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When Yoongi first stepped out of his house, the energy in the air was palpable and strong, as was always the case on Presentation Day. There were many festivities to get the villagers excited, from food stalls to performers to demonstrations of new and interesting weapons, and of course the Presentation Ceremony.
Every year on the first day of summer, the village chiefs hold a celebration as an opportunity for dragons to present themselves when they come of age at 25. Each of-age dragon performs for the village in their dragon form in whatever way they’d like, whether it be a sky dance, a display of strength, or a fire show.
Yoongi, being the son of the Head Chief and heir to the throne, couldn’t really revel in the festivities as much as everyone else. He spent the day holed in with his mother and the other chiefs. He was headed to the priestess hut now to pray and dress in the ceremonial garb.
He tried to keep in the shadows to avoid running into anyone he knew. He wasn’t supposed to interact with any of the presenting dragons, which usually wasn’t a problem, but this year it was a little harder because who else was 25 but -
“Jungkook!” Yoongi exclaimed as he turned a corner and nearly barreled over the other man. Jungkook caught him before he stumbled any further, laughing at Yoongi’s clumsiness.
“Hello my prince,” Jungkook smiled cheekily. Yoongi rolled his eyes at the formal title. He wasn’t a fan of it under normal circumstances, but it was even worse when Jungkook used it. They’d been friends all their lives, it just felt wrong whenever Jungkook pointed out this power difference between them.
“You’re lucky I’m a fair prince, otherwise you’d be disqualified for speaking with me today,” Yoongi huffed, shoving Jungkook back playfully to create some distance between them. “What shame it’d bring to your family if you were never even allowed to present.”
“Ah, but you’d never do that to me,” Jungkook said with a confidence that would’ve irked Yoongi if it wasn’t so true. It’d been pointed out one too many times by one too many people that Yoongi would let Jungkook get away with just about anything.
Yoongi’s soft spot for Jungkook was obvious to everyone, Jungkook included, but Yoongi liked to think no one had the full idea as to why.
Because of course he and Jungkook had been friends forever, they’d grown up together and trained together, their age difference never causing problems between them.
But, just after Yoongi’s presentation, he noticed a shift in his feelings for Jungkook. They priestesses claim that after presentation, humans become closer with their dragon, and thus become closer to their baser instincts. If this was true, then Yoongi’s base instincts had a huge, massive, uncontrollable crush on Jungkook.
The changes in Yoongi’s feelings were subtle at first. When Yoongi finished his presentation ceremony, Jungkook was the first to hug him in celebration, and Yoongi was stuck with just how tall and strong Jungkook had grown to be.
Then of course, the next time they hung out together, Yoongi was struck again, this time by how beautiful Jungkook’s face looked when he was happy, or when he was mischievous, or even just sitting around bored.
Yoongi became almost obsessed with providing for Jungkook. He tried to do it subtly, he would bring Jungkook meals after work, if only to see how he would fill his cheeks cutely with food. It was embarrassing, honestly.
Yoongi was lucky Jungkook hadn’t presented yet, because he doesn’t want to know how he’ll embarrass himself in the future once they’re both close to their dragons.
For now, he just needed to get through this day, try not to get too flustered, and worry about the future later. He needed Jungkook to move so he could try to get the man out of his mind for at least a few hours and do his duties.
“Don’t you have somewhere to be?” Yoongi made a show of looking Jungkook up and down. He was wearing a plain brown tunic, cinched at the waist with a thick leather belt, as well as matching brown pants. They were simple, but frustratingly enough Jungkook still managed to pull them off. “Are you not supposed to be wearing your presentation robes? Should you not be getting ready with all the others?”
“Shouldn’t you be getting blessed or whatever it is you chieftains do with the priestesses?” Jungkook shot back.
“I was on my way when I was almost tackled to the ground by a little urchin like you, and if you let me pass then I will gladly journey on.”
“I’ll allow one question,” Jungkook simply replied. Yoongi had no idea what he was referring to.
“I beg your pardon?”
“C’mon, I know you must be curious about what I prepared for the presentation. You’ve been good ever since I turned 25, keeping your questions to yourself, but I’m telling you it’s okay. I’ll allow you one question, then I’ll let you go.”
“Haven’t you disgraced yourself enough showing yourself to the prince on your presentation day?” Yoongi asked with a raise of his eyebrow, choosing to throw in his own title to be extra annoying. It didn’t seem to phase Jungkook though. He just stared at Yoongi, refusing to move until Yoongi finally gave in.
