I woke up to the smell of blueberry pancakes, and the gentle purr of a cat sleeping against my back. Squinting a single eye open, I saw the room was softly lit with a couple candles, and the doorway was open. The soft clatter of pans settling in the kitchen, just as I pushed myself up into a sitting position. The gentle click of claws followed moments later, and I saw Drolter coming through the doorway carrying a tray.

“Oh! You’re awake,” a small smile spread on his face.

“Hey,” my voice slightly rough from sleep.

“You feeling okay? Snappy decided to pop in cause she sensed you needing comfort,” he said nodding to the sleeping cat.

“Yeah I’m still good,” I said as he laid the tray out in front of me, before crawling over and sitting next to me.

“Just making sure, love,” he said nuzzling my neck.

I leaned in, nuzzling him back, before turning to the pancakes. Slicing a piece with my fork, and popping it into my mouth, and enjoyed the slight sour and sweet taste.

“This is good Drolter,” I said turning to him and seeing him anxiously looking at me. “…what?”

“You like it?”

“I just said I did,” I chuckled. “Are you okay?”

“Me? I’m fine I—” he must of seen the doubt on my face cause he sighed, scratching the back of his neck before slumping slightly. “I still feel bad.”

“Drolter…” I scooched a bit closer to him, wrapping my arms around his torso. “I’m fine, you had no idea and no control over it. Besides, I liked it like I’ve told you.”

“But it’s sunk in now that this could potentially happen every month,” he said placing a clawed hand on the top of my head and stroking it.

“We’ll figure it out then won’t we?”

“We will, and I’ll make an investment into some healing potions,” he said sliding the tray towards us as I snorted. 

I glanced over at him and felt the gentle purr of Snappy, and felt her stand and stretch.

“See? All good,” I said looking at her.

She eyed me carefully, before rubbing herself against me and then poofing away.

I turned back to the pancakes, slicing, and eating some. Enjoying the silence and warmth of sitting with Drolter eating the food he made us.

“I still want to take a look at you when we’re done eating. I barely got a look cause of how panicked I was last night.”

“Fair enough,” I said popping the last bite into my mouth. “Have at me hot stuff!”

His cheeks instantly bloomed like fresh clover, “Ephie please.”

“I only speak truth,” I shrugged, pulling off the shirt so he could see my bare chest and arms. The scratches and bites ached a bit from the movement, and I could definitely see some bruising.

He hissed, his eyes narrowing. He reached out a hand, a claw delicately tracing over what I figured was a bite I couldn’t see.

“Oh dear,” he said as his eyes drifted over my chest. His eyes no longer filled with the lust of last night, but with pain.

“Drolter—”

“If you’re trying to make me not feel like a monster for mangling you, I don’t know how affective you’ll be,” he cut me off.

“You most certainly are not a monster,” I said looking at him startled and a bit peeved.

“Ephie,” he said sad but seemingly annoyed, now that was a new emotion from him.

“Drolter,” I made my way to my knees, so we were eye level. Placing my hands on his cheeks and staring him in the eyes. Eyes still narrowed, but less annoyed and more confused.

“This is the last time I will say this for now,” I said maintaining eye contact. “I am fine. You are not a monster. I love you. I’d be delighted if you fucked me like that again, monthly.”

I didn’t let him interrupt me, kissing him. He tried to protest for a moment, but I felt him relax giving in. I let it drag on for a minute or two before pulling away and pressing my forehead against his.

“Now,” I said kissing him on the top of his nose. “Would you possibly feel better if we worked on you being in control?”

“I—maybe?”

“You want to try it?”

“Now?”

“Doesn’t have to be now, I know you have stuff to do today. We can try it tonight,” I said stretching. “Now let’s get what we need to done for today, sound good?”

---

“Now what the hell happened to you?” Finley said lowering their sunglasses.

“I haven’t the faintest what you mean,” feigning ignorance.

