Work Text:
4AM.
You look at your alarm clock throwing its blue light at your exhausted face.
You absolutely hate insomnia.
Not that you’re not used to it; you have been dealing with it for years. It happens very occasionally, on a certain day in the week; and no matter how tired you are, you’re used to staying here, eyes closed, just hoping for sleep to finally free you from your unremitting thoughts. At some point, you know that you’re just too used to it now; somehow it became a habit for your brain.
A very bad habit.
And even now you’re used to it, it’s still very upsetting; just as if your brain forgets you actually can live your life without any problem even though you slept only two hours the night before.
And so you are, mumbling under your quilt as you, somehow, beg your brain to just shut down for a bit. You’re not that desperate, as you actually are on holiday; however, you are still a human who needs to sleep at times.
Just sleep a few hours to actually enjoy properly your day, you know?
5AM.
It didn’t happen; and you’re more and more agitated. Fuck, why can’t I just sleep? I’m not even stressed, there’s absolutely no reason for me not finding sleep…
That’s the moment you choose to get up and do something else. You know, on all the internet pages you read about how to deal with insomnia, they often say that you should just get up and do something, even start your day, when it’s been too long you’re not sleeping.
You still hope that, by breaking your night by getting up that early, you’ll finally end up sleeping at some point just because you’re not too focused on this fucking insomnia anymore.
Well. You have tons of possibilities; the apartment being all yours for the night. You could watch a series, read, or even cook some pancakes you could share for breakfast with your housemate -whenever he would wake up, though. You actually could have met him now, at 5AM, in the living room humming a song or cooking noodles; but not this time.
No, this time, you are alone; and in the end you chose to read your book, comfortably lying on the sofa, a plaid spread on your knees.
You’re very cautious about not checking the time; or it would upset you even more. And if you had to spend a sleepless night, then may it be. You absolutely couldn’t care any less; since you’re on holiday.
It will be okay. Just stay calm and enjoy your time, right?
You absolutely don’t know how long you spent with your book on your lap. It could have been twenty minutes or one hour; your eyes are burning but you’re kind of determined to exhaust yourself, so you’d be sure to sleep. So you’re reading more… just a bit more… one last chapter…
“Already up?”
A hoarse and sleepy voice creeps into your ears; making you jump with surprise after all this silence and your only company being yourself and your thoughts.
You throw your head back on the back of the sofa; your eyes meeting the sparkling -yet clouded by sleep- irises of Jungkook, your housemate.
A soft smile finds its way on your lips and a warm feeling spread from your stomach to the rest of your body.
“More like ‘not sleeping yet’.”
He raises his eyebrows and tucks a strand of his messy long hair behind his right ear, before walking around the sofa to come closer and sit next to you. When he lets himself fall by your side, he lets escape a sigh as you move your legs to give him some space.
“Night has been long, right?”
You turn to him; he’s not looking at you, though. As if he didn’t want to make you uncomfortable.
You shrug.
“A bit. What time is it?”
He yawns while looking at his phone.
“Almost 7.
— Oh. You’re up quite early.”
He turns his gaze to you this time. A smirk creeps on his lips.
“As the valiant knight I am, I guess my wonderful instincts told me it was time to save you from your despair.”
You throw the cushion that was lying under your thigh at his face.
“You are my despair.
— Oh is that so?” he pouts before crossing his arms on his chest, bringing his right arm covered with tattoos under the artificial light.
Your eyes linger on the curious black inky winged creature that winds around his wrist. It was the last one he made, something like one year ago; you’ve never quite understood the meaning of it. Maybe it’s just cool -and yeah, it is.
You hold back a yawn and his gaze brushes your skin as you do.
A great softness running through his voice, he whispers, tilting his head to the side:
“Do you…?”
You look at him, knowing what he’s offering you.
Usually, you’re not fond of physical touches, hugs and that kind of things; it just makes you tense. Parasitic thoughts would just overwhelm you, like “do I have to hug back” “where do I put my hands now” or “do I even smell good?”, making you kind of uncomfortable.
It had been the same with Jungkook for a long time, too. Somehow you two have known each other for years, since your childhood even; you don’t even remember a time when you didn’t know this boy. You were friends in a small village but somehow life separated you as you grew up; you kept in touch but it was not the same, it turned hard to meet. But things changed when you somehow found a job in the city where he was working himself -as a tattoo artist. And somehow, you ended up in a flat-share with him as it appeared way better for your savings.
And also, because the two of you were beyond happy to find each other again. Jungkook has always been special for you, even though you would not message or call a lot when you were apart -the boy not really being into social networks or even talking by message. It has always been like that. You didn’t talk a lot when you were not together. You just lived your life without him, just accumulating new things to tell him next time you would meet.
Trusting someone and feeling comfortable enough to let them touch you; or, instead, giving you the right to rely on them, has always been hard, and Jungkook knows how to keep the good distance with you. He would always ask, never doing something that would make you feel uneasy.
And this is precisely what makes you feel comfortable with him, more than anyone else.
You’re tensed but, however, you accept with gratitude your friend’s offer.
Your head heavy with sleep, you let yourself fall against his side. You just really need to let it go, now; you’re so tired. And you’re thankful he lets you doing so.
He says nothing for a while and, the top of your head lying near his collar bone, you think you would finally fall from exhaustion, lulled by his breathing.
However, you suddenly feel his fingers brushing your skin near your wrist to catch your attention.
“Would you… be able to keep a secret?”
You turn your head so your eyes can meet his.
“Of course. What kind of secret?”
A soft smile creeps on his lips; you feel like there are different feelings emerging in the warm chocolate melting in his irises. Something that looks like excitement linked to some mystery, but also some hope -and maybe something else. But you’re definitely too tired to make a full read of your best friend’s face.
“Surprise”, he finally whispers, making you raise your eyebrows. “I’d like you to close your eyes.”
You blink.
“Why? You can’t just tell me?
— Do you trust me?”, he smiles; however, he’s looking for your approval in your eyes. You can hear a sort of hesitation in his voice.
His right arm is still lying on your shoulders; and it feels like a shield that would protect you against everything. You obviously trust him more than you could trust yourself.
Slowly, you nod.
“Of course. Tell me, if you trust me too.”
The last thing you see before finally closing your eyes is his smile.
“I trust you more than anyone else.”
His warm fingers skim your forehead in a gentle touch, a sort of caress, so light that you could barely feel it.
You feel darkness overwhelm you, and your head falls to definitely rest with all its weight on Jungkook’s shoulder.
* * *
A breeze brushes your arms.
And you feel like you’re waking up from a long, very long night. A relaxing night.
