FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

Something glinted in Marcus' peripheral vision. He might have missed the tiny glimmer if not for his implant-enhanced eyesight, but it was definitely there. Carefully, he bent down in the shower as water continued to patter against his back, and lifted the tiny object out from between two tiles with a fingernail, inspecting it closely.

An iridescent green scale sparkled back at him. Marcus frowned.

He had always been a very private man. Even back when he was a cop -something that seemed like a lifetime ago- the human tended to keep to himself when off the job, rarely mixing or socialising with any of his colleagues or peers. He'd lived alone ever since his mother died, and had never been in a romantic relationship that persisted beyond the morning after. Even those one night stands were a rarity for him. He could probably count their number on two hands.

Well, for as long as he still had two hands.

After losing his arm, and his subsequent early retirement from the police, the human had become even more of a recluse. And then, after a few initial missteps when he began his criminal career, Marcus soon decided he was better off without personal weaknesses such as attachments to others. He was his own man, only responsible for and only really caring for himself.

Such an attitude had led him to great success in the criminal underworld of Horizon, and despite his now-infamy in the business Marcus' secretive nature had allowed him to prosper without ever risking his personal anonymity. Few knew his face, and no one knew his full name or where he lived. Not even the raven he knew as Carlos -the best information broker in the whole city- could trace him down when they first made contact all those years ago. That was an advantage he was keen to hold on to.

Marcus was a ghost. Nobody had ever seen even a glimpse of who he really was.

Nobody until Zera.

So much about his life had changed in the last week that the human was still mentally adjusting. Far from being a solitary recluse, he'd now been entertaining a full-time houseguest for an entire week, and as neither of them had left the building during that time Marcus had experienced more social contact over the past number of days than the rest of this entire year.

That is, if interacting with a wild-born feral who had never participated in society even counted as social contact.

Marcus' private life and space had been entirely violated by Zera's arrival. No longer could he sit in quiet contemplation, spend some time maintaining his gear or take a day to plan out his next move without interruption. The dragon was always there. She was a constant presence even when she wasn't saying a word, and he felt her gaze on his back every time he looked away -an uncomfortable feeling for a man as paranoid as him. At least a few times a day the human pondered how much simpler things would have been if he'd just sent her on her way that fateful night.

Yet those thoughts were always quickly quashed. Marcus knew why he'd helped Zera. He knew that despite his personal misgivings, it had been the right and moral thing to do. And moreover, he actually found himself starting to enjoy the dragon's company more often than not. Her incessant questioning could definitely prove annoying, but there was a certain naivety to it that he found amusing, even endearing. Then, Zera would say or do something that would entirely shatter that illusion of innocence, and remind Marcus that she was still an adult with over two decades of life experience, much of it harsher and more unforgiving than his own.

Mostly, the dragon fascinated him. She was someone with a completely unique and alien perspective on the world, her entire life so utterly disconnected from everything the human knew that it made his head spin just to think about it. Marcus' world was comparatively small, entirely confined within the borders of Horizon and only concerning those elements of society that directly affected him. Most people living here were the same, knowing next to nothing about their history or what lay any further away than the auto-farms and resource processing plants just outside the city walls.

Zera… she had talked to him about towering mountain ranges that spanned as far as the eye could see, great grassy plains which could have fit hundreds of cities within their vast expanse, and ruins of a world long past half-buried and decayed over the passing of centuries…

Such things were beyond Marcus' experience. He was a man who prided himself on keeping in the know, always abreast of the latest developments in Horizon's underworld and searching for whatever his next big job would be. He knew of all the important players, and had built a network of contacts across the entire city from which to obtain any information he might need.

Yet, the things that Zera told him… they made him feel totally insignificant. Marcus had stared down targets pleading for their lives and pulled the trigger without any hesitation, risked death every time he went out on a job… yet the thought of being way out there in the vast wilds, entirely alone and surrounded by utter nothingness for as far as he could ever hope to walk…

That thought terrified him.

Marcus exhaled shakily. He flicked the green scale into the shower stream, watching the water carry it down to disappear in the drain. His whole world had been turned upside-down by the arrival of Zera, but amidst all this chaos the human knew he couldn't lose sight of his own bigger picture.

More specifically, File 243_847b.

He'd risked a lot to get his hands on that little piece of data. Came a hair's breadth away from death yet again, and left a man he used to call friend ruined and destitute in the process. But he'd succeeded. And Marcus wasn't keen to let that all be for nothing.

He glanced down at the small, closed dataport on his left forearm, still playing host to that precious piece of code. Marcus wouldn't trust storing it anywhere else. The amount of money that file was worth… well, it was no wonder half the scumbags in the city were scrambling over themselves to find it. He had been laying low ever since raiding Zianos' little compound, but in about another week he planned to reach out to Carlos to get the broker's assistance in securing a deal.

Assuming he managed to find a suitable buyer, Marcus could walk away with more money than he'd ever seen before. Possibly even enough to retire from the business- a prospect that was becoming more and more attractive the longer he considered it.

Marcus was starting to find his line of work increasingly distasteful. The incident with- no, his murder of Ekon's girlfriend had been the catalyst for him to realise just how far he'd slipped, but it had taken meeting Zera for the human to understand that maybe, just maybe, he didn't have to keep going down this path.

Reaching over, Marcus grabbed the faucet handle and shut off the water. He stepped out of the glass-walled shower area, and cursed when he discovered he'd forgotten to get a towel out of the cupboard before he washed. Dripping rivulets of water onto the tile, he made his way over to the sink and attempted to open one of the cupboard doors underneath- only to groan in frustration when instinctively tried to use his missing right arm.

The damage to his prosthetic had been even worse than Marcus feared. The full diagnostic revealed that dozens of the nanometre-diameter electrical fibres that wound through its length had been snapped or knocked loose, and progressively worse short-circuiting had compromised a good deal of the rest. He always kept spare parts for each of his important pieces of gear, but he didn't have enough to repair so much damage at once.

So, he'd needed to order several replacement fibre bundles from the company that sold his particular model- parts that had to be custom-made to individual specification. He'd almost screamed when they told him it would be days before they could have the components manufactured and ready for drone delivery.

Marcus had therefore been forced to go around one-armed since last week, since there was no way he'd hook the damaged prosthetic back up to his nervous system. So, he was back to being a cripple until the parts delivery arrived -hopefully sometime this evening, if there were no more delays.

He could manage… mostly. Certain tasks became a lot more finicky with only one hand -such as his current attempt at securing a towel around his waist. Not helping matters was the fact that Zera had somehow managed to get her hands- paws- on both of his full-size towels, leaving Marcus with one that was definitely cutting it close in terms of modesty. He could just barely fit it around his toned waist, a risky manoeuvre that he wasn't sure would hold up for long.

The human eyed his rugged visage in the mirror. He'd let himself get quite stubbly during his time stuck at home with Zera. Marcus reached for his electric razor, not even bothering with attempting to apply cream one-handed. Dry would do for now.

He wondered if Zera was awake yet…

Even when he was alone, she invaded his thoughts.

He found it strange, how quickly they'd become friendly. It had started the day Zera discovered his unintentional voyeurism, after they laughed it out and agreed to put the mutually embarrassing incident behind them. Since then, and especially in the past couple of days, Zera had been getting a lot more comfortable around him -and displaying a surprising assertive streak which was in great contrast to how she'd acted during the first few days. She was initiating conversations and making jokes, pestering him for food and entertainment, and even once tried to lean her body against him as he sat alongside her on the couch- a worryingly intimate gesture that Marcus had awkwardly but firmly rejected.

From what the dragon told him, she'd only ever known her mother for her entire life before now. That idea seemed bizarre to Marcus. No other family or friends, no rivals, not even strangers to brush past you in the street. Just a single parent as your reference point from which to learn everything you knew about the world. And if what he'd heard about Zera's mother was true, then it was a damn miracle she'd turned out as amicable as she was.

So, he wondered if she was just latching onto him for companionship since he'd been mostly not awful to her. Which, once again, brought up the uncomfortable question; when was he going to send her on her way?

Zera had recovered at an alarmingly fast rate. It spoke volumes about the resilience of Ferals that only a week after arriving here malnourished and visibly unwell, she already seemed to be in near-perfect health once again. So healthy that Marcus suspected she was deliberately not broaching the subject of their agreement, because she simply didn't want to leave.

He switched off the razor and set it down, running his hand along his newly-smooth chin. Maybe he'd give her another day before making the decision. Until he'd gotten the repair of his arm out of the way, at least.

Marcus made his way to the bathroom door, unlocking it before stepping out into the kitchen-living area. His home was open plan, with no halls or corridors to break up the space. The main room was a rough T-shape, with the living area leading from the front door up to a single step, where it widened to accommodate the kitchen to the right and dining area on the left. The bathroom door opened at the far end of the dining area, near the foot of the spiral steps which led to a single upstairs room. Both his bedroom and the spare, along with the garage door, opened from the living area in the 'stem' of the T- a fairly conventional layout for this part of the city.

