Title: Through The Fire And The Flames
Author: thanku4urlove
Pairing: Hikaru-centric, Keito/Yuto
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: Um... Dragons?
Genre: Fantasy AU
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Summary: The village where Hikaru and his friends live has a bit of a dragon problem. While most of the people in the town want the dragons wiped out, Hikaru believes that there has to be some good in the creatures. Through a shocking near-death experience, he comes to find that there is more to the dragons than even he could imagine.
A/N: [drake voice] started from the bottom now my whole team f-ck-ng here I mean... All of JUMP are in the fic now! Hooray! Banner cred:
ryosukekoibitoPrevious Chapters:
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4 The short man standing next to Yuto was grinning, and the newly transformed dragon put an arm around his shoulders.
“Hikaru… Who are all these people?” Keito asked quietly. He was apprehensive, and understandably so; he had only meant to leave Yuto with the two of them.
“These are our friends, they came looking for us.” Hikaru answered. He then gestured to Inoo for him to introduce himself. The friend in question was opening, then closing, then opening his mouth.
“You were a dragon and now you’re... Not.” He finally said. The red dragon chuckled once.
“How eloquent.” he remarked.
“Well, that’s Inoo Kei.” Hikaru said, deciding to do his friends’ introductions for them. “The short one over here is Arioka Daiki, and that’s Takaki Yuya.”
Daiki’s complete lack of reaction to the height comment--something he proved to be touchy about time and time again--was a testament to just how in shock the transformation demonstration had left him.
“I’m Chi-” The one that hadn’t introduced himself yet--the little one with the black bob cut--tried to speak, interrupted.
“That guy used to be a dragon, and now he’s not.” It was Inoo again. “How--”
“Black magic.” The red dragon was still amused. “I--we--just can.”
“You can just turn into dragons?” Takaki asked. Nods.
“And then back into people?”
More nods.
“You people are dragons?”
“I might just rip my hair out.” The tiny one sighed. “I’m Chinen Yuri, and I can turn into a dragon. This is Morimoto Ryutato, and he can turn into a dragon. Okamoto Keito? Dragon. Yamada? Yuto? Dragons.”
As Daiki, Inoo, and Takaki let their minds reel, Hikaru focused on the names he had just been given. Ryutaro was the large dragon, and Chinen was probably the little green one, making Yamada the purple one. Red, green, purple, orange, and blue. He wondered if the colors meant anything.
“Keito picked us up and took us here during the last attack.” Yabu continued. “He probably saved our lives, actually. He just hasn’t had the chance to take us home yet.”
“Pinch me.” Inoo requested. Hikaru sighed, complying to his friend’s invitation, leaving Inoo cursing and jumping up and down. He and the two others were having a difficult time wrapping their heads around the concept, and Hikaru didn’t blame them, honestly. They asked a lot of the same questions he and Yabu had, all the “How?”s and “Seriously?”s and “But wait…”s, usually asking the same thing over and over until they could consider it possible.
“Why aren’t you sleeping?” Inoo asked hopelessly. “It’s winter.” He sounded completely lied to, his favorite season now turned on its head.
“We actually couldn’t get enough food to last all throughout the season.” Chinen said. He seemed to have given himself the role of question-answerer. “Our last attempt yielded enough for most people to start sleeping--the elders and the children went first, but almost everyone is asleep now--and the dragons in their ‘prime’, the younger dragons like us, have to find a way to sustain ourselves.”
“You don’t have food at home?” Daiki asked.
“It’s a small, volcanic island. Most of the area is barren and overcrowded. We barely have any of our own resources.”
“Has the volcano ever erupted?”
The slightly off-topic question was tolerated. “Not since we’ve been on it.”
The sun was sinking low into the sea, last rays of light ready to disappear. Hikaru realized at about the same time everyone else did that they wouldn’t be able to return home safely on the little boat the rescue team had brought if they couldn’t see where they were going.
“Are we camping out here then?” Yabu asked.
“I think we'll have to." Hikaru answered, his assessment being met with groans of complaint.
“It’s not that terrible.” Yabu defended. Both Takaki and Inoo gave him unamused looks.
“Okay, it's kind of terrible, but c’mon. You'll live.”
