Archive of Our Own ^beta

Suga was one of the mages asked to search. He wasn't keen on going, but he lived too close to the castle to not be found and ordered to leave. He didn't think that there was a real dragon on the loose, so he wasn't terrified of leaving, just irritated.

Suga made it to the road by foot without anything out of the ordinary happening. Too many horses went missing in previous searches, so he wasn't provided with one. By now, though, the road was empty from fear, so Suga was alone in the middle of nowhere until others came to look.

He gave a load groan and pressed a hand to his forehead. "There's nothing here."

Suga cast a fog dispersion spell and tried walking through the now clear area, but it lead into a dead forest. The trees weren't burnt, just rotted, and he didn't see any animals living there.

That didn't sound like the work of a dragon. If they destroyed anything, it was with fire or something else destructive. This looked like a natural disaster.

Before Suga left, he decided to at least humor the thought of a dragon living nearby, and he found a few books to read. There wasn't much more information than he already knew from word of mouth, such as hoarding gems and making fires. Waving a shiny ruby around to catch the dragon's attention was the only idea you could get from that kind of help, and it was a stupid one. 

Suga tried a scouring spell to find traces of magic from a dragon, but he didn't get any results. He kept walking and repeating the spell, coming up with nothing every time until he came to the base of a small mountain. He knew there was a mountain in the area, but ending up close to it without thinking left him worried.

It was nighttime. He wasted a whole day using the same spells over and over, and he was now drained. He rubbed his eyes sleepily and trudged around, settling into an alcove of rock for protection from the wind. Suga was worried, but he was too tired to think about the time spent doing nothing. Suga folded his knees into his chest and fell asleep.

The journey there had been cold. Suga took an extra cloak to shroud over himself, and it was enough for the night chill, but it was not warm enough to completely keep the cold away. Puffs of hot air swept over him as the first threads of consciousness came, and when he opened his eyes, he felt his heart choke on its own beating.

A giant pair of eyes peered down at him. Suga could see wings on a dragon's back, in a blue lighter than the rest of the scales on his body, but those details were dulled compared to the closeness of his mouth.

Suga backed into the wall with wide eyes, his hands sprawling on the rock.

The dragon tilted his head. "Why are you on my mountain?" he asked. His voice was loud and rumbling, and Suga could feel it vibrate through his body.

Suga ducked his head down, raising his hands in meek defense. He was too shocked to attempt magic when the draon was right in front of his mouth.

"I'm asking you a question." The dragon leaned forward a little, his eyes blinking slowly.

Suga's voice cracked before he managed to speak. "Well, it was an accident, I swear, I wasn't looking where I was going--"

The dragon sat back on his haunches, the movement shaking the ground enough for Suga to wobble. "You ended up here? That's not supposed to happen."

"I didn't do it on purpose!" Suga flinched when he realized that he realized his voice. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell. Uh…" Suga rolled his hand in the air with a questioning tone.

"My name's Oikawa Tooru." His tail began to swish back and forth, and he tilted his head to the other side. "Your hair looks strange. What happened to it?"

"…What?"

"Your hair looks like a cold color." Oikawa lifted his claw towards Suga's head. Suga curled up when he saw the large blue claw engulf his vision, and he tried to press himself as close to the rock wall as possible. The claw still came down on his head, giving a small rub to feel his hair.

Suga clenched his eyes shut. Oikawa moved away uneventfully.

"It's just normal hair," Oikawa complained. He lowered his head to the floor and gave a deep grumble. "I've never seen a human with grey hair like that."

Suga took a trembling breath. "Can I go now?"

"I don't know. Can you?" Oikawa opened his mouth, and Suga thought it was probably intended to be a grin, but the rows of sharp teeth made him stiffen.

When Suga didn't answer, Oikawa's mouth twitched into a frown. "Why are you here, anyway?"

"I got lost."

Oikawa's eyes flicked to the road. "There's no one else traveling around here. Everyone stopped."

"I'm traveling from farther away."

Oikawa shifted a claw to the ground, narrowing his eyes as he closed off the floor in front of Suga. "You're one of the people looking for me, aren't you?"

"No, I'm by myself." Suga rose to his feet and slid his back against the wall, stilling as Oikawa's claw came up to him.