The human paced towards the kitchen in search of breakfast, still clad in only his towel. As the living area came into view, he saw Zera sprawled messily on the couch looking like she'd only just woken up. Her emerald-scaled body lay lengthways across every cushion, with her head sitting on the armrest facing towards him and her tail curled back around her side. One wing was resting over the back of the couch while another lay extended down onto the floor, its leathery membrane draped lazily across the carpet.

She'd certainly gotten comfortable with his furniture.

The dragon yawned, briefly exposing a maw of deadly white fangs. “Ugh… hello, Marcus," she groaned tiredly. “Did you sleep well?"

Marcus paused mid-stride, cocking an eyebrow at her. “Apparently not as well as you. Didn't you even hear me walkin' past earlier?"

Zera brought a paw up to rub at her eyes. “No," she grumbled. “You could have woken me, you know."

The human snorted. “I ain't your alarm clock. Want somethin' to eat?"

That seemed to perk her up. Even when she wasn't starving, Zera had an impressive appetite.

“Gods, please! I'll have what you're having." She shifted where she lay, folding her wings neatly over her back before stepping sluggishly off the couch and stretching at length.

Marcus rolled his eyes. Zera had taken a real liking to some of his own preferred foods, and just yesterday morning had wolfed down an entire pan of scrambled eggs which was meant for the both of them. Safe to say, his food stocks were depleting rather faster than anticipated.

He continued on towards the kitchen -but only made it two steps before disaster struck.

The human felt the far too small towel around his waist suddenly grow looser. With some panic, he realised the roll that held it in place was coming undone. Time seemed to slow to a crawl. Thankfully, years of training and experience had afforded Marcus with very swift reaction times, and even better reflexes. He quickly reached down to grab the hem of the towel before it fell completely…

…with the arm that was no longer attached to his body.

The towel hit the floor with a pathetic flump as Marcus entirely failed to stop it. He now stood halfway between the bathroom and the kitchen, fully naked from head to toe, and directly in front of Zera who was barely a few feet away from him.

“Uh," Marcus managed.

He heard a quiet gasp from nearby, and turned his head to see the dragon staring at him with a grin he could only describe as leering.

Or rather, she was staring at his crotch.

Quickly, he reached down with his remaining hand and snatched the towel from the ground, holding it awkwardly to cover the most important area. Zera's gleaming sapphire eyes lit up as she visibly held back a laugh, and despite his best efforts Marcus felt his cheeks reddening with embarrassment.

“Don't say a fuckin' word," he growled.

The dragon met his gaze, looking far too smug for his liking.

“We're even now."

Marcus's eyes widened. “W-what?"

But Zera only giggled in reply, as she trotted quickly off to the bathroom and shut the door, the lock clicking in place a moment later. The human stood frozen in place, trying to process what had just happened, as his grip went slack and the towel fell to the ground once more.

He quickly recovered his wits and hurried off to throw some clothes on, before the blood had a chance to start flowing somewhere other than his face…

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Raindrops pattered gently against the floor-to-ceiling glass next to Archer's workstation. What little daylight managed to filter through the dark, stormy skies above was blocked by the towering skyscrapers that occupied every free plot of land in this part of the city. While this office was still some ways out from the imposing mile-high megatowers that dominated the central districts, on a gloomy day the buildings nearby were still more than tall enough to shroud anything below them in perpetual twilight, lit only by the harsh glare of streetlamps and the artificial glow of a thousand colourful signs and billboards.

The horse rubbed his bleary eyes with one hand as he swiped through video frames with the other. He hadn't been off work in a week, not since Sergei had called him in to assist with the search for their runaway Feral. Early mornings and late nights had left him with a worsening sense of fatigue that high-strength coffee and energy drinks could only do so much to stave off. Archer reckoned he'd have to get hold of some stim-pills if this debacle went on for much longer.

Fuck, he needed a smoke right about now.

A cursory glance around at his colleagues confirmed many of them were in a similar state, though Archer knew for a fact none of them had been working as many hours as him. Then again, none of them had Sergei personally breathing down their necks every day. A 'perk' of being more senior than them, he supposed. A bigger desk in the corner by the window was another.

This part of the building was laid out very much like a standard commercial office. Rows of desks and workstations stretching out with mind-numbing repetition, with bare-metal floors and ceilings supported by concrete walls -like almost every other cheap construction in this city. The meagre electric illumination hardly made up for the lack of natural light, though anyone living and working in Horizon's centre was more than used to these dim, gloomy conditions -even worse on days with higher smog levels.

All in all, to the unknowing observer this office would have looked like any other lawful business in the city… rather than one of the main nerve-centres for the largest illicit organisation in all of Horizon. Traxus Inc. had been masquerading as semi-legitimate for decades and, though the truth was one of the worst kept secrets in the city, the company was influential and powerful enough that there was nothing any of the authorities could really do about it.

Besides, Traxus was only the tip of the iceberg. Likely at least half of Horizon's economy existed on the other side of the law, and Archer reckoned the city would probably cease to function without organisations like theirs. While the horse's current desk-centred job was a lot safer than what he did after first joining the company, he would have been lying to himself if he pretended that he didn't miss being out on the streets every day. He certainly hoped the opportunity for more 'fieldwork' came up again soon.

A small transport drone buzzed past the window, following the street below as it ferried whatever goods it was carrying across the city. Approaching footsteps caught Archer's attention, and the horse quickly glanced up to see the perpetually irritated face of his boss advancing toward him. He blinked and sat up straight, trying to look even slightly focused on his work when Sergei caught his eye.

“Archer!" the jackal snapped as he paced across the room. “Update. Make it quick."

“Right, uh," the horse looked at his screen again to double check where he was up to. “I've just finished going through security cams for sector 24, then I gotta take a look at whatever vehicle feeds we've got access to before moving onto 25."

Sergei scowled as he leaned over to glance at the monitors himself. “Still no progress? What about the city perimeter cams, have they flagged any activity?"

“As of yet, boss… no."

“Fucking hell. A full fucking week and we're barely any closer to finding this thing than when we started!"

Archer considered his next words carefully. He was currently one of several dozen people the organisation had reassigned to attempt to track the wayward Feral which had given retrieval the slip a week back. The one he had called in.

So far, things were not looking promising.

Sergei sighed. “How many cameras have we redirected to watch the sky?"

The horse checked his display. “So far… just shy of 200, covering most of Horizon's airspace and including infrared. Half a dozen passive radar stations too. If it goes airborne again, we'll see it. But…"

“But?"

“Boss… even with these feeds, we're just waiting and hoping. It's already been a week, chances are we might never find the Feral at this rate." Archer hazarded eye contact with the jackal. “Maybe we should-"

Sergei interrupted him with a snarl. “I don't remember asking for suggestions! But…" the jackal huffed, closing his eyes in resignation, “…yeah, I've thought as much myself. Starting to think we're just chasing our tails with this one."

The horse made to interject, but Sergei raised a paw to stop him.

“Unfortunately, it's not my decision to make. This order is coming from the top."

Archer knew that much. This entire venture was part of some secretive project cooked up by the head directors of Traxus, to acquire a live Feral for some unspecified, clandestine purpose. It wasn't his place to question why. Management was taking operational security extremely seriously on this project -the small temporary tracking implant in his lower back could attest to that.

“So we just keep working?"

Sergei nodded. “Until such times as management tells us to quit. Though," he hesitated. “That could be sooner than you think."

Archer raised a questioning eyebrow.

“You didn't hear this from me," the jackal warned, lowering his voice. “I'm only telling you because you're the one who managed to spot this thing in the first place. And because you've been working more hours this past week than anyone else on this team, except me."

“Go on."

“Two days ago retrieval sent a highly modified farming drone out into the wilds south of the city. Right now it's about 200 klicks out, running a very thorough search pattern using the data we got from last week's fuckup. I imagine you can guess where I'm going with this."

The horse whistled quietly. “Fuck me… so that's what the original plan was?"

Sergei snorted. “Yeah, I know. Fucking crazy idea, but who knows how many of 'em are out there. Might just work."

“And then what?" Archer asked. “If they get one, I mean. Do we stand down on this for good, or will they need more?"

At that, the jackal shook his head slowly. “Careful. You know as well as I do that whatever the company wants with these things is very classified. I've no idea what the long term play is here, and frankly I've no intention of trying to find out." Sergei fixed him with cold look. “I'd advise you to continue doing the same."

Archer swallowed. “Yes, boss."

“Good. Keep working. If our orders change, you'll hear it from me."

Sergei headed off back in the direction of his office, and Archer sighed softly. It seemed like all this work might really be for nothing in the end… though he quietly hoped there might be a promotion in it for him if he kept putting in enough hours.

He recalled the image of that Feral standing right in front of him down in the streets below. How gaunt and sickly it had seemed, and the way it had practically begged him -in perfect common- to help it find something to eat. Hell, maybe by now it was simply lying starved and dead in some gutter or alleyway somewhere, those piercing blue eyes glazed over and lifeless…

For some reason, the thought bothered Archer.

