Work Text:
Neuvillette did not find it amusing when his friends gifted him an erotic novel for his birthday, especially one titled Becoming the Wife of the Dragon King.
“I know dating isn’t really on your mind right now,” Wriothesely said as he hands over the book, “but we just thought that if you ever came around it, a book like this should come in handy.”
“Given how rare your kind is, it’s more likely for you to date a human than another one of your species,” Clorinde followed up, though like Wriothesely, she was currently trying to suppress the grin forming on her face.
“But if you want, we can keep looking for something closer to your preferences. I’m sure we can find one that suits your tastes, but this being a best seller makes it a safe choice for your first romance novel.”
“I have read romance novels before,” Neuvillette said, his eyes twitching. “But am I wrong to assume that this is something more… niche?”
“Yes, it’s monster erotica.”
Wriothesely lost it at Clorinde’s comment, making the woman lose her own composure as well. Sighing, Neuvillette turned to the more sane person of his three companions. "How did this idea even come about?"
"The book was circulating on social media and those two thought that it would be a good idea,” Navia told him. “Well, a better idea. I had to talk them out of their original gift.”
“That doesn’t mean it’s off the table,” his male friend laughed. “She just told us that since you’re more likelyto have a human partner, it wouldn’t make sense to give you a Bad Drag–”
“Please,” Neuvillette cringed inwardly, “stop talking.”
***
Neuvillette doesn’t remember much of his early years. If he had a family, they were gone long before he came into this world. His years in the deepest chasms of the ocean were dark and lonely. His only source of entertainment had been the relics that drifted down to the ocean floor. The trinkets he gathered for his treasure trove fostered his growing curiosity for the world above him.
When he decided to surface for the first time in his life, he was found by his current friends. Wriothesely, Clorinde, and Navia were high schoolers at the time and Neuvillette really was lucky that it was them of all people. They were fascinated by him but had their own fantasies about saving their soggy friend from being abducted by scientists.
And so he became one of the many fosters cared for by Navia’s family, much like Clorinde and Wriothesely. The three of them helped Neuvillette learn the human language and culture over the years, but the original trio and Navia’s late father were the only ones in the family that knew of his heritage. The four of them remained close well into their adulthood though Neuvillette currently lived alone. Despite hiding his identity, the dragon was free to enjoy life’s pleasures and lived a normal and peaceful life.
He just never thought that he would be staring at an erotic novel on his table for thirty minutes.
Work had slowed down towards the end of the year and the dragon was left with a bit of spare time to contemplate his gift. He wasn’t unfamiliar with adult relationships. If anything, he was more familiar with them than he was with relationships of his own species.
Sexual intimacy was not something he really sought after, nor was it something that mattered much to him. He has experienced what one would consider “lust” but it was never towards a particular person and was something that he typically handled on his own.
Overall, Neuvillette was content with living as a bachelor as he observed the world around him. He had no reason to feel awkward about reading fictional relationships but the intention behind the gift made him feel embarrassed nonetheless.
Dragons are prideful beings. As a dragon, Neuvillette was no exception even as he lived amongst humans and sought to understand them and their way of life. The only issue was that having to constantly hide his true form has made him into a bit of a prude.
And yet, he was curious about what a human could have possibly written about his kind. How did they perceive them and how accurate were their guesses?
The dragon sighed and picked up the book to take a closer look at the cover. From a design perspective, it wasn’t anything to write home about, but because of the subject matter it was certainly something that would stand out.
The illustration featured the female protagonist sitting on the lap of her supposed lover, a dragon with the body of a man. The woman wore nothing except a thin white dress which seemed to be the only clothing between them and it left little to the imagination. Behind her, the dragon was twice her size, covered in scales, and possessively gripping the chains that bound her wrists. The arrangement of flowers and cursive font made the scene look dreamier than it was, but it was still hard to ignore the beast on the cover.
Now, Neuvillette had only met one other dragon in his life in both their human and hybrid form. He was far older than him and helped educate Neuvillette about their kind’s history and other basic knowledge like biology. He and Mister Zhongli came from different domains, one from the water and one from the mountains, so they had a few differences including in appearance. Still, neither of them looked like the robust figure featured in the novel before him.
Dragons born from the ocean were typically long and snake-like. Zhongli told him that he would be a type of dragon called a leviathan to be specific. Neuvillette could probably mimic something similar to the book’s male lead but he would still be too slender in comparison. If he retains the bipedal stature of a human and forgoes the human head and flesh for his natural head and scales…
Neuvillette didn’t realize that he had been unconsciously shifting until his clothes suddenly felt too tight. He quickly shook himself back to his human form– even though he lived alone anyway– and leaned back into the couch.
