Chapter Text
Kaveh looked down at the human with much confusion; he honestly didn't know where to start. He may not have had much contact with humans, but he could tell by how much blood the human had lost that he needed to act quickly. He wandered, walking on his feet and holding the bleeding human in his wings; he was searching for any kind of shelter or sign of human life so he could raid and hopefully find some first aid supplies. He grunted, but this wasn't his plan for the next few days. Seeing as the human practically pushed himself to death to help him, he didn't seem to have much choice.
Finally, he came across an abandoned camp set up by humans; he laid the human down and sat down himself. He sighed deeply; dragons can change into two forms, one being their dragon and one being a hybrid dragon and human form that drastically decreases their size. He closed his eyes as the tingling feeling stretched over his body, and he could feel his form begin to change; it was never the most comfortable thing to him, but he needed to be this way to help the other. He opened his eyes again, peering into a small puddle of water; he saw his human face with scales on his cheeks and blond hair with brown tips that matched his horns. His nails were sharp like knives and black at the tips, as well as his shorter yellow and brown dotted tail. He sighed again before sneering and mumbling.
“You have so much explaining you owe to me, human.”
He then looked through the abandoned bags and a bucket with water and soap. After a long while, he found a half-full bottle of whiskey, vodka, needles, thread, cloth, and many bandages. He returned to the human, trying to figure out the best way to start. He was by no means a doctor, and dragons tended to walk off injuries and pretend they never happened instead of treating them; however, he at least needed to try. He started by using his claw to rip open the male's blood-stained shirt and put it in a bucket with the water; he didn't know if the shirt could even be saved with the amount of blood soaked into the fabric. Now, seeing how deep and vast the injuries were on the other, his heart seemed to pump faster; never in his mind did he imagine the damage to the other to be so extensive.
He shakes his head softly. He needs to focus, so he starts by shoving nearby cloth into the mouth of the whiskey bottle and tipping it over. Once the fabric has absorbed the liquid, he dabs it against the open wounds. Even unconscious, he watches how the other seems to tremble, which makes his heart ache even more. He shook his head once more, and once he was done absorbing as much blood as he could, kaveh took another piece of clean cloth and began to disinfect the other's wounds; he tried to focus more on the task at hand than the other's trembling body.
After he was sure all the wounds were as clean as he could get them, Kaveh held the needle and thread between his hands, which he was somewhat worried about. He wasn't sure how gentle he could be, especially considering how rare he was in this particular form. With one last breath of concentration, he began running the needle through the other flesh, internally squirming at how it felt. After one stitch, he began to find a good rhythm, and before he knew it, the wound was sewn. He pulled it tightly and knotted it before slicing the thread with his claws. He continued this process until all the wounds were held together. Still, he wasn't a doctor, and he could see the minor rippling of blood from the smallest slits. He reached for the bandage and wrapped the soft bandages around the other torso. He tried to do his best to make the wrappings tight, but not so tight he ended up harming the human. He sighed, placing the small metal piece to hold the bandages in place. This human had so much to explain to him after all the effort he put in and was somehow willing to continue putting in to make him feel better.
Alhaiham’s head was throbbing; it felt like someone had hit him with the blunt end of a sword until the side of his hide was bruised black. He swore he could hear his pulse in his head, his hands immediately going to the side of his head as his eyes remained closed in an attempt. After a few minutes of doing this, the pain seemed to subside enough for him to regain his composure. He moved his hands back down, gripping against his stomach and sides where he could feel bandages. He was bewildered as to where these bandages came from as he was expecting to be left alone and left for dead after the encounter. Instead of a cold, lonely feeling, he felt the soft, warm, like a flame touch, and he felt it leave his arm.
What he saw in front of him, he swore, was like a dream. Honestly, if his pain weren't so grounding, he would've believed it was. At first, he couldn't make out much of a hand in front of his face. The skin was fair, but the nails were sharp; they seemed more claw-like than nails. When the hand moved farther, he could make out a face, a beautiful one at least. Brilliantly carmine eyes that gave him such a sense of Deja Vu he’d sworn he had seen them before. The male also had these long, pointed ears, which reminded him of elves from storybooks he wished he had been read to as a child. A long golden tail wrapped around him, presumingly keeping him upright, and two horns peering out of his fluffy blonde hair; that's when it all clicked. At this point, his face was flushed a soft red, and even brighter when he realized they were both naked; Kaveh realized this too and was unsure why it was weird.
