicles, Luke deduced it probably belonged to Joker. Then, leaning on its kickstand, a classic American motorcycle was parked closely against Bishop’s old hatchback. Without any chrome on it and with handlebars mounted low to the tank, the bike looked subtly dangerous yet restrained.

Glancing back, Luke smiled as he saw Teeba walking with her wings tucked close to her and her tail kept low to make sure she didn't touch any of the vehicles. Walking around Bishop's hatchback to head towards the side of the house, he shook his head when he saw the obnoxiously large chrome exhaust protruding from the car's cracked and faded bumper. No doubt the car was loud, although Luke wondered if it was actually for performance or to just be obnoxious.

He heard laughter from behind the house, and with Teeba in tow, Luke walked around the house to emerge into the warmly lit back garden. A small timber patio extended a few feet from the back door, just enough for the barbeque and smoker to stand side by side, while a collection of bean bags and chairs had been assembled on the lawn around a small fire pit. A large section of the yard was illuminated in a warm orange light fromm the house’s exterior lights, the fire pit, and rows of string lights had been strung between the eaves and poles that had been cemented into the ground.

“Uh-oh, now it's a party. Raider’s here!” called out Joker. The tall, lanky man was wearing a surprisingly flashy shirt for just a simple gathering between friends, and his clean white smile looked almost artificial as he grinned and gestured with his beer towards Luke and Teeba. “And a plus one!”

Luke scanned the area and saw that everyone was there. Bishop was working the grill, with Joker standing beside him. The former's dark skin made his welcoming smile seem even larger. Relaxing around the fire, the members of Zulu squad were accompanied by Bishop's mother and Keenis’ mate. Most of them used folding camp chairs, except for the large, muscular green dragon who lay on the ground, and Meg, who sat on a bean bag and used his shoulder as a backrest. All of them turned to look at him, and immediately Luke noticed how their eyes darted between him and the dragoness behind him.

“Sorry we are late. Everyone, this is Teeba. Teeba, this is Kodiak, Joker, Scarecrow, Bishop, Keenis, and Meg,” he explained while gesturing to each of them in turn, “and this is Bishop's mom—”

“Oh no Luke, I've told you not to call me Bishop's mom!” retorted the old woman who began to rise from her chair and used her frail arms to slowly get to her feet. “Gerty, please, just call me Gerty,” Bishop's mother said, keeping a hand on her chair's backrest for support. “And aren't you sweet on the eyes, just look at you!” she added warmly to Teeba while brushing her wiry, ash-coloured hair out of her eyes and then adjusting her thick glasses to get a better look at the dragoness. “And here I thought it was just going to be Meg and me keeping the boys from setting fire to the backyard. Please, come! Sit! Shane! Get this lady a drink, will you?” she said, casually giving their captain an order. “What would you like, honey?”

Teeba smiled politely, but Luke noticed she tucked her wings tighter against her sides as she inadvertently signalled that she wasn't yet comfortable with such a large group of strangers. “Ummm, just soft drink or juice, thank you.”

“Oh? Not to worry, we've got plenty,” Gerty said with a warm, motherly smile. “Shane, I've got some juice and pop in the fridge, and if you can drag that whelp out to be social, I would be most obliged,” she said over her shoulder and gestured for Luke and Teeba to find a comfortable spot with the rest.

“I’ve got some vitamin water in my truck!” offered Joker with a smile that would put an estate agent to shame. “Monster melon is selling like hot cakes, I can–”

“No one wants your snake oil in a can, Joker,” Kodiak retorted while lifting his bottle to his lips. “Even if it tastes like watermelon,” he added as the rest of the squad chuckled, then took a deep sip before turning in his chair and calling out to his captain. “Sir, if you are going near the cooler…” He tilted his almost empty bottle from side to side.

“Gerty, thank you for having us. I brought something to say thanks,” Luke said, feeling his cheeks flush as he held out the strawberries and caramel sauce. “Although I don’t think it’s enough to share.”

“Oh well, aren’t you well trained? Thank you, Luke, these look lovely!” she said as she gingerly took the berries from Luke, her arthritic hands trembling as she gripped the plastic packaging. “Oh Shane! While you’re up, sweetie, can you put these away?” she called out over her shoulder at the Marine who was halfway through the screen door.

Despite being the leader of the squad and not the only one standing, Shane didn’t hesitate to come back to the group. Even Luke couldn’t help but smile as the man moved as if a drill instructor had barked an order at him. However, when Shane took the strawberries from Gerty, he flashed Luke a look of confusion. Thankfully, he said nothing and quickly returned to the home to get a drink for Teeba.

With Teeba following close behind, Luke led her toward where Keenis and Meg were lounging next to the fire and pulled up a chair. “I forgot how far away this place was, and we got stuck at the lights forever,” Luke explained, extending his arm to fist-bump Kodiak. Keenis and Meg gave him a curt nod but otherwise seemed focused on Teeba, who sat half beside and half behind Luke. The dragoness’s posture looked almost protective as she curled herself to take up less space around the fire.

“Oh, the ones on Meyrdeth and Alys? They always take forever,” Gerty added as she lowered herself back into her seat with a groan. “I’ve talked to the city, but they always have excuses,” she added with a wry smile.

“Traffic lights? What are those?” Meg chuckled and ran her hand along Keenis’s bicep. Luke noticed she was wearing surprisingly thick trousers and a leather bomber jacket with a sheepskin-lined collar. For a split second he wondered if he had made a mistake thinking the motorcycle was his captain’s, but then realised she must have flown with Keenis. The drake chuckled at his mate’s remark and dipped his head to sip from a large bucket of something.

“Meg, was it? Hi,” Teeba said, before glancing toward Luke with a budding smile. Extending a forepaw in greeting, she gently shook the woman’s hand and smiled. “I love your hair! It’s really red,” she added, flicking her eyes back to Luke.

“Thanks!” Meg replied, cradling her wine glass in her other hand, oblivious to why Luke was now blushing. “I like your scarf. It looks really cute.”

Teeba shuffled her wings and ran a forepaw down its tail. “Thanks. I only just got it,” she said, and Luke was grateful she hadn’t mentioned he had given it to her. After all, he was sure at least some of his squadmates would make a joke about it.

He wasn’t sure if he was imagining it, but he was certain Keenis’s eye ridges seemed to furrow, as if trying to remember something. “Teeba, eh? How do you know Raider here?” Keenis asked, his bright blue eyes flicking between the two of them. Out of the corner of his eye, Luke saw that everyone was still watching them, all eager to know more.

“Oh, we’ve been friends for ages—just online friends, gaming buddies if you will. But it turns out we lived near the same town,” Teeba explained, turning her head to look at Luke. He could tell she was trying to tiptoe around their story, and he nodded in approval.

“Yeah, it was funny, actually. I didn’t realize she was a dragon until we met in person,” Luke added, trying to draw his squad’s attention away from her. “She had just moved to the area, so I’ve been giving her a hand on her property—cutting trees back, gardening, that sort of thing.”