The horse snorted, and shook off the feeling. Back to work.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Zera watched in horror as a furred Two-leg pointed what could only be a weapon at the human, before a terrible crashing noise sounded, accompanied by a bright flash of light. The human shuddered as if struck by some invisible blow, then crumpled lifelessly to the ground as blood began to pool on the stone floor beneath him.

“M-Marcus!"

“What?"

The dragon was frozen in shock. “H-he's dead! The other Two-leg, she killed him!"

Over in the kitchen, Marcus sighed deeply. “What did I tell you about that shit?"

“You said it wasn't real! But…he's dead! A-all that blood, how can-"

“It ain't real!" The human looked over at her from his position on one of the raised seats by the eating table. “It's just a movie. They're actors."

Right now he was busy tinkering with his machine-arm, apparently mending whatever had gone wrong some days ago. Marcus had been getting around without his limb ever since then, and Zera could tell how much such a predicament bothered him. To a degree, she even felt sorry for him.

And yet, she was continually amazed by the miraculous Two-leg machinery which allowed the human to live almost unhindered by his severe injury. According to Marcus, his machine-arm was even stronger than his natural one -when it was working correctly, at least. Just a little earlier, the material he needed to fix the arm had arrived right at his home, and the human had wasted no time in getting started. When Zera asked who had left it here, she initially thought he was joking when he claimed it had been brought by another machine.

Every day she spent here, the dragon learned of yet more things both amazing and terrifying. Things she didn't ever see herself actually understanding. Not least among those were the strange and surreal sights that appeared on the viewing-screen before her.

“…actors?"

“Yeah. It's all pretend. That guy's fine, they just made it look like he was killed."

Zera felt relief wash over her. “You're certain?"

Marcus snorted. “Sure. Besides, that's not how someone falls when they get shot."

“What?"

“Nothin'. I can turn it off if you want."

The dragon shuffled her wings as she lay on the couch. “Maybe. But why would they pretend such an awful thing? What if people thought it was real?"

“Trust me, they wouldn't. People watch that shit for fun every day."

Zera was bewildered by the whole idea. “But if it isn't real… what's the point?"

A sigh. “It's just a story. People like stories. Didn't your mom ever tell you any when you were a kid?"

The dragon thought back to the days of her childhood. Yes, there had been tales. Tales her mother told about heroes and magic, gods, of the world ending and being reborn anew…

“Yes…" she mused. “But none so… bloody."

“Fine," the human grunted, and with a gesture of his arm the moving images changed, the viewing-screen now occupied with an array of strange symbols -none of which Zera could make any sense of. She felt like asking Marcus to explain what they meant, but a cursory glance in his direction revealed him to be deep in concentration once more, hunched over his machine-arm which still lay where he had placed it days ago.

Marcus had attempted to explain to her just how the wondrous invention worked, but once again her poor grasp of much of the concepts he spoke of simply served to frustrate the both of them. Regardless, Zera relished any chance she had to talk with the human, and as she watched him work she felt that peculiar feeling arise once more.

This morning's incident replayed over and over in her mind. She had entirely failed to hide her elation when Marcus clumsily allowed his fabric covering to fall to the ground, exposing his private area right in front of her…

The sight had been fascinating. It didn't look anything like Zera had been expecting. Marcus'… length… was soft and pink, just like the rest of him, and it dangled comically between his legs like some sort of misplaced tail. Even more confusing than that was whatever hung behind it, two uneven lumps the purpose of which she could only guess at. Everything about it all was so strange, and weird…

…and exciting. Idly, she wondered just what he could do with it.

Almost as good was seeing Marcus completely flustered for perhaps the first time. For once, it had been his turn to be in an embarrassing position, and Zera revelled in that little victory nearly as much as she did in seeing the human's exposed loins. She shifted subtly on the couch as she felt a tingle in her own at the memory.

Ever since that night after she discovered Marcus had watched her, the dragon had been experiencing strange and conflicting emotions towards him. While she definitely still felt some shame over being caught committing such a vulgar act, underneath there was an odd thrill about it that Zera couldn't shake. That feeling had only grown over the days since. She couldn't quite tell how Marcus himself felt about it, or about her, and she had been somewhat testing the waters of their relationship over the past few days.

Zera already considered Marcus a friend. After everything he had done for her -despite how their initial meeting had gone- how could she not? Increasingly, she'd felt less anxious and uncertain around the human, more comfortable with being around him and sharing the same space. She had even tried to lay against Marcus one evening as he reclined onto the couch beside her, hoping he might understand and even reciprocate the gesture. Zera had been quite disappointed when he jerked away and grumbled something about 'personal space'. Still, that brief moment of contact where her scales had met his body was enough to send a whole ripple of new feelings through the dragon.

She could no longer deny that she was attracted to Marcus.

Despite their species difference, despite the vastly different worlds to which they belonged… Zera found herself craving some sort of physical intimacy with the human. Even if, deep down, she knew it was not only deviant but also incredibly irresponsible to want to mate with practically the first male she'd met in her life. And a Two-leg, at that!

The dragoness found she was staring at Marcus once again, his back turned to her as he worked. She dragged her gaze away to the viewing-screen, full of frustration. She knew what she wanted now. She also knew how wrong such a desire was, and how unlikely it ever was to be fulfilled.

Zera needed something else to occupy her mind. She watched the alien symbols dance across the screen opposite her. What was it Marcus had done to control it?

She raised one forepaw uncertainly in the air. While her toes didn't quite possess the same flexibility as the human's fingers did, they were close enough in shape, and Zera was sure she could imitate the odd gesture she'd watched him use a number of times before.

Carefully, she folded one toe on the right of her paw inwards, touching it to the pad of her foot. Bringing the remaining three as close together as she could manage in a pinching motion, Zera quickly swiped her paw through the air in just the manner Marcus had done.

Nothing happened.

Zera cursed internally, swiping ineffectually several more times. What was she doing wrong? Were her toes simply the wrong shape? Were they not positioned right? Or did the machine simply not work for dragons?

In irritation, she let her claws slip out, swiping once more in frustration as she bit back a growl.

Suddenly, the image on the screen changed, the sprawling symbols being replaced by a scene of several Two-legs gathered together inside a room.

“I did it!" she called, feeling unexpectedly elated at her success. “Marcus, did you see that? I made the machine work!"

The human craned his head around to look. He raised an eyebrow. “Oh fantastic," he said, tone dripping with sarcasm. “You've figured out the viewscreen. Horizon better watch out, you're gonna rule the city before long."

Zera frowned, the wind quickly leaving her wings. “It's not as easy for me as it is for a Two-leg, you know…" she pouted.

“Well, forgive me for bein' unimpressed," Marcus chuckled. “When you figure out how to use a computer, then let me know." He swivelled back around to face the table again, and before long the myriad of clicking and tapping noises began again in earnest, the human manipulating one of his tools single-handed in a way the dragoness could never hope to manage.

She sighed quietly, still irked by his response. Zera supposed Marcus wasn't all perfect.

After a short while of sitting silently and trying not to think about the human, Zera nearly jumped when he exclaimed loudly in satisfaction, suddenly breaking the relative quiet.

“Fuckin' finally!" he said. “You wanna see something impressive? C'mere, watch this."

Reluctantly, Zera hopped off the couch and padded over to Marcus, who was sitting rather triumphantly with his machine-arm now reattached to his shoulder.

“Oh," she said, surprised. “You fixed it?"

Marcus grinned. “Sure did. Well, I hope so. As long as they didn't send me busted parts, or that I didn't just fuck up the repair."

The dragon felt oddly pleased for him. She failed to hold back a small smile of her own. “Can you move it again?"

“Not yet. Just one more thing to do now," he added. The human reached for one of his other machines, one that possessed a little viewing-screen and was still connected to his arm by a series of strange black ropes.

Marcus looked suddenly hesitant. “Zera?"

She frowned, worried by his change in demeanour. “Y-yes?"

“Do me a favour and catch me if I pass out, will ya?"

“Of course, I- wait, what?

He pressed a finger to the machine, and before Zera could object Marcus abruptly tensed up, inhaling sharply. The human's eyes rolled back into his head as his muscles trembled, clenching his fist and gritting his teeth.

“Marcus!" Zera yelped. “Marcus, are you alright?"

All of a sudden, he went slack and began to tip backwards. Zera dashed over in panic, quickly bringing up one of her wings to support the human's weight. He was lighter than she expected, and after a few worrying seconds of silence he groaned, and muttered something inaudible.

“W-what? Marcus, what happened? Are you hurt?"

“…way fuckin' worse than last time, goddamnit…" he muttered, rubbing his eyes. The human righted himself and exhaled forcefully. “That sucked. Ugh…" Marcus looked back, apparently only noticing her presence behind him now. “Oh. Um, thanks. Guess I owe ya one,"

The dragoness was uncertain how to react, still anxious about seeing him collapse so suddenly. She gently removed her wing from his back and moved to face him again. “What was that? Are you alright?"

