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Just when you started to think your boyfriend couldn’t get any more beautiful, you got blessed with this new version of him.
Long, flowing hair. Bright teal eyes. Elegant horns. And a draconic tail that looks so very soft to the touch. All this, combined with a sleepy expression and the gentle scent of soap from his recent shower, makes him practically impossible not to notice.
“Hm?” Dan Heng glances up at you from his book, meeting your gaze.
“Nothing.” Your own book is laying face-down next to you, forgotten. The two of you were meant to spend some quiet time reading together before bed, but that’s obviously not happening with the way he looks right now.
“You’re staring… very intensely,” he says slowly, his voice quiet and a little embarrassed.
“And?”
“Weren’t you enjoying that book…?”
“I was.” You can’t remember what the past few pages were about.
“Then… go back to reading…”
There’s an adorable flush creeping up Dan Heng’s neck, which always happens whenever too much positive attention is put on him. You make your movements obvious as you shift closer.
“Seriously, [name]...” he mumbles.
“Why are you being so shy? Can’t I look at my pretty boy?” You reach out and play with a lock of his dark, slightly damp hair, admiring the way it spills over his slender shoulders.
“...Are you trying to start something?”
“Hm?” You look back at his face, and laugh at the hesitant suspicion in his expression. “I’m not, I promise. Well… not yet, at least…”
“Good.” Dan Heng glances back at his book again, sighs, and decides to close it after all. “I can’t focus like this either, you know.”
“Oh no,” you tease. “I guess you have to give me all of your attention, now.”
He makes a noncommittal sound, but you know that he’s not actually annoyed. In fact, he seems to be leaning into your touch a little. His horns glow a soft teal, and your eyes are drawn to that smooth, curved surface.
“What do they feel like to you?”
“Mm?”
“Your horns. Can you feel through them?”
“...Yes.” Dan Heng’s tail flicks slightly. “I can. It’s very painful to have them chipped or broken.”
“Hm…” You continue to play with his hair, your hand going to the back of his head and gently rubbing his scalp. He hums contentedly, and his eyes start to flutter shut.
“Why do you ask?” he eventually murmurs.
“Just curious.” You plant a soft kiss on the top of his head. “I want to know more about you, like this.”
“You do?” Dan Heng opens his eyes once more and looks up at you. “You like this… version of me?”
“Of course.”
A slight smile curves his lips. Those soft, pretty lips. You can’t resist stealing a kiss, and he lets out a quiet huff.
“Sneaky,” he mutters, though the tips of his pointy ears redden slightly.
“I know I am.” You give into curiosity and gently brush your thumbs against the base of Dan Heng’s horns. They’re smooth, warmer than you expected, and he stiffens a little. “So you can feel this?”
“Y-yeah,” he stammers out. “I can feel that.”
His tail is shifting a little more than before, the tip lightly brushing against your knee. You’re going to address your fascination with that part of his Vidyadhara anatomy later.
“Just be careful with them…” Dan Heng adds in a mumble. His head tilts further, letting you touch more of his horns.
“I was planning to be.”
He nods and stays quiet as you continue to rub his horns with gentle circles, until a small noise escapes him.
“Hm?” You stop for a moment. “You okay?”
“I’m… fine.” Dan Heng’s voice is even shakier than before, his breaths coming out in soft puffs. He’s not making eye contact at all. But his hands suddenly raise, gently closing over your wrists and pulling them closer to him. “You can keep going…”
Oh? Dan Heng is enjoying this, clearly, but he’s too shy to say that outright. More of his tail is touching against your knees and thighs, now laying across your lap. Like his horns, it’s warmer than the rest of his body, and the weight of it on your body is comfortable.
“It feels good,” you say for him. “Doesn’t it?”
That quiet noise escapes him once more. “I-it… does… the nerve endings…”
You giggle. Of course he’s still trying to bring logic into a conversation like this. He’s the type of person to start talking about tachycardia and perspiration in heated moments.
“Is it the same for your tail?”
Once you mention it, the scaled appendage starts to squirm in your lap, and Dan Heng presses his forehead against your shoulder. You can practically feel how flushed his cheeks are. “Yeah…”
“Can I… test that myself?”
“S-sure…”
You kiss the length of one of his horns, eliciting yet another sound from him before moving your hands down to the tail draped over your thighs. As soon as you touch it, it writhes more restlessly, the fur running along the spine fluffing up.
“Nn…” Dan Heng whimpers quietly against your shoulder.
You smile. “It’s so soft…”
You thought the scales would have a rougher texture, but they don’t. They’re smoother than his horns, and they catch the low lighting perfectly.
“So pretty.”
“Thank you…” he responds bashfully, muffled by your shirt. The tip of his tail curls gently around your hand, inviting more touches. More of his weight rests against you.
Your fingertips move from his scales to the fur, gently brushing through it and untangling any knots. The room settles into a quiet, comfortable stillness, devoid of any sounds except the humming of the Express. Everyone else on board has gone to sleep by now.
However, as your environment becomes more calm, Dan Heng becomes the opposite. Your touches on his tail seem to be affecting him more than your touches on his horns, his body shifting in an attempt to find a comfortable position. Maybe it’s a little mean to keep teasing him in such a sensitive area…
“Do you want me to take care of you tonight?” You finally ask, your voice gentle instead of playful.
He’s quiet for a bit. He’s often reluctant to let himself be cared for, especially in such an intimate way, but his guard is lowered and he’s clearly so very vulnerable right now.
“Yes, please…”
And so, the rest of the night unfolds in quiet, tender intimacy.