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‘’What a handsome little lad!’’ bony fingers reach out to touch, but draw back when a small snap resounds and tiny but dagger-like teeth are bared, a tail curling in agitation.
‘’Be careful,’’ the man says, his voice warm but humored, holding a hand out as he grazes his gloved fingers over the curious woman’s knuckles.
The little creature on the man’s shoulder huffs, nostrils flaring and embers tinting there for a brief second.
Its eyes are amber, wide and owl-like; could be mistaken for harboring innocence, but there’s a fire behind them, and possibly from its mouth too.
Its scales are ruby red with a glaze that shines if the light is angled right. The form is wiry and slim with a long tail, folded wings on its back and thorns on the edges and a spine protruding like sharp bumps on a ladder.
The woman who’s in a pretty attire seems offended at first for having reached out to pet the pretty little thing and getting rejected, but her cheeks are dusted with pink when the companion’s owner takes her hand and assures that it’s got nothing to do with her.
‘’I didn’t know you could tame dragons or hold them as companions,’’ she wonders aloud, and mutters a small, timid ‘’oh my’’ when the seller grants her a charming smile, though only the half of his face can be seen for the hood covering his features.
‘’He’s of a near extinct race. Very rare,’’ he explains, and draws his hand back and slides it into a little black sack next to himself from where he sits, its content rustling. ‘’Unlike his ancestors, he’s not too dangerous yet,’’ he hums, earning him another huff from the companion. ‘’Except if you count in the small bite marks that’ll come along the way if his will isn’t served.’’ His hand comes up with a pink, dry fruit from the woods in Jademir.
The dragon on his shoulder straightens its neck and tilts its head, snaking around the man, small claws digging into the robes when it inches down and opens its mouth - a tiny, content ‘ah’ emitting.
The man lets out a breathy laugh and holds the fruit between a thumb and forefinger, letting the creature fetch it and gulp it down happily, and the man runs two fingers over the dragon’s head and the small thorn-like bumps there.
‘’Meaning he has a different approach to things too, even if I’ve had him for years. He’s not so fond of humans or other creatures for that matter, given his nature and past,’’ he explains then. ‘’I obtained him in a forlorn place as Tristan Dale, though that’s not where his origin was told to have spawned.’’
The woman intriguingly watches the interaction and how the dragons eyes close like a satisfied kitten getting back rubs. Watching as the dragon emits a low growl that comes out more like a squeal, whereas it afterwards curls around the man’s clothed neck and rests its slim width along the broad shoulders.
‘’Tristan Dale?’’
The man nods. ‘’Yes, in the undead’s valleys,’’ he responds, and this extracts a low noise in understanding.
‘’Those barbarians´ land seems rotten anyway,’’ she murmurs and draws her cloak closer, eyeing the dragon with caution. ‘’I’d have thought such a beauty came from the warmer areas. To know it dwelled in an enemy's land is unsettling, isn’t it?’’
The man raises his hand again and nudges a finger into the dragon’s side, teeth gleaming under the hood when he smiles as the dragon makes a small rumble, awaken from its supposed slumber to nip at the intruding digit.
‘’That depends,’’ he answers,’’on what side you’re on, of course. Or how you perceive each race’s nature, or if you generalize the lot.’’ He lowers his hand again and looks at the woman.
‘’There’s war going around, but not on all fronts.’’
‘’Kyungsoo here might be rough around the edges, but he is the result of a caged, mistreated companion who was meant for exhibition in kingdoms.’’
The woman seems slow to comprehend this, crinkling her nose in disagreement, though she doesn’t dwell heavily on it. ‘’Yet you said you caught him in the valleys?’’
‘’I happened to find him bruised and battered in the woodland, yes,’’ the man finally replies, and he adjusts his seat and hovers an open palm over the items before him that lie on an outstretched carpet. ‘’Now, can I offer you any of these goods? Jewelry, charms,’’ his voice changes tune to something more direct, putting the previous subject down.
‘’I’ve crafted the most on my own and gathered the equipment; travelled far to different lands to find other individuals who are skilled in varied professions, who have molded the rest,’’ there is a playful jut in his voice, and the woman rolls her eyes, thinking he’s lying.
‘’They all puff their chests,’’ she chirps, but her eyes stray over the lot, and she picks up one necklace.
‘’Many travelers come here to Storm to sell cheap trick loot,’’ she mumbles but praises the human capital in a subsequent sentence, and the seller only but leans back and tucks his front robe in place, humming softly as he meddles with another charm in the meantime, one he obtained overseas in the night swamps where haughty sirens lure.
Arriving at the open area where the public market stretches out, lots of noise spreads. Mounts pass by with their owners, hooves clacking or claws scratching against the stone path.
The day is warm, here where the weather cycle swings between cold and hot in a seasonal range, where it’s now considered early summer.
People chatter back and forth, and different races mingle despite some vile eyes being around with a narrow-minded insight behind. However, Storm is the key to different areas with its harbor and passages, and is a place to spawn linked portals.
It’s open, and the known races in the Alliance come and go frequently, here in the city of negotiations.
Kyungsoo hides nonetheless, the little fellow having snuck into the hooded man’s alternate bag, where the owner pokes at the bag’s side to watch the leather pouch rustle and a small head pop up that again nips at the man’s fingers.
Jongin, the man beneath the hood, has managed to sell the most of his items anyhow, though he still stores some of it in his inventory.
Through the next couple of days where the market is even livelier, he’ll easily manage to get the rest away. It’d be a shame to let the loot go unused or unappreciated, considering that many seek the items, although many individuals are mostly unaware that what Jongin sells is no scam.
Kyungsoo peeks up, and he’s hidden because he knows that if he perches on Jongin’s shoulders, some by-passers will notice him and either nag Jongin or try to touch the seemingly tamed creature.
Many powerful individuals come by with impressive armor and breathtaking mounts, and it’s not unusual to have a companion in tow - but dragons are extra rare; a hunted creature in many regions.
Dragons are powerful creatures, at least those who are known and have made history.
According to a story that happened millenniums ago; five dragons emerged and were given domain over certain aspects of this dimension. They ruled over nature and protected its creatures and brought it towards growth and a stable future, and they were only seen by a few and are still told to be hidden somewhere.
But back when the dragon race spread in different forms and ranges of power with varied duties of nature, they were hunted and sought for greedy purposes.
They received hardship and were hunted despite being intelligent, powerful and cunning creatures, and only a handful of the biggest kinds remain in this century. The smaller but no less dangerous ones´ birthplaces or origins can be identified, but only if they are or were spawned in a bigger amount - though many, including Kyungsoo’s kin, have been dying out.
This tiny dragon, whose name is Kyungsoo, might be a little different though. He’s from a powerful race, but cunning might not be the the word to describe him just so, unless he opens fire and spits small balls of embers out or latches his claws into one's thigh.
