Not All Men Are Wolves (Chapter 4)
Chapter 4: Forms of Passion
You often forget how much time it takes to get comfortable in a bed that's made for two people. Shifting my body and moving my limbs to accompany his felt like it was being done every hour of the night. Tristan didn't wake up most of the time but his arms did often tighten around my admittedly smaller frame. Instead of having an alarm wake us up, Tristan woke up by having to save me from rolling off of the bed. I turned to the wrong side and forgot how much space I really had, letting gravity take me until a dragon's arms intervened.
"Never thought I'd need to save you this quickly." He groaned, still adorning tired eyes.
I wrapped my arms around him and decided to pull him down onto the floor. His eyes widened as he slipped off the bed and fell onto me. His weight was more than I anticipated and ended up pushing the air out of my lungs. With desperation apparent, I was still able to breathe and tried my hardest to give off a playful smile. He raised his head from my shoulder and rolled his eyes.
"Am I supposed to expect this from you from now on?"
"If you don't mind it, then yes."
He chuckled and pulled me off of the floor. "Well sunshine, let's get ready for work. But first, let me shower."
I wanted to respond but I wondered if what I wanted to do at that moment was appropriate for this time. I nodded and watched him walk off towards the bathroom. He turned around and smiled at me. "It looks like you want to say something."
"Oh, no, no. Don't worry; I'm just trying to wake up. I need to make a phone call."
"Whatever you say." He winked at me and closed the door. I know he accepted me with caring arms last night but I don't want to rush things. I'm told that being casual about stuff like this, even in a committed relationship can ruin the bond and special quality very quickly. Considering how things have been with the last four boyfriends, I'm guessing that can be true. While thinking of them, my mind just rushed with the list of things that went wrong and what ended the relationship. First one got bored of me and left for someone else, second said he was just experimenting and felt that he might have been wrong about his sexuality. Third one just left without telling me where he was going and why, and the final one is my landlord.
Part of me was happy that Tristan didn't walk me to my room that one night. Who knows what kind of impression the landlord could have left on him if he was going through another drunken tangent. If he mentioned our history, I'm afraid that Tristan would think of me in a negative way. Am I overthinking things? Germaine always said that I did but at least I'm considerate of the possibilities?
Tristan emerged from the shower with a towel around his waist, giving me a quick glance before closing his bedroom door and emerging in a tank top and jeans. My companion held out his hand and I placed mine in his without knowing why. Suddenly I was pulled close to him and his lips locked with mine while his arms wrapped around my lower back. Our tails brushed against each other, becoming rougher as the kiss went on. No tongue or second kiss enacted, just one long lock of the lips as the warm embrace intensified until he released my lips with a loud noise.
Without realizing it, we were in the bathroom, where the dragon proceeded to smile and shut the door on me. "Enjoy your shower!" Did my boyfriend of one day just tease me? Geez, what a start to our first morning together.
Scanning the shower, an immediate problem came to mind. Tristan doesn't have fur...or hair, which means there's no shampoo. What the hell am I going to do then? A knock came at the door, and Tristan popped his head in with a few bottles of what I needed, stating that he kept these around just in case. I thanked him and nodded my head but grew apprehensive: was this a regular thing? Am I just another guest, or a string of people he likes to bring home? No, no, don't be stupid, you're overreacting. He's a dragon, of course he's a little different than others, so he prepares in case someone like me came over. Even with those thoughts to comfort me, I can't help but think that I am too lucky right now to have him to myself. I have to try my best to make him feel lucky as well.
Lathering the shampoo all over my body, making sure to get every possible snarl out and hoping to whatever may reside in the clouds that this shampoo doesn't somehow make my fur look extremely poofy or laughably flat. Time will tell as it dries at the coffee table.
"Thank you for the shampoo, as well as the cuddles last night..." I timidly said as we sat down, ready for work again.
"No need to thank me." He responded, his smile less mischievous. "I wanted you to enjoy your stay at the house of Amana."
"Hehe, well you've been a very good host so far."
"I'm glad." He ruffled the fur on top of my head, before proceeding to the dull white papers once more. I'm not a pup, but I certainly wouldn't have minded if he kept ruffling.
