Work Text:
“Juniper tried to turn me into a dragon today.”
He was sipping his tea when she said it, oh so casually. An inopportune time because, most inelegantly, he spit it out in shock. An action unbecoming of himself.
“She did what?”
“Tried to turn me into a dragon. With a potion.” She kicked her feet in the pond, sighing with relief at the sensation and oblivious to the way his mind stopped working. The town’s sorceress was known to be a bit… eccentric but this was a level unheard of previously.
His silence must have gone for too long because she looked up at him with a wide eyed stare. Gently, he moved his teacup to its plate as he clears his throat. “And you let her experiment on you? If she had succeeded, it’d have been a feat I’ve never heard of before. But if she failed, it could have been catastrophic. It was quite dangerous of her to even suggest.”
His companion was quiet for a moment, a pink hue flushing through her cheeks. He feared he’d embarrassed her. That was far from his intent, he simply was concerned for her well-being. Careless transformation magicks could lead to great harm. Even though he was very experienced, he’s dealing with the ramifications of the one’s he employed to save her from the fire seal mishap.
“It didn’t even occur to me. I just wanted to help. If I’m not the guinea pig, it’ll be someone else and besides…” She paused, her cheeks growing redder. “I thought that if it worked, perhaps you’d be less lonely.”
His heart skipped a few beats, that annoying habit it had since he took this form. One that happened most frequently during the farmer’s visits. A clawed hand went to his chest as he waited for it to calm down.
“Do you think I’m lonely?”
Her mouth twisted in thought, eyes staring at their reflection in the water. “You seem happy enough but there’s something in your eyes, hidden behind that slight smile that makes me think you have regrets. That between the loss of your memories and the lack of your kind nearby, you wish things weren’t the way they are.”
An ache errupted in his chest; one that he normally experienced at times when he was alone. Alone and waiting for her to come back and grace him with her presence. He hadn’t realized that the feelings he had been trying to conceal so fervently were instead written plainly on his face, in his actions… perhaps even in his words.
“I do not.” Pausing, he considered his words. What to say? How much? He was still sorting through what all these mortal sensations were and he didn’t want to misstep and cause further pain. “I might be the only dragon in these parts but that does not mean I am alone. My only regret thus far is…” He took a deep breath, trying to still the frantic beating of his heart. The treacherous thing always overreacted in her presence and this situation only made it behave even worse. “..is that you were in danger. That you had been harmed. I felt fear I haven’t experienced in centuries, long before I began my slumber.”
She pondered his words silently. A silent eternity that made him wonder if he had misspoken after all. Eventually, she seemed to have settled on keeping it simple with an, “I see.”
He frowned at that response, confused as she returned so easily to swinging her legs in the water and leaning back with her eyes closed to bask in the sunlight that dappled through the trees.
“Was my answer unsatisfactory?”
“Hmm?”
“You seemed displeased but unwilling to share why. I’m concerned that I…”
“You didn’t do anything wrong, Caldarus. I just misinterpreted how you were feeling.” She pulled her legs out of the water and tucked them into her chest, becoming smaller than she already was. “I thought I was helping but I guess I caused more distress instead. I didn’t mean to. I figured it’d be worth it… if it did work.”
“And…” That ache in his chest returned. “Did you…” He hummed. Mortal feelings were so difficult to navigate. “Were you hoping to be as I am?”
“I was only hoping that whatever happened would make you happier.”
He sighed and crept closer to her, their shoulders almost brushing. “You do far more than I could ever ask to ensure my happiness. Your generosity knows no bounds. I can hardly complain about my circumstances.”
“But don’t you feel trapped?”
“I am no more trapped now than I was before when all I could see of the world was from the confines of the statue on your farm.” Lifting his arm, he chanced brushing his finger tips across hers. He did not miss the shiver that ran through her at his touch and he wondered if she suffered similar symptoms to him when they were together like this. He had been meaning to ask her what they meant but… now was clearly not the time. “I might have a mortal form now but that is not a bad thing in my eyes. I enjoy experiencing the world as it is through mortal eyes, through mortal sensation. Mortal emotion. It is as if I am seeing everything in a brand new light.
“So do not fret. You have far exceeded my expectations as my dragonsworn. I was truly blessed when I rose from my slumber to your presence.”
And to his surprise, she leaned her head on his shoulder, sighing deeply with eyes closed. “I’m glad.” A pause. “You know I only want the best for you, right?”
“I know.” His chest beat furiously and he could feel that telltale heat flashing across his cheeks. This odd sense of joy and discomfort simultaneously. A mystery, yet to be solved. “But I also need you to be safe.”
“Juniper wouldn’t actually do any harm to me.”
He simply hummed, mildly unconvinced but chose to trust her. Together they sat like this by the pond, silently. The companionable quiet enough for both of them. In the water’s surface, they watched as the clouds above floated by. The insects sang their chorus and it all felt just so right. He inhaled deeply, memorizing her scent. The way the weight of her head felt on his shoulder. The way the silky strands of her hair tickled the back of his hand.
If the world were to pause in this moment, he would be more than content.
Although, after awhile, a thought occurred to him that made him break that silence, a burning concern that made him speak.
“I was curious. As the potion clearly didn’t work, what did happen?” He hoped nothing happened but he knew that was unlikely. At the very least, it seemed to have been nothing permanent.
“Oh! I turned into a horse instead.”
“What?”