Being a young dragon means his powers are yet to settle, but compared to the rest, his special abilities include morphing - making him remind of a crossbreed of a human and a dragon, belonging to the race of hybrids or shape shifters in some regards, meaning he’s not specifically a dragon only.
Kyungsoo doesn’t want to protect goods, gain immense knowledge, rule a region, or have a connection with the spiritual world or indulge in what rumored dragon affairs that his kin are ought to have an interest in or live for.
He wants to eat dry fruits, meat from lambs, get belly rubs and read books about historic events or fictive novels. His favorite books are the ones about old dragons of wisdom who used to lounge in the big mountain passages.
Jongin isn’t sure if there is quite a dragon like Kyungsoo, since some dragons have been told to know magic that gave them the ability to crudely morph – or either their main ability was to do so, and thus mingle in crowds in favor of creating havoc and spilling blood between the dominating, social races.
But that’s not really what Kyungsoo does.
Kyungsoo’s head pops out of the bag again, and he’s got the sack with dry fruits hanging from his mouth, nudging it into Jongin’s side since the dragon can’t open it in this form unless he sheds it to pieces.
Then there’s his size too, when he peeks up at Jongin with wide eyes and grumbles, nostrils tinting with a flare again in a warning.
At first, the dragon had been reluctant and stubborn back in Tristan Dale, hurt and frightened
when he had escaped the captors and fled into the woods where rotten animals trotted around.
Jongin had found him by coincidence when he was passing by, being a traveler who finds no rest and rarely companionship with anyone else - but rides on solemnity and a thirst for adventures, who then found a little kitten-sized dragon too far away from its homeland.
Kyungsoo had been an ‘it’ at first, but through identification and a surprising conversation, the circumstances changed and Jongin realized he had obtained what most in the longer term would call ‘a friend’, despite an ownership and companion relationship playing into it as well.
Kyungsoo had back then nipped at Jongin’s fingers and morphed to a human-like form once trust was established, and told Jongin that no one could ever own him.
Kyungsoo says the same today, but he’s stayed around, and currently squeals and huffs in excitement once Jongin has opened the black sack and feeds him with two small berries; a bigger snack for now.
They’ve been bound as companion and owner, though that might not be the case if one regards their chemistry.
Their relationship is undefined for now, and has been for the years they’ve been together.
Yet there’s no saying in that, and here it’s easier with actions than with words.
An airy flump and some rustling ensues when Jongin drops the bag on the bed in the Inn where he has saved a room for tonight.
The room is cozy enough with a double-sized bed in the middle that is swept in yellow woollen covers.
There’s no hay as plush for the mattress, but a solid yet soft support instead. The rest of the fabric on the furniture around is of dark red colors or a dull forest green.
There’s flames dancing on the wall in a reflection of the lit candles that have been lighted by a continuous fire spell. They can be blown out but later set aflame with the matches on the bed stand.
Jongin removes his gauntlets and pulls his hood down, revealing messy brown hair, snow white eyes and full lashes. From the scruffs of his hair, his elf ears curve out, and his skin is tanned as a contrast to the ordinary elves.
He wears the usual attire on his lean and tall frame, consisting of a long robe in a snug fit that evens out at his knees with a cape and a hood on top.
He’s got a belt around his hips, pants beneath and heavy boots on his feet, along with additional attachments of light armor that aren’t meant for combat, and has his sword on his back in its sheathe.
In the meantime, he watches from the corner of his eyes as grumbling erupts from the bag and a tiny head pops out again, Kyungsoo who’s fighting his way out as some other items stumble out of the bag too.
‘’That lady was too nosy for her own good!’’ he huffs, voice small with this appearance but firm nonetheless. His tail creeps out of the bag as well and slinks around his form where he sits.
Jongin gives Kyungsoo an uninterested glare at first, but the shell breaks and he shakes his head and smiles. ‘’She’s yet another citizen of a lively town,’’ he hums and steps forth, sitting on the edge of the bed as he dips a hand into the bag to fetch the maps he bought at the market today that he earlier must’ve lost in a previous Inn, bumping the back into Kyungsoo on the way.
Kyungsoo bares his teeth in response and gives Jongin’s uncovered hand a little nip, but seconds later he crawls up the elf’s arm and up to his shoulder, perching there. His tail curls in interest along Jongin’s nape.
Jongin is playful today and loves to nag his companion, and turns his head to pretend he nips at Kyungsoo’s wing in return, laughing when the dragon butts his head into Jongin’s cheek, the small thorns itching there.
The elf’s hands roll out one of the maps on his lap, and Kyungsoo’s attention immediately directs to the curled paper that has too many peculiar stains imprinted on it from earlier use.
‘’Where are we going now?’’ he promptly asks, and he also partakes in this part - sometimes gets to choose locations. Whenever they relax he reads books about the different areas and their history.
‘’Well,’’ Jongin murmurs, making sure to stretch the map properly. ‘’We’re not in a hurry, nîn maethor*,’’ he says, and traces one finger down.
They’re still exploring this dimension. There are many things yet to unfold that Jongin hasn’t seen before, despite having travelled ever since he was young, carefree and too skilled than what’s smart for his own good.
Kyungsoo sighs beside him and rests on Jongin’s shoulder, eyes still darting over the map - and he’s most likely tired for today from being alert due to the amount of citizens around.
‘’What about Melgure?’’ he leans over, wings unfolding a bit on his back to keep his balance.
‘’Melgure…,’’ Jongin repeats, finding the location on the paper. ‘’That’s close to where your kin are supposed to originate from,’’ he says. ‘’At least in papers, though you can never be sure. But you’re from the warmer area and open but rocky landscapes - given your built.’’
Kyungsoo crawls a little further down, staring at the little prick where the name hovers over an isolated valley in the kingdom of the taurens.
He looks up at Jongin then, eyes wide. The back of his open mouth ignites with a small glow that comes from a prompt but small release of embers in excitement.
‘’What?’’ Jongin raises a brow. ‘’Thought you said we needed to settle down for an instance for a reading break,’’ he taunts, but he’s still got a finger on the spot, remembering that he’s been in the area before, though he wasn’t easily welcome since it’s located in the Horde’s area, even if Jongin deems himself neutral in many commotions, all except for those where blood of the innocent is spilled.
He knows that there’s been war around for millenniums, though he’s never been one to indulge in it despite his obligations and earlier relations.
His looks can be deceiving given that he’s got different features from the average elf and has no fair skin; being a crossbreed of a human too, so most won’t know how to identify him and in which areas.
Elves have taken part in both the Alliance and a few in the Horde, so many are wary of ones that look different.
