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"I-if I curled around you like mother dragon tending her egg, would that make you stop sniffling and sneezing, Hinata?"
"Um, I don't think you can apply dragon-healing technique to me, Kageyama."
For once, the usually stern-faced and permanently scowling Kageyama opened his mouth and started to walking back in forth, fidgeting and kept glancing at Hinata.
"I'll be okay," Hinata laughed, albeit weakly. "This isn't the first time I catch a cold."
It had been two months since Hinata didn't live alone in his farm anymore. His new housemate, who had lovingly declared Hinata as his Master, was a man with horns nestled against his dark hair and long scaled black tail stemmed from the end of his back. He didn't have name before. Hinata asked whether he wanted to be named "Kageyama". Kageyama agreed.
The autumn finally ended. Snow came faster that year.
Hinata constantly thanked Kageyama for helping him tending the farm. They managed to finish all farming work a good five days before snow suddenly came overnight. Hinata woke up not realising that everything had turned into snowy white outside his window. It couldn't be helped when he was sleeping very warm in Kageyama's embrace. When Hinata sat and watched the fresh snow from half-opened curtain of his bedroom (Kageyama's arms still around his hips, warm like human in fever, with silvery scars all over his tanned skin), he noticed that the fire on his old fireplace hadn't died down yet. The bedroom was warm for hours until morning. Hinata wondered whether Kageyama had control for all the fire he lit. He was a dragon, after all.
This brought another complication for Hinata's life.
It had been years since the last dragon sighting in the kingdom. Yet, the king had made it very clear, through all those announcements through his messengers or on paper stuck on local bar, that whoever sighted a dragon shall report to the palace, because dragon is a dangerous creature. Whoever reported would be rewarded with three bags of gold coins. Hinata was never rich and he mostly ate his own vegetables from his farm, but even when the kingdom offered him gold coins for a lifetime, he still wouldn't even think about contacting the palace on Kageyama's existence.
Two months ago, Hinata walked into a cave in Shadow Mountain the village people feared. At the end of the strangely warm cave, he found Kageyama on the dark water, bounded by chains linked to his wrists, with dozen of swords all over his body. Hinata didn't know how he managed to rescue the man, but he did. Kageyama didn't talk for the first few days, but they could talk through their mind upon touching. As time went by, Kageyama's vocabulary grew, along with his speaking ability, to the point where they could just talk normally now.
Hinata also noted that beside the fact that Kageyama was a carnivore (Hinata supposed all dragon is carnivore. He never knew. He never even dreamed of meeting one, yet now a dragon lived in his very own home), Kageyama also had the ability to pull in his horns and tail whenever he felt like it. When Hinata asked for Kageyama's helped to carry radishes for the village's doctor, Takeda Ittetsu, who had bad eyesight but great knowledge on illness and disease, Kageyama wasn't only agreed to put on shirt (he only wanted to wear pants before), but he could also retract his dark horns and long, lizard-like scaly tail.
When Hinata asked why Kageyama preferred to have his horns out but his tail not, he answered with a scowl, "Isn't human form my weakest form? I'm squishy all over without my scales. If there were any danger, all I can rely on is my breath of fire. But if I had horns, I could manipulate their shapes easily so I can pierce an enemy with it. Tail helps me flying on my dragon form, but since everything in your house is tiny- well, it's human-sized, not tiny- my tail will only knock things down like a controllable but lengthy backpack, so I better hide it."
Hinata nodded in understanding.
Still, that night, he asked Kageyama whether he could touch Kageyama's horns and tail. Kageyama blinked several times, then his lips tightened. (Hinata knew by now that it was a cue that Kageyama was about to smile but he still couldn't somehow.)
"You own me. You're my Master," pouted the blue-eyed dragon. "You can touch me whenever you want. You don't have to ask." But Kageyama then said he appreciated that Hinata asked. So before they went to sleep, Hinata lifted his palms and touched Kageyama's black horns. They were like goats, with rows and edges. But Hinata knew that touching goat's horns didn't make him tremble like when he touched knife not on its handle. Then the farmer understood that the horns were weapon as much as a sword for human.
The horns were warm, though, and Hinata found Kageyama purred as Hinata stroked the scratches on Kageyama's horns.
