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We're just hanging out is all, Michael tried to convince himself. It's not a date or anything; she just wants to have dinner and talk! Yeah... not a date. It's been a while since we've seen each other... I'm sure she just wants to catch up.

He sighed and kicked a loose stone from the sidewalk into the two-lane street. Whether it was a date or not, he was looking forward to seeing Irelia again.

A few cars passed by, a couple dragons flew overhead above the buildings, and he nearly ran into a jolly group of old folk passing by. Small trees sprouted here and there where patches of grass brought a vibrant color to the otherwise bland nature of the city. This district was altogether more colorful and decorated than anywhere else in the city. There was a park down the street that Michael spent a lot of time playing with all of his friends. He remembered that the community here was favorable and clean, and it appeared that it remained true through the decade he missed.

This part of the city was much quieter and more peaceful than the hustle and bustle of downtown, the calamity of traffic near the airport, or the stench of humanity lingering in the shopping centers. Many more dragons tended to flock here like birds. They'd come and go in groups, often stopping at the park for a while to relax in the sun or play around. It made sense with how quiet it was. And even with his inferior, human nose, he could smell the difference: the fresh scent of flowers and plants wafting in the cool, autumn breeze—not like the hazy smog that always loomed over the city. Michael enjoyed it, and it seemed that Irelia did too.

It was her idea to eat at a restaurant in the area. Michael hadn't heard of it before: it was a little, local establishment called, Sabor de España. Irelia knew the family that owned it—they were a kind, ethnic people from Spain that had moved here after his family left.

Most of the folk here walked or biked where they needed to go. There wasn't much space for parking, and the community was closely-knitted together, so it was easier than driving place to place. Michael had parked his car at a garage and wandered down the main stretch in search of Richard Street, where the restaurant would be. The name sounded familiar from his childhood, but now that he was an adult, everything looked new to him. Numerous renovations had been done in the decade he missed, too.

I wonder what she's been up to all this time. Does she still live here? He admitted that he missed Irelia greatly. She was a wonderful friend that he sincerely enjoyed spending his time with. She was bright, cheerful, and quite playful, too—at least, that was when they were younger. What if she had changed?

No... not her. He remembered her kind smile and soft, blue eyes. Sometimes he had lost himself in them, even at that young age when infatuation was fleeting. She always seemed to like him too, and they were rather close—close enough to be going on dates—but there was always that one thing holding them back...

“Michael!" her familiar voice called from behind him. He whirled around and grinned widely as she practically flew into his arms. He caught himself before nearly falling over backwards, giggling as she pounced on him and nuzzled into him much like an overly affectionate dog would. Her scales were sharp in some places, and those claws and horns were especially dangerous if she wasn't careful!

Kneeling down to her level, he embraced her just before she enveloped him in her arms and wings. A few ecstatic licks slathered across his neck and face, but Michael didn't mind that at all. He was very happy to see her again and welcomed the affection—though he wouldn't return it in quite the same way!

“It's so good to see you," he said and gave her a big squeeze.

She rubbed her snout gently against his cheek and pulled away from the hug. “It's really good to see you too. I'm glad I ran into you yesterday!" That same bright smile he remembered painted her kind face with genuine joy. She could hardly sit still or contain her excitement, and that brought an equally happy grin to Michael's face.

“It's funny how we bumped into each other at a candy store, of all places."

While Michael had imagined he changed a lot over a decade, Irelia didn't look like she changed a bit. Dragons matured a lot faster than humans, so she was already an adult when he was just a kid. That was partly the reason she looked the same, but her personality hadn't taken any damage like what happened with most human adults. Though, he did notice that her emerald-green scales had a fuller, vibrant color than from when she was younger, and her features looked sharper and relatively more adult-like. And now that he had grown, her head was level with his stomach, so she looked a lot smaller than what she used to be.

He really doubted that she could take him on rides around the park anymore!

“I still have quite the uhh... How do you guys say it? Sugar-tooth?"

“Sweet-tooth," he corrected and chuckled. “But that's close enough."

She bared her sharp teeth in a smile and nodded. “I'm glad you weren't there to watch me walk out with all of that candy!"

“Haha, I hope you saved room for dinner tonight!"

“Oh, I did!" she nodded assuredly. “I love the food here so I always eat a lot of it. They give me extra too, since they like me and I'm a dragon." She seemed to realize that Michael was a little lost and unsure of where the street was. “It's just right over here! Come on!"

Michael followed beside her down the street and noticed that she wore clothes similar to the other dragons. A recent law in the last few years had required dragons to wear clothing in public. Most of them wore a skintight—or scaletight—suit as a base, then a few extra accessories like scarves, socks, shorts, and jewelry. There wasn't too much of a variety with what they could wear when they had such large wings that got in the way.

Irelia wore a forest-colored flightsuit with a dark-green scarf around her neck. A silver band wrapped around her left horn, and a silver anklet looped above her right hind-paw. He wasn't afraid to admit that she looked beautiful for a dragon. In her maturity, she had a rather graceful, curvy form and wide-set hips, differing from the males he saw.

Growing up around dragons, he found it easy to differentiate the males from the females without looking between their legs! Most humans didn't tend to learn the differences or really care too, and he thought that was a shame. He typically did not like the way many of his coworkers and colleagues talked about dragons.

“Do you still live in the area?" he asked. He found it strange that he had to look down at her now. When he was younger, they had been almost eye-level.

She nodded her head. “Kinda sorta! My parents and I moved to a town not too far from here to help out a farm in the summer. They house us, feed us, and provide for us year-round as long as we pitch in and help out with the hard or impossible work for humans, so since it's autumn, I'm on break and came to visit my friends. I'm living with them while I pick up small jobs here and there."

“Oh, so you have a lot of free time then," he said. “I'm sort of stuck at this accounting job for a while... It's really uhm..."

“Boooring?" she chimed.

“Yeah, that," he admitted and laughed. “It can get abysmal sometimes, but it pays well enough."

“Hmmm, I see. I never really took you for a boring human!" She bumped into him playfully. “I remember when we used to run around and go on adventures! Or stay inside and tell stories, or explore our apartments, or sometimes we would dream together." She finished with a warm smile of recollected memories.

Those were fond memories for Michael too. “I do miss those days... I wish we could have stayed young forever."

She nodded eagerly at that. “I guess everyone has to grow up sometime. So you still live here with your parents?"

“Well, I live alone now, and my apartment is deeper in the city, closer to work."

“So you really are an adult now, huh?" She acknowledged him with a polite nod. “You humans grow up fast once you're out of school."

“I guess so... Yeah, but I still feel like a dumb kid," he retorted and chuckled.