But somehow, you who’s usually quite quick to get up on waking, you feel like you’re still deeply stuck in the weird sleep you were in. It’s like your head is under water, and you can’t hear, understand or feel properly what’s happening around you. You can’t even grab where exactly you are lying on. The sofa? Your bed? The floor? Absolutely no idea, it could have been anything and yet you would have found it very comfy.
You stay several minutes in this strange state between sleep and waking.
Until the warm breath of wind crashes on your face.
No. It’s not warm.
It’s hot. And the smell is not familiar at all.
Your instincts suddenly fully wake you up.
You abruptly open your eyes and go back while straightening up, so quickly that you hurt your head against what was behind you -a wall visibly- and a whine crosses your lips.
You try to focus on what has waken you up in some way.
Only for you to find two giant eyes as green as the foliage of a forest, a vertical pupil splitting the iris like a bottomless drift.
And whatever is in front of you -you really don’t have time to grasp the whole thing-, the said thing clearly growls at you in a threatening way.
It all came so fast that you can’t even think properly about it. You just go with the first thing that comes to your half-sleeping half-terrified brain: you let escape a scream.
It must be a nightmare; we just can’t have such a huge thing in our living room. Damn, is the TV alive?
You instantly regret your scream. Because, what could annoy even more a giant creature -what, is it a reptile? It definitely looks like a reptile- than a small moving and screaming thing?
The creature takes a step back as its pupils narrow; a roar you’ve never heard before rising in its throat.
Okay. Maybe it is a dream, but it looks very realistic, and you feel pretty well the discharge of adrenaline suddenly rushing through your veins.
“Oh- uh- hey, giant and cutie lizard, maybe we can start again with a clean slate, you know…?”
Not much open to discussion, the creature growls again showing its -inexistant teeth. However, it doesn’t reassure you a lot.
You start to think it would be great to wake up now, when a voice rises, echoing against the walls.
“No, no, no! Tony, what the fuck are you doing?!”
And suddenly, the threatening creature changes utterly.
A few seconds before, it was standing on its back legs, making it even more huge and intimidating. When the voice echoed, the “lizard” fell on its four legs, suddenly way less big -but it’s relative though, it is still taller than you, like a horse would be. And it’s a strange size for a lizard.
Its pupils spread in its green irises, taking almost all the place; just like a cat's.
And finally, a tiny whine -as if it was feeling guilty- escapes its throat as it lowers its head to the side; where the voice comes from. A voice that, when you think about it now, is very familiar.
Your shoulders finally relax a bit and you turn to your saviour. That’s when you see your housemate standing in the light of the entrance of, you could better appreciate it now, a cave dug in the rock.
You know your brain has a great creativity -reading as you do helps-, but you didn’t know your tired brain would have that much.
You meet Jungkook’s eyes; and he’s obviously very worried when he crosses the few meters that were separating the both of you.
“You okay?”
You nod, and he releases a sigh. He turns to the creature, his eyebrows furrowed with irritation.
“I told you to take care, not scare!”
The creature looks at him with its big eyes, pleading for forgiveness -and to be honest you can’t prevent your heart from melting and feeling a bit bad for this poor thing. You clear your voice, and speak again:
“I’m alright, you know. No need to scold… uh… him?”
The creature turns its gaze to you; and somehow it’s so expressive that you read the gratitude and the interest you now represent to it.
Jungkook pouts.
“Yeah but… well, I imagined a better first impression when you’d first meet Tony. I guess he just got curious and you both scared each other…”
You don’t listen to the end of his sentence. Tony. Jungkook named the giant lizard.
You rub your eyes; but when you open them again, both Jungkook and Tony are still in front of you, curiously watching every one of your actions.
What a strange dream.
Not knowing how to get the answers to your questions by just losing yourself in the green eyes of the creature, you turn to Jungkook again. That’s when you realise he’s not wearing his pyjamas anymore -usually a sweatshirt with a large tracksuit trousers.
You’ve never seen these clothes on him before. They’re dark, close-fitting and look quite flexible. It actually looks a bit like a rider outfit, but a bit thicker. His hands are hidden by thick black gloves on which light is reflecting in a curious way; it actually looks like they’re made of scales. You’ve never seen the boots he’s wearing either; they look thick too, but not exactly in a stylised way; they look more like… a protective equipment. On top of that, he has tied his messy black inky hair in a bun behind his head, spitting out dark locks on his neck and forehead as he probably did it very quickly.
Of course, Jungkook has always had a great figure, you know it; but somehow the vision you have in front of you right now literally makes your heart fall in the depths of your chest. You have to admit: he’s hot. Like, very hot.
You clear your throat to put up a front; attempt that fails miserably.
“So, uh… I don’t want to be rude, but… can I ask what is… him?”
Hesitantly, you show Tony with your chin. Now that you look at him better, you can see the creature has a head making you think a bit of an axolotl, mixed with the eyes of a cat. He has a long body covered with black scales; except for his sides and stomach that appear white. He has a long tail that takes all the width of the cave. And, finally, the biggest detail you definitely should have noticed before: on his sides you could admire a huge pair of folded wings as dark as a starless night.
A huge lizard with wings.
You understand even before Jungkook answers your question, a glint of worry in his eyes, as if he was scared of your reaction:
“He’s a dragon, of course. A Night Light, more specifically.”
A dragon.
Now you’re sure of it: you’re definitely dreaming.
Dragons do not exist.
Your eyes leave the creature for a moment to turn again to Jungkook; who has put a protective hand on Tony’s head, waiting for your answer with concern.
You have tons of questions; so many that you can’t even express them properly even in your head. However, the first thing finally managing to cross your lips is:
“So… you have a dragon… and you chose to name him Tony?”
At this very moment, you see the worry fly away from Jungkook’s dark irises; you can almost see the sunlight illuminating his face again. Relief overwhelms him so much that he starts laughing; a clear sound prettily echoing against the walls of the cave.
A thin smile creeps on your lips as you’re watching him. However, it was a real question. Tony doesn’t sound like a dragon name at all. But somehow it sounds so very Jungkook…
That’s when it hits you. You frown.
“No way. Don’t tell me… is it because of Tony Stark?”
He pouts, and you know you’re right. You think about his Iron Man figurines in his room, and how he cried when the two of you watched the last Avengers movie in the cinema -even though you cried too.
You chuckle, softly at first, before it transforms in a real burst of laughter, achieving to relieve all the pressure of the last few minutes. Jungkook tries to look offended but he can’t play for a long time; and he ends up joining you in laughter. Tony is looking at you, obviously bewildered, the excrescences you suppose to be his ears pricking up on his head; as if he was suddenly overwhelmed by the sound.