“Aww, well isn’t that good of you. I wish someone would help me with some of my gardens. Good help is just so hard to find these days,” Gerty said, before turning to glare toward the grill where her son was cooking.

“Mah, I’m right here!” Bishop replied, snapping his tongs at her. “And I’ll get to it, okay? But you can’t just tell me to cut the green tree and then get mad when I cut the wrong one!” he added, but was dismissed with a simple wave of his mother’s hand.

Leaning slowly to one side, Gerty picked up the tall glass of port she had placed on the ground and shook her head. “No respect in kids these days.”

“I’m thirty-six!”

“And still living at home—”

“I’ll put you in a home. Pay someone to take care of your wrinkly ass!” Bishop retorted, without any malice in his voice, before turning back to tend the grill. “Good lawd, woman, sometimes I wonder if the inheritance is worth it,” he muttered, just loud enough for them all to hear.

Emerging from inside the home, Shane stepped outside with a bucket similar to Keenis’s, filled with large bottles, and carefully walked past Bishop. The group watched as he stepped down the single step off the patio deck and walked toward them. “Bishop, be nice to your mom. She taught you how to wipe your ass,” Shane said, earning a chuckle from the group. The captain approached Luke and, without asking, Luke took the bucket and began taking out the bottles, placing each one next to Teeba so she could choose, he then found a pair of beers in the bottom and passed one to Kodiak.

“None of the dragons are drinking tonight? Ah well, more for us,” Kodiak said as he fumbled in his jeans pockets, trying to find his bottle opener. Luke tried to open his own without any success, then watched patiently with his bottle until the thick-armed man gave up. “Keenis, can you do your thing?” Kodiak asked, flashing the green drake a winning smile as he held out his bottle.

A single-sided smile formed on the dragon's lips as he looked down at the man. “My thing… is that what we’re calling it now?” he asked, shifting his weight so he leaned into Meg more and extending his forepaw toward the bottle. Everyone watched as the dragon gently placed a talon on the neck of the bottle and briefly closed his eyes. With a satisfying pop, the cap flew a few feet into the air. “That will be a dollar,” he mused as Kodiak thanked him.

“That’s awesome,” Teeba said softly, watching with excitement as Luke stretched his arm out for the drake to open his. “Luke told me you had the gift, but I’ve never met a drake who could do it.” She giggled when Keenis used magic to pop the cap off Luke’s drink. “What else can you do?”

Keenis chuckled at her enthusiasm and returned to a more relaxed, loafing pose. “Oh, this and that. Little things really, but mostly medical stuff.” he said with a hint of smugness in his voice.

“And unclogging drains…” Meg added with a chuckle, swatting his arm.

The green drake whipped his head around so he could look at his mate, who paused her drinking to let out a guilty laugh. “Oh yeah? And whose hair was it clogged with? Hmmm?” Keenis retorted, waiting until she had swallowed before shifting the foreleg she was resting against so she fell an inch backwards. “Because something tells me, it wasn’t mine,” he added playfully.

“Must be one of your harem, then. Some fiery red-fur dragon,” Meg muttered with a grin, flicking her hand dry of the wine she had spilled on it. “But don’t forget, I offered to call a plumber. You insisted you could do it, Mister ‘I’ve set stents without tools and gone to war; how hard can it be?’” she added, to the squad’s amusement.

“I got it done, though, didn’t I?” Keenis muttered, curling his neck around so his snout was level with her cheek. His eyes flicked between hers and her lips, but when she placed a hand under his jaw and leaned in for a quick kiss, the drake opened his maw and ran his tongue from her chin to her brow in one long, wet stroke. “Love you, babe,” he said as she scrunched her eyes closed and wiped her face clean.

“Oh, and here I was thinking you would be a good influence on my boy,” Gerty said before looking around the crowd for someone. The woman frowned, then turned to Shane, who had just sat down. “Did you tell him to come out here?”

Scarecrow paused mid-sip and quickly lowered his bottle. “Yes, ma'am, he said he would come out when he finished a quest or something,” he said, but all it took was Gerty's soft sigh for Shane to quickly get to his feet. “I'll get him.”

“Thank you, Shane. You are an angel,” the old woman said, and when she saw the look of confusion on Luke's face, she smiled sweetly. “Kids these days and their damn screens. Can hardly tear them away from them.”

Turning his head, Luke looked towards Bishop, who was still manning the grill. He distinctly remembered Bishop saying he was an only child, and he was sure Bishop didn't have kids of his own. The confusion on his face was clear, and thankfully Meg came to his rescue. “I think it's amazing what you've done, Gerty. Foster care is a lot of work.”

“Oh, it's nothing, sweetie. I've got nothing but time and love. It would be wasteful if I didn't,” the woman said with a warm smile, before lowering her voice so only they could hear. “Tiizome needed a bit of love, and I want him to get out here and have some good male role models in his life.”

“Tiizome…?” Luke frowned. He didn't suspect the old lady was slurring her words, but it sounded like she had said a dragon's name. The squeak of the screen door opening made Luke turn and look. Being ushered out of the house by Shane, crawled a green fledgling whose head stood no taller than Luke's chest. However, it was not the size of the dragon that caught his attention, or the rectangular portable gaming system hanging from the base of its neck on a thick lanyard, but the way the dragon walked that had him frowning. Instead of walking on all fours, the drake's hips were higher than its shoulders, causing its back to curl downwards until his chest was almost touching the ground. With each step, the dragon used the wrists of its folded wings in place of its forepaws, which Luke quickly realised were completely missing. “He looks like a wy–”

“A handsome young drake,” Teeba corrected stiffly, nudging Luke in the back of his chair with a folded wing. Looking up, Luke saw an urgency in her eyes as if she was trying to reinforce her point.

Looking back at the small dragon, Luke watched as he half-hopped, half-pounced off the deck and onto the lawn. In the brief moment the drake flared his wings, Luke caught a glimpse of two pink scars where his front legs should have been. With every step, the dragon's neck undulated from side to side in an attempt to keep his head steady, and he looked around the group with brilliant blue eyes. “Oh damn, Gerty, you didn't say there was going to be a ‘ness here! I thought it was just going to be a sausage fest,” he said as he crawled towards them on his wings and hind legs. Turning his neck to face Meg, the drake smiled and dipped his head. “No offense, but you're not really my type.”

“Tizzy, you are like twelve, you aren't allowed a type,” Bishop called out from the deck, turning a slab of meat over with his tongs.

Sitting back on his haunches, the green drake used his tail to stabilize himself and puffed out his chest while lifting his head as high as possible. “I'm sixteen, ‘Bishop’,” he said, using the digits on his wing wrists to give air quotes. “Just because you didn't get a girl until you were twenty-four–”

“That's enough of that,” Gerty said firmly, and before the disabled drake could finish his retort, she gestured to the rest of the group. “We have guests, and if there is one thing that women and ‘nesses have in common, it’s that they like a gentleman. Ain’t that right, Teeba and Meg?” Both females nodded in unison, smirking. “Now, behave and maybe I’ll let you play that game of yours after dinner.”

