Chapter 4:

The foreigner shifted to the right, laying down on his side, releasing a frail groan. His lips twitched, his ears shook, his toes clenched. Yet, one movement in particular drew Istaryl's attention. The drake's loin coverings--they began rising!

Istaryl's breath caught in his throat. His eyes widened to the size of raspberries as he watched the drake's tapered shaft press against the flap of leather covering his groin, poking at it, giving it the appearance of a perverse flagpole. His thighs rocked against one another, the soft friction encouraging his member to grow to proportions the strap of brown leather couldn't contain.

Breathlessly, Istaryl witnessed the stranger's erection work its way past his coverings, forcing the strap of leather to dangle uselessly to the side of his slit. Although his excitement began to wane after a few hearty throbs, Istaryl's jaws remained agape, his pent-up breath slowly coming out.

Once his member diminished enough for his coverings to return to their previous position, Istaryl giggled, his squeaky mirth forcing him to cover his mouth with his paws, lest he woke up his guest.

Too late.

Ice formed within Istaryl's veins as the drake began to shift. He rolled onto his back...

And then swung to the other side, curled in a fetal position, blissfully ignorant to what just happened.

Istaryl's heart skipped a beat. A weary sigh escaped his snout, and every spot on his head seemed to itch due to the nerves flooding his being. That was close! Very close! Perhaps that was Istaryl's cue to leave. Watching over this drake spelled trouble for him, even greater if his guest woke up to one of Istaryl's untimely erections.

It took a couple of moments for Istaryl's frantic heartbeats to settle and for his cheeks to cool off. Instead of clarity, of rational thoughts advising him to leave, a perverse desire to stay nudged at Istaryl's mind. It was a selfish thought, bred of pure satire at the drake's address. Try as he might to fight it back, Istaryl couldn't. He had to know. He had to find out just how much of a sleepyhead this drake was.

Besides, he kind of owes me, Istaryl sought to convince himself. Undrethyl strummed me like an instrument. Why shouldn't I pass it forward to this cute, innocent fellow? If he wakes up, I'll just say I tried my best to make him comfortable. Yes. That's it. I'm just looking out for him."

Sleeping with clothes on never did anybody any good, and the sun had yet to set. Poor drake must have been boiling inside that leather vest, the fluffy collar adding to his discomfort. Slowly, Istaryl tiptoed towards his target, sparing a glance to the half-opened door, perking his ears. Muffled chatter wafted from the floor below. No footsteps on this level, which meant no activity.

Alrighty then...

Istaryl stopped beside the bed, rubbing his chin in thought. In spite of the nobility of his task, occasional shudders still slithered under his skin. His limbs remained taut, his tail restless, just like the second thoughts passing through his mind.

No, that's ridiculous! Istaryl thought, almost irritated with his indecisiveness. I'm not doing anything wrong. A good number of drakes walk around naked. Besides, his clothes are still going to be here when he wakes up. It's not as if I am stealing them!

Even so, it still took Istaryl the better part of a minute to make up his mind. There was more to his intentions than altruism, but he chose to swipe that mote of temptation aside in favor of a more practical course of action, such as finding a way to undress the drake without waking him up.

If that was even possible...

"Well, here goes nothing..." Istaryl whispered under his breath. He leaned forward, his shadow flowing over the drake's white and blue-green form. A subtle push, and the stranger rolled onto his stomach with the ease of a barrel.

Now came the difficult part, the riskiest one by a fair shot. Istaryl inhaled a mouthful of stale air, holding that reassuring breath trapped within his chest as he grabbed the drake's arm, curling it slightly to the side, so that he could roll one end of the vest off his body. When he attempted to do the same with the remaining arm, the drake growled.

Istaryl froze, his head threatening to explode, his chest tight with the breath he desperately tried to suppress.

The stranger stretched his limbs, flicked some hay off to the side with a swing of his tail, and assumed his preferred position, on the side.

Only then did Istaryl allow that monstrous sigh out, working the vest free from the drake's body while he still had the nerve to do so. Next came his loin coverings, strapped around his waist with a brown leather cord, fastened in place with a metal clasp. Istaryl undid it with great ease, practically pulling everything off him in one single and elegant maneuver. The drake rolled with the motion, switching onto his back, tongue poking past the side of his mouth as he presented Istaryl with the white of his belly, and more. Much, much more.

Istaryl's jaws parted in a smug grin, unable to help himself from savoring this victorious moment. His golden eyes scanned over the lines outlining the drake's white abdomen, emphasizing his strong physique despite his smaller size. The blue-green male also had his legs sprawled open. Just like a spring blossom, he presented his inner beauty to everyone who wished to see it.

Istaryl was mesmerized. He absorbed the suave curves of the drake's thighs, the smooth surface of his tail, noticed the way his toes curled slightly inwards, white claws grappling a few strands of hay in the process.

And, of course, there was the matter of his slit, completely bare before Istaryl's eyes, a thin line parting the white of his groin, thin yet quite noticeable. A sliver of pink flesh stood out, the color pale compared to the crimson blush tinting Istaryl's cheeks, emphasized by the translucent film of arousal coating the surface of the stranger's gender.

Although he was utterly naked, Istaryl sweltered. The air in the room seemed to turn hot and muggy, causing the red drake's tail to shift back and forth erratically. His first thought was to leave the room, to get a breath of fresh air, to put as much distance between him and that alluring drake as possible.

Besides, he could wake up at any given moment. What would he say, should he notice a pervert clutching his clothes on each hand, staring down upon his bare form? Istary's heart sank at the mere prospect of having this happen to him, this terrible yet blissful scenario.

In the end, the drake yet again interrupted Istaryl's train of thought. He rolled to the side, tongue fleeing back into his mouth, his tail rolling between his legs, curling protectively around his slit.

Drat! Was it because--

The visible shudders rushing through his muscles soothed Istaryl's intense moment of panic, but didn't abolish it. The red drake remained stiff, fingers clenched around the stranger's clothes. He knew what he had to do, but something held him back. The same nagging thought from before returned to him, the one that made him grow erect at a most inappropriate moment. Stunned, his throat dry and his claws scratching at the floorboards due to a mixture of uneasiness and exultation, Istaryl battled doubt. Cover him with his clothes? Or get into the bed with him, share his body heat with him?

Now that the sun had set, its nurturing rays no longer caressed the stranger's form. Istaryl's adrenaline levels dwindles as well, leaving him drained, almost fatigued. In his vulnerable state, he also noticed how cool the room became. A vest and some leather straps wouldn't do much to keep this drake's slumber peaceful. Only a personal, intimate touch would suffice, and since Istaryl remained here to watch over the drake...