[For Sam] Healer & Dragon

[carrythetorch]

It had all gone wrong this time. In retrospect, Lio thinks maybe he'd been going too hard. He was on the brink of exhaustion, and his latest raid on livestock had been met with more resistance than it should have, almost as if someone had known he was coming.

He'd gotten away, thankfully, but not before he'd taken a number of blows -- arrows shot from crossbows with enough power that they'd pierced even through his scales. He'd ripped them out in flight and set the better part of a fallow field on fire before he'd flapped high enough to disappear into the cloud cover. That had been what saved him. It wasn't long before he couldn't keep himself aloft any longer, too much pain, too much blood lost.

Even maintaining his full draconic form is too much, and as he plunges to the Earth and tries to slow his descent with his wings, he fizzles back into his human shape, a lithe, slender man. His clothes are dark enough that the blood soaking them isn't obvious from a distance. He lands in a crumpled pile not far from a road through the woods, just off the trail in the underbrush. And that's the last thing he knows.

...

When he opens his eyes next, he's warmer than he expects to be. There's soft blankets beneath him and over him. He can smell something clean and earthy, herbal maybe, and light spills in setting the whole room in a comforting brightness and-- wait. He's in a room. The last thing he remembers is falling, and, oh.

He sits up all at once, hissing at the way his body protests the movement. Where is he? Has he been captured? Except no, if he'd been captured he'd be bound. Or dead. Maybe staked through to the ground. Not wrapped in soft blankets and tended to. "Where am I?" He asks the question mostly to himself as he blinks against his bleary vision willing it to clear, willing his eyes to focus.

Comments

[barenakedspirit]

Gueira blinks but he doesn’t seem surprised. They had clung to each other before and acted like mates already. Galo rumbles, “Hey, for too long dragons haven’t had healers.” He flashes his bright teeth in a smile.

“That changes today! I’m a healer and I’ll teach what I know to those that feel the call. Any I train will work together with the human healers of Burning Circle.” There is a rumble from other dragons but Galo continues. “Healers serve the balance!” He calls, “The only way to do that is to work together with other elements and that includes humans! We can’t change their minds about us without interacting with them.”

The rumbling subsided as he blows out smoke. “We can change their minds. So the hatchlings to come have safer and happier lives.” Silence and shocked faces. Galo hums, “I got some places I need dragons to settle to balance out the world but we can work on that over time. This forest will always be open to you. Here you are safe! By my word as a healer,” He rubs the side of his face against Lio’s in obvious affection.

“And as a leader of this flight.” He says, softly. Gueira notes the way he watches all of them. ‘Where you want us to rest?’ He asks and below them the forest parts fo expose a clearing at the edge of a lake. “Here,” Galo says.

“Hunt as much fish as you like. They’re over breeding.”

[carrythetorch]

Lio rubs his cheek to Galo's in return, no hesitation at showing affection in front of the rest of the flight. Galo is his mate, and he's proud of that fact. More than that, he's proud of who Galo is, as he listens to him speak to the others as well.

"Galo is right. Humans and dragons are both part of this world, and we'll need to learn to live together in it again."

But now that the forest has cleared a space for them, Lio will flap his wings up to gesture. "Land. Fish, rest. You're safe here."

Meis will take that cue to begin leading the others down to the clearing. As the dragons start following, Lio twines himself around Galo again, murmuring softly. "My mate. I'm so proud of you." His. His his his.

[barenakedspirit]

The dragons stream after Meis and Gueira with relief on their faces. A safe place for the first time in so long. Some glance up to see Galo the other leader of their flight and respect shines in their eyes.

He hasn’t been a dragon long but he is providing shelter and food. “I’ll be along later and see who needs a healer’s help to recover.” Galo says as the forest closes up above them leaving a dragon sized hole to let them keep a scout or fly freely out.

He says once the dragons below can’t see them. He runs his claws gently down Lio’s sides. “I’m yours and you’re mine. My mate.” He breathes and glances back towards home. “How about we head back. They need time to settle, right?”