With a huff, the drake glared at Bishop before scanning the group. “Can I have a drink?” he said, turning his head to Gerty, who simply raised an eyebrow with an expectant look. “Can I have a drink… please?” he repeated and was rewarded with a nod.

“Teeba has the good stuff. Ask her nicely, and I’m sure she will give you a bottle,” Gerty said and waved toward the dragoness.

Lowering back down onto his wings, Tiizome crawled over to Teeba. Despite the unnatural method, the drake didn’t seem to be in any pain as he moved closer and sat down between the grey dragoness and Keenis. Luke smiled as Tiizome politely asked the dragoness for a drink, and she went through the various bottles she had until passing him the one that he asked for. As the young drake sat back on his haunches and lifted the bottle with both folded wings, Luke moved to help undo the cap but paused when Tiizome carefully gripped it in his maw and turned the bottle with the calloused ‘palms’ of his wing wrists.

“Gotcha!” the drake muttered after removing the cap and dropping it onto the ground beside him. Placing his maw over the neck of the juice bottle, he lifted it and tilted it back to take a big gulp of the sweet liquid before lowering it again. Small rivulets of juice spilled from the corners of his lips, but he caught them with a swift swipe of his long tongue.

“So, Tiizome, how long have you been living with Gerty?” Teeba asked in a friendly voice, lowering her head to his level. Luke took a sip of his beer and watched as the dragoness curled her forepaws under herself, and wondered if she was trying to comfort the drake or if it was something else.

“A few months now. The home doesn’t keep us once we turn sixteen, then we’re on our own,” Tiizome explained, curling his tail around his hind legs. “But work is hard to find for a drake like me. I’ve been thinking of doing some Drag’n’Drop work, ’cos I’m a pretty strong flyer.”

Luke looked to Teeba and saw her expression shift from concern to understanding. The small drake was right—it was hard enough for a dragon to find work that wasn’t manual labor, and with his added disability, his options were limited further. “I bet you are a strong flyer. Look at those big flight muscles you’ve got,” Teeba said, nodding to his barrel-like chest. “But maybe skip Drag’n’Drop if you can. They’re pretty horrible to work for,” she explained, cocking her head. “What about school?”

“Gerty is my teacher… homeschooled,” Tiizome replied with a hint of resignation in his voice before forcing a smile. “But I'm top of my class!”

Teeba snorted in amusement and offered him a reassuring smile. “That's the spirit! And school is important; it's how you get the well-paying jobs, right?” She looked toward Keenis and Meg for support, both of whom nodded eagerly.

“What do you do?” Tiizome asked, turning to fully face the dragoness. Luke was mid-sip and noticed that most of the squad seemed curious about his guest.

“Me? Well, that's a bit complicated. I don't exactly have a conventional job,” Teeba said, glancing around. Seeing everyone looking at her, she curled her neck back subtly before shrugging her wings. “I’m kind of unemployed, in a way.” When she looked at Luke, he could tell she felt awkward about her situation and why she was unemployed.

From what Luke knew of Teeba, she had worked hard prior to coming into her money, and it was clear she didn't like to think of herself as lazy. “Yeah, but you aren't a NEET,” Luke said, offering her a reassuring smile. “Teeba does a bit of development work, don't you? Real estate and stuff,” he explained, glancing around at the group. “She's done a great job renovating her place. She bought an old farmstead, and I'm helping her fix it up. Oh, and don't forget about that bar in the city—whose was it again?”

“Oh, Ben's, yeah. I guess you could call it developing,” she said with a chuckle. “But I was in app development before that. So yeah… I'm a developer!” she added cheerfully, opening a bottle of juice to pour into her bucket.

“Wait, Ben's bar?” Meg asked with a frown, leaning forward in her bean bag. “On Fourth and Third?” she asked, her eyes widening when Teeba nodded. “I know Ben. I went to school with him! Ben and Geevin, right?”

“Oh my god! Small world!” Teeba said happily as she put down the now-empty bottle and grabbed another to add to her bucket. Luke could tell she was glad to have something in common with the group, and he smiled as Teeba’s tail flicked with excitement.

“Ben was really coy about where he got the money for his renovations,” Meg explained, rubbing her hand on Keenis' forelegs. “He said it was a silent investor or something. You remember Ben and Geevin, right? We've met them for breakfast a few times,” she said, and when Keenis gave her a puzzled look, she sighed. “Oh, of course you do. We double-dated them at that rooftop restaurant.”

Keenis paused for a moment before nodding in recollection. “Yes, I remember them, vaguely. Wait, double date? That was before we were dating!”

“Well, officially we weren't,” Meg chuckled, sipping her drink while giving Teeba a smirk. “That's crazy. How did you meet Ben and Geevin?”

Looking up at the dragoness, Luke noticed her snout darken slightly, and she quickly busied herself with the cap on another bottle of juice. “Oh, we just kinda met. I think it was at a party or something,” she said, glancing at Luke again.

Understanding the cue, Luke cleared his throat and tried to find a segue to change the topic away from Teeba's sex life. “Speaking of small worlds. Teeba also knew Taalli,” he announced, then looked up at Keenis, who had been about to take a sip from his drink. At the mention of Taalli, the green drake's entire body froze, and his eyes widened to the size of saucers. At once, the entire party fell silent, save for the crackle of the fire and the sizzle of the grill. Instantly, Luke regretted switching the subject so abruptly; as he looked around, he saw his entire squad was frozen as if time were standing still, all staring in disbelief.

Before Luke could say anything further, it was Keenis who broke the silence. With a soft, almost pained voice, his eyes narrowed as he turned his head to look at Teeba. “That's where I've heard your name...” he said, concern heavy in his voice and eyes. Luke frowned as the drake stared at Teeba with an almost clinical expression, his eyes darting over her body as if checking to see if she was real. “Taalli told me about you, about your… about your condition,” he said, his voice wavering slightly before he cleared his throat, looking towards Luke and then back to Teeba. “Of course you didn't carry him, you shouldn't fly–”

“My condition?” Teeba asked sharply and recoiled her neck in shock. “What condition? I'm fine!” she added defensively.

“Shit, sorry, he doesn't know?” Keenis asked, glancing towards Luke, who was now becoming very concerned.

“‘I’ don't know what you are talking about. I'm fine,” Teeba said, giving a nervous chuckle.

Keenis' eye ridges nearly met as he frowned deeply at Teeba. “Huntington's disease, The stuff you take pills for?” He asked, making Luke sit up straighter. Keenis’s eyes flicked to Luke before settling back on Teeba.

“Whatington’s disease? Keenis, what?” Teeba asked before shuffling her wings and pulling her neck back into a tight ‘S’ Shape. “I take some pills for my anxiety, but that's about it,” she added and looked to Luke for support.

“Keenis, What’s wrong?” Luke asked and shifted to the edge of his chair. “What do you know? Is this a magic thing or something?” he asked and noticed the drake’s head cock to one side as if he was trying to piece something together in his mind. “Teeba is fine, right?” Luke said and looked to Teeba who nodded quickly. “She helped me cut down some trees, even plucked me from the ground, scared the shit out of me in the process. Standard dragon stuff.”

