Sickle cell anemia (SCA) is a type of anemia that draws its name from the unusual sickled shape of the affected red blood cells. A normal red blood cell is shaped like a disc, but due to a genetic mutation, the red blood cells of people with sickle cell anemia contain… They contain…Uh…

…

Jin groaned as he buried his face in his hands.

The 20 hours he had gone without sleep, pulling an all-nighter to prepare for today’s test in Hematologic Disorders, were definitely affecting him.

His brain refused to give him any useful information, or provide him with any logical definitions that he had been trying to memorize during the previous night.

Great, as if he wasn’t having a hard time already as a med student, now he was going to flunk his first test in his second year.

A great way to leave a good impression on your professors, Seokjin.

He continued chiding himself in his head, letting another defeated groan until an all too-familiar, husky voice echoed through his ears, the lilt of it clearing the dark skies in Seokjin’s head.

“ Another tough day?”

Jin peeked from his hands, meeting those dark brown almond eyes which were twinkling with mischief as always, a playful, but sympathetic grin plastered on the boy’s pretty rosy lips.

“ Geez, how did you guess?”

Jin replied in a voice that would pass as sarcastic for those that didn’t know him, but for those that knew him, it was a tone of voice he used when he was cranky and tired, but never directed with an ill-intention towards his speaker.

Of course, Taehyung knew that, because he flashed that wide, heart-melting boxy smile at Jin, the one that always made his heart flutter, and spoke in an excited voice.

“ Well, worry not, because I bring you salvation in the form of this carefully prepared Black Arrow, by yours truly.”

You are the salvation, Jin thought as he stared at Taehyung whose eyes were glimmering with satisfaction, and if he keeps looking at him like that, Jin was sure that his mind would go completely blank, and he really didn’t want to get a zero on his upcoming test, so he quickly averted his gaze from the younger boy.

Instead he stared at the concoction that Taehyung had placed in front of him.

“So what do you think?”

Taehyung asked him, his eyes full of anticipation, that grin still on his stupid, handsome face as Jin took a sip of the dangerous drink in front of him.

Dangerous, because it was completely black.

Jin knew that he shouldn’t worry too much, because this was a coffee shop after all and this was coffee in front of him ( well he sure hoped it was), but what made him slightly anxious was the fact that this strange mixture didn’t smell like coffee at all, actually it had no smell.

And the other thing that worried him was that the name of the drink was Black Arrow.

That kind of name didn’t fill him with ease, but he trusted Taehyung, so he took one tentative sip, letting the black liquid spread all over his tongue, running down his throat, warm and comforting.

“ Wow.”

Jin let out an amazed gasp, staring at the transparent glass with his new favourite coffee in it.

Honestly, every time Taehyung had made him some kind of special mixture of beverages he would deem it as his favourite drink until the next time he would visit the coffee shop, only to be served by some new mysterious beverage from Taehyung which would surpass the previous one, claiming its spot as the number 1 coffee in Jin’s mind.

“ Ah, I knew it! I am such a genius!”

Taehyung exclaimed, congratulating himself by shaking his own hands, nodding in a pleased manner, and if it was anyone else they would probably look insane, but when it came to Taehyung, Jin found it adorable and endearing, so he let out a small chuckle.

He took another sip of his new favourite coffee, closing his eyes, just enjoying the taste.

It was bitter, but sweet at the same time, just enough to make Jin awake and give him the much-needed energy for his test which was in about 2 hours from now.

His body relaxed, and he felt the stress slowly dissipating from his body as he leaned back in his chair.

Everything was going to be fine.

He had studied.

He will ace this test and show everyone that he wasn’t a student with the highest grades in all subjects in the first year for nothing.

And it was all thanks to him.

The cure to his stress and the cause of the warmth spreading through his body every time Jin saw him.

He opened his eyes slowly, locking them with those chocolate brown eyes which were now crinkling as he smiled, but this time it wasn’t just mischief in them

It was something else as well.

Something that Jin started to notice after about two, or three months of frequenting this small, but cozy and absolutely perfect café  which was just about a 15 minute walk from his University.

Jin could never decipher that kind of look on Taehyung, the one which seemed as if it was piercing right through his soul, as if trying to separate him into little pieces and tuck his every reaction and expression in the back of his mind for later revision.

To be honest, that was what he would do every time after his encounter with his stress-reliever, after all he was studying to be a doctor, so it was only normal to do that whenever he would see his crush.

So, maybe he was starting to see a reflection of his own ways, and feelings on Taehyung, maybe he was becoming so absorbed in everything that had to do with Taehyung that he actually started imagining things.

Of course, as always when he tried to dig in deeper, to try to figure out that particular look, Taehyung would give him his usual wide, playful smile, yelling out.

 “ You can do it Hyung! I believe in you!”

 and then he would walk away to his position behind the counter, leaving Jin rooted to his seat, slightly irked that no matter how much he tried, he just couldn’t resolve the mystery that was Kim Taehyung.

