Across from Zhen, the other eastern dragon took a sip from her wine cup before setting it back down. Lim was dressed quite well for an outing they had mutually agreed was not a date; an elegant black silk dress with only one shoulder strap covered from her upper body all the way down to her knees, and she had donned a modest amount of jewelry that complemented her blue scales. Her black hair was tied into a neat bun and held in place with two large hair pins, and a pair of half-moon glasses were perched on her snout. Had they gone to a fancier restaurant, Zhen would have felt under-dressed in his work clothes, having driven over to her place straight from the office.

She was a beautiful woman, there was no doubt about that, but they were simply friends, for his heart lay elsewhere – sadly, with a woman on the other side of an ocean. The farewell at the airport had been painful for them both, but he and Code had resolved not to give up. And while Zhen didn't want to pursue a relationship with Lim, he still considered her a friend, and had been meeting up with her occasionally to talk and help ease her own burdens of moving away from the city and having few other friends of her own to talk with.

"There's just so much paperwork," Lim griped as she picked up another clump of rice with her chopsticks. "I never would have thought that getting divorced would be harder than getting married."

"Certainly when you are fighting to keep as much as you can," Zhen agreed sympathetically. "Don't give up."

"I won't," she told him with a small nod. "But I think that's enough of talking about my woes for one evening. How are you doing? Is your situation with that other woman any better?"

Zhen exhaled through his nose as he took a sip from his own cup. "No," he told her honestly. "It is much harder than we had thought. If I were at home right now, she would be asleep. We're so many time zones apart, and they cross the date line, so we can only get one day a week to spend together."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Lim empathized.

"We make the best of what we can with that one day, but other than sporadic text messages, that's all we can get," Zhen continued. "I do still love her. Every Sunday – her Saturday – when we are able to get together, I am reminded of that." With a smile, he reached out and picked up a red bean bun from the serving dish in the middle of the table. "And soon I will get to see her again – my work is sending me to the overseas office for a week to help draft the specs on a new project. I've simply added an extra week to my stay and spent some of my time off so that I'll be able to spend some time with her while I'm there."

Lim gave him a smile before dabbing at her mouth with a napkin. "That's wonderful. I hope you have a good time. I'm actually quite surprised that you'll still be able to travel right now."

Grimacing, Zhen chewed and swallowed before answering. "I'm definitely not happy about the tensions between our countries over a labor dispute, no," he muttered darkly. "Maintaining a long-distance relationship is hard enough without politics making it more difficult. Fortunately the freeze doesn't affect me, since I'm just traveling to a remote branch of my own company... but it does mean that her chances of getting more work over here are unlikely, at best."

"I hope things improve," she told him earnestly, looking at him from across the table. "I know what it is like to be unable to be with the one you want."

He nodded in understanding, and then gave her a look when he caught on to the deeper meaning of her words. Giving him a smile, she leaned forward a little. "If I may be honest... I want you to be happy, Zhen. I wish that you could be happy with me, but I understand that love isn't that simple. You still mean a lot to me, and I'm glad that I have a friend I can rely on. If there's anything I can do to help you two, please let me know."

Feeling guilty for a brief moment, Zhen took a deep breath. "Thank you," he replied earnestly. "I will. Right now, just having someone to talk to who understands is enough. And let me know if I can help, too." Changing the subject, he asked, "Speaking of, have you gotten any interviews yet for a new job?"

The conversation drifted this way and that as they ate. Eventually Zhen flagged down a waitress for the bill, with Lim insisting on a split check since "you only get to cover the whole bill if it's a date" and a sly smirk as she took out her credit card.

After driving Lim back home, he returned to his house, surprised at how late it had gotten. Even though nothing about his home had changed, it felt so much bigger and emptier without Code to keep him company. He was more aware of the silence that greeted him as he closed the door and took off his jacket, making his way upstairs. Taking his phone from his pocket along the way, he was a little surprised when he checked it and saw a message from Code – and a recent one, too. It must have come in while he was driving.

He entered his bedroom as he checked the message, but it was a simple 'Hello, Zhen. Are you around?' 

'Yes, I just got home. You're up early,' he typed out in reply, setting his phone down on his bed as he took off his work clothes and tossed them into the laundry hamper in the closet. He didn't bother putting anything new on, since he wouldn't be staying up much longer, so he was still in his briefs when his phone buzzed again.

'The client is closed today, so I took the day off,' was Code's answer. 

He tapped out a reply, 'That's good. I'm surprised you aren't sleeping in.'

'It was tempting,' she replied shortly thereafter, 'but I wanted to see if you were around first so that I could spend some more time with you. Can you get on a video call?'

Zhen smiled at the unexpected opportunity, and headed down the hall to his home office to turn on his computer. 'Yes, just give me a moment,' he told her as he waited for it to start up.

Soon, he was sat in the office chair in front of his desk, adjusting the camera perched on top of the monitor as the call connected, turning the speakers down a little afterwards. A little green light on the camera turned on while the feed from Code's side started, showing the now-familiar sight of her room and the closed door behind her. She was dressed in just a fluffy bathrobe, and in contrast to the darkness of his surroundings, he could see that it was early morning where she was going by the ambient light. She had a pair of headphones on as well, the sides pressed roughly against where the lizard's internal ears were.

"Hi!" Code called out to him with a wave towards the camera. She was speaking in his native language; she had asked him to try and use it when possible so that she would remain fluent.

"Good morning," he replied with a smile and a wave of his own back to her. There was a delay between them due to the distance involved, but they had gotten used to it eventually. Seeing her in something other than a picture or recording, even through a screen, made him feel warm. He just wished he could reach out and hold her.

"Mmm, it's definitely a good morning when I get this sight to wake up to," Code teased, admiring Zhen's bare chest. He glanced at the small preview of his own camera in the corner, catching on and chuckling, raising his arms and flexing them a little to show off to her.

"I just wanted to get out of the suit, but this is a nice extra benefit," he told her with a smirk.

"I'm not complaining," she remarked. "You got home quite late, though. Did they keep you after work?"

Zhen shook his head. "No, I was just out having dinner with Lim, catching up with her." Code knew about the two and their friendship, and had had no objections when Zhen had asked if she minded him keeping contact with the other dragon. "It was that cozy little place I took you to once, the one where you got the steamed pork buns."

"Oh, I remember! Those were delicious." Code was about to say something when the door behind her opened, and another lizard just like Code popped her head in the door.

"Hi, Zhen!" Code's sister called out, reaching around the door to wave towards the camera, and Code leaned aside a little bit as she turned to look back at Ari.

Zhen gave a small chuckle and waved back. "Good morning, Ari," he replied in Code's language, only realizing a moment later that Ari couldn't hear him. He didn't know Code's sister anywhere near as well as Code herself, but Ari had been helpful to the two of them, bringing Code meals on the days she spent with Zhen and otherwise helping her maximize the time they could spend together.

"He says good morning," Code relayed.

"Anything you need, sis?" Ari offered.

"No, but thanks," Code answered. "We probably can't chat for too long."

Zhen nodded, frowning. "It's quite late over here," he agreed to Code.

"Okay, then I'll leave you two lovebirds alone," Ari teased with a grin. "Have fun!"

She slipped out and closed the door, and Code turned back to the camera. "She's looking forward to meeting you in person too," she said to restart the conversation.

"It won't be long now," he told her. "I'm looking forward to it too."

"So am I. I know you won't have too much time available when you're working, but I found a few places we can visit while you're here on your week off. There's a few that I've always wanted to go to, but I've just never visited."

"I have some ideas as well. We'll have to talk about it another time, though."

She nodded. "Yes, I don't want to keep you too long. Or... well, I mean, I do want to stay with you as long as possible, but..."

He gave a good-natured chuckle. "I understand," he said, before his smile slipped. "Thank you for this. I've missed you a lot. I wish you were here. It's very empty and lonely here without you."

Her expression softened with concern. "I know. I have Ari to keep me company, at least, but it's not the same. I wish I could be over there too." She hesitated, then switched back to her own language. "I specifically asked for another placement from that office, but... it's just not possible right now with the freeze on work visas."

"I'm sorry," Zhen said sympathetically.

Code waved a hand dismissively, looking away. "It's not your fault. It's all just political theater and I hope they drop it soon." With a sigh, she returned her gaze to the screen. "I miss you too. I think about you a lot, and how warm you made me feel. Literally and metaphorically." Smirking, she added, "Inside and outside."

He gave a little chuckle. "I miss that too. I miss a lot of things. Being able to watch movies with you, cooking for you, taking you places..."

"And I miss being able to play games with you without a half-second of lag." She gave a sigh and looked down. "It's like what they say, you never know what you've really got until it's gone."

He nodded. "But it's not gone for good. We'll have it again soon. We'll figure it out."

"We will," she agreed, raising her gaze again.