“Yeah," he sighed. “It, uh, just hurts like hell to hook this thing back up is all. But look!"

Marcus held up his right arm, and Zera watched in fascination at how previously cold and dead machine had returned to life once more, moving and flexing just like a real limb would.

“Fuck me, it's good to have this back…"

As she watched him wiggle his fingers experimentally, Zera smiled again, her worry dissipated. She didn't care how well Marcus explained it; for her, such a thing would always be magical to a degree.

“Can I touch it?"

The human looked quizzically at her. “Uh, sure. If you want."

He held out his palm to Zera, and the dragoness took a moment to look it over, noting how the pale exterior was just close enough to Marcus' real skin that one might not notice the difference from a distance. Tentatively, she raised her left paw and touched two digits to the outstretched hand. She felt the human stiffen a little at the contact, but he didn't pull away. It was warm, surprisingly so, and it certainly felt like skin underneath her pawpads. A horrible thought suddenly struck Zera, and she recoiled.

“It's not… it's not real skin, is it?" she asked worriedly.

Marcus snorted. “Fuckin' hell, no! Convincin' though, right?"

Zera nodded, a little relieved. “It's amazing… and you can feel with it, too?"

“Sure can. Still, it'll never replace a real arm," the human sighed. For a moment he looked distant. “Sometimes, I wish-"

A loud groaning noise abruptly interrupted their conversation. It was a strange, almost animalistic sound, and Zera whirled around to pinpoint the source- the viewing-screen.

Before the dragoness could process what she was seeing, Marcus rolled his eyes and smirked softly. “Yeah, I doubt you've seen that before either."

On the viewing-screen, Zera was met by a disturbing sight. A pair of Two-legs were groping and squeezing each other, undulating their apparently naked bodies together and making sounds that left her in no doubt about what was happening.

Zera flushed. “Are… are they… mating?" she squeaked.

Marcus rolled his eyes. “Like I said before, it's just a movie. They ain't actually doing it. 'Least, I don't think they are," he added.

“But… that's- that's still so obscene!"

“Hey, you were the one who changed it!"

She flicked her ears back. “I- I didn't mean to-"

“Trust me, it's a pretty normal thing to see. Here." He raised his newly-functional arm, making that same gesture she had managed earlier, and banished the indecent sight in an instant. “That's why you don't go playin' around with things you don't understand," he smirked.

Zera wasn't sure whether to feel embarrassment or shock. “But, I mean, they were just- even if it was only pretend, that should be private! And they were- that isn't right!"

Marcus grunted. “I'm not sure how you guys view that kinda shit. But for most of us, well, we're a lot more casual about it all. If that makes any sense to you." He stood up from his seat, and started to tidy up the mess of materials scattered across the eating-table, talking as he went. “Sex is just sex. You could fuck someone once and never see them again afterwards. I've done it," he laughed.

The dragoness looked at him, perplexed and flustered in equal manner. “Are you saying that… that Two-Legs don't mate for life?"

He looked surprised for a moment. “What, you mean like- oh, hold on. I get it." The human nodded. “People do 'mate' for life, yeah. Or at least for a long time. “But just because you have sex with someone doesn't mean you're 'mates' as you mean it. 'S more to it than that."

Zera mulled that revelation over. The Two-Legs could mate without being mates? It didn't really make sense, but it did help explain the scene of debauchery she'd just accidentally witnessed. Moreover, despite her better judgement, the new knowledge had planted the seed of a terrible idea in the corner of her mind… along with a subtle and unwelcome warmth under her tail…

“I think I see," the dragoness said, a nervous laughter finding its way into her throat. “But still… they weren't even the same species!"

Another laugh from Marcus. “Yeah, we're pretty relaxed about that too. Most don't really care about species in Horizon, outside of personal preferences. You name a pair, I guarantee it happens."

Possibilities swam in her mind, and Zera barely even hesitated with her next words.

“What, like a human and a dragon?"

Marcus paused in the middle of lifting something. His smile had disappeared, and Zera instantly felt a pit of dread settle in her stomach when she realised what a terrible mistake she'd made.

Why did she say that?

The dragoness waited for him to respond; to rebuff her, shout at her, to say anything at all… but the human didn't speak a word. He simply continued his work tidying the scattered mess of objects until the eating-table was fully clear, whilst she stood helplessly nearby as a dreadful silence hung over them both, weighing over Zera like a heavy blanket of regret.

Marcus was stone-faced as he moved to the great metal slab jutting out of one wall. She watched as he pressed his palm to a spot beside it, and the metal split along a tiny seam running its entire height, the two halves swinging open on either side to reveal a hidden chamber behind. Zera had seen Marcus work this mechanism before, and while she would normally be fascinated to watch it, all the dragoness could do was worry just how badly she'd damaged things between them.

The human returned a moment later with one of his weapons in hand. “Jus' goin' out the back for a bit," he said in a rather deadpan manner. “Need to put this arm through its paces, make sure all's workin' okay. Be back in a bit."

With that, he strolled out towards the rear entrance of his home, shutting the door behind him as he left Zera stewing in her own thoughts. The dragoness sighed, and slumped her wings and tail.

What had she just done?

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Three... Two… One…

He snapped his pistol up to eye-level, taking a fraction of a second to ensure the trajectory visualisation in his corneal implants was dead on target, before squeezing the trigger. A round slammed into the target with a thump of denting plasteel, but thanks to the high-grade silencer the gun itself made little more than a muffled pop as it fired.

Such an addition reduced the power of the bullet significantly, and would make it significantly less useful in a firefight, but for target practice in his backyard it was perfect for ensuring he didn't bother the neighbours. The last thing Marcus needed was to have cops turning up and start asking awkward questions.

Especially while he was currently hosting a dragon in his home.

He lowered the gun again, taking note of the impact left by his last shot in the plasteel target he'd propped up against the far wall. It was nearly dead centre, of course, like the ones before it. Anything less would be a problem.

Three... Two… One…

Crack

Another round slammed home millimetres to the left of the first, the tiny craters overlapping on their edges. Marcus nodded in satisfaction. Consistency was good. It meant the repair job on his arm hadn't caused any calibration issues, or affected his reflexes and fine motor control. The prosthetic limb was as good as new, functioning smoothly and without issue.

It was a pity the same couldn't be said for his relationship with his guest.

He didn't need to do this now. It could easily have waited until later, but Marcus needed time to think over and process what had just happened inside. A task he was currently putting off doing.

Three... Two… One…

Crack

There was no mistaking it now. The dragon was definitely coming onto him. She could hardly have been more obvious about it, save just lifting her tail up and…

Well. That wasn't a mental image he needed right now.

The morning's towel incident had left Marcus more than a little concerned about the direction their relationship was heading -a concern that certainly wasn't helped by his body's betrayal as it reacted to being so obviously ogled by Zera. Dragon or not, despite his logical reluctance the implications had left him a little, well, worked up. And the last thing he needed right now was getting tangled up in some weird, dubiously legal and definitely immoral tryst with a fucking Feral of all things. After all, wouldn't it almost be like fucking an anim-

…

No. No, it wouldn't. Marcus frowned, angry at himself for regressing back to a judgement that was so obviously incorrect. The last week had proven to him beyond a shadow of a doubt that, however different she was in body and upbringing, Zera was no less of a person than anyone else in this damn city. It followed, then, that any argument about morality really didn't hold any weight.

Hell, it would hardly be the first time he'd ventured a little 'out there'. Marcus thought back to the time he'd hooked up with a hyena he met on the job. Now that had been an interesting night, to say the least.

So what was it, exactly, that repelled him about the idea of…?

He snorted.

Three... Two… One…

Crack

In truth, Marcus didn't even know if he was repelled. He thought back to what he saw that night with the camera feed, to this morning, how it had felt to be eyed up by Zera… and to just a short while ago, when she'd so obviously hinted that she was interested in him at a level beyond friendship.

None of this made any sense to him. Why was she even interested in the first place? Had he accidentally started some sort of draconic courtship process by inviting her into his home? From what little she'd told him, dragons didn't do casual hook-ups. So, what did Zera actually want from him? How the hell was he supposed to know how this shit worked with her kind?

Marcus slid out the empty magazine, and reached into his back pocket for a replacement. It slid into the pistol with a quiet click. He sighed deeply.

Three more bullets slammed into the target as the human's emotions remained unsettled. He struggled to reason his way out of the situation, conflict brewing and swirling within his mind, made all the worse by the fact he just couldn't make himself reject the idea. How long was it since he'd last been with anyone? He reckoned it had been at least a few years. Marcus had managed to suppress that particular desire pretty well, ensuring it would never interfere with his job, but recent events had proved that his apparently uncrackable resolve was actually a rather unstable façade…

He gritted his teeth. That was irrelevant. Some time ago he'd made a vow never to let his personal life and base desires hinder his decision making. In his business, that sort of careless attitude was what lost people fortunes- or got them killed. He'd seen it happen too many times before. Doing something as stupid as getting sexually involved right now could jeopardise everything he'd been working towards all these years.