Irelia's smile was always so full of genuine cheer, and Michael loved to make her smile. “At least you got to go to school and learn about stuff. I feel pretty dumb sometimes, especially around humans. I like to think I'm pretty smart for a dragon, but I guess I'm really just dumb in comparison."

“Hey, you're not dumb," he said. “There are plenty of dumb humans that did go to school, and even college! And you know, I have seen a few dragons around the campus: students."

Her ears perked at that. “Really? I knew there were some of us that went to schools, but I never imagined college. I uhm... hear a lot of bad things about dragons going to school, anyway."

Michael never wanted to see that look on her face. Those perky ears sunk down and drooped as she stared at the sidewalk in front of her.

“Like what?"

“Like just the general bullying and discrimination... the usual stuff dragons go through."

He felt his heart sink. He hadn't realized it when he was younger. Most likely, at that age, she had wanted to go to school with him. Now, he remembered the times she'd wait with him for the morning bus and look after him longingly as he rode away. He remembered when she'd be waiting for him to come home, excited to see everyone, especially him, after spending the whole day alone. Maybe she wasn't alone; she had plenty of dragon friends too, but she seemed to like him a lot more some days.

“I'm sorry, Irelia. I wish there was something I could do."

“It's just how it is," she stated. “Things are getting better, I think. Maybe in the next decade or two it'll be more common."

He gave her a pat on the head and smiled. “I'm sure it will. But until then, I can always teach you some stuff. I have no idea what you'd enjoy learning about, but I have a wide-variety of useless knowledge I'll never need," he chuckled.

“You would?" Those cute ears of hers perked up again as she bumped into him. “I'd love that!"

“It's a date then!" He caught himself and stumbled over his words, “I-I mean uhm... it's a uhh... We'll set up a few dat—days—that we can get together and... learn stuff... Yeah."

She giggled and rubbed her head against him. “You're still super cute when you're all flustered."

A pink color filled his cheeks, and the more he thought about it, the fuller the color it was; his face was hot. “I just meant it like dates on a calendar... you know?"

“I know," she chuckled. “Speaking of dates, we're here!" She teased him like she was only joking, but for some reason he was pretty sure she meant the word date when she said it.

In front of them was Sabor de España, a quaint, little restaurant with two wide windows revealing the tables and customers inside—it looked packed. There were a few filled tables set outside on a well-decorated patio with people happily chatting away. Like most buildings in the area, the building was structured by layers of red-brick. At the entrance was a banner with Spanish colors, the restaurant's name stitched into it with a thick red thread.

“Well, aren't you going to hold the door for your daaate?" Irelia cooed and giggled.

Michael rolled his eyes and made an exaggerated sigh as he held the door open for her. She swished her tail victoriously and led the way inside. The food already smelled delicious as different scents of Spanish spices wafted through the restaurant.

“Bienvenido, mis amigos!" A server greeted them and led them to a table for two, set aside along the wall that was embroidered with golden laces. The table itself was decorated in tiled art beneath a glass surface. “It is good seeing you again, Irelia," the waiter said with a thick accent.

Everything was rather fancy, the perfect place for a date. Michael sat down in a chair across from Irelia. The server pulled away the chair and retrieved a comfortable mat for her to sit on, customary to dragons.

“Gracias, amigo," Irelia said and giggled.

The waiter politely bowed after setting down their menus. Once he left, Michael commented, “So you speak two languages now?"

“Oh, I only know a little bit! Poquito," she answered and pinched her claws together to show just how little she knew.

Michael chuckled and turned over the first page to the menu.

Irelia's shoulders just barely rose above the table as she sat up on her haunches. She smiled at Michael and asked, “So what do you think? Pretty authentic, huh?"

He nodded as he skimmed through some of the meals. As well as the English translation, there was the traditional Spanish name next to every dish. “I don't know what some of this stuff is, but it all looks good."

“I usually get something off the menu with a lot of meat," she said. Her tail was already waggling with excitement. “They have a really good roast duck!"

“I like my food to be pretty meaty, too," he said. “This all looks really good, though." He sifted through the menu until he found a dish he liked; a combination of succulent meat and cooked vegetables seasoned with Spanish spices, like saffron.

Irelia ordered a whole roast duck to herself, a special meal for dragons. Not only did she sound excited when the waiter brought their meals out, but the way her eyes stared at the golden-brown duck made it look like she hadn't eaten in days!

They both eagerly dug into their meals with the occasional chit-chat as they ate. Michael enjoyed his food and wolfed it down almost as fast as Irelia did.

“I was pretty sad when you moved away," she admitted. “I mean, I don't really rank my friends, but you were definitely in the top three."

He grinned. “It definitely sounds like you rank your friends," he laughed. “I didn't want to go, but I didn't have much of a choice. I missed you… and everyone else too," he added quickly.

She looked at him warmly. “Our little group definitely felt like a piece of it was missing for a while. I uhm… I worried that I would never see you again. I… didn't forget you."

Michael clenched his teeth. “I worried about that too… It had been so long that it didn't uh—well, it didn't hurt so much anymore—but now I'm glad I got to see you again. I came back a few years ago and looked for you, but you must have moved on by then. It's harder to find a dragon than I thought it would be, since you guys don't usually have phones."

Irelia picked at her food with her claws and took smaller bites now that she was full, and Michael did the same. “It must have been fate that we bumped into each other when we did, then," she said. Her eyes stared away from his and at her platter. Her thoughts teemed with life, and Michael could see it in her shifting expression.

“Yeah, something like that."

Then her face brightened along with her smile. “I'm glad neither of us has really changed… Like, I'm glad we still like each other and all that, and I think we get along pretty well."

Michael smiled back at her. “It's like we never parted ways."

She nodded happily. “And we're still comfortable enough to do adult-things together! Like go on dates," she cooed again.

The idea of dating a dragon was already hard enough to grasp, but what Irelia said first felt like she was insinuating more adult things than just that. He knew what she meant and brushed it off, but that still caught his mind off-guard as his thoughts poked at the idea of…

“Y-Yeah! I guess we are still pretty comfortable together…"

“You remember when you used to sleep under my wings?" she asked, recalling fond memories of their childhood.

“I do… I remember that long trip you took with my family when we went camping, and how you were trying to teach me to fish by catching them straight out of the water."

She giggled and made her claws grip together. “I do remember that. You definitely weren't any good at it!"

“Haha, and you're no good at using a fishing pole!"

“That's waaaay too boring! I can't believe you guys have never learned to be more efficient at catching fish."

They were both giggling and laughing together, and they recalled plenty more fun, enjoyable memories they shared.

Michael hardly realized how much time they had spent talking. What little food they had left was cold, and a lot of the customers had come and gone, leaving just a couple families, a few dates, and the two of them remaining in the restaurant. They each paid separately and talked for a little bit longer.

