"Cold..." Tao mumbled through slightly clattering teeth. Without hesitation, Chanyeol approached him sideways and drew him close, easily sharing his endless body warmth.
"It really is getting colder," Yifan noted, pulling his cloak a little tighter.
As an earth dragon he wasn't easily affected by the cold, but he still preferred the higher temperatures by far. It might have had something to do with his mate being a fire-creature, causing him to associate warmth with his lovable phoenix.
"Your temperature feels a little off, Tao," Chanyeol remarked, and simultaneously lifted the hand that had been lying on his shoulder to feel the human's forehead, driving them awkwardly close together while stumbling forward in the fresh snow.
Tao felt his cheeks heat up at the proximity, and Yifan chuckled.
"You really are kinda warm."
"I-it's because of you!" the boy stammered in embarrassment, but the phoenix didn't relent that easily.
"Really, it's not supposed to be like this," he said, and looked around in search of some possible shelter which was found in the form of a rocky ledge hidden behind a few trees nearby.
"Let's call it a day."
"We don't need to take a break just yet. I'm not even tired," Tao weakly protested, but the redhead was already pulling him over to the side with the blond following dutifully.
Tao sighed. He greatly disliked his weak nature. Even though he was very resilient for human's standards, it didn't compare to his mates. Sensing his clouded mood, Chanyeol quickly leaned in to peck his cheek.
"Don't be like this. We are in no hurry. We can always relax and take a rest."
Yifan agreed and shook a few lone snow flakes from his hair.
"The snow already smells like home. It's not that far anymore."
Chanyeol crouched down and gently let the palm of his hands wander over the ground to turn the frozen crystals into softly hissing steam so Yifan could place their blanket on the now dry and slightly warm earth.
"Maybe we can fly the remaining miles?" he added with a tinge of hope when sinking down next to where the human and the phoenix were already sitting huddled together.
"You know we can't," Chanyeol sighed while melting a bit more of the snow around them, contemplating whether it was worth the effort to gather wood for a bonfire.
"We shouldn't alert the humans to living creatures gathering at one of the former dragon dens. And not meaning to complain, but you are one big exemplary of a dragon, Fan," he added with a playful twinkle in his eyes, "I highly doubt no one will notice, no matter how blind humans can be."
Distracted by another involuntary clattering sound of Tao's teeth, they seized the chatter and turned their attention to the shaking human.
"Shhh... come on over here," the phoenix murmured and drew him close once more, while Yifan reached for the leftover bread in his bag.
After a dinner consisting of bread and cooked potatoes personally re-heated by their phoenix' pale but warm hands, Tao's trembling had diminished a little.
Chanyeol still insisted on closely embracing him from behind when they finally settled to sleep. And Yifan, even though preferring the phoenix' heated body, chose to lie in front of the human, reaching around until they had effectively caught the cold body between their unaffected ones. Tao sighed in contempt. Even though Yifan wasn't actually warm with his body seemingly just accommodating to whatever temperature was currently reigning, he kept the cool air away. Without the other two, their thin blankets would have never sufficed in keeping him alive during the cold nights.
While the human drifted into sleep fairly quickly, Chanyeol's brows remained scrunched up in thought. His free hand wandered to gently pet the strands of inky black hair.
It was slightly sweaty.

"I knew it..." he sighed the next morning when they awoke to a profusely sweating Tao, whose cheeks were flaming red.
"What is it?" Yifan asked cluelessly, rubbing his eyes with the palm of his hand. He was a bad raiser like most dragons (though dragons usually refused to acknowledge this).
"Look, you were warm enough to make him sweat. Nothing to worry, right?"
Chanyeol shook his head at the dragon's misinterpretation and lightly nudged his shoulder.
"No, you silly dragon. He is getting sick. You know how sensitive humans are to the cold."
"Sick? Are you sure?"
The phoenix hummed and gently slid the sweaty bangs aside, causing Tao to groan quietly.
"Hm... I didn't think Tao would get sick, being around us. Or around you, to be specific," Yifan mumbled.
"Well. It doesn't seem to be that easy. Whatever the reason, we obviously have to make another stop on our way. There's no way he is going to recover easily under this circumstances."
Yifan only nodded helplessly.
And when he looked down at the perspiring human with new-found worry, a warm hand was sliding down his arm to find his fingers and intertwine with them, offering him a little flicker of comfort.