It wasn’t his first time trying to mimic a human’s depiction of a dragon. When he couldn’t consult his only dragon acquaintance, he often had to just figure things out on his own. This included the limits of his form. Yet for some reason mimicking something from a suggestive cover made him feel awkward.
Neuvillette checked the time and it was only 11:56 PM. A bit past his usual bedtime on a slow day but thankfully there was no work tomorrow. He picked up the book and made his way to his bedroom.
Skimming through the pages should suffice for research purposes, he thought.
He doesn’t sleep that night.
***
It was about two weeks later when Neuvillette closed the final book of the Dragon King series. The first book concluded with a happy ending, but there were many things that were left unaddressed. Did the villain really die? Did the rest of the kingdom accept the human queen? What would happen to their future half-human child?
Neuvillette immediately went to buy the sequel for answers. He later went out again to buy the rest because he also needed to know how it ended. He went to different stores outside of his area each time so no one would recognize him. While he did like the plot, the novel was still adult fiction with a very suggestive cover.
He looked at the stack of books on his desk with slips of paper peeking out from annotated pages. Despite being erotica, the writing was incredibly well done. Neuvillette would consider the series to be more of a political drama that happened to have adult themes rather than the other way around.
The plot was neither a bland nor ridiculous afterthought to the other explicit parts, though those sections were also written well. Instead, everything was meticulously planned out. There was a solid foundation in book’s world building and the politics actually made sense.
The main character herself was not a damsel, but a cunning young woman who surpassed everyone’s expectations as queen. The dragon king also didn’t feel like a feral beast, which was often the case in both romances and media involving dragons, but a second protagonist that had a strong chemistry and supportive relationship with his mate.
The author, F. Fontaine, must have been a seasoned writer even before her debut. It would make sense why a book like Becoming the Wife of the Dragon King received commercial success throughout its releases.
How did he know?
Well… Neuvillette was initially looking for a store that carried the second book. He just so happened to stumble across information that said that F. Fontaine’s work was already popular within certain circles when it was self-published online. When it was officially published, it quickly became a bestseller amongst its intended audience, but it was only in the recent years following the continuation of the series did it become as widespread as it was today.
The last book spread outside of the usual audience it seemed, and that somewhat turned it into a meme for being adult fiction that was better than expected. While other people read books “for the plot”, F. Fontaine’s series was read for the plot.
He might have fallen into a rabbit hole but that’s besides the point. F. Fontaine is a talented writer, but she did have some flaws in her work.
Neuvillette supposed that his issue with it also played a role in his current fixation on the series. All the red tabs from his annotations marked any such inconsistencies that he found throughout the books. They weren’t as numerous as the other colors designated for things like key events and character analyses, but it was still quite a handful.
Dragons are rare as it is and almost every human being is unaware that they still exist. He shouldn’t expect writers to consult a dragon whenever they wrote about them– not when dragons were supposed to be fiction to humans.
Still, it would be a shame to have the author continue writing them in this half-baked sort of way. F. Fontaine’s series deserved the best; it deserved authenticity. Real dragons were more than just fire breathing lizards; dragons came in a multitude of shapes, sizes, and abilities. The inaccuracies and unimpressive character choices ruined some scenes for him and as a devoted fan, he wants to make sure that his favorite author is able to have the highest quality of work possible.
Luckily, F. Fontaine was open to receiving fan mail through a special email address so it wouldn’t hurt to mention some “suggestions” for her next work, right? She should currently be in the early stages of development according to a recent announcement. In that announcement she also revealed three hints about its contents: water, enemies to lovers, and a dragon.
As a dragon of water, Neuvillette made his decision and walked to his nightstand to fetch his laptop. It shouldn’t take him too long.
***
Dear F. Fontaine,
Your exceptional writing has made me a new fan of your work. I finished the Dragon King series not too long ago and I quite enjoy your meticulous attention to detail when it comes to the plot and setting. Not only that, but each character is well written with a distinct persona that I can easily recognize their individual aspirations and traits.
The authentic chemistry and dynamics amongst the characters felt compelling and enjoyable, especially between the two protagonists. I admire Rose’s commitment to her role as not only the king’s lover, but also as the queen of a nation torn apart by war. Similarly, the dragon king’s gentleness and rationality balanced out Rose’s impulsiveness and straightforward attitude.
However, I do have some reservations about her lover and the story’s dragonkin in general.
First of all, dragons do not have one—
“What?!”
Furina looked over her email and read it again, then again, and then again just to make sure that what she saw was real.