The first time he had gone to Dragon’s Lair (the name of the café that always intrigued Jin, so much as to ask Taehyung what it meant only to get some sort of a vague answer how its meaning is pretty obvious from its name, followed by that usually mischievous smirk on Taehyung’s face, making Jin completely dazed for a second), he was in a bad mood, to say the least.

His first year as a med student in the Dongguk University was nearing its end which meant exams were extremely close by.

So close that Jin couldn’t think about anything else at that time.

During the course of his first year, between moving into a dorm and living on his own for the first time as well as making new friends, he was struggling with the pressure of excelling in every subject.

He had always been a hardworking student and when he got into University that did not change.

However, for the first time in his life, he wasn’t sure if he could endure the pressure.

There was too much to learn, too many new things, too many unfamiliar terms and he just felt lost.

Somehow, he managed to pull through most of the first year, but then when exams approached it all came crashing down around him and he snapped.

On that particular Sunday night he had been in his apartment at about 2 a.m., various books scattered on the floor of his dorm room, each one no less than thousand pages, each one highlighted in various colours, mostly pink since it was Jin’s favourite colour, each page more complex and more difficult for Jin’s already sleep-deprived and tortured brain.

He needed caffeine.

And he needed it fast.

Quickly, he surfed the net on his cell, searching for a coffee shop that was close by and that was still open.

His fingers stopped scrolling down various names of cafes which were way too far for his liking, until one name stood out in the list.

An emblem of a copper dragon spitting fire with letters written beneath it caught Jin’s eye.

Dragon’s Lair.

It was open 24/7 and it was just 15 minutes away by foot from his University.

Perfect, Jin thought, quickly taking his black leather jacket and throwing it over his white plain v-lined T-Shirt, before rushing into the almost-empty streets of Seoul, his hair fluttering gently in the light breeze as he walked towards his destination.

As he approached the café, he was greeted by light jazz music pouring out of the speakers in front of the café, and with one push of the door he was met with the warmth of the dimly lit room, instantly making his mind at peace.

The sweet aroma of freshly baked cookies mixed with the strong scent of freshly brewed coffee filled his nostrils as he approached the counter and he inhaled the mixture of scents for a moment, letting it wash away his stress.

It did manage to reduce it, but not to make it disappear completely.

There was just one more guy in the coffee shop besides him, sitting in the far corner of the café, his head buried in his hands, his light snores filling the room, his minty green hair giving a pleasant contrast against the dim red lights hanging from the ceiling.

He tore his gaze away from the sleeping stranger, wanting to check out the menu above the counter, but his gaze travelled to the slight creaking sound coming from the door opening next to the menu.

If Jin was in a movie of some sort, this would be the moment where everything would turn into a slow-motion.

His eyes were glued to the slender figure of a guy about his height, maybe slightly shorter, dressed in black skinny knee-ripped jeans and a black T-Shirt with a copper dragon on it.

His skin was fair, only disrupted by black ink travelling from the side of his neck to his collarbones.

A minimalistic dragon tattoo.

Wow, these employees sure did take their job seriously to even have a dragon tattoo on their body, or maybe it was just this guy who was probably obsessed with dragons to have gone as far as getting a tattoo of it and a job at a place called Dragon Lair.

Honestly, at that time, Jin didn’t give it much thought, too distracted by the face of the handsome employee.

His lips were full, but not as plump as Jin’s, no, both the upper and lower lip were equally luscious, equally rosy, equally…Alluring.

His face was perfectly symmetrical, as if it belonged to some Greek God.

That sharp jaw was complemented by an equally sharp set of chocolate brown almond eyes which were now staring at Jin, and for a second Jin could have sworn that the man had widened his eyes slightly when their gazes met as if he was caught doing something he shouldn’t have, but Jin was exhausted and his mind was probably playing tricks with him.

His hair was fiery orange streaked with copper strands, making him look fierce.

“ Hello, can I help you?”

The deep voice that came out of those perfect mouth had Jin slightly shocked and gasping for breath.

He hadn’t expected this flawless specimen to get even more stunning than he already was, but once again he was caught off guard.

He wondered if this guy was even human.

He cleared his throat, trying to gain some time to process his thoughts, feeling fidgety under the guy’s intense gaze.

“ Uhm, I need something to de-stress?”

He said with uncertainty and only when he saw the guy quirk an eyebrow at him did he realize what a stupid thing he had said.

“ Uh, I mean, uh, anything is fine, as long as it has caffeine, yeah, so whatever you make me is fine.”

He said quickly, trying to repair the damage although he was sure that now he looked even more stupid in the stranger’s eyes.

However, the guy didn’t mock him, instead he stared at him for a few moments, with a serious expression, making Jin regret ever going to this place, starting to feel self-conscious under the handsome guy’s scrutinizing gaze, and oh God why didn’t I at least put some bb cream, my face must look like right now and…

“ I have just the thing. Go sit at one of the tables and I will bring it to you in a few minutes.”

the low, husky voice interrupted his mini mental breakdown and Jin just nodded on reflex, probably looking confused and shuffling his feet to the table near the big set of black speakers.

