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By the time he reached his twentieth year of age, Yusuke felt that he spent more time in the forest near his village than close to other people.
It wasn’t on purpose, at least not at first. He had tried to live a “normal” life, getting to know his neighbors and trying different professions. In the end, the result was always the same: his unusual personality and behavior cost him all his attempts at working a normal job and befriending others.
It didn’t take long for him to understand that he wasn’t like other humans. There was something different about him… Something that made him more creature than man. Yusuke didn’t dislike it about himself, but everyone else did—which made his life much more difficult.
Some called him a changeling, saying it wasn’t possible for a human child to be that weird. His mother always defended him, of course… But she had always been a frail woman, and before Yusuke reached adulthood, sickness took her away from him.
Before departing, however, his mother had given him the most precious gift of all: his love for art in its many forms. And the forest was the place where he found most of his inspiration, drawing nature, but also imagining fantastic scenes, his imagination fed by the peaceful surroundings.
More than once, he wished he could enter that beautiful place and never leave—get lost amid those trees and disappear, never to be seen again. But he also knew a human like him wouldn’t survive for long in such a place, so he always returned to that village, and to the judgmental glares and whispers he always attracted.
While he stayed in the forest, however, he allowed himself to dream. His imagination ran wild, and his pencil kept moving, giving life to drawing after drawing. He was so lost in the process that it took him a long time to realize not everything around him was a creation of his mind.
In a lake, not far from where he was, a large creature covered in golden scales bathed, unaware of his presence—a dragon, horned and winged like in the stories. Yusuke watched it, awestruck; then, without thinking, he started to draw it. It was mesmerizing… Frightening, but equally beautiful. Unable to turn his gaze away, he sketched page after page.
Minutes passed before the dragon finally noticed it wasn’t alone. Its eyes darted around until they fell upon Yusuke, who trembled at the realization that it could very well mean his end. For a moment, neither of them moved. Then, the dragon growled; it got out of the lake, and before Yusuke could do or say anything, its body changed into a smaller form, and it darted away at an incredible speed.
“Wait…!”
Those words left Yusuke’s mouth before he could stop them, but the dragon didn’t listen, disappearing from view before Yusuke could have a better look at his different form. Disappointed, he walked away as well.
The following day, he returned to that same place; and, to his surprise, the dragon was there again. This time, instead of its original, bigger form, it bathed in that smaller one, which in many ways resembled a human around Yusuke’s age. Golden hair and eyes, dark horns, golden tail and wings… Tanned skin covered in freckles, but also some golden scales. Neither dragon nor human, but still as beautiful as his original form.
Like on the previous day, the dragon soon noticed Yusuke’s presence, tensing up, ready to flee.
“Don’t run,” said Yusuke. “I mean you no harm.”
A foolish thing to say to a creature who could so easily reduce him to ribbons if he so wished; and yet, Yusuke’s words seemed to calm the dragon down a little. He stayed still, eyes narrowed as Yusuke slowly approached. Then, finally, he spoke in a cautious tone.
“If you don’t wanna kill me, then… Whaddya want?”
The answer came easily to Yusuke. “To draw you.”
“Draw…?”
The dragon tilted his head, confused. Yusuke took a step closer, showing him his open sketchbook.
“See?”
The dragon took the sketchbook in his hands, turning the pages, wide-eyed. “You did all this?”
“Yes.”
“And you wanna draw me?”
“I do.”
He once again looked at that sketchbook, giving it some consideration.
“Fine, then…” He returned the sketchbook with a serious expression. “But you can’t tell anyone where you found me.”
Yusuke could understand his concern, especially given how superstitious the nearby village could be when it came to magic and non-human creatures.
“I shall keep your secret,” he said.
His words made the dragon relax a little. “Alright, then.”
Yusuke couldn’t hide his enthusiasm as he started to draw, frequently asking for the dragon to change poses. As he did, something crossed his mind.
“I never asked your name.”
“Ryuji,” said the dragon. “And yours?”
“Yusuke.”
“Hm…”
Yusuke thought he saw the hint of a smile on his lips, which made him smile as well.
“Could you change into your other form?” he asked after a while.
“I’m too tired for that,” said Ryuji. “Maybe another day.”
His words ignited the excitement in Yusuke’s chest. “Does that mean we can do this again?”