The rate at which we sorted through the papers was noticeably slower than yesterday. We had 300 to do from last night but I think our progress was halted by Tristan and I trading glances with each other every so often. Most of the time, it happened while the other wasn't looking and when I tried to call Tristan out on it for fun, he'd deny it and say I need to pick up the pace. To the surprise of no one, I wasn't exactly great at taking that order as I looked affectionately as the multicolored dragon: dark blue accompanying most of his form and black adorning the skin on his chest, stomach and legs. Makes me wish I could observe all that color again and rest in his bed again.
After 2 hours, the papers were finally done and ready to be sent out. A violent knocking came at Tristan's door while he was in the kitchen making French toast. I called to him, saying I would get the door and opened it to find a tall bear with a much smaller cub beside him.
"Hello sir, how can I help you?" I said, honestly intimidated by his size. I'm sure I've only maybe two bears in my life and they were both security guards.
"I trust it that you are Mr. Amana." He responded, staring at me without blinking.
"No, I'm Leon and I'm his assistant at the moment. Mr. Amana is in the kitchen."
"Very well then." He said. "This won't take very long."
"Is this in reference to school activities?"
"Yes, about the field trip to Gaia." He motioned his hand to the cub. "This is Sophia, and she really wants to go. Her mother isn't very keen on the event but I believe she should be able to go. I just can't let her mother know."
"So do you want a flyer to sign and bring her along?"
"Actually, I was thinking of being a chaperone to this whole thing. To make sure things go well and I know you two must have a hard time managing this by yourselves."
"Well you wouldn't be wrong." Tristan said from behind me. "We would love to have your help Mr. Grady."
"Thank you, do you have anything for me to do at the moment?"
"We actually have the forms and letters done, so if you could just mail them for us, that'd be enough." Tristan handed Mr. Grady the huge bag of paper and sent the bear on his way. Sophia seemed to be smiling the entire time that she was walking out of Tristan's driveway.
"You know him?" I asked, feeling Tristan's arms wrapping around my frame from behind.
"He was one of the first people to greet me when I moved here. His wife was raised by some pretty nasty people but she never struck me as a bad person."
"You didn't originally live here? Why did you move in such a homophobic place?"
"It's complicated." He said, hugging me tighter.
"Then explain it to me like I'm five."
He scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Had a girlfriend here, moved to help her out. Didn't work out but was able to land a job here that paid well so I stuck around."
"Gotcha." I replied. "And Mr. Grady greeted you when you first came in?"
"Yep. Despite how scary he can look, that grizzly wouldn't harm a fly in front of his daughter. He actually came down to the school fairly often to talk to me because he wanted to make sure that what his daughter was saying about her classes and school environment were true. Very proactive for a parent."
While I was listening to his description of Mr. Grady, I couldn't help but feel more focused on melting into his embrace. On a whim, I turned around and hugged him tightly, prompting him to gasp before laughing a tiny bit. I went a step further and lifted him up into the air, making Tristan ask what the hell I was doing before putting him down. A goofy smile spread on my face and Tristan giggled while fixing his ruffled shirt.
"Is this just going to be a regular thing?" He said, smiling at me.
"What can I say, I find you very huggable." I responded, trying to quell the toothy smile.
He seemed to blush at me saying that. I guess most dragons aren't used to that comment because most of them have spikes on their spine. Some have retracting spikes that will only come out when aroused or emotionally stimulated. Tristan's spikes seemed to be pretty tiny from what I could tell, so I didn't feel my arms get pricked while embracing his admittedly large frame. He gave me a peck on the cheek and motioned me back to the table where the busywork continued.
Two cups of coffee down with some random muffins left in Tristan's kitchen later, we were finally done with all of the letters and slips. My companion almost looked dead inside from all of the paperwork.
"I'm guessing this is why you're a gym teacher and not someone who grades papers." I said jokingly.
He chuckled and pushed himself off the table in order to hug me again from behind. "Thanks for all of the help today."
"My pleasure, hun." I replied, placing my hands onto his arms.
