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Yuri had his sword, his dragon, and his magic. What more could he want? Everyone recognized him as the best dragon knight currently active, now that Viktor had retired to raise baby dragons with his new husband.
Okay, sometimes he got a little lonely. Potya was great and he loved his dragon, but he wasn’t much for conversation, and sometimes he needed to get out and find someone to talk to.
Today, he was visiting a tavern, looking around for someone who looked reasonably cool. All he wanted was to talk, so he ruled out the people who were already half-drunk and anyone who looked like they were here to get laid. He was just about settled on someone to talk to, a girl who looked completely sober and somewhat bored, when a man got in his way. “Forget it.”
“Forget what, asshole?” Yuri crossed his arms and glared. He had no idea who this guy thought he was, but he was not intimidated by anyone.
“Forget whatever your plan for my sister is, because I’m not letting you bother her.” His hands balled into fists.
Yuri rolled his eyes. “Funny, your sister looks like she’s a grownup. I thought she could decide for herself if she wants to talk to someone. Poor girl looks bored.” Over the asshole’s shoulder, he saw the sister smile a little. “I’m not gonna hurt your sister. Chill.”
“That’s what they all say, right up until they leave her in tears. Get away from her.”
“What is your problem anyway? What do you think I’m gonna do? If I wanted a fuck, there are way easier targets.” Yuri tried not to watch too obviously as a girl he vaguely knew, Mila, got to the sister and winked at him. “I’m just bored and looking for someone to talk to tonight. If you won’t let me talk to your sister, fine. You get to listen to me instead.”
“Now you’re trying to distract me. Was that the plan? You’re setting up a friend?” Michele turned and watched Sara disappear with Mila, and to Yuri's surprise, the hostility vanished. “You’re friends with Mila?”
“Not exactly, no. You know Mila?”
“Mila and Sara are close friends.”
Oh. So that was Sara. “Which makes you Mickey, I guess. I wouldn’t say Mila and I are friends. We train together.”
“Michele.”
Yuri shrugged. “Whatever. I just know how Mila talks about you. So what now, you run off to save your precious sister from the dread claws of the hag?”
“No. Mila can look after Sara perfectly well. She’s a dragon knight. I guess I can hang out and talk to you since you’re looking for someone to talk to. Saves me a boring night if Sara’s off with Mila.”
Yuri rolled his eyes. “Fine. Got a drink?”
“Yeah. I’ll be right back.” Michele darted off to get his drink and returned quickly. “You train with Mila?”
“Not so much anymore now that I’m mostly out on my own, but yeah, sometimes. Mila says you’re a knight too, but not a dragon knight.”
“Dragons scare me. I much prefer a nice steady horse where I’m happily on the ground most of the time and not trying to convince my weapons it’s time to fight. Swords don’t think for themselves and horses are kind of dumb and don’t question orders.”
Yuri snorted. “Sounds like you’re unimaginative and kind of a scaredy-cat. I like having a weapon that can think for itself. Potya has saved my ass a few times. Sure, it’s harder than a horse, you’ve gotta get them to like and respect you the way you like and respect them, but there’s a reason they match up humans and dragons when they’re relatively young. I got Potya when I was seven and he was just big enough to begin training to let me ride. We’ve grown up together and trained together for years, and we’re a team.”
Michele nearly spat out his beer. “You’re a dragon knight?”
“Yeah, what did you think I meant when I said I train with Mila?” Yuri shoved up his sleeve to show his tattoo.
“I thought you were like a human training dummy or something. You’re kind of delicate and pretty to be a knight.”
Yuri’s hands clenched. “I’ll be sure to tell Mila you don’t think she’s delicate or pretty. You’re a dumbass, you know it?”
“Mila’s a woman. Of course she’s pretty. Delicate, though, that is not a word I would use for her.” Yuri had to admit the truth in that statement. “Are you always this sensitive?”
“I got a lot of crap in training for being too pretty to be a knight. You’re lucky I learned how to contain my temper or you’d be on fire right now.”
“You’re not only a dragon knight, you’re a dragon knight-mage?” Michele crossed his arms. “I don’t believe you. There’s only one of those who’s active, now that Viktor’s retired, and from what I’ve heard Mila telling Sara, Yuri Plisetsky is a real badass.”
“Yuri Plisetsky is a real badass. You want to go out back and let me prove it to you?” Yuri crossed his arms as well, sleeve still up to show his tattoo - and its gold border, only possible through magic. “Hi. Yuri Plisetsky. Dragon knight-mage. Real badass.”