“Where are you going to go after this?" Michael asked, wishing they didn't have to part ways. “I'd like to hang out again."

“Oh, I don't really know where I'm going… I'll probably end up staying with the same friend again, but she's probably getting sick of me. Maybe we can see each other this weekend?"

He didn't know what came over him, but he knew it was the right thing to say. “Well, why don't you stay the night with me?"

Her eyes glowed with joy. “O-Oh, sure! I have everything I need already," she said and patted the pockets in her suit. “You really don't mind?"

He shook his head. “Not at all."

She hopped excitedly off her mat and waited for him to stand up before padding toward the door. He noticed that she was rather mindful of her tail, making sure it didn't bump into anything as they weaved through the tables to the exit.

“So you live in the suburbs? Or like downtown, in the city-city?" she asked curiously.

Michael chuckled. “I live in the city-city, yes," he answered. “And I do live with a roommate, but they're out of town for the week. We have to drive there, unless you can carry me!"

Irelia giggled and looked him over. “I don't think so."

“I parked at the garage down the street. It's not too far."

She walked along beside him on the sidewalk, smiling and swishing her tail. “It must suck to have to walk everywhere and drive cars around," she said. “Dragons don't like to walk much in the city because it hurts our paws after a while."

“Yeah, I suppose it does… I never really thought about it like that. I mean, I've always wanted to fly, but I never thought about replacing our means of transportation that way." The sidewalks were hard on his feet too, and he wore shoes and socks; to a dragon only wearing socks, he could imagine that their feet would get sore much quicker.

“It's a lot easier!" she chimed. She stretched out her wing away from Michael and let the air catch it as they walked. The pale-green membranes looked as flexible as a blanket, bending easily as wind buffeted her. “It's not as scary as what some humans think it is, either. After you learn how to do it, it's just like walking!"

He grinned and patted her head. “Maybe when I grow wings, you'll have to teach me how to fly."

She laughed again and bumped into him. “I would love to. And you can teach me to drive!"

Michael unlocked his car remotely with his keys as it came into view. The parking garage was full of vehicles, but luckily he found a spot on the ground level so it didn't take long to reach it. It was a simple, decade-old sedan that used to be his parent's. “Oh, I really don't think that's a good idea!"

Irelia smirked and climbed into the passenger seat as he opened the door for her. “And why is that, huh?"

As Michael climbed in the other side, he watched her struggle to even put on her seatbelt since her dragon-y shape made it difficult. “Exhibit A," he responded and chuckled. She sat up in the seat on all of her paws with the seatbelt wrapped around her front. “And I sincerely doubt that you'd have an easy time sitting like this," he said and leaned back in his seat so all of his limbs were right where they needed to be.

Irelia scoffed from her nose. “I bet I could do it."

Michael shook his head incredulously and backed out of the parking space, heading out of the parking garage and into the streets.

Traffic was abysmal—like it usually was. Normally, he had to sit there, bored out of his mind while he listened to music or a talk-show. However, this time around Irelia was there to keep him company, and they happily chatted together and continued to catch up until they started talking about sports of all things.

It turned out that dragons had their own sports, too, and she had played on a 'DragonBall' team for a few years. Much like the sport Rugby, dragons carried balls from one goal to another, using the air and land as their field. There were plenty of rules and regulations in place to keep them from injuring one another, but from the sounds of it, it still seemed rather dangerous.

When Michael finally pulled into his parking space at his apartment complex, he breathed a sigh of relief and climbed out of the car to open the door for Irelia.

“Such a gentleman," she chimed with the swish of her tail.

He flushed a little bit and grinned. “I figured you'd have difficulty opening the door is all."

Bumping her shoulder into him, she cooed, “Our paws are much more dexterous than you think!"

With a giggle, he used a keycard and entered the building ahead of her and led his dragon friend through the apartments to his room. For the most part, humans were the only ones that lived here. Every now and again, he would find a dragon tenant wandering the long halls or the central courtyard, where there was a garden, but he didn't personally know any dragons here.

Michael opened the door for her and led her inside. He lived in a small apartment just big enough for two people, where the kitchen and living area were only separated by a granite counter. The TV was mounted on the wall, leaving enough space for its peripherals and games below it. To the side was a small bookcase stacked mostly with his old college books and binders. A small couch big enough for two people was set several feet away from the TV, but other than that the only other piece of furniture was the table in front of it.

“Wooow, you have all of this to yourself!" she said and briskly slithered through his entire apartment, looking all around in genuine amazement.

“Only until Jimmy comes back," he said and glanced around, noticing a few things he could have cleaned up had he expected company. While his roommate, Jim, was out, he had been slacking a little in his chores. “It's small and cramped, but it doesn't cost much."

“It's a lot bigger than what I'm used to!" As if to demonstrate, she twirled around with her tail waving freely in the large open space behind the couch, with only inches of room left remaining. In the corner of the room next to her was his bedroom shut behind a door. Jim's bedroom was the door next to it. The bathroom was next to the kitchen, and that was it. “My friend lives in a place a lot like this one, but maybe half as small and with three other dragons."

“That sounds… crowded," he commented with a chuckle. “There's no way I could live with a third person here. Well, that and there's only two bedrooms."

She smirked at him. “Dragons don't mind the closeness… And we often share beds together since we're not all weird and awkward about it like you guys."

Michael didn't have much of a response to that—what she said was entirely true—so he rolled his eyes and snorted. “Would you like a drink?"

“Sure! What do you have?" She padded up beside him into the kitchen, her claws clacking on the tiles.

He opened the fridge and peered inside, finding it to be almost empty since he needed groceries. Had he anticipated having a guest over, he would done a lot of cleaning and shopping! “Some soda… milk… water… I guess I don't really have much."

“Oooh, what about this?" she asked enthusiastically as she grabbed a bottle of chilled wine.

“Do dragons drink alcohol?"

She nodded her head excitedly. “I do!"

Michael reached to the top cupboard and withdrew two wine-glasses, the only two he had—in case he ever had a girl come over. With a soft chuckle, he shrugged his shoulders and poured two glasses. I guess having a girl dragon over is the best I'm going to do!

“Thank you!" she said politely and sipped on the sweet, red liquid. With a purr, she looked up at him and nuzzled against his thigh. “Alcohol makes me affectionate, though, so sorry if I get too clingy."

He smiled down at her and rubbed between her horns. “No worries, Rel." He caught himself calling her by her old nickname and felt fuzzy in his chest. Those same feelings he felt for her when he was younger were returning to him—the initial awkwardness of meeting her again was wearing off.

“Do you want to watch something? I have some movies we could stream."