He can imagine they need some privacy for that. Their lives just became as protected as they have always wanted them to be. They can eat and just be. It’s a clearing so not as much privacy from each other but.

It’s something. And Lio can have what he didn’t before, someone to share his burdens and just be himself around. Galo hums as he returns to half form, running a hand over his mate’s scales.

[carrythetorch]

"Yours," Lio agrees, quite pleased by this. A place to belong, a man he loves to belong to, a family to raise and keep safe, they're things that he's only ever dared to consider in his wildest dreams.

"They do. And Gueira and Meis will help get them sorted."

Safety and peace for the first time in some of their lives.

He takes a moment to more or less circle his way around Galo when the other changes back before Lio shifts into his half form as well. There's no denying that he'll be happy for the time alone with Galo. He holds out a hand towards him in invitation. "We can check on the kids too."

[barenakedspirit]

“Yeah.” He grasps Lio’s hand and squeezes it. “I don’t think they’re going to hatch any time soon but, I feel better just checking on them.” The more they check on their eggs the more it sinks in how real everything is.

Galo spreads his wings and when Lio flies for home he is right beside him. The cave has fully converted to a dragon cave in their absence. The vines part and fall back over the entrance when they enter. Crystals light up along the walls to shed more light as Galo turns to Lio and grins. It’s a wide and vast cave that shields the sleeping areas in walls of stone and curving tunnels.

“Nice!”

[carrythetorch]

"Me too." It's the same for him. It's still sinking in that this is real, not some dream he's going to be torn from by the sound of battle. Lio lands in front of the newly changed cave, wings flaring before he shifts into his fully human appearing form.

He glances back at Galo in time to catch that grin, a smile rising on his own features. "Home sweet home," Lio notes quietly, like that isn't the most amazing thing he's ever been able to say.

Turning back to face Galo, he holds a hand out towards him in invitation. Hold his hand? Come closer? Come with him?

[barenakedspirit]

He takes Lio's hand in his. He squeezes it and steps in close, his other hand sliding around his waist. "Mmm, yeah. Home." He says the word just to say it as he tugs Lio closer.

His deep rumbling purr rolls through the air as he leans in and kisses Lio. It feels like flying with how light he feels. Home. They're mates and this is real. He draws back after the brief kiss and tugs on Lio to follow him inside. "Forest made us a lounging nest away from the kids for fooling around."

Galo winks. "Want to break it in?"

[carrythetorch]

Home. That arm slips around him, and he steps in until he's pressed up against Galo, the perfect position to tilt his chin up to meet that kiss with a soft, contented sound. His mate. His family. His home.

He keeps a hold of Galo's hand as they head inside. His people are nearby, settling in to be safe and rest and heal. For once the weight of their safety isn't on his shoulders.

For once he can be himself in addition to the dragon lord.

His eyebrows lift slowly. The forest made them their own love nest, huh? Well, who is Lio to turn down such generous gifting. Especially when Galo winks at him. Stupid sexy mate. How dare he. "Of course I want to break it in."

[barenakedspirit]

Galo blushes and it paints pretty across his face only broken up by the patterns of scales. “Okay.” He leans down and kisses him one more time then tugs on him, leading him down a side hall away from their bedroom.

It’s far enough away no sounds will escape and no hatchlings can wander in. A place away from them and everything else. There’s a much smaller nest inside the room. Crystals cast a soft glow inside, and the fire pit at the center of the room is already lit.

The heat of it bathes his side as he tugs Lio in and down to the stone floor by it, partly softened by grass and leaves. “You should lay down, because I want to put my mouth on you so bad.” He is honest with himself and might as well be honest with Lio.

[carrythetorch]

Privacy. Lio glances around with a silent and grateful thought to the forest. They've gone about a lot of this backwards, having eggs and becoming a family before any sort of courting. But that hardly matters. He already knows he wants Galo, knows the other man -- now dragon -- wants him too. And that is such a precious thing.