Ryuji averted his gaze, slightly embarrassed. “If you wanna…”
Yusuke nodded enthusiastically. “I’ll be here tomorrow, then.”
“Fine…”
They parted ways without many more words, but Yusuke already couldn’t wait for the moment they would meet again the following day.
Ryuji wasn’t sure what to think about Yusuke at first. He was a human, sure… And, usually, Ryuji hated humans. Yusuke, however, was different in some way—he didn’t feel like a threat, so Ryuji chose to give him a chance.
Besides, he had been pretty lonely those past months, after leaving his clan behind.
Despite his initial caution, however, he soon caught himself getting attached to that unusual human. Yusuke was kind and curious, and Ryuji enjoyed seeing his creations take form. After a month of meeting almost every day in that same place, however, he had to ask a question that had been floating in his mind.
“Don’t you get tired of drawing me?”
Yusuke shook his head. “It is the first time since my childhood that someone agrees to be my model. I can barely hold back my excitement.”
He was so honest… Ryuji couldn’t help but smile. “Then, I’ll be your model for as long as you want.”
Yusuke’s expression brightened up, which made Ryuji’s heart race. He liked Yusuke. Actually, he liked him a lot. Every day, he waited for that human’s arrival, and as soon as he saw his face, a light seemed to burn bright inside his chest.
He was being silly, wasn’t he? Yusuke was just happy because of his art… It wouldn’t be different if it were anyone else in Ryuji’s place. The thought soured his mood, but he never mentioned it to Yusuke.
One day, however, Yusuke didn’t pull his sketchbook out of his bag when he arrived; instead, he sat on a fallen log next to Ryuji, who watched him, puzzled.
“Ain’t you gonna draw today?”
“In a moment.”
“Hm…” Ryuji leaned in his direction, observing him with more attention. “You worried about something?”
“A thought just crossed my mind…” He glanced around, then his gaze fell upon Ryuji. “Do you live here, all alone?”
“There ain’t many like me left.” Ryuji shrugged, trying not to let the sting in his heart show on his face. “And the ones I cared about are all gone.”
“I see…” Yusuke lowered his eyes, quiet for a moment. “I am all alone, too.”
“Really?” Ryuji stared at him. “There are a lot of humans around here, though.”
“Yes, but no one I am close to.” He paused, taking a deep breath. “I lost my mother when I was young, and since then, I haven’t grown close to anyone else. I suppose I seem weird to them.”
That last part made Ryuji crease his brow. “You ain’t weird.”
“I’m glad at least you think so.”
There was some pain in his slight smile, and Ryuji didn’t like it—he didn’t like it at all.
“You’re a great guy, Yusu,” he said. “And I really like you.”
As he hoped, Yusuke’s smile became more sincere at those words. “I seem to have become quite fond of you, as well.”
A sudden warmth went up Ryuji’s neck and face, reaching his ears. Hearing that from Yusuke made him happier than anything else.
Yusuke had never been one to seek romantic relationships, or even have an interest in the subject.
For that reason, when he woke up from that dream—in which he and Ryuji kissed and held each other tenderly, in a way he had never imagined before—he needed a moment for his pounding heart to recover.
The surprise wasn’t in how important Ryuji had become to him—he was quite aware of that fact, already. Instead, it lay in how natural it all felt, to the point of him feeling lonely when he realized that sweet proximity hadn’t been real.
He wanted to see Ryuji… Every day, that thought was the strongest in his mind. For those past few months, his company had been the greatest happiness in his life, and made Yusuke wish they would never have to say goodbye again.
Was that what being in love meant? Yusuke only knew that feeling through pieces of art and literature, and from seeing couples on the streets, with joined hands and smiles on their faces.
Love… Yes, it was love. Deep inside, he knew it… He loved Ryuji. Loved, loved, loved him.
Yusuke smiled. He grabbed his bag with the sketchbook inside—it was still early for them to meet, but he couldn’t wait another minute. He had to see Ryuji, tell him about those feelings that only grew inside of him.
He was so lost in his own happiness that it took him way too long to realize he was being followed. By the time he noticed that small group of villagers with weapons in hand, he had already been violently thrown to the ground.
“What is—?”
He raised his eyes to his attackers, confused. Of course, he knew those people never liked him, but he had never seen such intense hatred in their eyes before.
“We know where you go every single day,” said one of those men. “To meet that monster in the forest.”