Jongin is just in-between, with a height that’s not average for a man but not for an elf either, though he still hovers a head above mundane humans and his limbs are bigger. His looks are peculiar despite that other kind of elves loom around with shades of colors as onyx or blue, and Jongin’s fused white eyes are affected by his solar powers as a knight too.
Kyungsoo gives the elf a long glare and scrunches his nose, huffing out some smoke while he crawls down on the paper, looking around as he murmurs a ‘’Don’t recall…,’’ like only Kyungsoo can do.
A small smile curves on Jongin’s mouth, and he’s normally aloof to the average eyes if he’s not ought to sell anything, but here he’s fond as he pokes a finger into the side of Kyungsoo’s belly plush where some fat has been added through time from the fruits and snacks he’s eaten.
‘’You’ve had enough relaxing, I can tell,’’ the elder says, just to see how Kyungsoo grants him another mean glare and squawks when his belly is poked again at the softer part.
‘’There’s no such thing as enough relaxation,’’ Kyungsoo snaps, though there’s no spite in it and he wriggles off Jongin’s finger and head-butts it before looking at the map again. ‘’Or berries, for that matter,’’ he sullenly murmurs and lies down on the map, pressing his little, soon bulging belly there while he pouts.
Jongin says nothing but runs a flat palm over the dragon’s spine a few couple of times, and they fall into a comfortable silence where Kyungsoo’s eyes trace over the papers as he ponders.
Jongin rustles with another map over a different area by his side, occasionally moving a bit so that Kyungsoo nearly slides off the map.
It’s when some time has passed and Kyungsoo’s stomach grumbles that Jongin looks up from the current maps he’s checking, adjusting as he’s assuring that they’re correct. Some of them are loosely bought, simply because they looked intriguing though they might not be credible.
Some sellers tend to draw or craft them merely to lure adventurers into buying them where it’s a trick map of a remarkable dungeon. One can check if they’re a scam, but it’s considered a disrespectful act to perform a line spell on it on the spot, though some do it anyway.
Jongin has sprawled the maps out along the most of the bed, taking up a lot of space despite the large size of the furniture, and Kyungsoo is napping on Jongin’s shoulder again, resting his face against the side of his throat.
The dragon awakens and puffs out a hot breath against Jongin’s neck and stretches his limbs, nails digging a bit but Jongin is used to it.
‘’Someone’s hungry,’’’ he muses as the papers crackle when he puts them in order and folds them
into rolls.
Kyungsoo blinks his eyes blearily. ‘’I want steak,’’ he says, tail curling again at the thought.
Jongin merely ‘hmm’s at this. ‘’You got that last week, didn’t you?’’ he murmurs, raising himself from the bed. Kyungsoo latches to keep seated.
‘’Steak,’’ Kyungsoo nips at Jongin’s ear and pulls in it until Jongin actually winces, and the younger has always been stubborn - a feature of dragons that may or may not always follow along.
Though as much as Kyungsoo can be demanding, he’s giving as well - intelligent when he wishes to be, and he’s good company and gathers lots of knowledge about things Jongin can’t manage to catch up on.
At last, Jongin gives in after a thorough discussion. It’s not that the coins are missing.
He’s just building a healthy routine, one that Kyungsoo doesn’t always agree with, though the latter manages to have it his way a couple of times whenever Jongin lets himself win over.
‘’Okay, but we’re not going anywhere if you don’t crawl back into some clothes,’’ the elf says, raising a knowing brow to which Kyungsoo makes a sour expression, as much a tiny creature can manage, before jumping down, folding his wings out for a short glide when he finds a spot on the bed.
He starts doing an action that reminds of shrugging, and then it’s a slow but fluent process where he morphs.
It’s not a strange sight since shape shifters are common, but Jongin still observes the act anyway somewhat fondly. He walks over and looks into another bag he’s dug out of his inventory where some of Kyungsoo’s clothes lie.
When he turns around again, Kyungsoo sits on the bed on his shins, finely perched there.
His skin is fair and pale, almost snow-white, though his lips are full and is a nuance that’s darker than pink. His hair is of a rich red, cut in a strange but sharp way with one side short and the other longer, a side-cut.
He doesn’t fill out much on the bed, and even when he’s in his human form, he’s slim with just a bit of pudge around his lower stomach.
However, next to other humans he's almost of an average built despite being a little smaller, but next to Jongin it's different given Jongin's race.
The younger is firm nonetheless and holds his shoulders square, the outward appearance a trick when he reveals his terminal strength in combat, something he rarely takes in use though.
And here he’s bare, edging down from the bed on his feet with a small flump.
Before Jongin, the top of his head only reaches the lower part of the elf’s chest, and Jongin stares down while Kyungsoo looks up.
The younger’s eyes are of a bright amber, and down the right side of his face a transparent scalelike pattern appears if the light is angled right - down his spine and inner-thighs as well, Jongin
knows.
The first thing Jongin does is to flump the shirt down on Kyungsoo’s head so that Kyungsoo squawks, and Jongin does a silly grin to himself as he watches the form struggle in the shirt that he now helps Kyungsoo get into.
Kyungsoo can do it himself, but it’s a little ritual of a kind that Jongin helps him, now when the latter has crouched down and slides a pair of underwear up the younger’s thighs and first blows some air out there against the start of the belly.
He then presses a soft kiss to the navel that makes Kyungsoo’s stomach flex and the pudge edge a little out, the one Jongin likes to tease him for but worships anyhow.
Next is the woolen pants that hang a little loosely but are bound by strings around the ankles and shins, some boots on his feet and yet another loose but fine silk shirt on his shoulders that reveals his collarbones when it slips a little down.
It hasn’t been long since he’s been in this form.
It changes, because sometimes he stays a dragon for a long while, but then there are times where he’s a human for weeks, and during some occasions he changes through the days as he pleases, like now.
Jongin has earlier talked about the tavern here where they rest, where a good friend of his maintains the place.
They both dress up and put on some comfortable but fine clothes, and Jongin only needs to discard some of his armor and his sword - even if he always keeps a blade up his sleeve or knows a quick automatized spell or buff under his breath.
Kyungsoo fidgets with his clothes and tugs a bit in the hem of the shirt.
‘’We’re going to have steak, right?’’ he looks up, and he’s got one hand in Jongin’s robe now that
Jongin has discarded his cloak. The elf’s hair is not curly but not straight either, messy so that
Kyungsoo stands on tiptoes and has to stretch his body to stray some bangs out of the elder’s face.
‘’Only if,’’ Jongin takes Kyungsoo’s small palm, covers it with his own and rubs a thumb into the palm’s middle in a soft caress, ‘’we go to Netlhan before Melgure.’’
Kyungsoo seems to consider this with narrowed eyes, but at last he huffs and gives in. ‘’Restless, aren’t you? Don’t think I didn’t see the dungeon map you smuggled into the bag’s lower case,’’ he replies, and there’s a taunt within, something he jokes about because Jongin rarely finds rest.