Even though Tao was clearly sick, he refused to let them take any risk so close to their destination, and it took them a great deal of persuasion until Chanyeol could finally fly ahead to secure the area and let Yifan fly them as close to the next town as they dared.
When they had finally left behind the last miles, the walls of the old but sturdy town at the foot of the mountains Yifan was born in came in sight.
Even though the day was still rather young, darkness had already begun to tint the sky, spreading from the mountains as if they were throwing their looming shadows ahead.
At the hem of the closest forest they stopped, and Tao turned around, looking at the phoenix with glazed eyes.
"I'm sorry..." he mumbled, leaning more of his weight into the rather slim body, trusting the hidden strength of the phoenix.
"Just go and take a rest. I'll be right here," he replied soothingly, rubbing his arms while he steadied him.
"You cannot get sick, can you?" Tao mumbled into his neck.
"From your petty little human-sickness? Taking me down is not that easy, little one," Chanyeol only chuckled teasingly.
"Good."
With this, he held on to the phoenix arms in determination before leaning in to place a kiss on his lips. One, soft and delicate like their freshly formed bond. A second one, slightly more insistent like the attraction pulling them together. A third one-
"Okay, that's it, leave some of his breath for me," Yifan jokingly threw in and Tao drew back with a reluctant pout.
"Fiiine..." he slurred feverishly, holding Yifan's toned arm instead, while the two creatures shared a kiss of their own. It was more practiced and to his eyes, it also looked more intimate, in an odd way. But instead of a pang of jealousy, Tao felt nothing but lust prickling beneath his burning skin.
He slightly shook his head to get a hold of his human instincts. After all, this was not the time.
Sharing a last peck, they finally parted and made their way to the town, leaving the phoenix behind.
They couldn't risk getting exposed, and while Yifan was easily able to blend in with humans, Chanyeol's vibrant, ruby-red hair would give him away in an instant.
And even though Tao didn't insist on taking him along since his safety meant much more to him than anything else...
...he couldn't help looking back until Yifan scolded him to stop behaving suspiciously.
Besides, the mop of red hair had already disappeared between the tree trunks anyway.

 

"Is it good like this?"
Tao only hummed in affirmation, and the dragon sighed in relief.
They were situated at the top floor of one of the better local inns. A fire was warming the room considerably, throwing flickering lights across the wooden walls and ceilings. Tao was already tucked in, beneath a number of plush blankets.
He had eaten a good amount of nutritious soup and was currently sighing in bliss at a cool piece of cloth being placed on his forehead by Yifan.
"I think in the future you won't have to be afraid of simple human sicknesses anymore," he thoughtfully said while caressing his hair.
"Really...? Why?"
"Well, because of your wonderful mates of course," Yifan readily replied with a cheeky grin before correcting himself.
"Mostly because of Chanyeol. A phoenix is already a lucky charm to those around him when doing nothing at all. But since the two of you share a bond, some of his endless vitality will surely seep into your body."
"What about you?" Tao immediately questioned, and it made Yifan feel warm to see how indignant the human was on not favoring any over the other.
"Me? Oh, a bond with a dragon will also grant a human with a longer life span and certain resilience. But it's barely worth mentioning compared to Chanyeol. You see, he's also having this effect on me. I, as well, am to expect a long and prosper life thanks to him. In the end we're both lucky to have him, aren't we?"
"We're all lucky. That's what the unicorn said," Tao insisted, before coughing quietly.
"Yes. Of course you're right," Kris said soothingly while dipping the piece of cloth into cold water to place it on the burning forehead, gently swiping the wet bangs aside.