His eyes scan the room. The gentle lighting, low and soft, the play of the flame along the walls. He's distracted enough that what Galo says catches him off guard and he lights up in a blush that is only partially disguised by the firelight.

"Oh." Yup Lio is so very on board with that, and maybe he hurries a little to set himself down, reaching out his arms towards Galo, beckoning and welcoming. "I want that too. Please."

[barenakedspirit]

He sinks down to his knees and wraps his arms around Lio. He buries his face against his neck and kisses it, scraping his teeth against the underside of his jaw.

Galo presses Lio back into the bowl of the nest with a hungry male noise of want. They had messed around this morning but it hadn’t been enough. They’re safe and can just be. “Lio...” He growls but it’s full of longing. He wants him so badly.

He follows the line of his neck, tugging at his shirt to pull it down off one shoulder and bite at the junction between neck and shoulder.

[carrythetorch]

Lio's head lolls back, fingers running up the back of Galo's neck, up to tangle through his hair, tugging. That noise runs through him, pulls something taut low in his stomach, his own voice leaving him in a low needing sound.

The world outside seems far away, and there's no fear of attack, nothing but Galo, and Lio thinks they've earned this, this moment alone to just enjoy each other.

"Galo..." he moans back, voice low and breathy. Those teeth on his skin threaten to burn him to cinders from the inside out. "Please?"

[barenakedspirit]

Galo only growls an affirmative. He draws his mouth away and pushes Lio’s shirt up. He reaches for his belt to undo it too.

He wants skin on skin. Once he has Lio’s shirt up and pants undone he kisses his chest and makes a teasing line down to his open pants. He pulls them down and scrapes his teeth on his thigh.

Then he wraps his hand around his cock and gives it a slow teasing stroke. This is still so new but he watches Lio’s face as he licks his palm and strokes him again. He kisses the head and rumbles low in his chest.

[carrythetorch]

Lio growls himself in response, thrilling at Galo's eagerness, the way the other man touches him like he wants him as much as Lio desperately wants Galo. He reaches for his own shirt fitfully, tugging it off and dropping it aside before reaching down for Galo even as the other moves further down.

He lifts his hips to help be rid of his pants before he's entirely caught up by that hand around him. Lio groans softly, voice catching at the touch of those lips. Fuck.

"How..." he manages to shape the words, a low and breathless accusation, "...are you this sexy?"

[barenakedspirit]

He tosses Lio's clothes up out of the nest and drops back down, sliding his tongue over the head. The taste is different from what he expected. He accepts it as he carefully gets his mouth around him. He manages to get the head in his mouth and rumbles in pleasure.

Lio's words tingle all the way down his spine as he draws his mouth back off him and smiles up at him. "Dunno. But I could ask you the same thing." Galo pauses long enough to pull his shirt off, the fabric peeling away to reveal hard muscle in the fire light. "Let me know if it's too much, okay?"

He gives his cock a stroke and pushes his hair out of his eyes as he ducks his head to take him back into his mouth.

[carrythetorch]

Lio's voice catches as Galo's mouth slips around him, and it's like nothing that he has ever felt before, hot and wet and the vibrations that accompany that sound Galo makes threaten to take him apart.

He whimpers as Galo draws off him, but doesn't bother to disguise the hunger that rises as he watches Galo take his shirt off, like he wants to devour him whole. And honestly he does. Instead he nods. "I will. But it won't be. Feels so good already."

His head falls back momentarily as that wet heat is around him again and he reaches down, fingers sliding into Galo's hair, pushing it back from his face. "Galo."

[barenakedspirit]

He loves hearing Lio say his name like that. Galo lifts his head, stroking over Lio as a thought occurs to him. "You got a preference on who has who? I don't." He could go either way. He likes putting his mouth on Lio and exploring his body. But Lio getting his fair share of that time is just as appealing.

He scrapes his teeth on Lio's inner thigh with another pleased rumble. "And how naked you want me? I can shed the rest of this."

