Though it was really quite light, the harness was heavy in his hands as Taekwoon stared at Jonghyun, nervous all of a sudden. He hadn’t been flying since the last time they’d tried. When they’d both been hurt. But Hero wasn’t here – even if Boa and Eunhyuk were as precautionary measures – and he knew there was no reason for him to be afraid. It was just hard to convince his body of that fact.

            Jonghyun reached his nose forward and gently pressed it against Taekwoon’s hand and chest. There were no words through the bond. They weren’t needed. Taekwoon exhaled slowly and let a smile creep onto his face as he placed his hand on Jonghyun’s nose, feeling joy and hope rise as the dragon didn’t pull away. “Okay, Jonghyun. Let’s do this,” he whispered, his lips as he moved to secure the harness.

            Jongup was there but he wouldn’t have his own harness yet. As a result, he hovered next to Eunhyuk, trying not to look fidgety beside the completely composed copper. Taekwoon’s new wing had to see how he and Jonghyun worked first before they could add the other blue. And he was praying to Bahamut that their newfound understanding would hold and it would work today. Insoo had already pulled him aside to make sure before he confirmed that Taekwoon and his copper would be in the front part of their formation.

            Their group had three heavies, all of whom would play vanguard for the middle and light weights. Gunwoo, a bronze, would take point as Insoo’s dragon. Taekwoon and Jonghyun would ride on the left side and Jinyoung and JB, another copper dragon, would fly on the right. In the rear, Jungkook and V, a blue, would shadow Taekwoon, while on the right, Wooyoung and Junho, a red, would shadow Jinyoung. In the middle and free to move about as needed, Taeyeon would loosely stay with her white, Seohyun.

            Nerves were high as everyone shifted in place, waiting for the rest of their wing to get ready to practice. Other wings were in the area and already airborne, practicing maneuvers. Taekwoon felt self-conscious about being the hold up, but Insoo reassured him. “The first day riding with a wing is always tough,” he promised, clapping the younger man on the shoulder. “First day and heading immediately into Battalion training…” he trailed off with a sympathetic nod of his head.

            “Yeah,” Taekwoon agreed heavily. He thought he’d been prepared, but now that he was here, it seemed daunting. He had just started to learn how to work with his dragon alone, much less in a group.

            “Just watch me and JB and try to get a feel for the movements of the rest of the wing. We’re gonna start with some formation drills first and then move into combat maneuvers,” Insoo explained before he drifted over to check with the rest of his team.

            It was impossible to miss the furtive glances sent his way. The questions were obvious. Why was he in their wing? What if he couldn’t keep up? What if he lost control again? He had to bite his lip to keep from reacting otherwise. This time, he did feel something from Jonghyun. It was reassurance but also a challenge. Not at him, but at the others. That would have been alarming if he didn’t recognize it for what it was. He didn’t want to challenge their group exactly. He wanted to challenge their circumstances.

            We go.

            Taking a breath and some reassurance from his dragon, he murmured back, “Yes. We do.” Taekwoon flexed his hands and then awkwardly clambered onto Jonghyun’s back, the action earning mild amusement and scorn. His ears burned but he refused to react. Honestly, it wasn’t bad considering it was his second attempt with the new harness.

            Irritation sang through their bond. We show them.

            Taekwoon took another breath and pat Jonghyun’s shoulder. “Yes we will.”

            “Form up!” Insoo called, holding his fist in the air as he looked back, black hair cropped short to keep it from getting in his face. Jittery with nerves, Taekwoon let Jonghyun shuffle into place where he knew he should be. From his vantage, he watched the others get to their positions with practiced ease. Their wing leader looked back to double check, a satisfied smile on his face even as he looked over Taekwoon and Jonghyun. “We fly!” he crowed, grinning hard as Gunwoo launched them into the air.

            Taekwoon didn’t need to prompt Jonghyun. The copper knew well enough what to do and he followed easily, keeping up with JB and staying ahead of V without much trouble. As a rider, he was still worried, but through their bond, he could tell his dragon knew what was expected. Their first lap was easy: a nice large circle around the Aerie with everyone in formation as usual.