“Alright,” Yoongi conceded. Truthfully, he had been quite curious what Jungkook had up his sleeve. Knowing how hard Jungkook worked on everything in his life, Yoongi had no doubt whatever it was, it was going to be spectacular. He didn’t want the show spoiled though, so instead he asked, “What color is your dragon?”
Yoongi hadn’t seen Jungkook’s dragon form since they were children. Once kids were able to control their shifting, it became inappropriate to shift near chieftains. Just as a human matured and changed, their dragon did as well.
All immature dragons took on earthy tones, and as they matured, the color shifted. When they were kids, Jungkook’s dragon was a light brown, and Yoongi was quite curious to see what Jungkook looked like now.
Yoongi’s own presentation had been quite shocking to the village when it was revealed his own dragon was a bright, pure white. It was a rare color for dragons to take, which only seemed to inspire Jungkook’s teasing further, often calling Yoongi his Moon Prince. That always made Yoongi flush a little.
“That’s all you want to know?” Jungkook asked, the surprise evident on his face, though he quickly shielded it. “Nothing about my performance?”
“I want it to be a surprise,” Yoongi admitted shyly. He couldn’t look Jungkook in the eye as he said it. “I know it’ll be great, whatever it is.”
“Oh,” Jungkook replied. When Yoongi looked at his face again, he could almost believe that even Jungkook was blushing a little, but it had to be the summer sun. It was already warming up quite considerably even though it was still early.
“Well...I should get going,” Yoongi said awkwardly when it appeared Jungkook wasn’t going to answer. He started to shuffle by so he could continue towards the priestesses.
Just as he passed Jungkook, he heard the man speak up behind him. “It’s purple,” Jungkook said softly, just loud enough for Yoongi to hear. “My dragon is purple.”
Yoongi didn’t quite know how to process that, so he just nodded his head and kept walking, leaving Jungkook behind him.
He couldn’t help but obsess over the confession as he followed his original path to meet his mother. Purple, Yoongi almost couldn’t believe it. Not only was it Yoongi’s favorite color (a fact he tried not to read too deeply into), but purple and white were the official colors of the chief clan; of Yoongi’s family. What did it mean, that Yoongi’s and Jungkook’s dragons together were a perfect representation of their village?
Yoongi shook his head, refusing to get lost in his fantasies again on such an important day for his people. He was still a prince, he had duties and responsibilities that extended beyond pretty boys with royal-colored dragons. But still, in the moments he did allow his thoughts to drift towards Jungkook, he couldn’t help but to smile.
Thanks to Jungkook’s little interruption, Yoongi was late to arriving at the priestess hut. Everyone else was already there, including his mother who was clearly displeased with his lateness.
“Look who decided to do his duties today,” she teased loud enough for the other four chieftains to hear. “How lucky we are, the little prince felt it was finally time to grace us with his presence.”
Yoongi scowled but held his tongue. He surely couldn’t expose Jungkook’s recklessness in coming to find him. Yoongi’s mother may be forgiving, knowing Yoongi’s soft spot for the young dragon, but the other chieftains wouldn’t be as kind.
Chief Jeonghoon was particularly annoying, in Yoongi’s opinion. Far too traditional in thought, yet obviously so envious of the Min family’s power. He was always hoping Yoongi would mess up somehow.
“You’ll have to do something about that boy, Baram,” Jeonghoon spoke, addressing Yoongi’s mother. “Can’t always have him showing up when he pleases.” He added grumpily.
“While I agree, I will allow my son a pass just for today,” she said, giving Yoongi a wink, leading Yoongi to believe she already might know the reason for his lateness. How she managed to know everything was always a mystery to Yoongi, but he hoped he picked up the skill before he was expected to lead the village.
“Come, Yoongi,” she continued, gesturing for him to come closer. She draped an arm over his shoulder, leading him to the back room where the priestesses would dress him.
She was already in her traditional robes and she looked beautiful. They were a blinding white, with purple accents down the front and along the sleeves that displayed her status in the royal clan.
“The priestesses have prepared something extra special for you this year,” she said almost conspiratorially. “I can’t wait to see you all dressed up.” With a kiss to his temple, his mother pushed him through the door and left him to be purified, poked, and prepped like the priestesses own doll.
“Welcome, Yoongi, may the wind under your wings be strong,” the head priestess greeted him once he entered. “Please cleanse yourself of outside possessions.”
“And may your fires be bright, Yongsun-ssi,” Yoongi gave the ceremonial reply as he stripped out of his plain robes. It wasn’t his first time appearing naked in front of the priestesses, nor would it be his last. At this point, he was used to it.