“Oh, sure! I'd love to," she responded and carefully hobbled to the couch with the wine glass in her paw. Taking off her scarf to get comfortable, she set it on the table in a small, dark-green pile.

Michael sat down beside her and continued to sip on his wine while turning on the TV and sorting through some movies. “What do you like to watch?"

“You pick! I enjoy about anything."

“There's this funny show that I watch all the time, but it's all about humans and their boring office lives… I heard this movie was good… Oh, maybe this one? It's about a dragon that flew across the world."

“Seeeen it!" she chimed. “Like, at least eight times. It's really popular among dragons."

He chuckled and continued to browse, mumbling things here and there in hopes that she would see something she liked. In a funny enough way, he realized that their date was continuing. Having wine while they watched a movie together on the same couch? That sounded like a date to him!

And funnily enough, I'm enjoying the idea of having a date with Irelia more and more… We're having a good time together. I haven't felt this happy in ages!

Now, he looked for a movie that would be perfect for a date: a movie about romance. There was a special genre he never touched way at the bottom of his program, reserved for his many dates that he had over—in the past year, he had only one date over other than Irelia. He wanted to find a movie with dragons in it, but there didn't seem to be any available, so he had to pick one that he had watched before that he knew was okay.

“A romantic-comedy?" she asked. “What's that?"

“It's a funny romance movie," he said in a short explanation. She cocked her head at him in confusion, so he continued, “Like you know… Romance? But with plenty of funny stuff mixed in. This one is about a guy and a girl getting married, but they go through a lot of ridiculous antics caused by a jealous friend caught in the middle. There are a couple twists that make it interesting."

Irelia giggled and covered her muzzle with a paw. “Oh! It's about love and marriage?"

He nodded. “Yeah, without spoiling anything."

“Humans are straaange," she teased and pushed a hind paw into his leg playfully. The movie started playing and introduced the main characters through a short exposition scene in a bar. “So like, they go on dates and stuff? Is that what they're doing right now?"

“Yeah, they're sort of on a date together, but their friend is a third-wheel."

“A third-wheel?" she asked curiously.

Michael grinned and explained, “Like someone that's a friend to both of them, but the couple isn't romantically interested in that person."

“Ooh, so kinda like if Owen came with us to dinner earlier?"

A warm blush tinted Michael's cheeks. Owen was an old friend of theirs in their group that they played with in the past, the perfect example of a third wheel because of how many times he butted in when it would have just been the two of them together instead. Which meant that Irelia was perfectly aware of the situation they were in now, that they were, more or less, on a date together.

But what made the situation the most flustering was that Michael couldn't tell if she was serious or not. Part of him liked the idea of dating Irelia, but the rest of him screamed the one reason why that couldn't happen: she was a dragon.

The perfect dragon…

“Y-Yeah… Like that."

She giggled brightly and watched the movie while sipping on her wine. While Michael's mind was in a constant battle with himself, Irelia appeared relaxed and comfortable as she lounged on the other side of the couch. Her paws and tail rested against Michael's leg, since the couch was so small, so they were in close contact.

Since he had watched this movie before, most of his attention focused on the warm feelings bubbling inside him while he occasionally glanced over at Irelia to see if she was enjoying herself. After spending the majority of his childhood with her, it felt like they were closer than just friends, like they had a special bond together. Judging from the way she relaxed so easily with him, he imagined that she thought the same thing, but dragons had an entirely different culture, so it wasn't easy to predict what she was thinking or how she thought of him. From what Michael understood, to a dragon, even a friendly relationship could involve sex or some sort of intimacy. They were more open about their sexuality than humans, so just because she was physically close didn't mean anything.

As an awkward situation arose in the movie, Irelia laughed and smiled. “I really like the third-wheel guy, what's-his-face. He's kind of cute!"

Snapping his attention back to the movie, he chuckled too. “You mean Mike?"

She looked over at him in a moment of realization. “Oh, his name is Michael too? That makes it even better!" she giggled and clutched her stomach. “You two are toootally alike."

“How so!" he defended. “He's a dork."

“Exhibit A," she cooed with a sly smirk on her muzzle as her paw gestured at Michael.

Michael rolled his eyes and scoffed. “He looks nothing like me." Mike, the character in the movie, was a bigger guy with a round stomach. Instead of black hair like Michael's, his was a brown color, and he wore glasses. Michael was taller than the average guy, and he went to the gym at least once a week, so he didn't have much body fat.

“Hmmm…" Irelia studied him closely with a white claw on her chin. “I guess you are handsomer by a lot. But he acts like a goofball, which is cute. You're kind of cute too, though, so don't get too jealous!"

Again, her words made Michael blush. “I-I'm not cute or jealous."

Irelia bared her teeth in a big grin but said nothing and turned her head back to the TV.

Surprisingly, Michael found himself getting caught up in the movie again. Rom-Coms were certainly a once in a while thing for him to watch, and that was only ever with a girl he liked. It wasn't a genre he particularly enjoyed, but he had to admit that there was some good writing involved in the scripts—sometimes, at least.

Now, the movie had gone from the two main characters planning out their wedding day to the uncertainty of the bride of marrying her fiancé. As the movie progressed, she was catching feelings for Mike, the third-wheel. It was a popular trope that bordered on the line of cliché, but the movie played it out well and developed the characters to make it seem realistic.

“What would make this movie better is if there were more dragons in it," Irelia said after a scene of the city. There were hardly any dragons in the background, let alone any that played even a supporting role, and it felt a little unrealistic.

“Yeah, I think that would make it better, too," he replied and patted her thigh.

She smiled warmly at him and curled her tail around his leg. “What would have made the movie really interesting and funny is if Mike was a dragon and she fell for him instead of her human mate."

Michael glanced at her and saw her beautiful blue eyes staring back at him while she squeezed his leg. “That certainly would have made things… complicated," he said and laughed to help break the awkwardness he felt. “Imagine telling your boyfriend that you're falling for a dragon!"

“I would understand," she retorted and grinned. “Dragons are the superior race, after all!"

Michael shook his head and chuckled. “I guess dating a dragon wouldn't be so bad," slipped from his mouth. He was thinking it, but he certainly didn't mean to say it! He knew he was redder than a cherry, and he didn't dare meet her eyes again. “B-But I uh… think that w-would be unrealistic too," he added in a stuttering mess.

Either Irelia ignored how red in the face he was or she was simply looking past it because he had flustered her too with his comment. Instead of saying anything else, she took a big gulp and finished her wine with a satisfied sigh. Michael quickly grabbed his glass and took a drink too, leaving just a little left.