"I don't understand human bodies," he suddenly voiced out what had obviously been bugging him for quite some time. "Chanyeol told me that they heat up when they get sick. He said it happens because the body tries to burn out the sickness."
"Hmhm..." Tao murmured in agreement, his eyes still glassy, but open and attentive.
"So why should you try to cool it down at the same time?"
If Tao had been any less sick, he might have laughed at his lack of knowledge.
"Because our bodies cannot stand too much heat," he quietly said.
Yifan seemed even more confused than before, leaning back in the chair beside the bed.
"So your body heats up even though it's not made to be this hot? That's so silly."
"Yeah... It's silly..." Tao replied with a tiny smile.
Then a thought occurred to him, slowly crawling through the haze of his mind.
"Chanyeol seems to know a lot about huma- about 'us'," he corrected himself as if it was an afterthought that he himself still belonged to this race.
"He does. He has been around humans for far longer than me or anyone I know."
"Why?" the ever-curious Tao questioned, without missing a beat. He sleepily gestured for the blond to come closer, and with a mild smile Yifan complied, and slid to the floor to rest his upper body on the bed, allowing Tao to absently caress the arms his head was resting on.
"You see, once... before the war broke out," he slowly began, and sensing his bitter feelings, the human instinctively turned to his side to caress his face, "there were many more dragons. We are creatures cherishing a rather domestic kind of life, staying close to our family and loved ones. Phoenixes are different and very, very rare. Unlike us, a phoenix is not born from parents. They are born in the hearts of fire, the depths of a volcano. Their nature is different.

“We start into our life with something to hold on to, while a phoenix starts with nothing in his hands. Also, unlike other creatures they live for a long, long time, almost touching eternity. That's why they don't naturally know the fear of losing something. So they head out into the world and discover it for themselves. The first time I laid eyes upon him, he had seen most of the world already, while I had never set a foot outside the mountains. And even though I've only ever met one other phoenix who was already centuries old... I feel like Chanyeol is particularly curious, even by a phoenix' standard."
At this, Tao chuckled weakly and shared a knowing smile with Yifan, before the dragon continued his tale.
"And humans have always been his favorite. Oh yes... humans. He wouldn't shut up about them when I first met him. Said that they are burning the brightest, since they're so transient. Chanyeol was always so excitable. Even horrible things would not deter him. I've always been told of the horrors humans bring upon the world and even each other. And Chanyeol would only smile and claim that they didn't know any better and were desperate to find their purpose in life before it was over. Yeah, he was like that... Or maybe, he still is. Back down in the dungeons... It was him who kept telling me that it wasn't you who hurt us. That it is wrong to condemn a race for its individuals. He knew my limits, he didn't push me, he simply waited. Sometimes, even to me it's a mystery how he can stay so positive."
Tao carefully set aside the piece of cloth that had lost its cooling touch long ago and snuggled closer, nuzzling his nose into Yifan's arms.
"You two are such an odd couple," he hummed.
"We three may be odd, indeed," he corrected him while petting his black hair.
"But who has the right to judge us? I don't think anyone has."
For a while, they were both quiet as Yifan absently watched the flickering flames and Tao observed Yifan.
This was the way the two of them worked. With Chanyeol, Tao enjoyed to chat and exchange thoughts and feelings. With Yifan, he could also enjoy comfortable silence.
Until his thoughts got the better of him, that is.
"Chanyeol must be so lonely right now," he quietly said. The blond turned away from the flames to look at him instead.
"Do you miss him?" he softly asked.
"Yeah," he immediately replied. It was warm and comfortable, but it was not the same as the warmth the phoenix exuded.
Yifan hummed in understanding.
"Me too."
Tao sighed as he closed his burning eyelids.