“Are you telling it about us?” asked a woman. “Which houses are easier to invade? Which families to devour first?”
The accusations were so absurd that Yusuke couldn’t even find a proper answer. “No… I—”
“I knew you were a devil spawn the moment I saw your face,” spat another villager. “That’s expected from a witch’s child.”
Suddenly, Yusuke’s confusion gave place to hot fury.
“Don’t you call my mother a witch,” he muttered sharply. “She was a wonderful and kind woman, unlike all of you.”
A cold silence spread throughout that forest. Then, a villager stepped in his direction, face covered by shadow, eyes glistening with thunder.
“We won’t let a demon like you bring ruin to our village,” he said. “We’ll put an end to this, like we should have done years ago.”
There were loud agreements and cheers as the man raised his axe above his head. Yusuke flinched—he knew what was about to come, and that there was no escaping from it. He could only hope Ryuji would run away if they ever found him, like he did when they first met. As long as he survived, Yusuke could die in peace.
The man brought his axe down toward his chest, and Ryuji’s face was the last thing in Yusuke’s mind before all of his senses faded to black.
As the sun started to set, Ryuji couldn’t control his restlessness, pacing around their meeting place, biting the inside of his cheek as he thought.
Yusuke was never late for their meetings. There was a chance something unexpected had stopped him from coming, but no matter how many times Ryuji tried to convince himself that it wasn’t a big deal, part of him refused to believe it and relax.
Something was wrong… He could feel it. In his heart, in his blood, in his bones, everywhere. Unable to wait a moment longer, he rushed toward that village, his heart thumping painfully with each step.
Then, he saw it. The fire, the crowd… They were surrounding what seemed like a pyre, yelling and cheering as the fire raged. It took him a horrible second to realize that, in that pyre, was the mangled body of the one he had been searching for.
“Yusuke!”
Ryuji’s body went cold. Without thinking, he jumped into that fire, grabbing Yusuke, holding him tightly against his chest to shield him from the flames, jumping away from that pyre. He glared at those humans, who watched him with terror and hatred—the same faces from when they took those closest to him without remorse.
With anger burning inside him, Ryuji carefully laid Yusuke on the grass, then faced those humans, some of whom raised their weapons. He scoffed.
“You shouldn’t have hurt him.”
Then, before any of them could react, Ryuji changed into his true form, to the deafening sound of screams. He showed them fire, and claws, and teeth… For a minute, he was the monster they expected to see, and held no shame or guilt inside—they had asked for it.
When there were no humans left in that forest, Ryuji turned back into his humanoid form, then rushed to Yusuke’s side, pressing his ear against his heart. It was so faint… No surprise, with all those wounds and burns. And all that blood… Damn those humans, why did they keep hurting the ones he loved? Why couldn’t they leave them alone?”
A loud sob escaped his lips, and he held Yusuke tightly. What should he do? There should be something… It couldn’t end like that. It couldn’t…
He inhaled sharply, trying to fight his own panic and grief. The stories his mother used to tell him came back to his mind: tales of a time long past, when humans and dragons were companions, joined by their blood and souls. Ryuji always considered those stories nothing but fiction, but…
Without wasting more time, Ryuji cut his wrist with a claw, bringing that wound to Yusuke’s lips, his blood dripping inside his mouth.
“Yusu…”
He didn’t know if it would work. But he had to try… Anything, anything as long as it had a chance to save Yusuke.
“Please… Don’t leave me…”
He would give him all of his blood if he needed to. It didn’t matter… As long as Yusuke survived, nothing else mattered.
“Don’t leave me, Yusu…” His voice cracked, and he shut his eyes. “I love you.”
Yusuke’s body trembled, and he coughed. Ryuji moved his wrist away from his mouth, paying that cut no mind—the wound would close soon enough. Instead, he cupped Yusuke’s face with both hands.
“Can you hear me?”
What came as a response was a loud, pained scream. For a terrible moment, Ryuji thought he had made things worse, but then he noticed Yusuke’s wounds quickly starting to heal. Yusuke grunted and shook in pain, and Ryuji embraced him carefully, trying to bring him some comfort.
“It’s alright…” he said. “It’s gonna be alright, Yusu… It’ll be over soon.”
