It was going to be a nice day. 

Charlie leans out of his window, breathing in the cool breeze. He runs his fingers along the leaves of the herbs in his window box, watching them rise to meet him, and smiles to himself.

“Charlie?” Thandi’s voice. Even now, after so long, he gets excited to see her. She waves up at him, basket hanging from her arm. “Charlie!”

“I’ll be right down!” His form shifts, and a raven flaps out of the window, gliding down to Thandi’s level. The raven swoops briefly before carefully landing on Thandi’s outstretched arm. It snaps its beak in appreciation and rubs Thandi’s face as she brings him closer.

“You didn’t have to come down that quickly, darling,” she says through a laugh. The raven responds with a shake of feathers. “Are you going to have our picnic like that?”

The raven hops from her arm and stumbles clumsily to the ground. Feathers melt away and Charlie stands, brushing off his vest. Before Thandi could speak, he gives her a hug around the middle and nuzzles her neck affectionately. “I was just excited.”

Laughing, Thandi reaches up with her free arm and gives him a scratch. “Let’s get to our picnic, shall we?”

The two part slowly, walking hand in hand into the small sitting garden that had been cultivated over the years, improved with Charlie’s magic. It’s a verdant, emerald paradise, filled with heavy flowers, chirping birds, and flitting insects. There is a cool spot under a willow tree that leans over like a canopy, offering shade and privacy. Thandi rummages through her bag, producing a checkered cloth and offering it to Charlie. He flaps it out, shooing things away from them as he does.

They quietly set out their meal, Thandi assembling Charlie’s onto a small ceramic plate. He does the same for her, and they exchange plates and smiles. It’s quiet, peaceful, and they lean against the trunk of the tree as they begin to eat.

“I can’t believe how long it’s been,” Charlie starts. He traces a circle in the air with a slice of apple. “Or that you finally said yes.”

“Well, I did say yes before,” Thandi replies. “We just weren’t quite ready.”

 “I suppose. Things would have been a lot different.” He crunches the apple between thoughts. “Maybe we would already be married.”

“Oh, I don’t know, Charlie. It would have been… a distraction?”

“I distracted you that much?”

“As if you weren’t distracted as well!”

The two of them laugh, Charlie reddening. He puts his plate aside and reaches out to touch Thandi’s hand. “You’re still distracting.”

“Oh! I’m sorry, I—”

“Because you’re so…”

They stare at each other, Charlie slowly turning pinker and pinker. Thandi twines her fingers with his and leans forward. “Because I’m so…?”

“Ah… just, ha. You’re. Beautiful. Stunning. Gorgeous.”

“And you’re a handsome, adorable, and…” She thinks for a beat. “Rugged! A rugged man.”

Charlie scoffs. “I’m nowhere near rugged!” He scoots closer to her, their sides touching now.

“Yes you are, dear, look at you! You’re practically a mountain man.” Thandi smiles as she teases him, putting aside her own plate. She reaches out and touches his face, scratching the hair as if she were stroking a cat. Charlie’s eyes flutter closed and he lets out a calm breath. He would usually argue the point, but it’s warm, and she’s with him, and it’s so nice today. He lays his head on her shoulder, enjoying the soft touches across his face, his hair, his shoulders. “Don’t fall asleep on me now, Charlie…”

“I won’t,” he mumbles, thumb beginning to stroke her fingers. Another long sigh leaves him. He is content.

Thandi flashes a mischievous smile and her finger catches on his bolo tie, pulling it gently. “Charlie…”

“Hmm?”

“Wake up, Charlie,” she says, undoing the top button of his loose cotton shirt. His eyes open and he stares at her. Thandi realizes then how close his face is, and they both draw a deep breath. Charlie’s eyes drift down to her lips and he reaches up, cupping her cheek. She grasps his hand, and slowly, Charlie pulls her closer to him.

Her lips are so soft.

They linger for a moment before kissing again. Twice. Three times. They both share a mutual look of longing, years of restraint slowly coming undone as they touch each other. Charlie pulls Thandi closer, until she has to shift to be in front of him, and he buries his face into her chest. She smiles down at him, once more touching his hair as he nuzzles her.