The movie played on, moving to the more romantic aspects of it. Awkwardness embraced Michael in confusion, which left him wondering if he should say anything to break the tension he felt or just watch the movie. But the more he watched, the more intimate it became, and so the more awkward he felt. Irelia was engrossed in the movie at this point—even her head was tilting to the side as she watched the two kiss. The camera focused on some naughty groping, and Michael suddenly remembered that this movie did get sexual really fast. He wondered what Irelia would think of that!

But then she stirred in a fit of giggles after a funny line the character said.

“Yeah, these romantic movies are all pretty silly and unrealistic," Michael added, finally finding the perfect opportunity to break the silent tension just as the scene continued to the bedroom.

“Like, how does she not want to just slap him! That was waaay too corny." She giggled some more and pointed a claw at the TV screen. “And now they're going to kiss again! If I were her, I would have gave him a good few scratches or bites before getting into it."

Michael laughed along with her, feeling elated and relieved. “Well, it is a comedy movie, too… Though, I think that part wasn't supposed to be as funny as it is."

As always, Irelia's joy was intoxicating, and there was never a dull moment around her. He sincerely loved spending time with her, and he was enjoying their date together, even if it was awkward.

“What would you say if it was me saying that to you?" He didn't know what came over him to ask her such a question. Perhaps he was trying to distract her from the sex? It didn't show much, but it was enough to make any human or dragon awkward. Maybe he thought he was teasing her and being playful, or maybe he knew exactly what he was insinuating and following his heart, but either way, he knew the implication of what he said.

Her deep-blue eyes looked into his, a soft expression warming her muzzle. “I probably wouldn't claw you... Maybe I'd nip you or bump into you," she answered with a pleasant smile. She turned her body and sat up beside him, somewhat leaning against him and the couch. Michael shifted and wrapped an arm around her and petted her much like he used to when they were younger, not minding the closeness.

What is she doing… Does she… know?

But what he was feeling was entirely different from his childhood, and that physical contact stimulated a unique tension he had never felt before. Based on the context of their entire night, their friendship was taking a step in a new direction.

And Irelia knew that. “Or…" she paused and nuzzled into his hand. A forepaw stepped on his thigh as she leaned more into his side. Gently and carefully, she moved closer to him to help ease his nerves. Although dragons didn't wear perfume or anything, she had a pleasant aroma about her, a wild, fresh scent like a lakeside breeze.

Michael was so caught up in his own racing thoughts that his body shifted on its own, submitting to her forwardness as he leaned back into the couch. “Or maybe I'd indulge you a little and let it slide..."

Michael's heart froze in his chest. All at once, he realized how close they were, her muzzle only inches away from his face. He could see every longing thought wavering in her eyes as she inched closer. She wasn't sure of herself either, but whatever it was nudging at her mind, she wanted it. Her eyes closed as she leaned in, lips parting.

Michael didn't know what to do. So many different thoughts and feelings rushed through his consciousness at once while two different voices yelled at him next to each of his ears. One screamed, “Do it!" while the other said to stop and think about it longer. She was a dragon and he was a human, but somewhere deep down he knew that didn't matter.

He wanted her.

Michael opened his mouth and met her lips with his own, doing the unthinkable. Tingling sensations trickled through his body as his mind filled with a euphoria he hadn't felt in a very long time. Warmth blossomed in the back of his head as his heart swelled with exhilaration. He was kissing a dragon.

He was kissing Irelia.

A paw reached across to his shoulder and grasped it as she pulled herself deeper into the kiss, her head tilting sideways. Her tongue lapped at his lips softly before he finally had the courage to open his mouth wider and let his tongue slide against hers and taste her slimy, dragon saliva. His hand caressed her flank and her paw squeezed his shoulder tighter.

Her lips were rougher than his, but nevertheless soft and warm. She felt much different than any girl he had ever been with, but that was what was exciting about it too. Her scales, her curvy form, her warm body and flight-suit that was smooth against his hand rubbing down it. Irelia's tail curled snugly around his leg since he didn't have a tail of his own to twine with hers.

She slowly pulled away from their first kiss—it was sloppy and uncoordinated, which was expected seeing how he was a human and she was a dragon. Michael wanted to say something, but the words were stuck in his throat. The movie continued on without them, becoming background noise as their attention focused on one another. A sweet, warm smile stretched her lips before she leaned in again and kissed him with more certainty.

Michael groaned softly as he felt her against him. This time their kiss had more confidence, more desire, to it. She turned and moved against him as he held her. While her paws explored his chest and broad shoulders, his hands rubbed along her flanks just beneath her wings. Their lips mouthed together, sharing a taboo intimacy that felt so very naughty but exciting nonetheless.

The kiss stirred a tingling warmth in Michael's loins. His body was only reacting naturally to sharing intimate affection, but he was worried about Irelia noticing the growing tent in his pants. He couldn't believe a dragon was making him hard. The more she touched him with her soft, sock-covered paws and kissed him with a tenderness only meant for lovers, the more his arousal grew. Her claws just ever so gently grazed his skin and clothes. He lost himself in their kiss, but then he heard her purring and knew that she was enjoying it just as much as him.

This time when they pulled apart, a deep-set blush heated both of their faces. He could see it in her eyes, and he was sure she could see the red on his pale skin. He held her and she held him as she straddled his lap. Nuzzling against his cheek, she gave a soft coo and enveloped him in her blanket-soft wings.

“W-Wow..." Michael said breathlessly.

“Was that... okay?" she asked worriedly. “I w-wasn't sure if..."

Michael kissed her cheek and explored her body with his hands sliding up and down it. “That was perfect, Irelia. I uhm... I really enjoyed that."

The brightest, warmest smile he had ever seen spread her lips as she stared adoringly into his eyes. In that moment, he knew that she wanted him too, and now their hearts were laid open for each other. Dragon or not, he wanted to do more than just make her smile; he wanted to make her genuinely happy.

“You don't care that I'm a dragon?" she asked. Unlike her usual self, she seemed a little shy and embarrassed, caught off-guard by the emotions rising within her. Michael admitted he felt the same way.

“Not at all," he said with a kind expression. “You're an amazing dragon, Rel. We may be... different, but I know what I feel, and it feels good. As long as you don't care that I'm a human, I don't care that you're a dragon."

She nodded and gave him another kiss, a much shorter one that lasted only a few seconds. She looked into his gaze and tilted her snout down between them. Without a doubt she saw his erection tenting his pants—in fact, she may have even felt it against her as she straddled his legs.

“I don't want to rush things or push it... But I've uhm... always wanted to... try it." She reached a paw down and cupped Michael's groin. What amused him in the midst of all of the emotion and craziness was that she was copying the scenes of the movie. He shuddered as she gripped his manhood through his pants, working and kneading her digits into his crotch. “We've known each other long enough."