Inoo didn’t seem very sure about that as they picked out a place in the cave to spend the night. The dragons turned into reptiles in the darkness, keeping to themselves. The groups stayed much farther away from each other than Hikaru and Yabu usually were from Keito and Yuto, despite the fact that now there was less space.
“So?” Yabu asked as they laid down for the night.
“So what?”
“So what do you guys think?”
“I think this is crazy.” Takaki said, and Inoo nodded heavily in agreement.
“I think the purple one has really nice scales.” Daiki said. That wasn’t exactly the type of answer Yabu was looking for, but no one argued. “They’re pretty.”
“Daiki?” Inoo’s voice held a note of concern.
“What?”
“...nothing. Go to sleep.”
When Hikaru woke up the next morning, he knew for sure that he wanted to try and have the dragons and humans get along. By the sound of things--the dragons’ living conditions especially--the dragons needed help, and stopping the sheep stealing back at home would be an added bonus. It was possible for them to live side by side, wasn’t it? To coexist?
When he pitched the idea to his friends, they didn’t seem to agree.
“You’re crazy.” Inoo declared, getting immediately hushed by the rest of them so the dragons wouldn't be disturbed, continuing in a quieter voice. “That is the worst idea I have ever heard.”
“Why?” Hikaru challenged. “They need somewhere to live, and actually sustain themselves, they--”
“Trying to put dragons and people on the same stretch of earth is like putting tomatoes in a fruit salad.” Takaki argued.
“Hey, don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.” Daiki said, Yabu letting out a burst of laughter. They all hissed at him, but the damage had been done.
Listening to dragons waking up was a unique experience. There was a great deal of the usual yawning, stretching, grumbling, and the popping of joints, but it was all in a much deeper and louder timbre, with the additional flapping of wings and display of sharp teeth. As soon as Yuto was awake Keito was as well, and then they all were up, one after another. Chinen let out a series of deep grumbles as he tried to come into consciousness, the noises sounding curiously like complaints. Yamada got immediately to his feet, stumbling about in a daze and making little noises of surprise. Ryutaro was slow, sitting, standing, then stretching and yawning. Soon the dragons all shrunk down, and it was time for breakfast.
When Hikaru decided to pitch his idea of people and dragons living together to the other crowd, their reactions weren’t much improved.
“I really don’t think that would work.” Yamada confessed. “Us dragons aren’t really fond of you guys either, to be honest.”
Daiki, who was on Yamada’s left, placed a hand on his chest, making a show of being offended. Nobody really laughed, offering raised eyebrows and smiles. Ryutaro though, was making a rather terrible face, prompting Inoo to ask a question.
“What’s with you?”
“You guys cast us out, injure and kill our families, and then expect some sort of peaceful coexistence? Are you crazy or just stupid?”
“Dragons haven’t exactly been the nicest either.” Takaki countered. “Have you ever seen what our village looks like once you decide you’re done stealing our stuff? The infirmary is full, and don’t get me started on property damage.”
Ryutaro rolled his eyes, Keito speaking up before he had the chance to retaliate.
“I think it’s a good idea.” He said, giving Hikaru a small smile. “If you think about it, he’s right. We need a substantial place to stay, and if we were able to find a home on the mainland, then…”
“We would have to hide though.” Yamada said. “I don’t like that idea.”
“And Hikaru, your mother would be hard to win over.” Inoo pointed out. “She wouldn’t go for this idea at all.”
“She doesn’t really hate dragons though, she just wants to protect everyone. If there wasn’t a danger, then maybe--”
“You need permission from your mother?” Yuto asked, understandably confused.
“You could say that.” Hikaru answered. “She’s the leader of our village.”
“Hey, Keito’s dad is too!” Chinen exclaimed. “Okamoto Kenichi--he’s our leader--and he might get behind the idea of Keito really fights for it. He loves Keito, but…”
“But he doesn’t like us.” Yabu finished, Chinen nodding reluctantly.
“He doesn’t like accepting help either.”
There was a small, hopeless silence, Yamada pointing to the sky. “There’s a storm rolling in, so if you guys want to leave, you should probably do it now.”
He had a good point, because both getting safely down the cliff face and rowing home on the little boat would be very hard in the rain. However, as soon as he was finished speaking, a huge clap of thunder sounded and it began to rain.
