17.Soaring

17. Soaring

A harsh flashlight beam blinds me momentarily.

"We have a noise policy," the campus security guard scolds.

"I know, I'm sorry."

My words are drowned out by an earth-shaking roar that echoes across the sky. The guard nearly drops his flashlight at the noise. A huge dragon soars high above us, powerful wings sending him across the length of the campus in no time.

Seeing Azure Serrano in his appropriately azure-colored dragon form up there makes me smile. He shifted soon after we stopped making out to breathe and has been up there reveling in his newfound freedom ever since.

Not everyone is as charmed by the dragon as me .

"This is the third warning," the guard reminds me.

"I know that too, and I wanna promise you it won't happen again, but..." I trail off, my gaze following the flash of light as Az breathes fire into the night sky. It's both awe-inspiring and terrifying.

"It's after 11," the guard says. "We could cite him."

"Are you going to go give him a ticket?" I smirk, watching as the guard glances uneasily at the giant body capable of breathing fire above us.

"Well... I'll give you a ticket."

"Okay, okay." I raise my hands and smile innocently. "We'll go, I promise."

The security guard grumbles and leaves. Az is overjoyed to fly again. I let him enjoy himself for a little while longer, watching him happily soaring in the night sky. The shape of him is easy to pick out even in the darkness and he looks amazing when the moonlight glints across his azure scales.

Finally, I cup my hands around my mouth and shout, "Az! Come down!"

He's too caught up in his flight to pay me any attention. His wings beat powerfully against the air as he glides overhead, ignoring my pleas.

"Come on, get down here! I know you can hear me!"

Az snorts, flying higher. I imagine he's saying, ‘what? I'm so far away I missed that. '

"Are you sure you wanna keep flying, Serrano? After all, we can touch now."

I wait for the realization to sink in. One, two, thr—

That gets his attention.

The dragon plummets to the ground with a tremendous thud. He twists his massive body around to present his back to me, inviting me to climb on. I hoist myself up and then hold tightly. He shoots up in the air and delivers us to my apartment in record time.

We use a window to get inside my apartment, and Az presses me against the wall next to it as soon as we're inside. And since he shifted back into human form to climb inside my window, it's a naked Azure Serrano that presses me into the wall.

"Take me to bed," I gasp.

"I make good on my promises," he murmurs against my skin. "What if I wanna have you against this wall?"

His lips find my neck as he nips and kisses the sensitive skin there. I moan loudly into the otherwise quiet apartment, not even ashamed. After going so long without this, every little caress feels amazing. His hands are shoving my clothes out of the way, too impatient to even remove them as he seeks out bare skin.

"You can have me however you want, just get me naked. "

"Thought you'd never ask, McFly."

He pulls my shirt over my head and discards it carelessly on the floor. A cool breeze drifts in through the open window, making me shiver slightly, but the chill is short-lived as Az's warm body covers mine, his skin against me from head to toe.

We can't do anything else for a moment, both shuddering and holding onto each other tightly. We need a second to let it sink in, that we can do this now. No shock will follow, not ever again.

Okay, his touch does leave electric tingles in its wake, the good kind of electricity that makes me crave more.

"Your skin... you feel so good," he whispers, his hands roaming my body as if he can't get enough.

"You'd say that to literally anyone right now but thank you."

"Touching a human being without it going terribly wrong is awesome, sure, but you don't just feel human."

"I'm not an alien."

"No, you also feel like..." He leans back as he searches for the words, still keeping his hands on me, not wanting to let go. "You feel like the wind and my McFly. Sorry, that's the best I can explain."

"That's a perfect description."

Maneuvering through the apartment without untangling ourselves in the slightest is a bit tricky and we definitely knock some things down, but we can't separate, and we end up tumbling into the bedroom still glued together.

"Gonna let me go anytime soon, Serrano?"

"Why would I do that, McFly?"

"I did miss the nickname, but my actual last name is Russo. You know that, right? Tell me you know—oh."

He chooses this moment to wrap his hand around my erection and I lose all ability to function. I bite my lip and whimper, god, his hand feels so much better than my own just because it's his.

"Sorry, what were you saying, McFly?"

What was I saying? Oh. My affections and a rock-hard cock make it feel like I've been waiting for this moment since I first saw him at Airadise, so why wait any longer? I bet I can wipe that smug look off his face.

"I was saying that if you back up and let me work, I'm pretty sure I can get myself prepped and ready for you in under two minutes."

