No one woke anyone up here. Everyone was responsible for waking up at whatever time they wished, and getting breakfast. Hayun woke up so late that no one was in the kitchen eating breakfast, and the food was cold. It felt like such a luxury to sleep until the sun was already high in the sky, and not to have to wake up before dawn and whip up an unsatisfacory breakfast. She ate slowly and lazily, thoroughly enjoying the delicious food before going outside to the garden.

Hayun idly strolled to the stream, thinking if no one was around it would be her chance to finally bathe. Unfortunately, this was not her chance - instead of what would be the usual gentle murmur of the stream, there was violent splashing. To her shock, it was the dragon - dark scales shone in the mild sunlight, and violet eyes were wider and softer than usual as he splashed and played. A thick layer of foamy bubbles covered the surface of the water surrounding him, and even though there was a slight current in the stream, the bubbles remained in the same area - no doubt due to Taehyung's creativity and magic.

Seokjin sat on the edge of the stream, his legs in the water, leaning back and propping himself up with his elbows. He must have either sensed Hayun or heard her, because he turned his head and greeted her with a smile. "Here for a bath?"

"No!" Hayun said at once, perhaps a little too fast.

Seokjin frowned. "You are a terribly dirty creature! You have not bathed even once since you got here." His frown melted into an expression of horror. "M-my water! When you finally bathe you will be so dirty you will contaminate my water! I will rinse you myself before you step foot into my stream. Don't you dare bathe without telling me first! In fact, I ought to haul you in here and make you bathe right now!" he fumed.

Hayun took a step back, alarmed. Why was he so obsessed with his water? She would never get clean at this rate, with everyone always hanging about!

A splash of water hit the nymph in the face, and the dragon disappeared under the bubbles only to reappear and send more water splashing over Seokjin, who simply sighed and watched the dragon play. Hayun sat down on the grass, keeping a careful distance, and watched the dragon play by himself with the bubbles. He tried gathering them together to make a heap, but they kept scattering. This game of chase went on for quite a while until he seemed tired of it, and decided he had enough and bounded out of the stream, his glossy scales winking in the sun.

The dragon nuzzled his head against Seokjin affectionately, who chuckled and patted the side of the dragon's face. "See? Feels good to play with the bubbles and water again, doesn't it?"

The dragon nodded and Hayun was slightly started to hear a deep humming kind of sound coming from him - it sounded like contentment. He spotted her and bounded up to her excitedly.

Alarmed to see a dragon running at her, Hayun scrambled to her feet.

"He wants to play," said Seokjin, seeing she had no idea how to react. The nymph stood up, and headed towards them.

Hayun looked at the dragon, and gulped. He was so beautiful, but also dangerous, she reminded herself. Now they were standing on even ground, the dragon did not tower over her - she was a head taller than him. The dragon spread his wings slightly to dry them, and her heart skipped a beat in sudden admiration of the perfection of the dragon, of the absolute majestic beauty he radiated.

Seokjin plopped himself in the grass. "Beautiful, right?"

Hayun nodded wordlessly.

"Me, I meant," Seokjin said. "Not the dragon!"

"Oh! Well, you are beautiful as well," Hayun said quickly.

The dragon's eyes widened in realization that she had called him beautiful - that she looked at him in awe and admiration instead of fear. Trying very hard to contain his excitment and happiness, he lay down, to show her he would be calm and not harm her.

Hayun's breath hitched as the dragon looked up at, eyes like liquid amethyst. Hesitantly, she held out her hand, suddenly longing to touch those shimmering scales, and the dragon happily brought his face forward so her palm met his cheek.

His skin was so warm. She had expected it to be slightly rough, but his scales were smooth and there was a kind of softness to them. Very excited now, the dragon rolled onto his back, and Seokjin laughed.

"Rub his belly!" the nymph said.

Taken aback that a dragon would enjoy belly rubs, Hayun hesitantly knelt down in the grass and touched his pale belly. There were no scales and it was softer and smoother than the skin of even a baby's.

"A dragon's belly is the most vulnerable part," Seokjin said. "So for a dragon to give you access to it, it is a sign of trust. Though I do not know why he trusts you right now."

The dragon grunted, annoyed, and the nymph scoffed. "Did I say something wrong, huh?"

He flicked his tail and Seokjin rolled his eyes. "I am going to clean the bubbles, so behave."

As soon as the nymph stood up, the dragon hurriedly sat up. At first, Hayun wondered if she had done something wrong, but the arrival of nearly half a dozen fluffy rabbits answered her doubt.

The rabbits sniffed the dragon, little noses wiggling, and some of them climbed on his forelegs, exploring. Hayun watched with bated breath - how did rabbits dare to climb on the dragon? A few were even on his back now, and one slid down his tail.