            Looking at Insoo, Taekwoon knew he was keeping a special eye on them. He could feel the attention from the rest of the wing too, but he was determined not to botch this. Settling himself more comfortably, feeling the way his dragon moved beneath him and how the wind sailed past, he took a breath and surrendered himself to the ride. He was not in control after all. His only responsibility was to make sure they did as expected and to protect his dragon. He could do that. With that certainty, a slow smile spread across his face and he waited for the next shift.

            It didn’t take long. “Up!” Insoo commanded, pulling their formation into a hard climb.

            Jonghyun loved the challenge. Taekwoon fed off his energy and leaned close with an almost manic smile. Glancing over, he saw they were keeping abreast of JB quite well. And then Insoo and Gunwoo did a half loop in midair, turning them upside down so they could start spiraling back down again. Just like in training with Gain… Taekwoon grinned harder as they fell into position easily, banking in a slow descent with their descending circles growing ever faster.

            Taekwoon could feel what Jonghyun was feeling. He knew what the dragon wanted to do and what was he was going to do. Dragons did not always live in groups but they seemed to have an almost preternatural sense about where each one was when in a larger gathering. In this flight, Jonghyun fit in perfectly and Taekwoon knew he was only a passenger this time. He wanted to shout his joy, but didn’t think that would be appropriate here, so he held his tongue, but he knew Jonghyun felt it and reveled in the sensation too.

            Their wing leveled out swiftly, resuming standard positioning. Glancing back to make sure all was well again, Insoo smiled in satisfaction and called once more. “Vanguard assault!” Taekwoon was briefly lost before he felt through Jonghyun what the intention was. At the fore, Gunwoo roared a challenge and surged forward while on the right, JB did the same. Not to be outdone, Jonghyun followed a half breath behind, catching up easily and holding pace as they flapped hard, racing towards some imaginary foe.

            Terrible roars screamed overhead as V and Junho made their moves, launching from the airstream the copper dragons had created and racing into the front. Taekwoon watched as they did a strange kind of pounce maneuver, jumping over the copper dragons onto imaginary foes ahead before leaping up and doing a loop to bring themselves back into their proper position. At nearly the same time, Seohyun snuck under them, silent and fast, before shooting up directly in front of Gunwoo and zooming past to perform a nice tight loop back into her position.

            Had a foe been in that position, she would have easily been able to eviscerate it. If not, she could also perform a perfect blinding pass with that maneuver. Taekwoon was pulled from his thoughts as Insoo called another shift. “Defensive wall, right!” As before, Jonghyun was a half breath behind them, but he caught on quickly. The heavies pivoted and hovered awkwardly in place, holding their ground to, probably, hinder or block incoming attackers. As they held, the blue and red climbed up to make a downward dive while the white dragon did the opposite, coming up from below. They pseudo-mirrored the bronze and coppers as they raced back, plucking imaginary riders from their dragons’ backs as they did so.

            Pride filled Taekwoon as he and his dragon followed suit, but it was quickly chilled when he realized that such tactics could be used against them as well. While it didn’t disrupt his ability to participate, it did cover him with a chilling pall he couldn’t shake for the duration of their training.

            Not quite as bad as Seunghyun, or Gain for that matter, Insoo was still a demanding but fair taskmaster. They halted their practice well before the afternoon meal so they’d have plenty of time to cool their dragons down and wash themselves off. When they landed, Insoo made sure to ride Gunwoo over to speak with Taekwoon.

            “You did well today, greenie,” he grinned with a relaxed salute. “It certainly didn’t feel like it was your first day.” The statement was a half question.

            Taekwoon shrugged. “I haven’t done any wing training, but a lot of the maneuvers were… familiar,” he explained hesitantly.

            “Oh?” the wing leader blinked in surprise.

            “They felt that way at least,” he covered quickly, not sure how well known his reversed bonding was. “And really, Jonghyun did most of the work. I just… followed his lead.”