You'd think he just got struck by lightning the way he jolts and goes still. Yep, speechless and desperate for me is a very good look on him. Az sees things my way and leaps back to give me all the room the world.

Which means it isn't long before he positions himself over me and slowly starts pushing his cock inside. I did a damn good job getting myself ready quickly because once the last inch of him sinks into my hole and I savor the feeling of being full of him, I already need more. I need him to move.

"Oh my god," he breathes. "Oh my god."

"God, Az," I gasp, clutching at his shoulders as if they're the only thing anchoring me to reality. "Give me more."

Never breaking eye contact, he thrusts into me. After six years without physical intimacy, I half expected him to jack rabbit and hump me like his life depends on it. Guess this is one of those things like riding a bike. Muscle memory kicks in and he picks a tempo that reduces us both to mush, not too fast or slow, just perfect.

Az grunts in my ear, hips not stopping, and my fingers dig into his muscular back as he leans down to capture my lips in a searing kiss. He's trying to keep our bodies pressed together as much as possible, and although it's frustrating that I can't reach between us to stroke my own throbbing erection, the friction from rubbing against his taut abs proves to be equally satisfying.

"Harder," I demand breathlessly, and he obliges, pounding into me with renewed fervor. Our bodies are slick with sweat, and every thrust seems to bring us closer to the edge.

Suddenly, he pulls out of me, leaving me feeling empty and wanting. But before I can protest, he flips us around so that he's sitting on the bed, and I'm in his lap. His strong hands guide me back onto him, and I eagerly take the opportunity to ride him, my hips moving in sync with his.

"Already tired?" I joke, grinding my hips down against him even as he shakes his head no.

"Do the thing." His hands grip my waist, urging me on. "Do it."

"Is 'do it' how you say 'have sex'? Why didn't I know that before? That's not acceptable."

"No, I'd probably say 'fuck' or 'fucking'," Az replies, smirking at me. "As in, we're fucking right now , so don't criticize me for things I didn't say."

"You did say it!" I protest yet continue to move my hips, riding him with growing passion.

He rolls his eyes. "No, I mean the thing. Your magic, your hair. Come on."

Realization dawns on me, and I can't help but laugh. "Oh. I'm not sure what you mean."

"Come on, you know exactly what I mean. Please."

Well, since he asked so nicely. I connect with my air magic, feeling it thrum through me. A gentle breeze begins to fill the room, swirling around us and making my long, light brown hair dance and flutter. He watches it, entranced by the sight.

"Like that?" I ask.

"Exactly like that," he groans, his eyes locked onto my hair as it moves in the wind. "Damn, that's incredible. "

"Seriously?"

"McFly, you have no idea." He rests his head on my shoulder, nuzzling against my neck. The heat of his breath sends goosebumps across my skin. "What's the point of having long hair and magic if you don't use it?"

"Good point." With a grin, I send another magical gust of wind through the room, delighting in the way my hair billows around us. His fingers tangle in the strands, tugging gently, and I can't help but clench down on him in response.

It doesn't take long to get close to the edge, focusing on the way his cock fills me with each roll of my hips and how he looks at me like I'm the sexiest person alive while my hair blows in a magical breeze.

"Ah, gonna…" he groans. "Fuck, need to come."

"Yep, me too." Our pace quickens as we chase after our release.

Finally, our bodies shudder together, and we collapse into a tangled mess of limbs and sweat-slicked skin. As we catch our breath, Az pulls me close, wrapping his strong arms around me. It's a simple gesture, but it feels like so much more - denied contact for so long and now we can touch each other whenever we desire.

Touching him, okay, it's amazing .

But it doesn't feel like the first time we had sex. We started connecting a long time ago. This is just the first time we were allowed to express it physically. It won't be the last.

~

I'm stuck.

When Az and I collapsed together in the middle of the bed, some of my hair got trapped under his shoulder and doesn't offer me much range of motion. Well then… at least his chest is surprisingly comfortable.

He rolls away, freeing my hair. Turns out, I don't like that either because we aren't touching anymore.

I push into him so our shoulders are touching. We both lie on our backs, staring at the ceiling for one and then two seconds as we catch our breaths. Then I break the silence.

"That was… good." Wow, can I be any more underwhelming? "Uh. What I mean is. It's… good?"

So good, apparently, that my brain is broken and I cannot find another adjective. Fortunately, he doesn't take offense at my undersell.

"Yeah. "

"Okay then. Glad we agree." From the view I manage to take in of his profile, he's lost in thought. "What are you thinking about?"