She sat down and tried to touch one of the rabbits, but it immediately ran off and climbed on the dragon instead. Surely she must be less threatening than him, she thought indignantly.

The dragon seemed peaceful, slightly bored even, as the rabbits used him as a playground. By the looks of it, this was definitely not the first time...

Hayun melted inside, seeing how patient the dragon was with the playful and curious rabbits. They eventually sniffed her curiously, but if she so much as wiggled her toe, they would run and take refuge somewhere on top of the dragon or crawl under his wings.

Eventually the dragon had enough, and shook himself slightly, telling them it was time to go and play somewhere else. They seemed to get off him reluctantly, but bolted when the dragon suddenly leapt up and ran across the stream and disappeared behind a thicket.

Hayun looked around, startled - what made him suddenly so agitated? He reappeared soon, his mouth full of daisies and feet full of dirt. He ran across the stream and dropped the flowers right in front of her, looking at her expectantly.

"W-what is it?" she asked, clueless. She picked up two daisies and twirled the stems together, which made the dragon nearly quiver in excitment. Something clicked. "Would you like me to make you a flower crown?" she asked carefully. If this was not what he wanted, she really had no idea what....

Luckily, the dragon nodded eagerly, violet eyes dancing. Hayun laughed fondly. "Alright, I'll make you one!"

He watched her make the crown eagerly, not able to keep himself still, and when she finished he looked as though she had made him a crown of stars, not daisies. Hayun tried not to laugh again, as she placed it on his head - she had made it longer to fit him better.

A dragon wearing a crown of daisies - that was something she had never imagined. Then again, everything about him was beyond her imagination. Playing with bubbles in the water, wanting belly rubs, letting rabbits play with his tail, and so excited and happy about a flower crown - Hayun felt like she was dreaming because this was one of the most adorable and sweet things she had ever seen.

"OY!!!! WHO RIPPED OUT MY FLOWERS?" a furious voice demanded, and proceeded to rant loudly. Hoseok came into view, and Hayun immediately noticed that he did not glow - instead, he was surrounded by a dark aura. She gulped, and the dragon whined softly.

Hoseok's eyes zeroed in on the flower crown. "YOU!!!! YOU CAME AND WRECKED MY FLOWER BED!" He marched through the stream and as if on cue, Seokjin's furious voice screamed, "MY WATER!"

The fae stopped in his tracks, thinking the nymph was shouting at him as he materialized from the water.

"I LEAVE YOU FOR TEN MINUTES AND YOU TRACK MUD IN MY WATER!" The nymph spotted the flower fae and his darkness. He saw the flower crown and sheepish dragon and human, and his face turned purple in rage. "I LEAVE YOU ALONE FOR JUST ONE MINUTE AND YOU RIP OUT HIS FLOWERS AND TRACK MUD IN MY WATER! THIS IS TOO MUCH!"

"I'm so sorry!" Hayun cried. She should have realized the dragon was causing trouble! He whined again, louder.

"OH NO! DON'T GIVE ME ANY OF THAT!" Seokjin shouted. "THIS IS WHY I SAY YOU NEED CONSTANT SUPERVISION! MUD IN MY WATER-"

"Can you stop saying that?" Hoseok cut in darkly. "It's not mud! It's earth, and it's NOT dirty!"

"It's mud and it's dirty!" Seokjin retorted. "Contaminating my pure water-"

"Earth can never contaminate water! They are both elements that work in harmony! I am sick and tired of your whining and nagging, nymph!"

Hoseok put his foot - his dirty foot - in the water and Seokjin nearly burst. The nymph and flower fae got into a heated argument about earth and water.

"M-maybe we should leave..." Hayun muttered, as the nymph splashed water on the fae, who went even darker.

The dragon nodded, and the two snuck off quietly.

"Hoseok is so bright and cheerful, but he seems terrifying when angry," Hayun said, the dragon behind her, as the shouting got more distant. "Maybe I should make lunch alone today... as a way to appease Seokjin."

The dragon nodded, still looking sheepish. They bumped into Jungkook who was followed by a bunch of rabbits and birds, who said he was on his way to get Seokjin because it was time to make lunch.

"Oh, I'll take care of lunch today!" Hayun said, and the fae furrowed his brows. "You see.... Seokjin is a little upset because his stream got dirty, so I want to to do him a favor and make lunch."

"Who dirtied his stream??" Jungkook demanded, alarmed, and one look at the dragon's expression was enough to tell him. "Namjoon! You know what happens when Seokjin's water gets dirty!"

"What happens?" Hayun asked.