Finally after a pause that felt like minutes, the drake shook his head. “I… I'm sorry. Maybe I'm confusing you with someone else. Taalli said she had a friend who was very sick, and I thought she said her name was Teeba,” he said slowly, but something about the way he looked at Teeba made Luke feel like Keenis didn’t truly believe what he was hearing. “I must be mistaken. Sorry. How… how did you know… her?” Keenis asked, his voice growing tight.

Teeba shuffled her wings against her sides, and Luke could tell that she had felt attacked by the drakes' accusations of being sick. Luke could tell she was uncomfortable, so he quickly straightened in his chair to interrupt. “Well, it turns out Taalli wasn't the name she was born—I mean, hatched—with. We think she changed it prior to enlisting to escape her father. Before that, she went by Leena, that's right, isn't it?” Luke said, glancing towards his friend, who nodded. “Teeba’s family was friends with her family, and she knew her that way.”

“So she DID have a family,” Keenis murmured softly and looked at Teeba with an old pain in his eyes. “Do you know where they are? Her parents, her mother? Why did she want to leave and join the Marines?” He asked in quick succession without giving Teeba a chance to explain. The green drake paused to take a breath and then looked between his new mate and Teeba with a look of longing in his eyes. “Sorry, I’ve just never really got a chance to ask her these things.”

The squad turned to Teeba and Luke saw her whole body tense, but she tilted her head from side to side. “I’m sorry, I really don't know that much about her. She grew up in the Spires, you know Liberty Scales? Her folks were very well off, but I heard they split up or something. Since I left home, I haven't really paid that much attention to my folks' friends. I'm guessing my mom and dad might know. I can get you their numbers if you want?”

“That would be good. Thank you,” Keenis said and looked down toward his new mate. “Mother has been asking what to do with Taalli's medals, and… well… I was hoping she had a family member who would want them…” His voice became hoarse, and Meg instinctively stroked his chin.

“I think that's a good thing to do,” Meg said warmly as she caressed his snout. “It will do you some good, too.”

Luke's chest was tight as he watched his squadmate on the verge of breaking down again. All of them had a deep respect for Taalli and all she had done, but it was Keenis who had struggled the most with her death. He took some comfort in seeing how Meg gently supported him, even if Keenis was grieving over an ex-lover. Scanning the group, all of them had averted their gaze from Keenis and Meg out of respect, either solemnly looking at their drinks or at their feet. Even Tiizome, who didn't know the history of the trauma they shared, kept quiet and took another sip of his juice.

“Food’s ready, come and get it,” Bishop said with a stiffness Luke recognised as the same tone he himself used when holding back emotions. With a grunt of acknowledgement, the group rose to their feet, except for the three dragons.

“Could I get you to grab me some?” Teeba said softly, and Luke knew why. Given the size of the deck and the folding camp chairs, she risked getting in the way. Likewise, Tiizome looked toward Gerty for help, as he wasn't able to carry a plate and walk at the same time. Nodding, Luke left his place by the fire and followed Meg and Gerty to line up and get some food.

---

Standing behind Kodiak, with Joker behind him, Luke slowly shuffled forward as Gerty and Meg took their turn to assemble a plate of food. He noted how both women collected a serving platter in addition to their own plates and began to heap a selection of meats and salad for their respective drakes. Between the buns, ribs, burgers, sausages, piles of bacon, and steaks, there was no shortage of protein. On a table next to the grill sat a collection of salads to choose from.

“So… you and Teeba, eh?” Joker said, gripping Luke by the shoulder with a firm hand. “And here I thought you weren't into chasing tails.”

Luke looked over his shoulder to glare at Joker before glancing toward Teeba. The dragoness was engaged in a conversation with Tiizome about something that seemed to interest the crippled drake, as he was talking animatedly with her. “It ain't like that,” he said simply, though he knew none of them were convinced. “We are just friends.”

“Oh really?” Bishop chimed in as he scooped a large spoonful of potato salad onto his overflowing plate. “Is she single?” he asked, his ivory smile bright against his dark skin. “Would ya mind if I had a crack?”

Luke's throat became tight as he tried to articulate his rebuttal. Initially, he wanted to tell him to go ahead, but something possessive flared inside him that made him pause. Then, the fact that he paused made him feel something he couldn't quite name.

“That's what I thought,” Bishop teased with a grin, and the rest of the men chuckled as Luke's cheeks burned red. “Hey, ain't nothing wrong with a fine ‘ness like her. Although…” His words deliberately drifted off as he shrugged. “Never mind,” he added with a grin.

Luke arrived at the small folding table before the grill and collected a plate, as well as a long platter for Teeba's food. With his squad mates behind him and in front, he felt somewhat trapped and knew he couldn't leave the queue without drawing attention from the others, including Teeba. Snatching a few bread rolls off one of the plates, he began splitting them open and smearing butter over each side. “Although what, Bishop?” he asked finally when he looked up and saw the man still grinning.

“Oh, nothing,” Bishop lied, and used a pair of tongs to serve some meat onto Meg's plate. “It's just, is it just me, or is she waaay out of your league?” Bishop asked and chuckled as the rest of the squad laughed with nods of agreement. “Like fuck, man, a ‘ness like that? In your hick town?”

“Oh sweetie, don't listen to him. You are a very handsome young man,” Gerty said and placed a frail hand on Luke's arm to reassure him. “But yes, you could do a lot worse,” she added with a wry smile.

“Thanks, guys,” Luke said flatly and used his fingers to part his bread rolls for a thick juicy patty. “But I promise, we are just friends. Despite the whole town thinking we are a thing, including my nutcase father,” he explained, then looked over his shoulder toward the dragoness. Since the incident with his father, he hadn’t found a nice way to explain what had happened and secretly hoped that they wouldn’t ask.

“Oh, some parents don't get it,” Meg said as she heaped piles of salad next to the racks of ribs she had stacked for Keenis. “Keen bean's folks have only just accepted that we are a mixed couple, but every visit includes a snide remark about how we should consider a surrogate. His mother REALLY wants grandkids.”

“I'm guessing they didn't come at you with a shotgun, though, did they?” Luke retorted sourly and placed both plates down near the salad so he could spoon some out. With the silence that followed, he looked up and saw they were watching him with concern. “Yup. They thought we were hooking up in her barn—which we weren't…” he clarified and dug the large serving spoon into the salad. “Then, when she went to set the record straight, my old man pulled a gun on her.”

“What the fuck?” Gerty said, her language causing the group to briefly turn to her in surprise. “Excuse me, but good lord! That poor thing, and she still wanted to be with you?” she asked, and when Luke nodded she shook her head in disbelief. “Bless her heart. If a man's father did that to me, I would drop him before you could say goodbye.”