There was a lull in the conversation, and Zhen straightened up. "I would love to stay and chat, but it's quite late here," he said after a moment. "I still need to do a few things around the house and get ready for bed."

"I know," she said, nodding. "But can you spare just a little time?"

"How much?" he asked.

"Well, I haven't been up for very long," she told him in a teasing tone. "Since I just got up, I could put on a show for you to help with your nighttime routine..." He saw her reach out, and she tilted her camera downwards, the angle shifting to show her lower body, the very bottom of her keyboard just barely in-frame as well.

He caught on to her meaning immediately, shifting a little in his seat. "That would be just the thing to help me sleep soundly," he agreed. "Should I go get the special gift you gave me as well?"

"Please do," Code murmured, winking at him. "I'll be right back."

She put her headphones down and got up, leaving the call going, as he rose as well to head for his bedroom. It wasn't the first time and certainly wouldn't be the last time that they'd done this. By the time he returned to his chair with a bottle of lube in one hand and an oblong cardboard box under his other arm, Code was already back in her seat and watching.

"I saw that bulge in your briefs," she teased him over the speakers as he put his things on the desk.

"Can you blame me?" he asked rhetorically, reaching up and tilting his own camera downwards as well for her benefit, using his other hand to push the sliding tray with the keyboard under the desk to get it out of the way.

"Oh no, it's the reaction I was hoping for," she replied, leaning back in her chair as she undid the sash on her bathrobe. "I know you don't have too much time, so I won't drag this out too long."

Zhen shifted in his seat as he tugged his briefs downward, showing off on the camera as he exposed himself, his cock half-hard already from the thoughts of what was about to happen. "Soon," he promised, "Soon we'll have all the time we need."

He saw her right hand reach down and brush over her pussylips as she watched him show off. "Mmm, soon," she agreed, "How do you like the toy I got you?"

Reaching into the cardboard box, he pulled out the fleshlight she was referring to, the opening shaped to resemble an anus. Since the company that made it didn't ship to where he lived, she had bought it and mailed it to him, and he had been keeping it in the box for a lack of anywhere better to store it. "It's not as good as you," he told her as he held the sculpted silicone fleshlight up to the camera, "But it's seen a lot of use on these lonely nights."

She teased herself a little more, and she asked him, "Do you think of me when you fuck it?"

"Of course," he answered as he set it down and reached for the lube bottle, keeping his eyes on the show she was giving him. Even with the relatively poor quality and slightly stuttery video feed, it was more than enough to get him fully aroused, his erection standing ready by the time he was pouring lubricant onto it. As he slathered the slick fluid on his flesh, he added, "It reminds me of how good you are, but it can't possibly replace you."

"Can't hold a candle to the real thing," she quipped playfully, spreading her legs apart further to give him a better view. Her hand reached off-camera and came back with a big empty plastic bottle, the kind that fruit juice came in, but the label had been removed from it. He glanced away from it only long enough to grab the fleshlight, pouring some lubricant into the opening before pushing his index finger inside to slick it up. He was getting stray lube all over his legs, but he didn't care – he was planning on taking a shower anyway.

"I hope you're prepared for my visit," he teased, "In between the sightseeing and the video games, I'm going to pound you senseless."

"Don't threaten me with a good time," she said jokingly, "Throw some pizza in on that offer and I'm all yours." She held the opening of the plastic bottle at the edge of her chair and shuffled forward until her slit was positioned directly above it, then asked, "Ready?"

Zhen quickly put the opening of the toy against the tip of his cockhead and pushed it down just a little before the lube got a chance to spill back out. Gripping the toy with both hands, he pulled it down further, groaning as the silicone tunnels swallowed up his shaft, each of the four ridges on the underside of it bumping against the opening on their way in. He hilted on it and held it there, turning his chair towards the side to give Code a better angle to watch from, his whiskers hanging down into the frame. "Ready," he told her as he leaned back a little.

"Mmh, I'm jealous," she murmured. Taking a few breaths, she suddenly told him, "Okay, here it comes," and he turned his attention to the monitor.

He heard her sigh and saw a stream of her piss gush into the bottle, hearing the drumming sound it made in the hollow space a moment later. The camera feed wasn't the best, but it was enough to make his pulse quicken, and he kept his eyes on the screen as he raised the toy up and then pulled it back down his length steadily, making slick sounds as he did.

"I held this in just for you..." Code told him as she reached up, her words sending a shiver down his spine. Picking up her camera, she moved it down closer to her loins; as it got closer, he was more clearly able to see the golden fluid flowing out from her pussy and into the bottle, the sound growing a little louder too as the camera's microphone was brought closer to it. He panted softly, pulling the fleshlight halfway up his cock and then tugging it back down, the tight tunnels teasing his sensitive flesh.

"Ahhhh, it feels so good to finally let this out for you," she teased. Moving the camera out a little to show the entire bottle, the feed caught her stream splashing in the bottom of it as the fluid level rose, bubbles forming on top of the yellow liquid. It reminded him of how they had met, both stealthily trying to relieve themselves in an airplane, and he stroked himself with the toy faster as other memories came back to him of their time together.

"Mm, you're really giving that thing a good pounding, aren't you?" Code teased as she brought the camera in closer again to her pissing pussy.

"Only because you're not here," he told her between panting breaths, thrusting his hips up a little bit.

"True, true," she agreed. "If I were, I'd be bouncing in your lap, moaning aloud..."

He groaned softly, keeping his eyes on the screen as Code continued emptying her bladder, moving the camera around to give him different angles of her yellow fluid gushing into the bottle and splashing down below. "I'd keep you held close," he told her, slowing his motions a little bit moving the toy along most of his slicked, throbbing length, "I want to hold you tight and not let go."

Her stream began to wane and she let it trickle off, though he saw her muscles clench as she held the camera close, a few final squirts of urine splashing in the bottle. "Holding tight is what I do," she teased, "But that does sound lovely."

He panted deeply as he watched the end of her show, then closed his eyes, replaying it in his mind as he kept going with the toy, hilting the silicone ass on his lap again and again, the very tip of his cock poking out from the far end of it.

"Are you going to cum?" she asked him.

"Soon," he gasped out, bucking his hips harder, his balls swinging between his legs and lightly bouncing off the cushion of the chair on their way down.

"Are you going to cum to the thought of fucking my ass and watching me piss?" she asked more directly, lowering her voice to a husky tone.

"Yes!" he called out, feeling himself getting close, rapidly tugging the toy up and down in a blur along his cock, getting closer and closer...

"I want you to finish," she goaded, "Show me what you can do. Remind me what I'm missing out on. Cum for me."

She barely got the last word out – latency notwithstanding – when he tipped his head back and moaned. "Aaaah, Code!" he cried as he bucked his hips without rhythm, ecstasy overtaking him as he climaxed. He continued to thrust, but unevenly and with occasional brief pauses, driving his cock through the silicone tunnel as he filled it with his cum and sent some ropes of it flying out and onto the short carpet on the floor. Vague, random memories of his intimate moments with Code came to him as he imagined that he was really with her, showing his love by filling her up in a fit of passion, hearing her moan out with him...

The waves of pleasure came to an end, and he slumped back into his chair, panting and gasping for breath in recovery. "That looked like a good one," Code told him, and he gave a small chuckle between breaths.

"It was," he agreed, "but it would have been even better with you here."

"I know," she concurred quietly.

He sat there, savoring his afterglow for a little longer, before opening his eyes and looking down. He was a mess, and would have to take a shower. And he'd have to clean the toy. And the floor, too. But it was worth it, just the price to pay for an intimate moment – as much as he could get – with the woman he loved.

"Thank you," he told her. "I have to clean up now and head to bed."

"Thank you," she replied in kind, replacing the camera on top of her monitor and setting it to look at her face again. "I need to go make breakfast."

"All right. I'll see you when I can," Zhen told her. His hands were a mess, so he bent over to get his face into the frame of the camera, looking at her. "I love you," he told her sincerely.

She gave him a smile and a small wave. "I love you too," she replied. "Talk to you later."

A few moments later, the feed froze, and then a message popped up saying the call had ended. Zhen leant back in his chair again, panting softly. Already he felt loneliness starting to creep up on him, but he took a deep breath and sat up, determined not to let it ruin his evening. He would see her again soon, very soon.

--------------------

Zhen reached out for the luggage carousel and pulled the suitcase off of it, checking the tag quickly to confirm that it was his. Slinging his backpack onto his shoulders, he made his way through the crowds with an occasional "Excuse me" or "Pardon me", and left the baggage claim area to go through the arduous process of international customs. The already tiresome process was made worse by the extra gauntlet of questions he was subjected to when he answered that he was traveling for work. The business and legal terms eventually became complicated enough that he had to ask for an agent who spoke his native language, delaying him further.

