Work Text:
Takiya was already curled in his bedroll, lulled by the rhythmic clicking of Fafnir’s keyboard as the red-eyed dragon gamed throughout the night, in what had somehow become the normal evening routine for him and his roommate. With the characteristic taps, intermittent flashes, and blue light levels just discernible through his closed eyelids, he found them all rather comforting, in the same way others used white noise to help them sleep, and Takiya smiled knowing the brooding curse dragon had chosen to remain by his side. Endlessly fussy and difficult to impress, his roommate never did anything he didn’t want to do. Clearly, despite all of Faf-kun’s moaning, the human world wasn’t all bad if their entertainment kept him this engaged.
- - -
During the night, Fafnir became distracted by the young man sleeping to his right. His breathing had become stilted and irregular, and, with a huff, Fafnir reluctantly paused his game to check his roommate’s wellbeing. Humans were so fragile, after all. Lowering himself to a kneel, he leant across Takiya’s sleeping form and noted a slight flush to his skin. The man wasn’t outwardly feverish, and the colour variance was common for his roommate while in this state, so Fafnir wasn’t too worried. Still, he was positioned much closer than both of them would have allowed if Takiya had been conscious and, pushing past his initial hesitance, Fafnir lowered his head further to press an ear to the human’s chest. After pensively listening to his heartbeat and lung expansions, he was content to find everything in working order. Well, that was a relief. His foolish companion had no idea how delicate he was.
Before Fafnir sat back up, his sharp senses noted that there was still something amiss. Something new and discernibly out of place. Frowning slightly in the darkness, with no need to illuminate the space to see clearly, he reached out with his draconic abilities to discern the source of the problem. All the sights and sounds were as they should be. Still, something didn’t quite smell right. Sliding into a deeper crouch beside the prone young man, he scented the air and meticulously checked Takiya for anything out of the ordinary.
There, his head! No, not his entire head. Strange. It was the man’s throat, of all things, that carried the foreign fragrance; a lingering impression of somebody else. Burying his nose gently into the crook of Takiya’s neck and taking in a shallow breath, Fafnir could tell he'd recently been in close contact with an unfamiliar human. Whoever it was, they were young. A female, but not Kobayashi. Odd, his roommate hadn’t mentioned anything when he’d returned from work...
Fafnir was confused. There must have been some sort of incident, and for whatever reason, the result had been a prolonged press of a fertile human woman. An ugly feeling took over him as he pictured it. Had both of them willingly sought the embrace? A friendly hug between colleagues perhaps, or had Takiya been taken advantage of? He found himself growling lowly at the thought of the quiet man trapped in an uncomfortable situation. Nobody had the right to touch him. When not engaged competitively in virtual battle, his human had a reserved and polite personality; often putting the feelings of others above his own.
Wait, his human? Did he seriously consider Takiya to be his? Fafnir had never given it much thought beyond his belief that their current set-up worked for them both. It simply hadn’t occurred to him that his roommate could be seeking romantic companionship. He knew that Takiya was a hit, possessing naturally handsome features (by human standards), so it wasn’t unthinkable that his affections were coveted by outsiders. However, the young man in question had always seemed content with his figurines and animated heroines, showing no real inclination (to him anyway) that he was outwardly seeking a sexual partner. Pained at the thought of contacting Tohru tomorrow for her advice on this very ‘human’ matter, Fafnir scowled. As degrading as that would be, he needed answers, and she was (unfortunately) his best bet. He could hardly trust Lucoa-san with something this sensitive.
Taking to his feet, Fafnir determined that before he did anything rash, he needed to know what he was dealing with. He searched the closet for Takiya’s work suits and drew each item of clothing to his nose for inspection. He was reassured to find only a single shirt doused in the disturbing scent, and even then, it was only the collar. Takiya hadn’t been around this woman socially then, and his suit jacket carried no markers. Recalling the day’s events, his roommate had returned at normal time with no evidence of having stopped for food or drinks, eating their daily curry portion on the sofa with enthusiasm. Strange. It must have happened during his commute then. Well, there was nothing else for it. Fafnir drew the shirt to his lips and ran his tongue along the offending stitches. After a few washes and repeats with his saliva, he was satisfied that the garment had been salvaged, retaining no trace of the mystery woman’s scent.