Chanyeol was sitting high up in a pine tree, spying through the cracks of the branches bending from the weight of snow into the white sky. He hummed a tune to himself, slowly tilting his head from side to side when he felt it. The approaching of his two mates. Blinking in confusion, he got to his feet and peeked between the branches to check whether they were alone before climbing down and jumping the last few meters to land with a soft thud dulled by the snow.
They were still a good distance away, but he could see Tao waving energetically and couldn't help smiling back, returning the childish wave.
"Yifan! Tao! What are you guys doing, being back so early?" he immediately asked when the human had fallen into his chest.
"Look, we bought you a new cloak!" Tao claimed while presenting a bundle of fabric.
"It's new and it'll keep you warm!"
He stumbled a little as the excitement caused fatigue to overcome him.
"Woah there. You're still all feverish. Fan, why are you two back already? Tao's still sick. You could have taken a few more days-"
"We missed you," Yifan simply said with a shrug.
"I don't want you to be lonely," Tao added, looking as if he expected a scolding.
The phoenix only sighed and ruffled both their heads, which Yifan took with a grumble.
"Ah, what to do with you two... and then you spent our money on a cloak of all things! Why would you buy a cloak to keep a phoenix warm?" he asked with an amused smile.
"We also bought supplies," Tao protested with his cheeks still burning up, "but I asked Yifan whether you're not suffering from the cold if your life essence is fire. And he said you're fine even though the absence of sun and warmth makes you sad... I don't want you to become sad, okay?"
With this, he shakily fumbled the cloak around Chanyeol. It was actually a very pretty cloak with beautiful golden embroideries.
"You're always warm and willing to share, but I think a phoenix actually needs more warmth than anyone else. So we gotta always love you and keep you warm from inside, and the cloak will help us keep you warm from the outside," he continued with determination written across his hazed expression.
Chanyeol shot him a look of surprise, before dismissing him with a laugh.
"Your fever is talking, TaoTao, you should really-"
But Yifan interrupted him by throwing an arm around his shoulder, drawing intimately close while his other hand steadied the sick human.
"It's not. You know it's not," he said unusually gently.
"Hey, Chan," he began hesitantly, nuzzling into the side of his face, "I know you're always watching out for us. But don't think that just because you live eternally, that you don't deserve anyone watching out for you as well, alright?"
At this, the phoenix stilled and regarded both of his mates with a long gaze.
Then he smiled. Chanyeol smiled a lot, he really did. But this was not the wide grin he wore when teasing them, or the excited one he'd always show them when discovering something new. It was a small but nonetheless genuine one, followed by a lipbite to stop the lump in his throat from winning.
Finally, he chuckled, drew away from the other two and spun around to lift a startled Tao to his shoulders.
"Alright, enough with the emotional talk! At this rate, we'll never reach the mountains!"
"I should carry him-" Yifan protested but was dismissed on the spot.
"But are you keeping him warm? I think not," the redhead sassed and took the first steps ahead with a complaining dragon following suit.
"I can keep him warm," he protested.
"Yifan, please. Keep your thoughts pure."
"W-what?" he stammered in mild embarrassment, and Tao buried his face in the phoenix' neck.
"They were pure!"
"I know you're pure."
"Yea-I mean. Hey. Not that much, I'm very-"
"Pure as snow," Chanyeol singsonged, and Yifan groaned.
Chanyeol only happily continued his march through the snow, and on his shoulder, Tao pecked his cheek once before nuzzling into his neck, letting the soft bickering lull him to sleep.

Hey guys~!
You probably don't believe me anymore but this really is the LAST Sequel. I swear.
I thought it was only fair to also center a story around precious Yeollie.
And it always amazes me at how easily this story is flowing. It's basically happening all on it's own, haha~
This isn't exactly beta'd so forgive me any mistakes >_<

So, thanks for all the support I got! Seeing at how much fun I had with this, I'll definitely work on a new OT3 story in the future - it's far up my priority list!
So if you have any suggestions as to whom it should include... Feel free to tell me c:
I'm known to listen to my readers, if that says anything~

Love you all,
Sugar-and-Salt