When the two of you finally calm down, having to catch your breath, you actually have to rely on the wall not to collapse.
“Oh, wow… this is so… very you, I guess…
— Hum, thank you, I guess? However, I have to correct you; Tony’s not really mine. Like, talking about property makes no sense; besides, he doesn’t like it.
— Like… he can understand what you say?
— Sure. What you say too. Dragons are very intelligent, you know.”
You glance at the said intelligent dragon, who is now busy playing with a stone, making it roll between his legs before jumping on it, pupils dilated. He actually looks like a little -or more like, very big- kitten right now. How cute.
“Yeah, I see”, you raise an eyebrow. “So then… I guess we can’t consider him as your pet so…
— He’s a friend. He helps me with what I have to do here.
— What you have to do…?”, you repeat, quite perplexed.
He smiles at you; a gentle and yet thrilled smile.
“I’ll show you.”
He offers a hand, inviting you to follow him. You hesitate a bit; but finally decide to take it. After all, it is a dream, there won’t be any consequences to the choices you’re making here and now. Might as well taking some advantage, it’s not that often you can make a realistic lucid dream like this one. Maybe it was time to show some confidence you would never dare to display on a daily basis.
Jungkook seems surprised seeing how quickly you took his hand; however, he says nothing and a smile draws his lips up as he leads you towards the exit of the cave, his gloved fingers clasping yours.
And what you see when you finally go out of the place literally takes your breath away, and you have to stop to absorb what spreads before your eyes. Your friend turns to you but you’re so busy watching what’s all around you with wide-open eyes that you can’t even catch his proud smile.
Jungkook and you are standing at the edge of a high cliff, allowing you to have a very clear and broad view. In front of you appears the most colourful painting you’ve ever seen. Hundreds of rocky peaks stretch towards the sky -or the ceiling, to be honest you can’t really see what’s above your head and you can’t see any natural light either, so you’re not sure if you’re just in a cave way bigger or if it’s night. However, you don’t have any issue to properly see; as the peaks are literally covered with thousands of colourful and bright stones. It’s like they’re made of liquid rainbow light. You would have never thought such a thing could exist in nature; but you quickly dismiss this thought. What happens here definitely goes way beyond what “usually” happens in the nature you know, and nothing should surprise you now. If you risk a peek at the ground, hundreds of meters below, you could see strange plants, as colourful and luminous as the rocks; they could actually make you think of the seabed, except there is no water.
And, among this marvellous landscape, you can see hundreds of inhabitants; flying inhabitants. Alone or in groups, you can see thousands of other dragons, of all sizes, shapes and colours. They could be gliding, or flying after each other and then perch on one of the peaks as if they were playing off-ground touch. They’re so wild and yet… so peaceful.
You turn your head a bit towards Jungkook, and this is when you realise he’s observing you. The magical rocks and plants are projecting hundreds of colours in his eyes, making them more bewitching and beautiful than ever.
When your eyes meet, he looks away to embrace the landscape spreading at your feet.
“So?
— So… this is… wow”, you don’t even have words to describe what you’re seeing, as you look in the same direction.
Your reaction makes him chuckle.
“Yeah, I guess “wow” is the good word indeed. I thought the same when I first came here.
— But… what’s this place? It doesn’t… look real, or even logical”, you say as you glance again at the magical luminous stones.
He looks at you, and you can see his eyes sparkling mischievously.
“We call it the Hidden World. I am… how to say this… I am the guardian of this place.”
The guardian of the Hidden World.
The dark-haired man doesn’t really give you the time to comprehend what he just said that he has already turned away. However, you can’t break away from the landscape, hypnotising.
Jungkook has to call your name several times, and when he feels you’re finally listening, he adds:
“I can… show you. No, no, it’s not that. I… want to show you. Would you…?”
You turn to him and, once again, you have your breath taken away because of the surprise that hits you.
Tony had joined you -since when, you couldn’t tell-, and Jungkook is now sitting astride his back, just before his wings. Your friend is holding himself very straight; very proud to show you this part of himself. Maybe he’s a bit overdoing it to impress you though.
And maybe it works.
“You actually… ride dragons?”
He smirks.
“Only Tony. He accepted it a few years ago when we became friends and… well, let’s say it helped me to be accepted by the other dragons. Tony’s their alpha, so…
— Their alpha?”
You feel a bit stupid repeating everything he’s saying, but it’s way too much information.
“Yeah. The alpha protects them all. And they all protect the alpha. That’s how it works.”
Once again, he offers you a hand.
“Will you?”
You come closer and he moves a bit to give you some space to sit right behind him. You hesitate a bit, your eyes lingering on the hand he’s holding out to you. Isn’t… this a bit too crazy?
However, you feel something pushing you from behind. When you turn your head to see what it was, you understand that Tony is pushing you towards Jungkook with his tail. The creature makes a strange noise coming from the bottom of his throat; sounding a bit like a laugh.
Pushed both by the dragon and Jungkook’s impatient gaze, you finally let your friend help you get on.
You’ve already ridden horses before; however, it feels really different to ride a dragon. First, you’re sitting directly on the scales and well, you understand now why Jungkook wears reinforced trousers. Tony’s wings are right behind your legs and you can feel them move against your calves, which is a very disconcerting feeling.
Also, on a horse, at least you have the mane to hold onto. Now…
“I advise you to hold on to me; and pretty tightly. Not taking advantage of the situation of course, but I’d prefer not to have to swoop to save your life.”
You punch Jungkook’s biceps, making him snigger. However, you don’t have any choice as he’s actually right: the only thing you could possibly hold onto right now is the dark-haired man’s waist.
And well, between death and clinging onto Jungkook’s waistline, you can’t even possibly hesitate. Even though you feel a bit uneasy with the proximity it implies.
“Trust me.”
His voice has changed from a bit teasing to very soft; and you know, deep in your chest, that he’s not talking only about the flight.
And, answering his call, you wrap your arms around his torso. He takes your wrists to move your arms so you actually hold him tighter; and you’re glad he can’t see you blush right now.
“And now, we’re ready! Tony, let’s go!”
You can hear the smile, almost childish, in his voice.
You can’t help but hug his waist even more when you feel the dragon move under your legs as you feel like you would just fall at any moment.
But you don’t fall. Actually, the wings behind your calves allow you to settle yourself, even though they’re moving as the dragon prepares to take off. And against you, Jungkook is really steady; as if he had done it thousands of times already. Which is probably the case.
No, you definitely couldn’t fall.
Tony starts to run towards the edge and as a scream stays blocked in your throat, you firmly close your eyes as if it would protect you from whatever would come.