As he returned the newly cleaned shirt and the rest of the clothing to the wardrobe, Fafnir crossed the room to check Takiya’s overcoat hanging by the door. Before he reached it, his honed senses were assaulted by an abundance of artificial florals. Now that the cloying smell was on his radar, he was surprised he hadn’t noticed the oppressive scent earlier. Baring his teeth, every instinct screamed at him to destroy the coat. To simply kill it and then seek her out and kill her too. He pondered for a moment, confident that he’d have no trouble tracking her down with his abilities. But Takiya here didn’t have another warm coat, and Fafnir didn’t want him cold on his journey to work tomorrow. There was one option open to him, and, without any further deliberation, he turned the garment inside out and slipped it on. This way, the inside lining would still smell like Takiya, and his own scent could override the unwelcome intrusion on the outer layer.
- - -
The next morning, Takiya got dressed as normal and left the apartment wearing his newly scented coat, completely unaware that Fafnir had spent the night wrapped up in the fabric. The dragon had naturally ensured the overcoat was hung back up while his companion shaved and brushed his teeth, and if the human had noticed it was warmer than normal, he hadn’t voiced the observation aloud before slipping out the door.
- - -
/// Later that evening ///
When Takiya returned after a long day at the office, he was surprised to find Fafnir waiting to greet him. Shaking off his coat, he gratefully handed it to his dragon’s extended arm and smiled tiredly. As he tried to work out what on earth was going on, he couldn’t deny a thrill at the smartly dressed dragon acting like a butler. Takiya could certainly get used to being welcomed home like this. Still, he knew Fafnir never did anything without a reason. Racking his brain, had he forgotten about a time sensitive raid? He didn’t think so. Watching Fafnir hang his overcoat, he could have sworn his roommate had smelled it first. Well, he supposed, he was in need of a bath and maybe this was Fafnir’s hint that enough was enough.
Loosening his tie as he crossed the threshold, Takiya frowned as he recalled something else odd that had happened when he got to work that morning. Lost in thought, instead of heading straight to the bathroom to wash up as he normally would, he followed Fafnir into their living room to get his opinion. “Before I take a bath, I could actually do with your help. Something weird and ‘dragony’ happened to me today, and I’d love to get your take on it.”
Alarmed, Fafnir snapped his crimson eyes up from his console to give the human his undivided attention, Takiya rarely sought his help so directly.
More than used to getting side eyed while his roommate was thusly occupied, Takiya was glad Fafnir was listening to him properly and, under the weight of his permeating gaze, he rushed to explain. “Elma touched the lapel on my jacket a couple of times and said she was very happy for us both. Then she patted my arm and insisted I pass on her sincere congratulations to you… Do you have any idea what she was talking about?”
Fafnir stiffened; Elma had no subtlety. As a dragon, she was truly unworthy. Although, discretion was hardly something he could rely on from a Harmony faction member... Meeting the trusting and curious eyes of Takiya, Fafnir was resigned to explain himself and felt his cheeks start to colour. “Yes, that is my fault. I scented your coat last night, forgetting that Elma is a foolish sort who speaks before she thinks.”
Takiya grinned at the dragon’s open discomfort; Faf-kun only got this snarky and insulting when he was trying to deflect from his own embarrassment. “I suppose I’m flattered you took the time to do something for me, even if I don’t understand the implications. And, I would hope, there’s no dangerous magic I should be aware of? I’d hate to accidentally hurt someone.”
Scoffing, Fafnir minutely shook his head. “Nothing so elaborate, I assure you; your coat simply smelled bad. Although, if curses are something you wish for, there are plenty that I can share with you. In fact, I have several published works on the subject.”