Jongin puckers his lips and almost hunches his shoulders a bit, ‘’thought I was stealthy,’’ he murmurs, but there’s a smile too and he pretends to bow down and take a munch of Kyungsoo’s hair, teeth clacking at the little snap against Kyungsoo’s temple while Kyungsoo bares his teeth in return, chest puffing.
The younger doesn’t let go of Jongin’s robe, though, and when they head downstairs and through the Inn to the place downstairs, the hand stays there and Jongin lets Kyungsoo walk close.
There’s a cozy atmosphere, and warm colors spread in the room since there’s even more candles down here than upstairs and in the hall.
It’s not a huge tavern despite that it’s well-known. Jongin had only gotten a room because he’s got good connections. He looks around for a place to sit, and lively chatter fills the open room where the ceiling is up high, even if it feels like it’s lower due to the snug air and smell of beverage and roasted food thickening it.
A fireplace crackles next to the bar, where a good-natured female dwarf serves some haughty customers jugs of mead and other workers come and go with food ready to be served.
The duo finds a seat in the corner in a smaller booth, seated comfortably, and Jongin has a small sheepish curl at the corners of his lips as he sees how Kyungsoo’s eyes dart around in alert at first, but relaxes as his nostrils flare and he can smell the food in the air.
Kyungsoo huddles closer until they sit thigh-against thigh, and while Jongin’s knees bump the underside of the table, Kyungsoo’s feet just touch the ground and he swings them back and forth while his gaze follows the gnome who passes by with a pig's head, prunes and other delicacies on a plate.
A worker comes by, and even the people here are varied in races.
It’s a prim and proper elf who stands there, her hair bound in a tight ponytail, skin fair, and despite not having a protruding cleavage, she wears revealing robes anyway and a playful smile on her lips. ‘’Can I help you, young men?’’ she asks, and her eyes dart over from Kyungsoo but stop at Jongin as she takes his appearance in.
Something changes in her stance and her mouth parts but then closes, throat bobbing before she looks down at the little block of paper she’s brought, the pen in her other hand twirled between her fingers while color dusts her framed cheekbones.
But Jongin already knows this or the realization she must’ve gotten, and there are other eyes on him from a distance, some subtle and some not.
They know of him here in Storm, where riddles and rumors come to meet and twist into bigger
tales.
For his white, seemingly lifeless eyes shine through, and his calloused expression is a scare factor to some, because they know there’s a great man behind them along with an amount of accomplishments not many dare to achieve.
Kyungsoo huffs and regards the woman with a prompt ‘’Got steak?’’, because at least he knows that Jongin is a mere dweeb deep down, with a fondness for crafting, hunting and self-indulgent romantic poems - and a loud laughter that spells out ‘ha-ha’ and raspy inhales of air.
The elf is startled out of her reverie and regards Kyungsoo, almost avoiding Jongin’s eyes through the way she turns her body and the fluster remains.
Kyungsoo narrows his eyes, and he thinks she might be discreet, but he knows attraction when he sees it, and he juts his lower lip out and tips his chin. ‘’Steak,’’ he says as the only thing, and he inches a little closer to Jongin.
There’s a further chat then and Kyungsoo ends up getting lamb, while Jongin wants some of the pork soup for tonight.
Jongin talks good-naturedly and knows how to soothe the woman, who at last walks off looking over her shoulder a few couple of times, nearly bumping into another table on the way.
Kyungsoo doesn’t say anything, but he gives Jongin a long side-glance and then looks down at his own lap, smoke emitting from his nostrils just shortly when he huffs.
‘’Careful, nîn bain*,’’ Jongin has leaned down, his breath warm against Kyungsoo’s temple.
‘’The wrinkles on your forehead might turn permanent if you frown like that.’’
Jongin soundly bumps his knees up the table when Kyungsoo latches some claws into his thigh.
The elf has always been a mysterious individual.
He’s charming when he wants to be, but he can make one feel like the size of an ant with his glare only if he isn’t in the mood for a chat or if one is disrespectful to others or lacks manners.
In the mouths and eyes of citizens in many regions, he’s known as Kai, his name as a knight he got from the old elven kingdom in the Alliance, the 88th prince through millenniums, even if he disregarded the title and has no relations to his father no more. He’s a mud blood after all, mocked as a crossbreed and the result of the king’s affair.
The tales only know of his title; the dungeons he’s raided or the things he’s crafted.
Some call him a phantom with how he comes and goes. Words flared when the lone, prior elf prince was spotted with a dragon on his shoulder and sometimes a red-haired, strange man with fierce amber eyes by his side.
Not many know of him behind the sheen of the past, but the human who strolls by their table does, who now plops onto the opposite booth-bench with two plates in tow.
‘’A hungry traveler and his companion,’’ he mock-says, an impish smile on his lips as he dusts off his hands in his dull apron.
‘’Jongdae,’’ Jongin greets with a formal nod, which makes Jongdae roll his eyes.
‘’Don’t pretend I didn’t nurse your ass back when you thought you could bear the burden of the dimension on your shoulders,’’ he says, but it’s playful, and he crosses his arms, his eyes looking at Kyungsoo now.
Jongin pouts at this, though he tucks it away and smiles instead, ‘’right,’’ he murmurs, ‘’all you did was to tend my wounds.’’
He takes his own food but first pushes the plate with lamb steak on it over to Kyungsoo, who’s been busy suspiciously glaring at Jongdae but now gasps and jitters as he stares at the presented food.
‘’Because you thought you could take out a whole flock of hounds during a blood moon,’’ the warlock smoothly replies, and interestedly watches as Kyungsoo starts eating, who nearly forgets to use fork and knife and gets grease on his chin.
Jongin starts eating while Jongdae continues talking, though the elf supplies to the conversation as well and smiles at some of the subjects. Kyungsoo is too engrossed in eating his food to listen.
‘’It’s been awhile since you’ve been here last. Between mouths you’re flaring up around these parts, you know,’’ Jongdae drawls after a while and raises a brow.
He refers to a recent quest that aired around where a tanned elf should’ve snatched a scroll, having received it as a prize for defeating a vile beast where guilds who had worked in groups originally aimed to achieve it.
‘’Who knows,’’ Jongin drinks from the jug of mead he’s gotten and then puts it down with a satisfied sigh, ‘’they only saw a flash of light, right?’’ and there’s a gleam in his otherwise blank eyes.
They’re interrupted when someone clears their throat, and it’s a lady with an impressive cleavage, the Inn’s shirt snug on her chest while she sits down next to Jongdae and presses close, leaning in over the table with a wry smile on her lips.