Nothing really comes, though.
You feel like the dragon stopped moving; like the whole world actually stopped. It’s like you’re on a boat, floating on a calm see, lulled by gentle waves.
The wind swirls all around you, making your hair and clothes hit your skin at a fast pace. It makes you feel a bit cold, however, Jungkook’s back is enough to bring you enough warmth not to be uncomfortable.
Finally, slowly, you open one eyelid; then two.
And you know you won’t be able to shut them anymore.
If what you saw at the edge was already hypnotic, it was nothing compared to actually fly among such a landscape.
You’re surrounded by colours and lights, reflecting on your skin and in your eyes. All around you are flying dozens of other dragons you can now see closer; even though they’re obviously keeping a respectful distance with Tony, their alpha.
You open your eyes wide, and dare to loosen a bit your grip on Jungkook’s waist, to allow yourself to have a better vision of the magic fluttering all around you.
All you can hear is the sound of the wind whistling in your ears and the other dragons’ sounds as they accompany you in your flight. It sounds like a melody; a melody of freedom. Maybe, maybe you get a bit teary. Am I really living this? Or dreaming? Whatever… You finally let your muscles relax a bit and allow yourself to rely a bit more comfortably against Jungkook’s back, your cheek against the tip of his left shoulder as you admire the landscape. You feel at peace, here and now.
You wish this moment could last forever; suspended between space and time.
* * *
Of course, it didn’t; and after long minutes of flight, you feel the direction of the wind change a bit as you start to lose altitude.
When Tony touches solid ground again, it’s not on the edge you were on earlier.
Jungkook lets himself fall from the back of the dragon first before helping you again. It feels so weird; as if you got used to weighing nothing for the last few minutes, and now you have to gasp the extent of gravity again. You stoop a bit with this sudden force appearing on your shoulders again.
Jungkook sounds exhilarated when he turns to you after petting Tony.
“So?! How was it?!”
And, forgetting your natural reserve, a smile as bright as his paints itself on your lips.
“It was the greatest thing I’ve ever lived!
— Yeah, right! I knew you would react like this!!”
He just looks so happy right now, absolutely delighted he could finally share this moment with you. And to be honest, his ingenuous glee makes you feel all warm inside. His hair has escaped his bun and strands are now sticking to his face, making his thrilled expression even more wild and sincere.
You pass a hand through your hair, trying to give it a decent shape despite the wind.
“Thank you, Jungkook.
— No, no, thanks to you! Of course I knew you would follow me but, well, you… you could have refused. So… yeah. I’m just… happy you allowed me to share my biggest secret with you. You were the only one I could do it with…”
His voice lowers a bit on the last words. When you meet his eyes, he looks fairly shy, chasing a dark strand of hair away from his forehead.
He scratches the back of his head, a bit embarrassed by his sudden confidence. He clears his voice.
“Also, I, hum… I’d like to show you something else.”
You laugh.
“How many things do you have to show me, exactly?
— A whole life”, he says with a bright smile, making your heart jump in your chest.
What did he just say?
However, he has already turned and you just have to follow him on a path weaving amongst luminous stones.
You walk for approximately ten minutes, until you reach a corner where stands a very high crystal, something like three meters high and two meters large, against another rock wall. Jungkook walks around this huge mineral statue; and stops between the crystal and the wall.
You join him and, for a few seconds, you don’t get what he wants to show you.
“So…
— Look!”
He squats down to show you something, hidden behind a piece of crystal. You lean forward…
And you let escape a gasp.
An egg.
It’s an egg. An egg the size of an ostrich’s.
You stoop by Jungkook’s side.
“Oh, my… but… where’s its mother? She would allow us to come this close?”
Your friend’s fond smile disappears instantly.
“She probably died. It’s been days this baby is alone, we found it by chance a while ago.
— Oh…”
You’re thinking that Jungkook’s eyes look a bit wet; when he suddenly shakes his head.
“But we’re taking care of her baby, with Tony!”
And suddenly the image of a Jungkook tucking the egg in before singing it some lullaby of his own invention, while Tony’s cooking some dragonish meals brings back a smile on your face.
“And, how do you take care of a dragon’s egg when you’re not a dragon? Just asking.
— Stop mocking me. Tony actually does most of the work, it’s mostly about keeping it warm and safe.
— Oww”, you coo. “You must be a wonderful dragon father.
— Tss, shut up”, he nudges you as you protest that you were absolutely serious.
When the two of you finally stop bickering, Jungkook adds with a calmer voice, maybe shyer, full of some kind of hope:
“I think it’s gonna hatch soon. I thought you’d like to attend it with us. With… me.
— I… yeah. I’d love to...”
You offer him a touched smile, and he lets escape a sigh as he’s gazing at your face. He doesn’t thank you but, once again, he expresses very well that he’s moved you spend this time with him. You’re not sure you exactly understand the feelings that cross his irises; however, you feel like it makes something move deep in your chest.
Something like thousands of incandescent butterflies taking off, bound for your heart.
* * *
The both of you decide to make a stop at the top of the rock wall, so you can easily keep an eye on the future baby. Besides, with all those adventures, you’ve started to be hungry; and you have absolutely no idea of the time it is as the sunlight doesn’t reach the Hidden World.
However, Jungkook was of course a regular, and when he comes back from you-don’t-even-know-where, his arms are full of snacks. You let escape a content sigh.
“Oh, you’re my saviour. I thought we would have to eat pebbles or something.
— You thought dragons only eat rocks?”, he’s mocking you as he sits in front of you on the ground.
“At least, definitely not biscuits.”
With a pleased sigh, you catch the packet of cookies he’s throwing at you and hungrily open it.
You don’t talk a lot while you content your empty stomachs. It’s only when you feel a bit fuller that you finally raise your voice again, attracting Jungkook’s gaze to you.
“So… I think you owe me a bit more explanations.
— Explanations?
— What’s the… meaning of all of this?”, you make a wide circular movement with your arm to embrace the place.
The young man moves to sit a little more comfortably as he ties his messy hair, his hairband stuck between his teeth. When he’s done, he leans forward and his eyes meet yours; to tell you the story.
A long time ago, hundreds of years, dragons lived in our world, alongside humans. Most of the time, it was not peaceful. Humans didn’t want to let any space to dragons, and dragons needed a lot. There were wars, and dragon hunter was a profession in fashion.
However, fortunately, all humans were not that aggressive. A young man, a Viking, befriended a dragon, probably the last of his kind; a Night Fury.
Jungkook makes a pause in his story to make a passionate speech about how wonderful were Night Furies, a species that apparently doesn’t exist anymore.
