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"Today is the day", thought a midnight-colored, frosty tundra dragon out loud, but to himself. "Today is the day I... Let him know." He straightened his legs and bolstered his stance as he continued rummaging in the tall grass and flowers of his fleet territory, his heavy fur pelt dragging over many of the petals beneath him.

The sun had just barely begun to rise over the Viridian Labyrinth and the Everbloom Gardens in which Notte found himself, and much of the land was still dark. Some birds could be heard chirping as they began their early days alongside some of the small critters that nested amongst the flowers. Notte was using this time to strengthen his resolve, as well as collect a gift for his favored dragon, the Patriarch, Nyro. His large tundra wings flapped softly as he treaded through a field of colorful wildflowers, taking care not to squish any small creatures, looking for the most pristine specimens to bring, trying to lighten his weight so as not to crush too many. "W-what's his favorite color...?" He muttered to himself. "Gah... I should know this... What if I get him a color he doesn't like?" He whimpered a bit, ears folding.

If it sounded like he was looking for a courting gift to give to his patriarch, it's because he was. Nyro was the figurehead patriarch of the clan, a handsome, strong imperial dragon that had fallen into a role of minor leadership among the fleet with the Matriarch - who had a name that Notte could not recall - away on private business most of the time. Nyro had always been kind to Notte, surprisingly so, for all his rigid policies and enforcement of the laws of the fleet. He was a stern leader, acting quickly and tackling problems head on, but with poise and grace, befitting of his imperial blood.

Despite all of that, Nyro had a habit of calling Notte "My dear", or "darling", and he never could figure out why, exactly. It was slightly off-putting to Notte at first and he was quite unsure on how to react; two male dragons forming a romantic bond wasn't unheard of or taboo, but still not entirely common. However, lately, the soothing rumble of his voice and the gaze of his eyes when he spoke those words to praise Notte for doing something well was beginning to make him weak in the knees, and his wings curled joyfully at the thought alone. He'd formed an attraction to his imperial leader, and while he was certain beyond a doubt that the feeling was mutual, he still found himself wracked with anxiety over pleasing him as best he could, in hopes of receiving more.

"He told me his favorite color, I know he did..." He grumbled, frustratedly, closing his eyes and turning his head down in an attempt to squeeze a memory from his head. Notte had always had a terrible time with memory, forgetting details, faces, even formal meetings with other dragons would slip from his mind. Nyro was the exception; he took special care in understanding the workings of tundras, and made a concentrated effort to imprint himself on Notte's mind with scent and presence, with great success. Meanwhile, having no success recalling Nyro's favorite color, Notte sighed and began to quake a bit, his tail almost curling between his legs in instinctual fear. "No, it's fine. I'll go with classic red roses, f-for.. um..." He looked around, as if to pick up any wandering eyes, and finding none. "L-love and stuff... Wait, was it red, or pink? Pink is love, red is friendship? O-or was it the other way around? Do imperials care? Oh freeze me, he's gonna hate whatever I give him..." He groaned and fell to his rump, quashing many flowers beneath his fluffy hindquarters and thick tail that fell limp behind him. Raising a paw to his head, he rubbed his eyes with a groan, before burying his snout into the sleeve of fur on his arm.

Notte wasn't really supposed to be courting dragons in places of power anyway, and he knew it. He was nothing special, really, keeping mostly to himself and out of the way of strangers and leaders who had more important things to do than take paltry gifts from lesser dragons...

...No, Notte wasn't a lesser dragon.

He rose up again, knowing that with the rising sun, his time was becoming short, and Nyro would awaken soon and Notte wouldn't be able to give him the token of his affections before he set out for the day's rounds. He knew he was special, even if to a trivial amount, in Nyro's eyes. No other dragons, male or female, received the sugar-coated words that he did, at least not that he had seen or remembered. If there were others, Notte had to act quickly to let his affections be known, before it was too late.

Red was the color of love, that was it! As if his mind suddenly understood the gravity of the situation, he was able to remember exactly what he was looking for, with Nyro's face and voice backing his thoughts. As Notte began to search through red flowers as delicately as possible, pleasing thoughts of love and romance began to flood his mind. He started to fill in blanks with Nyro's voice, and his thoughts even drifted to more... intimate phrases and actions.

Quickly losing concentration in his increasingly naughty daydream, he shook his head rapidly, discarding the thoughts and using his newfound resolve to pick out the biggest and most vibrant red rose that he could find - This was sure to please Nyro. "Better not get ahead of myself..." He said to himself, "Soon, though... soon..."

* * *

A few hours later, the forest was alive with the sounds of wildlife, as was much of the clan, and Notte stood outside Nyro's lavish den in the Gladeveins. Pacing back and forth at a respectable distance, he anxiously awaited the showing of his patriarch, his gift on his back between his icy wings: A particularly massive red rose, at least two feet wide, no doubt a blessing from the Gladekeeper to gift those in pursuit of love. It was perfect for a larger dragon like an imperial to wear around an arm or a horn. Looking over his shoulder at his token, Notte smiled. 'This was a good idea' he thought, and he knew things were going to be just fine from now on. Better than fine, even.

A slight rustling and rumbling came from the den as Nyro emerged into the sunlight. Still groggy, his eyes partially closed, he stood in the sunlight for a moment, letting his eyes get used to the new day.

Notte admired his charcoal scales, wagging his tail as he watched Nyro endearingly try to wake up. He could picture Nyro's lavish rusty wings wrapping around him, seeing his scales up close in an embrace -

"Notte? It's a bit early, what are you doing here? What's that you've got there?" Nyro spoke calmly, blinking out the last of the sleep from his eyes and stretching his wings. He approached Notte slowly, head held high and body strong.