‘’I don’t see you working,’’ she murmurs to the man, and her teeth are pearly-white when they’re bared in a smile that looks similar to her owner’s.
‘’Let an elder man take a break, won’t you?’’ Jongdae looks nagged, but he’s got an arm around her waist.
‘’You’ll never have a break with me around,’’ the succubus purrs, Jongdae’s minion, and she has dirty blonde hair cascading down her shoulders and looks smug when she spots Jongin and Kyungsoo.
‘’Ah, the handsome prince has returned,’’ she leans forward and crosses her arms, her soft bosom edging over them.
Kyungsoo is suddenly not eating and has an arm around Jongin’s, the side of his face touching Jongin’s bicep even if the sauce on his lip smears on the robe.
Jongin’s eyes don’t stray far, and he merely snorts. ‘’Baekhyun, save the flirt for your old man,’’ and Jongdae sends him a tight-lipped smile at this and says something about Jongin needing to pay extra despite the two of them being old-time acquaintances.
It’s cozy nonetheless, and the chat goes on for long once Baekhyun has leant back and teases less.
When Kyungsoo darts off to use the Inn’s restroom, Jongdae finally raises his brows and says a leading ‘’so… you and your companion.’’
Baekhyun chortles at this and bats her eyelashes, ‘’dragons are possessive, aren’t they?’’
Jongin leans back after gulping down the last glob of beverage. ‘’I’d say elves are too,’’ he murmurs and eyes Kyungsoo walk to the end of the room.
Jongdae observes the act and shakes his head like a father regarding his son. ‘’You seem closer than before,’’ he says, and this makes Jongin look back.
‘’I thought you said you didn’t do friends,’’ the man muses,
‘’or lovers.’’
Jongin doesn’t answer, and his fingers drum on the jug before letting go.
‘’I don’t,’’ he says rather firmly. ‘’But you know well that I do exceptions.’’
Baekhyun tuts and puckers her lips to coo, ‘’aw,’’ she says, and voices her disbelief aloud unlike Jongdae who only grins.
‘’I’m happy for you,’’ the warlock says, and it’s genuine.
Jongin only glares, but at last he looks down at his lap; a rare smile ghosting over his cheeks and a warmth too.
Kyungsoo comes back later, and Jongin lets out a surprised huff when the dragon plops down on his lap and seats himself there, emitting a satisfied sigh from having eaten well.
The younger openly glares at Baekhyun while he hugs Jongin’s arm close and adjusts his seat till he’s comfortable, since Baekhyun had traced patterns in Jongin’s palm for ‘precognition’ or other whimsy stuff mere seconds ago.
Baekhyun only confirms her earlier theory and giggles while she gives Jongin’s bicep a little squeeze over the table and then raises herself, saying she’s on her duty after all, strolling away with a sway of her hips.
Jongdae gives Jongin a no less apologetic look.
He raises himself and takes the plates, cleaning the table before regarding the duo.
‘’It wouldn’t hurt if you came by more often,’’ he says. ‘’With your little companion too,’’ he winks, and Jongin actually sticks his tongue out at him and says ‘’old geezer’’, despite himself being near immortal.
Jongdae raises a hand in a warning just to taunt, and then turns around with a lingering grin on his face as he walks away with the plates.
Left alone, Kyungsoo relaxes some more.
Back in time, it was worse with strangers coming close, and even if he’s briefly seen Jongdae before, he still gets wary.
It varies though, because there are times where he can have conversations with others and find recognition, but in bigger cities like this, and in a capital on top of that, he sticks close to Jongin and has his mouth shut.
Jongin startles the younger when he snakes his arms around Kyungsoo’s waist, dragging him close, adjusting the seat again.
‘’Ate well?’’ he murmurs, and Kyungsoo is lined between Jongin’s biceps, snuggled there as he puffs out when his stomach is patted by a large palm that covers the most.
‘’Mmm,’’ is the reply.
He lets out another satisfied noise and presses his forehead against one bicep when Jongin sneaks a hand under the silk shirt. Calloused fingers trace a pattern there, slinking a bit under the edge of the pants too.
Jongin rubs his palm there in a little circle on the lower abdomen, and listens to how Kyungsoo makes another soft sound, loving this part the most where he gets belly rubs from the elder.
The hybrid wiggles a bit when Jongin’s fingers trace lower in a ghost-like touch, one that makes goosebumps flourish on pale skin and Kyungsoo’s breath hitch softly, a little complaint following along when Jongin stops the motions to feel Kyungsoo wriggle for it to continue.
It goes on for a while, with the noise of the lively tavern playing in the background and other folks ´ laughter and chatter churning too.
Kyungsoo and Jongin sit in the corner though, lost and found on their own, and Jongin cranes his neck to brush their cheeks together from the side. Kyungsoo purrs softly under his breath and relishes in the belly rubs and kneads Jongin’s wrists with nimble fingers all the while, mushes their cheeks together.
If they hear Baekhyun make a lewd comment when she passes by, they don’t act on it or regard it.
Kyungsoo is both stuffed and satisfied, mellowing out on Jongin’s lap as he closes his eyes and tips his head back to rest it on Jongin’s chest.
Some more time passes where they just sit there, granting their attention to the entertainer for tonight who’s come to fill the room with slow but indulgent music, a tauren violinist who’s branded in the Alliance despite her origin coming from the Horde’s page.
When drunken men, women, non-binary and in-between bring one another into song and dance on the tables, it’s where Jongin deems the evening here done.
Kyungsoo blubbers a bit, awakened from his brief slumber, surprised by the noise, and is a little loose on his feet when he’s raised. Jongin guides him to the wooden oak stairs where they came from.
‘’I’ll pay for our meal,’’ he says, and Kyungsoo nods though his hand stays tucked in Jongin’s robe for a little longer - and he only goes upstairs and down the hall after Jongin has pressed a kiss to his temple.
The candles are still aflame in the room when Kyungsoo gets back.
He walks around and rubs his eyes sleepily even though he’s napped all day, but he likes sleeping, and he’s excited to go out again tomorrow.
However, he doesn’t lie down but starts unlacing the knots on his pants and steps out of them when they’ve slid down, subsequently dragging off his boots. He wiggles out of the underpants till he’s only standing in the long silk shirt, and kicks the discarded clothes aside.
The bed is big and soft and emits a creak when he sits on the edge and runs a hand over the first layer of blankets. His vibrant eyes roam around as he checks the room - sees the bundle of maps on the desk in the corner where Jongin has left them, the big armchair next to it and the painting on the wall where cold colors streak compared to the warmth of the room.
Kyungsoo startles lightly when the door creaks and Jongin walks in, his broad shoulders in view when he closes it again.
When he turns, he looks around but sees nothing - not until his eyes land on Kyungsoo on the bed, where Kyungsoo is looking back.