Half-asleep, Kageyama mumbled into the fabric on Hinata's chest. "I went to so many wars and battles, Hinata," he said. He sounded sad and distance. "I don't know whether I want to change into my true form just yet. You know as much as I do that I'm a dragon. I'm a monster. I can crush your house with only one foot and make a village disappear overnight. But I don't want that. I just want to be here and protect you- you and your farm and the chickens and the oak tree in the yard. Isn't that so much better than being strong and soaring in the sky?"
Hinata kissed Kageyama's forehead, tears pooling on his eyes, "Yes, simple, happy life is so much better, Kageyama."
That night, Hinata stopped wondering how long Kageyama had been chained in that cave and why was he there in the first place.
*)*
Two days after the snow, Hinata woke up with snots and sneezes.
He stumbled to the bathroom while Kageyama was still asleep. His body screamed in protest, for being near Kageyama was warm and the bathroom was cold. But even before Hinata washed his face and cleared the snot from his nose, Kageyama followed him, nimble as a cat, and planted kisses all over Hinata's face, even though Hinata knew he was messy from sleep and disgusting from snot. But perhaps that was so special about Kageyama, Hinata thought, while he stroked Kageyama's hair and heard the dragon purred like a very large cat. Kageyama could make him feel that he was loved and enough- and very much kissable and beautiful, even when he just woke up and had snots all over.
Hinata still managed to make breakfast after.
He mostly sat on the chair with blankets all over him, though. Kageyama was the one moving around, asking Hinata for order, and succeeded in frying eggs and bacons for breakfast. When Hinata's condition only got worse after that, the dragon man lifted Hinata bridal style and brought him to the bed- their bed.
Then Kageyama asked whether tending Hinata like a mother dragon tending her egg would help.
Hinata laughed but made sure Kageyama knew he appreciated the effort.
*)*
Dawn was already breaking when Hinata woke up with cold sweat on his face. The room was warm, but he felt cold. He coughed, sneezed, and sniffled, and Kageyama constantly looked like he was about to cry.
Night fell when Kageyama started to clean the cold sweat on Hinata's body with a soft, dampened fabric on his hand.
"Kageyama?"
"Yes, Hinata?"
Hinata blinked. Kageyama wiped another cold sweat from Hinata's face.
"Tell me about your friends, Kageyama," Hinata asked with a smile.
Kageyama gulped. He glanced up for a moment, then answered. "I have some friends. We haven't met in a very long time, but I still remember them. A good decade older than me is Oikawa. When he flies, he looks like a flying magnificent log because he's brown all over. He's very good at flying and manoeuvring, though. I also know a Kozume. He is still small the last time I saw him. He doesn't like flying, but he's very good when he does. He was gold with black accent, so he was very easy to find. He can fly in forest full with trees with ease because he can change the course of his flight by a simple tilt of his wings and tail. There's also Akaashi. My black scales have blue tint, but Akaashi's pure black with silvery tint. The last time I heard, he served a very powerful wizard with the appearance of horned owl. Akaashi doesn't seem like the type to serve anyone, so I think this wizard must be very special."
Hinata blinked again. He stared at Kageyama through half-lidded eyes. His smile was weak, but warm.
"I'm sorry I'm not a powerful wizard, but just a farmer, Kageyama."
Kageyama blew sudden breath from his nose. There was light smoke around his face. "Don't say that, Hinata. I'd still serve you and make you my Master, even if you were a small rabbit in the forest."
Hinata's smile bloomed, "Thank you for saying that, Kageyama. Still, I think you deserve a better Master."
Kageyama scowled, "I don't want better Master. I want Hinata."
He dabbed the sweat from Hinata's face. He stared at Hinata so hard Hinata's wide smile turned into a series of chuckle.
"Kageyama?"
"Yes, Hinata."
"Stay close to me."
Hinata slowly drifted off to rather comforting sleep after that. But before he did, he felt Kageyama nuzzled into his palm. The dragon whispered something along, "I don't want another Master. When you leave to eternity, I will stay on your tomb for eternity."