“I can’t believe it,” he mutters, barely loud enough for Thandi to hear.

“Me neither, darling,” she whispers back.

Charlie looks up at her, arms wrapped around her, and he gives her a smile. “We’re alone, finally,” he says to her.

“Yes, we are! Do you think we should have invited some people to come with us for lunch? Merre? Pike?”

“Thandi,” he groans. “No. I want… I want to… Thandi.”

“Did you want more food?” She smiles at him, wanting him to say it.

“Thandi, I, you know…”

Her bracelet flourishes as he flounders with his words, struggling to put together his exact desires. It twines up her arm, gently stroking her wrist as she watches Charlie sweat it out.

“Yes, dear?”

“I love you so much,” he finally says. “And. You love me. Right?”

“Yes…”

“And… we’ve both been… and we both, you know, have… expressed this privately…”

“Go on…”

“Can we express it…together?”

She laughs and gives him a hug. “Really? Now?”

He nods, sincere.

“I don’t…” She feels him kiss her chest, right where her dress dips. “…well, maybe.”

Charlie continues to kiss her chest, his whiskers tickling her as he moves up, kissing her collarbone, her neck, her ear. His hot breath on her face at first is amusing, but Thandi sees how serious he is as he leans forward and kisses her. It’s a different kiss from before, hungrier, wanting more from her.

Thandi’s hands move to unbutton his vest, and she feels the small, living threads keeping it closed undo themselves. Charlie shrugs off the vest and allows her to undo his shirt now, watching her closely. Thandi bites her lip and glances at his face, slowly undoing the buttons, revealing his chest and the long-healed scar across it. She leans forward and kisses it, one hand tracing the line. Charlie’s breath stutters at her touch and she smiles now, resting her head against him.

He now reaches out, hands touching her breasts through her dress. Charlie smiles, realizing that Thandi has gone braless for the day, and she blushes as his hands follow the shape of her chest, thumbs running across her nipples as he does this. Somehow, the tease gives her goosebumps, and she reaches up to run her fingers through Charlie’s hair and allow him better access to her. Flowers drip from his tresses now, and she giggles.

“Hm?” Charlie asks as he pulls the dress off her shoulders.

“Oh, it’s… so adorable!”

“Adorable?”

“Your hair, Charlie.”

“You, Thandi.”

They look at each other for a moment, wondering briefly what to do with the lull, but Charlie again reaches out and pulls her into his lap now, pulling her dress over her head and tossing it aside. Tendrils of green rise from the tree and the grass around them, tickling Thandi’s legs. Charlie doesn’t seem to notice, and if he does, he doesn’t show it.

“You’re… wow,” he says, eyes drinking in everything. Her breasts, her stomach, the cute line of her panties. Thandi crosses her arms in front of her, face hot under his gaze.

“That’s not fair!” Thandi gives him a little pout, gesturing to him, still nearly fully clothed.

“Fix it, then,” Charlie says, gently moving her arms to kiss each breast. She pushes his shirt off of him, about to chastise him, when she feels his tongue on her nipple. She lets out a little gasp, and Charlie continues his work. He licks and sucks on her, one hand working on her other nipple and the other holding her still as she holds onto him.

He trails kisses back up to her face and gently touches his forehead to hers. They breathe in each other’s scent, hearts hammering, and Thandi runs a hand over Charlie’s chest again. She feels the scars of their time together, little reminders that Charlie kept and that she felt guilt for. He sees her expression darken and sighs.

“We don’t… It was just…”

Thandi touches his belt. “We will.”

He nods as she opens up his pants, reaching to feel him through his cotton drawers. Charlie gasps now, hands holding her firmly. They look at each other again and then they laugh. “Oh, we didn’t. Think about just…okay,” Charlie chuckles.

Thandi pushes out of his lap and stands, offering him a hand. He takes it gladly and they stare at each other. Slowly, he slides off the rest of his clothing, and Thandi does the same.