"No one else has seen me up close." His claw wrapped around Suga and lifted him up.

Suga wriggled and kicked his feet, his breath ratcheting up in a panic. "I was forced to come here! I didn't mean anything. I won't tell anyone, I promise."

"You already lied once. I don't think I should trust you." Oikawa shook his head and clicked his tongue.

Oikawa's feet scrabbled on the rocks, and he climbed up the mountainside with his claw occupied. Suga grew rigid. He saw a cave in the direction they were headed.

The inside of the cave looked dark, with a chilly dampness glistening in the water dripping from the ceiling. It got darker further in, and the cave expanded a few feet away from the entrance. Oikawa dumped him on the floor, leaving Suga on his back as he stretched his wings out.

Suga scrambled to his knees and crawled backward. "I didn't do anything. Can you just let me go?"

"No. No one else knows I live here."

"I wouldn't have even known if you didn't take me up here!"

Oikawa stopped walking closer to scratch his head. "You…have a point…"

Suga bumped into the wall, leaning back on his hands instead of standing up.

Oikawa tapped his claw on the floor in thought. "Well, still, you found me on the mountain. I can't let you escape and tell everyone now." He lowered his head to the floor with a sigh, his tail rising and flopping down with a thud that startled Suga.

Suga raised a hand as casually as possible, whispering a spell to himself. He tried to cover his glowing hand with his cloak, but Oikawa shot his tail out and whacked him. Suga stopped talking and rubbed his shoulder with a grimace.

"I'm not stupid," Oikawa said. He narrowed his eyes and kept his tail at Suga's feet, watching him squirm and scoot away from it. "Did you really think you could use magic in front of me?"

Suga wrapped his arms around his chest. He was feeling less afraid now--enough to attempt a spell--but he still couldn't do anything useful.

"Well, no," he said in quiet voice.

"Ugh. Humans with a little bit of magic think they can do everything." Oikawa rolled his eyes, his head twisting in the air with a scoff. After a few moments, he blinked with brighter eyes, and he spun around to poke his head out of the cave.

Oikawa's whole body glowed blue, and by the time Suga realized he was using magic, Oikawa was done and turning back around.

Suga felt icy air sweep through the cave, and he shivered. "What did you do?"

Oikawa tipped his nose in the air. "There's a blizzard outside now. There's nothing you can do."

Suga curled up under his cloak, rubbing his hands together and breathing onto them. The air turned frigid quickly, and Suga started to shudder without stopping.

"Is...this how you're going to kill me?" he asked in a slow stammer, shaking too much to speak properly.

"Don't be ridiculous. This is just so you can't leave."

Oikawa walked ahead, scooping Suga under his wing and sliding him deeper into the cave with him. The air was more bearable there, and Suga jumped off of him when his head cleared from the cold.

"You stirred up a blizzard just so I can't leave?" Suga asked. "How am I supposed to go get food? I'm almost out." Suga dug a hand through his pockets and pulled out the last piece of bread he had. Once he remembered it, though, his stomach felt empty. He started munching on it, tearing off each piece with his teeth and glaring up.

"That'll do for now," Oikawa said with a waving claw. "Humans don't eat that much, right? You're so tiny."

Suga paused. "How much do you eat?"

"Don't worry. I don't eat humans." Oikawa reached forward and patted his head again, causing him to jolt and drop his food. "Sorry, my bad."

Suga grasped for it, but Oikawa's tail slithered over and pushed it further away.

"Why are you taking it?"

Oikawa ignored him, lifting it up to his eyes by his tail. "Is this bread?"

Suga extended his hands. "Give it back." 

"Say pretty please, human."

Suga wrinkled his nose. "My name's Suga."

"Suga?" Oikawa's tail slumped to the floor.

"That's not my full name." Suga stepped over and picked his bread up now that Oikawa lost interest in it.

"Suga... Like Sugawara?" Oikawa's head tilted, his eyes drifting over Suga's hair.

Suga blinked up at him. He didn't have time to move as Oikawa craned his neck over, licking up the side of his face to his hair. Suga grimaced and wiped his hands over his head.

Oikawa gagged. "Your hair doesn't taste like anything."

Suga shot his head back up. "How are you not extinct?"

Oikawa gave an irritated huff. "I wonder the same thing about humans."