The calming melody reaching his ears from the speakers made his mind slowly drift into the land of dreams.

His eyelids felt heavy, his head resting in his hands, and he mimicked the pose of that green-haired stranger that was sleeping in the opposite corner of the room, letting his tensed body rest for just a few minutes.

When he finally opened his eyes, feeling disoriented, his body slightly aching from the uncomfortable position he fell asleep in, he felt as if the previous stress had left his body completely.

“ Hey…Finally awake…”

The familiar voice filled his ears and he straightened himself in his seat, staring at the gorgeous stranger who was sitting across him, with a grin on his face and a playful look in his eyes.

Oh God.

I fell asleep.

And in front of none other than the dragon-guy.

Jin felt his ears burning and he looked away awkwardly, stuttering a bit as he answered in an ashamed voice.

“ I am s-sorry, I was just tired from studying, and oh God this is so embarrassing…”

He groaned, wanting nothing more than to return to the safety of his dorm room, far away from the incredibly handsome orange-haired barista.

“ Well, at least you didn’t droll.”

A low chuckle made him look at the guy in front of him who was watching him with amusement as his chest heaved up and down slightly while he laughed at Jin’s humiliation.

Jin bit his lip and murmured.

“ Yeah, lucky me.”

“ Anyways, it’s no big deal, now here is your de-stress drink.”

The guy added and Jin looked at him and then at the suspicious drink in front of him.

Suspicious, because it looked nothing like coffee and it smelled nothing like one, either.

It was completely red.

Dark red, like blood.

What kind of coffee is red?

“ Come on, try it. It’s my own creation.”

The eargasmic voice across him said, but the fact that it was his creation didn’t really comfort Jin.

He would prefer a familiar coffee like a cappuccino, or a latte, instead of this unknown liquid made by the hands of this peculiar attractive guy.

However, one look at those hypnotizing eyes and that expectant grin made him think “ the hell with it” and he closed his eyes as he brought the cup to his lips and took a small sip of the beverage.

His reaction was immediate.

The flavor was sweet, but not too sweet, just to Jin’s taste, spreading from his tongue, to his throat until every fiber of his body was lulled into a comforting feeling.

He opened his eyes, staring at the guy in front of him, and he barely managed to whisper.

“ How?”

Still feeling slightly dazed at this drink that made all of his worries go away in an instant.

It was as if it was magical.

But, what was even more magical was the way the guy’s lips stretched into a wide boxy grin, the one that still made Jin melt even after all these months, his eyes lighting up with satisfaction as he whispered playfully.

“ It’s a secret. The drink is on me. If you ever feel stressed, come here and I will help you de-stress. It’s a promise.”

The attractive stranger finished with a wink, getting up from his seat and before Jin could say anything he had already disappeared behind those doors next to the menu.

After that night it sort of became a routine for Jin to walk into the Dragon’s Lair whenever he was feeling stressed ( which was about a few times a month with the pressure of staying a top student), and for Taehyung, the name of the breathtaking employee with a dragon tattoo that he had gathered the courage to ask for after his 4^th visit to the café, to mix him up some sort of a special drink that would immediately lift his spirits up.

The only thing that bothered Jin was that Taehyung always treated him to those drinks with an excuse such as “ since these are all my creations, just consider yourself my guinea pig, so that is payment enough.”

Jin wanted to protest, but Taehyung’s wide grin and the way he confidently said “ Jin, don’t argue with me, you know you will lose.” made Jin slightly insulted, but also completely smitten by Taehyung’s confident attitude and that spark of amusement in his tone, and Jin really wanted to know why Taehyung was always so amused when talking to him.

However, he had no guts to ask him that.

So, he opted for silent dissatisfied murmuring under his breath making Taehyung chuckle and walk away, taking up a small space in Jin’s heart every time he did that.

Even after 5 months of coming to Dragon’s Lair at least once a week, for Jin, Kim Taehyung still remained a mystery.

Other than Jin being Taehyung’s guinea pig in tasting his delicious, but suspicious-looking creations, they didn’t talk much.

Well, no, that was a lie.

Taehyung didn’t talk much, usually sitting across Jin and listening to his every word attentively, making Jin’s stomach do backflips at the attention of the incredibly attractive barista.

Whenever Jin would try to switch the topic to Taehyung, asking him about his life, the guy would somehow manage to turn back the conversation to Jin, saying something like.

“ I am not that interesting, I would much rather listen to you.”

And okay that should have made Jin suspicious, but his heart and mind were too busy freaking out about Taehyung’s words to even think about how he knew almost nothing about the said-boy.

