The Tiny Crab

For now, though, the princess—Phoenix was her name—sleeps, curled comfortably into a hollow formed by the dragon's body and tail, coiled loosely to give her a place to rest.

“Little songbird…” A familiar voice intrudes on their dreams, and they scrunch up their face, shifting as if to turn away from it. Something bumps their side, dragging them further from their slumber, before they finally open their eyes, shooting the dragon a look—he had better have a good reason for waking them. 

“What?”

“Grumpy, aren't we?” He chuckled, nuzzling her gently. His snout was surprisingly soft, and after a moment she relented and gave him a little pat. 

“You woke me up.” They grumbled, yawning widely and rubbing at their eyes. “‘Course I'm grumpy.”

He hummed, pulling back a bit and snorting—the warm air of his breath ruffling their hair as they looked up at him. 

“I just wanted to offer you somewhere more comfortable to sleep.” His voice was a low rumble, almost a purr as he licked his snout, wings shuffling slightly. She blinked up at him, thoughtful—she knew what he was implying from the way he looked at her. Affectionate, but also hungry.

Letting out a soft hum, they stretched as they thought. The curl of his tail and body was more comfortable than the cold stone floor, but they were still at least partially laying on it. And they knew how this game went—they would play along. 

“Oh? What did you have in mind?” She asked, falsely innocent as she gazed up at him. There was a bed for the both of them, of course—he could take a human form if he wished, and she was here by choice. While he preferred his natural form, he didn't want to deprive her of comfort. 

He rumbled softly, lowering his head and making a show of licking his chops. “Somewhere dark and warm and close at hand, where no one would bother you, my love.” Sharp teeth that had never once touched their skin shone in a predatory grin as he leaned in close enough they could reach out and touch him if they wished. 

They paused as if to think his offer over, humming quietly under their breath. Drawing it out until they could see him practically vibrating in anticipation, before they reached out to put a hand against his snout. “Show me to my room?”

“Of course, my dear.” His words rumbled with an affectionate purr as he opened his mouth to scoop her up, careful to not so much as snag her dressing gown on his teeth. She let out a soft sigh, closing her eyes as she felt his tongue shift beneath her—rough like a cat’s, but still gentle as he lapped at her relaxed form. 

It wasn't long before their gown was plastered to their skin with thick, clinging saliva, at which point they felt him start to tilt his head back. They took a deep breath, holding it in their lungs as he swallowed and they were pulled into the tight squeeze of his throat. The contracting muscles felt like a full-body massage as they slipped down further into his body, wringing any small bit of tension from them until they were finally deposited out into a larger space. 

His crop wasn't expansive, but it seemed almost perfectly sized for her to curl up comfortably inside—a fact she'd discovered the first night they'd met. It had been more frightening then; meeting the prince she was set to marry, only to find a large green dragon instead, though one that didn't fit with the stories she'd read—gentle, well-spoken, and clearly the one she had been exchanging letters with. But he'd swallowed her up regardless, despite her fearful struggles and protests.

Now, though, the little chamber in his chest was as comforting to them as their own bed—perhaps more so, as their bed didn't have the sound of a massive heart beating and lungs breathing to lull them to sleep. With a wide yawn they snuggled into place, already feeling the pull of sleep tug at them once more. 

“Comfortable?” He murmured, sounding somewhat amused. She simply hummed, rubbing the side of his crop with her hand in response—smiling slightly at the hitch in his breath when she did so. He rarely admitted it, but he enjoyed it when she stroked him—inside or out. A sure way to have him curled up and purring like a kitten in her—sometimes metaphorical—lap.

“I'll take that as a yes. Sleep well, my heart.” 

Letting out another yawn, they allowed the symphony of his body to send them off to slumber once more. 

The sound of the latch being undone made their wings tremble, but they stayed still. Trying to escape wouldn't do any good. Not to mention, they couldn't see—a soft scrap of fabric was tied over their eyes as a blindfold.

"Look at you, so well behaved for me." Her breath stuttered in her chest, heart racing at the voice. A finger gently stroked her wings, before a hand curled around her and lifted her from her perch. She squirmed, gasping at the slightly dizzying feeling of being moved without being able to see it.

"Now, now. It's no use fighting, my dear. I've already caught you. And it's not like it would do anything anyways, as small and insignificant as you are."

They let out a little noise, feathery ears flicking back in distress.