            That got another strange reaction from Insoo. “You weren’t directing him?”

            Taekwoon blinked in confusion and shook his head. “No. He didn’t need me to. He followed JB and kept pace as necessary.”

            “Huh,” the other man remarked, glancing down at Gunwoo with a curious expression. “Interesting. But still,” he nodded, clapping his hands together once. “Good job and welcome to the wing.”

            “Thank you, sir,” Taekwoon smiled, giving Jonghyun a quick pat in reassurance.

            “Just Insoo, please,” the wing leader laughed. “Sir makes me feel old.”

            “Alright, Insoo,” Taekwoon tried hesitantly, relaxing when the other man smiled at the usage and then wandered off to check with the others.

            “Are you sure this was your first day?” Jinyoung, JB’s rider, asked as he sidled up on the other copper dragon.

            “Far as I know,” Taekwoon answered with an uncertain blink.

            He looked unsure for a moment before he just shrugged and grinned. “Keep that up and we’ll be the best wing in the Battalion in no time. Good job,” he congratulated like their wing leader.

            “Thanks,” the newest rider nodded, pretending confidence when their reactions were making him feel anything but. He definitely needed to talk to Dongwan at some point…

            But that necessity couldn’t dampen his elation about his first successful Battalion training day. As instructed, he took care of Jonghyun who was also being checked over intently by Jongup, and then washed himself off before he went in search of Jinki. His excitement bubbled over when he saw him and he couldn’t stop himself from picking the other man up and spinning him around in joy.

            “Whoa!” Jinki gasped, clinging hard to Taekwoon. “What happened?” he asked breathlessly when he was finally set down.

            “Battalion training!” Taekwoon answered in energetic excitement. “You should have seen it, Jinki! Jonghyun was amazing! He fit in perfectly and we really flew as a pair and as a wing today. It was… was… I can’t even describe it,” he explained in a rush.

            “Wow,” Jinki blinked, taken aback by the unexpected response. “Guess I didn’t need to worry then.”

            “No. I thought we did, because we’ve never done this before but Insoo and even Jinyoung thought we did really well, but it’s strange…” he added, forcefully calming himself down so that he’d stop talking so fast. “I wasn’t controlling Jonghyun during the flight but I think they thought I was. Or at least should be,” he explained, chewing the inside of his lip.

            “Is that not normal?” Jinki asked uncertainly, grabbing Taekwoon’s hand and pulling him along so they could start heading towards the dining hall.

            “I don’t know. I’ve never learned one way or the other. But I think it might be for the other riders,” he murmured, tapping on his lip in thought.

            “Can you ask Dongwan about it?” he wondered, looking over his shoulder.

            “I was going to,” Taekwoon responded, brow furrowed. He was still worrying the problem over when he noticed that something was a little off with Jinki instead. “You okay?” he asked gently, giving a reassuring squeeze on the hand that held his.

            Jinki sighed and took a small breath. “The High Priest is supposed to be coming tomorrow or the day after,” he admitted, seemingly conflicted.

            Taekwoon understood that feeling. Most people found the High Priest charming or reassuring. He didn’t like him. Unfortunately, he had no good reason for it. “Yeah? Do we know why?” The look Jinki gave him was all the answer he needed. “Ah. Aerie Master stuff. Sorry,” he mumbled, feeling left out but mostly helpless.

            “It’s alright,” Jinki reassured. “Satoru will do most of the talking and… we’ll know what we need to know,” he shrugged, knowing there was nothing much else to say.

            “Right. So… we still on for the library tonight?” he asked as they made their way into the dining hall.

            “Maybe? I thought you had training with the riders later and I know you’re dueling Seunghyun soon,” Jinki countered, glancing at the tables of dragonriders already settling in for the afternoon meal.

            Taekwoon opened his mouth to object but then recalled he did have new lessons with the Combat Master. His schedule had been shuffled around again now that he wasn’t attending lessons with Gain anymore. “You’re right. I don’t know,” Taekwoon grumbled, stalling in the doorway for a moment.