She led him over to a stone bath in the far corner of the room. A high window allowed sunlight to stream in, directly hitting the bath. It was supposed to represent a merging of the elements, fire, water, and stone all existing in harmony.
Flower petals were scattered in the bathwater to provide further connection to the earth, and to represent beauty and growth. The bath was the first part in the priestesses purification process.
When he was younger, Yoongi never understood why this was part of Presentation Day. Why must he, as a prince, be purified and blessed in order to watch a bunch of new dragons perform?
His mother had explained that the priestesses were here to help them become closer to their dragon, and that only when one was close to their dragon could they accept new dragons into the frey. If the chieftains weren’t purified, the whole presentation ceremony would be made useless.
Over the years, Yoongi had gotten more used to being prodded and preened by the priestesses, and he’d even grown to enjoy the pampering a little. He did feel stronger, more firey at the end of every session, so it was clear his dragon liked it as well.
For now, he just laid back and allowed the Yongsun and the other priestesses to do their work. They gently cleaned him using neutral-scented soaps so they wouldn’t distract from the natural scent of the flowers. They poured water over his head and massaged oils into his dark locks. Yoongi hummed in contentment and allowed his dragon to take up more space in his mind.
Whenever Yoongi let his dragon take over, he couldn’t help but to let his thoughts drift to Jungkook. It seemed no matter what was on his mind, his instincts wanted nothing but to think of Jungkook.
The focus of today’s daydream seemed to be Jungkook’s hands. Though Jungkook was so much taller, their hands were practically the same size. Yoongi couldn’t help but imagine what their hands would feel like entwined.
Jungkook was strong and powerful, but he handled things so gently. Would it be the same, if Jungkook were to take Yoongi’s hands in his own? Would he hold them softly, like they were something precious? Would he use his thumb to stroke Yoongi’s knuckles? Would he take his time to kiss each and every one of Yoongi’s fingertips? Because Yoongi wanted to do all of it.
He was deep into his own fantasies when Yongsun signaled him to get out of the water. He was dazed at first, unprepared to be addressed, but he quickly shook himself out of it and carefully exited the bath.
They dried him using warm towels, which only helped to relax Yoongi further. Yongsun massaged more oils into Yoongi’s skin, focusing on his wrists and neck. Yoongi inhaled, picking up the distinct scent of rose. Jungkook loves rose, he couldn’t help but to think.
Yongsun left, returning with a set of robes in her arms. Even with the garment bundled in her hands, Yoongi could tell these robes were a little more elaborate than what he was used to wearing.
Like his mother’s, his robes were white, but even in the dim lighting of the room Yoongi could tell that something about the fabric just shimmered. Light bounced off the fabric in rainbows, reminding Yoongi of the way his own scales appeared in the sun.
Yongsun handed the white piece off to one of the other priestesses, revealing another piece of fabric still in her hands. Yoongi soon discovered they were a pair of pants in a rich royal purple.
Yongsun helped him into the pants first. The material was thin and silky, and there were long slits up the side of each pant leg which seemed to open with every step, revealing more and more skin.
Next, there was a tunic, made of the shimmering white material. Only, instead of the tunics Yoongi was used to, this one was form-fitting, cropped, and sleeveless, leaving his arms and lower belly bare. The last piece was a white robe, again sleeveless, with a train that extended a good several feet behind him. How he was supposed to walk like that, he was unsure, but he felt good enough that he was willing to try.
Yoongi ran his hand over the robe after it was placed on him. The material was soft and smooth to the touch, lightweight (perfect for the summer sun), and most of all it was beautiful. He’d never seen anything like it, he didn’t know anyone else lucky enough to have robes that matched their scales.
With his arms exposed, there was plenty of space for jewelry. The priestesses placed a rose gold cuff on his right bicep, and two slightly thinner ones on his left. They adorned his wrists in bracelets and chains in the same rose gold. His fingers were soon decorated in rings of various sizes to complete the look and Yoongi felt he practically glittered.
True dragons, with no human form, still loved hoarding treasure in their caves, and in that moment, Yoongi could understand why. His inner dragon was so pleased to be surrounded by so many rich and beautiful things. The human part of him might have thought it was greedy, but he’d truly never felt closer to his dragon.
They finished the look by adding a light dusting of makeup to his eyes and cheeks. Nothing too intense, just bringing a shimmer to his eyes and a pinkness to his cheeks.
Now that he was dressed, they brought him to a small alcove where he could pray in private. The room was simple and heavily decorated with plants and rocks of all different shapes and sizes. There was stream of sunlight coming from directly above Yoongi, the only source of light in the room. Like the bath, the goal was to bring Yoongi closer to his more natural side.