But finally, after sufficiently convincing the officers that he did not require any kind of permit for the business trip, Zhen passed through the security gates and headed for the front of the terminal, his eyes scanning the crowd for any sign of-

"Zhen!"

He looked in the direction of the voice, but not fast enough; Code was on him before he saw her as she all but tacklehugged him, wrapping her arms around him and squeezing tightly. She had a light jacket on that was open at the front to reveal a sweatshirt underneath, and was wearing a pair of track pants, a far cry from the business casual clothing she had been wearing almost all the time during her trip.

After overcoming his momentary surprise, he put his arms around her and hugged back, patting her on the back and resting his head on her shoulder as she did the same to him, his whiskers hanging down her back. His weariness from the long flight faded away and he smiled widely as he held onto her. It had been far too long since he had last held her, and he swayed a little on the spot with her, ignoring the stares from a few nearby travelers observing the couple being reunited – not an uncommon scene at an airport. She was keeping a tight hold of him, shifting to press her chest up against his, savoring the moment.

"I missed you," he murmured to her.

"Me too," she replied, pulling away from him just a little to look him in the eyes. She leaned in closer and he gave her a quick kiss, squeezing her once more before letting her go and taking hold of his suitcase again with his right hand – his left remaining clasped around Code's.

"Did you have trouble on the way?" she asked him as they headed for the exit.

He gave a deep sigh. "At both ends. I hope I don't get held up nearly as much on the way back."

She squeezed his hand, and smiled over at him. "Well, I wouldn't mind if you had to stay a bit longer..." she teased, and he chuckled.

Heading out through the terminal doors to the taxi ranks, overhead lights illuminating the area since the evening had rolled in and it was dark out, they took the first available taxi. After Zhen gave the address and the driver started pulling out, the two of them relaxed in the back seat together, while he rested a hand on her thigh.

"I'm sorry it's been so difficult to stay in touch," he said with an apologetic look over to her.

She put a hand on top of his and nodded to him. "It's hard for both of us, with the time zones and our work schedules. I wish we could change it, but..."

"I'm very grateful for the time we do get to spend together, though," he reassured her. "And even though I have to head to work on Monday, we can meet up afterwards."

"Yes, I fully intend to spend as much time together as we can. I figure you're probably tired after the flight, though."

He gave her a large, exaggerated nod. "Oh, yes. It's easier going east than west, but it's still a long flight. I'm just going to relax at the hotel tonight. You're more than welcome to stay with me."

"Thank you, I will," she said with a smirk. "I have a lot to talk about, I'm happy to just spend the night catching up and relaxing."

For the rest of the trip, they conversed about things that had happened recently to them, discussed the book Zhen had been reading during the flight, and reminisced about the time spent together during Code's placement at his company. When they got to the hotel, Zhen paid the fare and went in with Code to check in at the desk; it was the same hotel the company always sent him to, so he was quite familiar with the process.

Soon he was opening the door to room 607 and dragged the suitcase inside behind him as Code followed him in, closing the door and locking it behind her. After they took off their shoes and hung up their jackets, Zhen pulled the suitcase over to the bed but simply set it down next to it; he could unpack it later. The room was quite nice, with a twin bed and all the usual accommodations of a fancy hotel. And it was all on the company's dime – Code had offered to put him up at her apartment for the second week of his stay, but for the first week, he was going to stay much closer to the office.

Code was standing by the window, looking out it at the view of the streets and buildings nearby, where a myriad of streetlights, headlights and lit windows stretched into the distance. Zhen stepped up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders, pressing up against her from behind, looking out the window with her.

She leaned back against him, and he wanted to say something, but he didn't know what to say. Instead, he let his hands drift down her body, along her sides and eventually to her front, resting on her belly as he pressed his head against the side of hers. His pulse quickened as he held her in his grasp, becoming acutely aware that he finally had the woman he loved back in his arms, with no disparate schedules or lag or physical distances to get in the way. They had the entire evening to themselves and a quiet, comfortable place where nobody could bother them...

He gave her a gentle, little tug, pressing his hips up against her rump. In response, she let out a quiet, pleased little hum, and that tiny noise of approval and interest tipped Zhen over the edge.

He met no resistance as he grabbed her and turned her around to face him, pulling her into a deep kiss, one that she eagerly returned, his tongue sliding into her mouth as her own thin, forked tongue danced across his. Their arms wrapped around each other, and he gripped at her rump to pull her close, grinding up against her, her hands roaming across his back as she responded in kind. Their groans were muffled by each other's mouths, their breaths coming quicker through their noses as they pressed up tightly together.

Zhen was too lost in the moment to be fully cognizant of who was the first to take things further, as he began pulling Code's sweatshirt upward while she fumbled with the buckle on his pants. She pulled the belt away and dropped it, then raised up her hands, and they broke the kiss for the bare minimum amount of time it took him to pull her sweatshirt up and over her head, throwing it aside before locking muzzles with her once more.

Tugging her towards the bed as he started pushing down her pants, she shuffled along with him as she worked on the buttons of his shirt, undoing them as fast as she could. Her pants fell to her ankles and she simply stepped out of them, and he let go of her body to shrug off the shirt once she had opened it up. She took a moment to slide her hands over his bare chest, feeling the muscles there, before she began opening his pants, his thumbs pushing her panties downwards until they fell to the floor, leaving her naked.

Moments before she pushed his pants down, he dove a hand into his pocket and pulled out his wallet, holding one edge so it swung open as his pants fell to his ankles, his briefs heavily tented by the raging erection that was fighting to get out of them. Zhen tugged a condom out from his wallet before tossing it aside carelessly, as Code pulled his briefs past his cock and let them fall, eagerly grinding herself up against him and sandwiching his hard flesh between his belly and hers.

Reaching behind her with both hands to tear the packet open, he felt her pushing him towards the bed, and he sat down on the end of it with his tail between his legs as she climbed into his lap, grinding to him with her muzzle still pressed against his. She was soaking wet with arousal, and he could feel it when her pussylips brushed up against the underside of his cock momentarily. Dropping the torn packaging on the floor, Zhen reached between them to roll the condom down his throbbing shaft, pushing her away just enough to get it down as far as he could before tugging her close to him again, his tongue exploring her maw.

She raised her hips up eagerly, and he gripped her rumpcheeks in both hands, tugging her into position, pressing his cock and the lubricated latex covering it against her tailhole. Hiking her tail up high, she began pressing downwards, trying to relax her muscles to take him into herself, wiggling her hips slightly as she groaned into his maw. Despite the heat of his passion, he still didn't want to hurt her, and kept a firm grip on her hips to help ease her down onto his stiff flesh, panting through his nose as his heart raced.

They both groaned out together as the penetration began, Zhen's pointed cocktip spreading out Code's sphincter and sliding into her tight depths. His grip tightened on her and he shivered under her; how he'd missed this! Not just the tightness of her anal walls around his sensitive shaft, but feeling her body against his, hearing her pleasured sounds as she descended further on him and took the first of his ridges into her rear, holding her trembling body against his, satisfying her desires and his own together...

It had been so long, and yet, the feeling of being inside her body was wonderfully familiar to him. When she hilted on him, all four ridges buried within her as her wet pussylips kissed his belly, they hugged each other tightly, and Zhen felt her tail touching against his own. Curling it upward close to the end, he loosely entwined his tail with hers, her body flush against his front as she began pulling herself up, and he slid his hands back down to her rump to help tug her upwards.

With his help, she bounced in his lap, sliding halfway up his length before going back down, keeping a steady pace and maintaining the kiss the entire time as they both inhaled and exhaled deeply through their noses. Zhen lost himself in the moment, his eyes closed tightly, rocking his hips a little to thrust upwards just a bit when she descended.

He wanted the moment to last forever, with his arms around the woman he loved, feeling the embrace of her arms around him, buried within her rear tunnels. Hearing her pleasured moans as he gave his own. Feeling her tail twisting and rubbing against his own. The heat of his passion flared within him and he picked up the pace at which he moved her, and she matched it, just as eager as he was for more.

Up and down she moved in his lap, his condom-covered cock sliding out partway only to be plunged back into her again and again. His desires grew, and he moaned louder, his carnal feelings mounting over time. Every descent of her hips brought them both pleasure, months and months of pent-up longing from both of them being released at last.

Pulling her all the way down into his lap, Zhen let go of her hips and wrapped his arms around her back. Code made a small inquisitive noise without breaking the kiss, then gave a muffled cry as he tugged her backwards with him onto the bed, before rolling over and pinning her underneath him. His feet managed to find purchase on the carpet after a moment as he held her down, his arms wrapped firmly around her body, holding her tightly as if she were the most precious thing in the world, and he took over, drawing his hips back and beginning to thrust.