Already trying not to crack under the infatuating presence of the object of his affections, Notte stuttered. "Um, yes, hi! I-I got you a gift..." He turned his head to his back and managed to grab the flower at the severed stem, removing it from it's place between his wings and... fumbling it. One of the rose's petals caught on Notte's wing and began to tilt as he pulled it away. Not wanting to damage it, he hastily let go of it, sending it tumbling face-down into the dirt. "Oops! No!" He quickly reached down and retrieved it again, turning it right side up with his nose, dusting off the petals with his furry sleeve and presenting it to Nyro properly, sitting back on his haunches and picking up the large flower with his paws, holding it up for Nyro to admire.

A slight chuckle came from Nyro as he witnessed Notte's charming display. "It's fine, dear. What is this for, if I may?" He tilted his head and leaned down to inspect the large flower, carefully inspecting the petals and admiring it before returning his attention to Notte.

"I-it's for that, in particular... I mean. The stuff you say." He huffed and backpedaled, trying to keep his composure before he became a babbling mess. "Okay, no, listen... You call me 'dear' a lot, and other sweet things. I wanted to, um, say 'thank you', I guess." He couldn't keep his eyes turned up to Nyro, and looked away bashfully, feeling his arms start to shake a bit.

"This is an awfully large 'thank you', Notte, but-"

"N-no, that's not what I meant, sorry, I mean, it's more than a thank you." He dared to interrupt a speaking imperial, already letting some of his emotions seep through. His eyes finally turned back to Nyro, locking with his as the desire to finally break the barrier reached it's peak.

Nyro didn't seem at all offended that Notte had interrupted him, further bolstering his courage - clearly what he had to say meant something if such a powerful dragon like Nyro would allow him to interject.

"I... I really like you, Nyro. I'd like to give you this... And maybe we can, um. C-court?" Notte winced at his final words with a contortion of his face. The flower in his grip tilted as an involuntary tic contracted in his arm. That was supremely stupid. Dear gods that was a dumb thing to say. There goes his chances. How could he be so-

Nyro laughed, picking up the flower with a dire taloned hand and raising it to place it in his mane. "It is gorgeous, m'dear, truly! I'll have one of our vineweavers make it into an elaborate piece of apparel later, I think. Tomorrow, the matriarch returns from her distant journey, so tonight would be a perfect time for us to spend some time together, as I'll have some burden removed from me then. What say you?"

Notte's icy eyes lit up. Ears perked and tail swishing rapidly, he jumped up and almost started dancing right then and there. "R-really? Truly? Oh! Yes! I mean, yes! That would be the best thing ever! W-where should I go?"

Then Nyro did the unthinkable. Raising another royal paw, he touched Notte's chin carefully in an attempt to calm him down. "Relax, dear. Come to this spot after sunset, and we'll decide how we make the night ours, yes?"

Notte felt faint. The moment Nyro touched his chin, he froze, looking up at him with a big dumb grin, only the tip of his tail flickering with delight. He felt himself flush with heat and prayed that his quickly onsetting infatuation wasn't too obvious. "Y-yes..." Was all he could manage to say, despite the hundreds of words that swam around his head.

"Good, good." Nyro let go of Notte and adjusted the flower in his mane slightly. "For now, try not to let the excitement kill you; that would be a dire disappointment. Likewise, I will do the same, as I find someone to fashion this into a more suitable article for my frame."

"Mmhm..." Notte missed half of his words, hearing little more than sweet nothings, particularly the part where he said he'd also refrain from 'dying of excitement', filling Notte with enough joy to explode into clumps of dark fluff.

With another chuckle, Nyro turned and began to depart to his daily business. "Tonight then, darling. Be safe, and live well."

Notte may have been a male dragon, but as soon as Nyro left his sight, he felt like a girl who had just hooked up with the most handsome stud in the clan. He couldn't help but give in to a slight fit of the giggles, letting out several uncharacteristic squeaks and purrs as he melted to the ground and hid his head under the fluffy sleeves of his arms. That went so far beyond his expectations, he nibbled and bit at the flesh on his arm a couple times to ensure he wasn't just dreaming of this, and he hadn't just fallen asleep in the field as he was flower hunting. To his delight, this world was the real one, and he had indeed landed a date with Nyro, the heavy-handed and high-borne rust-and-charcoal stud of the clan.

Now the hard part was getting through the day.

Indeed, once Notte overcame his fit of swooning and melting, he was faced with the task of keeping occupied elsewhere. Following Nyro around like a protégé was out of the question for now, though the thought of being his consort and following him around all day certainly appealed to him. What, then, would keep his mind off the rendezvous that was a full sunlit day away? The wisest course of action would be grooming, and mental preparation. He'd been yearning for this chance for several weeks now; to screw it up at this point would be devastating.

Taking a deep breath and composing himself, Notte forced himself to focus elsewhere, not let anxiety destroy him, and try not to let his heart carry him away on it's own set of wings while he groomed himself to make himself look as attractive and dapper as possible for his regal partner.

Not two steps later, as he attempted to walk away from Nyro's den and begin the arduous task of waiting, his thoughts turned again to the upcoming night, and the thousands of scenarios that would possibly present themselves.

It was going to be a long day.

* * *

Despite Notte's fears that night would never come, and he would be trapped in daylight for eternity, the sun did eventually set, and Notte had managed to keep himself earthbound up until this point.

He'd spent all day encouraging himself, grooming himself, and introspecting. Lifting himself up and telling himself that he could be worth something to an imperial dragon like Nyro. He'd bathed and brushed, adorned himself with his special necklace, and practically pressed himself to a sheen.

Now, all he wanted to do was hide.

He was starting to feel cold feet, and suddenly trying to impress an imperial like Nyro sounded like the dumbest idea ever.

And yet, his feet were taking him to Nyro's den. His mind was in a rage, trying to pull him away. His heart said no, he had to press on. Regardless of the battles raging on beneath his flesh and fur, his feet trudged on. He could already feel his fur beginning to lose it's sheen and grain as he heard Nyro's voice talking to another. Within the tiny distance between here and there, Notte knew his fur would at least double in volume, and he would look like-

"Ah, there is my date." Nyro grinned to Notte. He was speaking to an unknown pink tundra female who smiled to Notte as he approached.