As the sole backer and purchaser of said ‘works’, Takiya politely hid a grimace and thought it best to move past that particular sore spot. “Ah. Well, thanks then, I guess. But please don’t go to any trouble. If I ever do need anything like that, I know to come to my resident dragon expert. Although, sorry, I’m still not clear on what Elma thought your gesture meant?”
Letting out a huff, Fafnir wasn’t sure how Takiya was going to take this. “She assumed I marked you as mine.”
Takiya’s eyes widened in understanding. He knew Fafnir was a treasure hoarding dragon who’d spent most of his life holed up in a cave, protecting his wealth from relentless thieves. Now that they shared a living space, were Takiya’s possessions considered an extension of that hoard? And him too? He supposed that made sense, as much as anything in his life since meeting Tohru and the dragons made sense, he was only a lowly human after all. “Marked as yours? As in, you count me amongst your belongings?”
Fafnir huffed again, louder this time, and shook his head. He knew the human was trying to be understanding, and so far, nothing from his roommate had been overtly judgemental in tone. Still, he hardly wanted to keep discussing the same embarrassing point and hastened to clarify. “Not as one of my belongings, no. It is the sort of thing one would do to ward others away from their treasure.” Gritting his teeth, Fafnir knew Takiya’s continued blank expression meant he still didn’t fully comprehend his meaning. With cheeks flaming, he downturned his mouth and tried to be more explicit. “In my world it would be as good as declaring my intentions towards you.”
Repeating Fafnir’s words to try to make sense of them, Takiya was still struggling with the antiquated language. “…Your intentions?”
Fafnir was frantically losing his composure. Would this endless torture never cease? In desperation, he grasped his roommate’s wrist, ignoring the startled look on Takiya’s face, and drew the captured hand to his chest, slipping it neatly under his blazer until it reached his white dress shirt. He hoped a physical demonstration would end this embarrassing conversation as quickly as possible. When Takiya didn’t immediately pull back, he guided his own palm to the centre of the human’s chest, flexing his fingers at the warmth he felt there. Now mirroring each other, Fafnir met Takiya’s eye and gently patted his chest to punctuate his words. “My intention to claim you as my own. Giving you my scent lets rival dragons know you are already spoken for.”
Mouth agape as he finally caught Fafnir’s meaning, Takiya slowly leaned back from the touch, before exclaiming. “Ehhh?! Faf-kun, are you telling me Elma thinks we’ve announced our engagement?”
Fafnir’s shoulders dropped. Although he was pleased his explanation had finally gotten through, he knew an expression of disgust was soon to follow, given how much he’d overstepped the boundaries of his and Takiya’s friendship. “Your understanding of commitment stems from a very limited human viewpoint. But, yes, essentially, that is the conclusion she has drawn.”
Takiya was relieved, he’d figured it would be something much weirder or more complicated. Grinning at the exuberance of Fafnir’s final demonstration, he nodded to himself. “Oh, well, that explains it then. Thank you.”
Watching warily, Fafnir couldn’t believe that was all that Takiya had to say on the subject. “..?”
Waving a hand dismissively at the dragon’s serious and worried expression, Takiya’s eyes softened. “It’s fine. I trust you.”
Trust? Fafnir was incensed at such a slight. Takiya seemed to be forgetting that he was a fearsome curse dragon and not some weak mild-mannered human. He was merely borrowing this unimpressive form. Biting back with a growl, he expressed his displeasure at the show of faith. “You shouldn’t let your guard down so easily around me. Why, only the smell of another in our apartment drove me to seek and destroy every trace of them.”
Takiya frowned at the dramatics. “Smell of another? Hmm, yesterday, was it? It must have been that odious woman on the train with all the perfume. All I did was stop her being crushed when the carriage got too crowded and she tripped. She approached me afterwards to say thank you, that’s all.”
Noting that Fafnir was still sourly grinding his teeth in displeasure, Takiya let out a small chuckle at his sulking. “Really Faf-kun, you make it sound so sinister. All you did was clean my clothes and make them smell good, right? Given your strength, and knowledge of dark curses, I (and humanity as a whole) greatly appreciate your restraint.”