She moaned into his mouth as he groaned into hers. Her arms remained tightly wrapped around him, but he soon felt her raising her legs up to wrap them around his waist as he drew his hips back and pushed into her once again, his tail still lightly entwined with hers near the tip. Driving his whole length into her after pulling almost all of it out, his balls slapped against the underside of her tail as they swung between his legs. Even though he could feel his climax starting to build, he kept up the heavy pace, too lost in his own passionate feelings to want to draw out the moment, their moans mingling as all four of his ridges sawed back and forth over her tight anal ring.

He wasn't sure who came first; he continued to thrust into her hard and fast until he felt his orgasm crashing over him like a tidal wave, flooding his senses with euphoria. Somewhere amidst his uneven pounding as his balls began to blow their load into the condom, he felt her tightening around his pulsating cock, and the splash of her pussy juices against his belly, every additional mid-climax thrust further overwhelming him. Yet at the same time, he couldn't bring himself to stop, hammering her as he came, going until his legs almost gave out and he all but sprawled on top of her after hilting within her one final time, feeling her squirm and writhe underneath him from her own ecstasy.

Finally, he broke the kiss, and both of them panted for breath heavily, their chests heaving as they basked in the afterglow together, still riding the remnants of their intensely impassioned moment. It, too, was a moment Zhen wished could go on forever, but eventually the feeling faded, leaving him coming back to his senses gradually.

"Thank you," he gasped out between breaths, "I love you."

"I love you too," she responded after a moment, "But you're squishing me."

Muttering an apology, he shifted to try and take some of his weight off of her, nuzzling her for a moment before he began pulling out from her properly, separating his tail from hers. He finally looked at her after having had his eyes closed for so long; she was sprawled out on the bed naked before him, her loins a mess of her own juices, her rear hole clenching closed after he pulled free, still glistening with the lubricant that had been on the condom. He slipped it off and tied it before throwing it and the potent load of his cum inside of it into the trash, then returned to the bed, lying down beside her and rolling onto his side to cuddle up against her from behind.

For several moments they simply lay there together, recovering and enjoying the moment, before Zhen leaned in and nuzzled against her cheek. "Sorry for just... getting right into it," he apologized.

"That was as much me as it was you," she told him in response, wriggling up against his warm body. "I've been wanting you for a long time."

"As have I," he agreed. "I just... didn't want you to think I only cared about-"

"I know," she said, cutting him off, turning her head towards him to kiss the side of his muzzle. "We've just been apart too long. We both want each other so much, and have missed each other dearly... there's no shame in letting those feelings out, is there?"

"No, you're right," he replied, holding her closer.

Another few moments of silence passed between them, with only their own breaths to listen to. "It's been too long since I could hold you like this," he murmured softly.

"It has," she agreed. "I missed cuddling in your bed." With a smirk, she added, "Even if we did often have to wash the sheets afterwards."

He gave a little chuckle, sliding a hand up her side gently. "I certainly got my money's worth out of that waterproof undersheet," he remarked.

"I want to come and visit you as soon as possible," she said as she draped her tail over his side. "I don't know exactly when my current placement will end, which makes it hard to get tickets... but I think it'll be in a few months unless the contract gets extended."

"Well, you won't need a hotel," he told her with another nuzzle. "I'll make sure to keep some PTO in reserve."

"I will too. I have plenty, it's just hard to get approval for it in the middle of a project."

"Yes... I don't have that problem as long as I request it far enough in advance. Just keep me informed. Worst comes to worst I may still have to work when you're visiting, but you can still stay at my house."

"Thank you," she replied.

"Who knows? Maybe you can come for a whole year again if fate smiles on us..."

"I'd like that, but it doesn't seem likely," she said quietly, reaching back with one hand and patting his side. "Oh, that reminds me, I did ask if I could get a transfer to our office over there, but... well, it's not really a viable option either. Thank you for the suggestion, though."

He frowned and cuddled her closer for a moment. "Why won't it work?"

"Legal reasons," she grumbled. "Only citizens or residents can work from those offices indefinitely. But in order to get those, I need to already be living and working in the country. Contracts aren't good enough. A foreigner like me can only get work visas..."

"...and they're frozen right now," Zhen said with a sigh. "I see."

"Well, there was some promising news there, they came to an agreement and made a few exceptions earlier today," Code informed him. "Just for a few fields, mostly humanitarian workers. Not for anything I could qualify as. But it's a start."

"I'll see if I can do some research for you between meetings," Zhen told her, smirking as he continued, "You're good with my language, but not good enough to read through anything governmental."

She gave a chuckle, but didn't disagree. "Thank you," she told him in his own language to support the point, "I appreciate the help of someone who can understand the really complicated words."

"The other way isn't much easier," he continued. "Moving here would be just as hard, but for different reasons."

"Yes," she agreed with a sigh. "Even at the best of times, the requirements for citizenship here are high. I can always ask around and see if any of my coworkers know more about it..."

"And I have more to give up." He thought for a few moments about his parents, his brother and his family, and Lim, who needed him as a friend more than ever. "My family, my friends, my house... it's not that I wouldn't give those things up if I knew this would work..."

"...but it's a lot to risk without that certainty," Code guessed, and he hummed in agreement. "I understand." She sighed, reaching up and patting the back of his hand with hers. "We're at a bit of an impasse."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"Don't be, it's not your fault. I want this to work out. I don't want to give up yet, but I'd be lying if I said this wasn't hard."

"I feel the same," he murmured softly to her.

She sighed and looked over at him again, giving a smile. "I didn't mean to be a downer," she told him, shifting to snuggle back against him. "Let's talk about something else, shall we?"

He wrapped his arms around her for a hug. "Let's take a shower first," he said before releasing her and starting to sit up.

"Mmm, yes, a nice hot shower to relax under," she agreed as she got up. "Then we can get back to the naked cuddles. But maybe under the covers where it's warmer."

He chuckled and held open the door to the bathroom for her. "That sounds like a lovely way to spend the evening," he said, his eyes following her rump as she walked past him.

--------------------

Time flew by; Zhen didn't have much time to let his mind wander at work with all of the meetings eating up his time, and they had made plans for most of their available time, sometimes heading to see a movie or eat at a restaurant before going back to his hotel room.

And on his second week that they had off, they were able to take more elaborate plans with occasional periods left to themselves, making use of a rental car he had acquired to make getting around easier. Their excursions included a mall, an aquarium, and a science museum that Code had always wanted to go to but had never found the time for. One of the exhibits there had been a recreation of a very early computer they had found fascinating, and had grabbed their interest for quite some time as they spent a little while pulling up related articles on their phones afterwards and sharing what they found.

Code's apartment had been comfortable as well, with the sisters giving him the guest room even though Code spent each night sleeping with him. He was surprised the two still lived together, and after inquiring, he had been intrigued by Code's subsequent explanation of how different things had been for her growing up compared to him – she'd never known her parents, and had been raised at a communal house with her sister, which was apparently the norm where she grew up norm for lizards and some other species. As a result, she and Ari were very close compared to siblings of the traditional families he was used to.

He'd realized there was still a lot more about her that he didn't know, and frequently asked questions during the visit about her younger days to get to know her better. Code's sister had been friendly and welcoming to him as well, asking him a lot of questions too – and offering to make space for them when he and Code "wanted some intimate time together" as Ari put it. Though it flustered him a little, he was grateful that he could be open about how he felt towards Code, in contrast to how he had concealed their relationship while she was working at his company.

But all too soon, the end of the trip was looming. He would be taking a long and grueling flight back home and recovering from jet lag over the weekend, which he wasn't looking forward to. But worse than that was knowing he would be separated again from Code. After having finally had her back, knowing that they would be torn apart again kept eating at him. 

They had avoided talking about it, not wanting to spoil the mood, but that didn't mean he hadn't been thinking about it. He'd done his research between breaks at work, and had been pursuing his available options, but he didn't have many good choices, and once he left, some of them would become a lot harder.

Still, he didn't let it ruin his plans. On their final full day together, he took her out to one of the nicest spas in the area he could find, and they came back to her apartment with loosened muscles, smelling of flowers and scented oils. He'd made dinner plans for her as well, reserving a table at one last restaurant while they had the chance. One final night together. He needed to make the most of it.

Excusing himself from the living room where he had been playing a video game with Code and Ari, he stepped into the guest room at their apartment to get changed into the formal wear he had brought over in his suitcase prior to dinner. It was a smart white suit he had gotten back home some time ago, and the blazer buttoned all the way up to the collar, unlike the ones that were common on Code's side of the ocean that only buttoned in the middle.

Holding a hand mirror, he fiddled and straightened with the suit, more to calm his nerves than anything else. "Kh'tall," he muttered under his breath, trying to pronounce Code's real name, practicing carefully. Repeating it a few times almost like a mantra, he took a deep breath, smoothing out the front of the blazer for the tenth time before taking a small, square cardboard box from his suitcase and heading back into the living room.