Much to kavehs grievance, alhaitham was determined to at least put on pants and to protect the hard work he did putting the stitches in kaveh. After a few unsuccessful attempts, he dressed the other to his liking. He took one of the campsite drinking glasses, filled it with fresh water from a nearby river, and gave it to the human just sitting on top of his tail, watching the human almost judging his movements. The end of his tail swished as he looked at the human and spoke, his eyes on the other teal ones.
“What is wrong with you? In your head.”
Alhaitham appeared confused primarily because he wondered how the other could speak so clearly for one and also how he was in this human form in the first place. He still felt rather in a haze, his vision somewhat blurry, and everything seemed to mesh. He brought his hand to his face.
“ Shouldn't you know, I, mean, you dressed my wounds.”
Kaveh scoffed before bringing his own hand to his face and looking at the other once more before bringing his hand down to his thighs.
“You are quite more annoying when you’re awake, human.”
Alhaitham could only respond with a heavy grunt. He felt like he could feel every stitch the other male had seen into his body. It wasn’t like he was ungrateful; he knew how much work that must’ve been, but understanding didn’t make the pain any less. He watched as the other seemed to search the discharged bags around them until he threw a small thing of medication; from what he could gather, it had to be some kind of painkiller. He nodded, thanking the other before swallowing them quickly down his throat.
After a while, he felt a little better, and the other started a fire to cook him some food. All alhaitham could figure at the moment was that he was mostly confused. This man, well, dragon, seemed to be rather aggressive in his care, as if he was apprehensive about the whole ordeal of caring for him. He leaned against the log to hold himself upright and looked across at the other; his face lit up by the warm light of the flame.
“You're an odd one.”
He spoke rather blatantly, which caused the other to react. Kaveh raised his eyebrow and eyed the man before speaking, his tongue clicking between each word.
“How is that so, human?”
Alhaitham attempted to move closer to the other, earning him a softened yet still hardened glare. Eventually, though, he made it closer and began to speak the words on his mind.
“You are just a dragon, and you were just being hunted by those savages. If I were protected like you, I still don't think I would have done so much for that person. Especially since you seem very hesitant to help in the first place, it's hard to get my head around you.”
Kaveh scoffed and actually let out a chuckle. He then turned his attention to the humans' food, stirring it with a wooden spoon in the pot until it simmered.
“You are the strange one. Why would you protect a dragon? Shouldn't you be with those so-called savages as well, unless you're just a weirdo?”
Alhaitham shrugs and lets out a chuckle, just as the other did.
“Well, I am a bit weird, but when I was younger, I was saved by a dragon. Yeah, in human society, that does get you secluded and isolated, but I'd rather be alone than fit in with anyone who acts so harshly towards beings that they just can't understand.”
Kaveh had to take a while to process everything he had just heard. He had never, in his existence, heard humans speak in such a way. There, Alhaitham spoke in a way that felt more understanding and kind, a way he wasn't even sure humans knew how to speak. He realized this was the reason he was willing to care for the other simply because he was different. He shakes his head, collecting all his thoughts before speaking.
“You are a strange and different human; the fact you were willing to save me is enough to ensure you survive. Most humans wouldn't even take a second glance to dragons being surrounded like that, but you jumped in and took hits for me; the least I can do is make sure your heart keeps beating”
Alhaitham softly smiled. They both seemed to have an understanding and for now, that's the best that either of them could hope for. He took the bowl of food and set it on his lap, and the other came and sat in front of him on his knees and helped feed the other. It was such a warm feeling Alhaitham couldn't explain. Sure, it could've just been that he hadn't been taken care of in such a long time, but it felt much deeper than that.
Once he finished, he just looked up at the other. The warm light of the flame still lit up the other, his gentle, warm red eyes and softened golden brown hair. He could see the faint scale impression left on his cheek from his other form; Kaveh was simply put in terms of a beautiful and unique being. Alhaitham found his words just spilling out as he looked into the others eyes.
“You are so beautiful”
Kaveh's face immediately turned red. He never expected the human to give him such a compliment. It wasn't like he was all that great at accepting compliments in the first place, but this one really caught him off guard. He simply stared at the human with his jaw hanging, unaware of how to react. Even as he reacted, the human started with such admiration that it only continued to grow how flustered he was becoming.
