Work Text:
Over the past few weeks you had noticed objects disappearing from your home. Small objects such as spoons, knives and various other items with reflective surfaces. You assumed you had just misplaced them, as you often do. You live a fast paced life and more often than not you leave things at the oddest of places only to find them again months later.
Early one morning heading for your car, you realise once again you had forgot your keys. With a huff you hurry back inside, only to spot a pony sized dragon hunched on your kitchen table clutching your keys and a couple of shiny spoons in its clawed hands.
‘‘Hey! Those are mine,’’ you say, before you register just what you are actually seeing.
The dragon blinks at you in what looks like surprise before clutching the items it’s in the process of stealing to their chest. Tumbling down from the table it then turns tail and runs out your back door. Hurrying you follow it and chase it through your overgrown back garden down to the bottom where you had been informed lay a small hill.
It’s the first time you’ve been back here in your garden, having only moved into the property three months previously and you had been far too busy to go exploring. You don’t know the layout and end up stumbling and falling with a yell into the chaos that is your garden.
Turning onto your back, you huff laying there knowing that you are not going to be able to catch the dragon now. It’s probably long gone and you may as well kiss your keys goodbye. Great! How were you meant to get to work now. You were already running late as it is.
Just as you are debating moving, you suddenly spot movement out of the corner of your eye. Slowly you turn your head and see the dragon cautiously approaching you, with a look of fear in its eyes. You also notice that it is no longer holding your keys or spoons and you wonder where it has stashed them.
‘‘Are you hurt?’’ It asks quietly, in a masculine voice, eyeing you for any injuries.
It’s a he then you think eyeing him. He’s smaller than any other dragon you had seen before, not that you’d seen many, but since moving somewhere more rural you had spotted a couple flying overhead. The colour of basil, this dragon blends right into the surrounding foliage. His eyes are big and the colour of gold, and as he stares at you fearfully, you can feel your heart melting.
‘‘No… I’m okay,’’ you say softly, slowing moving to sit up. He twitches as if to run, but remains standing a few feet away, curling his tail around one ankle watching you.
‘‘Why have been stealing my things?’’ You ask, keeping your voice soft.
‘‘Not stealing!’’ He cries, his eyes widening comically. Shaking his head, he continues, ‘‘I was just moving them.’’
‘‘Moving them where exactly?’’ You ask curiously. All the anger you felt is long gone, you can’t imagine anyone could stay mad at this sweet creature.
‘‘With the rest of the hoard of course. We have to keep the shiny things safe or other dragons will come steal them.’’ He says explaining.
You can’t help but chuckle at him finding the whole situation amusing. You really do need your keys back though. ‘‘Can I see this hoard?’’ You ask.
Nodding he gestures for you to follow him just a little further down the garden to the small hill, where he disappears down a hole in the ground. You sigh knowing you’re about to get dirty, but follow him down the hole anyway. Crawling through the underground tunnel, you see it leads away from the house and into the neighbouring field.
Moving out of the tunnel and into an area where you have room to stand, you gape around in amazement at what appears to be an underground cavern. A cavern which just happens to be full of shiny items such as spoons, forks, knives, jewellery, medals and even musical instruments. You know that most of this stuff hadn’t come from your house and you wonder where he found it all.
Looking back at him, you see that he is watching you with interest, seeming to be waiting on your reaction. When you smile at him bemused, it makes him happy and he bounces around like a puppy who’s just been told he’s been good.
‘‘Do you live here?’’ You ask him curiously, going back to looking around, trying to see if you can locate your keys.
‘‘Yes… For a very long time,’’ he says nodding and lying down to watch you as you move around looking through all the items.
‘‘Alone?’’
‘‘Yes,’’ he says, sighing sadly. You look at him sharply at the tone of his voice. Not only does he sound sad but he looks it too and you feel your heart break for him.
‘‘Do you have a name?’’ You say sighing, knowing what you are about to do is probably stupid.
‘‘I… I did once but… I lost it,’’ he says, eyes glistening.
‘‘You... lost it?’’ You ask incredulously.
‘‘Yes,’’ he says nodding. ‘‘It’s been such a long time since anybody used it that I’ve forgotten it.’’
Oh my god. Your heart! You can’t take anymore. Walking over to him you put your hand on his scaled head and smile. ‘‘I think… you should come and live in the house with me,’’ you say. ‘‘Would you like that?’’
‘‘Yes,’’ he says, jumping up and almost knocking you over in his excitement. ‘‘Can I? Do you mean it?’’ He asks, bouncing around.
‘‘Yes,’’ you say chuckling at his excitement. ‘‘Before we leave though, I’m going to need my keys back.’’
‘‘But what if another dragon steals them,’’ he gasps, stopping still.
‘‘Another dragon won’t steal them. Trust me. They aren’t interested in car keys,’’ you say explaining.
‘‘Oh,’’ he says nodding, before running off to fetch them.
Bounding back to you he hands you them and after thanking him, you make your way out the cavern back through the tunnel with him following behind. Back in the garden you turn watching him conceal the entrance with branches and leaves. Hiding it from other dragons you assume with a smile. Your going to have to explain to him the concept of cutlery you think, shaking your head at the fact that you have just invited a dragon to live with you.
‘‘Can I give you a new name?’’ You ask him, as you both make your way to the house.
‘‘I… Yes. I’d like that,’’ he says, nodding happily. ‘‘What did you have in mind?’’
Smiling you say, ‘‘Tea-Leaf.’’