"Oh! This is the one then? Very handsome indeed. Then I shall leave you to it, Nyro. Another time?" The pink tundra looked to Nyro and shimmied her wings in preparation for flight.

"T'would be appreciated, madame. Another time." He nodded curtly to the other tundra before giving his full attention to Notte. The pink tundra girl giggled and lept into the air, taking flight with a few heavy flaps of her wings before departing.

"Who was that...?" Notte tilted his head as he watched her leave. "Was it..." He trailed off; it wasn't Nyro's lover, was it? What if by 'another time', they had a date planned too? What if-

"It was visitor from an Arcane fleet, though there wasn't much of value conducted. She was looking for our Matriarch for some things that I, unfortunately, cannot authorize. Don't worry, hon." Nyro smiled and touched Notte's chin again, his words turning soft as though he could detect his fear. "She's nothing special, and I doubt I'll see her again. The night belongs to you and I. Come, let's be off."

"Oh... Heh, no I wasn't worried." Notte bluffed, a small stammer in his voice.

Nyro just chuckled, saying nothing as he ushered Notte along at his side with a gentle nudge of his wing, though he was pretty sure he called his bluff. "She was an odd one anyway. A tad heavy on the flirtations, and at the same time, torn between acting like a matriarch should and acting like a whelp."

"That's... odd." Notte tilted his head up at Nyro. "She's... flirtatious?"

Nyro chuckled. "Yes, apparently her whole clan is made up of her consorts. And no, that's not what she was seeking of me, if that's what you're wondering."

Notte's eyes turned forward again and he let out a relieved sigh. "A little... I had been putting this off out of fear and worry for weeks now. I didn't want to be too late."

"You were not, dear one. Don't you worry, quite frankly, I believe the pink one may be completely insane." He let out an uncharacteristically cheerful chuckle. A contagious one, at that. Having never truly heard Nyro laugh in such a matter, Notte felt his own lips curl into a smile, then lift to reveal teeth before joining him in bright laughter.

"Ah, but she's an arcane-fleet. I hear a lot of them are like that - no disrespect of course, one can't doubt their ingenuity." Nyro turned his head back and sighed, coming down from their burst of joyous cackling. "Sorry about that, it's not often I get to unwind after a day like this. It's always early to bed, early to rise. Day in, day out, whenever the matriarch leaves, I have to step up."

Notte wagged his tail a bit, ears wiggling and his gaze turning up to the larger dragon. "I hope I'm helping..."

Nyro glanced to Notte with a grin as they made their way outward from the Gladeveins. "Like you wouldn't believe, m'dear. It's nice to be able to relax like this, with a lovely tundra like yourself. Might I just say your pelt is very beautiful tonight?"

Notte swooned a bit and swerved in his walking. "T-thank you! I did my best to keep it groomed all day, though once nerves got a hold of me, it started getting a bit messy... The pink girl said I was handsome too, though. I bet if I'd stayed longer, she might have tried flirting with me." He chuckled.

"Hah, well, I wouldn't call you 'handsome', exactly." Nyro shrugged.

Notte tilted his head up at him, brow raised in confusion. "Why? Am I not...?"

"Well..." Nyro shrugged a bit. "I typically don't call my girls 'handsome'. I find you very beautiful though. I really do admire the way you've adorned yourself this night."

Notte felt his heart drop into his stomach.

"You really must have gotten nervous to puff out like that; it's quite endearing though, if I may say." He continued talking.

The cosmos had a sense of humor, and Notte felt like he was going to be sick from it. His stomach churned and his eyes filled with worry and fear. He felt like he was going to vomit.

"Well you needn't worry," Nyro smiled, completely oblivious to the revelation ravaging Notte's mind. "I prefer to keep my work and play separate, you needn't look so official with me."

Notte stopped in his tracks, sliding beneath Nyro's wing.

"What's the matter?" Nyro stopped and looked back to the midnight tundra. "You look sick, m'dear."

"I'm male." Notte's voice cracked, and he could already feel the lump forming in his throat. "Are you telling me-" He choked once. "Are you telling me you couldn't tell? You took this date with me because you thought I was a lady?"

Nyro's jaw slackened a bit and his eyes widened darting back and forth over Notte's form. "I... What?" He stammered, completely befuddled, unsure what to even say at this point.

"H-how could you not tell?!" Notte quivered, wings folding tightly to his body and ears pressing down. His form began to shrink, though his voice raised, displaying fear, submission, and rage all at once. "My... My voice? My horns? My body? My scent? Nothing seemed weird to you at all??"

"N-no! I..." Nyro fumbled his words, and fell back on his rump, looking defeated and confused. "I couldn't! Your voice is... I mean it was, so sweet, it sounded feminine to me! And you're a tundra! I'm not picking through your fluff to find your nethers! I- You-"

"Well imagine if you had!" Notte barked. "What a surprise that would have been, huh? Spend forever dating a cute tundra girl only to find out that you were too dumb to tell a male and female tundra apart!"

Nyro bared his teeth a bit at the jab, "Now listen here-!"

"No, you listen!" Notte was practically roaring now, despite the tears that were falling from his face. "I've been getting weak in the knees and the butterflies in my belly for weeks now and I thought you were genuinely interested! I sure as hell was! All the 'my dear' this and 'darling' that. And the patience and understanding you had putting up with me because tundras work a little different from you imperial types!" Notte was practically shaking to pieces now, and his frame started to crumble. The entire night, all it's preparation and fear and joy had been shattered by a single comment, now that Notte knew he had been insulted and misguided this entire time.