They say nothing, and the only noise in the room is a spark from one of the candles.
There’s no light coming from the window either since dusk has fallen, and it’s just the two of them again.
Jongin slowly steps over so that he’s standing in front of Kyungsoo, looking down as Kyungsoo looks up.
Kyungsoo’s lips are parted a bit, and the usual hard expression on his face ebbs out.
The blanket rustles a bit when his thighs fill out there as he spreads his legs, and he inches a little back till the bend of his knees hug the edge of the mattress.
His silk robe covers his torso and crotch and ends on the middle of his thighs, just short enough to reveal some of the scaled pattern along the skin that reflects the warm light when he moves.
He doesn’t need to say anything, because actions speak louder anyway, and the way his eyebrows arch is enough - an indicating sign compared to his usual fire and reluctance.
Jongin kneels down between Kyungsoo’s legs on the floor, and when he’s there he’s almost on the same level as Kyungsoo, but still a little taller.
He inches closer on his kneecaps and runs one palm up Kyungsoo’s right leg along the outer-side, up and under the hem of the shirt, caressing the lower back to draw Kyungsoo closer to the edge.
He hovers a bit above the other, and he leans down but not in, just so that they can feel one another’s breath on their lips and Kyungsoo’s eyelashes flutter when he blinks and is the one to close the distance.
The fair thighs spread apart when Jongin’s palm that’s big enough to cover the lower bend presses Kyungsoo closer until the younger’s crotch touches Jongin’s lower and clothed abdomen.
A soft sound eases into Jongin’s mouth, and Kyungsoo has never been loud - he’s all hushed whimpering and small garbled groans with flighty hands that now latch onto Jongin’s biceps to keep seated, thighs clenching and his spine momentarily straightening from the jolt surging down his spine.
It’s a gentle press of lips at first.
Jongin nudges Kyungsoo’s lips apart with his tongue and dips it against the backside of the teeth, letting their tongues meet seconds later for a graze, and Kyungsoo’s back curves forward to get more.
Jongin’s other hand runs along Kyungsoo’s left leg in the meantime, down to the calf, lifting it a bit to feel the soft skin, tickling the bend of the knee with wandering fingers that then travel up and runs along the start of the inner-thigh.
The muscles roll under the skin and Kyungsoo lets out a breathy noise, disrupting the kiss, and his lips have become redder, glossed with spit.
He opens his eyes and looks into Jongin’s blank ones, where he sees everything nonetheless. Jongin edges his head forward again and doesn’t unite their mouths, but turns his face a bit and brushes their lips together and breathes into Kyungsoo’s open mouth, and he tastes a bit of smoke of excitement in return.
Kyungsoo’s brows arch again and his pupils swallow the amber in his eyes. Another jolt runs along his back as a finger caresses his left inner-thigh, later replaced by a rough but large palm that easily takes up the space.
Warmth heads down and drenches Kyungsoo’s gut, and he thrusts his crotch up when Jongin gives the skin a pinch and his palm dives under the front of the shirt.
He’s slow with his movements and keeps rubbing a pattern into Kyungsoo’s back with a thumb, right until he drags the shirt off the younger’s head, and Kyungsoo has his arms stuck up in the air to make it easier.
His hair is a little messy afterwards, but Jongin combs it down and runs some long fingers there.
Kyungsoo purrs, leaning into the palm on his cheek. He rubs against it and nips gently at the thumb, breathing out when the other palm returns to touch his thigh though it doesn’t stay there and slinks up to his hipbone, belly and further. It purposefully avoids his cock that is starting to curve up along his lower abdomen.
Jongin leans in and starts planting kisses down the younger’s throat, each done with lingering lips, a wet sound and a breath leaving warmth for the other to feed on. His hand drifts down
Kyungsoo’s back again, and is the one that holds him up, making his legs twitch and his toes curl for each gesture.
His hands are restless and wander around, one dragging up Jongin’s clothed back to the back of the head to card his fingers into the brown locks and lightly tug - and when Jongin runs his nose along one of Kyungsoo’s collarbones and pecks that too, the hold tightens and Kyungsoo huffs out, eyes going shut.
His nipples are soft and a dull pink, becoming pert once a warm breath fans over one. Jongin only needs to press the tip of his tongue against the middle to cover the small bud, lapping a wet edge against it, and he feels Kyungsoo squirm and hears his breath hitch.
Shivering gasps and a prolonged, mellow sigh fills the room when Jongin’s tongue lashes out in small, quick draws - turning into a long lick, the doing emitting a wet pop when he sucks on the middle and lets go.
He brings up his left palm and thumbs the other bud flat, subsequently pinches it gently between a thumb and forefinger and pulls lightly, watches as Kyungsoo’s nose scrunches up and his eyes become glazed, his cock now swollen and red at the tip from the stimulation.
The younger is about to curve his legs around Jongin’s hips, but is stopped on the way when Jongin darts lower and cranes down, inching out on his kneecaps while he trails wet, openmouthed kisses down Kyungsoo’s stomach.
He lifts Kyungsoo’s legs in the air, and lowers himself and puts the legs on his shoulders. He makes Kyungsoo lie down on the bed on his back, and and nips at the pudge around the younger’s lower abdomen, just above his cock.
Kyungsoo’s hands are fisting Jongin’s hair now, small fingers framing the curved elf ears as well where he pulls lightly in them to feel them up. He curves in his back and puffs his stomach out, his heels meeting on the middle of Jongin’s back just as Jongin presses a slow kiss to the cockhead where a drop of cum is beaded.
Jongin licks a long stripe down the shaft, enjoys the pressure of Kyungsoo’s heels digging into his back and the choked sounds turning in his ears.
The elf murmurs a small, hushed ‘’I Ithil ned nîn fuin*,’’ when he kisses one thigh and watches the transparent scale pattern light up with a golden color for a second, one he follows with his mouth, bites at and drags his lips along before kissing the underside of Kyungsoo’s sack - ‘’I tinu ned nîn hen. *’’
The younger is panting, and his stomach convulses when Jongin takes his cock into his mouth and sucks around the crown, sinks down and lets the shaft rest between the warm walls of his cheeks.
Kyungsoo rolls his hips up and his lower lip worries because it’s all too much. Jongin starts bobbing his head in a gentle pace and hums around the base, swallowing Kyungsoo up, all hot and wet.
The hybrid thrashes and his fingers clench and unclench. He bubbles with a garbled ‘’hurry-’’ another small roll of his hips, ‘’hurry up, Jongin,’’ but in such a pliant, soft tone that pleads nicely compared to the demands he’ll give in daylight.
Meanwhile, Jongin’s hands continue to roam, one under Kyungsoo’s buttock, and another
running under his back and up his side to his belly where it tickles.