"Oh, my, you look sharp," Code said approvingly as he returned, looking him up and down. "I didn't realize we were heading somewhere that fancy."

He gave a smile and held out the box to her. "I brought along something for you to wear, if you like."

Setting down her controller, Code stood up from the sofa and took the box curiously, opening it up. Inside was a formal dress Zhen had bought before the trip, and she took it out and held it up so that Ari could see as well. It was short-sleeved and bright red, slitted on one side as well as the back, the front of it embroidered with elegant yellow depictions of leaves and flowers.

Code's eyes widened as she looked it over. "Thank you!" she told him, "I've never worn anything quite like this, but I'll try my best to make it look good."

Zhen gave her a smile. "You always look good," he said flatteringly.

"Wow, that is a nice dress," Ari commented. Zhen stepped back to let Code get past him, except that she didn't leave, and instead got changed in front of him, pulling off her sweatshirt and track pants before slipping the dress on. Tugging at his collar with one finger, Zhen glanced away, not wanting to get too distracted before dinner.

He looked back once she had the dress on. The slit in the back allowed her tail some freedom, and though he had to admit she didn't have the ideal figure for it, it still looked quite good on her, especially as she turned in a slow circle to show off the back to him.

"Thank you," she repeated as she turned back to him. "I hope it didn't cost you too much."

"Oh, don't worry about it," he said dismissively, "I'm just glad that it fits."

Her lips curled into a smirk. "This is why you asked for my measurements a few weeks before the trip, isn't it?"

He simply gave a chuckle in response, and she stepped over and hugged him briefly. "We can head out whenever you're ready," he told her, and she nodded, excusing herself from the room to finish preparing.

Soon enough they were heading for the restaurant, located several floors up in a downtown skyscraper, with a good view of the city. They had a table close to the center of the restaurant, which was fairly well furnished without being completely excessive; polished tables and linen tablecloths, but no elaborate statues or live music. Even though Zhen almost winced when he saw the prices listed on the menu, he considered it a worthwhile expense for the last night he could have with Code for a while. And fortunately, the reviews had been correct, and the food was excellent; they shared a seafood platter that the two of them together were barely able to get through.

And yet, despite the atmosphere, the fine food and the lovely company, Zhen couldn't shake the specter of his upcoming departure, looming over him, sometimes faintly, sometimes almost crushing him. The first few days after Code had gone back home had been hard for him the first time, and he had had hope at the time that they could keep close. How could he handle leaving her again, knowing this time around how difficult it would be to stay in contact?

He must have spent a little too long staring into the bottom of his drained wineglass, as he suddenly heard Code across the table ask him, "Are you all right?"

Glancing up, he saw the concern on her face, and did his best to smile. "As well as I can be knowing I have to leave tomorrow," he answered honestly. "Thank you for coming here with me."

"Of course, thank you for bringing me here," she replied, reaching across the table and gently setting her hand on top of his. "I've been thinking about it too, even though I don't want to. But I can't really avoid it, when we're this close to being separated again."

He gave a small hum of acknowledgement, and she continued. "I've looked into what it takes over here to apply for residency or citizenship, but it's a long and convoluted process even at the best of times, even if your company helps you out. You pretty much have to already be living and working in the country, but I can't expect you to give up everything and move here in the hope of eventually, maybe getting through all the red tape."

He gave a sympathetic nod. "It's not much better on my side. There are a few ways to gain citizenship or residency, but most of them would take too long to be viable options, and require you to already be employed."

She let out a sigh and lowered her head, gently grasping his hand. "I don't know if this can work. I'm having doubts... I love you very much, Zhen. But a long-distance relationship is hard, a lot harder than I'd expected. I enjoy all the time we can spend together, I just wish we could have more."

He bit his lip, trying to remain impassive despite the emotions that were fighting within him. "I hate to say it, but you're right," he murmured. "It's very difficult. I don't know when I will be able to see you again. But I don't want to give up just yet."

"I don't want to either," she said sadly, "but maybe we'll have to."

He remained silent, the prospect of having to give up on her after coming so far making him feel hopeless. Silence passed between them, during which time the waiter came over to offer them dessert; Code simply replied "Oh no, I'm stuffed," so Zhen gave the waiter his credit card and sent him off to get the bill, leaving the two of them by themselves again.

But it wasn't over yet. Zhen drew a deep breath, summoning his courage. "If you could move in with me... if the legal issues went away, if there was a way past all that... would you?" he asked her.

She didn't respond for several moments, and Zhen looked up, but she was clearly in deep thought. "Moving to a foreign country, away from my family and friends... it's a lot to consider," she mused. "I've been learning what I can of your language, but I'm a long way from being fully fluent. And you're a lot more familiar with my culture than I am with yours, I'm sure I'd have a lot to learn there."

"I would help you."

"I know you would. I know I can rely on you," she told him. He nodded in acknowledgement, and she drummed her fingers on the table for a moment before smiling ever so slightly. "But... I think I probably would, if it meant I could be with the man I love." Frowning again, she grumbled, "It's just all the red tape, bureaucracy and politics that are getting in the way."

The waiter set the bill down next to Zhen, who picked his credit card back up without looking at the paper, not quite willing to risk seeing what this had all cost him just yet. They would get up, and leave the restaurant; he'd take her home, they'd perhaps have one more passionate night together, and that would be it. The way they had been talking, the way things had been going, it might even be the last time they ever saw each other in person.

Unless he did something. Something he'd prepared for, but hadn't had the confidence for. Perhaps once, a few years ago, he would have let the moment and the opportunity, and all the risk it entailed, all pass.

But not this time.

Zhen's heart hammered in his chest as he fought his nervousness. "Before we go, I... did want to tell you something," he managed to force out, keeping his gaze on her, and his hands on the table so that they wouldn't visibly shake. Simply keeping his expression neutral was a battle in and of itself.

"What's that?" she asked, looking up at him curiously.

"I did find... one way to get you into my country," he told her, fighting to stop his gaze from drifting away. "A way to get you residency, much more expediently than the other options we've looked at."

Seeing her tilt her head in confusion, Zhen slipped his right hand off of the table and into a pocket on his blazer, closing his fingers around its contents. "What is it?" Code inquired, leaning a little closer.

Withdrawing his hand from his pocket and keeping his fingers curled around what he was holding, he took deep breaths despite his attempts to hide his nervousness. "I apologize in advance if I don't get this quite right," he told her, only seeming to confuse her further, "I've only ever seen this done on TV, but I wanted to do this in a way you would find familiar."

Pushing his chair back, Zhen slipped out of it, keeping his gaze fixed on her. But instead of standing up fully, he shifted around to the side of the table, getting down onto one knee as he raised his right hand, opening his fingers to show her what he had inside of it.

A tiny box with a diamond ring.

Code's eyes widened and she let out a loud gasp, one that got the attention of nearby tables, the background conversation ceasing as the other restaurant patrons turned in their seats to see what was happening. Zhen did his best to ignore them, focusing only on Code, taking another breath, trembling slightly from how nervous he felt.

"I missed you dearly," he told her earnestly. "We belong together. My life has been so empty ever since you left to go back home. I knew I loved you before you left, but it wasn't until you were gone that I realized... just how very much you mean to me."

Swallowing, he focused, his head swimming so much from the rush of emotions that he was worried he might pass out. "Kh'tall," he asked, trying to keep his breathing steady, "will you marry me?"

It took her a moment to respond, but that one moment seemed to stretch off into infinity as Zhen stared up at her in the silent restaurant, and she stared back at him and at the diamond ring on his palm. He felt trapped in an unending moment, struggling to maintain his focus on-

"Yes," she answered. Her astounded expression disappeared, and her body un-tensed with an exhalation of breath, a smile crossing her face. "Yes!" she repeated, louder.

Reaching out, she took the ring from him and slipped it onto her left hand, holding it out so he could see. Zhen relaxed the intense tension that had built up in him and nearly slumped over, grabbing onto the table for support as he pulled himself back to his feet. She rose as well and he embraced her, holding onto her tightly amidst the cheers of encouragement from the other patrons and staff nearby that he had forgotten about until that moment.

"Kiss her!" someone called out, and he did, leaning in and tugging her tightly to give her a deep kiss that she returned, separating several seconds later. Pausing only to sign the bill – and add a good tip despite how much it had already cost him – Zhen led her out from the restaurant with one arm around her shoulders, his whiskers perked up as he grinned widely, his nervousness suppressed by the true happiness filling him. Glancing to his side, she was clearly just as happy as he, her smile equally wide.

He was at a loss for what else to say, but she was as well as they took the elevator back down to the parking garage in the basement. When he slipped into the rental car though, he hesitated, and simply set his hands on the wheel, leaning back into the seat, letting out his breath in a long exhalation.