Nyro sighed and grunted. He rose to his feet and held his head high again in his typical high-borne stance, towering over the smaller, destroyed tundra. "Go home, Notte. Get some rest."

His stoic and curt tone both enraged and wounded Notte. "What?! That's it? You're going to just tuck this away? Just like that?"

"I made a mistake." He said bluntly. "No, I didn't know you were male, that's my fault. But there's no sense in dwelling on it. I'm... sorry."

The very way he was so willing to sweep this aside and pretend nothing had happened, and the way he was just discarding Notte's tears and distress was... appalling. Notte stared up at him in disbelief and bewilderment. "You... You can't be serious?"

"I am." Nyro spread his wings and backed away, preparing for flight. "I am sorry, Notte... I'm not sure...I can..." He trailed off, not sure what to say, instead saying nothing.

"What..." Notte tried to step forward, but his legs buckled and he fell onto his belly. Reaching out to Nyro with eyes full of desperation, he pleaded "What kind of leader are you? Can you tell me? You made a mistake that completely destroyed one of your clan, and you're not even going to make it right? No remorse?" He whimpered. "I wanted you to love me, Nyro..."

Nyro's face remained unaltered. Eyes emotionless as ever. Bowing his head, he simply repeated the two words that he seemed to be stuck on all night: "I'm sorry." And with a flapping of his massive wings, he punctuated his statement, and left. He flew not towards his home, but towards the ocean, no doubt to escape Notte's emotional breakdown.

Notte's lonely roar echoed both sorrow and regret across the clan as he surrendered all movement and life into the ground that he would sleep on tonight with heartbroken weeping.

* * *

Morning came, though rest did not. Notte woke up in his patch of dirt several times in the night, hoping that Nyro would be there, or that the dreams he had had were just visions of a future yet to come in hopes that there was something he could do to alter the timeline. No such thing was true, and the weight of the sorrow inside of him condemned him to lie there in the grass for the better part of the day. Throughout the day, many of the clan's dragons spotted him and tried to comfort him. Some brought him food, which he lethargically ate. Some tried to speak with him, he told them nothing. Some even tried to force him to take action, to tackle his problem, he turned his cheek and shunned them. There was no hope for him.

Eventually, the long day turned to night and it was with a heavy heart that Notte rose from his catatonic state to his feet with the departure of the sun and sluggishly made his way to Nyro's den, not far from where last night's breakdown had occurred. The sound of the running water of the Gladeveins was all but muted to him. Twigs, dirt, and grass debris had all gathered in his fur, picked up from the tossing and turning of the night's restless sleep and the day's neglect. Some of the clanmates that visited him throughout the day had made an attempt to pick some of the burs from his fur, though they always ended tangled in his pelt again; no hint of his intensive grooming from yesterday were present any longer.

Nyro was not present. No surprise. Notte turned and leapt into the air with a clumsy flap of his wings and a clumsy attempt to take to the skies. Eventually he caught wind and managed to take off, beginning a flight around the clan with no particular aim. As he glided, he dipped and zigzagged about, looking tired and defeated, even in the sky. His muscles were weak and he often fell into daydreams that caused him to forget to flap his wings, and only the sudden descent of a near-fall shook him from it.

It appeared that Nyro had abandoned the clan, or was aware of Notte's state, and actively avoided him. Notte would have been angry had he not been so miserable. After spending all night and day torn between the three emotions of rage, sorrow, and regret, there was nothing left inside of him. His cold, icy eyes for once reflected the emotionless and quiet demeanor of the Icewarden himself. He was, lethargic, depressed, and what felt like an eternity of emotion in a single night had left him in a state of shutdown. None of the dragons of his clan that he saw below or flying in the distant skies meant anything to him. He could barely remember any of them anyway, most of them were strangers, and none of them would ever be what Nyro was in such a short time, so nothing about them mattered. Notte was typically not noticed much anyway... And now, more than ever, he would prefer to keep it that way. All their attention and attempts to console him had only left him feeling embarrassed or pathetic.

Maintaining his course to nowhere, he saw the ocean, and headed towards it. Leaving the clan suddenly sounded like a great idea.

A small, joyless smile came to his face as he seriously began to consider it. Surely Nyro and Notte would never lock eyes or converse in the same way again. The days of 'my dear' and soft chin touches were over. Nyro would be forever ashamed of accidentally accepting courtship from a male, and Notte would never be able to recover that image of a female in his eyes again. No one in this clan knew him, or would be particularly sad if he left.

'Why leave?' a little voice in his heart asked. "Why not?" He responded in a quiet voice to himself. Still, the small voice in his heart pressured him to stay, despite attempts to silence it with doubt and anger. Notte felt a wave of emotion coming over him again, and his vision began to blur. Feeling weakness start to wash over him, he descended in a spiral, landing just short of the ocean, on a sandy beach overlooking the eternal blue.

Notte broke down again. Burying his face in the sand, he wept. He didn't want to leave the clan, because that would mean leaving Nyro, but each time he considered that, he had to remember that there was nothing between them, and leaving would be to lose nothing of value. The pain of remembering brought him to tears, and once again he wished he could simply dissolve into the sand and be forgotten.

"Notte." Came a voice from behind him. Notte jumped, startled. He hadn't had the sight or mental capacity to see if this area was currently inhabited before crashing here to have an emotional breakdown. Quickly choking back his tears with little success as they fell from his eyes and matted his fur, he turned his head to see who it was, body still sprawled out in the sand.

It was Nyro, looking regretful and wearing Notte's red rose gift around his ankle. He had gotten it woven into a corsage by one of the clan vineweavers, as he said he would the night before. Notte's eyes widened a bit as he looked up, showing some surprise that he'd kept his gift. "What do you want..." Notte forced a frown, trying his best to make himself look strong, defensive... And failing miserably.

