My Cat & Dragon Want To Sleep With Me ep5

My name is Hotaru Shidare. Blood type A and presently still working at my dagashi shop. That's candy for those westerners. For nearly the past year I've been sharing an apartment above the shop with a dragon maid and cat girl. It's something I've brought along to my closest friends who have all at least accepted the fact if I convey it like they're cosplaying. However, I have to hold my breath when it comes to the truth of the matter. That being...they really are what I tell them. Not to mention--

“Whoa!”

The call out from the front of my store draws some attention as I look out the window. I don't have any real displays set in place that would attract such attention. So I make my way from around the counter and peer outside to find children pointing up at my apartment balcony. Curious as to what has their attention I step out and turn looking myself only to gasp when I notice Tohru flipping out some recently watched...erm, unmentionables to be hung up along a rope.

“Oh! Miss. Hotaru!” Tohru waves high over her head toward me still flinging about a pair of my down there covers.

“T-T-Tohru!” I manage hearing the two children begin to giggle. Luckily they weren't of any age to find anything alluring about them, just think the fact silly.

“How's the shop?” Tohru asks down at me smiling gleefully when the lacy bits she was holding onto slips from her grasp.

“Oh no!” I shout watching them flutter when a blue and white blur leaps from the balcony snatching hold of my rather-not-says.

The children applaud as I let out a sigh of relief only to feel a new form of dread when I watch Felicia rolling around on the ground rubbing the lace material over her cheek. This has all become a normal thing for me. Monthly, weekly, daily. Why? Because...

“In potentially positive news about this heatwave, temperatures today have set a new record for--”

“Ugh,”

I groan and switch off the TV. I'm feeling this heatwave, I don't need to hear about it any further as I lounge back into the couch attempting to cool myself off with a paper fan. I hear the general sounds of slurping to my left and look over to see Tohru slowly sucking along her popsicle. Sliding it out and then pushing it in. As she does, a little juice starts to run down along her chin causing me to panic briefly as I turn to my right.

No better as Felicia holds her frozen treat close running the tip of her tongue along the end before coming up from the bottom straight to the end pressing her lips around it. Not wanting any splash damage on herself, she tilts her head back and also holds out a paw underneath her treat. Just at the place where...her paw shakes a little when drops fall...the slurping is only somehow worse. I immediately jump to my feet.

“Let's go to the beach!”

Heatstroke, that must have been it. I stand with my fist clenched before me and a teary eyed look of determination. With no other way of responding, both Felicia and Tohru begin a slow clap together. Tears only stream out faster as I begin to wish they wouldn't acknowledge my words.

My Cat And Dragon Want A Beach Episode

The beach was fairly packed, but given the heatwave it made complete sense that practically all of Japan would rush themselves to the shoreline. We manage to find our own little place where we can set up the blanket and a large umbrella. Tohru kneels down and begins setting out things from our basket while I can't help but look at her backside. It's not the crack practically sticking out, it's...something else. Something I've only noticed at this moment.

“Miss. Hotaru,” Tohru giggles turning her waist just a little bit away from me. “You shouldn't stare so much.”

Having enough sense in myself in the shade, I merely point down at her.

“Where's your tail?” I ask plainly as Tohru looks behind her a little shocked and upset.

“Oh. I cast my invisibility charm on it.”

“Invisibility charm?” I ask back as Tohru nods her head.

“I do it all the time.”

She says a little more after it, but all I can think of is the puzzle being put together there as I recall a series of events from the past few months. Feeling something brush into me at the store, cold chills suddenly at the back of my neck, feeling a vice like grip go around my waist...it all made sense and things were, well, they were boiling and I yelled. A lot.

\_~~~

A groan came out my mouth as I knelt there beside Tohru staring down at her. My good natured self couldn't stand the thought of upsetting her any and I made another, potentially heat stroke induced, offer. In one hand was a bottle of suntan lotion while the other held a palmful of cream meant to be smeared over her bare back. Suddenly, a jolt hit my senses as I came to some form of conclusion.

“Can dragons even get sunburn?”

“No,” Tohru says glancing back at me as she rested her head down over her crossed arms. “But it's such a sensual act, don't you think?”

A vein finds its way to the front of my forehead as I opt to change things a little here.

I sip from my small can of soda and relax back in the shade watching as Tohru whimper out.

“I'm burning. I'm burning, Miss. Hotaru! Can't you see the fire in my breath?”

~~~~~~^..^~~~

Right in the midst of myself relaxing under the cool shade of my beach umbrella, I hear the heavy sound of sand being kicked through and peer up to find a lifeguard pulling Felicia toward me. Felicia doesn't appear hurt but the female lifeguard looks rather upset over something as I stand up to meet them.

“Is she with you, ma'am?” The lifeguard asks, her tone suggesting that by association I've found myself in trouble. I nod and examine Felicia who looks a little confused on what's the matter. “Then you need to either take her home or find dressage more...covering than what she's currently wearing.”

“Wearing?” I ask more to myself as I look Felicia over. It's only now that I realize just how revealing she's been this entire time. The fur on her body only covers the necessary parts to keep her just decent enough. “Felicia,”

“Yes, Master?” She asks normally enough that I can feel the judging stare of the lifeguard. I tense up hoping no one else heard her and try to refrain from making a scene over it.

“Don't you have an actual suit?” I whisper. I really don't want any more unnecessary attention our way but when Felicia shakes her head I worry that we might have to leave. “Well, you can't swim like that here.”

“I can't?”

“No.” The lifeguard says showing no control over the subtlety I've been trying to produce for us. “You need more coverage-”

Just like that, fur comes out all over Felicia's body in an instant as both the lifeguard and myself jump into one another in shock. Felicia just looks between us calmly.

“Like this, Master?”

I nod as she goes racing off gleefully toward the water. I then feel the lifeguard go limp as she passes out.

_________^..^=_*___

Makeup at the beach. I've no intention of actually going in the water, so why not perform a little touchup? Who knows just what that might bring? Aside from people questioning my vanity. Though maybe I can just leave it to a quick

“Hm?”

Why is Felicia getting ready to pounce? Luckily she's not as furry as she was previously, just a modest amount based on my own swimwear to keep her from being questioned by other lifeguards as I really don't think the first will ever approach Felicia again. Still...why are her paws so close to her face and her butt so high in themselves

“WHA!?”

She pounces right at me and I'm forced to throw up my arms in defense but luckily she doesn't tackle against me. Instead she lands next to me and begins looking around fiercely. I'm about to ask if there's any sort of dilemma she's facing but then she spots whatever she's after and gets right back into pounce mode. It's then that I realize she's after the light reflecting off of my mirror. I turn the pocket mirror slowly and, as I thought, she follows it along. I turn it back and she doesn't drop her focus. I tilt it upward to send the light forward and she's off chasing after it. I sigh as I rotate the mirror around watching as she chases after the light.

“So much for subtlety...”