However, maybe he didn’t need to know about anything, settling for Taehyung’s company, his wide smiles, his playful, but intriguing gazes towards him, the way Taehyung smelled, like burned wood which was weird, and fresh grass, making Jin feel oddly at ease.

He knew that he had developed a crush on Taehyung, but there was nothing he could do about it.

He was sure that Taehyung didn’t feel the same way.

Even though sometimes he would catch Taehyung staring at him from behind the counter, followed by Taehyung’s wide grin and a wave in his direction, making Jin flushed, unlike Taehyung who was always calm and collected, making Jin even more convinced that Taehyung wasn’t interested in him in that way.

And sure, Taehyung’s eyes would lit up whenever Jin would praise his drink and say that he wasn’t stressed anymore making Taehyung look at him with such fondness which Jin always found unbearable, making him all queasy inside, but that could just mean that Taehyung was a kind person who loved seeing people happy.

Also, it was a bit strange that a few times when Jin came in, disappointed when the green-haired guy with a constant grumpy face ( the same one that was sleeping in the corner when Jin walked into the café for the first time) would come to him to take his order, the black ink of a dragon tattoo wrinkling around his fingers as he was about to write down his order, only to be lightly pushed aside by Taehyung who would conveniently appear out of nowhere to usher away the grump, saying how he will take Jin’s order.

That action was always followed by the green-haired guy’s curses under his breath which usually went along these lines.

“ instead of sleeping peacefully I have to work and then have customers stolen from me by that brat resulting in less money and I hope your wings catch on fire one day Kim Taehyung.”

And Jin would always feel slightly puzzled at the mention of wings catching on fire, but Taehyung would usually say with a chuckle.

“ Ah don’t mind Yoongi, he is just a little hater of everything that doesn’t concern sleeping, or money.”

Although Jin would notice that at those times there was a bit of a panicked expression in Taehyung’s eyes, but soon it was replaced by that devilish look and wide grin Jin knew all too well and he would immediately forget about everything, too keen on absorbing all of Taehyung’s facial expressions.

So, it was obvious that he was experiencing a one-sided crush.

But, that was okay.

As long as he could see Taehyung, bask in his smile and attention, it was all good.

He could live with that, or so he thought.

The one thing he couldn’t live with, being a med student and all, was people recklessly ruining their health.

Especially people he cared for.

So when he entered the Dragon’s Lair one day and Taehyung greeted him cheerfully, approaching him a few moments later with another amazing drink, Jin was a bit taken aback when Taehyung said proudly.

“ Ah, I am seriously the best at this!”

It wasn’t the statement that had surprised Jin, Taehyung did always tend to compliment himself after seeing Jin’s satisfied expression, it was the smell coming out of Taehyung’s mouth that had Jin shocked.

He did always smell like burned wood, but his breath was usually minty fresh, probably because he was always chewing on a gum, but today when he spoke, all Jin could smell was smoke.

He scrunched up his nose a bit and frowned.

It can’t be that Taehyung smoked, right?

After all, Jin had never seen him with a cigarette before.

“ Is something wrong?”

He was soon brought back out of his assumptions with Taehyung’s brown chocolate eyes looking at him a bit worriedly and Jin waved his arms in front of him and said.

“ No, no, I just spaced out. Sorry.”

offering Taehyung a sheepish smile.

Taehyung quickly returned back to his usual cheerful self, before walking away to serve other customers.

There is no way he smoked.

I probably imagined it, Jin thought.

However, after a few more visits in the following weeks, with Taehyung’s breath always reeking of smoke, Jin was sure he wasn’t imagining it.

If Jin hated anything it was cigarettes.

It was such a turn-off.

He hated the disgusting smell of it, the way it made your teeth yellow, the way your clothes smelled after it, as well as your hair, and most of all he hated the diseases it could cause, one of them being lung cancer.

His grandfather had died from it when he was only 10 years old, and now after 12 years had passed since that tragic event, he still couldn’t get over the fact that cigarettes were pure evil.

He tried to talk about it to Taehyung, one day finally finding the courage to tell him.

“ I know it’s none of my business, but you should really stop smoking. It’s bad for your health.”

Taehyung looked at him confused for a moment and then as if he had realized something, he chuckled and said.

“ Don’t worry about me.”

However, that made Jin worry even more, knowing that Taehyung would not quit his bad habit.

The next time, Jin brought the issue of smoking once again, this time going for the light-hearted, teasing approach.

“ Yah, Taehyung-ah, if you don’t stop smoking, you will die and then who will make me my de-stress coffees?”

Taehyung blinked at him, but then chuckled and mocked-offence, saying in a hurt tone.

“ Aigoo Hyung, so you are only using me? I might die faster of a broken heart than of those cigars.”

And then he walked away, like he always did when Jin brought up the question of smoking.

Jin was getting more annoyed and more worried for Taehyung’s health every time he did that, so he decided to take drastic measures.

He spent 3 hours on a Friday night, constructing a powerpoint presentation with various horrible images of people’s decaying bodies and conditions caused by too much smoking.