"I wanted to... apologize, Notte." Nyro lowered his head, and couldn't look Notte in the eyes. "I'm sorry. I was stunned last night, I didn't know how to act, or what to say or do. I left you alone in the dirt when you had worked so hard to please me all day."

Notte could feel his eyes welling up again, and his faux-angry visage began to slip.

"I didn't know you were a male, that is true, but that doesn't excuse the fact that I crushed you, and when you needed me the most, I abandoned you... In doing so, I've shamed you, myself, and this entire clan. I need to make that right."

Notte sniffled, speechless in the sand. He gazed up at Nyro. Silently, he blinked through tears as he couldn't find any words in his vocabulary that would express just what he'd been feeling ever since last night. Such a mixture of confusion, seething rage, and desperate sorrow could not be simply explained with mortal words.

Nyro continued by pulling a pure white daisy from his mane, that Notte hadn't noticed before, also woven into an article of apparel much like his own red rose. Looking at it with a bit of uncertainty, he reached down and gently slid his taloned hand beneath Notte, attempting to take his arm. "Come here." He said softly, but with that commanding tone so familiar to his station.

Confused, but feeling a recognizable flutter in his belly at the personal touch, Notte complied, relinquishing his forearm to his superior.

Unable to lock eyes with the tundra, Nyro began to fasten the soft daisy corsage to Notte's furry arm, around the ankle just above his paw. "I... I really liked you, Notte. A lot. I found your voice sweet, your eyes captivating, and your body... shapely." He finished tying the end of the vines together around Notte's dark-furred sleeve. Still holding it, he began to comb the fur on it carefully with his claws. "None of those things had to do with your sex. I shouldn't have reacted the way I did, when everything that truly appealed to me about you was still there the whole time."

Notte's tears had stopped flowing, and now his eyes gazed upwards at the larger imperial with a contradictory mixture of hope and skepticism. "Y-you mean..." He halted, swallowing hard and hoping Nyro would finish the thought, to confirm or refute his suspicions.

Nyro shuffled a bit, saying nothing and simply staring at Notte's new daisy adornment for several minutes. His tongue shifted in his muzzle and the only thing that moved on his body was his claws that continued to fidget and play with the fur on Notte's arm.

Daring to break the silence, Notte touched Nyro's arm in return and spoke softly in an attempt to break him from his trance-like state. "N-Nyro?"

Nyro inhaled sharply as if he had truly fallen into a trance and was kicked out of it by Notte's words. "I-I'm sorry... I..." He sighed and shook his head. Letting go of the tundra's arm, he stepped back and joined him on the sandy beach, lowering himself to the position and level of the subordinate male. Despite the sincerity of his words, still, his eyes could not meet Notte's, and stayed locked on the ground. "I want to continue courting, Notte. I'm not ashamed of you, and I'm not ashamed to be seen with you. More than anything, I'm ashamed for treating you the way I did. No one of any rank or station should treat another's heart like I did."

Notte's lip quivered and he sniffled again. Kicking his hind legs in the sand, he clumsily lunged forward into Nyro, throwing his arms around Nyro's neck and began to cry openly, sobbing - and laughing - at the same time.

Hearing Nyro laugh softly, he felt his talons start to groom the fur on the back of his neck. "Now come on, dry your eyes, dear. We have a date that we never finished."

Notte couldn't find the ability to do anything more than mutter 'thank you' over and over again, his head buried in Nyro's chest, where he snuggled obsessively. His overflowing joy radiated from him like an aura beneath the clear night sky, and the moon itself could not rival the glow in Notte's frosted eyes.

Together, they spent their night on that beach, moon above and warmth within, expelling the darkness from Notte's memory and replacing it instead with visions of a bright future. Sleep may have been wise, but instead, they stayed awake until the break of morning. They shared stories of their lives, suitors and lovers they'd had and lost, and dreams they'd had.

As the sun began to rise, Notte was curled up in a warm ball as Nyro sat behind him, his long body curled around his furry partner. "Nyro?" Notte asked, starting to doze off a bit with his head on his front paws.

"Yes? Getting sleepy?" Nyro chuckled.

"All those things you said, the stuff you liked about me. Did you mean it? And are you really not disappointed at all that I'm... not a female?"

Nyro paused for a moment, then, "Yes, they were all true. Your colors are very easy on the eyes, and you glow particularly well under moonlight, as I've learned tonight." He sighed, breaking up his statement, "As for any disappointment... No, nevermind, I shouldn't say that."

Notte whimpered and looked up at Nyro. "W-what? Say what?" He said worriedly.

"No no, it's nothing bad, just..." He snickered a bit, clearing his throat. "I just don't think I should say something so crude. It would be... unbecoming of an imperial, let alone a good date."

Notte looked back down. "Oh..." He fidgeted in the sand a bit. "I-it's not bad, right?

Nyro combed his talons through Notte's mane with a smile. "Not in the least. I'll tell you when the time is just right."

"When will that be?" Notte's tail flickered, a reflex of the larger dragon's affection.

A small chuckle escaped Nyro's throat, and his voice carried a hint of suggestion. "Sooner than you might think, my sweet... A time that will come sooner if we do this more, if I may be so bold."

Notte smiled wide and pressed himself back against Nyro. "More...? So. Again tonight, maybe? I-if it's not too much to ask?"

"That sounds heavenly. And if I'm needed on business again, how would you like to come with me, as my protege? Mayhaps we can work on your memory, get you more prestige in the clan, mm?"

Notte's eyes lit up to a near glimmer, tilting his head back in the most adorable manner to look up at Nyro. "Really?! You mean it? I can follow you around? On your important stuff?" His tail complimented his hatchling excitement, flapping wildly and batting on the ground.

"But of course, Notte! I think it would do you some good, and I would love to have you around for it. I think we could consider it part of our courting, as we learn more about each other, don't you?"

"Y-Yes! Oh yes!" Notte nodded cutely, trying to look at least a little serious, though his tail and glimmering eyes belied his face.