Charlie glances down, now embarrassed, and opens his mouth to make excuses, but Thandi steps close to him and her hand runs up his length. He shivers and pulls her to be chest to chest with him, kissing her hard. Thandi presses against him, and they backpedal against the willow, the stout bark offering Charlie support as their hands slide up and down each other’s bodies.

Thandi reaches down again and adjusts his angle, wrapping his cock between her thighs, squeezing him there teasingly. He takes a deep breath, eyes closing. He could feel her heat, her wetness on him, and he bites his lip.

“Thandi, put your arms around my neck.”

“Like…this?” She laces her fingers around his neck, wondering what he was up to.

Charlie gives her a nod, lowers himself slightly, and he cups her bottom.

“What are you do—” 

Charlie picks Thandi up with a quiet grunt and she gives a small shout of surprise before wrapping her legs around his middle. He smiles at her and turns them both so it’s her back against the tree, and he lines himself up with her.

“Are you ready?”

Thandi doesn’t reply. She simply looks him up and down before offering a nod. She feels him slowly push into her and she moans, hissing to herself as he slowly opens her depths. Charlie’s eyes are closed as he does this, and his hair overflows with greenery now. Thandi’s bracelet, too, has loosened its grip on her while twining up to her shoulder, putting out buds.

He feels her all around him, and as she slowly relaxes, he adjusts his grip on her, rocking her on him gently. Again, she bites back a moan and a gasp as willow branches slither down, wrapping them as Charlie begins to pump in and out of her.

Thandi’s hold weakens slightly, and Charlie takes a small step to push her torso closer to his. Her nails dig in as he continues his rhythm, breathing hard in her ear.

“Charlie…”

“What is it?” he asks breathlessly, hips still rocking as they press to the tree.

“Ahn… It’s—” She cries out as he picks up the pace. “Charlie, just—oooh…”

He kisses her neck and continues, loving the feeling of her legs wrapped around him and her nails scratching his back. She suddenly squeezes his cock tightly and he almost stumbles, striking her deeper than he intended. Thandi moans once more, in his ear, and his heart could just give out at any moment now.

He stops his movements now, and Thandi gives him a whimper. “Why did you…?”

Charlie lowers her on top of the picnic blanket, letting her adjust before leaning down and kissing her, hand stroking her thigh now as he resumes his slow beat, taking time to grind them together as he does this. He looses a breath as he begins to pick up the pace, sweat beading on their bodies as they concentrate together. Thandi reaches down, feels him pounding against her, and begins to massage her clit.

Charlie concentrates on not slumping on top of her, quiet… until he feels her begin to slowly clamp down harder on him.

“Thandi, that’s—”

“Keep going, keep goooing!” She squeals as she says this, back beginning to arch. Her legs grip him like a vice, forcing him to go deep and fast. “Oooh, Charlie, this…!”

She goes silent and then releases a shout, spasming around Charlie’s cock. He swallows his breath as he keeps the rhythm, feeling himself release and hoarsely calling Thandi’s name. They stop, finally, breathing hard as they stare at each other. Petals rain down on them, and as their awareness of the world around them returns, they see that the garden has gone a little wild.

Thandi releases Charlie, who reluctantly removes himself from her. She sits up and laughs. “Did we do that?”

Charlie looks at the now overgrown clover, the willow branches swaying in long ropes around them, the bushes nearby now towering over the average man’s height even as they’re weighed down by enormous blooms. He rubs the back of his neck, chuckling.

“That… yes. I should probably… do something about that.”

“It can wait, darling,” Thandi says as she leans forward to kiss his chest once more. “We have a picnic to finish.”

It’s been well over two days and Charlie still can’t sleep. He doesn’t get it. Chamomile. Lavender. Cannabis seeds. Valerian root. Catnip. Nothing he makes brings sleep. It just makes him exhausted on top of the insomnia.

He’s already useless as a doctor, but a doctor without sleep is worse. Things poke him, prod him, and he’s so weak-willed right now. Eventually, his constant weeping gets a gruff sigh and a shove into Thandi.