He looked down and watched her, stifling a groan as pleasure stimulated his senses. A part of him wanted to push her paw away; how could he let a dragon touch him like this? Was it his arousal that kept him wanting the affection or did he actually want her to touch him? Sure, they knew each other well when they were younger, but now that they were both adults, things were much different. Although those thoughts nagged at the back of his mind, his body stayed. He wanted it. “Y-You want to have sex?"

She nodded again with that infectious smile. “Do you? I know humans usually tend to take their time before mating, so I don't want to rush it with you."

How could he possibly say no to that face? He answered her by spreading his legs a little to give her paw more room to work with. “I've thought about it before... with you."

Her paw firmly squeezed his hard cock and dipped between his thighs to grope at his balls. His pants were getting in the way, so she decided to unbutton them, using her dexterous paws to undress him. “Yeah? I'm glad I'm not the only one."

It was when he was going through puberty, that awkward stage of any human's life. Right before his family moved, he had a wet dream about Irelia, and he remembered it vividly to this day. Since then, the idea of doing sexual things with a dragon had always been in the back of his mind. He didn't necessarily desire it, but it was a curiosity he wished to keep to himself.

But now he had Irelia to share it with, to make that dream come true.

She pulled down his pants and revealed his boxer-briefs stretching to contain his erection. Once she tugged them down to his knees, he helped take them off. Her eyes were glued to his groin, but before she could do anything else, he pinched the zipper to her flight suit and pulled it down. It trailed all the way down her sexy form until his hand was between her legs. With a deep blush, he lightly touched her and rubbed her through her underwear that covered her vagina from view.

A dragon's vagina…

“O-Ooh... Michael..." She was very warm there, as any female would be. His sensual touch lingered there for a long moment.

Unfurling her wings, she helped him take off her suit, which left her in just socks and underwear. It felt strangely naughty to see her naked scales, even though he used to see them all the time when he was younger. Back then, dragons were always naked, and he never paid much attention to their more... erotic details. But now, it stirred arousing thoughts in his mind as he admired her bare, emerald-green scales.

They were a lighter color along her underbelly, like a bit of cream was added to them. And they were very smooth, feeling almost like snakeskin as he explored her underside all the way down to her thighs. Unlike the females of his species, she didn't have any breasts—she was completely smooth all the way down. Michael didn't mind that at all.

While he touched her, she took off the glove-like socks around her forepaws and moved to the ones around her hinds. He helped her with those, blushing deeply as she undressed and exposed more of her body. Carefully, he assisted her in taking off the anklet around her leg and set it on the table. After she finished, she moved her paws beneath his shirt and lifted it up. He raised his arms and slipped out of it, leaving him in just his underwear too as he cuddled with a dragon.

“Do you think I'm... sexy?" Irelia asked timidly once she took off everything but her underwear.

Michael nodded and felt her thick, muscular thighs up to her rump. His hands squeezed around her hind end, eliciting a deep chirr from her chest. “I've always thought you were beautiful, and right now, I have to admit... You are really sexy, too."

She giggled and licked his cheek affectionately. “You're not so bad yourself, for a human. I honestly wasn't sure if you'd like me like this or not..."

“And I wasn't sure either."

They delved into another short kiss as her body pushed against his, leaning him back against the couch as she straddled his hips. He pulled her hips against him and felt her groin rubbing into his; they both groaned at the intimate contact and shifted against another, grinding.

“You do like it, right? This is… fun?" she asked worriedly.

He reassured her with the firm roll of his hips, his hard bulge brushing right under her tail. “Yes, it feels good.."

“Ooh… I've never mated with a human before," she said softly next to his ear. “Let's take this to the bedroom." She climbed off of him, leaving Michael in a haze of arousal as he watched her. The movie was nearing its ending, but neither of them paid any attention to it anymore.

“W-Well, did you want to do it like a dragon... or like a human?"

Irelia giggled at him and sauntered toward the bedroom, her tail towing Michael along beside her as he stood up. “And how do you think dragons do it?"

His face flushed with warmth. “I kind of always thought you would do it... you know, kind of like animals?"

His bedroom wasn't anything special: it was small and only had a bed, a nightstand with a lamp, and a dresser. But now it had a horny dragoness in it, and that made it a lot more exciting.

She hopped up onto the bed that dipped under her weight, a smirk stretching the corners of her lips. “Like animals, huh? Is that what I am to you?" she teased.

“N-No!" he stammered. “Obviously not..." He gulped as she lifted her tail for him and showed him the smooth, spandex-like shorts covering her gender from view. Ever so faintly he could see the outline of the crease between her thighs. “But you know what I mean."

“And how do humans do it?" she asked and flopped onto her side. She patted the bed and beckoned for Michael to join her.

He climbed onto the bed with the dragoness, his mind swirling with all the possibilities of what was about to happen. A dragon. He was about to have sex with a dragon! “We do a variety of different things with each other."

“And you don't think dragons do that as well?" she cooed and rubbed his side with a paw. “We like to explore one another, too."

As they lay intimately together, this was when Michael discovered that dragons were about the same size as humans, if not a little bigger. Although they didn't stand as high, they were as long as a human was tall, if the tail wasn't counted.

Just her touch alone sent shivers up Michael's spine. It was still a foreign sensation having a paw caress him so intimately, but it was a welcomed feeling. Even if she was a different species, a female's touch was always soft and delicate.

“Y-Yeah?"

She nodded and curled her tail around his leg, where he felt her smooth scales sliding against his skin, coiling.

A warm, blanketing wing wrapped around him and pulled his body closer to hers as she kneaded into his broad chest and down his stomach. She looked at him with an affectionate smile before her eyes trailed down his body to his boxer-shorts where his growing erection was pitching a tent. As if to comfort him and say that it was only them together, her wings closed over his body almost entirely, hiding him from the rest of the world.

As she stared at him down there, he heard a deep purr vibrate her throat. “We don't need these silly clothes anymore."

Her forepaws latched at his waistline and tugged his shorts down, quickly exposing his nakedness as his cock bounced free. He was already as hard as a rock with his member twitching needily. It was a strange feeling to watch her eye his nudity and visibly see her lust. Luckily for him he had shaved the day before so he was soft and smooth. He could tell that she could hardly wait to touch him, but he was wondering what she was waiting for.

She looked up at him expectantly and cooed as she raised a hind leg. Michael swallowed and realized what it was she wanted: she wanted him to take off her underwear too. He reached down and grabbed her hips, following his own instincts as his hand squeezed her rump and rubbed circles around it. For a dragoness, she had a really sexy hind-end. It helped that she had clothes on so he didn't feel her scales as much, but her haunches were thick and muscular, perfect to grab onto and grope.

His fingers slipped under the elastic material squeezing against her rump and slid against her scales. Slowly, he tugged her underwear down her legs and tail too. She helped him by shifting and pulling her legs and tail out of it, leaving her body just as naked as his, and she was more than happy to show him what she had between her legs.

