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Balfour was a normal Dragon Rider. He liked flying better than anything in the wide world. Being up above the clouds, seeing the city like a pinprick below, fighting to protect his countrymen, these were things that mattered to him. His relationship with the other Riders was something between strained and comfortable, Rook making things worse and Adamo making them better.
Maybe that casual way Adamo looked out for him was how it started.
They were coming in from a flight, hot with the victory and trying to take care of their girls before they could get away to celebrate. Balfour was grinning and just finishing caring for Anastasia when Adamo finished up with Proudmouth in the stall next to him, throwing him a nod and a grin before starting to walk away. Then the two dragons were leaning up over rails separating them, and rubbing their cheeks together.
Balfour froze. Adamo was still watching him, his instincts causing him to whip around, face whatever was causing Balfour to look like that. Adamo's resulting cry of "the fuck?" had all the other pilots remaining in the bay looking over at them. And their fucking gay metal dragons.
"Anastasia." Balfour hissed. "Darling, what are you doing?"
"I'm in love." His dragon replied simply, her voice grinding out. “And we want to move into together. You should see about getting our stall space combined." She replied.
Adamo's jaw dropped. Balfour could see it because he was just staring at Adamo, silently beseeching him to fix this like he fixed everything else.
"You girls sure about this? It's a big step." Adamo said carefully.
"Oh yes," his dragon replied easily, but with a bit of heat behind the noise, "we know love when we see it."
Adamo ducked his head, embarrassed. Balfour wondered why, wondered what they were talking about and why his own dragon seemed to be in on it.
"Are you fucking kidding me?" Came a loud voice from behind them. "Dragons as cindy as the pair of you? Am I surrounded by fucking fairies?"
Adamo turned around sharply.
"Rook I swear if you call any of the four of us a fairy ever again I will happily break both your legs and put you in the hospital. Say it again if you doubt my sincerity." Adamo promptly began ignoring the other pilot, and Balfour beamed at the pair of them. Rook snorted and walked away like he couldn't be bothered to care much either way.
--
Balfour waited to make sure the bay was empty before going down to talk to Anastasia and Proudmouth. This wasn’t the sort of conversation that he wanted company for. The dragons watched him approach in a way that felt much more unnerving than it normally did. He worried his gloves in his hands, the weirdness of the whole situation getting to him.
“Um, good morning.” Balfour said awkwardly.
“Come to talk us out of it?” Anastasia responded, voice teasing.
“Certainly not. If you really want to be together, I think that’s wonderful. A bit strange perhaps... but I don’t mind.” Balfour said.
“You’re a bit strange yourself, aren’t you darling?” Anastasia asked, and Balfour could feel himself blushing.
“I, ah, I don’t know what you mean.”
“Well it’s not exactly natural, is it. Dragons in love. Proudmouth thinks maybe we’re acting out.” Anastasia explained and Balfour had to smile.
“Is that right.” He said, turning to Proudmouth.
“It certainly is. You humans, you just have all these feelings. They are confusing for simple creatures like us. I tell Adamo this all the time, but he never listens. And now I am in love with another dragon. And if anything is strange, it is the way no one really minds. Perhaps the people around here are so used to seeing strange things, that nothing such as this would bother them.
Balfour tried to understand what on in the world they could be implying. Dragons didn’t really have problems like being vague. So what game were they playing?
“What my gay future life partner is trying to explain to you darling, is that you perhaps might learn something from our example.” Anastasia explained, in a painfully slow voice.
“I... Oh.” Balfour replied dumbly.
“Quite so. When two beings have all the feelings, they should be unafraid of mighty unions! And then maybe we dragons wouldn’t be so confused by all the unresolved sexual tension in the air!” Anastasia said.
“Oh course. I can see how that would be a problem.” Balfour said, still hoping they weren’t saying what seemed inescapable at this point.
“Boy, get that tight ass upstairs and tell Adamo what you would like him to do to you. Before we have to do something drastic.” Proudmouth said firmly.
And Balfour went.
And then hid out in his room for three days until Adamo actually had to send for him.
Adamo was sitting behind his desk with a bottle of whiskey and two small glasses when Balfour knocked and entered. Adamo nodded silently to him and poured two drinks. More than he usually drank at a time, Balfour noted silently.
"What are we celebrating?" Balfour asked.
"Our girls are filing for civil union." Adamo replied, taking a swig.
"Can.... can they do that?" Balfour asked uncertainly.
"No? I mean not strictly speaking, but they can make it hard as hell for us if they don't get what they want."
"But this isn't really what they want--"
"Balfour"
"No. I know they told you too. They think it's us. That we have the chemistry. They want us to do something about it." Balfour said bravely, grabbing his own glass and draining it quickly. Liquid courage.
"Balfour, our girls don't know everything. They're busy-bodies, just like the rest of us. Of course they think they know what is best." Adamo had stood while he spoke, now was leaning against the desk, glass in hand, legs slightly spread.
Mercy help him but Balfour did want him.
Maybe the drink was going to to his head, but Balfour stood in one fluid movement, and pressed his lips against Adamo’s.
For three seconds that seemed to last an eternity, Adamo was perfectly still. Balfour could taste the liquor on his lips, but started to pull away, rejection obvious in Adamo’s rigid stance.
The second he actually pulled away however, Adamo suddenly had a hand in Balfour's hair, and was kissing him back fiercely. Balfour was already standing on tiptoe to reach Adamo's mouth, the height difference and Adamo's strong chest and arms under his hands just adding to the thrill.
A long moment later Balfour pulled away with a soft smile, while Adamo looked nervous and licked his lips.
"So I guess we should talk." Adamo said softly. Balfour leaned in and kissed him again.
"Or we could not." he suggested. Adamo cleared his throat.
"Or we could not." Adamo agreed.