"Excellent, I look forward to that..." Nyro looked to the horizon, and the sun beginning to rise over the ocean. "I think, for now though, we should get some rest. We've been up all night, and we're sure to miss most of the day now. Lucky for us we're not tied to any plans today, mm?"

"Y-yeah, hehe!" Notte chuckled awkwardly, hesitant to let Nyro go for the night, but knowing it was necessary, just for now. "Tonight then? Again?"

Nyro rose from his place on the beach, shaking off some of the sand that had gathered on his scales and in his mane. "Yes. I look forward to seeing you in all the beauty of that first night, dear Notte." And with that, he surprised Notte with one final parting gift, a small kiss on the crown of his head.

As if he hadn't already acted like a lovestruck girl when he'd first accepted his advances, now he could barely contain a swooning moan or a delighted giggle as he felt Nyro's regal snout bless his head with a little kiss. Immediately, Notte hid underneath his paws until Nyro had left, grinning wide as ever knowing exactly what he'd done, before biting his lip and giving into a fit of the giggles. The heartbreak of the past day had dissipated, and Nyro had done more than redeem himself. Warmth had once again filled his heart with love and joy.

Once he'd gotten ahold of himself, and overcome the flood of happiness that had left him rolling around in the sand like a pleased pet, he took a deep breath and headed for his home.

He thought sleep would be difficult, with his mind in such a rush, but as soon as he nestled into his den, warm and cozy after a wild day, he fell asleep almost instantaneously, with dreams full of growing love and peace.

* * *

Several weeks had passed since Nyro and Notte's first date. They had continued seeing one another the whole time, and their relationship had matured considerably.

On this day, the Matriarch had once again departed, leaving Nyro and Notte to take care of things. It was more stress than Notte could have ever anticipated. Arguments needed mediation, if they turned to fights, they needed a judge. Food had to be rationed out and each hatchling had to have a caretaker if it's parents were hunting or unavailable. The skies and the forests each had to be watched for intruders who might do the clan harm or steal their food.

It was wildly different than the life of posturing and living in luxury that Notte had imagined.

As the busy day wound down to a close, and the sun touched the horizon, Notte and Nyro sat on the beach that they had officially begun courting several moons ago. With a heavy sigh, Nyro allowed himself to let his guard and his posture down, grunting as he lied in the sand with a relaxed moan, finally giving his muscles a chance to relax. "So, that's that. How was your first day in the field with me, Notte? Was it what you expected?"

Notte smiled as Nyro collapsed on the beach, joining him from behind and laying his furry tundra body over the side of the larger dragon, beneath his blanketing wings. "No, actually. I've seen you work, but usually I thought it was mostly just... being there. You know, looking strong, looking intimidating-"

"You thought it was all posturing and lording over others, hmm?" Nyro chuckled. "Lot of people think that. Truth is, it's more dirty work than that, but we don't ever talk about it, because it's no one else's business... It gets pretty stressful sometimes, because in all things, I can't take a side if I want to be fair."

"But that's very honorable, too." Notte chimed in, smiling at Nyro and rubbing his head on his shoulder.

"I suppose... The weight of my lineage gets pretty heavy sometimes though, too. At least with you, I have a way to relax, other than just sleeping it all away."

Notte tilted his head, "Oh? Oh!" His tail wagged, "I'm- I'm really glad I can help with that."

"You haven't done anything yet, m'dear..." He slurred his voice a bit, turning it a bit deep in a way that made Notte shiver. There was a tone to his voice that Notte had never heard before, and couldn't exactly place it's intention.

"O-oh, sorry. Um, what should I-"

Notte was interrupted by Nyro, in a surprising and shocking display of dragon agility from such a large dragon as an imperial, Nyro suddenly began to wrestle with Notte. Roughhousing with him like a newborn hatchling would with his siblings, Nyro quickly overpowered Notte and flipped him onto his back and pinned his wings to the ground. Before he even realized what was happening, Nyro was standing over him with his hands pressing his wings into the sand and the wind partially knocked out of him. With eyes wide from shock, Notte tried to analyze the situation and find the words to speak, to calm Nyro down, but was stopped as Nyro pressed his muzzle against Notte's in a sudden and passionate kiss. The shape of his imperial snout contrasted his sharper tundra one, but that didn't seem much of a deterrent as he found himself in a romantic embrace from Nyro that made his entire pelt fluff out a bit from sheer delight.

As the initial surprise wore off, Notte relaxed and happily returned the kiss, though the shivering and fluffing of his fur would not relent. His kiss was warm and resounding, and he smooched and nipped on Notte's lip, displaying a skill and ability that Notte could not hope to mimic.

Having finally seduced his partner into submission, Nyro broke off the kiss, releasing the pressure from his wings and combing the fur on his chest. "Sorry, was that too forceful? I hope I didn't hurt you..."

Head still spinning slightly from the kiss, Notte couldn't manage to speak; he simply shook his head and made a soft "Uh-uh" to let him know that he was completely satisfied.

Entertained by Notte's expression and response, Nyro laughed softly. "Do you remember, not too long ago now, when we spoke of 'disappointment', and I... hid something from you?" He wriggled his body on Notte's belly a bit.

His long, heavy imperial body laid over Notte's, and only as he shifted did he realize that he had managed his way between the tundra's fuzzy hind legs. Kicking at the air a bit, his heart began to flutter almost into his throat; if what he thought was actually happening, was happening...

"N-no...? Sort've?" Truthfully, Notte didn't remember that, it had been so long ago now, and any worries he'd once had had been quashed already.

Nyro laughed again, running his soft-scaled hands through Notte's scruffy neck fur, raking the flesh beneath as gently as he could muster. "Well I did. And now, I'll tell you the one, teeny tiny thing that I'll be disappointed with in our relationship." He punctuated his statement with another kiss, this one smaller.

