Page 51 of Don't Fae With Dragons

“What’s wrong my bright gem?” I ask and tease her at the same time.

She smiles, and traces her finger on my face, right over my scar. “Do you want to talk about it? I want to know what happened to you, who did this to you?”

I can see in her big hazel eyes that she’s letting herself go, surrendering to me and she wants me to be vulnerable with her. She doesn’t know it, but her own fae line is the one that tried to destroy me. I hesitate, caught between trust and the weight of my past. But after that intense release, my defenses arecrumbling, and for the first time, I wonder if letting her in and being completely open with her might be worth the risk.

I pause, feeling the ache of that memory as I finally decide to let her in. “Your elders, Mili” I say quietly, watching her face change. “They found me when I was young, barely even learned how to shift. They wanted to make an example of me—a reminder to keep my kind away from the fae healers, away from town. They trapped me, held me down, and used a blade forged from star-iron, one made to mark even dragon skin.”

Her eyes widen, horror flashing across her face. “Star-iron… that’s meant for true enemies. It scars everything it touches.”

“To them, I was an enemy,” I murmur, brushing my fingers lightly over her hand. “But I stayed away after that. Until you came barging into my volcano, that is.” I let a smirk soften my words, hoping to lift the weight of the memory.

She swallows, as if tasting the bitterness of it. “But… why would they do that, Cory? I don’t understand. The fae believe in balance and harmony, not cruelty.”

“They wanted me to remember that fae healers were off-limits, no matter the reason.” I gesture to the line etched down my face as she moves her hand back on my chest. “This scar—it was their reminder. But it’s ancient history now. I’ve had worse scrapes in battles, and ... sparring practice.”

She blinks, her gaze softening with a mix of hurt and anger. “I had no idea. They taught us that dragons are reckless, only driven by impulse, never taking responsibility. I’m sorry… I didn’t know.”

I lean in, brushing a strand of her hair from her cheek. “You’re not your elders, Mili. You’re different. I knew that from the start.”

She sighs, almost laughing at the irony. “All this time, and it turns out we were meant to cross paths.”

I grin, feeling mischievous. “Well, I’m here now. I just hope your elders aren’t around with any star-iron.”

“But if they were, I’d never let them hurt you.” She doesn’t even smile, she’s completely serious.

I chuckle, and squeeze her tight in my arms. I guess it’s not the time to tell her that I’m not so young and naive anymore, and certainly not defenseless.

“Hold on,” she snaps all of a sudden. “My elders passed on hundreds of years ago. That means... well... how old are you?”

“I’m 320 years old.” I reply nonchalantly. The look on her face is priceless; her jaw drops as if I’ve just announced I’m a dragon in disguise.

“I’m 34 years old, Cory!” she exclaims, her eyes wide in disbelief, and I can’t help but burst into laughter.

“Wow, Mili,” I tease, “you’ve got that whole ageless faery thing down perfectly. I’d say you’re holding up quite well for someone who’s nearly ... a tenth of my age.”

She rolls her eyes, though a smile creeps onto her lips. “I swear, if you keep making fun of me, I’ll have to show you how a faery can really put a dragon in his place.”

“Oh, I’m trembling in my boots,” I say with mock fear, pretending to glance around for an escape route. “What will you do, tickle me until I beg for mercy?”

Mili narrows her eyes playfully, but before she can respond, I seize the moment and launch my fingers into her sides.

She squeals in surprise, laughter spilling from her lips as she writhes beneath me. “Cory! Stop it!” she gasps between giggles, trying to push my hands away, but I’m relentless.

“You wanted a challenge, bright gem,” I tease, my fingers dancing along her sides. “But I’m afraid you’re the one who’s going to regret this!”

In a fit of laughter, she finally manages to roll us over, and suddenly it’s her turn to have the upper hand as I let her mount me. “You asked for it!” she declares, reaching for my sides, and soon we’re both caught in a fit of playful tickling, our laughter echoing around us, the earlier tension forgotten as we embrace this moment of joy.

Finally, as our laughter subsides and the playful energy between us transforms into something softer, I pull her close, my arms wrapping around her waist as she snuggles into my chest. The warmth of her body against mine feels perfect.

“Okay, okay,” she whispers, her breath still slightly shaky from our laughter. “I think we’ve successfully embarrassed ourselves enough for one day.”

“Embarrassed? I think we just proved we can take on any challenge,” I reply, my fingers gently stroking her hair.

Mili pulls back just enough to look into my eyes, her expression shifting from playful to serious. “So... what’s next for us? Should we go back down the mountain?”

I nod, a smile tugging at my lips. “Definitely.” Even though I don’t want this perfect moment to end, I know we must go back.

With a reluctant sigh, we untangle ourselves and search for our wet clothes, laughter spilling from us again as we playfully toss garments back and forth.

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