As far as physical appearance was concerned, Kris was the perfect dragon.  He was tall, had intimidating eyebrows, and had a sibilant name. Never mind that Kris would rather settle down in a grassy field and paint all day, rather than scare humans and eat their livestock. Kris had tried voicing his individuality to whoever would listen, but it was to no avail.

“You have to toughen up,” his brother Tao told him.  Tao was the best fighter dragon in the land. “Dragons don’t draw.”

"Well maybe I don't want to be a dragon!" Kris yelled, but his identity crisis fell on deaf ears.  Which was why he now found himself sitting in his family cave, holding yet another princess hostage. Her name was Princess Sulli. Kris hoped that she wouldn't expect him to keep her entertained; he wanted to finish his current painting before the sun set and he lost all his precious lighting.

“You have to stay in here,” Kris reminded Princess Sulli gruffly as she began to inch toward the cave entrance.  “Last time I was nice and let a princess go pee, she tricked me and never came back…” Kris frowned at the memory.  He had been harshly scolded for his mistake and shunned by his fellow dragons for days.

“Was it Princess Krystal?” Princess Sulli asked.

“…yes.” Kris scowled.

“Don’t feel bad.” Princess Sulli came over to sit next to him.  “She always escapes her dragons before the princes can come rescue her. She’s an independent woman.”

”Whatever.” She had been a bad conversationalist anyway.  “Anyway, at least you’re prettier.”

Sulli looked pleased.  “I am, aren’t I? Do you like my dress?”

“Hm…” Kris studied her dress.  It was quite a varied palette, with at least three different shades of pink. He suddenly felt an itching need to paint it. Artists could never predict when inspiration would hit them, after all.  Kris took out a blank sheet of paper. “Do you want to model for me?”

They passed the time that way.  Princess Sulli was not a bad model; the only part of her body Kris had a hard time keeping still was .  She talked nonstop—about her hair, her wardrobe, her sister and brother, how beautiful everyone said she was, and the hundreds of princes and knights who were fighting to save her. Privately, Kris pitied the unlucky knight that had been saddled with the quest of saving this annoying princess.

Eventually, Kris heard the sound of incoming galloping.  A few seconds later, an armored head poked into the cave entrance. It was a knight, perched on a strong though clumsy looking horse.

“It took you ten minutes fifty seconds,” Princess Sulli announced with a small frown.

“I’m sorry my lady; my trusty steed got hungry on the way.”  The knight pulled down his head armor.

Prince Suho.  Kris instantly recognized him.  While he wasn’t the tallest in the land, he was the most chivalrous and, in Kris’ private opinion, the nicest looking. His skin was fair and smooth, and he had big eyes and a sunny smile that was brighter than the loot that Kris’ family kept jealously guarded in their family cave.  He looked exactly like one of those princes that always made it to the cover of storybooks. Not that Kris had any interest in those books.

Kris swallowed as Suho approached. He suddenly felt as small as a common ground lizard.

“Chanyeol!” Princess Sulli cried, running over to embrace the horse, who neighed happily.  “Oh, um, and Prince Suho!  Thank you for rescuing me.”  She curtsied and fluttered her eyelashes.  Suho smiled kindly down at her.

Kris frowned.

“Ahem! Roar!” he called, when he realized they weren’t paying him any attention.  “You can’t go yet!  You have to pass my test.”

“Oh, that’s right!”  Prince Suho dismounted.  He patted Chanyeol and smiled up at Kris.  “Hello, are you the dragon I’m supposed to slay? Kris the ManKrisper?”

Kris winced at the name.  He’d tried to be called Kris the BrushWielder, but the name had never quite caught on.  Apparently, it didn’t sound fearsome enough.

“Yes, that’s me.” Kris put down his painting, ready to get this over with.  “Do you have your sword?”

“Do we have to fight?” Suho asked.  “Queen Changmin always says violence isn’t the solution, and I adhere to Her Majesty’s code of conduct.”

Honestly, Kris had never really paid much attention to Queen Changmin’s endless rules.   King Yunho was much more lax.  Still, Suho’s suggestion sounded reasonable. A man who wasn’t all brawn; Kris could respect that.  “All right, then. But you still have to pass a test. It’s the rule.”

“Okay.”  Sulli and Suho looked nervous as Kris pondered his next move.

“I’ll take…a kiss.”

“A what?” Princess Sulli shrieked.

“A kiss.” Kris nodded firmly.  Yes, that sounded right.  In all the stories, the penalty that bad guys were supposed to enforce was a kiss.  A pricked finger and a firstborn child were also popular options, but Kris wasn’t too fond of blood or babies.

“I’m not kissing a dragon!” Princess Sulli cried.  Kris frowned, slightly offended.  She didn’t have to sound that disgusted about it. 

“It’s protocol,” he said stiffly.

“It’s okay!” said Suho hastily, patting a tearful Sulli.  “Don’t worry, my lady.  I will handle this. Sit tight.”

Sulli nodded, still hugging Chanyeol.  Suho then made his way cautiously to Kris’ side, until they were eye (Suho’s) to nose (Kris’). 

“Just one kiss?”

Kris nodded in confirmation.  Suho closed his eyes and leaned forward.

“Wait--what are you doing?” Kris stuttered, taking a step back.

Suho opened one questioning eye.  “I’m giving you a kiss. That’s your rule, right?”

“I…I guess…”  Kris was sure this wasn’t how it usually went down in the tales and legends, but then again he’d never been a conventional dragon.

Suho put his hands on Kris’ shoulders, and Kris wondered why he suddenly had a hard time breathing.  But before he could expand on that thought, Suho tiptoed up and kissed him.