“You’ve got potion for that, right, Thandi?”

“I should…Charlie? Come along now, darling.”

He stumbles after her, his wrist grasped tight. She sits him down in her bedroll, opening her bag and pulling out her signature silver flask. “This always helps me, Charlie. Vitani brews it herself!”

“I…that’s your medicine, Thandi…” She looks at him, dark rims under his eyes giving him a ghoulish appearance. He’s looking horrible. In fact…worse than he should be.

“Manifestus veneficium.“

“What are you looking at, Thandi?”

She shushes him, looking him over, and she sees it. A glittering thread, highlighted with her altered vision, mended into his vest. A curse given form. “There it is! You’ll be just fine, Charlie. Just like so…“

He watches her hand come toward him and he flinches. There’s a moment where it’s like she’s unraveling him, and then it’s gone. Thandi winds the thread between her fingers and holds it out to him. Charlie furrows his brows.

“Come now, you have to break the curse. Just sweep your hand through, darling.”

The thread is invisible to him, but he slices his hand through the air all the same. As soon as it’s broken, it’s like everything hits him all at once. Thandi catches him and eases him back to sleep on her bedroll. She straightens his hair with a small smile and lets him catch up.

Her hand hesitates when she reaches out for him. To feel that touch…he leans forward, but she shies further. Charlie’s heart aches.

“Please. Dearest…it’s me.”

The words come out twisted, a snarl that can’t seem to wrap around the common tongue. Thandi flinches and Charlie’s wings droop. He’s not familiar with the creature he’s become, but it’s so big that Thandi is dwarfed by him. There’s these enormous wings, feathered between long stretches of skin. He sees both fur and scales on his body, talons that would be more at home on the feet of a raptor than his…could he call them hands?

All five digits. Hands it is.

Again, he touches his nose to Thandi. I miss you. I love you. It’s me.

“Darling…you’ve become…”

An answer is what he needs. 

“…a dragon. One I’ve never seen before. And…”

Please. Love me anyway. I need to hear it.

“…I can’t bear to love a monster.”

The world crashes and falls through his fingers.

Fingers, not talons. He stares at his hands, his skin, the familiar calluses, his hardy palms. A relief.

A bad dream…he’s been having  only bad dreams lately. Not nightmares, but depressing. Like his spirit is being crushed. Every night, something different. A bear. An eel. a goblin. Dozens of creatures he could not name, and less that he would even recognize. 

Charlie pushes himself up, stepping over Merre as he goes to sit by the fire. The ghost white of her dress brings out a worried sigh. Charlie sits beside Thandi and puts a hand on her back. She startles for a moment and he sees the tears in her eyes. Quietly, he opens his arms. “Come home,” he mumbles and she laughs. 

Then she’s warm in his arms and he squeezes her gently. “Thandi. I’ll help you. No matter what. No matter what.”

“Even if I’m… sp…”

“I will hold you together myself.”

Thandi pats Charlie’s hand as he hisses from behind her, frightened by a new person. Upperclassmen are not his favorite people… then again, no one is his favorite but her.

“Sorry there!” The young man with the pitchy voice and dark hair gives Charlie an enormous smile. “I didn’t mean to frighten you!”

“I’m really sorry about him,” Thandi says. 

“No need! Arif tells me that my sunny demeanor could be blinding at times!” They laugh boisterously, their own quiet companion studying Charlie and Thandi thoroughly. The young man gestures to them. “This charming sort is my best friend and partner-in-crime, Arif.”

Arif bows their head slightly and then blink ever so slowly… Thandi hears the growling slow to a stop behind her and looks over her shoulder. Charlie stares, mollified, but wary. Arif looks to Thandi. “Nice to meet you, Thandi.”

“Likewise! This is Charlie, by the way. He’s, um. Also my partner-in-crime? But we don’t do any crime! Haha!” She feels her cheeks heat. She must look really silly!

Darshan chuckles. “Birds of a feather flock together, as they say! Our newest students are quite the interesting batch this year. I was terribly sorry to hear about the incident in the dorms. I hope you both were safe?”