It was disturbing really, and Jin hoped that Taehyung would finally quit his addiction after this.

“ Hyung. You aren’t going to let this go, are you?”

Taehyung groaned after Jin had finished his heated 1 hour presentation about the ways smoking can ruin your life, or take it away mercilessly as Jin repeated about 20 times in that 1 hour.

Jin was a bit irked by the way Taehyung was looking at him, as if Jin was being unreasonable so he crossed his arms over his chest and defiantly said.

“ No I am not.”

“ But, why do you care so much about me smoking?”

Taehyung asked with curiosity.

Jin bit his lip and yes he knew very well why he cared so much, but Taehyung didn’t and he must seem overbearing in Taehyung’s eyes, so he looked away, not able to face Taehyung’s piercing eyes that seemed to read him as an open book, speaking in a quiet voice.

“ Because I care…About you…And I don’t want you to die, and your health is important to me… You are…Important to me…”

There he said it.

Oh God, Taehyung was silent.

Jin knew his cheeks were red, because he could feel his face heating up and the suspension was killing him so he finally dared to look at Taehyung and he was not expecting what he saw.

For the first time Taehyung’s expression was not cheerful or playful.

It was dead-serious and he would seem intimidating, if it wasn’t for his eyes in which there was no mischievous glint at this moment, because they seemed to carry so many emotions ranging from uncertainty to… Fear?

What was he afraid of?

Taehyung finally let out a long sigh and said.

“ Fine, I will tell you the truth.”

Huh?

Jin stared at him confused.

“ I don’t smoke. I lied.”

Taehyung said in a serious voice.

“ But why…”

Jin started to ask, but Taehyung raised his hand in his air, efficiently shutting him up.

Whatever Taehyung was going to say it seemed as if he was struggling to say it and Jin was starting to worry.

“ The truth is that I am a… Dragon.”

Taehyung said in a low voice, the last word leaving his mouth only as a whisper.

“ Come again?”

Jin asked, feeling as if his ears were playing tricks with him.

“ I am a dragon. I breathe fire. That’s why my breath smells of smoke.”

Taehyung said in a higher voice, his expression dead-serious.

Jin couldn’t believe it.

I knew he was too perfect to be true.

Of course he had to have a flaw.

But why couldn’t he, I don’t know, have like a crooked nose, or something like that, instead of being deranged?

He did always fall for the weird ones, like that guy he liked in 8^th grade who he later on discovered had a little shrine in his room full of his pictures on which it was written “ Jin will be mine, sooner, or later.”, causing his parents to transfer him to another school when the maid found the boy’s “sacred shrine dedicated to his one and only, Kim Seokjin.” while cleaning his room.

Also, the guy who took Jin out on a date in his 2^nd year of high school, who seemed absolutely perfect until he took out a small book out of his backpack on which it was written “ Jin&Jooheon happy ever after” and then proceeded to open the book with pictures of Jin and him, photo shopped, with Jin in a pink wedding dress and Jooheon in a tux, walking down the aisle.

 The highlight were pictures of their “children”, a boy and a girl, with Jin’s and Jooheon’s combined faces, making the children look beautiful ( Jin had to admit that) especially in Jooheon’s eyes who then turned to him and said “ Aren’t we lucky, honey?” with a creepy smile and tears of happiness forming in his eyes as he looked at Jin.

Needless to say that Jin got up and ran to his home, packing his things and announcing to his mom that he decided to move to Seoul and stay with his older brother so that he would “ expand his horizons.”

He left out the “ I am scared less of some creeper in my high-school who may or may not me, or kill me”, and booked the train to Seoul as fast as he could.

So it was no surprise really that Taehyung turned out like this.

Actually, considering the weirdos Jin had met in his life, Taehyung seemed harmless and not so creepy.

Maybe, I should call Namjoon?

After all he is studying to be a psychiatrist.

“ Look, Taehyung, you know I care about you. So, how about you talk to my friend about why you think you are a dragon? He could help you…”

Jin said with caution.

He was startled when Taehyung blinked a few times, before he lowered his head and laughed to himself.

“ I knew you wouldn’t believe me…I guess then I will have to make you believe me.”

Taehyung said seriously and okay Jin was freaking out now that Taehyung got up from his chair and started taking large steps towards him and Jin started backing away, running to the door, getting out of the café in nothing but his sweater and jeans, freezing while running through the  snowy streets of Seoul as the harsh wind kept slapping his face.

He didn’t dare look back in case Taehyung was chasing after him.

It was only when he stumbled in some alley, packed with houses, with no one in sight, that he heard footsteps behind him.

He turned around with horror, noticing Taehyung, whose eyes seemed as if they were yellow now and the snow beneath his feet was crunching, and his heart was beating like mad and then he heard that sound.

He looked up and barely had the time to process that a large, thick, sharp icicle was falling towards him from the roof of the house he was currently standing underneath, because the next thing he knew a large flame burned the icicle, reducing it to nothing as it fell apart before his eyes.