Could jeopardise his escape from this life entirely.

…even if he was a little curious about the idea. What would it even be like? How would it feel for them? Had anyone even done this before?

Fuck. Was he actually considering it? Marcus was ashamed of himself for even thinking about saying yes to the dragon- he had better control over his impulses than this! He refused to be led by his dick instead of his brain, and quickly disregarded the surfacing memory of Zera lying on her back with legs spread wide open-

No! Marcus would tolerate no distractions. Whatever Zera wanted or didn't want with him, she'd have to be disappointed. And whatever irrational desire he might be harbouring deep within would be soundly ignored.

The human raised the pistol again, but paused just before squeezing the trigger. He'd wasted enough time out here already, and the evening light was already beginning to fade -the encroaching darkness of night amplified by the high concrete walls obscuring his property from any prying neighbours. His arm was clearly working perfectly, and Marcus knew he was now simply delaying the inevitable.

He holstered the gun, and began cleaning up the scattered casings from the lawn -still wet from the afternoon's rain- as well as the bullets which had become stuck in his crude target setup. Marcus dumped them into a small box near the back door, and hesitated for a moment before sliding open the doorway and returning inside.

Zera wouldn't like it, but he was going to have to be straight with her about the matter. It was the least she deserved.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

More unfamiliar images and symbols danced across the viewing-screen in front of her, but the dragoness hardly paid them any mind. She was focused entirely on Marcus' relaxed form, the human having reclined into the corner of the couch while Zera lay lengthways across all the rest of the space, her snout resting almost next to his leg. They'd barely spoken a few words since he returned from outside, and Marcus's expression was nearly unreadable -if perhaps a little tense.

Zera understood why. Her little slip earlier, which was less of an intentional admission than an impulsive disclosure, had clearly made her new friend quite uncomfortable. Of course it had. Why would a Two-leg be anything but repulsed by such a proposition from her? Especially so since they barely even knew each other!

Marcus cleared his throat. “I was thinkin' about making some dinner soon. Don't reckon I even need to ask if you're hungry, huh?"

Zera was quiet for a moment. Yes, her stomach told her she was definitely ready for something to eat. But what happened earlier had dampened her appetite somewhat.

The human looked down at her. “Zera?"

“I'm sorry," she sighed.

“You're sorry?" Marcus looked a little taken aback. “What for?"

Zera raised her head to look him in the eye. “You know what for. What happened earlier. I shouldn't- it wasn't appropriate, or proper… I- I didn't mean to offend you," she managed, casting her gaze back down at the ground in contrition. “So I wanted to apologise."

Marcus looked at her for a long moment, before he too released a deep sigh. “You don't need to apologise t' me, Zera," he said. “I should have said this earlier. It's just -you and me, we… I'm not…"

“I understand," she interjected, trying not to sound as miserable as she felt. “We only just met. And-"

The human snorted. “Eh, that ain't the issue. I've been with people I only met on the same night before. 'S normal enough here."

Zera frowned. “Wait, h-how many times have you… you…"

“Uhm…" Marcus appeared to actually ponder her unspoken question for a moment. “Six, I'm pretty sure. Six different people, that is. But, uh, I never really had anything long-term with any of them."

“Six!"

He furrowed his brown. “No. Seven, actually. There was that one time -I can't believe I almost forgot- with one girl and another guy-"

The dragoness squeaked with embarrassment. “Two at once? How can you just talk about that so n-normally?"

Marcus shrugged. “Um… it's like I said before. This stuff just ain't a big deal for us. Gender, species, most just don't really give a shit what you do, as long as nobody's getting' hurt. His face darkened as his voice lowered for a moment. “'Though there are some lowlifes out there who ignore that last part."

Zera didn't quite understand the end of his answer, but wasn't going to ask him to repeat it. She still felt rather flustered talking about such matters so openly. It was just the latest in a long list of culture shocks she'd weathered since arriving in the City. But if what Marcus said was true…

“Then," she glanced away, too embarrassed to say it to his face. “Then, why not-"

She shut her maw, unable to finish that sentence, but the human clearly caught her meaning well enough. He fixed her with a firm look.

“That's different. We're different. I'm, uh… we…" he sighed. “It wouldn't be right."

As much as Marcus' words hurt to hear, they did somewhat ease one of her nagging fears. “So… it's not because you don't… like me?"

“What? No," he shook his head, surprised. “As much as you can be a pain in the ass, you're… you're interesting. “But..."

“But?"

“We're both from different worlds," he continued. “We've both got our own lives. Soon enough, you'll do back to yours and I'll go back to mine. An' trust me," he added soberly. “You don't really wanna get involved in mine."

The dragoness slumped back onto the couch. A mixture of shame and disappointment swirled in her chest, and Zera almost wanted to push the matter further. But what was the point? Marcus wasn't interested in her. The improper desire that lingered within her would have to go unfulfilled.

But… perhaps there was something she could get from the human. Zera remembered his warm touch, the way his body felt against her scales during the brief moments in which they'd made contact…

The dragoness wanted to feel that again. Just once more, before she left this place behind forever, so she at least might remember what it felt like to not be alone.

Carefully, Zera raised her head from the couch, noticing that Marcus seemed preoccupied with whatever was on the viewing-screen, evidently content to leave their conversation at that. She stretched inconspicuously, kicking out her hindlegs and extending her neck just far enough to reach the human's lap.

She hesitated for only a moment. It was worth the attempt.

As soon as she laid her chin on Marcus' legs and felt the warmth emanating from his body, he stiffened, the comfortable softness of his thighs turning rigid as he tensed reflexively.

“Zera," he said flatly. The dragoness flicked her eyes up to see the human glaring down at her from above, with a look of mild irritation.

“Mmm?" she offered innocently.

Marcus wasn't having it. “Do you mind?"

“Not really. Do you?"

“Funny," he grumbled. “I don't know if this is your attempt to win me over, but it ain't working."

“My neck was getting sore," she half-lied. “Your couch isn't really big enough for the both of us. This is much more comfortable."

Marcus grunted. “For you, maybe. It sure as hell ain't for me. And I know what you're playin' at. You not listen to a word I said earlier?"

“I did," she huffed. “Can't I just stay here for a bit?"

“Hmm…"

“Please?" Zera offered.

The human was silent for a few breaths. He let out an exasperated sigh, and acquiesced. “Fine. Whatever. Not worth the fuckin' hassle arguin' about it."

Zera felt a smile tug at the corners of her maw, and she held back a hum of satisfaction. Her little victory won, she sucked in a deep breath through her nostrils-

-and barely managed to restrain a reaction as her nose was assailed with Marcus' scent, stronger here than she had ever smelled it before. She had become well used to the human's unique fragrance during the days she'd spent in his home, but with her head resting on his clothed lap it was now powerful enough to cause an instant response from her body. All she could smell, all she could think about was Marcus. The dragoness' heart quickened as she felt a flutter in her chest and that pleasing warmth in her loins blossom anew. If Marcus had been a dragon he would no doubt have noticed her own growing scent, and Zera suddenly found her mind torn between reason and desire… a desire for more.

She recalled the human's words from earlier. He hadn't explicitly turned her down -perhaps all he needed was a little convincing…

Zera knew her rational mind was quickly giving in to irrational wants, but she felt unusually indifferent to that development. Normally so cautious and hesitant, Zera was now filled with the confidence possessed only by a dragoness who knew exactly what she wanted- and what she wanted was right under her nose…

She inhaled again, deeply and deliberately, filling her nose and her mind with the human, the man who had saved her life and treated her so well, who was strong and clever and determined and kind-

What better qualities could a mate possible have?

Moving solely on instinct, Zera followed the scent, and pressed her nose into Marcus' crotch. He immediately flinched, and she felt his gaze boring into her snout.

“What the-!" he started.

A sliver of doubt appeared in her mind, but she cast it out, fully enthralled by her senses. She continued rubbing her snout into the human's groin, and brought a forepaw up to grasp one of his thighs.

Marcus appeared to be in shock. “Zera, what the fuck are you doin'?" he asked, his tone wavering.

“I don't know," she replied, still fixated on her prize. Her other forepaw reached for the gap in his clothing, claws grasping for the top of the human's lower garment in an attempt to remove the annoying obstruction. “What feels right, I suppose."

Just as one of her digits managed to hook around the fabric, Zera felt a powerful force grip and pull on one of her horns, forcefully turning the dragoness' head against her will- though stopping short of hurting her. A glance up revealed that Marcus had used his machine-arm (just how strong was it?) to wrench her snout away from his crotch, and he was staring down at her with a mix of alarm and disbelief written across his features.

“Zera," he began again. “Stop."

Her left forepaw had moved from its position on Marcus' thigh, and found its way to the human's groin, gently kneading it through the fabric.

“I said-"

“Let me see again. Please."