"Well, he usually gets itchy and maybe developes a rash, or he can even fall ill - water is his main life source, you see, and it's important it stays pure so he stays healthy."

No wonder Seokjin was so strict about rinsing off before stepping foot in his stream, she thought guiltily. He wasn't causing a fuss about something small, after all...

"He and Hoseok are fighting," she added. "Hoseok is upset Seokjin calls earth dirty and unpure."

"Oh no!" Jungkook groaned. "Not this again! I will go and try to get them to calm down, is that all right?"

"Of course!" she said. "Don't worry about anything, we'll take care of lunch!"

Jungkook smiled rather doubtfully at that, and after wishing them luck, he sprinted to the stream.

"Are you going to help with lunch?" Hayun asked, as the dragon followed her inside. First things first, the stove should get started. She opened the little door in the stove and piled in the firewood that was kept beside it, and hunted for something to light it on fire.

"Do you know where the matchsticks are?" she asked the dragon, who stepped forward and before she realized what he was about to do, he opened his mouth and sent a blast of fire in the stove. The wood became instantly alive with fire, and she hurriedly closed the stove door.

"Thanks," she said, quickly over her surprise. "You sure saved me the effort of trying to get a fire started in there."

The dragon looked pleased, and to her confusion he wandered out of the kitchen. Well. His job was over, she supposed, and she got to work cutting up vegetables.

Namjoon wandered back in shortly, carrying meat - it took her by surprise to see him in his human form again, and still wearing the flower crown. He wandered back out again and returned carrying even more meat, until there was more than anyone could possibly want.

"This is too much, even for eight people," Hayun said.

"No no, it's perfect - I will just eat this," he said.

"Oh, so you don't want rice and vegetables?"

"No, thank you," he said politely.

It figured, that a dragon's main diet would be meat, she thought. Hayun quickly found out the reason why Namjoon was not in any team for meals - he tried to help but he kept dropping things and kept asking what he should do, and didn't understand what she told him. Eventually she told him to just sit down and keep his nose on the lookout in case anything burned, to which he happily agreed.

Namjoon quickly grew bored, and kept checking the meat to see if it was ready. Cooking for eight people alone, Hayun realized, was quite the task - especially with a bored dragon who kept asking her questions and distracting her.

Thankfully, everything finally cooked without burning. Namjoon nearly tipped over his chair in his excitment to pile a plate high with meat, and fell silent, eating as fast as he could.

Hoseok, Jungkook and Jin entered, declaring something smelled delicious, the flower fae and nymph all smiles. The three served themselves and praised the food, to Hayun's relief - no doubt fae and human cousine was different.

"Why did you cook so much meat?" Seokjin asked.

"Was it too much?" Hayun asked, glancing at Namjoon who was taking more.

"Yes, it was! Did that dragon tell you to make that much?"

Hayun's silence was as good a confirmation as any, and the nymph sighed as the two fae giggled.

"Seokjin wants Namjoon to eat vegetables," Hoseok explained. "But as you can tell, Namjoon doesn't want any."

"Dragons do not eat vegetables!" Namjoon declared.

"I am too tired to argue with you now," the nymph gave in. "Stubborn dragon..."

Namjoon flashed Hayun a triumphant smile, as though some secret plan of theirs worked out, showing off two deep dimples. Hayun couldn't help but smile back, feeling like his partner in crime - and to her surprise, it didn't feel like something bad. It felt... well, fun, almost? Like she had made a friend.

"I heard the rabbits played with you again, Namjoon," Jungkook said.

"Ah yes, those rascals attacked me again," Namjoon laughed.

"Hayun, do you like rabbits?" the fae asked.

She nodded eagerly. "Yes, I do! I love squirrels and birds as well. I tried playing with the rabbits earlier but they ran away."

"You won't... well, harm them, will you?" Jungkook said carefully. "If I tell them you are all right to play with, I meam.."

"No, of course not!" she said. "As long as I am here, I will respect the rules - such as no picking flowers without first checking with Hoseok, and absolutely no stepping foot in the stream without rinsing off first."

"Clever girl!" Seokjin cried approvingly, and Hoseok glowed. "That's the spirit! We can all live in harmony, right?"

Jungkook smiled a bunny smile. "Perfect! Maybe the rabbits will come play with you soon. I must warn you though, their energy can be overwhelming!"

"Just lie still and let them jump on you till they get tired," Namjoon advised, and Hayun laughed. She couldn't wait to play with bunnies!

Once the meal ended, she wandered about aimlessly, everyone having seemed to disappear. So she grabbed the chance to take a bath, taking extra care to rinse herself off before entering, and breathing a sigh of relief. The water was so pure and refreshing, and the soap smelled divine - it did not smell of one thing, but of nearly all the good things, blended together in a delicious feast for the sense of smell.