He looked at Taehyung, in utmost shock, noticing the way a large cloud of smoke was coming out of Taehyung’s lips.

“ No way…”

He managed to whisper before he felt his mind and body drift into the unconsciousness.

“ Jin!”

was the last thing he heard, before he felt warmth engulfing his body and surprisingly he felt safe.

He could have sworn that right before he lost consciousness he could hear a faint sound of wings flapping.

Huh, he really must be sleep-deprived to think of such ridiculous things.

He was not even sure for how long he had been unconscious, because the moment he finally opened his eyes, still feeling as if everything that had happened was some sort of a wild dream, he found himself in a bed that wasn’t his own and he knew that unfortunately all of this was real.

He sat up in a bed large enough to fit 3 people, his fingers trailing the patterns on the blanket he was covered with.

“ H-hey…”

a low voice, sounding unsure made him look towards the dark green sofa on his right.

He shuddered involuntarily when he was met with those eyes bewitching him, making him squirm in bed, lowering his gaze to his fingers which were now in his lap, quietly replying.

“ H-hi…”

Honestly, he had so many questions.

About everything.

But, it was as if a big lump had formed in his throat making him unable to say anything.

The silence between them was becoming unbearable and just when he decided to say something to break it, he felt a certain weight next to him.

He blinked in surprise, met with Taehyung’s deep brown eyes mixed with lighter hues, and once again he was taken aback with how different Taehyung looked like this, serious and yet as if he was wary and maybe regretful?

At that moment Jin realized that he really had no idea who Taehyung was ( although he was sure that he would have never guessed that Taehyung was a dragon who knew how to breathe fire) and he felt a pang in his heart.

Was he just in love in some sort of an illusion which he had created about Taehyung?

When he said nothing, still staring at Taehyung whose gaze never left his as he sat next to him, but with a certain distance between them, careful of not touching Jin, it seemed that Taehyung had enough of the awkward silence as he took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment.

Jin distracted himself by counting Taehyung’s long eyelashes cast over his sharp cheekbones.

However, he just managed to count 10 on his left eye, when Taehyung finally opened his eyes and spoke in a serious, but kind of exhausted tone?

“ Look… I didn’t want to scare you… And I am sure you have a lot of questions, and I will answer all of them, but first I need to ask you…Are you okay?”

Jin widened his eyes in surprise, his eyes resting on Taehyung’s face which was now showing signs of worry, probably because Jin had blanked-out for a moment, still unable to recover from the fact that Taehyung was so concerned about him.

He tried to still his frantic heart as he responded in a quiet voice.

“ Yeah…Yeah…I am…”

Taehyung observed him for a few more moments as if trying to figure out if Jin was lying, but then decided against doubting him and let out a relieved sigh, murmuring.

“ Good…”

When Jin said nothing else, Taehyung took it upon himself to fill the silence as he started his explanation.

“ I guess that you are still shocked about everything, but just know that I would never hurt you…”

Jin wasn’t sure that he heard it right?

It had never occurred to him that Taehyung would be able of hurting him and he wondered why Taehyung would get that impression until it dawned on him.

He ran away from him like crazy during a snow storm and okay maybe he was a bit freaked out at that moment, but it’s only because he thought Taehyung was some sort of a lunatic, although deep down he knew that Taehyung would never lay a finger on him.

However, judging by Taehyung’s apprehensive look filled with guilt, Jin realized that Taehyung didn’t know that, so he forced himself to somehow stutter out.

“ I know you wouldn’t…”

He couldn’t even describe the feeling in his stomach when Taehyung looked at him with wide eyes, as if surprised and relieved by Jin’s statement until he continued.

“ Okay, so I guess I should start the explanation about who I really am.”

Taehyung said with a deep sigh.

Jin stopped breathing for a moment, fearing what was coming next, but he was also curious.

This was the time to finally unravel the mystery that was Kim Taehyung, his crush for the past few months, and even though the illusion might be shattered, he needed to know.

“ As I said before I am a dragon… Well, no, I am a half-dragon and a half-human. I don’t turn into those kind of huge- lizards with scales and wings. This is my true form although I can breathe fire as you witnessed earlier and also I have wings, but I just use them for flying and when I sleep.”

So that is why this beg is so big, Jin thought, as he stared at Taehyung with fascination.

I wonder what he looks like when he is flying across the sky?

Probably unreal.

I knew it that he wasn’t a human being, it was impossible to be so…Captivating, and still be a human.

“ Why didn’t you tell me?”

Jin blurted out, catching Taehyung off guard who blinked and widened his eyes at him.

“ I-I..Well what was I supposed to say… Hey, you know I am a half-dragon that breathes fire and oh yeah I can fly, so we cool?”

Taehyung responded with an exasperated sigh, but it was obvious how nervous he was by the way his hand flew up to his hair, ruffling it in a frustrated manner.