"Is something wrong?" she asked him from the passenger's seat.

He held up his hands to silently answer her question; they were both shaking heavily. She gave a good-natured laugh, holding up her hands as well – at first he thought it was just to show him the engagement ring, but her hands were shaking just as much as his, and she leaned over and reached across the car to gently take hold of his hands.

"If I have to sit in a car and do nothing for a few minutes, there's no-one I'd rather do it with," she remarked playfully.

He gave a small laugh and gently held onto her hands, smiling widely at her. "Thank you."

"I've been very lonely without you too," she told him softly after a few moments. "I felt like something was missing from my life. And then when you were here, I felt so happy, I felt... complete. I know we still have to be separated again tomorrow... but now we can work on getting back together again. For good. I can hold onto that, and it will get me through the loneliness. I didn't think... I was ready to give up, not knowing what was going to happen. But now, I know we'll be together again."

He nodded to her, and another quiet moment elapsed. After a moment, she asked, "So... this is really happening, huh?"

"It is," he told her with a smile. "It'll take a few years for you to get citizenship, but you can get residency status immediately once you move in with me. With your employer cooperating, it should be fairly easy. It'll just involve a lot of paperwork."

She gave a little chuckle. "That was going to happen one way or another," she conceded.

"I can try and find someone who can do it all for us, maybe," Zhen suggested as he let go of his other hand and retrieved the car keys, putting them in the ignition. He felt a little calmer, but he was still brimming with happiness as he started the car.

"That might be worth it," Code agreed. "I can barely wait, though. I..." she leaned back in her seat, staring out the windshield as Zhen backed out from the parking spot. "I'm going to miss you again. But I'll look forward to being together."

"As will I," Zhen replied. They went quiet again on the drive back, but Zhen's mind was anything but quiet. He relived the moments he had just gone through: his growing despair, his determination not to give up, and his resolve to follow through on his idea. Before he had met her, he would never have done anything quite so daring, but he was glad that she had helped him gain at least some confidence.

After he parked, they headed up to her apartment together. "So, what do you want to do with our last night together on your trip – and our first night as an engaged couple?" she asked as she took out her keys to open the apartment door.

Stepping up behind her, he rested his hands on his shoulders and rubbed them without bothering to check if anyone else was in the corridor watching. "There's a few things I can think of," he murmured to her, "things we can only do while together here."

"I agree," she replied with a smirk as she opened the door and entered, his hands still on her shoulders as he followed her closely. "Perhaps we can-"

"Hiiiii!" Ari called out as the pair entered, giving them a wave from the sofa. "Did you have a good time?"

Both of them froze, having forgotten Ari was there, but Code was the first to answer. "It was one of the best nights of my life," she answered, extending her left hand to Ari, holding it downward.

"Huh? What-" her sister began, until she saw the ring. "Oh my gosh! Really?"

"Really!" Code replied, grinning widely, and Zhen smiled behind her, lightly placing his hands on Code's hips to hold her gently.

Ari got up from the couch and all but ran over to them, pouncing on her sister and almost knocking her into Zhen as she hugged Code tightly. "I'm so happy for you!" Ari blurted out, and Code reached out with one hand to pull Zhen into the hug as well, his arms wrapping around both of them.

"Thank you," he said sincerely, and Code echoed it a moment later.

Ari separated from the hug and looked at them both, then gave a wide grin of her own. "So, uh, considering you two came in all flirty with each other, would you like me to, you know, go out somewhere that'll take me, say... 20 minutes to come back from?" she asked teasingly, holding her hands behind her back.

"Make it 30," Code replied with a grin.

Ari gave a giggle and a nod, winking at the couple. "Let me just save my game and I'll let you two have some private time together," she said before turning to face Zhen directly. "You take good care of my sister, okay?"

"I will," he promised. "I will be doing everything I can to ensure she is happy."

They slipped off to the guest room while Ari prepared to leave, but right after Code closed the door, Zhen felt her hands running over his shoulders and around to his front, undoing the buttons on his blazer.

He leaned back into her embrace, and she nuzzled at the side of his neck. "I want to talk about our plans, figure out the legal things, play some more games with you before you go..." she told him as she worked her way down his buttons, "but all that can wait. Right now I just want to be with you. I want an intimate memory I can hold onto while I wait for us to get back together again."

He hummed in agreement as he helped to undress himself, working on his pants with only a brief interruption as she pulled his blazer off his arms and tossed it onto his bed. Curling his tail around her legs loosely, he rested his muzzle against her own lightly. "I do too," he murmured. He was soon stripped naked, and then he began working on undressing her, sliding the formal dress off of her body and admiring her sleek scales as they were revealed to him once more. He held her close with one hand as he pulled her panties down with the other, concentrating on the feel of her scales under his fingers and committing it to memory.

Once she was as bare as him, he leaned in and kissed her, holding her closely, and she returned it eagerly, wrapping his arms around him. His hands rubbed at her shoulders while hers stroked his lower back, his arousal growing between them as his shaft slid out from his sheath and pressed up against her belly. Closing his eyes, Zhen tuned out the world around him, only barely registering the sound of the apartment door closing as Ari left, focusing instead on the woman in his arms. The sound of her breathing, the feel of her soft underbelly scales against his sensitive flesh, her hands rubbing over him, the scent of her arousal as she became damp between her legs, and the sensation of her tongue against his as she flicked it into his mouth.

After some time he broke the kiss and rubbed his snout against her. "Shall we move to the bathroom?" he offered, "I want to indulge us both." She nodded, and he began moving her towards the door, leading her over to the bathroom as the two of them made their way naked through the apartment.

Code's bathroom had a combined bathtub and shower, and they climbed in together, Zhen ending up with his back to the controls. Pressing up close to her again and embracing her as he had before, he kissed her deeply, holding her body flush against his own, sandwiching his cock between the two of them. He didn't grind to her, just keeping her held tightly, cuddling and kissing her as he did his best to relax even with how passionate he felt in the moment.

He took a deep breath through his nose, but Code broke the kiss as she realized what he was trying to do. "Don't, not yet," she whispered to him, pressing her snout against his cheek. "I want to do something special for you. Hold still and close your eyes."

Nodding softly in acknowledgement, he did as she asked, resting his hands on the back of her shoulders as he nuzzled against her neck and closed his eyes. She rubbed her hands over his chest, feeling up his muscles, and he gave a smile, pushing his chest out for her a little bit. He could tell she was moving, but he kept his eyes closed as asked and let her do as she wished, wondering what she had in store. Her hands slid down his back and around his hips, and he felt her right hand take hold of his cock, gently stroking it for a moment, then angling it downwards...

He felt her shift forward and press against him, but when he felt a slick, smooth and wet passage wrapping around the head of his shaft, his eyes shot open and he gasped out when he realized what was happening. "Code, that's-!" he began, unsure if it was by some accident that she had taken him into her vaginal tunnels, but that seemed less and less likely with each ridge that bumped over the bottom of her labia.

"The wrong hole?" she finished for him with an amused tone, keeping herself held close to him as she settled herself down, hilting on him and holding herself there with her slit lips resting against his sheath. "I'm only letting you piss in there, but I want to feel it. I know I can trust you not to take advantage of me." Kissing him on the snout, she held onto him tightly, rubbing at his back in small circles. "I wouldn't let just anybody do this, you know."

"I know," he said. "Are you sure...?"

She nodded, resting her head on his shoulder as she hugged him closely. "I'm sure."

Taking a breath, he did his best to relax again, and calm his nerves, keeping her held against him. The walls of her slit were wet from her arousal, and silky smooth against his shaft. The temptation to thrust was there, but he easily fought it down, his feelings for her crushing his baser desires.

It took him a while to relax enough, but Code didn't seem to mind standing there and cuddling him in the shower, her tail swaying back and forth behind her as he stroked one hand down her spine and partway along the base of her tail. Eventually he relaxed enough that a small groan escaped him, and he felt his bladder beginning to empty, his hand holding the small of her back and tugging her closer against him.

She groaned out as she felt the heat and wetness of his piss gushing into her, and she pressed close to him, bringing her legs closer together. Giving a low and contented hum, she kept herself still as his fluid sprayed down her inner walls and then ran back down them, leaking out from her pussy and running down her inner thighs. Zhen could feel the heat of his own urine washing over his cock and back out of her the way it came, his breaths coming deeply as he focused on the moment with her, trembling slightly against her body.

It wasn't just that he was indulging in their shared kink – though that helped. Nor was it from feeling her body against him, enjoying having her softer chest and belly scales against his own. Nor the soft sounds of her satisfied groans and hums, or the way that she clung to him in the moment. It was her decision to give him something she had forbidden to others, and she was trusting him greatly. In a strange way, it was a sign of how she felt, an honest – if highly unorthodox – expression of how much she loved him, one that made his heart flutter.