Suddenly, Kris was glad dragons were cold-blooded creatures.  Hopefully, that meant Suho couldn’t see or feel the heat rushing to his face.

“Is that okay?” Suho asked timidly after he’d pulled away.  Kris blinked, still in shock.

“I…I…  Ahem.” Kris gave a decidedly un-dragonlike squeak, and he cleared his throat.  “I.  Uh.  It’s okay, I guess.  N-now…now BEGONE!” he roared in his most fearsome voice.

Suho didn’t need another warning.  He helped Sulli up onto his saddle, and Chanyeol galloped off with the two royalty on his back. Kris refused to watch them leave.  Finally, those annoying humans were gone and he was left in peace.

Good riddance!

As he listened to the humans cheer in the distance at the return of their prince, Kris returned to his painting.  Unconsciously, he reached up and touched his mouth, where he could still feel the imprint of Prince Suho’s soft lips.

His first kiss.

You are duly invited to,

The wedding of Suho Arthurleolancelotfrederick Kim and Sulli Roselilyangelica Choi.

Be there or be square.

Kris stared in disbelief at the invitation that had been left by his lair.  Prince Suho was actually getting married to that…that stuck-up princess?!  They’d only been courting for what, ten days?! 

Kris tried to tell himself that the pang in his chest was due to his pollen allergy, and not the cracking of his heart.  Dragons didn’t have hearts.

“Dearly departed…”

“Um, I think it’s supposed to be ‘dearly gathered’…”

“Shut up Kyungsoo!  You’re only a chef. Ahem, dearly everyone!  We are here today for a very important moment, the marriage of Prince Suho of Yunholand and Princess Sulli of Victorialand.  As you all know, Prince Suho saved Princess Sulli from an evil dragon…”

For a second, Kris considered unleashing his terrible strength and tearing the whole wedding down.  But no…Prince Suho had invited him.  He’d trusted Kris to be well-behaved for this important day of his life.  Sighing, Kris slumped down in his seat as he listened to Minister Baekhyun ramble on about how perfect Suho and Sulli were for each other.

“…so in conclusion, I’m sure they will be very happy together and have very pretty children.  Does anyone have any objections?  Speak now or forever hold your peace...”

Kris opened his mouth.  Should he…could he…?

“YES!”

Gasps and exclamations could be heard.  Kris’ head snapped up.

“Hey, what the heck!”

“You’re a horse, you’re not supposed to talk!”

“Go back to the barn!”

Ignoring the angry yells, Chanyeol galloped to the altar, holding a bouquet of roses in his hand.  He it at Sulli, who took it with wide eyes.

“I’m-I’m sorry, my prince!” Chanyeol exclaimed, prostrating himself before the prince.  “Please forgive me!”

 Suho’s mouth opened; no words came out. Chanyeol then turned to the princess and pulled himself into a kneeling position.

“Princess Sulli, I’m only a common horse, not fit to eat the grass you walk on. But I love you!  You are the most beautiful lady in the whole world.  I promise I will give you free rides whenever you want, love you forever, and buy you anything you want.  Will you marry me?”

“Chanyeol…” Sulli’s big eyes filled with tears as she put her hand to .  “I…I can’t.”  She cast an apologetic look in her fiance’s direction.  “I have royal duties to fill.”

“N-no.  It’s okay.” Suho seemed to have regained his power of speech.  He gave Sulli and Chanyeol a wobbly smile.  “Who am I to stop true love?  I give you both my blessing.  Um, I’m sorry everyone, thank you for coming.  Please enjoy the refreshments that Chef Kyungsoo made.” 

“Suho—” Sulli began, but Suho shook his head, waving her concern aside.

As murmurs and protests filled the air, Suho fled the scene.

Kris found Suho sitting by the fountain, all alone.  He’d taken his red coat off, and he was munching dejectedly on a cookie.

“I’m sorry about your almost-wife and your horse,” said Kris cautiously.  “That’s got to .”

“The course of true love never did run smooth,” said Suho sadly.

“…yeah. Totally.” Kris didn’t like the downturned set to Suho’s mouth.  It didn’t fit him. He took a seat beside Suho.

“Maybe I’m just not husband material,” Suho continued, sniffling.  “Maybe I’m too short.  Maybe I’m not funny or talented enough like Chanyeol.  M-maybe…”

“Stop!” Kris interrupted firmly.  “You’re handsome, nice, and have nice clothes.  Any…princess...would be lucky to marry you.”

Suho blinked tearfully.  “Really?”

“Yeah.” Kris nodded, taking a chance.  He put an arm around Suho.  “But you know…who needs princesses anyway, right?”

“I’m a prince.” Suho’s brow furrowed in confusion.  “Every prince has to have a princess.”

“But maybe we don’t have to follow the rules.”

The news spread like wildfire; Prince Suho had gone insane from heartbreak and deserted his royal kingdom.

“I’m not a prince anymore!” Suho announced from his perch on Kris’ back.  “From now on, you shall call me Suho the Dragonrider!”

“ROAR!” Kris roared.  Suho waved his sword menacingly in the air. They watched in satisfaction as the humans screamed and scattered below them.

Then, the royal bell rang.

“Recess is over, kids!”

“But Queen Changmin—!”

“What did you just call me—wait, Kris, Suho, what the fu…I mean, what on earth are you two doing up on the ROOF??!!!”

“I’m flying—”

“I don’t want to hear your excuses, Kris Wu!  And Suho, I expected better from you! Both of you, GET DOWN THIS INSTANT!”

~THE END~

I still don't really have time to write so I decided to publish this as is even though it's kind of short. Thanks for being the first to read this (...a year ago haha) simplymia!

(Kris "intimidating eyebrows" Wu)