Marcus' eyes were wild. “No, why the fuck would I do that? Why the fuck do you want me t' do that? What's gotten into you? I told ya-"

“You told me 'it wouldn't be right'. Why?" the dragoness questioned honestly. “We're both adults, Marcus. And you didn't actually say that you didn't want to. Just that we shouldn't."

“Have you ever even done this before?"

Zera shrugged her wings. “No. But I have a good enough idea of what to do. And I know that I-" she faltered, her newfound confidence slipping for just a moment. “I want- I want this, Marcus."

The human stared at her for a moment. “Fuckin' hell," he muttered weakly. “I… I don't know where the fuck this all came from. I'm not even a dragon!"

“Well… you said it yourself earlier -that species doesn't matter to your people," she mused, and though Marcus still seemed to be in somewhat of a nervous panic he loosened his grip on her horn. She breathed a small sigh of relief as the tension in her neck relaxed.

“It… that's different, Zera."

“Why?" she asked again, “Because I have four legs and not two?"

He frowned. “It's more than just that, it's…"

“If I were a Two-leg, would you say yes?"

Marcus looked like a trapped animal trying to find an escape, with his eyes darting around and muscles tensed, ready to flee. He met her gaze for a moment, before deflating with a sigh, and glanced away. “Fuckin'… yeah, maybe," he sighed. “But look… it wouldn't be-"

“It wouldn't be right… yes, I remember." Zera felt her heart sink a little. “Is the idea really so… distasteful to you?"

“I- no," he sputtered. “No… alright, fine!" Marcus threw up his arms in exasperation, and broke eye contact. “I admit it, I was a bit… curious… myself. But-"

“Really?" Zera couldn't keep the smile from her maw at hearing such an admission. So, there was a chance?

Marcus scowled deeply, but the gradual reddening of his face told Zera he was becoming flustered once again- just like this morning. “Only 'cause of the way you eyed me up earlier!" he said. “How's a guy supposed to react when he gets looked at that way?"

“Mmm…" the dragoness hummed. “Could you blame me? Besides," she met his gaze again and smiled. “It was only fair."

She began to tug at the human's lower garment again with her forepaw. He froze up, indecision evident in his expression, but he made no move to stop her. “Come on," she said. “Take this thing off."

“Zera…" he warned. Marcus placed a hand on her paw again, but didn't force her away. Instead, he looked her dead in the eyes, and his piercing gaze made her freeze up reflexively. Zera suddenly felt a tinge of worry. Had she pushed this too far?

However, his look wasn't one of ire. The human bore a rather curious expression: concern.

“Zera," he began. “Why… this, all of a sudden? I mean, shit… barely over a week ago I had a fuckin' gun to your head." Conflict and confusion played across his face. “Why me? Why now?"

The dragoness felt herself hesitate. It hardly seemed worthwhile being embarrassed now, with her snout nearly touching Marcus' groin, but still there was that lingering uncertainty…

“That night…" Zera said. “When you saw me… you know…"

The human sighed. “Yeah, I know. Look, I really didn't mean to. I don't want you gettin' the wrong idea-"

“No." She interjected, causing Marcus to look down at her in surprise. “I believe you. What I mean, is… I keep thinking about it. It's still embarrassing, but at the same time…" Zera glanced away, feeling suddenly self-conscious again.

“…it's exciting."

The human ran a hand through the short black fur on his head and blew out a breath. “I… shit, I was not expectin' that."

“Well, it's true," Zera managed, trying to force back some confidence into her tone.

Marcus laughed awkwardly. “Well, fuck. Guess that explains all this shit then… have to say, I didn't take you for an exhibitionist."

She frowned. “A what?"

“Y'know, like… ah, never mind. You wouldn't get it."

“Did you-" Zera paused to swallow down the building nerves, “Did you, um… like watching?"

Once again, the human looked as if he had been struck. “Fuck… this is some crazy shit, Zera. I'm not even a dragon!"

“You said that already," she remarked. “And I don't care."

Marcus seemed to struggle to find his words. “But… why me?" All of a sudden he looked more serious. “Zera… you don't know me."

The dragoness craned her neck up from where she lay to meet him at eye level, and the human faltered as he tried to continue.

“I know that you saved my life." Zera leant forwards, her snout almost touching Marcus' face. “I know that you've done more for me than I ever deserved."

“I… I didn't-"

“I know I won't be here much longer," she interrupted, and Marcus shut his mouth again. “And I want to try this, while we still have the chance. I mean… if you do as well."

Zera waited for his answer for what seemed like an age. Eventually, he sucked in a breath through clenched teeth, and his shoulders slackened. “If anyone ever found out about this…"

She cocked her head at him. “Who's going to know?"

Marcus nodded slightly. “Yeah… fair enough. But- look, I still don't know if it's a good idea…"

She thought for a moment. “You told me the Two-legs don't always mate for life, yes?"

“Uh, yeah, I guess so. But you said that dragons do?" the human asked. “So I don't want you thinkin', y'know…"

Zera allowed herself a small smile. “According to my mother, at least. Despite my own father leaving her before I even hatched. So," she added dryly, “I find myself questioning how true that idea really is."

Marcus grinned too, a little awkwardly. “Okay. Good point."

“Then…" she began, feeling her chest flutter at the idea that this might really be about to happen. The dragoness partially leaned her weight onto Marcus, and now he didn't try to push her off. Encouraged, she returned a paw to his groin, tugging at the annoying fabric once more.

“Will you… help me with this?"

Zera felt a twitch below her paw in response, a subtle pressure that wasn't there before, and noticed Marcus's expression shift. After a moment, he wordlessly reached down and began undoing the fastening holding the garment in place. She shifted back a little to give him room, and watched in anticipation as the human awkwardly worked his legs out of the clothing, still seated beside her as he did so.

Much to the dragoness' disappointment, however, there was another piece of fabric underneath -through which she noticed an obvious bulge centred on Marcus' crotch. Her breathing grew heavier, and for a painful moment Zera thought he would stop there. Then, he reached down and pulled off the garment with one fluid motion, finally letting her see her prize.

Zera's eyes widened. Marcus' member was no longer the soft, floppy organ she'd seen earlier. Now it seemed to have grown to almost twice that size- thicker and lengthier, and jutting out at an angle to the floor rather than pointing down at it.

Before the human could stop her, Zera pounced forward again, pinning him back against the couch with one paw as she planted the other firmly across his thigh.

He jerked in surprise. “Zera! Watch it, you'll-"

The dragoness shoved her maw towards his length, and flicked her tongue over it almost instinctively. Marcus' words died in his mouth as the dragoness was overcome with that scent, that taste… she wanted more, she needed more!

Zera inhaled deeply, then stuck out the rest of her sinuous tongue and dragged it slowly along Marcus' shaft, all the way from base to tip. The human muttered something inaudible, but didn't move to stop her. As she continued on it swelled even more, getting stiffer the more she licked and pressed at it with her snout, sending her mind awash with lewd thoughts and her loins aflame with a fiery need…

After another long lick, Zera hesitated briefly before opening her maw around his length, taking just the rounded tip past her lips and cradling it with her tongue. Marcus inhaled sharply, and she felt his hand on her muzzle once more. Glancing up, Zera met his gaze with an imploring look. The human's mouth moved silently for a moment as he seemed lost for words.

Finally, a nod. “Jus'… watch the teeth…" he mumbled weakly.

The dragoness would have smiled if her mouth was not otherwise occupied. Her head heavy with lust, Zera resumed working her tongue over Marcus' now fully stiff member. She didn't exactly know what she was doing, guided only by instinct and desire, but her actions were clearly having an effect on the human. Her companion seemed to be finally letting go of his hesitation just as she had, giving in to that same need she felt so keenly now.

Marcus' length throbbed and twitched under her ministrations, his hand still resting gently against her snout as he breathed heavily, and yet Zera felt her own frustrations grow ever more unfulfilled. She still needed more than this. Her vent was soaked now, and the dragoness could feel moisture leaking down her inner thighs onto the human's couch below- though she was far too absorbed in the moment to care about that. Now, she just wanted to have that burning need allayed, and only one thing would do that for her…

Reluctantly, Zera pulled back from Marcus, licking up strands of moisture that connected them and savouring the taste of her human. He looked at her quizzically, and with a noticeable disappointment in his features that the dragoness relished seeing. He was enjoying this.

“…somethin' wrong?" he asked. “We don't gotta do this if you don't want-"

“No," she panted. “No, Marcus, I… I want more."

Understanding flashed in his eyes, and he nodded. “Yeah. You wanna, uh," Marcus twirled a finger in her direction, and Zera took the hint. Excitement blossomed in her chest at the prospect of what was to come, as she stepped down off the couch and turned to reposition herself with her head facing away from Marcus, before climbing back up and lying on her side.

Now looking back down at the human along the length of her body, Zera saw him removing the final piece of clothing which had covered his top half, exposing his scarred chest to her. The dragoness' eyes traced his now fully naked body, noting the strength evident in his lean form, and she huffed in approval. Oh, how she wanted to feel that skin against her scales…

“You know, you never answered my question," Zera said, her gaze flicking up to meet Marcus' own as he made to clamber back up onto the couch- onto her.