And then he felt a cooler fluid washing over his loins as she exhaled deeply, joining him in relief, her temperate urine spraying directly against the top of his sheath and then pouring down over his sack, dripping off from the underside of it to the shower floor. The sensation made him groan softly, and he concentrated on the comfortingly familiar feeling in the hopes of being able to remember it during their upcoming time apart.

Murmuring her name faintly, he pulled her into a deep kiss once again as his piss continued to gush into her and then flow back out, warming her up from within, their combined fluids flowing into the bathtub drain. Fighting to keep his hips still, he instead poured his feelings and passion into kissing her, breathing deeply, eyes closed, his tongue pushing into her mouth as he clutched her body closely, both of them groaning into the other's mouth.

He was naturally the first one to run dry, his stream trickling off within her, and hers still going strong against his loins even after he had clenched his muscles to get the last drops into her. Keeping himself as still as he could, he basked in the feeling of her temperate urine pouring across his balls while his cock rested against her vaginal tunnels, wet from both her arousal and his piss. She was nowhere near as tight compared to when he took her anally, but he could still feel her smooth walls around him, as if in a sort of gentle hug.

When she finished relieving herself onto him, she pulled her hips back and off of him, but didn't break the kiss. Even after she pulled off completely, and his cock bobbed in the air between them, throbbing with need, she continued to kiss him, her hands sliding down his body once more. Following her lead, he shifted his hips away from her slightly to give her room as he brought his hands down to her hips, his fingertips caressing her scales along the way.

As she reached down and took hold of his erect flesh in her right hand, he pressed his against her snatch, still drenched in her own nectar while dripping with his own piss. He pressed two fingers into her to get them slicked as she began to stroke him, and then reached around behind her, bringing his right hand under her tail while his left took over on her front. Her left hand reached down to cup his balls and fondle them lightly, while he began teasing her pussylips, brushing his fingers against her clit as she slid her thumb across his cocktip.

They each moaned into the other's mouth as they mutually pleasured the other, Code groaning more deeply a moment later when Zhen pressed his wet fingers against her tailhole and began pressing them inside. Her tongue flicked against his, both of them breathing deeply through their noses, her hands stroking his slicked cock and rubbing his testes while he pumped his fingers in and out of both of her holes in an alternating rhythm.

Bucking his hips to thrust into her grasp, he shivered in pleasure with her. He was experiencing so many feelings at once, both from the pleasure she gave to him and the feeling of her holes squeezing around his digits. He felt her smearing the precum leaking from his tip along his shaft, and was aware of more of her pussy juices leaking onto his left hand. In those moments, no-one and nothing else mattered to him, besides hearing and feeling making her happy as she did the same to him.

He shivered and groaned into her mouth when he felt his orgasm approaching, and pumped his fingers into her faster in response, making her moan back. His brow furrowed as he tried to stave off his climax through sheer willpower alone, wanting every extra second with his love that he could manage, but he couldn't stop the inevitable. Shuddering and groaning deeply, he focused on keeping his fingers moving as he came, his cock throbbing in Code's grip as he fired hot ropes of his cum onto her wrist and belly, splattering over her scales.

His persistence paid off, and she soon was quivering against him, her tail lashing as she was driven to her own climax, giving a series of moans into his mouth. He felt her vaginal walls tense and her tailhole clench tightly as she squirted onto his left hand, both of them making a mess of each other in their peaks of ecstasy.

Soon, they went still, ceasing all their motions but for the heaving of their chests as they breathed deeply, breaking the kiss to catch their breaths more easily. Leaning forward, Zhen pressed his forehead against hers, keeping close to her as he savored his afterglow, listening to her panting breaths in the otherwise quiet bathroom.

"We should take a shower before Ari gets back," Code murmured quietly.

He nodded in agreement. "Yes, though... I have a feeling she wouldn't be all that surprised."

"Probably not, no," she said with a chuckle. "Thank you. I'm going to be thinking of you every day while we're apart."

"As will I," he agreed, kissing her on the snout. "I'll keep you in my heart always."

--------------------

Stopping the car in his own driveway, Zhen turned off the engine, glancing at his hand and the diamond ring on his ring finger. When he had left his house that morning, he had only been engaged; but now, he was a married man. Turning his head slightly, he looked over at Code in the passenger's seat, and the similar ring on her left hand, as she looked over at him with a similar happy expression to the one he wore.

She was still wearing the wedding dress, since they had only just returned from the reception. Bright red and decorated with threads the color of gold, it had long sleeves and a train of silk that she had spent much of the reception trying not to trip on. He had sympathized with her frustrations over it – but even modern traditions were still traditions, and his family had hosted the event, as was socially expected. His own outfit featured a similarly styled shirt and a black pair of pants, something far more practical than what she had been expected to wear.

Getting out from the car, he went around to the other side to help Code out, making sure she didn't accidentally shut the train of the dress in the door again. Taking her hand in his, he walked her to the door of his house and unlocked it, inviting her to head in ahead of him.

"Thank you," she said as she stepped inside and immediately removed the high-heeled sandals she had been wearing. "This was the happiest day of my life, but if I ever have to wear an outfit like this again, it will be too soon."

He gave a laugh as he locked the door behind him. "Just stay married to me, and you'll never have to."

"That was the idea," she told him with a smile, putting on a pair of slippers instead. "But it's nice to have an extra bonus to an already great situation."

Chuckling, he bent down to unlace the fancy dress shoes he had been wearing. "It's a pity, though. You look wonderful in it, but I understand. You nearly fell over several times."

"You certainly got the better deal – you look absolutely irresistible in that outfit, AND it's far more practical," she told him, waiting for him to stand back up before giving him a hug, kissing his cheek. "In all seriousness, thank you. I know how much work you put into this, even with your family helping, and it was wonderful. I hope that I did well enough."

"You were just fine," he replied as he took her hands in his, gently squeezing them as he nuzzled his snout against her own. "Better than fine, even. My parents were very impressed, and my brother's wife was surprised when she heard how long you had lived here for. Your accent is obvious, but your pronunciation was flawless. That's more than I can say for the official."

She laughed a little as he began leading her to the kitchen. "My name is very hard for most people to pronounce, I'm used to it," she said with a wave of her free hand. "And I have you to thank for helping me practice, of course."

"I'm glad it paid off. You're quite fluent already, and living here will help you the rest of the way quickly."

"Ari had a great time, too. It's for the best that my cousin couldn't make it, though. And I'm glad I got to meet the rest of your family." With a smirk, she leaned against his side, reaching up and stroking a finger under his chin. "Your brother is quite something. He's almost as handsome as you, almost. Perhaps I'm a little biased, but I think I definitely have the better sibling."

Zhen gave a little chuckle as he opened a cabinet under the island counter in his kitchen, taking out a bottle of wine and a cup. "I saw your sister eyeing him up, until she learned that he already has a wife and children," he remarked. "Which is for the best. I know my parents are a little disappointed that I won't be having any, but I was never that keen on them anyway. There's a reason I insisted the ceremony was for adults only."

Code smirked as she leaned her elbows on the opposite side of the island counter. "Different species aside, I'm definitely not having any kids the way -I- have sex," she joked.

With a snort of amusement, Zhen pulled open a drawer and took out a corkscrew. "Well yes, but my parents don't need to know that," he jested along with her. "They did want to meet yours..."

She gave a shrug as he opened the wine bottle. "I don't know my parents either. It's just different for us. I don't really have any attachment to them, despite – or perhaps because – I never met them." Her eyes lingered on the bottle as she watched him pour a small amount of wine into the cup. "Is this part of the ceremony too?"

He nodded to her, setting the bottle down and resealing it with a stopper. "Yes. Last one, I promise. I know it's been confusing for you. This is simple, though: we both drink from the same cup."

"I don't mind," she answered with a smile, stepping around the counter to stand next to him. "It's very different to the weddings I'm familiar with, but it was a great experience, and Ari got a lot of great pictures I'm going to be looking over again for a long time to come."

Nodding, he raised the cup and toasted, taking a sip before handing it to her for her to do the same, draining the rest of it. Setting the cup down, she looked at him for a moment before leaning in and embracing him gently, resting against his front with her head on his chest.

"So, that's it?" she asked him as she held him gently.

"That's it," he told her, nosing the top of her head.

"We're finally together for good. Before today it still felt so far away..." she looked up at him, smiling widely. "But now it's here. Unless the honeymoon counts as part of the ceremony."

"No, it's purely an optional thing that we're doing because I want to spend time with you," he told her, holding her to him. "We're now officially and completely married. And as soon as the warmer weather rolls in, we're taking our honeymoon together to get away from work for a while."

She smiled and nuzzled at the underside of his snout. "Oh? They don't consummate over here?" He tilted his head in confusion, and she continued, "Ah, newlywed couples where I come from are supposed to have sex after the wedding," she explained. "To seal the deal, as it were. Otherwise it doesn't count."