            “Well, we can talk about it later. For now, I do believe you’re supposed to join your wing this time,” Jinki encouraged, giving Taekwoon a quick peck on the cheek before he flashed him a smile and then stumbled away, flushing in mild embarrassment at the slip.

            “Careful!” Taekwoon winced, reaching quickly before pulling back as his other half recovered well enough. He’d rather be sitting with people he did know but… it was also probably a good idea to get to know the riders he’d be flying with as well. With a quick mental check on Jonghyun, he smiled and nodded to himself before braving the new crowd.

            Insoo was exactly what he expected and already knew about him. Jinyoung and Jungkook too for that matter. Wooyoung was a bit harder to read, but he seemed alright overall. He certainly worked with his red well so that was something. And as one of the few women in the Battalion, Taeyeon was surprisingly kind. Oh, she could fight with the best of them, apparently, but in conversation, she was pretty close to the equivalent of sunshine. She reminded him of Hyoyeon but with less energy.

            And they were interested enough in him. He wasn’t an enigma in the Aerie but he was unusual. His performance with Jonghyun today had only stoked the fires of curiosity and he spent the better part of his afternoon meal fielding questions and trying not to let them dig too deep too quickly.

            After he ate, he had regular classes to return to. He was almost finished, and once they were complete he could take optional ones if he wished, but for now, Dragon Behavior and an extended Theology class were on the docket. They weren’t bad but they certainly weren’t things he wanted to focus on. Not when he had new combat lessons right after.

            Instead of soloing with Seunghyun as he’d been doing, Taekwoon was abruptly introduced to a new world of combat: dragonrider fighting. It was like normal combat – on the ground and with standard weapons, but there was also the possibility of dragon back combat. And even scaling combat in case there were two fighting on the side of a dragon. While Taekwoon knew how to fight as a dragon and as a man, fighting as a man on a possible dragon was something new entirely.

            The first few rounds, his wing mates essentially wiped the floor with him. It worried him because he could feel the familiar itching of his dragon half trying to bubble up from the frustration. But Jonghyun sent a wordless reassurance and Taekwoon reminded himself to give up on thinking so hard. Once he did that, it started to come together. Not perfect or even great, but at least passable. He could accept that.

            And then at the end of a very long day, Taekwoon trudged back to his room, but he was surprised to find Jinki waiting outside of it. He was sitting on the ground and he looked up when he heard footsteps. “Woonie,” he murmured, getting to his feet.

            “Jinki,” Taekwoon smiled, drawing close enough to take one hand in his. “What are you…?”

            “I was thinking…” he started, trailing off uncertainly with a glance at the door.

            “Yes,” the rider smiled with a nod and a reassuring squeeze.

            Jinki laughed once and then pointed his finger at the other man. “But only sleeping.”

            “That sounds good,” Taekwoon admitted, speaking slow and soft.

            “Oh. You sound so tired, love,” his other half smiled, brushing the longer bangs out of his face before cupping his cheek in his hand and rising up just a touch to kiss the corner of his mouth.

            “I am,” he admitted with no shame, pleasantly warmed by the attention. Tiredly, he folded Jinki into his arms and hugged him close. He made the mistake of closing his eyes in contentment and very nearly sent himself off into dreamland.

            “Woonie,” Jinki laughed, catching him around the waist so he could help guide him back into the room. “You are tired,” he confirmed, shaking his head. “At least take your shoes off,” he chided gently when Taekwoon was happy enough to just fall on the bed.

            Doggedly, he sat up and kicked his shoes away before falling back on the bed and then reached one hand out for Jinki. “My heart,” he murmured, already half asleep.

            “Oh, you foolish man,” Jinki chuckled, making sure to close the door before he shuffled over in the near dark and plopped down on the bed beside him. Taekwoon didn’t know how long it took Jinki to fall asleep, but as soon as he felt the other man settle in his arms, he was out.