Marcus paused, and cocked an eyebrow quizzically. “Question? What question?"

Slowly and deliberately, the dragoness rolled fully onto her back, leaving one wing tucked against the back of the couch while the other sprawled onto the floor. She spread her hind legs wide, fully exposing herself to the human -whose attention was quickly drawn from her face to her sex. He said nothing, but swallowed hard, and Zera could have sworn she saw his member twitch in response.

“I asked…" Zera began, gently tugging at Marcus' ankle with her tail, “…if you enjoyed watching me that night." She looked him in the eye, plying for an answer.

The human faltered. “I don't… it wasn't… shouldn'ta happened like that…"

“Hmm…" the dragoness mused. It seemed he still felt bad about that particular incident, even if she'd rather come around to the whole thing...

Spreading her legs wider, and nodding in the direction of her exposed nethers, she tried again. “Then… what about now?"

Marcus took in the view, sucking in a breath. Slowly, he nodded, a sly smile finding its way onto his features. “Yeah," he admitted. “I guess I do."

A little shiver went up Zera's spine at his words, along with another flutter in her chest. “S-so… would you like a closer look?"

The human didn't verbalise a response. Instead, Zera got her answer when Marcus climbed up on the couch with her, the object in question creaking in protest under their combined weight once more. The dragoness did her best to keep her cool when he moved to straddle her tail, kneeling with one leg on either side of it and placing his right hand on her haunch for balance. Marcus' attention was fully focused on her soaked loins, Zera's nerves doing little to deter her growing excitement.

Though, his gaze was lingering for quite a while...

An uneasy thought crossed her mind, and the dragoness felt some hesitation creep back in.

“Is… is it different? From what you are used to, I mean…"

Marcus glanced up to meet her uncertain gaze, then back down at her sex. He let out a brief chuckle, with a look that reassured Zera that all was well.

“Not that different," he grinned. Drawing a gasp from the dragoness, he moved his other hand down to gently touch the scales just above her vent. “Yeah… I can work with this."

Leaning forward some more, the human began to trace his fingers around her entrance, the feeling of his light touch sending little tingles up her spine and causing Zera to tense up reflexively. Her heart was hammering in her chest now, the expectation of what was to come nearly too much for the dragoness to take.

Marcus paused just before he reached the point where the brown scales of her underbelly parted, giving way to the puffy pink flesh of her sex. Zera held her breath as she watched the human pause, glancing up again as if anticipating some sort of objection from her. When she gave none, he continued, his agile fingers soon moving to rub softly on the lips of her entrance, surely getting soaked by her fluids in the process.

The feeling of Marcus' touch on her sex was electrifying, and when he suddenly slipped one of those fingers inside Zera audibly hissed in pleasure. She felt her tunnel clench reflexively as the human pulled back, withdrawing the digit only to add another as he pushed back in. He repeated the motion a few more times, though as enjoyable as the stimulation was Zera found it was only whetting her appetite for something altogether more substantial.

“S-stop," she managed, and to his credit Marcus immediately removed his hand, looking back up at her with some concern.

“You alright?" he asked. “This ain't too much, is it? We… we can just stop now, I mean-"

“No!" Zera exclaimed, perhaps more forcefully than she'd intended. Looking down between her legs to where the human straddled her tail, she could see his still-hard length jutting out in front of him. The dragoness licked her lips. “No, Marcus, I… I think I'm ready enough." She met his gaze, two sets of blue eyes connecting with each other. “I need you," Zera motioned with her snout towards the human's crotch, “inside me."

Marcus took in a sharp breath, and raised his eyebrows. “Shit, alright…straight to the point, huh?"

Had her mind not been clouded by lust, Zera might have worried she was moving things too fast for the human. As it was, the dragoness could only feel elated when he shuffled up to reposition himself, Marcus now straddling her tailbase with his thighs resting against her haunches. His shaft hung teasingly above her sex, and after just a moment of hesitation he guided himself down, pressing the head of his length against the wet heat of her entrance.

Zera gasped as he made contact, but instead of pushing straight in Marcus began to slowly drag his shaft back and forth, smearing it in her juices and coaxing a shudder from the dragoness. Though the human was clearly not immune to such teasing either, as he let out a quiet grunt and his length twitched needily as it slid between the lips of her sex.

Finally, he stopped again, angling himself downwards and looking back up at Zera expectantly. The tip of his length was pressed firmly against her opening, threatening to slip inside at any moment should the human relax his stance even a little.

“You sure about this?" he questioned, the tell-tale hints of uncertainty still evident on his face. “Not too late to turn back, y'know?"

Zera, however, harboured no such doubts any longer. “Yes… Gods, Marcus, hurry up and put it in before I come to my senses…"

He only nodded in response and, using a hand to help guide himself, pressed the head of his shaft slowly into the slick folds of her sex. Zera heard Marcus groan as her own breath was stolen from her, feeling the human gradually push into her waiting insides, assisted by the copious amount of fluids leaking from her entrance. She watched him slowly sink into her with wide eyes, revelling in the feeling of being spread open by his length. It felt so different than what she'd experienced before -while Marcus may not quite have had the reach of her tail, his shaft was thicker and of a more even girth than her tapered limb, spreading Zera more thoroughly than she could have imagined in a way that made her toes curl with delight.

As the dragoness felt her human continue sliding into her warm, tight depths, she threw her head back and let out a deep, shuddering breath, basking in the sensations. All her previous worries and problems melted away, and right now Zera couldn't have cared about anything else in the world…

***

What the fuck was he doing?

He had stuck to his guns, he'd been in control of the situation! He…

He…

…currently had his dick buried in halfway into the hottest, wettest embrace it had ever experienced, and frankly there was no way in hell he could make himself stop now.

Marcus watched himself sink deeper with bated breath, Zera's insides giving just the right amount of resistance as his shaft met soft ridges and bumps which coaxed little jolts of pleasure from the human every time he hit one. The warmth was just extraordinary, and idly he wondered how much higher a dragon's body temperature was than his own.

It wasn't long before Marcus had hilted himself to the base, his almost painfully hard cock completely enveloped in the velvety embrace of Zera's walls. He savoured the moment, feeling the little periodic squeezes of her muscles pulse in time with the needy throbbing of his length. It was an incredibly good fit, despite their species difference and Zera's slightly larger size, her grip wonderfully tight yet never crushingly so.

Fuck… why had he ever hesitated?

Zera, who until now had been all but collapsed with her snout resting upside-down on the couch, finally rose from her stupor once again. The dragon lifted her head and blinked slowly, looking down at their connected hips with a sort of bemused awe.

“… you good?" Marcus asked.

Zera breathed a shuddering exhale, still staring down at between her legs. “More than good," she murmured. “Wow… this is really happening, isn't it?"

Her words brought Marcus somewhat back to reality again. He looked down again himself, seeing the pink lips of Zera's entrance spread open around the base of his cock, both her scales and his skin absolutely soaked in the dragon's juices.

“Yeah," he said. “I guess it is…." It was still a little surreal to the human, how quickly things had escalated, yet in the back of his mind Marcus knew he'd been more than happy to let it happen. Oh, sure, he'd put up a token resistance. Even almost convinced himself that he wasn't interested.

But right now, buried balls-deep inside the best pussy he'd ever felt, Marcus didn't regret a thing. From the looks of it, neither did Zera. Hell, she'd practically begged him for it -how often did a guy get to experience that?

“So," the dragon below him panted, “a-are you just going to sit there?"

The human shot her a look, finding Zera staring right back with a breathless, almost daring grin on her muzzle. “Since when were you the expert?" he grumbled. “And for the record-" Marcus pulled back, causing them both to groan quietly as Zera's walls clenched around his retreating shaft, creating a wonderful friction despite their slickness, “-no, I'm -ngh- not!"

Wasting no time, he dove right back in, bottoming out again with a wet squelch and drawing a little noise of surprise from the dragon. Despite how much the human almost wanted to just stay still and savour the wonderful hug of her internal muscles around his dick, Marcus forced himself to keep moving, fighting Zera's quivering grip as he slipped back out again.

They settled into slow, steady rhythm, Marcus half-kneeling over Zera's lower body as he pumped back and forth into that slick tightness. The human had been with a few different species in the past, but this was unlike any experience he'd had before. The dragon was so hot inside, her walls so textured yet soft, and she was so wet that he was sure they were already making a huge mess of the couch.

Not that he cared in the slightest.

The feeling of scales pressing and rubbing against him was different from fur or skin. The tiny little plates covering Zera were hard and smooth, but surprisingly pliable in places, especially on her inner thighs and around her groin area. Further up her body, he noted the brown scales of her underbelly looked larger and thicker, almost like a layer of natural armour protecting her.

