Dragon Beef

It was supposed to be a simple supply run.

Mirio only needed to grab a few things from the local magic-item market—some enchanted bath salts, a replacement robe (since Lily had digested the last one), and a few protein snacks to keep his energy up after, well… "bath time."

But Lily wanted to come along.

Not that she asked, of course. She didn't speak much. Instead, she slithered into his bag before they left and poked her head out halfway through the marketplace, her big green eyes blinking up at him like a kitten made of goo. Her raincoat squelched as it stretched to fit over her partially-formed shoulders, and her long green tentacle-hair dripped quietly from the sides of the satchel.

"You're not even going to pretend to stay hidden, huh," Mirio muttered.

Lily just smiled and let her mass slowly ooze out of the bag, wrapping around his back like a slime scarf.

That was when they met her.

The dragon girl.

She was tall, statuesque, and radiated smug heat like an oven set to "cocky." Crimson scales lined her forearms and thighs, her golden eyes gleaming with noble disdain. A tight black battle top clung to her ample chest, her abs exposed and glistening, with a red-trimmed skirt slashed high up one leg. Behind her swayed a thick, powerful tail covered in dark red scales, twitching with restrained heat.

She crossed her arms as she looked Mirio up and down—and then noticed Lily.

"What in the name of the Flame King is that?" she scoffed.

Mirio blinked. "Uh—she's with me."

The dragon girl raised an eyebrow, snorting a tiny puff of smoke. "You consort with a water blob? She doesn't even have bones."

Lily, now fully emerged and standing beside Mirio, tilted her head. Her soft body shimmered in the light, her chest jiggling faintly beneath the open flap of her raincoat. Her tentacle-hair wiggled once in mild confusion.

"She doesn't even talk. What's she going to do? Slosh at me?" the dragon smirked.

Mirio sighed. "Listen, can we not—?"

But it was too late.

Lily had zero sense of pride, but she had an overabundance of affection. And now, those big, blank eyes of hers locked on the dragon girl's swaying, taunting tail.

Before Mirio could stop her, one of Lily's long green tentacle strands stretched out, slowly slinking across the ground and curling gently around the base of the dragon's tail.

The dragon girl froze.

"What do you think you're—HEY!"

Lily's slimy tentacle tightened just enough to make the dragon's tail twitch—and then squirm. The wet squelch echoed off the cobblestones as Lily began to gently cling to it, wrapping her gooey arms and legs around the tail like it was a body pillow. Her chest pressed to the scales. Her raincoat flopped open slightly, revealing just how curvaceous she'd become from soaking up the mist in the air.

"S-Slime!" the dragon stammered. "Get your goo off my tail!"

Lily didn't let go.

Instead, she let out a soft, breathy hum and nuzzled the dragon's tail affectionately. Her cool body molded around the warm scales, tentacle-hair coiling like vines around the twitching limb. One of her slime feelers gently brushed the back of the dragon's thigh.

The dragon twitched.

"Y-You insolent glob! I am Nari of the Crimson Ridge! Descendant of Flame! You think your squishy tactics will—ah! H-Hey! Not there!"

Lily had found the sensitive spot.

A tiny patch of exposed scale at the very base of the tail.

With a teasing smile, she shifted her mass—growing just slightly larger, her bust inflating as she absorbed ambient water from a nearby fountain. Her chest pressed tighter against the tail, the soft squish and cool temperature sending visible shivers up the dragon's spine.

"Unhand me! I am not some—ngh!—toy!"

Her voice cracked.

Mirio stood off to the side, chewing a protein bar in silence, watching as the proud, flame-breathing dragon girl was slowly flustered into a sweaty, squirming mess by his mute, cuddly wife.

"I did try to warn her," he muttered.

Lily slid her gooey form further up the tail, her green tentacle-hair wrapping across the dragon girl's back. She wasn't attacking. She wasn't even mad. She just liked the way the dragon's body felt. Warm. Tough. Pretty. The exact opposite of herself. And that contrast made her want to cling.

The dragon's legs buckled slightly.

"Y-You… you're cheating… it's too wet—!"

Lily responded by pressing her cheek to the base of the tail and slowly, slowly wrapping her whole body around the dragon's waist from behind. Her soft curves hugged the girl like a full-body hug made of water.

The dragon girl's face was scarlet now.

Her breath stuttered.

And then—

Fffft—

A puff of smoke escaped her mouth as her fire sputtered and died with a pitiful cough.

She slumped to her knees, tail twitching, her entire body slick with moisture.

"I yield…" she mumbled, her voice hoarse. "Your wife is a menace…"

Lily gently unwrapped from her, sliding off with a gentle squish and a satisfied sigh. Her body bounced lightly, her chest wobbling before she scooped up the small puff of steam and swallowed it like a bubble.

Mirio raised an eyebrow. "So… are we cool now?"

The dragon girl sat on the ground, drenched, panting, and entirely defeated.

"…Just… keep her away from my tail…"

Lily turned her head slowly and gave her a silent, playful wave—one tentacle hair flicking up in a mock salute.

And with that, she slid back to Mirio's side, her tentacle-hair wrapping around his arm as if nothing had happened.

He patted her on the head.

"Next time, maybe don't taunt the slime."