Kyungsoo is hit by many sensations, and he comes with a choked plea on the tip of his tongue, his body shuddering. Jongin holds him down with the hand on his stomach, milking him dry until he is too sensitive and wriggles beneath the taller.
Jongin raises himself after a while, but he takes in the sight before him first - Kyungsoo whose cheeks are flustered, eyes dazed and his mouth open, a tongue lolling out when he pants the high of the orgasm away. His legs are still spread and slide down from Jongin’s shoulders, not touching the ground when they hang over the edge of the bed.
The elder traces a palm over Kyungsoo’s stomach, leans in and dips onto the bed to kiss his forehead before getting up again.
He gives him some time to recover while he starts shedding his robe and belt, hard lines and tan skin coming in view. An elf is usually meant to be slimmer, yet Jongin's torso is broad except for his waist, and he's got the finesse of an elf but the muscle of a human and a larger presence that's lean but not bulbous.
Scars mar his skin with either a dusky brown color or something lighter.
There’s one long streak across his chest that leads to his left hipbone, one Kyungsoo traces again for the hundredth time once he has raised himself and sits on his knees, pupils dilating again as he kisses Jongin’s navel when Jongin is busy unlacing his pants and shimmying out of his boots.
The muscles protrude, parting a line on the middle as Kyungsoo mouths down lower and follows the faint trail of hair, and normally elves don’t have much body hair, but Jongin does with his mixed blood, and it’s slightly curled and dark.
Next up is the pants who are shed, landing on the ground so that Jongin can step out of them, and he’s not wearing anything beneath.
His cock hovers mid-air due to the weight of the head, heavy with a shaft that’s thick and long. Kyungsoo’s eyes go up to Jongin’s piercing eyes and then down, and he’s on all four on the bed, perching forward on his hands and knees.
His hair is a little rumpled now - the scale-pattern down the right side of his face flashes too due to his excitement; it can all be seen due to the way he breathes a little quicker and a tint erupts in the back of his mouth, though he wills it away so his mouth won’t be too hot.
He continues to mouth along Jongin’s lower abdomen though, and tries not to let out a hushed moan when he feels the tip of Jongin’s cock touch his throat when he goes lower. He already has to lean upwards to reach over due to Jongin’s height, and now he noses at the base of the cock and the dark pubic hair there.
Jongin’s breathing is heavy, teeth gritted while he inches closer, likes the view from up above - to see Kyungsoo on his knees, his back and waist, and how his toes curl into the blanket beneath.
The younger has to bring a hand up to steady Jongin’s dick, taking a hold around the shaft with his palm, fingers just able to reach and unite as he guides it to his mouth and starts out giving the slit a kittenish lick.
The hips before him jolt at this, but otherwise Jongin is good at keeping himself level-headed, though he reaches a hand down and cards it through Kyungsoo’s hair, tugging in the neck-hair just shortly, giving his nape a little clench too.
Small creaks come from the bed and airy breathing from the actions; Kyungsoo who leans forward and starts nudging the cockhead into his mouth, and just with that he already has to open his mouth wide until the corners stretch and become a bit pink while he gives it a long suck and goes deeper.
He emits a small raspy ‘ah’, and the first time he tried to do this, he could barely get past the inches behind the head, but now he can take the half at most without gagging.
He has to settle with stroking the rest, pressing a thumb into one of the veins tracking up the base.
Jongin momentarily tips his head back and groans, eyes shut while he edges his hips a little forward though he still lets the other decide the pace and amount, and Kyungsoo gets to take in the half until he can’t go further, but makes sure to suck hard and dig his tongue into the slit.
His eyes stay up, one open and the other a little closed from the strain while he bobs his head and tries to. He’s clumsy a little but eager and has a small break for panting before he kisses the swollen tip and gets pre-cum smeared along his lower lip and on his cheek when he misses.
His eyebrows are arched, and he likes it when Jongin’s stomach flexes and another deep moan eases out of his mouth, especially when Kyungsoo tugs harder with his palm and simultaneously swirls his tongue around the head and frames the form, slick noises coming from the act.
His jaw starts to ache after a while and the weight is heavy on his tongue, so he settles to mouth at the head again, eyes closed now, lashing his tongue there in quick licks while he speeds the pace of his hand’s back and forth motions.
Meanwhile, Jongin has leaned forward and a bit in over the younger, one knee digging into the edge of the bed.
He’s got a bottle in his hand, one he’s picked from his inventory, and he’s lathers his fingers - lets out a hum when he sees that Kyungsoo get eager from the noise when the cap is screwed off. The noise bubbling from the younger’s throat is a sign of consent.
He doesn’t need to reach far to have a hand behind Kyungsoo, with the younger bending in his back and presenting his ass in the air while he again starts sucking Jongin off again though it’s sloppy and with a bit of teeth.
One pad traces the rim at first, rubs down the crack and over the puffy hole, just to feel Kyungsoo open up and mutter a small ‘’hurry,’’ under his breath. He’s resting his cheek against the side of
Jongin’s cock now, the movements of his hand slower while his body tenses. ‘’More-’’
His body rocks forward when two thick fingers protrude at once, the breach big enough to have him clenching; his walls tight around the digits when they start thrusting in and out.
Kyungsoo ends up with his face pressed against the base of Jongin’s cock, nose and mouth mushed against skin and everything that’s Jongin, while the tip of the dick nudges into the hollow of one collarbone as his shoulders hunch, his hand falling limp to support himself.
Jongin is encouraged by this, and when he adds a third, Kyungsoo’s body is shaking and his hole is so tight and warm, his body following the fingers for each time as if they get stuck inside as Jongin spreads his fingers - crooks them to feel wetness gather on his hipbone where Kyungsoo’s face is resting.
The first time they went this far Jongin could only press in two fingers at once to have Kyungsoo’s eyes wet, his cheeks red and smoke coming from his nostrils and soundless crooning off his tongue.
But Kyungsoo can take much more now, and Jongin knows this, so he doesn’t slow down though he takes care anyway and runs a palm down Kyungsoo’s side and steadies him, listens to how the younger gasps against his hipbone and digs his face there when the pace picks up, thighs trembling and ass perching up to get more.
A creaking comes from the wooden legs of the bed when the stance changes, and a dazed Kyungsoo is drawn up and manhandled, mind still spinning seconds later when he finds himself sitting up as the situation is turned around.
He’s seated on Jongin’s lap, while Jongin sits on the edge of the bed, and there’s a mouth on Kyungsoo’s, indulging him in a slow, open-mouthed kiss.
The younger melts into the gesture, and his eyelashes are a little clumpy from the tears. He’s puffing when they withdraw, nudging his face into Jongin’s throat to calm himself.
He sniffs and looks up again, and raises himself on his shins, nudging closer to Jongin while Jongin chuckles and kisses one tear away from a pale cheek.