“Night Lights -Tony’s species- are hybrids, descendants of Night Furies! Isn’t it super cool? Tony’s really the coolest”, he says while looking fondly at his black and white dragon. “I really wish I could meet a Night Fury. They were so feared back then, they were called the “unholy offspring of lightning and death itself”!
— Wow, it sounds… intimidating!
— Yeah, I know! But it was before humans actually try to befriend them, I mean, you saw Tony! Night Furies were just the cutest creatures ever. I mean, they were known to mate for life… isn’t it super sweet?”
Your friend is moving like an overexcited child, his eyes sparkling, when he throws all this information at you. It makes you smile; you know Jungkook is a hopeless romantic, you’re not even surprised he lingers on that kind of details.
After a while, he finally continues his story.
The village of the Viking boy started to protect dragons. However, they were plentiful, and it turned hard for this small group of friendly humans to protect a whole people of creatures. Besides, as hunters were more and more dangerous, it put all their lives at risk.
Therefore, the young Viking had to take a decision. They had to let the dragons go. He had to let his best friend go. For everyone’s safety.
Jungkook makes another pause, his eyes a bit wet.
“They found this place, where other dragons were already living. They used to think back then it was only a legend, but they found it thanks to the Night Fury’s partner.
— So they let all the dragons come in here?”
The dark-haired man nods.
“It was a place humans couldn’t find so easily. They would be safe, here. And so they have been and still are, staying here, hiding until humans are ready to let them enter their world again in peace.”
As he finishes his story, you feel a great sadness weighing on your chest.
“And humans will never be really ready for it, right…?”
Bitter, Jungkook nods again.
“No. Humans don’t deserve dragons. So they have to stay, here, to be safe.
— I am… so sorry…”
You don’t know exactly what for; it’s not personally your fault. However, the sadness in your friend’s eyes, and the fact that these wonderful creatures have to hide, hurt you deep inside.
He sighs, before shaking his head.
“Anyway. At least, they are safe. It was also decided that there would be a guardian of the Hidden World; who would make sure their place is staying out of humans’ reach, and who would be able to do something to protect them if something happened.”
His eyes meet yours.
“This responsibility has been in my family for generations. I’ve been the guardian for two years now.”
You’re so cool, Jungkook. You really think it, you’re really impressed by the sense of responsibility that makes his gaze deeper, by the way he takes his mission at heart.
You smile at him.
“I am… very proud of you, Jungkook.
— You… oh…”
He doesn’t even formulate a coherent sentence, unsettled by your sudden statement. You can even swear he blushed a bit. Embarrassed, he scratches the back of his head before smiling shyly.
“Well… it’s an honour.
— It’s an honour for me. Why did you bring me here? As it should have stayed a secret.”
He gazes at you for a few seconds, before he answers:
“Like I said before, I trust you more than anyone else. I needed to share this with someone I trust. And because I… well, I guess it was kinda selfish but… well, I wanted to share this with you specifically. I wanted… to make you dream a bit. And somehow I… wanted to be a part of it. I don’t know if it really makes sense but… well, yeah…”
He loses his words, but you couldn’t possibly care any less. You observe him, as he’s uncomfortably moving on the rock he’s sitting on, looking away from you, with crimson cheeks.
And when you do, his words echoing in your soul, you feel the incandescent butterflies in your chest turning into a real blaze.
It’s almost painful.
And the only thing you find to answer, the only thing that crosses your lips, is:
“Thank you.”
Somehow, you secretly hope he would get there’s more behind this simple “thank you”; something you wouldn’t dare to share out loud. Something so secret, so hidden you don’t even know the words to express it.
However, if he gets anything, he says absolutely nothing and settles for offering you a bright smile instead.
You clear your throat, trying to chase the burning butterflies away.
“I just have one question.
— I’m listening.
— How do you even come here? How did you even bring me there without me realising?”
You know the question is kind of stupid since you are obviously dreaming, but you’re still curious about the answer you would find.
He raises an eyebrow, a smirk appearing on his lips. Where’s the shy Jungkook from before? Maybe you just imagined him.
He leans forward, as if he was telling you a great secret.
“You just discovered dragons exist. Why wouldn’t you believe in some kind of magic?”
He adds nothing, sniggering at the pout that twists your lips as he’s leaving you with all this mystery.
But maybe he’s right.
Maybe it’s “just” magic, after all.
* * *
You don’t know if you could say you “spent the night” here as you absolutely have no notion of night and day. Let’s just say you slept a bit; you have no idea of how long exactly. The lighting hadn’t changed since you passed out so you’re just totally lost.
It’s calm all around you; you can only hear some dragons playing in the distance, as well as Jungkook and Tony’s breath.
Your friend obviously fell asleep against his dragon, and now he’s lying on his side, his head resting on Tony’s foreleg, the latter’s wing used as a blanket.
You can’t prevent yourself from noticing they’re breathing at the exact same path. They’re so different and yet, so connected.
A touched smile appears on your lips, as you gaze at your best friend’s sleeping face. He looks so peaceful right now… not that you’ve never seen Jungkook sleeping. You’ve known each other for an eternity now, you even went camping together once or twice. But before, you’d never felt the need to examine his features in detail, just as if you wanted to etch this moment forever in your mind. It’s not only him; it’s him, you, the secret you now share together, and the confidences whispered among the lights and colours.
You’re re-discovering details you used to forget as you were so used to them. His messy hair spread on his forehead, tickling his cheeks. His moles, under his lower lip or against the left edge of his nose. The little scar on his cheek.
You don’t even realise you’re observing your friend that much.
However, you become really self-conscious when a hoarse and sleepy voice catches your attention:
“Do I have something on my face?”
You blush tremendously and quickly look away; fortunately for you, Jungkook is not alert enough to make the most of his potential to make fun of you, too busy rubbing his eyes.
He takes a few minutes to put a bit of order in his hair, and you’re very cautious not to meet his eyes; not to look at him at all, actually. Which is very hard, because you curiously feel like he’s taking all the room in your field of vison -and in your mind.
“Hey. Wanna see how the baby’s doing?”
You jump with surprise as his voice rises very close to you. You turn your head to him, your heart beating fast in your chest. He’s leaning towards you, and when he sees your reaction, how your cheeks suddenly blush, he raises an eyebrow.
“You okay?”
Oh, come on. You almost have to pinch your arm to pull yourself together. What the fuck is happening to me?
You nod.
“Yeah, sorry. I was a bit... lost in thought.”
He’s obviously satisfied with your answer, and he nods happily.
“I think the egg should hatch in the next hours, even minutes. Come on, quick, we must not miss it!!”