Notte's eyes shifted from side to side. He was getting mixed messages; was this a bad thing he had to say? Was he being playful? The subject of disappointing Nyro bordered with kisses and caresses was confusing. "O...kay?"

As if he could see the gears struggling to turn in his lover's head, Nyro decided not to keep him in suspense. With one swift, but subtle motion, his groin pressed against Notte's, his increasingly hard malehood pressing into the fur beneath the tundra's tail.

Notte's eyes shot open wide and he gasped, his forepaws instinctively latching onto the larger dragon's shoulders out of shock and uncertainty.

"What we're about to do here tonight, sweet Notte," Nyro growled softly, "Won't be blessing us with any eggs. I'm only disappointed I won't get to see what kind of hatchlings we'd make."

Oh Gladekeeper, it was happening. Notte clawed at Nyro's shoulders painlessly, whimpering and suddenly overwhelmed by a mixture of desire and utter loss. He bit his lip and leaned up to cuddle into Nyro's chest. "W-what do I do?!" He pleaded.

Nyro silenced him with a couple more kisses and gently nuzzled him until his head relaxed back on the sandy ground. "Shhh, just relax, dear. Let yourself go. Just give yourself to all the good feelings, mm?"

"A-are you sure? I don't have to-" Notte squirmed a bit.

"Shhhh, yes. I know you've wanted to do this as much as I have, and I know how much you love to please." Nyro crooned, already beginning his foreplay with the smaller dragon. His shaft rutted through the fur, and began to rub against Notte's growing length as he took his imperial lover's advice and let him have his way.

His blood was running hot and each breath, however quiet, was music to Notte's ears. He could feel himself getting erect very fast, even as the rest of his body went limp. Nyro's taloned hands were running all over his frame, combing and playing with fur and flesh intimately. His imperial whiskers tickled his nose and ears as he planted several little kisses around his face and head, evoking a couple tickled giggles from Notte as he squirmed around.

Nyro let out an uncharacteristic moan that almost startled Notte. Once again, he set his arms down at the tundra's sides as he straddled him. "Your fur feels... amazing... I always did love touching it, but this..." He rumbled softly, nipping at Notte's ear with his teeth, "I think this is a guilty pleasure. I feel like I shouldn't be enjoying your fur so much..."

Notte laughed a bit, breathlessly huffing out a couple chuckles, broken up by soft moans and coos. "C-can I see...?" He asked hesitantly.

With a soft grunt, Nyro hefted himself up and stood up over Notte, allowing him sight of just how strong his need was. A small strand of pre-cum had spilled from his tip and was beginning to mat the thinner fur on his underbelly and groin. A mischievous little chuckle came from his charcoal throat as he shifted his weight slightly, letting his cock touch against his partner's, sharing some of that clear gooey mess.

Flustered with embarrassment and arousal, Notte's curiosity piqued and he reached down with a midnight paw and brushed his fingertips down the length of Nyro's shaft. Hearing a soft moan as a reaction, and looking up to see a pleasured and encouraging imperial, he dared to go a bit further. Looking back down and wrapping his paw around his girth, he started to softly tug and jerk as he would to himself on a lonely night.

Nyro's legs nearly buckled as he was suddenly the recipient of the smaller dragon's attention. Moaning louder and more lewdly, he began to almost instinctively buck his hind legs into Notte's grip. "Ah, Notte, your paws...!"

Notte wanted so badly to look up to see his lover's face right now, but was captivated by the sight of Nyro's pink shaft in his grasp, and so close to his own as well. He continued to pull and pleasure the larger dragon, running his fingers along every ridge and detail. Nyro's words and moaning became a bit of a blur as Notte lost himself in his body, and the mess he was making. It seemed that with each pull of his fleshy pink length came more of the clear, sticky mess. He produced much more than Notte typically did, being a larger dragon, and no doubt cracking under the pleasure more than he would any other time. Not wanting Nyro to burst too soon, Notte came up with a brilliant idea. Slowing in his jerking, he scooped up a bit of the clear mess on the side of his paw and rose it to his face. Looking up to make sure Nyro was watching, he started to lick himself clean in a lewd, yet adorable way. "You got a bunch of it on my paw, Nyro..." He tried without success to hide his devious grin.

Nyro, already running short of breath, watched Notte with a measure of surprise that he could be so naughty. "Oh, Goddess, Notte!" He quivered as he pressed his body back down between the tundra's legs, except this time, his rigid cock slipped lustfully and wantingly underneath Notte's tail, the slickened tip of it already pressing against his tailhole. "Nng," He grunted, cuddling his head against the tundra and pleaded into his ear. "I need you, Notte. Let me mate you..."

The begging tone of his voice drove Notte wild, and feeling the pressure against his tailhole mixed with the slick sensation only made him more eager to comply. Wriggling slightly, getting more comfortable and prepared beneath Nyro's loving embrace, he latched his talons again onto the larger dragon's shoulders. "A-anything to please you, Nyro... Make me yours?"

"All mine..." His whiskers tickled Notte's ear again as they brushed heads again, and Nyro began to rock the tundra's body with slight thrusts. Not wanting to hurt his smaller lover, he milked himself of as much precum as he could muster without orgasming outright, slowly lubricating Notte's entrance and progressively allowing himself deeper and deeper.

Doing his best to take Nyro's advice, Notte tried to relax. The stress of having his tailhole penetrated made it difficult, clenching his teeth and tensing up all over, huffing through his nose. "N-nyro..." He stuttered.

"I know, my sweet... I'm being gentle..." He slowed down slightly in the lovemaking to the other male.

Notte shuddered and his lips curled into a slight smile. His grandest fantasy was coming true tonight, lovingly wrapped up in the arms of his favorite imperial, and about to receive his warm seed. Every little movement Nyro made on top of him both thrilled and tested him. Feeling a sudden surge of something primal well up inside of him, Notte kicked his legs out and forced Nyro to slip deep inside of him. The sudden fullness of the imperial inside of him evoked a lewd and somewhat painful yelp, turning to a rolling growl in Notte's throat. His head spun slightly, though it was quickly alleviated by Nyro's loving presence.