With the bath, the jewelry, and the setting, Yoongi felt his dragon side getting stronger. He desperately wanted to shift, to feel the wind under his wings and take flight, but he had responsibilities. He needed to watch the ceremony, he needed to watch Jungkook.
Jungkook. His dragon was itching to see him too. What would his performance be like? Would he go for something strong? Or delicate? Or artistic? Jungkook was really too talented for his own good, Yoongi knew that whatever he went for he would be amazing at it.
He felt restless, wanting to get the day over with so all his questions could be answered. He rushed through his prayer in the hopes of speeding things up, though he knew that was fairly useless. Nothing would happen until noon anyway.
Yoongi prayed to the True Dragons, asking for guidance and patience to get through the day. He also prayed to Decalcomanus, the guardian dragon of their village, asking him to watch over Jungkook, to give him a successful presentation.
Finishing with his prayers, Yoongi stood, brushing off any dust that might have accumulated on his new clothes. He felt strong as he left the prayer alcove, stronger than he had on the day of his own presentation. He bowed to the priestesses before heading towards the exit, but before he could leave he was stopped by Yongsun.
“One more thing,” she said as she stepped in his path. She held up Yoongi’s crown, something he only wore for formal events. It was small, since he was only a prince, but it suited his tastes well.
It was made of the same rose gold as his other jewelry, and the circular band was shaped to look like intertwining vines and flowers. At the front sat a large aquamarine gemstone, in honor of Yoongi’s birth month. It was the final touch he needed for his dragon to feel perfectly settled and content.
He bent his neck a little to give Yongsun access and she gently placed the crown on his head, smoothing out his hair around it.
She left him with two kisses on each check, a formal blessing from the priestesses, before bowing gracefully. “Good luck today, my prince, may Decalcomanus guide you.”
“And you as well,” he returned, bowing again before taking his exit. His mother and the other chieftains were still waiting for him in the entryway, and he hoped he hadn’t kept them waiting for too long.
“Oh Yoongi,” his mother cooed as soon as she saw him. “You look spectacular, darling, come here so I can see you.”
He blushed a little at the attention, all the other chieftains having turned to look at him when his mother spoke, but he followed her instructions diligently. He walked over to the couch where his mother was seated so he could get a proper look at him.
She grabbed the fabric between her fingers, feeling the smoothness for herself. She looked so beautiful as she observed and inspected every inch of him. Yoongi hoped to retain at least a fraction of her beauty when he took over the stress of ruling.
His mother stood to get a better look at his face. “My little prince, all grown up,” she took his face in her hands, squeezing at his cheeks like she used to do when he was a child. “What happened to my baby, huh? When did he become so handsome?”
“Eomma, stop,” he replied childishly, feeling like he was 8 years old again.
She came close enough to whisper in his ear. “I bet Jungkookie will find you beautiful as well,” she teased loud enough that only he could hear.
If Yoongi thought he was red before, it was nothing compared to how he felt now. His cheeks were practically on fire and he was beyond flustered.
He pushed his mother away gently (she was still a queen she deserved some respect) but he needed to get away. “Don’t we have somewhere we need to be or something?” He said quickly, addressing the other chieftains in the room, trying desperately to change the subject. “What are we all doing sitting around here?”
He didn’t wait for anyone’s response, he just stormed out of the priestess hut, trying to ignore his mother’s laughter he heard behind him.
He started heading for the arena where the ceremony was to take place. His mother quickly caught up to him, but thankfully she kept quiet on the whole Jungkook situation. Instead, she just pointed out some of the stalls that Yoongi used to love going to as a child, and even bought him some sweet bread to snack on before the ceremony started.
They arrived at the arena quickly. It was an outdoor pavilion just outside of the village with rows and rows of seats circling the wooden stage where the performances would take place. Front and center were the thrones where Yoongi and his mother would sit along with the other chieftains.
There were a few people already there, likely holding seats for family members or friends. On a normal day, Yoongi might have greeted them, but today he was anxious and ignored them in favor of his chair, too on edge to make small talk with the other villagers.
The stage was empty for now. Each presenter was allowed to bring their own props to aid in their performance, but they all started with the same blank slate. Looking at the sun, Yoongi guessed they were still about an hour away from the first performance beginning.
He passed the time by nibbling on his sweet bread and talking with his mother, who thankfully still avoided any mention of you-know-who. Yoongi didn’t think he would be able to handle being called out like that so publicly.
