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Yingxing would usually be in a cheerful mood while collecting herbs but he was tense this time around because he was alone. Deep in the forest housed many vicious creatures but the risk was worth it for this specific herb that only grew this far in. He would usually be with someone else for company and an extra pair of ears but all were busy or nowhere to be found so he was left to come on his own for the first time in a while.
Then there was an abrupt loud thud nearby that he quickly pulled out his sword. He waited for the whatever creature it was to walk through the bushes but instead heard a faint voice so he crouched down. Who else would be out this far?
Yingxing pocketed the herbs then crouch walked his way towards a bush to eavesdrop but the person had begun walking away just as he got there. He held his tongue from smacking the back of his teeth because he wanted to see who it was but it could be dangerous to follow while on his own.
When he stood up, a puff of warm air against his left side sent shivers down his spine. He slowly turned his head to see two bright blue eyes staring right at him then realized it was the face of a dragon! Stunned and scared to make any sudden moves, Yingxing simply gulped.
The two stared at each other for a long time until the dragon gently nudged its snout against the side of Yingxing's head, nearly knocking him down. Yingxing let out a long awaited laugh of relief while holding his hands up to keep the dragon's snout back but the dragon took the gesture as something else.
"So rough." Yingxing commented when the dragon licked his palms. "Not the hair!" He shouted when the dragon's tongue reached towards his hair.
The dragon pulled back then stepped back so it could curl up in the middle of the field. Yingxing wiped his hands on the bushes then walked through the bush so he could apologize to the dragon however it was not taking any of it.
The two walked - more like Yingxing jogged due to being much smaller - in circles before Yingxing had to tap out. When he bent over to catch his breath, he saw the dragon stopped, and turned its head to look at him.
He lifted his head to show the dragon he was well, "I'm okay." He added a smile but the dragon didn't seem to believe him.
The dragon walked in a big circle around Yingxing, which gave Yingxing a view of how long it was! Both in awe and in relief, Yingxing was happy this dragon was a friendly type. At the end of its walk, the dragon plopped itself right beside Yingxing so Yingxing decided to kneel down.
"Oh right, my name is Yingxing." He smiled and for some reason the dragon averted its eyes followed by a small tremble of its body.
Now that Yingxing was looking at it, he realized the dragon had coiled itself around him. Ugh, he was hoping that the dragon was doing it to protect, and not trap him like a snake. The mere thought of being eaten alive sent shivers down his spine.
"Hmph." He looked back at the dragon to see it was looking at him again.
"Oh um.." Yingxing was at a loss for words because he couldn't think of anything to converse with a dragon who could not speak. Well how much does this dragon know? Would it be able to follow along with him or does it only know simple phrases? How about–
Yingxing sat pondering about the possible answers to his many questions while the dragon was left to stare at him in silence.
By the time Yingxing was done thinking, he saw the dragon had its eyes closed so he cleared his throat to see if it had fallen asleep. No, it was very much awake.
"Sorry for the wait." He smiled and the dragon replied with a small huff.
With no thought behind his action, Yingxing reached out to pet the dragon's snout which surprised them both yet he did not stop. Instead the dragon moved its head closer and while its eyes slowly closed, its tail wagged a little faster.
"Haha like that?" Yingxing asked but it was the wrong thing to say.
As if it realized what it was doing, the dragon pulled back in a shy manner. Rather than being sad, Yingxing laughed at how adorable the dragon was behaving.
"Please come back." Yingxing leaned over but the dragon lifted his head to puff some air towards him to knock him back. "That smell.."
The dragon looked shocked then turned its head away.
Yingxing was taken aback because the smell of its breath reminded him of the breakfast he had this morning. Though it was quite weird he was thinking so much into a dragon's breath.
They had returned to a time of silence but Yingxing did not leave the dragon alone. The dragon would try to turn its head away but Yingxing knew that the dragon wouldn't move if he had his hand on it. So the dragon gave up on trying to avoid Yingxing and laid its head on the ground for Yingxing to pet them.
Yingxing was smiling from the whole experience of touching a dragon but also the cool touch of its scales. Its whole body was covered in scales that were a pretty light blue color which reminded him of Yinyue Jun's tail.
Yinyue Jun…
"I know someone who would look just like you." The dragon opened an eye to look at Yingxing. "I wonder if you're the dragon he speaks about." Yingxing moved his fingers closer to the dragon's eyes. "His eyes are also so mesmerizing."
The dragon opened its mouth then quickly closed it. However Yingxing was distracted in his reflection on the dragon's eye to comment about it.
Yingxing barely lifted his hand when the dragon moved its head back against his fingers.
"Like that?" Yingxing glanced over to the dragon's tail but got knocked over. "Hey!" Yingxing kicked his legs and hit the side of the dragon's mouth but it was pointless.