A small, vertical crease split her scales, slightly puffy and swollen so that a sliver of pink flesh peeked between her nether lips. She looked so soft down there, unlike anywhere else on her body. Her mint-green underbelly smoothly followed her beautiful, feminine form all the way down to the base of her tail.

She may be a dragon, but damn she is sexy.

As if to reward him, Irelia gave a soft coo and took his hard cock into her soft paw, squeezing and tugging on the skin. A quiet groan escaped his lips—it felt really good. Although her paw wasn't nearly as soft as a human's hand, the feeling of her toe-digits, pads, and smooth scales was delightfully foreign to him. It was unlike anything he had felt before.

“Have you always wanted to be with a dragon?" she asked as she stroked him.

“I've never been opposed to it, I guess... Never thought it would actually happen."

She smirked and giggled. “I never thought I'd be with a human. It's... It's kind of naughty, right?"

“Yeah, kind of," he said and grinned. “I don't think either of our parents would approve of this." His hand rubbed down her underbelly, feeling all of those smooth scales sliding against his palm until he reached between her legs. Two fingers rubbed against her slit, which was very warm, much softer than he ever imagined, and already moist.

A lusty, moan-like growl vibrated her throat. “I don't care, mmmmm."

Michael couldn't believe he was touching and feeling a dragon's vagina. The whole idea of it was taboo and very, very naughty, and that was what made it exciting. It was Irelia he was touching, anyway, someone he really cared about. Dragons weren't animals—they were just as sentient as humans—so he wasn't committing an act of bestiality... right?

I don't care if I am. If she wants this, then I want it too. We're two consenting adults.

“Ooooh, Michael," she moaned as those two fingers slipped inside her velvety-soft folds. Her walls squeezed snugly around them as they delved deep inside, sliding along her sensitive flesh that stretched to fit them. His fingers were already soaked in her secretions. Wondering if a female dragon was anything like a human, he curled his digits up and started stroking her insides, searching for a g-spot.

As he firmly pressed the tips of his fingers against the top of her passage, he heard her soft pants and pleasured groans. “Ooh... A-Aahh..." Her toes curled as she sucked in a quick breath; her body squirmed from the intense stimulation, fidgeting as he fingered her. “Your fingers are so soft and mmmm... They can get deeper than a dragon's... Oooh!"

Irelia's muzzle scrunched with pleasure as she stared down between her own legs and watched Michael work his two fingers in and out of her soft folds. They stretched her nether lips open and squeezed inside up to his knuckles before they slipped back out again.

Her grip around his member was tight while she pumped it up and down, rippling her toe-digits over his length. Pre beaded at his tip, and Michael let out a soft moan to encourage her. Tingling, pleasurable sensation teemed at the back of his skull. His face flushed with warmth and his body felt ecstatic.

At the same time that he wanted to continue listening to her moans and prolong the foreplay, he was feeling needy—just as needy as she was. She rolled onto her back with her legs open as Michael's drenched digits slipped out of her. He wiped his hand on the bed and moved against her body between her legs. They let instincts take over, each thought and movement flowing to the next one, their bodies melding together.

“Mmmm, just as eager as I am, huh?" she asked in a sultry tone, her deep-blue eyes staring into his. Her forepaws gripped his back, her claws poking into his shoulders. It was thrilling to feel her exotic body against his, how her scales rubbed against his naked skin. Sometimes her body was too sharp for him, but for the most part it was rather smooth, warm, and comfortable.

“Y-Yeah... I guess so. Good thing we don't need a condom…" He lined up with her, cock in hand, staring down between her light-green thighs at her swollen heat. Her scent was strong and filled with pheromones that Michael wasn't used to. It wasn't unpleasant, but at the same time it had an odor to it that reminded him of an animal. Regardless, he pushed the uncertain thoughts of their differences aside and pressed the glans of his cock against her soft, warm, wet lips, feeling his tip slip inside her folds until he penetrated her.

Although they may have been different, at least sex was a universal thing.

“Ooooh!" she moaned. “That's it, Michael... Mmmmmm..."

With her being a slightly larger size than him, it was rather easy for his member to sink into her hot depths and stretch her walls apart. He delved deep inside her until his balls pressed against her groin; he fit entirely in her vagina. Although she felt entirely different from a human on the outside, on the inside she was just as soft and tight, her flesh squeezing snugly around his.

They both looked down at his cock penetrating her body, seeing how her swollen lips spread to fit him inside. Irelia sucked in a breath and huffed it out as her big paws squeezed him.

“That's kinda hot, right?" she asked. Her eyes were glazed over with arousal.

“Y-Yeah... It is," he agreed, his face hot. I'm balls-deep in a dragon... Holy crap... And the thought of that was turning him on.

_“_Are dragons usually bigger?" he asked curiously and pushed back inside again to let her feel his girth stretching her soft, warm walls.

“Mmmm, yeah, they tend to be, but you're a perfect fit. Not too small and not too big, rwwrrrrrll…"

He pulled out and slipped back inside, eliciting a deep groan from her. Each time he would slide out, he would give a gentle thrust back inside her until he built up a steady rhythm. Her muscles squeezed around his flesh, causing it to rub firmly against her velvety walls. She was already plenty slick, so his penetration was smooth.

“Yesss!" She submitted to him and moaned as he took her, rocking back and forth against the bed. Her vent was plenty slick enough, so his flesh glided in and out of her almost effortlessly. With her size, she could take him as deep as he could thrust inside her, and by the sounds of her voice he knew she loved it all.

“Ooohh," he moaned. “You feel amazing…"

“Y-You do too… You don't have to take it easy with me. Dragons like it rough."

As Michael picked up his speed, his hips slapped against hers repeatedly. Her moans were soft and feminine, like music to his ears as she nuzzled against his cheek. Her hind legs closed over him and they rocked together into the bed.

“Oh! Ooh… aaah…" She moaned along with his thrusts, expressing her pleasure to him. Her warm body enveloped his, squeezing around him. Large paws gripped at his shoulders, tucking him close to her body, and he felt her smooth scales rubbing against his chest and stomach as he humped her repeatedly. As her wings folded over his back, it left just the two of them pressed together intimately.

The longer they went, the harder Michael's thrusts pounded against her. The bed creaked beneath their weight as it rocked back and forth. His length slipped inside her, his sensitive head burying deep in her passage before he tugged out and pushed into her again. Pleasure bloomed in the back of his skull, growing with every thrust.

