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Because of your powers, you were prone to attracting magical creatures around you. Usually, they were simple animals you considered pets, and Zayne was comfortable enough with you keeping them. After all, Hua and Bai Ze could use some friends of their kind.
Until you attracted a sentient, intelligent, humanoid creature: a dragon that seemed to originate from somewhere very distant to Zayne's mountain. Sylus, as you named him (because neither you nor Zayne could understand his ancient draconic language or how to pronounce his name; you settled on a name that sounded phonetically close to it), seemed resolute in staying and making a home in the mountain God's territory. Zayne tried to shoo him away, but after looking into his fate, and realising he was the last of his kind, still hunted by other humans, the Master of Fate's heart softened once again; he ended up welcoming the lonely dragon into his home, just like he did with you, after making sure Sylus will not disrupt his order here and will listen to him. The dragon tilted his head, and shrugged, agreeing to listen to Zayne's rules.
And that was that. Zayne, you and Sylus were living together. Sylus even proved himself to be useful, scaring away humans who tried to enter Zayne's territory, and taking care of catching your next meals, leaving you more time to study and copy bamboo slips. You pouted once you realized bringing in a new friend meant shifu can use him to his own advantage.
***
Zayne was sitting down in the shade of the Sacred Tree, sipping his warm tea. There were many bamboo slips waiting for you on the table beside him, but you haven't returned to your studies since you left after breakfast. Zayne wondered where your legs might have led you to be so late, when a loud purring approached him quickly, and crashed into his lap.
"What are you doing?" he asked, witnessing the large dragon laying his head in Zayne's lap. Sylus even nuzzled his face into his pant legs, relishing being so close to the Master of Fate.
"Resting. I worked so hard all morning hunting a good meal, cutting all the meat and storing it into your magical cooling box, that I deserve to rest now."
As soon as he stopped speaking, he returned to purring loudly, Zayne feeling the vibrations in his legs. Fair enough, the dragon supposedly deserved rest. Zayne still wondered why his lap had to be Sylus' pillow though.
"What did you catch?"
"A cow."
"A cow?" Zayne raised an eyebrow. "Aren't those supposed to be in the lands near the village?"
Sylus shrugged. "It wondered off into the mountain territory. The humans wouldn't have been able to retrieve it, and if they even found it and tried, it would have been a hassle. So now our dearest can finally try out all the beef recipes she's been talking about."
Zayne rolled his eyes and sighed, his shoulders dropping. As annoying as Sylus could sometimes be (very often), it was clear how attentive he was to your needs. And Zayne's, if he would have been as sincere and easy to read as you were.
"Speaking of our dearest troublemaker," Zayne rested against the tree's trunk, raising his left hand to gently card his fingers through Sylus' already tangled strands, "do you have any idea where she might be? She was supposed to study today."
The dragon shrugged again, nuzzling further into Zayne's lap, his purring becoming even louder (if such a thing was even possible), as Zayne tried to gently untangle his hair. "I have no idea. I was out hunting all morning."
"I wouldn't call catching a cow 'hunting'," Zayne chuckled. "It's a domestic animal, and you are an apex predator."
The dragon was very displeased with the mountain God's dismissal of his very well done job. He huffed a puff of smoke out of nostrils, while still enjoying the gentle fingers (who were for once ungloved) scratching his scalp. "You wound me, shifu. Do you really think so little of my accomplishment today?"
"That's not what I meant. I simply corrected your use of vocabulary. But you're free to misinterpret my words and sulk," Zayne replied, retreating his touch and trying to hide a smirk from appearing on his face.
With an even more indignant huff, Sylus raised out of Zayne's lap to harshly glare at him. Whether it was for trying to tease him, retreating his caress or both, the Master of Fate did not know, and neither did he try to. It was quite comical watching the imposing dragon wag his tail in annoyance, thumping the ground and disturbing the fallen flowers around them.
It was even more comical (for Sylus this time), when he got revenge on the know-it-all God, by attacking him where he was most unprepared. By flustering him. Sylus jumped on him and ran his long, scratchy tongue over the smooth, shaven expanse of his jaw and cheek. Zayne gasped, shocked, and tried to get out of his dragon's hold, but Sylus made sure to grab firmly onto his waist.