He almost pulls you by the arm, just like a child would do to drag their parents to do something they’re very eager to do; and you have no choice other than following him. Which you would have done, in any case. You too, you’re super excited to see a baby dragon. How cute it must be!
You follow the boy on the narrow path that leads you down to the egg’s hiding place; you have at least twenty minutes to walk.
If Jungkook was super excited when you left, happily humming on the path, as you walk he goes completely silent. Which is odd.
You’re walking behind him; however, you try to catch his attention.
“You okay?”, you ask, this time.
He mechanically answers that yes of course, but you know he’s lying. His voice has lost its spark. You don’t force him though; and it takes him a bit of time to initiate an actual answer. You’ve almost arrived near the egg, and he’s more and more tensed.
He doesn’t turn to you, and he speaks very fast; as if he was not really sure he wanted you to hear him properly.
“What if I can’t make it?”
You raise your eyebrows.
“What are you talking about?
— The baby. I mean… this is super weird to say but… like… I’ve never given birth?”
He’s blushing from embarrassment and doesn’t meet your eyes.
You chuckle, and he finally looks at you, offended.
“You’re mocking me!
— I’m not mocking you. You’re cute, that’s all.”
He mutters under his breath, cheeks red.
You continue to speak, trying to adopt a soothing voice.
“I’m sure you’ll do great. I was serious when I said you’d be a wonderful dragon father, you know.
— No, but… I mean. When we found the egg… I tried to observe dragon parents, and how they take care of their eggs; but it’s just super hard to get close to a nest. They’d rather roast me, even though Tony’s with me. And well, I tried to find all the information I could get in my old family’s archives, and I think this is a Stormcutter’s egg but… what if we just didn’t take good care of it before? What if it’s actually dead inside? What if he’s alive but doesn’t have strength enough to get out? What if it hurts itself? What if…”
You softly hiss to make him stop. You’ve arrived near the crystal that hides the egg, and Jungkook is obviously more and more nervous.
His pupils are shaky when he turns to you, when you finally stop walking.
“It’s gonna be alright Jungkook, okay? Don’t you think Tony would have known if it had died inside? You know, this is the baby’s work, you just… have to help if necessary.
— How would I know if it needs help?
— You’ve known dragons since forever. You’ll know it if something’s wrong. You have instinct. And all you want is doing great. With all your gentleness and care… well, I’m convinced you can only do great. And besides, I’m here, too.
— And… what if…”
You prevent him from ruminating again by wrapping your friend in a tight hug.
“Trust it. Trust yourself, too. Give this future new-born the time to make it at its own pace. Just… like you’ve always done with me”, your voice sounds like it’s echoing in his chest as you speak.
He says nothing and, after a few seconds, you realise he has tensed a bit. And then, you realise what you’ve just done.
You step back abruptly, your face burning.
“Oh my- I’m sorry. I just… I didn’t think about…
— No… no. I was just surprised… Don’t never ever be sorry for this…”
When your eyes finally meet his, you realise he’s observing you, surprise shining in his irises. He’s blushing a bit, too. It’s like all his stress and worry disappeared with your surprise hug. A shy smile draws his lips up.
“I mean… you don’t even have to ask for permission. You can hug me or kiss me or whatever- just do it. I…”
He doesn’t even finish his sentence -or you just don’t hear it properly.
Did he really say… I could kiss him?
Oh… oh. Yeah, that’s right… you’re dreaming, you almost forgot, it’s so… realistic.
Much as you could have believed in dragons, you could never think of Jungkook so openly inviting you to kiss him. You’ve known him for so long… Why are you feeling so disappointed about it?
“Kiss you, really?”
You try to sound amused and detached, but your voice is a bit shaky. However, somehow, you feel a whole new energy rising in your chest, and your ears are buzzing. Is it the fault of the incandescent butterflies coming back in all your body, frantically flapping their wings?
You’ve never thought about this before, it literally has never crossed your mind. But somehow… maybe it’s because of the butterflies… maybe it’s because of the dream and you can’t think straight… but now Jungkook said these words himself, you can almost hear a voice whispering in your ear that, maybe, you’d love to give it a try.
After all, there would be no consequences. Right?
Jungkook raises his eyebrows.
“Kiss me, yes, that’s what I said”, he answers, almost defiantly.
That’s what he said.
You act before you could step back; or you would have absolutely never done it. If you had not been so sure it was not real, you would have never done it either.
You come closer and, as light as a draught, you peck him gently on the cheek. So lightly that you barely felt something yourself, and you’re not sure he felt anything either.
However, you step back. It was already very bold of you, and you’re already feeling uncomfortable.
You’re looking down at your feet. Even though it’s a dream, you’re feeling pretty strongly the embarrassment. What got into me?
“Oh…”
His voice his calm, yet a bit shaky. You shyly look up, to see he is as shy as you. He’s blushing pretty hard; his fingertips brushing his cheekbone. You notice he has removed his gloves, maybe even before you left.
“I… I didn’t think you would do it.”
You’re seriously about to cry.
“Oh- uh… sorry… I…
— I said… never ever be sorry.”
A smile slowly creeps on his lips.
“What was that for, exactly?
— Nothing. I…”
You look down again, unable to bear his gaze. If you could bury yourself and hide forever, you would.
“What was that for?”, he asks again, in a softer voice.
What does he want to hear? You’re not sure you’re able to give any explanation. It was just a peck on the cheek, right? You could do it between friends, or family. Right?
Thing is, you’ve never ever given a peck to Jungkook before.
You’re wondering if you should not just run away, when something catches your attention in the side of your field of vision.
“Jungkook! Look!
— You won’t distract me so easily. Answer-
— No, no! Look! The egg!”
And it is obviously enough to distract him indeed. He looks away; stars lighten up his eyes and he squats down.
“It’s hatching!”
You stoop next to him, a smile blooms on your lips as you watch him delicately move the egg to give it more space.
And you wait, Jungkook twisting his fingers with nervousness.
The egg is beige with some reddish lines, looking like scales; in the middle, lengthwise, is spreading a long line made of even larger reddish shapes.
Now, diagonally, there is a long crack.
A crack that cracks apart more, and more, drawing a full network on the shell.
“It’s going out!”
Jungkook’s voice is a bit higher than usual. To be honest, if you weren’t tensed yourself, you would have laughed a bit as it really feels like your friend is about to become a father. Your laughter gets stuck in your throat as he anxiously catches your wrist; to have something to hold onto, probably. He’s not looking at you, he’s focused on the egg only, where a tiny clawed leg is emerging.
You twist your hand so he can intertwine his fingers with yours. An opportunity he, somehow, doesn’t miss.