“ And besides, your reaction when you find out proved to me that I was right in keeping this a secret.”

Taehyung added, slightly accusatory and Jin was feeling slightly offended.

Okay, he might have not handled it too well, but who can blame him?

He had just discovered that the guy he had been crushing on for months was actually a half-dragon!

I mean, come on…

Surprisingly, he wasn’t that bothered by the fact that Taehyung was a dragon, oops a half-dragon, but he was more disturbed by the fact he knew nothing about Taehyung.

“ I thought we were friends…”

Jin whispered sadly.

Taehyung looked at him, once again taken aback by his statement and his eyes softened as he spoke in a quiet voice.

“ We are…”

“ No, real friends don’t keep secrets like this from each other…I know I didn’t react in the best way, but come on, I was too surprised. I thought I knew you, or at least a part of you and then it turns out I was the only one who had poured his soul out while you gave me nothing in return except your attention, your sweet smiles and your amazing coffees. And that is not fair Taehyung, It is not fair that you made me feel like this and then you just… You couldn’t even trust me…”

Jin was surprised by the outburst he just had and he felt his eyes becoming teary, and he knew it was visible judging by Taehyung’s shocked and hurt expression, but Jin couldn’t think about it, he just needed air, he needed to be alone, to think it through, so he got up from the bed and added.

“ I want to go home… I can’t deal with this…”

And he spotted his sneakers next to the door and silently put them on, not even looking back.

He got out of the bedroom, and stumbled into a cozy living room, before going to the front door.

When he opened them and stepped out, he felt a tight grip on his hand.

He knew who it was, of course he knew, but he couldn’t force himself to face him, because he was sure his resolve would waver and he really needed to clear his head.

“ I am sorry… God, Jin, I am so sorry… I was just so afraid…At first I found you amusing and awkward, so I kept talking to you. I really loved spending time with you and listening to your stories. I was glad that I could help you de-stress, but then… One day I became greedy… I wanted to be the only one to make your stress go away, I wanted to be the only one to make you giggle, to make you look at me and only at me… And with that greed came realization…Before I knew it I had fallen for you…For a human…And how could I tell you that I was a dragon? I was afraid that you would curse me, or that you would run away and never come back to me and that scared the out of me… So much that it made my chest hurt…The thought of not seeing you, the thought of never staring into your doe-eyes, or never hearing you complain about Unversity, or the thought of never again having you praise me and smile at me like I was some sort of a bright light at the end of the tunnel…I wanted to tell you so many times how I felt, I wanted to tell you more about me, but the fear had me paralyzed… I am so sorry…”

Jin listened as Taehyung’s voice cracked at the end and he was sure that if he turned around he would have wrapped his arms around Taehyung and never let go, but he couldn’t…

His heart was hammering loudly in his chest and his mind was dizzy with millions of different thoughts rushing through it and he just needed some time alone.

Some time to be sure, before he made his decision.

With a heavy heart he managed to pull his hand away and whisper.

“ I am sorry Taehyung, I need time to think… Please…”

And with that said, he didn’t even wait for an answer before he rushed down the stairs, only to find himself in the Dragon’s Lair, because it seems that Taehyung’s apartment was on the top floor of the café, and Jin rushed through the café, next to the green-haired short grump who observed him with curious eyes and frowned when he saw a tear escape Jin’s eye as he went out of the café.

Jin never once looked back and he ran all the way to his dorm.

Once he got there, he locked his door before collapsing on his bed and sobbing into his pillow, setting free all of the emotions he held back for so long.

He cried himself to sleep, dreaming of a certain orange haired guy spreading his beautiful copper wings and flying away from him with that familiar smile that made his heart throb, but this time it was a painful throb, because the half-dragon was just within his reach, but when Jin tried to touch him, the dragon boy flew away, disappearing from his life.

Forever.

When he finally woke up in the morning, his body covered in sweat, he finally realized everything that had happened.

His thoughts were still a mess and he had no time to think everything through, but he was sure of one thing.

He didn’t want to let the dragon fly away from him.

He didn’t want him to be out of his reach.

Yeah, he didn’t know almost anything about Taehyung.

But he knew one thing.

He wanted to learn about Taheyung.

He wanted to get to know him.

Why?

Because, he fell for a dragon.

He jumped out of his bed in a flash, running into the shower ( after all he didn’t want to look like in front of the most handsome guy he had ever met) and quickly put on some clothes before running to the café.

When he got there, he bent over, trying to catch his breath until he saw a sign on the door.

Closed.

What?

It was never closed before.

A sudden rush of panic flooded Jin’s body.

What if Taehyung left?

What if he really flew away somewhere like in his dream?

His heart was beating like crazy and he looked up, noticing that the window in Taehyung’s apartment above was slightly open.

“ TAEHYUNG!!!”

“TAEHYUNG. IT’S ME JIN!!! I WANT TO TALK!!!”