"Future," he says.

"Yeah, that makes sense. You've got a lot to sort out now, and family to get back in touch with."

Az makes a shocked noise beside me. "Wow, yeah."

"That wasn't what you were thinking about?"

"No, I was thinking…" He turns to me, propping his head up on an elbow. "I was thinking that if we keep going like this, I'm probably gonna ask you to marry me in a few months."

That… is about the last thing I expect to hear. "Uh… Huh?"

"Think about it." He flops on his back again, puts his hands behind his head, and relaxes in bed.

My brain threatens to shut down. Is this really happening? Was getting to touch him during sex so mind-blowing that he fucked me unconscious and this is some bizarre dream?

Azure Serrano may not be the most sociable person in the world, but even he must know that the proper time to propose marriage is not when we're naked in bed with sweat and come still drying on our bodies. Is he joking? Is he insane?

No, I fight through the panic and come up with the most reasonable conclusion. This is the first time he's had sex with someone else in over six years. Of course, he's going to feel pretty attached to the person giving him orgasms.

"The last time you had freedom, you were playing the field," I remind him when I find my voice. "No one would blame you if you wanted to have some fun after being on the sidelines for so long... I wouldn't blame you."

The idea hurts my heart a bit, but I still don't blame him. He's free now. Why wouldn't he be tempted to go back to being the beautiful dragon shifter who always had someone new to warm his bed?

"I used to imagine that," he admits. "Lifting the curse and having all the sex with all the people, making up for lost time." His tone turns more serious. "But I grew up and realized that wasn't enough for me. It wasn't my choice to settle down then, but it is now. After going so long without touch, going back to the same flings and meaningless sex just feels like a waste. I want to hug and touch people I love, not random strangers. I want to surround myself with people worth being close to."

That does make sense. I bet it will be nice for him to walk down the street and get coffee without having to be concerned about harmless, innocent physical contact. But the contact that will mean the most is hugs from family, a pat on the back from a friend, holding hands with someone important .

His priorities have changed after six years of thinking about what he was missing out on and now he craves something real instead of something fun and easy.

"O-okay, I can see that. But why are you talking about marriage?"

"I've had a lot of time to think about the kind of person I needed in my life." He nudges me with an elbow, and I'm probably way more surprised than I should be.

"M-me?"

"Who else?" The fondness in his voice is obvious as he continues. "You call me on my shit when I'm being unreasonable, but you also know when to respect my boundaries. When I'm ready to give up, you remind me miracles exist. You're fun to argue with, you're reliable, and I really wouldn't mind helping you revisit your slutty twink phase."

It feels like I'm supposed to say something. "Oh." Okay, I should say more than that. I'm too stunned.

"For a long time, I've wanted someone who matters, someone who'd stay. For a while, I stopped believing that person existed." Az turns on his side again to look at me. "People ran from me, and when they didn't, I chased them away."

"I did try to leave—" because I was an idiot.

"But you came back. Even when I sent you away, you came back. You're the one person who the curse and me couldn't scare off, McFly. Pretty sure that makes you a keeper."

Alright, obviously he's given this a lot of thought. We haven't been able to touch for very long, but I doubt that's why he reached this conclusion. The intensity of his feelings has likely been building up since even before lifting the not-curse. This doesn't feel like a spur-of-the-moment decision. After years of being stuck and distanced from everyone, he isn't going to waste time waiting when he knows something for sure.

It's still a lot to take in.

"Don't freak out," he tells me. "I'm not expecting an answer right now." In fact, he doesn't seem annoyed by my reaction. He seems to enjoy leaving me speechless. "I figured I'd get it out there, give you some time to process and think it over, then when I ask in a few months you won't have a heart attack."

How considerate of him, but unnecessary. I surprise us both.

I place a hand on his chest. "When you ask, I'll say yes."

I peck him on the lips and savor the moment as he goes slack and surprised. Looks like I can surprise him too.

Then suddenly Az surges to life, kissing me passionately and covering me with his body, pushing me into the bed. I laugh into his mouth and let him lead us into round two.

There are times when you just know.

I always knew I was a wizard. I knew air magic was right for me all along. And while I'm forever going to give him shit about popping the question seconds after we had sex, the rightness of his words can't be ignored.

I know Azure Serrano is the one for me. We may need more time to figure out our future and get used to being a real couple, but the important things won't change.

We found each other and fought a damn curse that wasn't a curse to be together. No way do I ever want to give him up.