Work Text:
Cale looked at the guitar that was sitting on ancient dragon Eruhaben's lap, the dragon was teaching kids how to play the instrument. On, Hong and Raon was fascinated when Eruhaben first played it one week ago. They practically begged their grandpa to learn it and the old dragon couldn't resist their puppy eyes.
The redhead sipped his lemonade and closed his eyes, listening the melody.
They were at the Harris Village, others were with the tigers, but soon they joined too.
Cale opened his eyes, looking at the smiling faces of his family, relaxed and allowed his lips to go up.
Raon flew and sat on his lap, Cale stroked his head like an instinct. It was peaceful since they defeated White Star, he finally got his slacker life.
Welp, he couldn't slack off today, it seemed. He had to go to the capital for the anniversary of defeating White Star and even if he begged not to attend the ceremony his hyung didn't listen any of it.
Cale took off his jacket and sat down, he just arrived at the Henituse Villa that was in the capital. He was terrified of the people, they were all holding silver shields, some of them also had water or earth spears, some had a red, gloving, thunderbolt looking sticks and some even had RED WIGS!
Cale was terrified, he felt like fainting. He was violently shaking when kids went to buy some of those. His kids! Went to buy! Those disgusting things! Cale wanted to cry, he wanted to cry out loud and drink.
When his shaking finally stopped he stood up and tried to relax a bit. He moved his eyes in the room trying to find something that could make him feel better.
His eyes stopped at something. Cale took that thing, opened the bag and held the instrument inside.
He sat more comfortably and played the song that came to his mind first, unaware of the ears listening. Kids were about to come in when they saw Cale taking out the guitar and decided not to disturb, they didn't want to annoy their father, definitely not because they wanted to hear him play.
Cale started playing, Roslyn, Mary, Tasha and Choi Han who was walking down the corridor talking stopped, Tasha immediately took out her recording device just like Rosalyn. Choi Han looked at the ladies with strange eyes, he knew the record would spread around like fire but who was he to stop these scary women?
Ron was carrying a lemon tea when he heard his puppy young master singing and stopped to listen. Just like many other strong individuals who had very strong hearing abilities that were listening from downstairs.
I can hold my breath
I can bite my tongue
I can stay awake for days
If that's what you want
Be your number one
It was a slow one and none of them had heard this style before. Their young master was a genius who could write a song! On the other hand Choi Han recognized the song.
I can fake a smile
I can force a laugh
I can dance and play the part
If that's what you ask
Give you all I am
The bening smile on Ron's face dropped; he didn't like where this song was going.
I can do it
I can do it
I can do it
Rosalyn looked at Tasha's eyes with uncertainty. Tasha understood her uneasiness, this song wasn't going anywhere good.
But I'm only human
And I bleed when I fall down
I'm only human
And I crash and I break down
Choi Han mused how the lyrics were perfect for Cale. Raon almost shouted "Yes! You're a human, I, great and mighty dragon Raon Miru will protect you! You won't bleed again, human!" But he held himself.
Rosalyn clenched her fist, that uneasiness turning into something else she couldn't describe but it felt so bad.
Your words in my head, knives in my heart
You build me up and then I fall apart
'Cause I'm only human
All of them remembered how Cale stabbed himself with a tree rot. 'Countess Drew..' Though Ron when he heard a certain part. 'Young master fell apart when she died.'
I can turn it on
Be a good machine
I can hold the weight of worlds
If that's what you need
Be your everything
'I knew Young Master Cale suffered so much but I didn't know he was under that pleasure, he was acting so confident all the time.' though Rosalyn with a grim expression. Tasha had similar thoughts.
Deruth was so down in mood, he was sitting at the chairs, listening his son singing about how he suffered.
I can do it
I can do it
I'll get through it
But I'm only human
And I bleed when I fall down
I'm only human
And I crash and I break down
Your words in my head, knives in my heart
You build me up and then I fall apart
'Cause I'm only human
I'm only human
I'm only human
Just a little human
Lock remembered how Cale's back looked so big to him even though he was taller and stronger than this human.
Rosalyn thought how she was amazed when Cale was able to do impossible things, she always thought nothing could pull him down, nothing could affect him because he was so strong and was supporting them all the time. She got mad at herself for not realizing he was a human just like her.
I can take so much
'Til I've had enough
'Cause I'm only human
And I bleed when I fall down
I'm only human
And I crash and I break down
Your words in my head, knives in my heart
You build me up and then I fall apart
'Cause I'm only human
No one moved an inch, listening their family to finish playing the final notes.
When it finally stopped they didn't barge in either. They just slowly retreated, to go somewhere they can be alone and think.
Cale put down the guitar, he was feeling better now that he let out some of his stress.
The ceremony ended without much chaos and Cale was finally resting. He immediately jumped into his bed and slept. He couldn't sleep at all if he knew what was going on.
Cale's singing reached even the tiniest villages out there in the Empire and was spreading outside of the Roan.
People listened and sang, crying in the process, trying to understand their hero. Rulers of the other countries on the Western Continent played their own record over and over again, thinking of the moments how this young master sacrificed himself for their country.
Clopeh and his cult tried to attack everyone who's singing, they thought no one could understand a legend's pain, no one was worthy saying the same words with him.
On, Hong and Raon swore that they would take care of their human till the end of their life (they didn't acknowledge their human had a shorter lifespan than theirs), they tied a red string at their tails to remember it every time.
Alberu prepared some golden plaques to give his dongsaeng, just to see his smiling face. (Cale did smile so bright when he gave those to him that Alberu thought his eyes went blind for a second, but then Cale thought it was suspicious and asked what he wanted in return. İt was awkward to explain he didn't want anything.)
Everyone on the continent made a silent agreement about not letting Cale find out about the records of him singing and Cale lived his slacker life happily not knowing anything. Sometimes ignorance is a bliss..