He shouted so loud that people around him started staring at him as if he was crazy.

He didn’t care.

When he shouted a few more times and got no answer he was worried that Taehyung never again wanted to see him.

He was definitely crazy when he started running around the café until he spotted a ladder at the back of the building.

He climbed onto them and ended up on the open rooftop of the café.

Now he just needed to get to Taehyung’s open window which was below the roof.

Okay, you can do this Jin.           

He tried to encourage himself as he took a shaky step and stood at the edge of the roof.

Now all he needed to do was to somehow hang from the edge of the roof and then swing his legs and let go in the right moment and jump into that window.

Actors did it all the time in movies without getting hurt, so why couldn’t he?

It can’t be that hard.

He was just about to sit at the edge of the balcony when a voice startled him.

“ Jin? What are you doing?!”

He turned around and saw Taehyung staring at him with eyes wide from shock and he looked scared.

Jin realized what this must look like it, so he quickly opened his mouth to explain the situation.

“ Oh, Taehyung this isn’t what it looks like…I just…AAAAAAAH!”

Jin screamed during his speech as he slipped on snow and started falling from the roof.

God damn it, I didn’t even get to confess my love to him!

He had his eyes closed, prepared for the impact, but instead he felt warmth engulfing him as his body was carried through the air and he felt as light as a feather.

“ , Jin what the hell were you thinking?! Are you okay?!”

He heard Taehyung’s panicked voice and when he opened his eyes he couldn’t take his eyes from Taehyung’s set of wings.

The copper scales gleamed in the faint sunlight, casting a reddish kind of reflection on the snow on top of the roof towards Taehyung was flying to.

Jin couldn’t even describe them in words.

No words could describe such a sight.

It was truly out of this world.

When they landed on the roof of the Dragon’s Lair, Taehyung still wasn’t letting go, holding him in his arms bridal style.

Jin would have been embarrassed about it before, but now with his heart thumping like mad, and the warmth of Taehyung’s body against his, he just wanted to snuggle into his chest and stay there forever.

“ Jin, you haven’t answered me… Are you okay?”

Taehyung tentatively asked once again, but Jin was just staring at him.

Taehyung put him down and Jin found himself with his feet on the ground once more, facing Taehyung.

“ Look…”

Taehyung started, but Jin quickly cut him off by blurting out.

“ I am in love with you!”

“ W-what?”

Taehyung asked, surprise written in his eyes as well as a glint of hope.

Jin took a deep sigh, before he continued.

“ I know that I said I needed time to think it all over, but honestly what is there to think about? I have been crushing on you for so long, and your coffees are not the cure to my stress. You are.”

Jin said and stared at Taehyung who was looking at him with wide eyes and slightly parted lips.

He looked so adorable.

Jin chuckled, feeling a bit embarrassed, but he continued.

“ I have no idea how this would work, since you are a half-dragon, but idk, I want to give it a shot, if you do? Just please, don’t burn me accidentally, and we are fine.”

He tried to joke to relieve the tension between them, but when he saw that Taehyung was still staring at him, now with an unreadable expression, he felt restless.

Maybe he changed his mind?

Maybe he doesn’t want to be with me anymore, after I ran off like that after his love confession.

Jin took a step back, feeling a bit humiliated and hurt and he started feeling like an idiot.

“ Hah, I am such a fool, of course you don’t want me after how I acted yesterday… , okay, yeah, uhm, I’ll just disappear from your life then…”

Jin stuttered out and was about to turn around and walk away when he felt a firm, but gentle grip on his wrist and before he knew it he was being pulled towards Taehyung with such ease that he felt as if he was as light as a feather.

His eyes widened in shock, and he opened his mouth to say something, but before he knew it, Taehyung’s soft lips landed on his own, obliterating any sane thought in his head.

Taehyung’s breath was warm, and Jin slightly worried that Taehyung might accidentally breathe fire in his mouth, but he quickly pushed those thoughts aside, feeling his pulse intensifying and he was sure Taehyung could feel it too while holding his wrist, but he didn’t care. When Taehyung wrapped his other arm around his waist, pulling him closer, until their bodies were pressed flush together, Jin dispersed any feelings of worry about his mouth being set on fire ( literally) and he responded to the kiss, moving his lips against Taehyung’s. Soon, his fingers found its way to Taehyung’s fiery hair and when he pulled on it slightly, Taehyung growled into the kiss, and God that was so hot that Jin did it again just to hear that sound. What he didn’t expect was Taehyung letting go of his wrist and grabbing the back of his head, slightly pulling him by his hair to deepen the kiss which caused Jin to moan in Taehyung’s mouth when he felt the younger one exploring his mouth with his tongue, quite eagerly. Jin’s tongue reciprocated as eagerly, dancing along with Taehyung’s and despite the freezing weather, somehow in Taehyung’s embrace he felt extremely warm.

I guess that is the perk of having a dragon as your boyfriend.