Luke couldn't help but agree; considering what he had put her through, the fact that she had been so welcoming of him made him truly feel special. “She is a good egg, that's for sure,” he mused, looking over the food to see if there was anything he missed. “But we are genuinely just friends,” he said before putting his plate on the rim of Teeba's platter and then picked hers up with both hands. “She is just letting me stay at her place while things with my folks blow over. Nothing more–”

“Oh!? You're staying with her, are you? You didn't tell us that!” Meg exclaimed before whipping her head around to make sure she hadn't been overheard. Lowering her voice to just above a whisper, she gently nudged Luke with her elbow. “Do you know how long it took to get Keenis to move in with me? I don't know if it was a pride thing or what, but it was months of us dating before he finally moved.”

“I guess it's different because we aren't dating,” Luke said and began to leave with both his and Teeba's meals. “And I really don't know what my father would do if we were–”

“Well, he ain't here,” Scarecrow said as he pointed to meat for Bishop to load his plate with. “You ain't in your country bumpkin town, and we ain't judging,” he added before flashing him a smile. “Some of us are just jealous. Cute ‘ness who owns her own place? And even comes to parties with weirdos like us? Yeah, we are jealous.”

Luke chuckled and took a deep breath; his captain was right. He wasn't in Crestmead anymore, and out of everyone at the party, he had been the least accepting of mixed relationships. “Thanks, cap, but I really wanted to bring her here to get her away from my father. I just had a hunch he would do something–”

“Forget about him,” Scarecrow said, gripping Luke firmly on the shoulder while holding his plate with his other hand. “Forget all that shit, it's an order. You have a lovely dragoness friend here who, I think we can all agree, probably likes you more than most. Go give her her food and relax with her, okay? I'm not telling you to go behind the bushes and knock one out. But just have fun, open up a bit—no one here cares.”

Luke knew that his captain was only trying to make him feel better, but he genuinely didn't expect to feel the weight lift from his shoulders. Looking around the group, he found himself agreeing with his captain. No one here would care if he was honest with himself, and as he looked back at Teeba laughing with Keenis and Tiizome, he found himself smiling. “Thanks, cap, but don't expect us to be making out in the bushes tonight. She is just a friend,” he said and went to leave with his food.

“Uh-huh,” chuckled Joker, earning a small hum of amusement from the others. “Oh, I’ve got this, Miss G,” he added as he collected the platter Gerty had made for Tiizome and placed his plate on the rim like Luke had. Luke sighed as the man quickly closed the distance he had gained and walked beside him. His squadmate thankfully kept his voice low as they approached the group, so only Luke could hear. “Look, I can tell you’re a bit unsure. But I’m telling you, man, if you don’t hook in and get this squared away, some drake might come and take her. Then how will you feel?”

With his hands full, Luke wasn't able to push him away, and while it was tempting to trip Joker, he would’ve felt bad for ruining the meal he carried for Tiizome. As they walked closer, he smiled when he overheard Teeba talking to the small dragon and noticed the portable console Tizzy had placed on the ground before him. Tiizome was showing her something in a game, and Luke became fascinated by how the drake could support himself on his folded wing wrists while using the finger-like wing digits to manipulate the joysticks. He made a mental note to ask Teeba what the actual term was for those appendages, but quickly pushed the thought aside when he heard something that made his lips curl into a smile.

“Riderfall isn’t ‘old’!” Teeba exclaimed loudly, placing a paw to her chest as if the young dragon's words had wounded her. “Like, it came out only a couple of years ago! It’s going to be a classic!”

“That’s a weird way to say it’s a dead game. Is that some boomer yap I don’t know?”

“Oh my god, Tizzy, here I was thinking you were cool!” Teeba exclaimed dramatically as the drake giggled. She looked towards Luke with an exasperated smile. “Luke! Get a load of this whelp! He hasn’t played Riderfall and calls himself a gamer!”

“Yeah, but she hasn’t played Modern Wingfare Six. So, like, are you even a gamer?” Tizzy retorted without looking up from his console. The drake’s wing fingers moved like a blur as he alternated between using the joysticks and repeatedly tapping the buttons while an avatar of a sci-fi soldier unloaded its magazine into a cockroach-like creature.

Placing Teeba’s meal down between her forepaws, Luke took his own plate and shrugged. “Eh, you both use aim assist, so you’re both casuals at best,” he said simply, and although he tried to keep a straight face, he couldn’t stop a smirk when both Teeba and Tizzy glared daggers at him. Moving to sit down, he realized his folding chair was nowhere to be seen and that a soft beanbag had been put in its place. Assuming he might have accidentally taken someone else’s seat when he arrived, Luke turned and sat on the beanbag next to Teeba.

“Well, you play with just your wings and see how well you go!” Tizzy snapped, barely acknowledging Joker, who placed the dragon’s food beside him. “Oh wait, that’s right! You don’t got any wings,” he said sharply.

Luke didn’t mean to offend the drake, but before he could apologize, Joker said something that made his eyes bulge. “He’s still got his hands, though,” Joker remarked, and when all of them looked at him, he simply chuckled and shrugged. “Just sayin’.”

Keenis' deep voice cut in, and he glared down at Joker with a sternness in his blue eyes that made Luke look up. “Joker–”

“Aye, I don't need no stupid front legs! They were fucked anyway,” Tizzy retorted, a smile on his snout that surprised them all. “Besides, I've got just as many legs as you, monkey man, and can fly just as good as them,” he said, nodding toward Teeba and then Keenis. “I could 1v1 you any day.”

“That's the spirit, kid. But I don't play games,” Joker said while lifting up a hotdog to inspect it before taking a bite. “Remember, we all did the real thing,” he said with his mouth full and gave the drake a wink. Luke was sure Joker didn't really mean anything by his remarks, but only because he knew the Marine’s sense of humor. He was well aware however, that Joker could sometimes rub people the wrong way with his tasteless commentaries.

To Luke's surprise, though, the small drake didn't seem to give up. He turned off his game to give the Marine his full attention. “Alright then, army man. Name it, name anything, and I'll show you I can do it better than you.”

Luke winced as Joker simply smiled while he chewed, knowing he wouldn't back down from such a challenge. “Let's just drop it and enjoy our meal,” Luke said, shooting Joker a glare as the man waved his hand to signal he had something more to say. “Joker… no–”

“Oh come on!” Joker finally managed to say before grinning maniacally. “The kid needs to learn. Alright, little egg…” he said, ignoring the low rumble of a growl that resonated from Keenis' throat. “Clap.” He said it simply, and when Tiizome tilted his head in confusion, Joker put his plate in his lap and clapped his hands in a rhythm a child would play at school. “Go on, your turn–”

“Joker, that's not funny,” Keenis said, shaking his head in distaste. “Tizzy, forget–”

“Nah, alright,” Tiizome said and rolled his head and neck from side to side like a boxer before a fight. He crawled on his wings and hinds a few steps away from the group, then turned to face them. Rearing back on his haunches and tail, he made sure everyone was watching and grinned a cocky smile. “So, like this?” he said, extending his wings to their full length. In rapid succession, the drake then folded them against his sides, causing the membranes to slap against his scales with a loud sound. He matched Joker's rhythm almost perfectly before stopping and moving his folded wing arms forward. “Or like this?” he asked, then proceeded to clap his wing wrists together in front of him. The sounds were more muted but still in good time, even though he had to undulate his head and neck to keep his balance. The group began to chuckle, however their laughter was more directed at Joker for being upstaged than anything else. Luke was about to applaud the drake before Tizzy folded his wings close to his sides and looked at Joker with an eyeridge raised. “Or what about this?” he said before wrapping his tail around his legs and purposefully falling backward. With his hind legs pointing toward the sky, the dragon began to beat his paws together to create dull thuds. Then, he used a folded wing to roll himself back onto his front, lifted himself up, and spread his wings once more. His scars were on full display, and he lowered his head in a bow toward the group like a performer at the end of a show.