*)*
The next day, Hinata insisted to be carried to the kitchen so he could teach Kageyama how to make a big batch of vegetable soup. Kageyama kept scowling to potatoes and celery as he attempted to peel and cut them, but at least he didn't throw in a tons of meat into the soup, the way that dragon liked it. There were moments too when Kageyama disappeared into the forest for fifteen minutes before he returned with two wild boars. He shouted from the yard to Hinata's bedroom upstairs, with still wet blood on his cheek, asking whether Hinata would get better if he ate meat of two wild boars.
Hinata laughed.
He never felt so loved before.
Kageyama even managed to go to Takeda's house to get peppery liquid they used to treat cold. It made Hinata's mouth felt hot and he coughed a lot after drinking it. But he got better very quickly, much quicker than when he fell ill on winter several years ago.
And he knew why he got better faster.
It was noon when Hinata woke up. He was still sweating cold sweat, but not as much. His fingers were tangled to Kageyama's warm fingers and Hinata smiled upon the sleeping dragon. Kageyama was asleep while he sat on the floor. The iron bowl of water and fabric sat beside him, ready when Kageyama needed to wipe Hinata's sweat again. His horns were nowhere in sight, but his big, scaly tail nestled around him like shiny scarf. They glittered blue when Hinata tilted his head to see it in different angle. Kageyama breathed loudly on his sleep. Small steams emerged from his slightly opened mouth.
Hinata curled down and kissed the sleeping dragon's head.
Kageyama woke up very slowly. Upon seeing Hinata, who had felt much better and presumably wasn't very red in the face anymore, the dragon man gazed at the farmer, his blue eyes squinted, as he smiled for the first time.
And then, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, Kageyama straightened his back, stretched up, and kissed Hinata's lips.
"You look so much better. Are you feeling better? I love you," Kageyama said. His forehead was against Hinata's.
Hinata cupped Kageyama's face with his palms, nuzzling his forehead against Kageyama's, and chuckled, "I feel so much better. I love you too."
And then they kissed, slowly, sweetly, and then the kiss turned into something else.
Kageyama left the floor, climbed the bed, and kissed Hinata underneath him. Hinata had his arms around Kageyama's neck, kissing the dragon like his lips were air, as if he'd die if he didn't kiss Kageyama.
When Kageyama's fingers slipped underneath Hinata's shirt, he stopped, hesitating and biting his lower lip.
"I don't want to hurt you," Kageyama whispered, his breath hot against the side of Hinata's neck.
"You won't hurt me," Hinata kissed Kageyama's hair.
And so the dragon claimed his Master.
*)*
When they were finished, Hinata knew he was already able to sweat normally. It was, as always, so very warm on Kageyama's embrace. Kageyama still hadn't stop stroking him, as if Hinata were in pain and in a great need of comfort and sooth.
But Hinata couldn't even remember if he were ever happier, more elated in his life. He knew he would never forget the moment Kageyama made him his, even if he tried.
Kageyama was still kissing his forehead when Hinata tried to sit. He wobbled and his hips hurt, but he smiled and let Kageyama kissed his arm, fingers, and the side of his stomach.
Kageyama looked up at him. Now it seemed like Kageyama already knew how to smile. It was only half-smile and it was as wobbly as Hinata's movement, but it was a smile.
"Tell me what you're thinking about, Kageyama, my Dragon," Hinata said, his fingers flowing through Kageyama's black hair.
Kageyama suddenly became very red.
"I was wondering if you were willing to have our egg."
It took Hinata a full second to understand why Kageyama was very red and what he meant by 'egg'.
When he did, Hinata blushed furiously as well. He couldn't handle Kageyama's blue eyes staring at him, so he hugged Kageyama's head and wondered if one could explode from happiness.
He kissed the top of Kageyama's head and breathed, "I'll have your egg, Kageyama. I'll have your everything."
Peculiarly, Hinata wasn't surprised when he felt Kageyama started to sniffle and sob against his chest. It was strange to even imagine if dragon could cry. But there Kageyama was, tearing up because Hinata said he'd have their egg.
When Kageyama's cry reduced to hiccup, they both lied in the dimness of the bedroom, watching snow fell again outside.
Sometimes between their lazy kisses and sleepy hugs, Kageyama mumbled into Hinata's bare chest.
"Hinata?"
"Yes?"
Kageyama nuzzled into Hinata's skin. "I'm home."
And Hinata knew the dragon was.