[carrythetorch]

Oh. That question. Lio can't help the smile that stretches over his face in response. He really has a perfect mate, doesn't he? "I want you every which way I can have you," he informs Galo. And it sounds like they may be on the same page for that. "But this time, I want to feel you inside me."

Even if he's very distracted by Galo's hand on him, he's also quite focused. Sitting up, he reaches to grab for Galo's pants. "Everything off."

He'll even help by beginning to unfasten them and urge them off, as he leans forward to kiss at Galo's bare chest, gorgeous as it is.

[barenakedspirit]

Galo lets go of him and helps shove his pants down. His eyelashes flutter as a warm kiss brushes his skin. He dumps his pants to the side with the rest of their clothes. He drags the bag left in the room closer and retrieves a jar from inside.

He sets it down and settles, patting his thigh. “Come sit on me.” They could do exactly what they’d thought about doing the first time they fooled around.

[carrythetorch]

There's his Galo, nothing in the way of Lio's gaze roaming over his body. His beautiful mate. Galo doesn't have to ask twice. Lio wants nothing more than to be that close to him.

So he's on the move quickly, straddling Galo's thigh and sliding his arms around his his shoulders, hands moving over warm skin greedily. He ducks his head to touch a kiss to the mark he'd left on Galo's skin earlier. "You're so warm." Lio is a happy dragon.

[barenakedspirit]

His fingers slip into Lio’s hair and trail down his neck. His beautiful, eager mate. Galo leans back a little until he can feel the side of the bowl against part of his back. He snags the jar and twists the top off, while lightly tugging on Lio’s hair.

If Lio obeys the tug he kisses him slowly, grazing his teeth on his bottom lip. His fingers dip into the oil inside the jar, hooking to scoop some of it up.

He lets out a pleased hum as he breathes a bit of his flame. Not enough to do anything, just like another kind of kiss.

[carrythetorch]

Far be it from Lio to disobey when it means a chance to kiss Galo again. It's still new, but Lio is entirely certain he could spend the rest of his life kissing Galo and never lose the fluttering pressure that pools at the base of his spine, a little spark that sets his blood on fire.

He growls lowly, all approval and pleasure, at the taste of that flame on his lips. He laps at the fire eagerly, breathing a flame of his own to twine through Galo's.

His mate was always meant to belong to the fire. Being a dragon suits Galo like he was born to it.

Lio can't keep his hands still, nails dragging up Galo's chest and down his back, rising up on his knees still straddling his leg to change the angle of the kiss.

[barenakedspirit]

He can't get enough of Lio. He wants to drown in his fire and in him forever. He angles his fingers carefully. He rubs over Lio's entrance and presses a finger inside. He slides it in to the knuckle as their flames twin together.

He slides his tongue into his mouth, pleased little sounds escaping his lips. He parts for air with a soft sigh. "Still good?"

[carrythetorch]

A shiver races through him as Galo's tongue slides along his own. There's nothing else that exists in his mind at this moment than this beautiful man kissing him and touching him. That finger pushes its way inside, and Lio loses another low sound to the kiss.

A gasp for breath of his own, and he nods at the question. "It's good," he assures him, fingers running up into Galo's hair before shifting to cup at either side of his face, thumbs tracing his jawline. "Put another in." He punctuates the little order by kissing him again like he's absolutely starving for him.

[barenakedspirit]

He pulls Lio closer with his hand buried in his hair. He can't even deny that he'd thought about this before after they made their pact. It would have went far differently but the tone of it is the same. He drops a hand from Lio's hair, sliding it between them and wraps his hand around his cock, giving it a sure stroke.

"Not too fast, don't want to hurt you." Galo breathes as he slowly works his finger inside him, timing the slide of it to the stroke of his hand. "Get used to one first." For once he is a patient man. Dragon. Something. The words don't matter.

Only Lio does. He breaks away from his mouth to kiss his way down his neck, scraping fang on skin. "We're new to this and I'm pretty big." Bigger than he was a human even. He doesn't want to hurt Lio.