She was currently eating breakfast as she went through fanmail on her laptop. Most of the time they were supportive emails praising her work, though sometimes hate mail and spam did appear. Constructive criticism was also common from both, but it was never something that had her reacting like this.
Dragons have two…?
Honestly she was considering that for her next work, because why not, but the way the sender wrote all his suggestions sounded like he was stating facts.
It was a very passionate email coming from a devoted fan for sure, she just didn’t expect an entire page detailing dragon anatomy and behaviors. She should have been turned off by someone who overstepped their bounds as a reader, but a lot of the details sounded like great ideas to add to her next series.
To make it worse–or better?–the email was attached with diagrams! They were crude drawings done on Paint with a touchpad or shaky mouse, but she had to applaud the fan’s effort in providing a lot of details for her. Whoever they were, they sure knew how to organize documents.
She didn’t really think much on the specifics of dragon biology, after all as long as the basics were covered then the rest would be up to the reader’s imagination. It’s not like character design or anatomy were her strong suits, so she was glad when the cover artist captured the general idea that she had in mind for her leads.
However, the more she read through the email’s contents, the more she became intrigued. One would just assume that the sender was a fellow dragon lover, a passionate one at that. Perhaps they worked with reptiles in their day-to-day life in order to have this much knowledge. Nevertheless, Furina was the type to regularly indulge in her fantasies and she had a sudden intrusive thought.
This person talks as if they’re a dragon.
Of course, Furina knew that it wasn’t possible. She of all people know about the line between fiction and reality (unlike what her haters seem to believe). Just because she likes dragons doesn’t mean that she truly believes that they exist.
But still, she likes to fantasize. That’s the entire reason why she has a career and there’s no harm in indulging in them. Besides, the idea of having caught the attention of a dragon made her a bit excited and amused. To think that if one did exist, they read her books and went as far as to correct her about the assumptions she made about their species.
It would be embarrassing to have been corrected about another being’s biology, but dragons don’t exist.
Furina decided to entertain her fan. It’s likely that they’re the type who roleplays or puts up a persona when they talk online. She also quite liked their ideas enough to consider them for her current project so Furina had to let them know. She would have to formally meet this person if she did, but thankfully there are procedures that can ensure her safety.
Furina grinned inwardly. And if they truly are a dragon, this is an opportunity that I can’t miss.
***
Neuvillette did not expect any response back at all. A popular author like F. Fontaine surely had tons of other emails to go through. She wouldn't be able to read them all, especially his, and send a response back.
The distressed dragon had been trying to ignore what he had done on impulse a few days ago. He didn’t intend to write an entire essay detailing every single thing about dragons that he could think of. He didn’t mean to include drawings to help visualize some parts of his “suggestions” or even come across as asserting his words as facts (even if they were).
He only meant to write a short but friendly email revealing a few details so that he didn’t expose his identity or come off as entitled. But he had wanted to check an annotation to make sure he had his facts straight and… it eventually ended up with him addressing every single note he made.
This is why I avoid working after midnight, he grumbled.
And yet here he was staring at F. Fontaine’s personal reply to his very long and very forward email. He expected a lecture but what he got instead was a rather pleasant response.
Dear HydroDragon1218,
First of all, thank you for taking the time to write such a passionate email and for supporting my work. It truly does bring me joy that I have inspired you to go this far for my sake. Were the attachments your drawings? They were very helpful.
Now, I normally don’t respond to fans like this, but you are a special exception. I actually loved all the details that you wrote down and I’m interested in putting it in my next series! Of course, in order to do that I would have to talk to a few people about how to properly credit or compensate you in some way. It wouldn’t be fair if I just stole your suggestions.
You’re lucky that I, F. Fontaine, did not simply steal your ideas. Had I been a less honorable author, I surely would have ran off with your ideas! You should be more careful next time. Intellectual property lawsuits can get quite messy.
…
The rest of the email went into more detail about arranging a formal meeting. It seemed that F. Fontaine was really serious about this and that made Neuvillette disassociate from his body.
He had to set his phone down to bury his face into a pillow. On one hand, he actually got a response and she even wanted to meet him. The fanboy in him was happy.
On the other hand, the rest of him was mortified. It didn’t change the fact that he—Neuvillette, a dragon, an adult male with a respectable, full time career—had pulled an all-nighter to talk about (his) dragon reproductive organs and mating rituals with a complete stranger.
Times like these made Neuvillette feel more human than ever in the worst way possible.
***
The first person who contacted Neuvillette was F. Fontaine’s manager, Charlotte. She gave him a rundown of the details but also acted as a protective layer between Miss Fontaine and the public. Neuvillette was glad for that since the nature of her work would make her more susceptible to the wrong type of people.