The dragon had found its new resting spot on his stomach.
The dragon was huffing and puffing because Yingxing wouldn't pet it but why would he?! He was trapped underneath a dragon so why should he praise that? When the two made eye contact, both quickly looked away with an annoyed huff.
"Get off." Yingxing pushed on the side of the dragon's mouth but the dragon yawned. "Ugh!"
Yingxing dropped his arms beside him. He was trying to catch his breath but the dragon had other plans.
The dragon had stuck out its tongue and started licking Yingxing's palm which startled him. The dragon expected for Yingxing to pull it away but he did not so the dragon continued licking his palm.
Could it be the herbs he was grabbing earlier?
Much to the dragon's dismay, Yingxing pulled his hand away so he could reach into his pocket to pull out the herbs. Then upon seeing the herbs, the dragon carefully took a bite of them from Yingxing's fist.
"Good?" Yingxing used his other hand to stroke the side of the dragon's head then adjusted his grip on the herbs to push the remaining part up.
When the dragon was done with the herbs, it started licking his fist so he opened his hand so it could lick his palm.
As he continued to stroke the dragon, Yingxing had a small memory about how when Yinyue Jun had his head on the desk, he would reach out to stroke his cheek, or brush his hair away from his face. Then another thought comes to mind such as how Yinyue Jun would kiss his palm upon seeing each other regardless if they had met already beforehand.
"I'll bring him next time." The dragon stopped. "But it might take a while as he's a busy person." Yingxing sighed.
The dragon moved its head off Yingxing and he was quick to stand up before the dragon changed its mind. Yingxing wiped his hand on the back of his clothes as he worried crouching down would get him trapped again.
"Hmph." The dragon gently nudged Yingxing aside so he took a step back before he would fall. However the dragon did not stop nudging him away so Yingxing frowned.
"I guess you too have things to attend to." The dragon froze. "Will you be here tomorrow?" The dragon remained still. "It's alright, I'll be here anyways."
Yingxing gave the dragon's snout a few pets before smiling at them. He laid his head along the dragon's snout for that refreshing feeling its cool scales against his skin.
"I hope to see you again." He quietly said.
After leaving the field and walking for a while, Yingxing happened to bump into Jing Yuan, and the two were quick to start speaking.
"You first!" Jing Yuan covered his mouth so Yingxing could explain why he was this far out.
"I came to collect herbs but then I found a dragon! We should go see it! I think it's still there." Yingxing didn't even give Jing Yuan the chance to speak as he grabbed his hand and began pulling him in the direction of the dragon's field.
"A dragon?!" Jing Yuan shouted, then slapped a hand over his mouth.
"Yes! It was right here- Hi!" Yingxing had bumped into someone he was not expecting to see as well.
"What are you two yelling about?" Yinyue Jun asked while looking between the two with a raised brow.
The two were silent and bright red for the shocking reason that Yinyue Jun was completely naked and seemed to have no shame about it! Yingxing snapped himself out of it quickly and hurriedly unbuttoned his jacket.
"Hm?"
"You shouldn't be going out like this!" Yingxing's face was bright red as he wrapped his jacket around the lower portion of Yinyue Jun's chest so it covered the bottom half of him as well.
"But you seem to like it." Yinyue Jun smirked but Yingxing wrapped the jacket around him tighter.
"I am just shocked! I do n- ugh, shut up!" Yingxing turned his head away but Yinyue Jun turned it back towards him.
"Ahem!" Jing Yuan shoved his hands in between their faces to remind them that he was an unfortunate victim of their flirting. "We should head back right away. Yingxing spotted a dragon."
"A dragon.." Yinyue Jun chuckled then pushed Jing Yuan's hands away but Yingxing had his head turned away again. "Okay. Let's go back."
Yingxing made sure Yinyue Jun was holding onto the jacket before he let go but Yinyue Jun didn't hold onto one side. Jing Yuan quickly spun Yinyue Jun the other way before he flashed them again.
"Pervert." Yingxing grumbled.
"Says the one who looked."
"It was by accident!"
"Enough!" Jing Yuan pulled on Yinyue Jun to drag him further up ahead.
EXTRA
Jing Yuan watched as Yinyue Jun folded Yingxing's jacket as he no longer needed it.
"Why haven't you told him?" Jing Yuan asked but Yinyue Jun did not reply right away.
Instead he replied once the jacket was set on his lap. "Because he would have treated me like a dog." He grumbled.
"He treated you like a dog?" Jing Yuan laughed and only laughed harder when Yinyue Jun glared at him. "Did he tell you to roll over?"
"No!" Yinyue Jun abruptly got up to head out.
"I'll be sure to give him treats next time."
Yingxing poked his head in to see Yinyue Jun was hitting Jing Yuan with his jacket.
"Hey!" He hurried over to get his jacket back rather than helping either side.