Burn
Pairing: dragon!KrisxYou
Word Count: 1098
Rating: 10+
Description: You thought you would die in that forest, burning down with it while staring into the eyes of a demon, but when you woke two days later you found something different.
This is a birthday present for the wonderful duizhangdeluxe. Like most of my projects, I tried to make a oneshot and it developed into something a little bigger. So expect a continuation. I hope you like it!
When you opened your eyes he was there— his eyes were as bright as the forest fire you found him oh so casually strolling out of, a fire you were almost one hundred percent sure he started—and his skin glowing like everything underneath it was made of gold. When he first appeared you thought maybe the fire had taken you. You thought maybe the flames surrounding you, licking and hissing and howling, were actually demons. Maybe you weren’t quite cut out for heaven. The large shape of a humanoid figure with horns couldn’t have appeared anywhere but hell.
He didn’t flinch when the flames touched his bare skin. He didn’t stop when a small tree gave way and fell in a burning heap in front of him. He just stepped over it –no, through it—and passed you without a glance. You gasped, which forced you to choke for what seemed like forever. The smoke formed thicker clouds that seemed dead set on strangling you as slowly as possible. Tears streamed down your face but you couldn’t wipe them due to the burns on your hands. But although you earned some nasty burns there from pushing branches out of your way, the lengthy burns on your legs and arms were the real problem. You couldn’t walk anymore. Whether this was hell or some sort of similar place on Earth didn’t matter. You were dead.
And then he came back.
The last thing you remembered seeing before waking up was his dark form hovering over you, horns curling in a sick twist and an enormous sharpened hand coming toward you. He was the first thing you saw when you woke, and only his eyes could tell you he and the horned figure were one and the same. Everything else was completely different. He wasn’t standing but you could tell he’d lost a bit of height, though he was still almost unnervingly tall. The muscles on his arms were slimmed and, though he was wearing a loose t-shirt and jeans, you could tell the rest of his body wasn’t as toned as it was in the forest. You hadn’t seen his face before, but you were sure the thick, handsome brows and full lips were something new as well.
Mind cluttered and slow, you tried to make out your exact situation. You recognized the roof above you as the one belonging to your living room. That fact alone raised enough questions. You wondered how you got there and when. But of all the questions you could have asked as he sat there watching you, the only answer you wanted was to the question: why.
You tried to move but his hand came down quick. The impact didn’t hurt but the sudden push startled you into another choking fit. He kept his hand on your chest, pushed a little more, and your choking slowed. Only after you lay there, savoring the fresh air you were now able to inhale with ease, did you realize all the movement from choking didn’t hurt nearly as much as it should have. You couldn’t feel the burns on your skin or the stinging fog in your throat. When you coughed your legs had moved, and you were sure in the forest you wouldn’t be able to walk for weeks if you ever made it out. But the fear of what he might do if you tried moving again kept you from testing your limbs a second time. Instead, you let your eyes follow his hand up the length of his arm and to his face.
If he had been moving at all while he watched you calm yourself, he wasn’t moving now. Your eyes locked and somehow, though you knew you should have been scared out of your mind, his presence was the piece of serenity you needed. It was a strange feeling but you quickly decided you were too groggy to care.
“I’ve healed you.” His low, smooth growl of a voice sounded in your ear, bounced off the walls, vibrated in your chest. It was everywhere all at once. You liked it. “But you can’t get up yet.” You opened your mouth to try ask why but no words came. Something about your silence must have eased his concern, because he removed his hand and stood.
“You’ve been sleeping for about a day and a half.” He rounded the island countertop into the kitchen in about three strides, when normally it took you almost double that, and it was never half as graceful. “And you need to eat but your refrigerator was empty. I took the money in your wallet to buy you food…” He seemed a little nervous there, like he thought you might jump up and scream at him. Somehow, you were pretty sure that even if you were capable of raging and screaming at the man-demon-thing-person who both terrified you into tears and saved your life, you wouldn’t. “I’ll replace it.”
He returned to you with a glass of orange juice and a cookie, helped you sit up, and helped you eat. He made sure you were at least halfway done with what you had in your hands before you spoke again. “My name is Kris.” The two of you locked eyes and froze there. Something about his made you feel warm. “You’re not feeling very many emotions right now or thinking too clearly because the medicine I gave you hasn’t worn off. When it does you might have a hard time handling this so I’m going to stay.”
That seemed reasonable enough, especially as you took notice to your clothes. Your shirt and shorts were both singed and torn. Holes were burned here and there from stray flames and, though scabs should have crept through the cloth, there was nothing. Your legs were covered in dirt and caked smoke residue but around the center of each circle of smudge it looked as though someone had taken a rag and wiped it clean, like the burns were makeup that could simply be washed off.
“Kris.” Finally, you were able to speak. He seemed surprised to hear his name. “What are you?” Blunt, but you felt you had the right to know. He didn’t say a word in response. “Why did you save me?” He tried to push the orange juice toward you mouth again, gently, but you wouldn’t have it. Answers were what you needed the most. “What are you,” you repeated more firmly this time, and you watched his resolve break.
“There’s a lot to explain--”
“Kris.”
“I’m a dragon.”