The sun was getting hotter every second, making his dragon even more restless, he’d definitely have to go for a flight after all this was over. Yoongi was only able to calm himself that with every second that passed, he was one second closer to Jungkook.
Finally, he heard the village bell tolling, which meant performances were to start in 15 minutes. Following the bell, the area started to quickly fill with people coming from the village. Yoongi always loved seeing how excited everyone got on Presentation Day, and their happiness and contentment washed over him like a wave, helping to ease and relax him.
And finally, finally, his mother stood, indicating for everyone to quiet down. Silence fell over the crowd quickly, his mother’s commanding presence always seeming to capture everyone’s attention without much effort.
“Welcome everyone!” She greeted the crowd loudly, the excitement evident in her own voice as well. “What a joyous day where we come together and celebrate the newest of-age dragons in the village. I’d like you all to take a moment to think back to your own presentation and how nervous you were.”
The arena stayed quiet as everyone followed her instructions. Nervous was an understatement. When Yoongi was about to present, he was a total wreck.
Royal dragons were expected to master the technique of breathing fire in their human forms, something that was extremely difficult to master. Being a bit of an overachiever, Yoongi had decided to master this by his Presentation Day, something no one had asked of him.
It had taken months of grueling effort, of working day and night to achieve. Leading up to the ceremony, he had been having nightmares every night of failing, of being unable to produce anything, or worst case: lighting his entire throat on fire.
But by some grace of the dragons above, Yoongi had done it. He started his performance with an aerial dance in his dragon form, intricate twists and turns, and finished his dance with a long free fall in which he shifted mid-air, landing in a nest of blankets he left on the stage.
Wrapped in the blankets to protect his dignity, Yoongi had stood and let out an arc of beautiful blue fire, straight from his human throat. He had been exhausted, but the cheers he got from the crowd in return had been exhilarating and he felt all his hard work had paid off.
“I’d like you to remember how you felt, and put yourself in our presenter’s shoes,” the queen continued, drawing Yoongi out of his memories. “And as a reminder to be respectful and supportive. It’s a scary time for any dragon, and they deserve our full attention.”
“And to our performers,” she addressed the presenting dragons who were currently lined up on stage. Yoongi hadn’t noticed them enter, too distracted by his own thoughts. There were only five performing this year, and Jungkook was standing at the far end. His shoulders back and at attention, clearly trying to appear put together and without nerves.
“May Decalcomanus guide you, and good luck!”
With that, the crowd broke out into applause and the queen took her seat. The performers on stage all bowed to the audience before four of them filed off the stage, leaving one woman alone at the center.
Yoongi did his best to pay attention to the other performers, eager to get to one performer in particular. As time passed, it became more and more clear that Jungkook was likely going to be the last one to go, much to Yoongi’s frustration. The other performers were all talented, obviously, but Yoongi found himself struggling to pay attention.
The fourth performer was a woman named Yoobin, who started by shifting into a lovely yellow dragon, like a sunflower. She gave a short but beautiful fire and dance display. She performed six different moves, each finishing with a swirl of flame of a different color of the rainbow.
Changing fire colors was a very difficult skill to master, and it was impressive that Yoobin managed so many. As she began her last move, she shot straight into the air and gracefully spun back down to earth, releasing bursts of colored flame as she descended.
The audience cheered strongly for her, so far hers had been the most memorable performance of the day.
But of course, there was still one performance to go.
Everything was silent when Jungkook finally stepped onto the stage, or at least Yoongi couldn’t hear anything over the pounding of his own heart in his ears. Jungkook strode out with confidence, stopping once he was center stage.
Jungkook wore loose brown pants that hung low on his hips. He was topless and there were a series of symbols painted across his chest in bright red clay. Yoongi couldn’t quite make out the symbols from where he was sitting, but he could see how Jungkook’s body glistened in some sort of oil. It was...distracting to say the least.
Yoongi had always known Jungkook was strong. He was a blacksmith in training, soon to get his official assignment now that he was presenting. Yoongi had seen Jungkook working at the anvil with his own eyes (and still daydreamed about the flexing of his biceps whenever he had the chance).
But seeing Jungkook now, his entire upper body bare and on display, Yoongi truly got an idea of how strong he really was. Even with the distance, Yoongi thought he could see the definition of Jungkook’s abs.
Yoongi wondered if Jungkook was doing sit-ups backstage before the presentation just to make them stick out more. The thought made Yoongi smile. Even when he was trying to appear strong and tough, Jungkook was so cute.
Yoongi watched as Jungkook took a deep breath in, his already broad chest expanding with the motion. And with that, Jungkook’s performance began.