"Giving nicknames already?" He chuckled. "You're going way too fast for me."
"Whatever you say, babe."
"Oh my god, so scandalous and speedy!" His voice exaggerated and higher in pitch, pretending to swoon over my back.
"Ok, Mr. Dramatic." Rolling my eyes and standing up to face him. "Are you going to be all set without me for a few days?" I had to work tomorrow but I really didn't want to leave at all. I could feel myself resisting my hand's desire to hold his. I felt euphoria just by knowing that I'm now with this handsome dragon I only met a few days ago, but also felt stupid because of how nonsensically I might be acting.
"Of course I will." He responded, still showing off the snark. "But I will definitely call you tomorrow. I have a meeting until six at the school."
"Glad to hear it." I said, welcoming his hug as he held out his arms. "You do your best and hang in there. Don't let them get under you scales."
He pulled me close and kissed me on the cheek. "I'm a dragon; I don't think anyone can get under my scales just by throwing insults at me."
I smiled and kissed him on the lips, tightening my grip around him as his grip tightened around me. "Can I ask you a question?"
"Of course."
I felt my shoulders sink as I thought of whether I really should ask him this so soon. I was about to speak but the words failed to form. I tried again but Tristan put his finger on my lips, silencing them.
"Don't worry Leon. You're doing fine, and you're not going too fast for me. A kiss is a minor thing compared to all of the things that might come. I'm just glad I can have someone to endure this task with me while also having someone to adore and hold." The smile on his face, and the gleaning light in his eyes somehow assured me that I'll be ok. I nodded my head and gave him one more kiss before leaving for the night.
It was only eight o'clock by the time I got back to my apartment, and that didn't stop the streets from being lit up as always despite the sun not being completely down. It was a rave every day in this town, the purples, blues and more became more commonplace than any other civilization I've ever seen.
Reaching my apartment on the fifth floor, I realized something was a bit odd since it hasn't happened in quite a long time. There was no sound reverberating from the upper floors. I guess Damien isn't in tonight.
I grabbed my music player and hit shuffle, letting the eclectic mix of songs distract me enough to make going to the laundry room in a few minutes slightly stimulating. Even if I try to leave the shuffled playlist to itself, I feel the urge to hit the next button every once in a while even if I didn't have any preference towards one song or another before hitting the shuffle button. The problems of a spoiled pup with modern technology. I walked down the slightly dim hallways of my apartment building, striving towards the elevator down to the 1stfloor, walking into the room of five washers and driers and then marching back to my room to wait for the next cycle four times. The amount of time transpired made the clock strike ten.
I was just about done folding my clothes before five knocks came upon my door. I wondered to myself aloud who that could have been at this time. Before I could even reach the doorknob though, the visitor opened the door himself. Damien was standing in my doorway with a clipboard and pencil in his paws.
"You could have waited for me to open the door." I said, displeased at his intrusion.
"I'm the landlord. Plus, you've invited me in here before." He responded, a toothy smile present.
"That was different and you know it. What is it that you want? I'm heading to bed soon."
"Ohh," He responded, wagging one of his fingers at me. "Being fresh are we? I just wanted to invite you back to my room. See if we can't patch things up."
If I took a few steps forward, I could possibly slam the door in his face. "I'm sorry," No I'm not. "But I already gave you a chance and I'm not interested in trying again."
That toothy smile disappeared as his face produced a scowl. He stepped into my apartment and closed the door behind him. "You're living in my domain, and I suggest you behave yourself. Know your place."
"I don't owe you anything." Slamming my foot to the ground, filling my chest with air and trying to get in his face. "And you can't threaten me."
I could imagine his teeth grinding at my retort before he bellowed out. "It's that freaking dragon now, isn't it? Is that how it is?"
I felt the color drain from my face. He knew about Tristan so who knows what he might try to do to separate us. I still had to stand my ground though, because I wasn't going to let him try to control me.
"And what of it?" I barked. "I found someone who actually cares for me. So get out of my suite, I'll give you the payment next week and we can forget this childish incident ever happened!"
He tried to respond but stopped before the words could come out, stomping out the door and slamming it shut.