The Dragon and His Keeper Fell in Love

An injured dragon appeared at Wen Yuan's door.

Its scales were woven with black and gold, its narrow, crimson eyes slit-pupiled. Violent and haughty, it radiated a dangerous aura that could lay mountains and seas to waste.

Seeing the giant beast's drooping wings and its barely breathing form, Wen Yuan's heart softened at last, and he let the legendary evil dragon inside.

As they spent time together, he discovered that the dragon was nothing like the stories said.

It would perch on the sofa and binge-watch shows, sit beside him while he read, and clumsily pry open snack jars with its claws to steal sweets.

Wen Yuan: ...Are all dragons this down-to-earth these days?

Then came a stormy night, thunder booming overhead.

At the instant a thunderclap exploded, heavenly lightning clashed with the dragon's bloodline, and the usually fierce, fearless beast began to tremble all over.

In the dim light, it was forced to shed part of its dragon form. A pair of beautiful, gleaming horns, sharp and cold, suddenly emerged from its forehead.

Flustered and at a loss, it instinctively burrowed into the warm bed and curled up.

Its cold, smooth scales brushed Wen Yuan's arm. Its thick tail slowly wound around his waist and abdomen, enclosing him in an impenetrable territory.

Half-asleep, Wen Yuan felt something icy and hard touch his forehead. Without thinking, he raised a hand and stroked the dragon's delicate, sturdy horns.

The instant his fingertips made contact, the giant beast beside him shuddered violently. A dragon's horns were its most sensitive feature, and the one thing no one was ever allowed to touch.

An intense shiver ran through its bloodline, and every last trace of the ferocious beast's restraint crumbled. Its dragon body transformed into a tall, human figure.

The man leaned down, his cool lips landing in a flustered kiss on Wen Yuan's. Clumsy yet fierce, he kissed and nuzzled him, greedily taking what he wanted.

Wen Yuan's mind went blank. His blood suddenly ran hot, and his limbs went weak. He even forgot to push the man away.

Hard dragon horns brushed gently against his temples. Behind him, a shadowy dragon form surged, its tail tightening softly to lock him securely in its embrace.

The gentle caretaker became the evil dragon's only weakness in a desolate millennium of solitude.

*

Wen Yuan: "Could you stop rubbing me with your horns all the time?!"

Evil dragon (tilting its head, the tip of its tail sweeping lightly across his waist): "Only a mate can touch my horns. I'm doing this because I like you."

Wen Yuan: "..."

Evil dragon (rubbing its horns against his neck): "Touch them more, and I'll be even more obedient."

Theme: Care for animals.