Jungkook started with a dance in his human form. He moved powerfully but gracefully across the stage. Even though he was only one person, his presence seemed to fill the entire arena. Or maybe Yoongi was biased.
Jungkook’s dance was an old, traditional dance created by their village hundreds of years ago. Everyone knew it, but Jungkook performed it with such emotion, it was like Yoongi was seeing it for the first time.
It told the story of a dragon who’d lost his wings, and the human who found them. Their bond grew and the dragon fell in love with the human, and his love was so strong he was able to shift into a human so he could be with her, and together they brought the first dragon shifters into the world.
Jungkook played both the dragon and the human in the dance, switching between the serpentine-like movements of the dragon and the graceful steps of the woman, until eventually they were in harmony as one.
When Jungkook finished, the audience broke out into cheers, Yoongi included. He was excited to see what Jungkook would do next, because although the dance was long enough already to meet the requirements of presentation, Jungkook still had to do something in his dragon form.
Yoongi watched as Jungkook panted from center stage, trying to catch his breath after the dance. Jungkook took another deep breath before crouching down. He leapt from his crouch, and mid-air shifted into his dragon form.
Jungkook’s dragon was beautiful. His body was long and thick, obviously quite powerful. The scales were a deep, royal purple that appeared metallic in the sunlight, like armor. His wingspan was long as well, Yoongi guessed that Jungkook could blow over an entire town if he thrusted hard enough. Yoongi was in awe.
Yoongi held his breath as he awaited Jungkook’s next move. Then, Jungkook did something Yoongi would’ve never expected in a hundred years.
Jungkook paced the stage back and forth three times before he settled in the center and laid down in a coil, using his wings to shield his face. This only meant one thing.
Jungkook was about to start a courting dance.
Back in the early days of their village, dragons would officially court someone when they had interest in them, and that usually began with a courting dance.
All dances began the same way, with the dragon curled and hidden as a way of showing submission to their person of choice. Then they began a dance to show off their skills as a dragon to show off their strengths. The purpose was to demonstrate how they could provide for their intended mate.
Nowadays, courting was fairly out of style. It rarely happened, and even if it did, it happened privately, never in front of the entire village at once. But the choice to do it here, at his presentation, was Jungkook making a statement. He was so in love with someone that he wanted everyone to know.
But who? Yoongi couldn’t help but wonder. Yoongi looked around, as if with one glance he’d make eye contact with Jungkook’s sweetheart. Who would Jungkook be so taken by that he was willing to do this? Yoongi seethed with jealousy, furious at whoever this mystery person was.
But, before he could stew for too long, Jungkook stood and made his way over to where Yoongi sat with his mother. First, Jungkook bowed at the queen and she bowed back, an unusual move in the middle of a presentation, but Yoongi didn’t show his confusion on his face.
Then, Jungkook moved to stand in front of Yoongi. His dragon was tall enough that even though Yoongi was on a raised platform above the stage, their faces were still level. Jungkook pressed his nose to Yoongi’s forehead, his cool scales a relief on Yoongi’s heated face.
Yoongi watched as Jungkook began to bow to him as well, too shocked to even breathe, because this could only mean one thing. Jungkook was about to begin his courting dance, and the courting dance was meant for Yoongi.
Yoongi did his best to bow back, but he was shaking, too overwhelmed by what was happening to act like a normal person. He and Jungkook locked eyes, and Jungkook huffed when he noticed Yoongi’s watery eyes. Yoongi hoped Jungkook knew he was happy.
He smiled and sat back in his seat, ready to enjoy a performance made especially for him. Just the thought of it made his heart soar.
Jungkook huffed again and crouched down low. Then, after a small wiggle of his body, Jungkook shot into the sky.
He kept his wings tucked back, keeping his body as aerodynamic as possible. At the peak of his ascent, he spread his wings, holding himself in place. He got great air on his launch, a demonstration of his strength. He stopped himself quickly without losing altitude, displaying his speed, agility, and control over his own flight.
To put it simply, in one move Jungkook had already proven himself a powerful and talented dragon, and a worthy mate of the prince.
But of course, Jungkook was an overachiever, so it didn’t stop there.
Jungkook flew in circles around the arena, gradually building up speed as he went. Yoongi was squinting against the sun to try to follow his path, but he’d be damned before he took his eyes off of Jungkook for one second.
If Yoongi had been more self-aware, he would have noticed just how much his heart was racing, just how sweaty his hands were from his nerves, and just how red his face was from this public display of affection.
But Jungkook had all of his attention, so Yoongi’s internal freakout would have to happen another time.