Michele let his arms drop, along with his jaw. “You’re Yuri Plisetsky?”
“I’m Yuri Plisetsky.”
“Wow. What are you doing in this tavern?”
“I told you." Yuri picked up his mug. "Getting a drink and looking for someone to talk to for a while. Potya’s great, but sometimes I need to talk to someone who speaks my language.”
“You get lonely?”
“Yes, I do, especially now that I’m out on my own instead of in the training complex. Don’t guess you ever get lonely, the way you hover over your sister.”
Michele picked up his mug with a long sigh. “Sometimes. Nights like these when Sara’s off with Mila, it gets lonely. Normally, I would find Emil, but Emil’s gone on a quest and won’t be back until next year.”
“Huh.” Yuri studied Michele. “Have you ever actually met a dragon?”
“No. Why would I want to? They’re terrifying!”
“They really aren’t." Yuri made up his mind and drained his mug, slamming it on the table. "Come on. Do you need to settle up?”
“No.”
“Good.” Yuri grabbed Michele’s hand. “I’m taking you to meet Potya.”
Potya behaved himself as Yuri introduced Michele, curling up small and harmless with his talons tucked under him to meet Michele. Yuri was very proud of his dragon, who could be adorable and friendly when he wanted, and Potya was being his absolute cutest. Michele had been nervous at first, despite Yuri’s words, but with just a little encouragement he was petting Potya’s head and scratching his ears. “Okay, maybe dragons aren’t so terrifying.”
“Told you.” Yuri climbed on Potya’s back. “Want a ride? Just to be sure you don’t forget that they’re really powerful and fast?”
Michele hesitated. “Is it safe?”
“It is if you’re with me. Potya likes you, so he’ll behave himself. Won’t you, boy?” Potya growled, friendly-like, so Michele climbed up behind Yuri. “Hold on to me.”
At first, Michele was hesitant, barely touching Yuri. When Potya spread his wings, Michele’s hold got stronger, and as Potya started playing in the air, Michele got closer and his hold got tighter. When they came in for a landing, Michele didn’t let go right away. Yuri had to prompt him so that he could get off too. Potya started grooming himself, and Yuri grabbed Michele’s arm. “Come on. Let’s get out of here. Slobber goes flying sometimes, and it’s a pain to get out of your clothes.”
It was too late. Potya sent a glob flying at them. Yuri stripped down right away. “Michele. Dragon saliva burns. Your clothes will be all right, but you need to get out of them before it soaks through.” Michele stayed frozen, so Yuri stripped off the affected clothes himself. It was a little weird, undressing someone else. Once Michele was safe, Yuri turned to glare at his dragon, and Potya winked at him and puffed a little smoke out of his nostrils. Yuri buried his face in his hands, but it didn’t seem like Michele had caught on. “Guess you’re spending the night here, unless you want to go walking around naked. Come on, move.”
They were halfway up the stairs to Yuri’s lab above the dragon stable before Michele recovered. “I thought you said dragons were safe!”
“They are. You weren’t going to fall off. I did try to warn you about the saliva but you froze.”
“I do that. This is why I prefer horses and mindless weapons.”
“Yeah, I get that. It would be different if someone had put you on a kid dragon when you were a kid, but at your age? No." Yuri grinned at Michele. "But come on, you have to admit, dragons are cool.”
“Yeah. Okay. They are cool, and you are a real badass, and I take back what I said about you being too delicate to be a knight.”
“What about the pretty?”
“Nope. That one still stands.”
Yuri growled. “Because you’re so ugly yourself. Look at you.”
“I’m not pretty.” Michele looked genuinely bewildered, which threw Yuri. He briefly considered grabbing a mirror and plopping it in front of Michele, but that seemed a touch overdramatic.
“Yes, you are. Next time you’re at a tavern, send Sara off with Mila or someone else you trust and look for all the people staring at you. There’ll be a lot, I promise.”
“You?”
“Not likely, I don’t get in moods like this much, and if I am there, I’ll come talk to you instead of staring and wishing.”
“Wishing, huh?”
Yuri cursed his tongue. But then again, what was the harm? He hadn’t meant to bring someone home tonight, but Michele was already here, and already staying the night, and in the morning Michele would go back to town and get his sister and his horse and Yuri would probably never see him again. “Yeah, maybe. Just don’t call me pretty again.”