Insignificant?

A low hum, as the back of a finger stroked their cheek, despite their attempts to squirm away.

"Oh, aren't you precious. Already caught, but still trying to fly away. I'm sorry, little bird, but it's no use." He chuckled darkly, before a wet kiss pressed against her neck and shoulder. She squirmed, only to freeze when the joint of her shoulder was caught between his teeth.

Heart racing, breath hitching, a frightened whine escaped them as they felt the slightest bit of pressure on the joint. If he wanted to, he could rip them apart, and they knew it.

After a few seconds he dragged her arm into his mouth, thoroughly drenching it in saliva as he hummed in satisfaction. The feeling of his tongue curling around her hand made her shudder, instinctively trying to pull free only to get a low, warning sound and teeth lightly clamping on her upper arm. She gasped and immediately forced herself to go still, horrible images of what would happen if he actually bit down appearing in her head. But he didn't, eventually releasing her arm with a light scrape of teeth down the length of it that gave her goosebumps.

He leaned in and licked their cheek, almost growling under his breath as their breath hitched and they tried to pull away.

"Oh little bird, just as delicious as always." He purred, gathering their hand in his fingers and pressing it to his throat before he swallowed. They could feel his throat bob, muscles flexing underneath their fingers. A soft gasp escaped them, eyes wide and round. "That's going to be you soon. But you already knew that, didn't you? It's all you're good for, after all. Just a little squirming treat for me."

"What if I just never let you out? Kept you there inside me forever, my little snack. At that point you might as well just be part of me."

She was shaking as he licked and nibbled at her, murmuring quiet words against her skin. A finger rubbed at her back, but it felt more like gloating than an attempt to soothe her.

Finally he turned them around, his free hand wrapping around their legs and lifting them towards his mouth. They squirmed, trying to pull free but his grip was unbreakable as he pressed a kiss to their lower legs before slipping them—and their tail—into his mouth. Their wings were pressed flat against their back by his fingers while his thumb stroked their side, before their blindfold was pulled off.

And then he swallowed, dragging them backwards and sealing them in his throat up to their waist.

She let out a sharp cry, hands scrambling against his for a hold, but he just chuckled—the sound felt strange around her—, licked at her stomach and chest, and swallowed again.

The last thing she saw was a brief glimpse of light slipping through her fingers before she was sealed into his throat with one final gulp.

They squirmed as much as they could in the tight confines of his throat, heart racing and breath hard to come by. A brief spot of pressure as they slid down put the image of him pressing his fingers to his throat in their mind, sending a shudder through them.

Tears stung her eyes as she continued to slip further down, moving inexorably towards his stomach. The loud sounds of his heartbeat and breathing passed her, almost deafening for a moment before receding as she continued on her journey.

That's all you're good for, after all.

A tight squeeze signaled the end of her descent, sliding up her legs and tail until they dangled into open air. Her wings were squashed tight to her back—she could already feel the bottom of his stomach brushing against her toes—as she was released from the crushing tightness.

Not that his stomach was any great expanse. Big enough not to feel cramped, but small enough they couldn't stretch their wings. Almost perfectly sized for them. Like they were made to fill it.

A satisfied sigh echoed around them before they felt his hand pressing in from the outside.

"Get comfortable, little treat. You're going to be there for a while."

She sniffled, anxiety whirling as she pressed a hand back.

"You-" Her voice hitched, and she tried again, sounding more scared than she'd intended. "You're gonna let me out, r-right?"

There was a brief pause—just long enough for their heart to drop—before he pushed a bit harder against them.

"Oh- of course, songbird." His voice had lost its cold, taunting tone, now soft and a little concerned. "You just have to ask. Why, are you alright?"

They let out a shaky breath, feeling the tension in their body starting to drain.

"I'm- I'm okay. Just, uh." She huffed, wiping at her eyes—and grimacing as she smeared saliva across her face. "You're really good at that."

He hummed softly, still sounding a bit concerned. "If you're certain. But tell me if you want out, or need anything, alright little bird?"

She nodded, shuffling a bit to get comfortable—not that it was hard, with the soft organic squishiness of her surroundings.

"Phoenix?"

Oh, right- he couldn't see them.

"I will. But I-I'm okay for now, I think." They spoke up, running a hand along the side of his stomach and listening to the slight hitch of his breath.