Yoongi didn’t know what Jungkook was waiting for, but he was clearly circling for a reason. Yoongi wasn’t curious for too long, because he was soon startled by the sound of a releasing catapult.
A barrel of some kind was shot into the sky, and quickly shot down by a blast of dragon fire. The barrel exploded in a burst of pinks and reds, not too unlike a fireworks display.
More catapults were released, filling the sky with at least a dozen flying barrels. Jungkook shot between them quickly, not missing a single one, all of them exploding in a beautiful rainbow of color, all far enough away so as not to hurt anyone in the audience.
It was clear the message Jungkook was trying to send, he was fast, a sharp shooter, and a protector all at once.
After the last barrel had exploded, Jungkook floated carefully back to the stage, sitting back on his haunches in a relaxed posture. He stared at Yoongi directly before tilting his head back and releasing a magnificent burst of pale pink flame.
Yoongi gasped, completely taken aback.
When Yoongi was young, one of his favorite bedtime stories was one his mother told him about two childhood sweethearts. They were from different villages, but met one day picking flowers by the river. Since that first meeting, they both knew they were made for each other.
Then, one day, one of the villages was attacked by a rogue dragon, its flames destroying the entire town. The elder of the two lovers, who’s village was burned to the ground, decided then that she would never shift again, afraid of her own flame.
She distanced herself from her lover, afraid of him as well. His flames were a reminder of her people’s suffering, though she knew he’d never turn his fire on her. She couldn’t ask him to turn his back on his dragon, so she turned away from him instead, choosing to bear the weight of her pain alone.
One day, he left his village mysteriously, telling no one where he was going. On his journey, he encountered a witch and begged her for help with his love, some way to prove to her that no harm would come to her under his wing. The witch sensed their love, so sweet and pure, that she agreed.
When he returned to the village, he found his lover by the same river where the first met, picking at the grass beneath her. He flew overhead until he knew he had her attention. He opened his jaw as though to release flame, but before she could shy away in fear, she noticed it was not fire he breathed.
It was flowers.
The same pale pink primrose that the two were picking upon their first encounter.
He circled above her, showering her in the mesmerizing pink petals, and for the first time since the attack he heard her giggle. She reached her hands up to catch the flowers, like a child in snowfall, and looked at him with such adoration he knew he’d regained her trust.
To Yoongi, it was the most romantic story in the world.
And Jungkook knew this.
For here he was, not breathing flowers, but breathing fire in their exact shade. It was a message for Yoongi and Yoongi only. Jungkook loved him, and would trade anything in the world for Yoongi’s heart if that’s what’s required.
Only then did Yoongi allow the tears to finally stream down his face.
Yoongi didn’t watch Jungkook leave the stage, his head was buried in the crook of his elbow to try to stop the tears. He vaguely heard the cheers of the audience and thought he heard a few people call his own name out as well.
He was jostled out of whatever trance he was in when he felt a hand gently caressing his back. He looked up to meet his mother’s eyes, who was looking at him with such warmth and happiness that it took everything to stop Yoongi from sobbing all over again.
His mother moved her hand from his back to his cheek, using her thumb to softly sweep the tears away. “Are you happy?” She asked quietly, only for the two of them to hear.
Yoongi nodded, not trusting his own voice. She brought her other hand to his other cheek, cupping his face, and lifted his head so she could leave a kiss on his forehead. “I think you have someone waiting for you. Do you know where to find him?”
He nodded again, and she left another kiss on his forehead. It was so familiar, like how she used to comfort him as a child. He loved the quiet attentiveness of his mother. “I love you, Yoongi, my little prince.”
He finally cleared his throat and tried to get some control over his voice back, but despite his best efforts he still sounded shaky as he responded. “I love you too, mother.” He kissed her cheek in return.
He stood, finally, and wiped his face roughly to try to remove the tears and snot and whatever other mess was there. He smoothed down his robes and made to leave, before quickly turning around to face his mother again.
“Well?” He asked, as if expecting her to know what he wanted from her. When she didn’t immediately respond he sighed, embarrassed to be voicing this question out loud. He gestured to his clothes, his face, his hair. “How do I look?”
She laughed, which Yoongi tried not to be too offended by. He nervously smoothed down his hair and tried to ignore the heavy blush on his cheeks.
“Your makeup somehow managed to stay intact during all your blubbering,” she joked lightly. “I should really ask the priestesses where they get it.”
Yoongi laughed, his nervousness dissipating a little with her teasing. She brushed his hair back, pushing the locks off his forehead. She looked him over one more time and nodded to herself in approval.