~~~~~~~O~~~~~~

THIS is what I've wanted this entire trip. Just a lazy ride through the water. No struggles, hassles, issues, worries. Just far enough from the land to be alone but still close enough to know it's still there. Though I do feel bad using Tohru as a raft for this, even if she's in her complete dragon form and just wading along. Felicia's along as well, although while I rest along Tohru's back in between her wings, she's off on her tail.

“Sorry about this, Miss. Hotaru.”

Her apology catches me completely off guard as I bring up my head. Here I was self loathing when I hear the sincerity in Tohru's voice.

“What for?”

“This day has been nothing but trouble for you. We meant that you could relax, but...”

The last few words are bubbled into the water. I stare down in silence a bit longer and then rest my head back down and my hands across my stomach.

“It's alright. I understand I haven't been spending much time with either of you lately, what with the store being a hotspot of commerce this time of year. You just wanted me to relax, didn't you?”

“Yeah.” She agrees with her mouth still partially submerged.

I smile and reach a hand out stroking along Tohru's wing surprising her as she looks back at me.

“Too much?” I ask pausing my hand.

“No.” She answers happily and places her head back down over the water letting me resume touching along her wing. “Are...you in love with anyone?”

That sort of question really shouldn't come as a surprise to me, considering the source, but it does render me speechless for a moment or two. I bring my hand back down to join the other over my waist and stare up at the orange colored sky.

“I was.” I answer honestly as I recall a pair of lips close together. Mine...and somebody elses'. “Back in high school though.”

“Really?” Tohru asks. “That long ago?”

“I'm not that old!” I exclaim as Tohru just giggles into the water. I calm down and focus back on the sky wondering how many stars we'll get to see tonight from this far out. “I had more time back then though. I was studying but now I'm managing. I mean, I'm open to the possibility of it happening again but I'm not going to rush out for it.”

“I suppose that's fair.” Tohru answers, though her reasoning behind the question certainly isn't lost on me. I just hope my answer hasn't disappointed or excited her too much. “Miss. Hotaru?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you...think that maybe...we could...”

Tohru stops abruptly. Not just in her speech but physically as well.

“Finally caught the water eel that's been following us!” Felicia proudly exclaims as I sit up and see her with her claws sunken into Tohru's tail.

“Felicia, that's not-” I try but it's too late. Tohru turns to deal with Felicia as I'm knocked from the commotion down off her back and into the water.

“Miss. Hotaru!” Tohru shouts diving in after me.

^=x=^

I groan looking at the newspaper cover story resting up on the store counter. “Loch Ness Monster spotted off coast of Japan”. The image is as blurry as you might expect but I can definitely tell what's going on in this grainy image.

“You don't eat it like that, you gotta dump it down like this!” Tohru explains as she and Felicia appear to have found the sugar sticks. She tilts her head back and sticks out her tongue pouring out the contents as Felicia mimics her.

“At least they're not expensive...” I tell myself trying again to paint that silver lining.

That's when I hear the door chime ring. I glance over not seeing anyone yet but I can tell by the sound of their walk that they're at least wearing some sort of heels. Then they step forward and the first bit that draws my attention are those enormous sized breasts barely being contained behind a button up blouse. Someone wants to show off. At least she has the modesty to wear a light brown jacket overtop of it. Hm...that combination does seem familiar.

Then she continues forward and my throat immediately dries up as my eyes widen with surprise. Not angry or upset, just...how? Why? She doesn't look at me yet but I can tell it's her. The white hair, the glasses, the devilish smirk. My mind flashes to that same kiss I was thinking of before and her face comes through clear as a sunlight day.

“M-Meiko...Shiraki.” I murmur just loud enough for her to hear.

She turns looking surprised to hear her name here but then smiles when she realizes why. Because it came from me. Tohru and Felicia have noticed her by now and watch as she comes to the counter and reach without hesitation cupping my chin. I'm too frozen, I can't do anything to stop her. But there's this part of me that doesn't want her to.

Meiko lets out a half giggle as she pulls me forward and my feet shuffle along to keep me from falling. The last thing I notice of her are those eyes looking into mine and those painted lips pursing up into a kiss. Then I feel them connect with mine and I can just feel the astonishment from Tohru over this as my vision blurs. Though did it? Or were my eyes just fluttering? I have no recollection, even immediate as she pulls away but keeps a hold of my chin before letting it go to draw some hair in behind my ear and cups along my cheek. But all I can look at are those lips as I watch the words come out.

“I've missed you,” Her eyes sparkle behind her glasses, “Hotaru-chan.”