For perhaps the first time since they met, Marcus found himself properly taking in the details of the dragon's exotic form, sprawled out before him as he moved with slow but deliberate strokes. Her rear legs were spread open to give him access, and as he held onto one of her haunches for balance he could feel the strength of the underlying muscle. So too with her tail, which twitched and flicked from side to side beneath him with every thrust, despite Marcus' best efforts to clamp it steady between his knees. Zera held both her forepaws over her chest as she lay on her back, and the human noted the little nubs on the end of her toes, the dragon's claws conspicuously absent -were they retractable? He hadn't really noticed before.

Zera's wings were laid out haphazardly underneath her, one tucked to the side while the other rested across the floor. Like her tail, they tensed and twitched every time he pushed into her, as their bodies rocked gently against each other.

Two sky-blue eyes watched Marcus intently from behind her scaled snout, half-lidded with pleasure but still totally focused on him. The dragon's maw hung ajar as she huffed deep, heavy breaths, her expression somewhere between excitement and disbelief. Clearly he wasn't the only one still a little in awe of this turn of events.

Though, the human knew his current pace wouldn't be enough to properly satisfy either of them. In fact, it was starting to feel almost teasingly slow. Zera apparently felt it too.

“Marcus…" she began, as if reading his mind. “Do… do you think you -hah- could… f-faster?"

He grunted in assent. “Yeah, lemme just…"

Still buried inside her, Marcus carefully leaned forward into a more prone posture, resting his weight against the dragon's scaled underbelly and propping himself up on the couch with his stronger right arm. He gripped Zera's shoulder with his other hand for leverage, the new position making it easy for him to resume thrusting faster and deeper than before, driving his length into her waiting depths with renewed purpose as he built up to a much more enjoyable pace.

Her body was a little longer than his own, such that Marcus' head just reached as far as the dragon's neck. He could feel Zera's panting from here, causing him to look up and meet her gaze again. Her snout was just inches in front of his face, the human able to discern individual scales with his enhanced eyesight, noting how the light played and shimmered across their surfaces with every movement.

Their change in pace had helped things along considerably, the increased friction between Marcus' shaft and Zera's gripping, ridged walls upping the pleasure for both of them. The wet slapping of flesh against flesh mixed with their huffing and groaning, the unmistakable sound of sex filling the room as they fucked in earnest. Marcus slowly lost himself in the feeling. There was no human and dragon anymore, no hesitation or moral debate, just two people enjoying each other's bodies without a care for the consequences.

He gazed into her eyes again. Right about now, he would usually… but how would that even work?

Fuck it.

Moving his hand from her shoulder, Marcus placed it on the side of Zera's snout and pulled her gently towards him until their mouths connected. His soft lips pressed against her scaly ones, and although the dragon seemed to not understand the gesture, when he slipped his tongue inside her maw she didn't protest or try to stop. In fact, after a moment of apparent confusion she quickly melted into the unusual kiss, meeting Marcus' probing tongue with her own.

He'd briefly worried that the taste might be, well, less than pleasant considering dragons didn't have toothbrushes (at least, he was pretty sure of that). On the contrary, it was fine, actually surprisingly fresh and… minty?

Marcus stopped mid thrust and pulled his head back, frowning at Zera.

“Is.. is that my fuckin' mouthwash?"

Zera's ears flicked back and she looked sheepishly back up at him. “Uhm… maybe?"

The human stared at her for a long moment.

“…why?"

“Well, I've seen you drinking that pink stuff in the mornings… and you always smelt really nice afterwards, so…" she trailed off, somehow managing to look shockingly innocent despite their current position.

“How the fuck did you even open it?" he asked in disbelief. “And… you ain't' supposed to drink it…"

The dragon seemed a little taken aback. “Oh. That does make more sense… but," Zera huffed, tensing around Marcus' half-hilted cock and drawing a surprised grunt from him, “c-can we keep going now? It was just getting really good…"

“Fine,", Marcus grumbled, pulling back out nearly to his tip. “But you and I are gonna have words after this."

Driving home again, the human revelled in the shuddering moan he coaxed out of Zera, though he couldn't exactly keep quiet himself as her warm folds enveloped him once more. Quickly building back up to a steady rhythm, Marcus wondered if that attempted kiss was a little too far. The moment sufficiently ruined, he didn't exactly feel like trying again. Besides, that was blurring the lines towards emotion a little too much for him. This was just sex, after all.

But it was damn good sex.

The smoothness of her scales, the softness of her insides. Her restless tail and quivering wings. That strong, powerful body hidden underneath a mosaic of iridescent green and rich, mahogany brown. Maybe she wasn't attractive in the conventional way, but Marcus nevertheless found himself drinking in every detail of the dragon's unfamiliar form as he started to thrust even harder.

Though, after such a long period of abstinence, he knew his stamina wouldn't last forever. Already, the squeezing and rubbing of ridged muscles over his dick had his breathing ragged, and he felt that too-familiar tension slowly but surely building in his groin. But Marcus wasn't going to let himself finish before Zera was satisfied. In fact, he doubted she'd let him stop until she was…

Right now her eyes were closed, the dragon reduced to breathless panting and little whimpers which told Marcus she was probably not far off herself. He started taking longer strokes, drawing himself almost all the way out with every thrust before hilting himself in smooth quick motions, trying to make every inch count. It seemed to be working- at least, from what he could tell, Zera's unique body language making things a little difficult for the human.

Unfortunately, Marcus' own peak was now approaching faster than ever thanks to his actions. He grunted softly as he felt a little squirt of pre escape from his cock, a sure warning that he didn't have long left before an explosive finish.

“Uh…" he managed between heavy breaths, “I'm… I'm not gonna last forever, Zera."

Her eyes still closed, the dragon spoke through gritted teeth. “J-just a little longer," she all but demanded. “That's p-perfect, please, just don't s-slow down!"

As much as Marcus didn't want to let her down, he knew if he kept up this pace much longer it would be game over for him. His balls were already tensing, pressure building at the base of his shaft, the feeling of repeatedly pushing through Zera's hot, soaking wet insides proving just too much for his body to resist.

Fuck… he was going to cum so fucking hard.

But all was not lost. The human had one last trick up his sleeve, one which he'd used before and which he hoped would now as well as it had then. Balancing with his right arm on the couch, Marcus removed his left from Zera's shoulder and snaked it down her body, reaching down to where their hips met at her groin. As he felt around just above her entrance for the little pink nub he'd noticed earlier, something he was glad to know dragons also had, he did his best to keep up their rhythm, fingers brushing over her spread lips even as he repeatedly thrust between them.

Finally, he felt that unmistakable bump at the top of her slit, and judging from how Zera moaned when he made contact Marcus knew he'd found his prize. Gently but firmly he pressed down, moving his index and middle finger over her clit in circles, and nearly lost his balance when the dragon quickly worked up into a frenzy underneath him. Zera's eyes shot open and her whole form shook, her tail wriggling beneath him like a snake as her wings fluttered frantically. More importantly to the human, he felt her tunnel quiver and clench around his driving shaft, a good sign that she was only moments away from finishing.

“Oh, gods!" Zera cried. “M-Marcus, that's- you're-"

She never got the rest of that sentence out. Marcus kept up his motions as much as he was able to, until he felt the grip of two paws on his back, Zera pulling him tight against her scales as her entire body tensed beneath and around him. He managed a few more thrusts and a few rubs with his fingers before the dragon well and truly peaked, and he could only try to hold on for the ride.

Zera squealed as she came, wrapping her forepaws around Marcus as she pressed his body into hers, her wings snapping out straight and sending something clattering to the ground nearby. Vaguely the human was aware of a sharp pricking sensation on his back, reminiscent of claws on skin, but right now the only feeling Marcus cared about was the rippling spasms of Zera's walls as they clamped down hard on his dick. That texture, that heat, it just was more than he could take, and now that he wasn't racing to finish off Zera he could finally let himself tip over that edge along with her.

The human forced a few more weak thrusts before driving himself balls-deep one final time, the built-up pressure in his shaft finally exploding out as he came harder than ever before. Marcus' vision blurred and he let out a rather embarrassing noise, sinking into the dragon's embrace as he shot spurt after spurt deep inside her, his cock being practically milked dry by her rhythmically clenching muscles in a way that he'd never imagined was possible.

Zera gasped as he came inside her folds, and held him tighter. For a while, time ceased to have any meaning, their bodies quaking and convulsing against each other as they both wound down from that blissful high. The euphoric fogginess clouding Marcus' mind took some time to clear, but eventually he found himself staring at the side of the couch, head resting where Zera's collarbone would be as she panted quietly in the afterglow. He heard her strong heartbeat gradually slowing back to normal, and the human almost didn't want to move from where he lay.

But, against tired and protesting muscles, Marcus pushed himself up, his softening length still inside Zera as he met her gaze. The dragon's tongue was half-out of her maw, and she looked at him through half-lidded eyes, appearing as contented as he'd ever seen her.

“Marcus…" she trailed off. Zera's tone told him more than any words could.

The human huffed a sound that might have been a chuckle if he'd not been so out of breath.

“Alright… s'pose you can stay here a little longer…"