“Seriously?!” Inoo exclaimed. He rushed into the cave mouth to avoid the downpour, everyone else quickly following. They waited, but before long it became evident that the rain wasn’t planning on stopping any time soon. So they took seats and got comfortable, conversations occurring in small patches throughout the cave.
“Hey.” Yabu nudged Hikaru’s shoulder, pointing. “Look.”
Hikaru followed Yabu’s finger to Daiki, who had said he was going to go “talk to someone” and wandered off. He was in the middle of the cave with Yamada, the two sitting across from each other on the cave floor, close and cross-legged, playing a slap game with their hands. Yamada was smiling hesitantly at Daiki, the back of his hands resting on Daiki’s little palms. Daiki turned his hands over and Yamada couldn’t more out of the way fast enough, letting out a small, silent giggle. Daiki grinned in triumph, giving Yamada’s fingers a squeeze.
“They’re being really… Friendly.” Hikaru remarked. Yabu nodded.
“He did say that Yamada was pretty yesterday, do you think…?” Yabu didn’t finish his insinuation, and Hikaru quickly shook his head.
“No. I mean… Well…” After the initial denial, finding a reason to back it up was proving difficult. Sure, Yamada was part reptile on some level, but he was human too, a human that was very nice to look at. He began doubting his answer even more when Inoo jumped over, putting one hand on Hikaru’s shoulder and the other on Yabu’s, sitting between them and announcing in a hushed voice
“Daiki is gay for the purple dragon.”
“Really?” Yabu asked. “Did he tell you that?”
Inoo responded with a rather deadpan expression. “Are you even seeing them?” He asked back.
“Well, yes, but…”
Daiki laughed, loud enough to draw in everyone’s attention. Yamada looked embarrassed about suddenly having everyone’s eyes on them, drawing his hand up to his mouth, but he was still smiling.
Seeing that the unspoken line between dragons and humans had already been broken, the two groups began to mingle. It took about four and a half seconds for Inoo and Ryutaro to get into an argument, and Hikaru saw Keito sitting alone with Yuto in a back corner, so he walked over.
“You’re next in line too, huh?” he asked. Keito nodded, running his fingers through Yuto’s hair.
“I’m nervous about it though. Hopefully it’ll be years before I have to lead, so I have time to learn what I’m supposed to do.”
“I’m sure you’ll be fine.” Hikaru said. He knew his words were hollow because really, he didn’t know Keito much at all, but Keito seemed to appreciate the statement, thanking him.
“He’s right. You’re going to be spectacular.” Yuto declared, sounding drowsy. He had his head in Keito’s lap, eyes closed.
“That’s the medicine talking.” Keito said, smiling softly at him.
“Medicine?” Hikaru asked.
“Pain prevention. There’s something in it that makes him drowsy though.”
“Are your parents worried about you two not coming back yet?” Hikaru asked. He knew his mother was worried, and Yabu’s family probably was too. Keito shook his head.
“Yuto’s whole family is asleep, and my dad isn’t the fondest of Yuto. He thinks of him as a distraction. I mean, he looks past us for my sake, but…” Keito shrugged, glancing down at the head in his lap. Yuto was asleep, eyes closed and expression content. “I love him, so…” Keito was turning pink as he spoke, not looking up. “That’s what matters, I think.”
Hikaru smiled, Keito glancing up with an embarrassed grin, the affectionate mood completely ruined by the two that were arguing against the back wall.
“I don’t care what you say, frogs are disgusting and will not be going anywhere near my mouth!” Inoo exclaimed, Ryutaro doubling over in laughter. Their argument seemed to have reached a head.
“Inoo what are you talking about?” Yabu asked.
“This guy is disgusting!” Inoo pointed to Ryutaro accusingly. “He’s eaten a frog.”
“You ate one when you were a baby.” Daiki pointed out. “It was alive too. Remember? The story is hilarious, you should ask your mother about it sometime.”
Inoo looked positively vandalized, the entire cave erupting in laughter.
“Who’s disgusting now?” Ryutaro asked. “At least I cooked mine first. They taste like chicken. Floppy, amphibious chicken.”
“I’m going to puke.” Inoo declared, taking a seat. The atmosphere was surprisingly comfortable, and to Hikaru, it was rather uplifting.