“Aight, you win,” Joker said with a smile, taking another bite of his hot dog. “’Cause I let you,” he added, flinching as he was swatted over the back of the head by a surprisingly firm hand. “What the fu–” His words were cut short as Gerty walked past and simply pointed a sharp finger at him.

“Now play nice. Just ’cause you ain't my son, doesn't mean I won't give you a whoppin,” Gerty said as she carried her plate and took her seat by the fire. “And you got the look of someone who didn't get whooped as a kid,” she added, causing the rest to laugh, including Joker. “Now, if you're all done seein’ who can clap the loudest like little dainty schoolgirls, I suggest you start eatin’ before this delicious meat goes cold.”

---

After eating, Luke leaned back in his beanbag and only partially listened to Kodiak as he told a story about the last security job he pulled. The tale was interesting, but between his full belly and cold beer, Luke felt his attention waning. Resting his almost-empty beer against his thigh, he looked at Teeba, who had also finished her meal. She had made short work of the ribs, crunching them with bone-splitting cracks, but he didn’t mind. Across from him, Keenis lay with Meg leaning against him and a pile of stripped rib bones still on his plate. It seemed the drake didn’t care for breaking the bones the way Teeba did, but Luke figured it was just a difference in personal taste. Turning to look at her, the dragoness seemed more relaxed now, and when she saw he was watching her, she gave him a warm, happy smile. Noticing a smudge of sauce on the corner of Teeba’s lip, he pulled a tissue from his pocket and waved for her to come closer. With one hand under her chin to keep her steady, he wiped the sauce from her snout and folded the tissue over itself. “Did you want any more?” he asked softly, so as not to interrupt Kodiak, who was working toward the punch line of his story.

Nodding slowly, Teeba crooned in contentment and gently pulled her head away from him. “I think the fire is going out. It seems cooler now,” she said, shuffling closer to Luke until his beanbag was beside her foreleg, much like Meg’s was against Keenis.

While Teeba got comfortable and sprawled out further, Luke pretended to listen to Kodiak while glancing around to see if anyone noticed. Keenis’s bright blue eyes flicked toward them briefly, but he said nothing and instead moved his folded wing across Meg’s lap to keep her legs warm. The affectionate gesture made Meg smile, and her hands gently caressed the drake’s folded wing wrist and finger.

Taking a sip of his beer, Luke made a mental note of where Teeba’s wings were. With his beanbag against her shoulder, she had pulled her wing back so it didn’t rest on him, and he wondered if she was truly comfortable or if he should move. Given that she had just inched closer, he felt it would be rude to move at all and trusted she would adjust if she felt uncomfortable.

“... And then, hand on heart, the dude came all the way down the fire escape and back to reception, but naked, while the school group was leaving. You should have seen the looks on the teachers' faces,” Kodiak said with a laugh. The story had been funny, and Luke laughed along even though he hadn't been fully paying attention.

“Well, on that note. It’s well past your bedtime, little egg,” Gerty said and brought her glass of port to her lips. The small fledgling dragon went to complain, but was silenced when she raised a single finger from her glass as she finished it. “And no complaining. I don’t want you being all lethargic and grumpy tomorrow. You’ve got to get your math homework done,” she said, and Luke smiled as the drake dramatically hung his head with a sigh.

The elderly woman leaned forward in her chair and groaned as she got to her feet before pointing with her glass at Meg and then Teeba. “You two, you’re in charge. Don’t let them burn anything that they shouldn’t.”

“I think we can handle that,” Meg said and briefly smiled at Teeba before tilting her wine glass toward Gerty. “Good night, Mrs. G. Tell us if we’re being too loud.”

“Oh, once I take my ears out, I wouldn’t hear the world ending,” she said as she combed her hair over her ears to reveal an old beige hearing aid. Walking slowly with a heavy limp, the old woman said her goodnights and retired for the evening, with Tiizome walking slowly beside her. The drake seemed to fight briefly with the screen door as it insisted on closing while he was still in the way, but eventually he managed to get inside and the door closed behind him.

“Is it still rude to ask?” asked Joker in a hushed whisper, jabbing a thumb over his shoulder toward the house. “I mean, what happened to his legs?” He looked around the group. “What? I’m just curious. It just didn’t feel right to ask him,” he added when the others just stared at him.

Unsure what could have caused the drake to lose his legs, Luke looked to Bishop, who simply shrugged. “Congenital defect, apparently. He told me he hatched with them, but they had no scales and weren’t usable. When he was four, he agreed to have them removed. Poor dude.”

Glancing toward the house, Luke felt sorry for the dragon. He was conscious of the struggles veterans faced when returning from war without all of their extremities, but he knew that not returning in one piece was always a risk. However, it was a risk that he had chosen to accept when he had enlisted. Meanwhile, Tiizome never got to make that choice and would now live a life of disadvantage.

“That’s a rough call to make, for a four-year-old,” Teeba said solemnly, and Luke agreed. The only decisions he could remember making at that age were which swing set to play on, and he couldn’t imagine how difficult it must have been to agree to such an operation. “What causes a defect like that?” Teeba asked in a low whisper.

Keenis shuffled his wings tighter around himself and Meg and spoke so quietly that Luke struggled to hear. “Usually, something went wrong while it was developing in the mother. It could be a number of things really—substance abuse, alcohol, an injury sustained while gravid, or in rare cases, a lack of genetic diversity. When an egg is laid, we have scans that can pick it up before it hatches. But by then, aborting it can be a pretty emotional experience, since they have the egg right there in front of them,” he explained. While his voice stayed steady, Luke noticed his eyes briefly become unfocused. “It’s good that he’s making do with the cards he has, though, and your mother is doing a great job,” the drake added, nodding towards Bishop.

“...Lack of genetic diversity?” Kodiak muttered with a heavy frown. “Does that mean what I–?”

“Yes, Kodiak,” Shane said firmly, glancing over his shoulder to check the windows before pointing a finger at Joker. “But if any of you make a joke about fathers fucking daughters or anything, I swear to God.”

“Yes, sir,” Joker replied curtly, rolling his beer between his hands. “Suddenly it doesn’t seem that hot when you see the outcome,” he added with a small smirk.

Without missing a beat, Kodiak tossed his empty beer bottle at him, hitting Joker in the collarbone. Mercifully, the glass didn’t shatter, and it thudded to the ground as Joker rubbed his chest. “—Motherfucker.”