Fafnir didn’t know what to say. Takiya seemed to be acting rather cavalier about the whole thing, despite his understanding of their predicament. “… Hmph.”
Eyes lighting up in delight, Takiya was positively beaming at this development and threw his arm around Fafnir’s stiff shoulders, pulling him in closer. “Hoho, were you really that jealous Fafnir-dono? Did you think I was in danger of being swept away by this mystery woman?”
Side eyeing his roommate’s gleeful face, Fafnir shrugged himself free and huffed miserably. “I hate you, Takiya.”
“A tsundere until the end I see!” Takiya knew he couldn’t let this chance pass him by and reached again for Fafnir, moving the dragon’s hair behind his ear with his finger. He boldly cupped Fafnir’s revealed jawline and angled his face back towards his, unable to stop himself from gently caressing his cheek. Meeting the dragon’s deep red eyes, Takiya sighed softly. “All jokes aside Faf-kun, I admit that I wouldn’t have liked it had things been the other way around. You see, I feel rather… protective of you.”
Fafnir hissed sharply at the statement, as if he was the weaker of the two, and knocked the lingering hand away as he took to his feet. Takiya had some laughable notions on their current dynamic if he thought a dragon could ever need his protection. Perhaps a demonstration of his true form was required? Still, Takiya hadn’t said anything further, so he turned back to assess the young man before him. Noting he hadn’t withdrawn from his vulnerable position and, despite his unfriendly actions, seemed content to patiently sit and wait for him to calm down. Takiya’s cheeks were flushed, and his hand was still extended invitingly in his direction.
As Fafnir stared, he saw only warmth and hope in those soft blue eyes, their shine posing the unasked question that had been brewing between them for some time. It seemed he’d been wrong in his assumption that Takiya wasn’t seeking a physical connection, apparently, the human already had someone in mind.
Hmph, an easy decision. Fafnir was no blushing maiden. He responded immediately, pouncing on the young man’s seated position, gripping that hand and pushing him down onto his back. Adjusting his stance atop his wide-eyed roommate, he lowered his hips to bring them closer, unable to resist grinding his body against Takiya’s heat. As his human gaped up at him, he gripped the back of Takiya’s skull to crash their mouths together.
It would be a lie to suggest Takiya hadn’t imagined this very scenario over the last few months, in various iterations, but he’d honestly never expected Faf-kun to be so forward with his feelings. He’d envisioned lots of baby steps, with his guiding them where needed, and being confidently gathered in the strong arms of his roommate and kissed senseless in their living room was certainly an unexpected surprise. He’d have to stop underestimating his grumpy boyfriend, partner, fiancé, or whatever they were going to call themselves.
Takiya grinned into the dominating kiss, taking the lead to slip his tongue into the dragon’s mouth. Although clumsy at first, Fafnir was a fast learner, and he soon found himself completely pinned below his panting and triumphant partner.
Pleased to be the clear winner of this new game of theirs, Fafnir gently leaned back to look his dearest treasure in the eye. Taking in his newly swollen lips and flushed cheeks, his instincts sang knowing he was the cause. “Are you sure about this, Makoto?”
Takiya nodded mutely, having lost the ability to form words once Fafnir’s lips had met his at last. His senses were thrown all the more by the dragon casually using his given name, as if it was second nature. What had happened to his awkward and tight-lipped recluse?
Fafnir frowned down at Takiya, preferring to hear his agreement voiced, but after sensing no overt deception from his human, he grudgingly accepted the non-verbal consent. So be it. “Then, from this day Takiya Makoto, you are mine.”
It was finally settled between them. This human was his. Pressing forward again, Fafnir let out a deep otherworldly groan as Takiya arched up into his embrace and closed any remaining gaps between them.
As their apartment filled with tendrils of purple smoke, Takiya smiled broadly as he was drawn closer to his dragon before they were both enveloped within the growing magical plume. His life had taken a strange, but wonderful turn, and he was honestly as happy now as he could ever remember being.