‘’I want to,’’ Kyungsoo murmurs, getting a little bossy again as he’s got one hand on the back of Jongin’s head, a fist curling in the hair, ‘’want to sit,’’ he murmurs, not direct or good with his words in this regard. There’s warmth in his cheeks, but his actions are clear.
‘’Please do, nîn meleth*,’’ Jongin murmurs, voice soft.
It’s almost as if Kyungsoo is crammed into Jongin, with Jongin’s form much larger, shoulders broader, and the palms on Kyungsoo’s asscheeks fill out, spreading them apart.
Kyungsoo nods and positions himself. Jongin’s cock is already slick and wet, rubbing against the crack of Kyungsoo’s buttocks, but the elder adds some more lubrication and lets the bottle lie on the bed, regarding Kyungsoo again.
He lets the hybrid take the lead, can’t take his eyes off Kyungsoo’s face as Kyungsoo rustles around, almost slips one knee off the bed though Jongin is there to steady him, watching and Kyungsoo lines the cock up to his entrance.
He tilts his head up before he moves, so their foreheads touch since Jongin has craned his neck
down.
It’s the same as before, with lips dragging against lips - not exactly in a kiss, but as a touch with their breaths mingling, eyes locked on each other.
Kyungsoo sinks down then, and he sucks in the shaft despite the snug fit - the stretch obscene with how he has to start on his shins and go all the way down till Jongin is nudged deep inside him, moaning as the walls smother around him and Kyungsoo struggles with the last inch.
There’s always a moment right here, just at this part, where they both stop and cling to each other, chests touching. Kyungsoo is nearly reeling backwards with how Jongin is hovering in over him and they can almost do butterfly kisses.
Minutes go by with this.
Then, Kyungsoo raises himself, and the skin around his hole is pink and a little strained from the breach, but he’s got warmth under the surface and fire in his heart, and there’s the hot touch of Jongin, of him inside when Kyungsoo slides down and takes it all in again.
It’s slow at first, a sound of skin on skin on skin and slick squelches coming when Kyungsoo starts bouncing. He has a hand in Jongin’s hair and another on his bicep, and there’s a grimace on his face, one in both strain and delight, eyes shut and mouth parted now.
Jongin grips him tight and helps the slide, body tensing and mellowing out repeatedly as they create a stable rhythm. Kyungsoo is rocking up and down, sometimes back and forth while his inand exhaling picks up and he’s got his cheek pressed against Jongin’s.
Jongin takes the weight after a while and lifts the younger and thrusts up, his cock curving, catching on the rim before plunging in wetly, and he groans deeply.
Just when heat starts to build in Kyungsoo’s belly and he announces this through punctured, quiet moans, and a whimper, Jongin flips them over again so that Kyungsoo is lying on the bed and Jongin hovers over him.
The elder picks Kyungsoo up though so that his legs snake around Jongin’s hips, and Jongin is on his shins - they’re not lying down, but they’re just in-between, where the elf starts thrusting in again.
Their bodies are tightly lined in the air from where Jongin is craned in over the other and Kyungsoo has his face buried in the side of Jongin’s throat.
Jongin’s arms lock around Kyungsoo’s form to keep him up, and the pace picks up until the bed is creaking and Kyungsoo can’t help but to let out a long cry, tears from the stimulation starting to well up again while he holds on, his ankles crossing on the lower bend of Jongin’s back.
They hold each other tight to when the heat builds to an end, and Kyungsoo comes first, untouched as he clenches hard around Jongin. Jongin follows suit - buried deep inside, grinding there for a minute before they both slump.
Kyungsoo’s hair is rumpled, and his skin is fuming; a sheen of sweat is on his forehead. Jongin looks alike, breathing hard, coming down from his high. He starts pressing kisses down Kyungsoo’s throat again, and likes that Kyungsoo curls into him, something he’ll do no matter what form he’s in.
They lie on their sides, with Kyungsoo safely tucked in Jongin’s arms, under his chin and pressed close, their chests pressed together while Jongin’s legs are tucked up between Kyungsoo’s legs so that their heads are on the same level.
They look into each other’s eyes blearily, and fall asleep with their lost and found hearts aligned.
‘’Dear Lord, what’s that?’’ knobby fingers reach out to touch, but this time they’re gently pushed away by a hand.
Teeth gleam under the hood that covers Jongin’s face, and the dragon on his shoulder curls around his clothed neck and rests there, eyeing the elderly woman in a pretty attire closely.
‘’Be careful,’’ he says, ‘’Kyungsoo here doesn’t like being touched by strangers.’’
The woman’s eyes widen for a moment, but then she shrugs somewhat nonchalantly.
Jongin soothes the situation though when he hovers a hand over the last items he’s got and changes tone, presenting his loot.
The woman looks around and picks a charm, turning it over. She walks away some minutes later with it tucked in her dress after having paid, mingling between mounts and individuals passing by.
Kyungsoo rustles awake when he hears the sound of a certain sack being opened, and then he crawls down and chirps when he can pop a dry berry into his mouth, and there’s two fingers caressing the small thorns on his head.
The dragon flops down on Jongin’s lap and curls there, huffing in delight when Jongin grants him a belly rub with three fingers instead.
A smile tugs at the corners of Jongin’s mouth.
He thinks that for being such a tiny creature, Kyungsoo knows how to set his mark.
Maybe they’re both just companions of each other, and there’s no owner, or maybe there’s no named strings - maybe their relationship can’t be defined by labels.
There’s many ways to describe it, and one won’t fit.
Actions might speak louder than words.
Yet Jongin opens his mouth, and he says:
‘’I caun ned nîn dîn,’’
‘’I athrad ned nîn men,’’
‘’Nîn meleth.*’’
NOTICE:
I’ve searched around for hours and some of the phrases were debatable, meaning fx ‘’My love’’ could either be spelled as ‘Nin meleth’ or ‘Meleth nin’, and there’s no confirmed source. I’m linking mine to the poem whether it’s true or not, and elvish doesn’t really exist and all the web dictionaries have different ideas and were fan made… so I’m sticking to this. As earlier mentioned, it might be gibberish, but hey, it’s gibberish meant with love! The poem might as well just be a random set of words set together, but oh well.
Nîn meleth means ‘’My love’’ in Sindarin (one of the elvish languages) in J.R.R Tolkien’s
Lord of The Rings books.
Nîn maethor means My warrior
Nîn bain means My beautiful
I Ithil ned nîn fuin means The moon in my night
I tinu ned nîn hen means The star in my eye
I caun ned nîn dîn means The outcry in my silence I athrad ned nîn men means The crossing of my road
Source of poem: http://www.theonering.com/reading-room/poetry/nin-meleth-my-love-sindarin-love-poem