"Well, nothing says that we can't... in our own special way," he murmured to her, raising a hand and rubbing down her back. "I have a feeling that back where you come from, your preferences wouldn't count either."

She chuckled and swayed her tail behind her. "You are correct, so chalk this up as another unexpected bonus for marrying your way," she joked to him. Sighing, she continued, "I can't believe I have to go back to work on Monday. But I'm short enough on PTO as it is with what I have reserved for the honeymoon."

"I'm sure I'll have plenty of questions from my coworkers, the ones who I didn't invite, anyway. I kept the list short for a few reasons."

"Yes, thank you for not inviting Bo, not that I thought you would," she remarked with amusement. After a moment she piped up, "Oh, that reminds me, I briefly met Lim during the reception. She seems very nice."

"She is," Zhen told her. "If I may... could I make a request?" Code tilted her head, so he continued, "Could you maybe talk to her some more? She's been very lonely since moving back, and I think she would feel better if she had more friends."

"You said she was a programmer too, right?" Code asked, and he nodded in reply, to which she smirked. "I'm sure we can find something to talk about. I just hope I'm sufficiently fluent to properly gripe about old projects and badly-written programs."

He laughed a little, and gave her a hug. "Thank you. You're the only woman I love, but I still want her to be happy. She's been a good friend to me, and... she's actually the one who told me how to get you residency."

Code raised an eyebrow. "She is?"

Nodding, Zhen explained, "Yes, her arranged husband was a foreigner. From a neighboring country, rather than across the ocean, but the laws are the same. So when I asked her for help, she said she was already familiar with the laws, and talked to her lawyer for me." Chuckling, he added, "And I'm grateful to anyone who saves me from having to visit a lawyer."

Laughing briefly at his remark, Code nodded to him. "I see. I'm very grateful to her, then. I'll make sure to buy her a present to pay her back."

"I can give you some ideas," Zhen offered.

"Tomorrow, maybe." She lifted her snout and touched it against his own. "Tonight is about us."

He put his hands loosely around her waist and held her against him. "Yes, it is," he agreed, tilting his head and going in for a kiss that she returned, several moments passing in the kitchen as they embraced.

She gently separated from him, nuzzling against his snout. "Shall we head upstairs?" she offered.

"Yes please," he replied enthusiastically. "I've spent the entire day with the woman I love looking her best the whole time, and I've been wanting you for hours."

She gave a little chuckle as she turned and began walking, swishing her hips and tail behind her. "You're telling me, I've been catching glimpses of the most handsome man in my life throughout the day and yet I haven't been able to pounce on him the entire time."

He followed her to the staircase and ascended closely behind her, reaching out and giving her a squeeze on the rump partway up. "Your willpower is impressive," he teased, smirking at her as she glanced back over her shoulder at him.

She chuckled softly, making her way into his room. "Okay, I think I've had quite enough of this outfit," she declared as she began undoing fastenings to take it off, "No more dresses that touch the floor."

Stepping up behind her, he helped her out of the dress, pulling it off from her body. The moment it landed on a heap on the floor, she turned around and began undoing the buttons on his outfit, giving him a lustful look as she leaned in and kissed his snout before moving her head around to pepper his neck with smaller kisses instead. Their hands moved faster over each other as they grew more eager, more and more clothing items getting discarded, exposing their bodies further. Eventually they were almost completely naked – with only their rings remaining on their fingers as they embraced closely, breaths coming heavily from their mutual arousal.

Zhen began to push her back towards the bed, where he had laid out a spare towel on top of the covers that morning – it was far from the first time the two had ended up like this since she had moved in, after all. However, rather than let him move her, she rather forcefully pushed back to turn the two of them around instead, and he followed her lead, letting her guide him into a sitting position. He lay down on his back for her, while she climbed up onto the bed with him, lying on top of his body and hugging him tightly. There, the two cuddled and kissed for a little longer, their naked bodies pressed closely together, his erection standing up between her thighs and nudging the underside of her tail near the base.

Soon, though, she reached out for the bottle of lubricant on the side table, and Zhen held her steady as she sat up to pour it liberally onto his cock, slicking him up with one hand. Once he was ready, she passed the bottle to him for him to set aside as she dried her hand on the towel under them, then turned to face him.

Gazing up at her, his heart swelled, and he smiled widely, knowing what he wanted to do. As she sat up again and rested on his belly, he reached out and took hold of her hands, gently pressing his palms against hers and slipping his fingers between her own, squeezing lightly. On his right hand, he could see his own wedding ring, and felt Code's on her right hand as he held it in his left.

She looked down at him and gave him a happy smile of her own, giving her a little push to help her as she pressed back and raised her hips. Curling her tail up high, she lowered herself back down until his slicked cocktip was pressed to her rear hole, nudging at the ring of muscle, and she took a breath, relaxing her muscles.

They both let out groans as she sank down and he began penetrating her, spreading out her rear hole, their hands gripping each other firmly. The tightness of her sphincter around his cock made his eyes lid as he felt himself sinking into her, each of the four ridges on the underside of his length popping through her ring one after another, but he didn't let his eyes close completely, keeping his gaze on her. Despite her own salacious pleasure as she took him in her ass, she kept her head down to look back at him, grinding down to him once she was hilted on him fully.

For a moment they stayed in that position, and then Zhen lifted his tail up a little bit and rubbed it against her own. Her smile widened slightly as she returned the gesture, and he twisted his tail around hers as best he could, entwining the two appendages together, giving hers a little squeeze afterwards, teasing her tail-tip with his own until she wiggled it back against his own to do the same.

She pressed on his hands and he pushed back, helping her up, assisting her in riding him at a gentle pace. As her hips rose and fell, his cock slid out of her tight ass and back in, the ridges teasing her in both directions. She moaned softly, and he groaned in pleasure, but they kept to the slow pace – nothing was rushing them, and they had the whole night to themselves.

Again and again he helped Code up, and back down again, both of them breathing heavily from exertion and arousal. They kept their tails wound together, and their hands clasped, their gazes locked on each other as he helped her ride on him. The familiar tightness of her anal walls around his shaft was only enhanced by the intimacy of the moment, not merely a form of mutual pleasure but also an expression of their desires for one another.

Rather than speed up, Zhen began raising his hips to push into her on each downward movement she made. He groaned louder, as did she, his length plunging into her depths over and over, the collar of his sheath meeting her underside each time as she fully hilted on him. He was leaking preseed into her, and she was dripping her juices onto him, yet they kept up the steady and much gentler pace, taking their time and savoring the moment together.

He was so engrossed in their lovemaking that he lost track of time, unsure and uncaring how long they had spent there on his bed, maintaining a tender cadence of pleasurable movements. Love and arousal and happiness all mixed within him, expressed in every squeeze of his hands, every rub of his tail against hers, every gentle upward rock of his hips. Each little pleasured sound that escaped her only made him happier, and he let out his own groans of gratification in response.

He thought he was going to cum, but the tingling sensation lingered from the slow pace instead of intensifying, and he took a breath. He didn't want it to end, and yet, he wanted to finish in her as a true show of how she was making him feel. Panting softly, he looked up at her without breaking the rhythm, still pushing on her hands to help her move up and down. "Let's finish, my love," he breathed to her softly.

"Yes, I'm close," she agreed, taking heavy breaths. They came to a stop for a moment, and then she quickened her pace, bouncing on his lap, gasping and panting. Both of them moaned out together as the pleasure mounted for both of them, each approaching their peaks, eyes closing tightly. Their tails remained intertwined, their hands held tight, as Code raised and dropped her hips in his lap again and again, her anal walls swallowing up his throbbing cock each time until-

Wordlessly, they moaned out at almost the same time, Code shuddering and trembling atop Zhen as he squirmed against the bed under her. Her ass clenched around him, and he erupted into her, his balls pulling up as he fired ropes of his cum into her tight depths, while squirts of juices from her slit splashed onto his belly. Their hands both tensed, squeezing at each other in the heat of the moment, holding on tightly as they shared in their pleasure. It wasn't the hardest or the most intense orgasm Zhen had ever had, but it was by far the most intimate, as he rocked his hips upwards, every burst of his seed into the welcoming, clenching depths of her tailhole serving to express how he felt about her.

When their climaxes ended, Code lay down on top of him, keeping her hands clasped with his, panting softly and resting her head on his shoulder. Together they lay, unmoving and breathing deep, intimately locked at the hips, basking in the afterglows of their orgasms.

For a while, Zhen was content to lay there with her on top of him. Never again would he have to worry about her leaving. Never again would he have to be afraid that they wouldn't be together. He had everything he wanted.

"I love you," he whispered to her softly.

"I love you too," she replied, and shifted to lock lips with him for another deep kiss.