Charlotte told him that she hadn’t expected a man on the other side of the line. Not that F. Fontaine didn’t have male fans, but her male fans usually didn’t write about what he wrote in such detail.
The second call was from F. Fontaine herself. Her voice sounded younger than he expected but F. Fontaine’s Wikipedia states that they should be around the same age (or at least Neuvillette’s supposed age). She talked in a very grandiose manner, much like her email, as if she had been a brand name in the industry for years.
Neuvillette tried to remain calm the entire time. Just pretend that you’re talking to a client, he repeated in his mind, but that proved to be hard when he was battling excitement and embarrassment. They were both avoiding the specific content in the email and he heard the woman’s voice falter whenever it was insinuated.
How cute for Miss Fontaine to be capable of writing such vulgar scenes yet come off as a shy maiden over something like this, he mused.
The call ended with an agreement to meet at her publisher’s office in person to further discuss their “collaboration.” When Neuvillette set his phone down, the reality of it all began to set in once again. He had a week to mentally prepare himself to face the person who read a detailed explanation of how his own genitals worked.
***
Furina started writing as a way for her to explore her unrealistic and unconventional fantasies. Well, not so unconventional once she found an entire community of others like her. She never expected to become a full time author with the story she published online during college.
She worked a regular corporate job and had a very mundane life up until a few years ago. It all started when she saw an email that notified her that someone added her old story to their favorites. Furina decided to revisit her old work and, out of boredom, clean it up chapter by chapter before completely reuploading it as a new novel. It gained quite a bit of popularity on the site and it was enough for someone to reach out to her about publishing it for real. The rest was history.
She quit her job and now works as a full time novelist who writes about women and dragons copulating with each other. She was quite happy with how things turned out and feels somewhat validated by the fact that her tastes aren’t as bizarre as she thought.
It’s certainly not the weirdest interest out there. Though the leads in her work are not human, their overall shape was not too different from a muscular man. Furina figured that if she were to date someone they would be a bodybuilder or athlete with bulging muscles, someone who looked a little rough on the edges and covered with scars. That’s the type that she usually had in mind when writing and it was popular anyway.
That’s why it was such a surprise to her when a tall and beautiful man in a suit took her breath away.
The person in front of her was none other than the fan who sent her a detailed description on how dragons mate: HydroDragon1218, or simply, Mister Neuvillette. She knew he was a lawyer, as it came up in their conversation, but this man might as well have been a model for a luxury brand.
His soft, silver hair was styled but fell somewhat naturally over one side of his face. His fringe draped over his right eye just enough to make him look mysterious, as if the unnaturally light purple color wasn’t enough to do so. And while obviously a man, his face had a slight softness to it that exuded a feminine or even androgynous charm. Along with high cheekbones, long lashes, and perfect skin, this man’s face broke Furina’s mind ten times over.
Dragging her eyes lower, Furina could tell from the way his suit fit that he was naturally slim, but the width of his shoulders told her that he was bigger than he appeared. He was likely that way naturally as he didn’t come off as the type to frequent the gym. Overall, he was beautiful in an effortless way. If Furina didn’t have a type before, she did now.
No, it wasn’t a type. She wanted that specific man right in front of her.
Just as she was about to undress him in her mind, Neuvillette spoke up.
“Miss Furina?” God, his voice was better in person.
“O-oh! You must be Mister Neuvillette? It’s a pleasure to meet you.” She hoped he didn’t notice the quiver in her voice. “Let’s head inside!”
Furina watched him enter the room and take his coat off with a swift movement of his shoulders. She didn’t know why such a simple action had her mentally slapping herself in the face, but she knew that it was going to be a very long meeting.
***
In all of his years of existence, Neuvillette did not expect to feel so primal over a girl that he had just met. It felt like something that had laid dormant within him had suddenly decided to come up to the surface, and that his usual calm and poised demeanor was at stake for something more unrestrained.
He knew what it was since he was no stranger to these types of urges. He’s taken care of himself before and he’s definitely read Furina’s novels, but the intensity he felt at the moment couldn’t compare to either of those. This type of desire was far, far worse.
For some reason any embarrassment he had prior to the meeting disappeared the moment he laid eyes on the author. She was shorter than him—the perfect size for him to mount—and her eyes bewitched him with their opposing shades of blue— how pretty they would be rolled back and to the brim with tears. She had a lock of hair that poked out from her head which he found to be absolutely adorable, and the natural flush on her cheeks made him want to bite her.
Even her real name, Furina , tasted like honey on his tongue. If only he can taste her right now…
He stared at her intensely as if his gaze was enough to hold her down in place. From the way she squirmed in her seat, it might as well have been true. He could only imagine how she would look pinned underneath him.