Now rooted deep within his lover, Nyro's wings curled and his tail entwined with Notte's, and he began more vigorously mating, hugging the furry tundra dragon close and whispering dirty nothings into his ear. The sand shifted beneath them as the large charcoal imperial pumped his new mate.

Still reeling from the quick and deep thrust that he'd been guilty for, Notte's breath was short and each further thrust from Nyro shook him harder. Clenching his teeth and latched onto Nyro's shoulders, the pain and discomfort soon melted away to a clearer form of bliss. His whimpers gave way to more pleasured moans as he truly started to relax now, feeling himself begin to melt into Nyro's affections.

"Heh... Feel better, sweetheart?" Nyro's nose touched Notte's, noticing how much more he seemed to be enjoying himself.

"Y-yeah..." Notte sung breathlessly, his head leaning back and his hind paws going limp in the air as he was coupled. Nyro shifted slightly and continued his mating, now kissing and nibbling on Notte's exposed neck. Something in the way he moved now had changed, and Notte felt himself tensing up again, this time in an orgasmic sensation. He barked out of surprise and let out another lusty call, "Nyro! What...Whatever you're doing, don't stop!" And suddenly, Notte was very aware of his own cock, oozing hefty amounts of precum, as well as every intimate detail of Nyro's as he felt it so deep inside.

His encouragement registered well with Nyro, who playfully asserted dominance and let go of his standard regal poise by clamping his teeth around Notte's neck while making sure to grant his lover's wish and continue pumping his legs in the desired fashion.

The teeth around Notte's neck barely registered over the ecstatic feeling further down. His legs were starting to tingle, his wings and ears twitched, and he just couldn't seem to catch his breath. Notte had had orgasms before, but never one quite as powerful as the one he had right then and there. In a burst of kicking and writhing, grunting and quivering breaths, Notte erupted between himself and his lover, gushing a plentiful white mess that coated a long strip of his belly and much of Nyro's underbelly scales as well.

Realizing what had happened, Nyro slowed almost to a halt and took his teeth from the tundra's neck, laughing softly and a bit devilishly. "Ooh, looks like you've reached your limit, hmm?" He growled and gave only that short pause before starting his gradual thrusts again. "You're such a good boy, Notte." He sung a bit, growling softly. "My turn?"

Notte quivered and swallowed hard. Panting heavily, he managed to find the air to speak, though couldn't raise his head or open his eyes. "I-I'm a good boy... Nyro's turn now..." He was attempting to be silly, but instead sounded like a satisfied beast that had been mated silly.

With another growl and nip at the tundra's neck, he began his jostling and breeding motions again. Throwing his weight into Notte more fully now, Nyro began to give into his own desires, grabbing one of Notte's horns in his teeth and holding there softly, rumbling in his throat and satisfying a dominating side of himself.

Notte yipped a bit and huffed, still feeling full, but the orgasm leaving him drained. He smiled wide as he let his imperial lover mate him to his heart's content. Even the grab to his horn filled him with delight as he gave himself so fully to Nyro.

"I-I've been holding back for you." Nyro released his grip on Notte's horn to whisper near his ear, "I'm gonna... I'm gonna cum, Notte."

He could feel Nyro starting to tense up all over. He noticed his wings fold and his grip became tighter. "Do it, Nyro. Claim me!" He pleaded through breathless gasps. "No more holding back, now!"

Nyro shook and huffed, slamming into Notte's body a couple times before suddenly rearing his head back and letting out an impressive roar that Notte couldn't have mustered if he'd tried. Only a moment after his mating call began, he burst, filling his mate with a heavy, messy amount of seed. His hands pinned his wings again as he ceased his roar and pressed his forehead against Notte's, brushing their horns together softly.

Notte smiled and let out a pleased little gasp, watching his imperial mate succumb to his orgasm as they officially consummated their long-standing love. He opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by Nyro's head bump, and then silenced altogether as he started lavishing kisses upon his lips and mouth. "N-Nyro...!" He squirmed a bit and managed to find the air to speak. "You're so warm!"

"Not as warm as you, my sweet." He huffed and his voice rumbled deep with satisfaction. "All for you, my love... you're mine now." He again began to snuggle obsessively into the fuzzy tundra, planting kisses all over.

Notte giggled and felt the hot mess shift slightly beneath his tail and let out another little croon. "I'm glad I could... please you, Nyro."

Out of breath and finally starting to give in to fatigue, Nyro relaxed on Notte's body, not wanting to remove himself from his tailhole just yet. "Oh, my love... I'm sure we'll both be pleasing one another a lot more in the near future. Thank you, for everything."

With the adrenaline and lust finally draining, sleep was waiting to claim Notte. He wriggled a bit, causing Nyro's spent shaft to slip out of him as he rolled onto his side in the sand. The loose and wet feeling left him feeling embarrassed, but such feelings were ended quickly as Nyro was quick to smother him with affection again the moment he got comfortable. He wanted to speak, to draw out the night, but his mind was too much of a mess to form anything coherent. Hearing Nyro's panting, he assumed he felt the same way.

"Nyro...?" He managed to speak, though his eyes were closed and he was already curled up ready to sleep.

"Yes, Notte?" He took a deep sigh of relaxation and coiled around the smaller tundra dragon with his body and tail, holding him close.

"I love you." Notte said sleepily.

"And I love you." Nyro rested his head between Notte's horns sweetly.

The day's events and their lovemaking had left them exhausted, and once the afterglow claimed them, they fell asleep together on that beach to only the sound of the rolling waves, with Notte the quiet midnight tundra bundled up warm and loved against the regal charcoal-scaled Nyro.