“Like I said, there are a multitude of reasons,” Keenis clarified, and shot Joker a look that made the man understand that this wasn’t a joking matter. “His mother might have been seriously hurt or something before his egg was fully formed. Either way, it ain’t his fault.”

“Understood,” Joker said, still rubbing his chest. “Fuck, Kodiak, you got me right on the bone.”

Twisting the cap off another bottle, Kodiak simply shrugged. “Quit drinking that bitch water and hit the gym, then you won’t have that problem,” he mused with a smile before taking a deep sip.

Luke snickered with the others as Joker opened and closed his mouth. “It’s not bitch water, it’s full of all the antioxidants that every basic bitch housewife needs. I was going to see if you wanted to sell some and be your own boss but—”

“But I don’t care,” Kodiak said with a chuckle. “No one here cares about your little pyramid scheme, so shut up and drink your beer,” he added, then looked towards Keenis. “I think the fire is getting low. Do you mind?”

“Wait! You can breathe fire and do magic?” Teeba asked, her heavy eyelids suddenly opening wide in amazement. Her hopes were dashed, though, as Keenis shook his head, curled his neck to the far side of his body, and brought back a small log from a pile they couldn’t see. Holding it in his maw, he lowered his head close to the smoldering flames and dropped it in, then quickly pulled back as sparks burst from the hot coals. The embers swirled and danced in the smoke as the wood caught and began to burn.

“Nope, no fire glands. You?” Keenis asked. Luke glanced at Teeba's head and saw her shake it sadly. After years of selective breeding while dragons were nothing more than property, it was incredibly rare for a dragon to breathe fire. Luke didn't agree with the practice, but having seen the destructive output of a dragon breathing fire on the battlefield, he understood why the slavers and clippers of old would have done everything they could to stop a dragon from breathing fire. He still remembered the sight of Taalli breathing a long gout of flame into a building that harboured hostiles. The dragoness slowed to almost a hover as she passed the building and fanned the flames with her wings. Even over the sound of the helicopter's rotors, he heard the roar of expanding gases and vividly remembered seeing burning men diving from windows in an attempt to escape her hellish inferno, only to plummet to the ground below.

“Nope, little ol’ Teeba is pretty basic. No magic, no fire, just my pretty scales and this dope scarf,” she said with a giggle, lifting a forepaw to finger the tail of the garnet. Luke caught her eyes darting to him as she smiled and found himself nodding in agreement. Looking back to the others, he noticed that both Meg and Keenis had seen the fleeting exchange between him and Teeba and both looked away quickly with smirks on their faces. He forced himself to remember his captain's words and made no remark. After all, these were his closest friends, and none of them would care if he bought Teeba a gift.

---

The rest of the evening consisted of old war stories or jokes that they had heard since parting ways, all while the fire crackled merrily. For the most part, Luke was content to sit and listen. However, his bean bag seemed to have become more and more compressed as the night went on, and Luke found himself leaning against Teeba's shoulder just like Meg was leaning against her mate. Even through his shirt, the feeling of Teeba’s warm scales against him was quite soothing, and he found himself struggling to pay attention to the stories. Unlike Meg and Keenis, Teeba kept her wing pulled to one side instead of draping it across Luke's legs. Luke didn't mind leaning against her and using her body for support, but using her wing as a blanket still felt like it was something reserved for mates.

Finishing his beer, Luke wasn't sure if he wanted to get up and fetch another one. After the long drive and the morning's events, his legs felt heavy, so he placed the bottle down beside his beanbag instead. Shuffling deeper into the bean bag, he smiled as Teeba shifted her posture so that her shoulder was at more of a slant, allowing him to recline further. “Thanks,” he murmured just loud enough for her to hear and was rewarded with a small hum of appreciation.

“I'm thinking that's going to do me,” Kodiak announced after taking the last swig of his beer. “You said you had cots inside, Bishop?” he asked as he rose from his seat.

“There are a couple racks and a sofa in the living room, and there is one guest bedroom. Take your pick,” Bishop said, gripping Kodiak's hand in a manly embrace as the large man passed him.

“Don’t worry, Bishop, I’m all sorted,” Joker mused, chuckling softly as the rest looked at him in confusion. “Gerty said I could spend the night with her.”

“All right, that's enough for me too,” Shane announced as he stood up. Jostling his chair, he folded it and then tilted his empty bottle toward the rest of the group. “You lot keep it down, and I’ll see you at breakfast time. Meg, I’m sure no one would mind if you wanted the guest bedroom.”

“Oh, it’s okay. Keenis and I set ourselves a little spot at the back of the yard. It’s quite nice out here,” Meg said, reaching back to stroke the base of Keenis’ throat. “Besides, I wouldn’t want to leave him out here with a pretty ‘ness like Teeba. He might start to like ‘nesses again,” she joked with a small laugh.

“Oh, I still like ‘nesses,” Keenis replied softly, using his wing to pull her tightly against him. “But those scrubs you wear at work do things to me,” he said, nuzzling into her cheek with his snout. “With that stethoscope, and your little watch pinned to your brea–”

“Oh my god, if I have to hear you fucking again, Keenis, I swear to god,” Joker said as he, too, rose to his feet. He poured the last of his beer into the fire, making it sizzle and crackle, but it was still too large to go out.

“What does he mean, ‘again’?” Meg asked, looking at Keenis, who had paused his affectionate nuzzle to glance around with wide eyes. “When have you heard–” she asked Joker, then realized what he was referring to. “Oh, right…”

“Let’s just say, the sandstorm wasn’t the only thing roaring that night,” Joker snickered. When nobody laughed, the man simply sighed. “If you have to, just keep it down. I’ll catch you in the morning,” he said, flashing a peace sign before turning toward the house.

Luke looked at Keenis and Meg, seeing the woman cradle the back of the drake’s jaw and whisper something only the dragon could hear. Keenis nodded in agreement and turned to Bishop, Luke, and Teeba. “We’ll see you all in the morning too. Bishop, thank you for dinner. It was amazing,” he said politely, removing his wing from Meg. As Meg struggled to get herself out of the bean bag, he dipped his snout behind her lower back and helped her to her feet.

Checking on Teeba, Luke saw that the dragoness’ eyes were heavy, even though she kept her neck curled in a tight S-shape. Bidding Keenis and Meg good night, Luke watched them leave the fire and disappear into the darkness while Meg rubbed the drake’s shoulder. He waited until Keenis was out of earshot before looking at Bishop. “He looks like he’s doing okay. How about you?” Luke asked. Excluding Keenis, Luke knew Bishop was by far the closest to Taalli, and while the man put on a strong face, Luke was sure he had been hit hard by her death.

Bishop glanced between Luke and Teeba before nodding solemnly. “I’m doing all right,” he said simply, then looked back at the house. “Looking after mah and Tizzy is good—kinda feels like I’m doing something useful. You know what I mean?” he added in a brief moment of vulnerability before finishing his drink. “Can I leave you in charge of the fire? Seems a waste to put it out.”