He lost himself in the ecstatic waves of pleasure trickling up and down his spine. A warmth tingled up and down his length and balled up in his loins, building and building every time his hips slapped audibly against hers. From his experiences before, he was used to soft skin pressing against his own, but with a dragoness, he felt her claws and scales scraping up and down his body while she embraced him fully. Thinking about how he was taking a dragoness weirdly turning him on, the exotic feeling of scales against skin.

Lust drove his thrusts, the desire to spill his seed filling his head and clouding his mind. All he could hear were Irelia's husky grunts and groans directly next to his ear as he took her and rocked her body into the bed. She loved it all, crying out her pleasure to him.

“D-Don't stop… I'm… I'm gonna cum… Michael," she moaned and sucked in a sharp breath before a whining moan escaped her lips.

Michael winced as her claws dug into his skin, briefly worrying she may forget that his flesh is much softer than her hide. Her vent clamped tightly around his cock as he pushed in and out of her, and he felt her walls pulsating heavily as warmth drenched his groin.

“Oh… Rel…" Michael gave a shuddering moan and sank in all the way, penetrating the dragoness so he could spill his seed deep inside her. “Ooooh!" With his eyes sewn shut, he released his orgasm and felt warm waves pulsing through his entire body. His entire length throbbed against her tight walls, squeezing inside her as his cum sprayed across her passage.

Irelia gasped and shuddered against him, her body squirming around him as she rode out her blissful orgasm. Michael panted and nestled against her warm body where he fit snugly against her scales. His cock pumped rope after rope inside her hot depths and brought intense levels of euphoria blossoming throughout his skull. After they experienced their climaxes together, both of them went almost limp against one another, spent and satisfied.

In the afterglow, Michael had the chance to reflect on what just happened. From one choice to the next, his lust got the better of him and he gave in to his desires, leading him to having sex with a dragon. A pinch of guilt squeezed at the back of his mind, but he cast those thoughts away. It wasn't just any dragon he had sex with: it was Irelia.

The feelings he had for her when he was younger were the same, and he loved her. Sure, it was taboo for a human and a dragon to do it, but they were both sentient and willing. It wasn't like Irelia didn't want it—they both consented to share an intimate experience with one another, and they both greatly enjoyed it.

Judging by the deep purring vibrating her chest, Michael knew she was happy and fulfilled.

As Irelia released him from her embrace, Michael pulled out of her and rolled onto his back beside her with a content sigh. He stole a glance at her exposed body, eyeing the softer, glistening scales around her groin. Her vent was puffy and her slit was stretched open, revealing her entrance surrounded by pink flesh. Aside from the scales all around her gender, her vagina didn't look too different from a human's. Swallowing, he turned his head away and smiled.

“That felt amazing, Rel," he said softly and closed his eyes.

“Yeah, it did," she agreed and turned to cuddle with him. Scales lightly scraped against his skin as they moved into a comfortable position together to enjoy the afterglow.

As she purred, she rested her head on his chest and relaxed with him. He gently stroked her neck up and down, enjoying her company. For a dragon, she was surprisingly comfy to snuggle intimately with, since her body was very warm. Michael felt himself slipping into slumber, his body satisfied and his mind drifting into happy dreams. In only moments, he was fast asleep.

When Michael woke the next day, he found himself tangled in Irelia's limbs, with the dragoness fast asleep on him. He didn't want to wake her because she looked peaceful, so he drowsily lay there, half in and out of consciousness while he thought about last night.

Although he wasn't sure how their relationship would work out, if they chose to pursue one, the fact that he laid with a dragon didn't quite pester him as much as it did before. It felt… okay, to say the least. It wasn't something he felt like he could share with his family or friends, that he had an intimate relationship with a dragon, but he enjoyed it, and so did Irelia—and that was what mattered most.

“Morning, Rel," he said and petted her head as she stirred.

A sleepy grumble was her only response as she buried her snout into his neck. “Mwrrningmmm," she mumbled.

Michael smiled and held her, hands sliding up and down her smooth, green scales. They were still naked, with their clothes strewn about the couch in the living room. “Did you sleep well?"

With a sleepy yawn, Irelia lifted her snout and nodded before a warm smile stared down at him. “I did. I thought I had a really, really good dream, but I guess that was just last night."

He chuckled and rubbed her muzzle. “You liked it that much, huh?"

Purring, she nuzzled into his hand. “Mhmm!"

“Good. I enjoyed it too," he said and scratched between her horns.

Irelia hummed contentedly before stretching out with another big yawn. After climbing up to her paws, she gave Michael some breathing room as she hopped off the bed and stretched out like a cat. Looking at him, she smiled and asked, “You don't feel a little… weird?"

Michael knew exactly what she was talking about. “Yeah… It's kind of strange, isn't it?" It was a mixture between guilt and anxiousness, like they did something wrong, and it felt like there was a knot twisting in his stomach when he thought about it.

It was definitely naughty, but I don't think it's as bad as committing a crime or something…

“Even my dragon friends would probably look at me differently if they knew…" Her brow furrowed as she looked at the ground. “But they're my friends, and I know they wouldn't treat me any different." As she lifted her head, she looked up at him. “And I feel so much happier with you—like I can finally be myself."

Her intoxicating smile brought a grin to his lips too. “I… I feel the same way, Rel, but… should we… Should we keep it a secret?" He asked, that smile fading while troubling thoughts invaded his mind. “Can we keep it a secret? I have a roommate and he'll be back this weekend… There's no way he wouldn't find out."

Irelia climbed back up onto the bed and lay on him with the blankets between their bodies. “Well, I mean… We want to continue this, right?" she asked. “Do we want to be together? Like a couple?"

Michael swallowed. Her beautiful, blue eyes met his, filled with uncertainty. With a pause, Michael thought carefully about his next words, plucking them from the thoughts swirling in his head. Whatever he said to her would either build their relationship or tear it down before it even began. If they were together, would they truly be happy? With so many obstacles, would it be worth it to pursue such a taboo courtship? Was it love they felt or was it simply primal urges that they were acting on?

“Irelia… I…" He paused again and took a deep breath. “I love you. I want to be your—uh—mate. If others want to look down on us, then let them."

The warmest, brightest, joyful smile stretched her muzzle. “I love you too, Michael. Let's do it, then. Let's try it."

He pulled her in for a kiss and pressed their lips together. Once their mouths locked as an expression of intimacy, they signified the beginning of their relationship together, the start to what was sure to be filled with challenges for the both of them.

But as well as the obstacles they faced, there would be joy and happiness in between. Now, they had one another to share their love with, so that they would be together when the challenges came.

Michael knew dragons had different ideas of what being a couple meant, but he knew they would work out their own definition together, as mates.

When they pulled away from their kiss, they smiled adoringly at each other, like there was nothing else in the world but one another.

“You want to go get breakfast?" he asked.

Irelia nodded eagerly. “Yes, please!"