Hayun did not dare take as much time as she wanted bathing, afraid someone would come. She dried herself off and changed into fresh robes, and lie down in the grass in the gentle sunshine.

To her shock, a small fluffy rabbit hopped and settled right in front of her, it's little nose wiggling in curiousity and sniffed her. It must have eventually decided she was not a threat, because it allowed her to pet it's velvety fur. The rabbit snuggled into the crook of her neck, and her heart skipped a beat. Was this paradise?

Hayun slipped into a peaceful sleep, in a bed of sweet grass and kissed by the gentle sunshine, a fluffy rabbit cuddled to her side.

****

Hayun was gently woken by Seokjin, who was beaming because she finally bathed and did an amazing job of not getting his water dirty, he informed her.

Dinner was very quiet, as none of the fae were there - they were the chatterboxes, it seemed. The dryad and nymph exchanged a few sentences here and there, along with the dragon, but that was it. It was so differen from when the fae were present, chattering non stop and filling the room with excitment.

For a lack of things to do, Hayun insisted she would clean up, and that no, she did not want help. When she finished she found Namjoon sitting at the table, as though waiting for her.

"It is the full moon tonight," Namjoon said. "The garden is beautiful in the full moon, come see."

Curious, Hayun followed him inside, and nearly forgot how to breathe in wonder.


Moonlight bathed the garden in a brilliant silver glow, and Hayun gasped. Fireflies - hundreds of them - surrounded them, as though the stars had come down to play. A feeling of bliss washed over her like a gentle wave curling in on the beach. Was it because of the fae's magic? Or was the pure beauty of nature enough to wash everything that wasn't now, in this place, away?

"It's beautiful," she breathed.

"The full moon is always beautiful," the dragon said. "We cannot go farther than this, however, because the fae will get distracted."

"What are they doing?"

"Harvesting the moon light, of course" he replied, as though that were obvious. "Absorbing new energy, as well."

"How do they harvest moon light?" Hayun asked, wanting more than anything to see the fae doing this. "And what do they do with it?"

"They all use it for different things - Jimin uses it for healing, Taehyung uses it for his energy and inventions, Hoseok uses it for his flowers, and Jungkook uses it to keep the forest animals in health and balance. I do not know how they harvest it, though," he added. "It is fae magic. No one other than faes can be present for the moonlight harvesting ritual, it disturbs the energy."

"I wish I could see it," Hayun said longingly.

Namjoon laughed softly. "So do I. Fae magic is so.... enchanting. I wish I could do such magic."

"You are a dragon," Hayun said. "You have a different kind of magic."

"I suppose so," he said doubtfully. "But I would like to have magic like the fae, or perhaps a dryad or nymph. Or even dwarves and elves."

"D-dwarves and elves?" she repeated, stunned, and then internally laughing at herself fo surprised such beings existed when she had spent a large part of her day with a dragon.

"Yes, the masters of metals. Taehyung learned much from the elves about crafting."

The fae were truly fascinating, and Hayun felt a small stab of envy - she wished she had some kind of power, too.

"I wish I had some magic, too," she said. "Any kind. You still have magic, even though it is not fae magic."

"That's true," he admitted. "You no longer fear me, do you?"

Hayun looked at him carefully, his sharp violet eyes appearing incredibly soft and somewhat hopeful, even. She smiled. "No, I do not fear you anymore. I misjudged you badly, and I apologize for that."

His lips stretched into a smile, the two dimples deeper than ever - his face was like the full moon, round and with little craters. "I am happy to hear that - I don't like to be feared." The dragon lifted his face to the moonlight, positively basking in it.

Thinking of her past behavior towards him made Hayun want to crawl and hide in shame - no one had ever treated her better than the dragon and fairyfolk have, and her attitude had not deserved much kindness. Hearing the dragon's sobs of the other night made her realize this arrangement was worse for him than it was for her - there was a price on his head, and though she did not know him well she did know Namjoon was a creature who preferred peace.

A firefly landed briefly on his nose, causing him to jump slightly in surprise and wiggle his nose like a bunny, and she laughed. "The firefly kissed you!"

"No, it did not!" he protested, sounding horrified for some reason.

"Yes, it did," she insisted. "The firefly kissed you good night."

"Good night?" he asked doubtfully. "Is that what a kiss means?"

"Well, yes. It can mean good morning, good night, and even hello and goodbye," she explained.

"Ah, now I understand. A kiss is a greeting and farewell."

"Yes, but it's-" Hayun's voice died in as Namjoon leaned forward and pressed his lips to her forehead.

"Good night," said Namjoon.