Suga returned to eating, and Oikawa plopped down on the floor next to him. "Can I try it? I haven't eaten human food in a while." Oikawa brushed his tail up Suga's arm, and Suga tugged away to the other side.

"Go eat a rock. Isn't this just a crumb to you?"

"I don't eat rocks." Oikawa shifted backwards, his mouth open. "I was going to offer to get more, but if you're going to be a rude prisoner, then I'll just take your food."

Suga shoved the rest of the bread into his mouth without hesitation. There wasn't much left, but the act made Oikawa swish his tail in an annoyed speed.

"I'm tempted to throw you out in the snow."

After Suga swallowed, he coughed. "Why do you want human food, anyway?"

"I can turn into a human." Oikawa nodded. "I know it's impressive, but I don't like doing it often."

"A human?" Suga dusted the crumbs off himself and looked up. "Is that why no one has found you yet?" 

"That's right. Want to see me do it?"

Suga's head tilted to the side, his mouth shifting in thought. He nodded.

Oikawa folded his wings around himself and glowed blue again, shrinking down to a human figure that was sitting down. Suga noticed his height first, but then he realized that Oikawa had no clothes on.

Suga jerked his head away, his hands slapping over his eyes. "Where are your clothes?"

"But I don't need them? I'm not cold."

Suga yanked his cloak off his arms and walked up to Oikawa, averting his eyes at the ground until he could throw it over him. It pooled over his lap and legs, and he stared down at it in confusion.

Suga peeked through his hands. "You're not putting it on."

Oikawa ran his hands over it, pinching the fabric between his fingers. He scowled. "It feels itchy."

Suga removed his hands from his face to adjust it on him, ignoring Oikawa's protests and his own discomfort. It was long enough to fall to the floor over him, but Suga still felt uneasy knowing that Oikawa wasn't wearing anything else underneath.

Oikawa raised his arms and glanced down. "Why did you put this on me?"

"Oikawa, you can't be naked."

"Why not?" He reached for the bottom of the clothing and started pulling it up, but Suga shot his hand out and grabbed his wrists.

"Keep that on."

Oikawa sighed and dropped his arms down to cross them. "Fine. I'll wear your blanket." He brushed his hands over them again, and after shifting underneath it for a few moments, he gave a whine. "This is too hot."

Suga moved a hand to his forehead, but Oikawa caught it before he could touch his face. Oikawa turned his hand over with curious eyes, prodding it with a finger. "You're hot, too."

Suga tried to snap his hand away, but Oikawa's grip held fast. He raised it to his face then, pressing the back of Suga's hand to his cheek. His skin was cold, colder than his hands were, the opposite of the way Suga's face heated more than the rest of his body.

"How are you this warm? Do you use magic all the time?"

"No, this is how humans are--stop licking my hand."

Suga tugged harder, squirming but unable to pull out of his strong grip. Oikawa stared with attentive eyes, and after he was satisfied he released him.

"You're warm," he reaffirmed.

Suga wiped his hand on his clothes and sat down on the floor with a groan. "When are you going to turn back into a dragon?"

Oikawa was looking over his own hands now, marveling at his fingers moving one by one. "I think I'll stay like this. I forgot how fun this was."

Suga ended up sitting down on the floor for an hour, watching him pace back and forth on wobbly legs. Oikawa fell a few times, but Suga didn't get up to catch him. He fell with a strained yell every time, and after his third fall, he intentionally landed on him the next time he was in front of Suga.

Suga's eyes widened, and he was crushed underneath him as their lips bumped against each other. He immediately pushed Oikawa away, with Oikawa's arms reaching out as Suga shoved a hand into his chest.

"Can I try that again?"

"No."

Oikawa spent the next few minutes trying to dodge his arm and kiss him. It ended after he threatened to keep the blizzard going for the next year, and Suga reluctantly drew his arm back. After a quick chaste kiss, Oikawa sat back with a proud grin afterward. 

"Can I finally go now?"

"What? No, of course not." Oikawa shook his head. "I'm going to keep you."

Suga buried his head in his knee. "Please, let me leave," he mumbled to himself. Oikawa ended up leaving to bring him food when he started to actually complain, but even when the blizzard died down, Suga realized he couldn't climb down the mountain by himself.

Oikawa didn't help him down until Suga gave him another kiss.