            It was a much needed respite and a grounding he didn’t know he needed. Having Jinki back in his life as a constant helped him in training the following day when he had to return for more dragon back drills. They were exhausting in a new way and it was a challenge to try and adapt quickly so that he wouldn’t be a drain on the rest of the wing. While they weren’t all practiced professionals with years under their belt, they had been at least working at it for moons, if nothing else. Taekwoon had a lot of time to make up for.

            He also had a duel to settle with Seunghyun. Fortunately, he was given notice ahead of time so that he’d be ready on the morrow. Taekwoon gave Jinki the news later in the day and his other half said he’d be there to watch. It made the dragonrider feel both calm and excited. And at least a little bit worried. Admittedly, he liked showing off for Jinki, but he hoped the pendulum didn’t swing the other direction instead…

            He half expected to be called to meet the Combat Master at first light, but Taekwoon was mildly surprised when his (and his wing’s) training schedule was altered. They all hurried for flight training first with combat training scheduled for later in the afternoon. Jonghyun was happy enough for the change, as he preferred the cooler temperatures in the mornings anyway. Not that it was cold yet, though the days had started to turn into cool nights.

            While they were going through their drills, Taekwoon felt Jonghyun’s curiosity through their bond and he wondered why, not seeing what the dragon must have. Distracted, they missed a cue and fell a wingbeat behind, but the copper made up for it swiftly, returning his attention to the flight patterns. His rider wasn’t so focused and he thought he saw a few new dragons in the Aerie landing. Ones without Bahamut’s barding or the Battalion’s markings. He had little time for guesswork as his stomach dropped when Jonghyun did, taking them both into a quick dive that pulled up into a climbing spiral. Pushing whatever newness was there out of mind, Taekwoon sank into the flying drills and soaked up the thrill of the flight instead.

            When they landed, they set about to take care of their dragons first and then started to move to take care of themselves. Sanghyuk showed up with a crooked grin to grab Taekwoon before he could go anywhere though. “The Combat Master calls,” he mock bowed with a mischievous grin.

            “Now?” Taekwoon blinked in surprise, caught a little off guard. He’d been expecting it, of course, but not right then…

            “I’m just the messenger,” Sanghyuk shrugged as he stood up. “He told me to come get you so here I am.”

            The dragonrider frowned slightly. He turned to pat Jonghyun’s shoulder and give him one final rub before nodding once and shrugging. “I guess there’s nothing else for it. Can you let Jinki know?” he asked, glancing around to see if the other man was anywhere in the vicinity.

            “Sure! I don’t have any other messages to deliver anyway,” the younger man grinned, following Taekwoon’s search.

            “Thanks,” he murmured, taking a small breath. Wish me luck, he called to his dragon as he walked off without looking back.

            No need. You will be fine, Jonghyun responded confidently. The certainty with which his dragon answered was gratifying indeed. Mate thinks so too. And that was even better. So much so that he couldn’t help the grin that crossed his face.

            His expression faltered just a touch when he got to the Training Hall though. He had an audience. Seunghyun he expected. Likewise for Jinki, who had somehow gotten there before him. But he hadn’t been expecting Satoru or Commander Eric and he most certainly hadn’t guessed the High Priest would be in attendance. Elation turned quickly into wary neutrality.

            Problem? Jonghyun questioned when he felt the shift.

            High Priest, Taekwoon responded without an outward response.

            Ah. Explains new dragons, his copper responded with a hint of distaste.

            Dragons?

            Four. No riders.

            Hmm… he hummed mutely, letting his body carry him toward Seunghyun as expected regardless. He flinched just a bit when the taller man tossed him a sheathed sword. Glancing at it curiously, he realized it was live iron and he took a breath.

            “Prepare yourself,” Seunghyun commented softly, a half-smile tugging at his mouth.

            “Yes, sir,” Taekwoon answered quickly, saluting with the still sheathed weapon. A true duel it was to be then. Let’s go, he murmured, feeling Jonghyun’s presence bolster him invisibly. He ignored everyone else, even Jinki and especially the High Priest, as he focused his attention to the Combat Master and the blade he held in his hands.