“As safe as we could’ve been,” Charlie mumbles.

“That’s good to hear!”

“It isn’t at all! It ate my slime!”

“Aaah… I see. I’m very sorry to hear about that.” Thandi catches a glance between Darshan and Arif. What is it they’re saying with their eyes? Darshan leans down a touch, rousing Charlie’s defensive growl. “I hope you don’t mind us asking, but how did it even get into the dorms?”

“My stupid fucking father—” Charlie is practically spitting his tiny vitriol, and Thandi turns to gather him up in her arms to soothe him preemptively. He wraps his arms around her, growling into her chest while she strokes his head to calm him.

“It was a magic box. The faculty have it now,” Thandi says. “I never got to see it.”

“Ah, shame, shame.”

“Darshan,” Arif says quietly. “It seems we are agitating Charlie quite a lot. Shall we give them their space back?”

“Ah? Yes! Of course, let’s! Apologies, little miss, but hopefully we see you about?”

“I’m sure you will,” Thandi says as she waves goodbye to them both.

She’s so tight around him. They’re frozen, quiet, him twitching inside of her as they wait for the footsteps to fade. His nerves are being frayed, but at the same time, it’s exciting to be so close to being caught murdering propriety.

Thandi’s face slips from one of mortification to a sly smile.

The game is on.

Though he tries to keep a grasp on her hips, she rocks against him, biting her lip as she gives him the look. The one that haunts his best dreams, the one she shows only him, the one that shows how much she really desires. The look that pulls him back into a rhythm, trying desperately to steady his breath as they rut.

Gods…no, goddess…She rules him. Body and mind. It’s so close. He’s so close. Charlie throws his head back, stifling a moan as she picks up speed. Thandi always knows what she wants and how to get it. He’s just another part of that collection.

That’s right…he should be working to keep his spot in her ranking of importance. It’s not enough to simply be a distraction. He’s got to be as close to number one as he can get. She looks mirthful when she sees him smirk, a wicked grin spreading.

Thandi loves that look. It means he’s done being passive. And she’s about to get really fucked.

He’s pacing. How could this be happening?

He can’t believe it. Thandi would never betray him like this!

But it’s all right there. The evidence. The bracelet has been cut. Thandi admires a ring on her finger. She smiles and blushes as she talks about someone else. There’s no room for him here.

Why is she so happy about this? She knows she has a perfectly suited marriage candidate in him! And she…she…she cut it. She cut it off. And the look she gives him, one that once was walking the line between pity and tenderness, is simply cool indifference. 

It’s maddening.

He could see the bracelet writhe on the table before her, reflecting his inner turmoil. As much as he adores her, if she’s found true love…Charlie grinds his teeth and storms into the forest. 

He can’t stop her. No matter how in like they are. No matter the promise they made. No matter the circumstance. If she is happy then so is he. Eventually.

Charlie watches Thandi, the pressure in his chest rising with every breath. Every movement of hers is lovely. Every expression. Every small detail. He feels her through the bracelet and it’s heaven. The beat of her pulse and the warmth of her body pressed to his, even degrees removed, is a comfort he never thought he would enjoy.

The bracelet squeezes gently as his heart rushes, wasting precious heartbeats on his adoration. Thandi looks up at Charlie and smiles. There’s some relief to the pain.

Thandi watches his face light up, inner coil moving against her wrist. It never lets her forget. A giggle bursts out of her as she smiles broader, seeing his goofy, crooked smile in return. What a gorgeous man he is.

Charlie is giddy. No one knows what they did, and his seed is still inside of her. He can’t stop smirking at the backward glances Thandi gives him. Both of them share this secret excitement, knowing she’s filled with him.

Her small giggle is wonderful as she blushes at him. She feels the bracelet twine and stroke at her wrist, tightening possessively. She gives it a peck to calm his excitement, but instead rouses him more.

The two hook pinkies as they walk, bumping hips and brushing fingers. Being so close. Being so loved. And knowing that he’s left his mark in her…what a thrill. He can’t wait to do it again. And again. And again.