You stay like this for minutes, in silence, his hand crushing yours, following carefully the cracks on the egg’s shell and the form escaping from it.
The legs. Then, the head. The tiny creature has spines on its head, almost looking like large eyebrows. As a part of the shell near its back falls, you realise that its clawed forelegs are in fact its wings… or, one of its pairs of wings.
“I knew it! It’s a Stormcutter!”, Jungkook comments with excitement.
The baby has, in fact, four wings. You’d never thought such a creature would exist, but somehow, you think it might be beautiful when it’s a bit bigger. Majestic.
The dark-haired man finally lets your hand go -blood was no longer circulating in your fingers anyway-, and helps the dragon by slowly removing the last pieces of shell, freeing the cooing baby.
Jungkook turns to you, the creature between his hands. He’s literally radiating with happiness and relief.
“Look!
— Oww…”
You bring your hand closer to the tiny dragon, petting its head with your fingertip.
“He looks like his father!”, you say with a laugh as the dragon happily coos, trying to chew your forefinger.
“Yeah, very handsome, isn’t he?”
You’re about to nudge him, but he looks daggers at you before as he doesn’t want you to somehow hurt the dragon. He just wants an excuse, you think; but you just roll your eyes.
“Yeah, let’s say that. Very handsome.”
You smirk.
* * *
After something like thirty minutes, the three of you took the road for the camp; where Tony would take care of the dragon, bring him to a more suitable place.
Now, you’re humming pensively as you observe the landscape -the dragons, the crystals, the lights. You would have never thought the sky -or the earth, it was not clear- could be painted with so much colours. It was beautiful, peaceful. You actually wish you could come back here every day.
You’re pulled out of your thoughts when a gentle voice calls your name.
You turn to Jungkook, who sits next to you.
“Where’s the baby?”, you ask, noticing he came alone.
“Tony’s trying to give him something to eat. When he will be strong enough, Tony will try to bring him to a couple of Stormcutters. They’re very friendly dragons, maybe it won’t be too hard to get him adopted.”
You tilt your head to the side, as you see your friend pinch his lips.
“Are you sad?
— No.”
He sighs, before scratching the back of his neck.
“Well… a bit, I guess. But it’s for the better of course. I can’t raise him…”
He looks at you.
“Don’t make fun of me.
— I’m not making fun of you at all. I actually think it’s very mature of you.”
He nods, satisfied; and looks away towards the landscape.
A comfortable silence falls between the two of you.
It’s only a few minutes later that he chooses to break it, still not looking at you.
“You didn’t answer my question, by the way.
— Your question?”
A smirk creeps on his lips, as he pivots to be facing you.
“What was that for, earlier?
— What are you talking about?”, you decide to act all innocent.
However, when he asked you, you felt immediately your embarrassment coming back in force as you obviously know what he’s talking about. You try to look away so, maybe, he would not see your blushing cheeks.
He rolls his eyes.
“Oh, please, you know what I’m talking about. So…?”
You sigh heavily. He’d never let you go…
“That’s easy, Jungkook. Like, you told me to kiss you with your little air of defiance. I couldn’t let you win again, you know? And so, to not lose, yeah, maybe I somehow gave you a peck. So I won. Okay? That’s all. Let it go already.”
You turn to look at him, some fire in your eyes as you try to somehow explain yourself; and you see he’s gazing at you, his cheek lying in the palm of his hand, a relaxed smile perched on his lips. He’s nodding dramatically, not believing a single word of what you just said.
“Hum hum”, he says, falsely puzzled. “Okay, okay. I just wanted to make sure you didn’t, I don’t know… slip, or whatever…”
You roll your eyes.
“No, I didn’t slip, no. It was just to answer your challenge, that’s all.”
He raises an eyebrow, and you know that expression. And you know you don’t like it.
“You know, you have not really won.
— Oh, really? Why not?”
His smirk grows bigger.
“It was not really that kind of kiss I was thinking of”, he purrs.
“You…”
You don’t even have words to finish your sentence, and Jungkook leans forward. His voice sounds very confident; nonetheless, you can see a red veil spreading across his cheeks.
“Can I ask you a question?
— Again?”, you let escape nervously.
He smiles; more softly this time. He examines your face carefully, his irises full of stars dancing from your eyes, to your cheeks, to your lips. His irises where all the colours of the world seem to reflect in. You wonder if you’ve ever seen something so beautiful before…
He lowers even more his voice, almost murmuring, as if sharing a secret only your souls could understand.
“If I… let’s say… somehow slipped right now…”
He briefly looks at your lips, before locking his gaze on your eyes.
“…would you catch me?”
Something lights up in you. That strange blaze that has been following you for a short time, that has been making your gestures shaky, your thoughts hazy and your heart a forest ravaged by a raging summer.
Jungkook has always brought you warmth. You’ve always felt warm in his presence. His voice has always lulled you; his presence has always reassured you. Your trust in him is boundless. You tell him absolutely everything, even each of the useless details of your life, because he’d always give you the feeling it matters to him. That you matter to him.
He has always been extremely gentle with you, extremely patient. He’d always ask for your opinion, your permission, would always wait for your signal to initiate any gesture towards you; you who could give your confidence very easily, and yet who were desperately scared that it would be broken.
Jungkook has never, in all these years, done anything that would even crack your trust in him.
And this trust, you’re sure of it, is the fuel supplying the fiery blaze that makes the skin of your face red and your hands wet.
As for the spark, it was the boundless confidence he said he has in you.
Your eyes meet his; he’s still patiently waiting. And, as if a fire could change the magnetism of the Earth, you feel like the distance between you is unbearable, painful. As if a blaze could destroy space and distort time, your face is only a few centimetres away from his, without you realising it. As if embers could create a thunderstorm, you feel like electricity crackling around the both of you.
You. Him.
Your breaths mingle together when you half-open your lips to answer him.
“Of course.”
Your skins brush against each other, and he gently moves his head to rub affectionately the tip of his nose against yours. Your hair tangle, his dark locks tickle your cheeks, making you chuckle a little, a smile lingering on your face.
You are so close that he feels this small change in your expression. Just as you feel him smile, his face a few millimetres away from yours; his lashes tickle your eyebrow arch as he half-closes his lids.
“What’s so funny?”
His words, whispered from the end of his lips, wind around you. You feel feverish, your skin is burning, and his breath that crashes on your cheeks traces like a desert at the corner of your mouth.
“Nothing… I just didn’t see that kind of… skid coming…”
He chuckles in turn. His lips brushes past yours when he murmurs again.
“Are you nervous?”
Without really waiting for an answer, he pinches your lower right lip between his.