            Face to face, they paused for two heartbeats before Seunghyun launched into a blistering attack that set Taekwoon on the defensive immediately. Scrambling to catch up, he could do little more than block, block, block! Side step. Parry and dodge. Retreat, block! Retreat, parry! Always giving ground. Frustration gnawed at him and his lips pulled back to bare his teeth. His dragon half itched under his skin and he was briefly afraid he might lose control again. It cracked his focus just enough and he hissed when the Combat Master’s sword drew first blood.

            Seunghyun hesitated for just a heartbeat to see how the other man would react, his face an unreadable mask. Taekwoon’s shifted into the draconic growl and he could feel his dragon half rising. “No…” he hissed through clenched teeth, seemingly frozen in place.

            Stop fighting it, Jonghyun urged quickly. Trust.

            Taekwoon blinked once, something in him loosening. Seunghyun moved then, his blade catching the dragonrider’s and twisting it free. In that moment, everything seemed to slow down to a crawl as Taekwoon’s vision changed, focusing on the flying blade and zooming in. His skin tingled as if an army of ants were crawling over it. Every hair stood on end. A breath rose from his belly, lifting him up and filling him. Movement in his periphery warned him of the follow through attack.

            Coming to life once more, Taekwoon shifted the sheath in his hand. He used it as a sword as he caught Seunghyun’s blade and guided it to the ground. Blade to the dirt, he sprang over it in a rolling leap that sent him tumbling after his airborne sword. His back prickled in warning. Taekwoon’s sword touched the ground, the tip sliding in the dirt as it did, leaving the handle in the air as if waiting. Reaching fingers curled around it as he lunged ahead. Left arm swung back with the sheath, haphazardly knocking Seunghyun’s chasing attack away.

            Right arm drew close, pulling the blade near his body. Left arm followed. Momentum carried Taekwoon’s body forward. Legs pushed off to change his angle as he managed a rough side roll. Right arm and side and hip caught the brunt. Body rolled to his back. Knees pulled close and feet ready. He let momentum keep him moving as his left side touched the ground. Left hand with sheath hit as toes caught at the dirt. Right hand and sword followed. One quick push got him upright as his planted feet slid. Sharpened eyes looked up.

            Seunghyun attacked, a bare breath behind. Taekwoon’s sword and sheath rose to block the powerful strikes, holding firm as the solid weight pushed against him. “No,” he huffed once, voice soft but powerful as dragon and man were in complete agreement.

            The Combat Master’s eyes narrowed once and Taekwoon almost thought he could see his own eyes in the brown ones looking back at him. They seemed strangely bright… But then Seunghyun moved and he was left to react once more. Block, block, strike! Parry, feint. Strike, strike, dodge! Far from the constant retreating, this time their exchange felt more like a dance and while Taekwoon recognized he still wasn’t good enough to win outright, he did revel in it.

            “Enough,” Seunghyun called at last, breaking apart fast enough to leave Taekwoon surprised.

            His target gone and focus broken, he stumbled and exhaled once, most of the combat energy leaving him as quickly as it had come. “Oh…” he groaned, kneeling when a strange weakness hit him all at once.

            Well done, he heard Jonghyun preen. Breathing hard, Taekwoon accepted the praise and blinked hard, his eyes feeling strange.

            “Are you alright, Taekwoon?” the Combat Master asked as he drew close, his weapon sheathed and a hand offered to help him up.

            Uncertainly, the dragonrider nodded and accepted the gesture. “I think so. Just a little tired,” he admitted with a breathy laugh.

            “It’s no wonder,” Seunghyun commented, giving a respectful nod his direction. “You have a… surprising ability to react. Almost before you seem to realize you’re doing it,” he snorted once with a closer look at Taekwoon’s eyes again.

            “Thank you, sir,” he responded, not sure what else to say to that.