“You should have at least worn something opaque if you wanted to spew bullshit,” Finley said eyebrow raised as they delicately sat across from me.

“My, my,” I said as a blush creeped up my cheeks.

“Oh you know I’m right,” they said pouring some water from the pitcher on the table. “You got some good dick last night.”

“Finley!” I said staring at the open mouthed.

“What?” They said raising their eyebrow again. “I call it how I see it.”

“Still, this is happy hour talk, not brunch talk.”

“You have a mimosa in your hand Ephie.”

“Still not happy hour,” I muttered. “But I digress, you’re correct. Speaking of, Drolter will be joining us for a bit if that’s alright.”

“Oh that’s perfectly fine, I’m more curious than I was before,” they snickered the last bit.

“Not a word Finley, he’s …shy..”

“Apparently not in bed.”

“Finley,” I ground out.

“I yield,” they said raising their hands. “I won’t tease him to his face.”

“Good,” I leaned back and took a sip of my drink.

“Be careful with that,” Finley said eyeing the mimosa. “You know you can’t handle a drink and that one is already human sized.”

“I’ll be fine,” I said as the fuzzy feeling entered the edges of my conscious.

“Mmhm,” they said, before turning to the waiter that had appeared.

After placing our orders, we chatted for a bit, catching up on the last few weeks. Finley sat pretty and more feminine having settled on their spring form for the day, I was just admiring their hair which was a lovely green comparable to a Clematis. Over their shoulder I saw the familiar form of Drolter approaching the table. He smiled, and his scales glinted in the midmorning sunlight.

“Hey love,” I said smiling at him as he approached.

He smiled, and I saw the faintest flaring of his nostrils. Finley turned, leaning over the back of their chair.

“You must be Drolter,” Finley said sliding gracefully out of their chair.

“And you must be Finley,” Drolter said reaching a handout to shake. “Pleasure to meet you, Ephie’s told me a bit about you.”

“Hopefully not all bad,” they chuckled.

“Not at all,” he smiled.

They both sat back down, Finley across and Drolter right next to me. He placed a hand on my thigh and squeezed, startling me. I looked at him, but he just seemingly was casually reading the menu. He ran a single claw up and down my inner thigh, and to distract myself I tried taking a sip of my mimosa.

Drolter leaned in, seemingly to ask about something on the menu, but instead whispered in Draconic, “you look so tasty right now, I just want to take a bite.”

I choked on my drink and had to pretend like it had gone down the wrong pipe. Drolter took his hand from my thigh and rubbed it soothingly on my back. After I could breathe properly again, he motioned for a waiter to come over and placed his order.

We chatted with Finley normally for a bit, but soon enough Drolter’s hand made its way to my thigh again, but this time he hooked up my skirt and slowly inched it up. I felt my blush creep up in tandem. I quickly took a drink to cool myself off and I swear I heard him chuckle.

“I’ll be right back,” Finley said sliding off their chair. “Bathroom.”

“Sounds good!” I said smiling as they walked off. “…What the hell are you doing?”

“Sorry it’s harder to control my urges right now,” Drolter said looking sheepish. “Please if I make you uncomfortable tell me and I’ll stop.”

“I don’t mind,” I said my face a bright pink. “But it is making conversation difficult.”

“I could tell,” he teased and actually slipped his hand under my skirt and thumbed my underwear.

“Drolter,” I groaned, yet leaning into him. “You’re going to make me a puddle.”

“A pink puddle,” he purred.

“Yes, though I feel like I’ll be red soon enough.”

“I’m going to take you up on that offer when we’re home.”

Home.

A different warmth creeped up in me at that. He called it home—

“Thank gods I felt Spring today,” Finley sighed sliding back into their chair. “The line to the men’s was insane.”

“Oh, good to know,” Drolter said nonchalantly.

“Indeed,” I said trying to not melt as Drolter fingered my underwear further. Slipping into Draconic I muttered, “Oh you’re on my darling.”