Your blood sets alight. Your voice is a bit broken when you manage to whisper:
“Maybe…”
His lips are lingering against the corner of your mouth, and you feel him smile against you.
“Hm hm”, he hums. “Do you believe in me?”
The movement of his lips against your skin sends electric discharges crackling through your body, and the tension threatens to drive you crazy.
“More than in anyone else.”
He lets escape a sort of wheeze, while the fire he was himself fanning is about to make him lose his mind, too. You feel like a tension disappearing from his body; as if you just brought him the answer he has always been waiting for; to the question that has been holding him back all this time.
He shifts a few millimetres and finally seals his lips with yours, finally making the infinity separating you disappear.
The world collapses around you. You don’t see colours and lights anymore, you can’t hear anything other than Jungkook’s jerky, almost hungry, breath. Everything blends in you, fire and ice, sky and earth, starlight and darkness of abysses.
Jungkook carries the scent of wind on him, but also the acrid one of fire. A fire that’s escaping through each of the pores of his skin, going from him to you, mingling you in a sweet, burning passion you never thought you were capable of.
His lips are moving softly against yours, at first. Then, without you really knowing what has changed, you feel him move and change posture. He gets up on his knees, coming a bit above you. His hands surround your jaw, his thumbs caressing your cheek bones with a certain strength suffused with euphoria, leaving burn marks on your skin.
These burns only fan the blaze that consumes you. The incandescent butterflies didn’t become dust, yet, they just keep growing, the flames spreading higher and stronger. Listening only to the flapping of their wings, you straighten up a little to answer Jungkook’s kiss with more certainty. Your hands, yet shaky, slide over the top of his chest, following the curve of his collar bones. You reach the back of his neck, at the base of his hair still pulled back in a bun. As he leans a little more against you to reduce the distance between you again, you tangle your fingers in his hairband in order to remove it. Probably you hurt him a bit while you’re at it since you feel him rumble against you -making you both vibrate. His dark locks come to tickle your fingers, which you hasten to tangle around his unruly strands, as if you absolutely wanted to prevent him from leaving.
Which is the case, actually.
Maybe this is the reason why you feel like a gap that leaves you without air when he steps back a bit, lips half-opened, desperately looking for something to breathe.
You are breathless, too, and you’re dizzy. Your hands against his nape are shaking, and your feel like you could fall any minute now.
He’s a little short of breath and his voice is raspy.
“You… caught me well indeed.”
You laugh a bit, your fingers playing with his hair.
“Did I pass the challenge, then?
— Hmm let me think”, he says while his fingers follow peacefully your jawline until your throat, sending thousands of chills along your spine. “Only if you do it again.
— Hey, you can’t just change the rules all the time!”
In some way you manage to free your left hand to give a small punch in his biceps in protest.
He sniggers.
“Oh, yes, you think I can’t? I think you actually like my rules…”
And surprisingly, you don’t have anything to say. Indeed, you kind of like his rules…
“But if you have something else to offer… I’m listening.
— Pff… shut up.”
He laughs, and you think this is the prettiest sound you’ve ever heard.
You sigh with content; a sort of happiness and peace having invaded your body as soon as Jungkook touched you. However, you can’t prevent a touch of disappointment from stinging your heart.
“I wish… I wish it was more than a dream”, you whisper, more for yourself than for him.
At that moment, he steps back; a freezing breeze sliding on your face. He raises an eyebrow.
“You think it’s a dream?
— What else, Jungkook? Dragons… then, you…”
Now that you clearly expressed this belief aloud, it’s with a certain sadness that you think this dream won’t last much longer. You wish it lasted forever.
Your friend -could you still call him that way?- has raised his eyebrows, momentarily puzzled. Then, after a few seconds, a gentle expression paints itself on his features.
“I think it’s time for us to come back home.”
You’re disappointed, it’s even painful. A heartache, that feels more like a crushing of your chest.
At this distance from your face, maybe he sees your eyes getting wet. He slowly brushes your cheek bone with his thumb, as if wiping away a tear that hasn’t even flowed yet.
“I promise we will come back.”
In turn, you step back a little so you can see his face better, lit by the mysterious colours of the earth.
A little smile blooms on your lips.
“I hope so.”
You crane your neck to skim his lips with yours, to which he hastens to answer with a kiss holding all the strength of his promise.
You feel his hand moving up along your face, his fingertips brushing your forehead; your lips still sealed.
You fall forward.
* * *
When you wake up, you’re in your bed. Like, your real bed, not some improvised mattress made of rocks.
You stretch out, and a sigh escapes your lips. You feel stiff, as if you really spent the night riding a dragon and giving birth to a baby Stormcutter.
In the darkness of your room, you try to listen to the noises of the apartment. You can hear Jungkook hum in the distance; and suddenly your heart aches a bit.
He’s just your housemate, and your best friend, nothing more. And after this dream, you’re not so sure you want him to be only your best friend. What should you do, now? You did what you did because you knew there would be no consequences. But now, you’re back to the shy you who’d never dared to be bold, even once.
You throw your quilt away to head for the living room.
There, you can find a Jungkook happily humming while bringing some pancakes on the table, wearing his usual jeans and white t-shirt.
He sees you and gives you the brightest smile you’ve ever seen.
“Hi. Slept well?
— I feel like I literally passed out”, you say, trying to put some order in your hair.
You check the clock. 1PM.
“Oh, my. Sorry I let you alone all this time. I was…
— That’s fine. You were tired, so. Wanna eat something?”
He shows you the number of things he prepared; you feel like this is a celebration day.
The both of you sit around the table, not talking for a few minutes, and you feel he’s observing you, a smile plastered on his face.
You give up, and meet his eyes.
“What?”
He chuckles, his hands crossed under his chin. He looks a bit like a child who waits for someone to notice the super funny prank they prepared.
“Nothing. I have something for you, actually.
— For me?”
He nods, and extends his arm to show something behind you, on the coffee table. When he does it, your gaze fall on the tattoo on his wrist. The dragon tattoo. It really looks like a Night Light.
You stand up to see his wonderful surprise; he’s still smiling, but it looks a bit like a mischievous one now.
And there, on the coffee table, you discover a curious object. A shape a bit curved, beige, with reddish lines drawn on it. It’s cracked. It looks…
It looks like the Stormcutter’s egg shell.
You quickly turn to Jungkook, who’s still happily humming while waiting for your reaction.
Your skin starts to burn pretty hard, your cheeks turning crimson.
It was not a dream.
“I hope you didn’t forget the rules of the challenge”, he croons, a playful gleam shining in his eyes, as he comes closer.
It was not a dream at all.