Luke nodded, understanding the man's rapid shift of topic. "Yeah, I've got this," he said, then looked up at Teeba. "Did you want me to get your bed out of the truck?"

The dragoness looked back over her shoulder in contemplation before shaking her head. "I'm pretty comfortable here, to be honest," she said with a sleepy smile. "Are you going to sleep inside?"

Luke hesitated and glanced at Bishop, who was getting up to leave. With Keenis and Meg off in the dark, he felt bad leaving her alone outside but was sure that Bishop's home wasn't designed for adult dragons to come inside. "Do you want me to? I mean, are you going to be okay out here by yourself?" he asked, and when her lip twitched, he was confident she wasn't looking forward to that prospect.

"Up to you, but I might use your seat as a pillow if you do," she said with a forced smile. The rustle of another bean bag being moved broke their attention and made them look over as Bishop picked up the one Meg had been using and dragged it over for Teeba.

"Raider, I'm putting you on fire watch," Bishop said stiffly, as if it were an order. "Teeba, it was nice meeting you, and I'll see you both in the morning," he added, flashing her a charming smile before leaving.

Luke watched Bishop leave until the screen door closed behind him and the strings of lights above them went dark, leaving him alone with Teeba in the warm glow of the fire. "Are you sure you don't want your bed?" he asked, turning as Teeba lifted the bean bag with her mouth, dropped it a few times to plump it up, then lowered her head into it at his feet.

"No, I'm good," she said, gently wriggling to get comfortable and briefly lifting her wing to sweep her tail around herself and Luke. Her whole body circled him and, with a final shuffle, she brought her wing up over his lap. Initially, Luke hesitated, but when he realized they were alone, he relaxed and placed his hand on her wing wrist. "Those ribs were really good," she mused softly, looking at him with a content smile.

Leaning into her shoulder, Luke nodded in agreement and rested his arm on her wing. With her entire body around him and her wing over his legs, he began to feel warm, and it wasn't only from the fire or her body heat. A brief surge of self-consciousness ran through his mind at the thought of how they were touching, but when he saw Teeba's eyes closed, he swallowed and pushed the concerns aside. Having slept beside her on more than one occasion, and recalling how she arranged her pillows on her bed, he knew she was more comfortable with someone or something pressed against her. Unlike in Crestmead, there was no chance of anyone catching them together, so he relaxed further, and traced a finger around her wing finger. Staring at the dying fire, he breathed in deeply and exhaled slowly, thinking about what he would do once he returned to Crestmead.

---

Silently, inky black paws padded on the ground as the dragoness circled the dying fire. The soft amber glow of the coals illuminated her orange scales and made them shimmer in an ethereal beauty. However, even if Luke was awake and the fire had been a roaring blaze, the Marine wouldn’t have known she was there.

“Still think he isn't worthy?” Riimack asked from the patio deck, his eyes flicking to hers before he lowered his snout and tried to smell the grill. The silver dragon's dark blue wings were tucked close against his body as he turned to inspect the smoker, and then, with a disappointed shake of his head, he returned his focus to Taalli.

“I never said he wasn't worthy,” Taalli said softly as she paced back and forth. Even as she turned, her head stayed locked onto the sleeping forms of Teeba and Luke. The man was completely laid back across the dragoness's shoulder, mouth agape and eyes closed. Meanwhile, Teeba had curled tighter around him, keeping her head on the second beanbag and over Luke. “Just that I didn't think he was comfortable being with a dragon.”

Rising to all fours, Riimack began to pad his way down from the deck and toward the smoldering fire. “And what about now?” he asked as he came closer. “Your boy looks pretty comfortable.” Riimack joked as he moved to stand in Taalli's path. Sitting down on his haunches, he smiled as she had to stop her pacing, then nodded toward the pair. “This is what you wanted, right? For Teeba to have someone like you did?”

Taalli sat down with a huff and shrugged her wings. “I don't know anymore, Riimack. I really don't,” she said, her voice layered with concern and vulnerability. “I mean, I want her to be happy. But this shit with Luke's father? Him getting a gun? Is it too much to ask for her to have a fucking normal life?”

Glancing at Taalli, Riimack could see the pain in her eyes. He shuffled closer so he could drape a wing over her shoulders and pull her close. “What even is a normal life—”

“Not this!” Taalli whined, but leaned into him more. “I know Luke means well, but I'm afraid he will do something stupid,” she said softly, looking down at the sleeping Marine. “I don't want her to have to go through what Mike went through, or what Reevian went through. Sitting on the sidelines, waiting while Luke does time for killing his dad—”

“It won't come to that,” Riimack said quickly, hugging her with his wing. “Surely it won't come to that…” he added with a hint of uncertainty. “His dad may be a bigot, but surely he wouldn't actively come for Teeba. And I don't see Luke going after his father unless Teeba is in danger,” he said, trying to reassure his friend. “Trust me. Luke may be a warrior and a killer, but on the battlefield it's different. Here, there are consequences, and he knows it. I believe his father knows it too, so I see this whole thing blowing over in a few weeks. Taalli snorted and shook her head before extracting herself from beneath his wing. “You always were optimistic,” she said, and when he grinned, she simply sighed. “But I dont think this is just going to blow over. This is some proper deep-down hate. Trust me… I’ve seen this sorta thing in my own father.”

“I never said they’d be one big happy family,” Riimack countered, his voice becoming serious. “But Luke is a good dude, and he’ll keep her safe IF anything happens.”

Taalli took a deep breath before slowly nodding. “He fucking better. Out of everyone in this world, she doesn’t deserve this drama,” she said simply, then stepped closer to extend her neck toward Luke until her snout was inches away. “You better keep her safe, you hear me Luke Clipper?” she said, a strength creeping into her voice that made the coals in the fire glow brighter. “Keep her happy,

KEEP HER SAFE.”

Luke’s head snapped forward as he suddenly woke, his heart pounding and the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end. Unable to move because of Teeba’s wing draped over him, he whipped his head around in an attempt to see what had startled him. Breathing quickly, he scanned the yard for any movement but saw nothing besides the inky black shapes of trees in the darkness. Forcing himself to breathe quietly, he listened for anything unusual, but other than the occasional crackle of the now smoldering fire, he heard nothing out of the ordinary. Frowning, he looked toward the house and saw all the lights were off, then glanced down to see Teeba sleeping contentedly on her beanbag. Movement and a shuffling sound beside him made him quickly turn his head, but he realised it was just Teeba's hind legs. In her sleep the dragoness slowly rubbed her thighs together and Luke mused that she must be dreaming. Shivering from the excess adrenaline, Luke looked over his shoulder toward where he had parked his truck, mentally noting how many steps it would take to reach it and arm himself. Slowly, he steadied his breathing so he could think clearly.

“You’re okay, you’re with your squad, and your father has no idea where you are,” he told himself, beginning to relax once again. Leaning back against Teeba’s side, he listened to her slow breathing and felt more at ease until he drifted off to sleep once more.

---

Would you like to know more? Chapter 8 is available on my discord!

Come drop in and get your fix of Teeba and Luke

https://discord.gg/Z5tFcYMt2t