Page 82 of Dragon AU

“NO!” Milo snapped. “That’s not it. You’re not even trying to do it right. He does it right.”

Ruben fell silent, looking at him with his head tilted before speaking again.

“Hey,” Ruben said, voice still relatively calm for how agitated Milo felt, “can I ask something?”

“I guess.” Milo scratched his arm, pulling his sleeve up to see silvery blue scales emerging from his skin.

“Are you the guy Rowan’s been sleeping with?” he asked, and Milo bloomed.

“He talked to you about me?” he asked, standing taller, feeling larger than life.

“He might have mentioned you.” Ruben had an annoying smirk on his face and Milo stuck his bottom lip out before striding over and poking a claw…a claw that appeared on its own…into Ruben’s face.

“That isn’t right either,” Milo said. “That’s not how he does it.”

“How does he do it?”

“He smiles.” His own voice sounded like it was coming from a distance. Like he was listening to it under water. “A nice, kind, gentle smile.”

“Right,” Ruben said. “But you came after me anyway, so…”

“Because it felt right,” Milo said. “But it isn’t.”

“I’m gonna need you to explain that.”

“He smiles at me like I matter. Like I’m worth smiling at. He does it all the time, even if he says I’m annoying and there’s something wrong with me. And there is, I guess. I’m…a lot, but he never makes it feel like that. He makes it feel like I can expand and fill all the space and he still won’t squish me and it feels nice. It feels right. But he said he had to work and he went on a business trip and I texted him but it was so dumb and I figured I could wait for him to come back, y’know? Fill my time until then. And I came here and all of a sudden there was that feeling of right again and I thought you were him and it would all make sense again but it doesn’t and I’m not sure…I’m just not sure why.”

He sucked in a deep breath, exhausted and empty.

“I just miss him,” he said to finish it off, finally looking up at Ruben only to find him with the most indulgent smile fixed on his face. “I’m dumb.”

“Oh, honey,” Ruben said, spreading his arms, “you’re not dumb. Come here.”

And Milo went.

Into the hug that just wasn’t tight enough.

Smashed his face into the titties that just weren’t large enough.

Inhaled the scent that just wasn’t rich enough.

But if he closed his eyes real tight, and wished real hard, he could just about feel Rowan somewhere under Ruben’s skin, and the craving he’d been drowning in since Rowan left calmed. Only slightly.

“I miss him a lot,” he whispered.

“I know,” Ruben said. “I’m gonna have so many words with that moron the moment he comes back.”

“I—” Milo started, but a loud crash from outside Ruben’s door interrupted him.

“Sir—” Milo recognized the voice of the man who’d led him to Ruben. “—you can’t go in there.”

“Like hell I can’t.” That was Rowan’s voice, and Milo’s heart soared. “He’s here!” he said just as the door slammed open.

“Shit!” Ruben stepped away from Milo, but not fast enough for Rowan not to see.

“DO NOT TOUCH HIM!” Rowan roared at Ruben, hurling a neon yellow Stanley cup at his head.

“Rowan…” Ruben raised his hands, dodging the cup.