“Go sleep, human. It's getting late”
Kaveh made a bed for the other out of leaves and dirt, which he formed into a relatively comfortable nest area. He helped Alhaitham to the area comfortably and waited until he’d fallen asleep before laying next to the makeshift nest to sleep.
The next morning, Kaveh woke up first and made Alhaitham breakfast so he could scavenge. Then, he would simply take care of the other and ensure he was fed well enough to heal. Within the past few months, they had gotten to know each other well and had become understanding of each other. Alhaitham shares his childhood of being completely cast out and abandoned by humans, while Kaveh shares how dragons are basically alone their entire lives and how terrifying it could be. They spent sun rises to sunsets talking about anything they could, and by the time Alhaithams wounds healed, they had created a bond between themselves.
Now, on the crisp fall morning, alhaitham had woken up and was cooking his own food alongside the other before taking a seat on the log next to the other. He began to eat his eggs as he looked up towards the other.
“How long has it been now, four months?”
Kaveh nodded and began chewing up the meat he had cooked for his own breakfast. He looked up towards the light that peered between the trees' leaves, and a soft sigh left his lips. He couldn't believe it had been so long since he had run into the human. In some way, it felt like he had known him all his life.
“Yeah, it has been. Time sure can go by quickly. Speaking of which, let's see how you're looking.”
Kaveh removed his latest wrap on the other's torso, and the other had completely healed except for a few scars. He softly smiled, happy that the other was all healed up, but something felt off. It felt like a heavy weight on his chest, with so much uncertainty hanging heavy on his heart. He did his best to shake off the feeling and smiled.
“I'm so glad you are all healed up.”
Alhaitham smiled back, returning the gesture, although he was only half listening, his own mind consumed with thoughts. He was glad to finally be as back to normal as he could be. Now, he rinsed his bowl to the nearby river before walking back to the other.
“I just wanted to say thank you for everything. If you don't mind, I'd like to show you something.”
Kaveh nodded and followed the other deeper into the woods. It was a bit farther in, and honestly, it was a bit hard even to be in this form for so long. He would occasionally trip over a few branches, but Alhaitham was always there to catch him when he did. After about 15 minutes of walking, they came upon beautiful scenery.
In the middle of the forest was a beautiful lake; the water was surprisingly clear, most likely undisrupted by humans. Around the water were tall grasslands, though other than the lake, it wasn't too wet; it was just damp enough to keep the plants hydrated. The tree above had beautiful white flower petals; their scent was sweet and almost intoxicating. Alhaitham brought the other towards the edge of the grass and had him sit down with him.
Kaveh was just taking in the view; it was beautiful and not what he expected to see in these woods. He still wasn't sure exactly why alhaitham brought him here and noticed he seemed strange.
“This place is really beautiful, alhaitham, but… why did you bring me here?”
Alhaitham stayed silent for a moment, looking out at the water before turning his attention back to the other. He pursed his lips as if forming his thoughts before beginning his word.
“Kaveh, I know our meeting wasn't out of good circumstances, and at first we didn't get along the best, but as I've gotten to know you, I've grown to admire you even more.”
He found himself growing flustered but kept going, the other tilting his head as the other spoke.
“I've grown to enjoy your company so much, and I wish to continue enjoying it. I… I really like you, Kaveh. You are the most beautiful, complex, and kind of being I've ever had the pleasure of meeting, and I wish to travel the world with you.”
Alhiatham seemed out of breath as he finished, his chest puffing in and out as deep breaths were taken. His heart was beating a million beats per minute, awaiting the other's response. His face looked down as he awaited a bad response, but he perked up when he heard the others reply
“you wish to keep traveling with me, and you like me?”
Alhiatham nods his head, and the dragon finds a smile creeping on his face. Kaveh then breaks the distance and leans in to softly kiss the other, basically on the other's lap as their lips dance. As they both pull away, they push their foreheads together, panting and catching their breath from the kiss. This is simply all either of them could have wanted.
After embracing each other for a bit until the sun started to dip in the sky, the two got up from the spot they were in. They held hands as they walked, not even bothering to step back inside Alhaitham's cabin to gather his remaining things. Simple things like that didn't matter to them anymore. All that mattered anymore was that they found each other in a world where they assumed they were both meant to wander alone. Now, they had each other free of judgment and a world to be explored.
Lovely Art by JackDaw for this fic :) linked below, along with the rest of their art, to check out
https://x.com/hijackdaw/status/1817566442365296954?t=TD0M7RoQD31XR7RyiVmbTg&s=19