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Fafnir had never been so comfortable. That was the worst part.
Humans were prey; they were dangerous and untrustworthy, they would attack you to steal your treasure, they would fear you even if you kept to yourself, and even when they were kind they would always, always hurt you. They died so quickly, after all.
It was one thing for Tohru to fall in love with a human and run off to their world. She had always been foolish and impulsive, always needed people to keep an eye on her and keep her in line. And yes, their world was not entirely devoid of interest; these "games" alone were diverting enough to make the idea of staying there for some length of time not unpleasant.
He thought he would keep to himself, maybe sightsee, maybe spend some time with Tohru and Kanna, and then go home when he got bored. Just to see what Tohru saw in this place, to make her want to stay with a human who'd be gone in the blink of an eye.
Fafnir wasn't really thinking when he let Tohru set him up at Makoto's apartment. He was too distracted by the thought of games; a different sort of compulsion taking over now that he couldn't hoard treasure, perhaps. And for the longest time, he didn't think about it at all. He would play video games with Makoto, eat the food he prepared and wash the dishes when it was his turn, go to events with him when he was invited. He didn't have anything else to do. That was all.
Then one day, Makoto was hours late, and Fafnir realized he was worried, and the realization of what he'd allowed to happen came crashing down on him. Makoto's actions were incomprehensible, letting a practical stranger stay with him indefinitely, never doing anything to imply that he found him a nuisance or a burden. At least Tohru worked to earn her keep, but... He was just there, and Makoto never seemed to mind.
It was one night, as Makoto was getting settled in his futon, that Fafnir asked him.
"Why do you let me stay with you?" he said abruptly, not taking his eyes from the computer screen.
"Hm?" Makoto sat up to look at Fafnir. "It's fun living with you, Faf-kun. I don't have many other friends who are into this sort of thing, so it's nice having someone to play games and go to events with. I like having you around."
Fafnir glanced down to see Makoto smiling up at him, and quickly turned his eyes back to the screen. "I see."
"Good night, Faf-kun."
"Good night."
The truth was, Fafnir was happy. Living in this tiny apartment, spending all day and night playing video games, living on instant curry, wandering Akihabara, he was happier than he could ever remember being.
He turned off the computer and stared at Makoto's sleeping figure. I should leave, he thought. If I don't leave now, it'll only get worse and worse. I care about him, and there is nothing more dangerous than caring about a human.
Silently, Fafnir went outside. In the empty, moonlight street, he shed his false skin, letting the gleaming bulk of his draconic body fill the street, and reared himself up to fly.
"Fafnir.....?"
He looked down to see Makoto standing in his doorway, rubbing his eyes.
"...you're Faf-kun, aren't you?"
"...how could you tell?"
Makoto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "...just a hunch. I thought it was because I was drunk, but...I saw Tohru-san do something like this once."
Fafnir lowered his head down to Makoto's level. "...you're not afraid."
"Why should I be afraid?" he laughed. "You're still Faf-kun."
"Aren't you surprised at all?"
"Of course I am! My roommate's a dragon, of course I'm surprised! But...it's not like it's that big of a deal, right? I mean, I'm just guessing, but Tohru-san and Kanna-chan are both dragons too, aren't they?" Fafnir nodded his massive head once. "And Kobayashi-san gets along with them just fine. So I don't see why this should change anything."
For a long moment, they stood there, staring at each other under the moonlight, until Fafnir let out a long sigh, returning to his human form. "You're impossible."
"I'm impossible?" Makoto laughed. "I don't wanna hear that from a dragon! Now come back inside, we're bothering the neighbors."
It wasn't until Fafnir was back in front of the computer, fighting goblins, that he realized. I'm always getting caught up in his pace, aren't I.
"So, how're things going with you and Takiya-san?" Tohru asked. They were alone together at Kobayashi's apartment, since she was at work and Kanna was at school. "We saw you guys together in Akihabara the other day, you looked like you were getting along good!"
"I think...I'm starting to understand the way you feel about Kobayashi-san."
"Really!?" Tohru almost knocked her chair over as she stood, eyes sparkling with delight. "I'm so happy for the two of you, I think you'll be great together! And of course this means there's no one to left to get between me and Kobayashi-san..." she trailed off into ominous snickering.
"That is not...That is not what I meant," Fafnir sighed. "Don't lump me in with you. I just meant...I'll be annoyed when he dies. That's all."
"Is it? Is it really all, though?" Tohru nudged his shoulder with her elbow. "C'mon, you don't have to hide how you feel~"
"Tohru. Please. Just...stop."
"Ugh, fine..." she whined, sitting back down with a sulky pout. "You're no fun, you know that?"
"I'm well aware, yes."
"But you like being with him, don't you?" Tohru said, her face taking on a faraway smile. "Enough to wanna spend every minute you can with him, cause humans have such short lives you can't afford to waste any."
"...I don't understand how you can talk like that," Fafnir muttered. "You're so crazy about that human of yours, but they're all already dead to me. They'll be gone before we know it, so why?"
Tohru leaned across the table to give him a pat on the shoulder. "Cause they're here now. I'm know I'm gonna miss Kobayashi-san, and it'll be awful, but I don't ever wanna regret it, cause every time I wear this dress I'll think of her. I wanna make as many happy memories with her as I can right now, so I can hold onto them when she's gone."
"...that's just going to be more painful."
"Then think about it this way," Tohru said with a shrug. "This is their world, Kobayashi-san's and Takiya-san's, and if there are people like them out there, there must be lots of other great people out there too, right? Humans can't all be misses." Her smile took a painful edge as she continued. "And if you're sad when he dies...Well, we can be sad together."
Fafnir sat in silence for a long moment, staring at his hands. "I don't think I'll ever understand the way you think."
Tohru just grinned. "Sure, sure."
The closer we get, the more painful it'll be. That was all Fafnir could think. The closer we get, the more unbearable it will be when he's gone. I should just leave.
But he didn't, couldn't, because Tohru's words echoed in his head. His time with Makoto was so finite, flew by so quickly, and yet that made it all the more precious. If he left now, there would be nothing left at all.
"Do you mind if I join you?" Fafnir asked one night as Makoto was settling into his futon.
The human paused for a moment, mouth slightly open. "...I don't know what it's like for dragons, but humans consider sharing a bed to be pretty intimate."
"...I'm aware."
With a faint smile, Makoto edged over, pulling off half the covers. "Go ahead, then."
Fafnir stripped down to his undershirt and boxers and slipped into the futon next to Makoto, warmed by the faint heat of the man's body.
"...this is nice," Makoto said, turning to look at him, their faces centimeters apart. "Faf-kun...do you like me?"
"Yes."
"Romantically?"
"Yes."
"Even though I'm human?"
"...yes."
Makoto wrapped an arm around Fafnir and pulled him close. "That's alright, then."
Hesitantly, Fafnir reached up to run a hand through Makoto's hair. "So, does that mean...?"
"It means I like you, romantically, even though you're a dragon," he said, half-laughing.
"...that's alright, then," Fafnir said, feeling his heart pound, feeling Makoto's heart pound next to him.
They kissed, once, gently, and Makoto fell asleep, his arms still around Fafnir.
I'm going to miss him. I'm going to be so lonely without him I won't be able to breathe, and every little thing that reminds me of him is going to be a twist of the knife. I don't know why I'm inviting that.
Maybe Tohru's right. Maybe it's possible to share enough happiness with someone that even after they're gone, you can only think of them happily. Maybe humans have enough time for that.
It's worth a try, Fafnir thought, staring at the sleeping face of the man he loved, before falling asleep.