Yusuke gasped and cried, breathing hastily. His torment lasted no more than a minute, but it felt like an eternity. Then, finally, he went completely still. Ryuji tensed up, running his eyes down Yusuke’s body: the wounds were gone, but he wasn’t the same as before, either. His skin now carried patches of dark blue scales; nails had turned into claws, teeth into fangs. He wasn’t a dragon, but wasn’t a human, either—something between the two, which Ryuji had thought impossible until that moment.
With his anxious heart thumping, Ryuji brought a hand to his face, looking at him. “Yusu?”
Slowly, Yusuke opened his eyes—which, once as black as the night sky, were now of a bright golden color, not unlike his own. He looked at Ryuji, momentarily lost.
“Ryuji…?”
“Yusu!” Ryuji couldn’t hold back a long, relieved sigh. “Are you alright? Is it hurting?”
Yusuke shook his head, then brought a hand to his chest, where that deep wound had been until moments before. He blinked in shock, then turned his gaze back to Ryuji.
“You… saved me… did you not?”
All thanks to his mother’s stories… Once again, he wished he could hug her tightly one more time. Instead, he smiled at the man in his arms.
“I think I did.”
Yusuke returned that smile. They threw their arms around each other in a tight, almost desperate embrace.
“I love you, Yusu…” said Ryuji. “I love you…”
Yusuke pulled him closer, sinking his fingers in his hair. “I love you too… I love you so much.”
He was so glad he couldn’t stop the tears. For a long while, neither of them could let go of the other, taking in all the relief and love they shared, allowing their hearts to slowly calm down.
Only then did they turn their gazes toward the destruction surrounding them: it had been a small group, but others surely would come, seeking revenge. Ryuji’s stomach turned at the idea: he didn’t enjoy killing, but he would never allow anyone to harm Yusuke again.
“What are we going to do, now?” he asked in a low voice.
“I don’t know,” said Yusuke. “I cannot go back to that place.”
“Of course not…” Ryuji grabbed his hand, meeting his gaze. “I think we should leave… It ain’t safe here anymore.”
“Where to?”
“I dunno…”
Yusuke lowered his gaze, thoughtful. Then, to Ryuji’s surprise, he shook his head with a smile.
“I am sure we will find a place for ourselves,” he said. “And if one does not exist…”
Ryuji grinned in response. “We’ll make one, right?”
“Precisely.”
He was right, there was no reason to worry about things they couldn’t change. If the only thing they could do was survive each day together, then they would. For as long as they had to.
Ryuji stood up, then helped Yusuke do the same. He took a few steps back and, with a deep breath, changed into his true form once again.
“Let’s go, then,” he said.
Yusuke nodded, then jumped on Ryuji’s back, holding on tightly as they soared into the sky.
Many things had changed in one hundred years.
Sometimes, Yusuke couldn’t even remember the time when people like him and Ryuji were considered monsters, since now they no longer had reasons to hide in fear, and could be seen in almost every town and village, coexisting with humans.
They had seen that change happen day by day, and yet, it still didn’t feel real sometimes, especially when Yusuke opened that door and walked inside that house, to a warm fire and a warmer smile. Now, for the first time in what felt like an eternity, they had a home—a real home.
“Hey, Yusu!” Ryuji rushed to his side. “Welcome back!”
Yusuke hugged him, placing a soft kiss on his lips. Ryuji was still wearing the uniform from his work at the café a few streets away; he had worked there for almost two years, and made many friends with time—even human friends, to his surprise.
As for Yusuke, his art had gained the recognition he never dared to hope it would, and he was frequently busy creating new pieces, sometimes for rich buyers from far away. He once painted the portrait of an elven family of noble blood, who crossed the veil between their lands just to see the famous painter everyone was talking so enthusiastically about.
A simple, happy life… The kind of life he only realized he longed for when it was finally within his grasp.
With a pleased smile, Yusuke caressed Ryuji’s cheek, looking into his eyes. “I missed you, my love.”
Ryuji laughed, as he often did at those words. “Yeah, I know… You just can’t live without me.”
Despite the playfulness in his words, they both knew it was true. The century they had spent together had been so bright and full of joy… Even at the worst and most painful moments, Yusuke still found the strength to smile because Ryuji was by his side. Another hundred years could pass, or even a thousand; the world could change again, for better or for worse. It was impossible to predict what awaited them in the future.
And yet, Yusuke wasn’t scared: as long as he and Ryuji had each other, they would always have a home to go back to.