Neuvillette’s senses felt sharper because he swears that he can smell her scent. It was intoxicating, suffocating even. He wondered if the others could also smell it and that made him feel unpleasant.
He was clearly losing his mind. Something about Furina triggered something inside of him and he can’t say that it was an unwelcome feeling.
The meeting ended without a hitch and Neuvillette was disappointed in having to leave so soon. He was so preoccupied with his thoughts that he didn’t notice when Furina reached out to shake his hand.
“Thank you for coming, Neuvillette!” she said with a bit too much energy. “We’ll see you next time. Enjoy the rest of your day.”
Neuvillette gave her hand a firm shake that lingered for a bit too long before he let go. “Likewise, Miss Furina, Miss Charlotte.” He nodded his head to both girls and left the room.
Neuvillette made his way to the elevators before looking back down on his hand. When he held Furina’s palm, he felt a shock of energy rush up his arm followed by an overwhelming warmth that spread to the rest of his body. Even now his body felt too hot so he decided to keep his coat folded over his arm.
Just as he reached for the button on the wall, a sweet voice called out to him.
“Neuvillette!”
The man quickly turned to his right and saw Furina rushing over to him. Once she stopped, she quickly pulled up the coat that had slipped off her shoulder. Neuvillette eyed the sliver of skin as it disappeared from his sight.
“Thank goodness I managed to catch up to you!” Furina smiled up at him before reaching to press the elevator button down.
“Oh?” Neuvillette says. “Did you need something from me, Miss Furina?”
“Please, just call me Furina. We’re technically working together now, aren’t we?”
The dragon smiled gently, a mischievous thought popping into his mind. “Very well then, Furina, what do you desire?”
Neuvillette didn’t fail to notice the way Furina’s breath hitched.
“D-desire?” she laughed nervously. “Why— w-what— anyway! Are you on your way home? Do you have time to chat? It’s just that now that we’re working together, we should get to know each other! Of course, only if you’re available.”
She was trying so hard to hide her shyness, but that made her cuter in Neuvillette’s eyes. “I have cleared my schedule for the day just in case. I’m available,” he responded, “if you need me, that is.”
At that moment, the elevator opened up. The two quickly stepped in and Furina continued the conversation. “Would you like to grab a bite then?”
The elevator doors closed and Neuvillette leaned over to whisper into her ear.
“I’d love to have a bite.”
***
Furina’s newest publication, The Droplet and Her Dragon, was a huge hit.
The novel followed the romance between a prince and a princess from opposing kingdoms. Princess Focalors and her lover, this time based on a leviathan, would have to work together to avert the prophecy that doomed both of their kingdoms. Their initial distrust towards each other fades away as they come to understand that they both have similar goals. Likewise their shared pains and close proximity eventually lead to the two having a close, and somewhat forbidden, relationship.
Unlike the gentle giant from Becoming the Wife of the Dragon King, Focalors’s lover was a serpentine man who looked soft on the outside but was an unrestrained beast on the inside. Their intimate scenes were much more obscene than the previous series but most fans raved about the heart-wrenching romance between the two leads.
Furina was worried that the love interest wouldn’t be received well, but despite his somewhat feral nature in bed she made sure that he was still a gentleman at heart– much like the person she based him off of.
“Are you done with your emails?” the man in question asked, getting into bed next to her.
Furina set her phone down on the nightstand before cuddling into her boyfriend’s arms. “Yup. Sorry you had to wait for me, Neuvi.”
“I would wait an eternity for you,” Neuvillette held her tighter. Suddenly, she felt a familiar texture form on his skin.
She pulled her head back to look at her lover. Furina watched his glowing eyes stare back at her while other changes took place. She felt the nails on her skin turn sharp and noticed the bedsheets shift to accommodate for her lover’s tail underneath. Neuvillette’s horns were already out but his arms continued to fade into a deep blue color with scales forming along the way.
“You need to sleep, Neuvi. You have work tomorrow,” she told him but didn’t bother to move from his grip. “I have work tomorrow.”
“It’s not a sin to indulge every once in a while, my droplet,” Neuvillette pulled her underneath him. “I’ve been a good boy, haven’t I?”
“You’re always good to me, Neuvi,” she pecked his cheek.
“I deserve a reward for giving you ideas for your book.”
“I believe you’ve already redeemed your reward for that a long time ago, silly dragon.”
“Then how about indulging in your boyfriend simply because he loves you? Is that reason enough?”
Furina sighed as she cupped her lover’s cheek. Of course it was.