“I think that should do it.” She smoothed fixed his robe back onto his shoulder. “After that display I imagine you could show up draped in garbage and he would still look at you like you hung the stars.”
“You really think so?” Yoongi asked shyly. Even after the very public announcement that Jungkook was interested in him, Yoongi still couldn’t really believe it. After all these years, his love was requited.
“Why don’t you go find out for yourself, hm?” She smiled at him again. “And really don’t be nervous, you look beautiful, I can see the love written on your face. Now go get your dragon!”
She turned him around, pushing him in the direction of the exit. Looking around, Yoongi noticed that everyone had already left the arena. He must’ve been recovering for longer than he thought. He silently thanked whatever guards led everyone out of the stands, because he didn’t think he could bear the embarrassment of everyone watching him break down.
Yoongi rushed out of the arena. Now that he had his wits back, he knew he had to find Jungkook and fast. He’d already left the other alone for long enough.
He didn’t have to wrack his brain for where Jungkook might be. Whenever Yoongi wanted to find Jungkook, he could always find him at the beach.
They were fortunate that their village was so close to the ocean, something not everyone got to experience. Yoongi liked the beach well enough, a nice destination on a hot summer’s day, but Jungkook absolutely adored it. It was where he went for comfort, for solitude, and when he wanted Yoongi to find him.
Yoongi ran to the beach, unable to hold himself back any longer. It was only a five minute trip, not far from where the arena was located, but that didn’t matter to Yoongi. He would’ve run a hundred miles if the finish line were Jungkook’s arms.
Jungkook was alone on the beach when Yoongi finally spotted him, everyone else already returned to the festivities in town. Yoongi stopped in his tracks for a moment, just to observe. Jungkook was standing, looking out over the water and studying the waves.
He was no longer in his performance attire, but instead a set of light and comfortable robes. Yoongi couldn’t see his face, but he looked peaceful, standing there against the sea.
Was he anxious? Yoongi wondered. He had no reason to be, because Yoongi was here, and he’d always choose Jungkook, so long as Jungkook will let him.
As if he could sense Yoongi standing there, staring at his back, Jungkook turned. Their eyes met and Jungkook gave him a shy smile. Always so cute, always so perfect.
A wide grin took over Yoongi’s entire face, and before he knew it Yoongi was running again. Jungkook’s eyes widened, but he quickly recovered, only opening his arms to receive Yoongi.
Yoongi felt his outer robe billowing in the wind behind him. He must have looked a sight, running down the beach in his fanciest attire.
When he finally reached Jungkook, he tackled him over, the two of them collapsing rather ungracefully into a pile in the sand. Jungkook was on his back, with Yoongi splayed on his chest.
Yoongi pushed himself up, bracketing Jungkook’s head with his hands. The two of them stared at each other without saying a word, the only sounds were the waves and the panting of Yoongi’s breath.
“Fancy meeting you here,” Jungkook finally broke the silence.
Yoongi ignored him, and instead leaned down until their faces were just a hair’s breadth apart. Yoongi’s gaze flickered from Jungkook’s eyes to his lips and back. Sensing no hesitance, Yoongi finally closed the distance and captured Jungkook’s lips with his own.
Jungkook answered quickly and greedily, seemingly trying to steal Yoongi’s own breath from his lungs. Jungkook’s hand made its way into Yoongi’s hair, cradling his head gently. Yoongi hummed in contentment at the motion, pleased with the care Jungkook was already showing him.
Yoongi poured his heart into the kiss, all his years of pining and yearning, and Jungkook responded in equal measure.
“My answer is yes,” Yoongi said breathlessly when he finally managed to pull himself away. “Make me yours, I’ll be yours forever.”
Jungkook’s hand moved from Yoongi’s hair to his cheek, caressing it softly as he studied Yoongi’s face. He didn’t respond at first, just looked at Yoongi as though he was questioning if all this was real. It felt like a dream to Yoongi too.
“It’s that easy?” Jungkook finally spoke. Yoongi smiled lovingly.
“Baby, all you had to do was ask.”
He brought their lips together for one final kiss, much shorter and sweeter than the previous one they shared. When they separated again, Yoongi opted to tuck his face into Jungkook’s neck, his body still wrapped around Jungkook’s as though if he let go, the other man would float away.
Jungkook ran his hands contentedly up and down Yoongi’s back, and Yoongi basked in the attention. Yoongi didn’t know how long they laid there, stuck together, and listened to the gentle lapping of the waves. He could’ve stayed there forever.
He knew one thing, though, that he would have Jungkook forever, and honestly what more could he ask for.