"What are you doing? Behave!" Zayne laughed as if he was tickled, unable to detach himself from Sylus, and instead falling on his back. Finally, the dragon relented on stopped slobbering the side of his face, proudly looking down at what he must have considered a masterpiece.
Indeed it was a masterpiece. Zayne's ears and cheeks gained such a pretty shade of dark pink, and his chest expanded with each shaky breath he took in.
"What was that for!?" Even his voice was shaky, so uncharacteristic of the always composed Master of Fate. It was only ever Sylus and you that managed to fluster him like this. It had happened on so many nights before, until he'd gain back his composure and control, and punish you two in the most delicious ways.
"Revenge," Sylus drawled, unable to stop his tail from flicking in satisfaction.
Zayne blinked at him, bewildered by the dragon's behaviour. But he didn't have the chance to respond, before Sylus leaned down and crashed his lips onto Zayne's. The dragon didn't know how to kiss gently (he didn't know what kisses were in the beginning, as they weren't part of draconic social interactions), he knew only to devour and bite with his sharp teeth at the plush of Zayne's lips. The Master of Fate choked on a gasp as Sylus cut his sensitive skin and then promptly licked the droop of blood that seeped out.
With a firm hand on the dragon's horn, Zayne tilted his head away. "Gentle," Zayne whispered his command. "I'm not your prey, you don't need to pierce your fangs into me."
Sylus didn't respond, instead choosing to continue what Zayne had so unfairly interrupted. Still, he kept his sharp teeth at bay, only using his lips and tongue to explore Zayne's mouth. Content with Sylus' nonverbal response, the God reciprocated his kiss. There was still the metallic taste of Zayne's blood lingering on Sylus' tongue that very eagerly reached deep to tangle with his own.
Again, Zayne's hand on his horn pushed the dragon away, so that they may catch their breaths. Although at first, Sylus was loathe to detach from his God's sweet lips, he became quite satisfied once he noticed how a deeper shade of blush coated his skin. Sylus licked his lips and smirked.
"You look pretty when you're flustered."
"Is that what you wanted to get out of me?!" Zayne counteracted, still trying to catch his breath after their previous intense kiss.
Before either of them could continue the game neither of them remembered who started, a giggle sounded just behind Sylus. Both of the men turned their attention to the source of the sound.
You came back (from wherever you had been gone to), just to find your two companions sprawled on the grass, with rosy cheeks and swollen lips.
"What were you doing without me?" you asked, on an as innocent tone as you could muster.
Your shifu ignored your question. You couldn't ignore his blush. "Where have you been all day? You were supposed to study," he spoke after clearing his throat. Still, he was questioning you while laying down beneath your dragon with his elegant ponytail dishevelled.
"I went into the village," you said, picking up your long, flowy skirts and twirling once. "I bought a dress for dancing."
Zayne's eyes sparkled as he watched you twirl, while Sylus' tail flicked like an overenthusiastic dog's. "But you don't really like long sleeved, long skirted attire," Zayne continued.
"Just because I'm clumsy with it doesn't mean I don't like it! Besides, it looks very pretty when I'm dancing for you." You twirled again, your long hair, sleeves and skirt following your movement and flowing graciously around your body.
Both men looked entranced at your elegant moves, following a rhythm only your heart knew, as Zayne was too incapacitated to summon his guqin and play. He became even more restrained as Sylus flopped onto him with all his weight, knocking the wind out of Zayne's lungs.
"Isn't she beautiful?" Sylus asked, unbeknownst to him that the man beneath lost his breath for a short moment.
"She is," Zayne sighed, still watching your moves that were now less controlled since witnessing their banter and starting to laugh at them.
He knew he should push Sylus off his body and urge you to start your very late studying session. But as much as he wanted to, the dragon's body was too warm and heavy, and you looked too divine dancing with the sun shining behind you.
So the Master of Fate chose to relax for a moment longer…