            The Combat Master shrugged once and then extended his hand expectantly, a glance at the sword confirming what he wanted. He grunted in acknowledgement when it was handed over. “Now, you’ve earned a short respite so I suggest you clean up and get food quickly. I imagine Satoru will be asking for you before too long,” he explained with a glance at where the Aerie Master had been standing previously.

            Taekwoon was half relieved they weren’t there anymore, but he was pleasantly surprised to see a very awed Jinki still standing at the edge of the training grounds. He almost called out to him but remembered he was still near the Combat Master. “Thank you, sir. I will,” he bowed, backing away at the same time.

            “Off with you,” Seunghyun mock scowled, offering a nod at the Aerie Master trainee in turn before he also took his leave.

            As soon as Taekwoon got close enough, Jinki seemed to be able to breathe again. “What was that?!” he asked in breathless wonder, eyes still wide in his face.

            For a moment, Taekwoon didn’t know if he was excited, worried or both. Taking one of Jinki’s hands in his, the dragonrider hesitantly explained, “I think that was me actually achieving a true balance with my dragon half.”

            “Really?” Jinki gasped, blinking in surprise. “I mean, I saw the change and was worried for a moment. But then…” he trailed off, laughing with a mesmerized grin on his face.

            “Yeah,” Taekwoon nodded in agreement. “I felt the shift coming too. I was fighting it,” he murmured, brow furrowed. “But then Jonghyun told me to stop and… it felt like…” He hesitated as it was difficult to describe. One hand gestured in front of him like he was trying to conjure the words. “Not putting on armor exactly, but like… power,” he shrugged, mouth quirking to the side when that didn’t quite feel right either.

            “I could hardly believe my eyes to be honest,” Jinki laughed, reaching to grab Taekwoon’s other free hand. “I thought for sure that Seunghyun was going to win early on and then you just… You changed,” he whispered, expression dancing with energetic fascination. “It didn’t even look like you were fighting at the end,” he admitted, a half-question obvious.

            “I was, but I wasn’t,” the dragonrider offered slowly. “I mean, we were fighting. But it felt more like a dance,” he added, eyes slightly narrowed as if to check that was the word he meant to use.

            “Well. Whatever it was,” Jinki hummed, stepping close to look into Taekwoon’s eyes carefully. “You were amazing,” he smiled before giving the other man a quick kiss on the lips.

            “Thank you,” Taekwoon murmured as pleased warmth suffused him. He squeezed Jinki’s fingers a bit tighter and then wondered, “Did my eyes change at all during the fight?”

            Jinki paused and chewed on his lip thoughtfully. “I wasn’t sure. I think they might have. They seemed strangely bright from where I was, but a lot was happening at one time. Why?”

            Taekwoon shook his head and shrugged. “I thought I saw them in Seunghyun’s eyes. And it felt like my vision changed. Everything was… sharper. Clearer. It was strange,” he exhaled, biting on the inside of his lip.

            “Everything okay now?” his other half asked worriedly.

            “Yes,” he promised just as quickly. “I think it had to do with the dragon part of me. That’s all. I just… wasn’t expecting it,” he laughed, tilting his head to place a soft kiss on Jinki’s forehead.

            “Ah,” the other man hummed in understanding.

            “Come on. I need to wash up and I should probably get food before I’m called away again,” he explained with a wrinkled nose.

            “Right. Satoru and the High Priest were watching you pretty closely,” Jinki agreed with a slow nod. “Well. Let’s get going then. I’ll help you wash your back and then we can get food before you disappear again,” he snorted with a wave of his hand once.

            “My heart,” Taekwoon smiled warmly, holding tight to the one hand as he followed along in Jinki’s wake.

(a/n: I adore writing fight scenes. XD This one was fun because I actually had to pretend act it out to get the motions right. lol But the boys are doing better and so is Taekwoon and his dragon and things are finally smoothing out! Which we all know what that means... >.> But I do hope you've enjoyed this update and that you're looking forward to the next one. Thank you for reading and have a great day!)