credit to buttstruggles for making this plot bunny real in my head but not thanks because hello i did not need another Kris fic kicking around.

"I’m pretty sure there’s a village near here," I said, adjusting the pack on my back to reach for my map. I withdrew my arms when Kris swatted them away.

"We don’t need to go to a village," Kris grumbled.

"Just because your new body doesn’t fit in most beds, doesn’t mean I cannot afford the luxury," I snorted.

I heard Kris gather some poor, innocent twigs and begin to break them up piece by piece. “I can guard you better in the open anyways.”

I spun around. “No, you can’t,” I poked Kris in his chest, “You don’t have any talons, fangs, wings or fire anymore. You’re a human and i’ve got to protect you now.”

Kris stayed in a silent sulk all the way until we made it to our room at the inn in the town that I had rightly guessed was clsoe to us. I didn’t have a lot of gold, so we only got a room with one bed. I had slept with Kris plenty as we grew up with each other, but this would be the first time in a bed with human Kris.

"You’re not right, you know," Kris burst out of his quietness.

"About what?" I asked half-heartedly.

"I still have my fire," Kris revealed.

"Yeah right," I rolled my eyes and dug into the stew the inn mistress had offered and I had gladly scarfed down.

"I’m serious!" Kris protested.

"Your anatomy has changed. The small section in your chest that enabled you to breathe fire is no longer apparent in your human body. A human body couldn’t handle such an organ regardless," I dismissed Kris immediately. Sometimes his pride could never let go of arguments.

"Then why can I do this this?" Kris challenged. He opened his hand and a flame of fire and played along his palm.

I stared at him with an open-mouth in disbelief. Kris looked smug at my response. “See. I can still take care of you.” He leaned back and managed to hit his head on one of the low beams in the room.

"Wu Yifan," I growled dangerously, "How long have you known you could do that?"

Kris rubbed the spot where he had hit his head. “I dunno. Since the first night I changed?”

He still hadn’t realized I had used his full dragon name and not his human given one and thus he was in big trouble. “So, during those nights that we traveled through the forest, when I had to sleep on the cold ground and the wood was too wet for my flint and tinder, it never occurred to you to use your one power you still have instead of me having to curl up to you for warmth?” I demanded through gritted teeth.

Kris suddenly found everything fascinating except for me. “I was keeping you warm. That was all that mattered.”

"Kris!" I screamed and he winced at my volume. "I am not your possession to just do with as you will."

"You’re not a possession," Kris mumbled, "But you are mine."

"I am not yours!" I argued. I did not like where this was going.

Kris’s eyes locked with mine, burning with a familiar fire that I had seen in his dragon eyes only. “You are mine. I spent five thousand years in my egg, waiting for my companion. When you were born, I waited another two because I needed you to be big and strong enough to handle my dragon body. I spent every night wrapped around your fragile body in the cradle. I have always flown with you still in my vision. Whether I am dragon or human, you—are—mine.”

I blinked, not sure how to answer. I didn’t know he felt that strongly for me. We had an intense connection as Human and Companion but the whole Kris-turning-into-a-human was really messing with my thought process.

There was on thing I did know, though. “We are not sleeping in the bed together. You take the floor.”

"Why?" Kris asked, more confused than angry.

I started twisting my hair in frustration. “You’re not a dragon anymore.”
Kris took a step closer. “There’s walls around us and suddenly there are new rules?”

"Things are different," I played with the covers of the bed now. "Only husbands and wives sleep in the same bed."

"Husband?" Kris looked like he had been struck by a verbal rock.

"Someday, I’ll meet someone and get married and have babies," I stated the obvious.

Kris shook his head, “No. A husband means you will have to divide your time and attention between him and I. I won’t allow it.”

"Won’t allow it?" I bellowed. There was that stubborn possessiveness again.

"I know!" Kris grew bright at a new idea. "You can marry me and that will solve it!"

I choked, not expecting him to think of that. “Absolutely not. What if you change back into your dragon form—I can’t be married to my companion!”

Somehow, Kris managed to calm me down and suggested I eat more. I was more tired than I had realized. I fell asleep in the bed, Kris beside me, if only on top of the blankets to point out we weren’t in bed together.