jjba drabbles & ideas

dragon!diego / knight!johnny / knight!gyro

A/N: this was going to be a rivals to lovers thing with diejo and gyjo being like a semi-established relationship??? also i was going to add hot pants but i didn't know how. anyway here u go

Its scales were like ripples in a lake, glittering in the sunlight that filtered through the gaps in the cave walls. The scales were varying shades of blue and yellow, and small. Johnny expected such a massive dragon to have scales to match, but they were tiny compared to the rest of it. He wondered if they were soft and dry, like a snake's. Did it shed? Would they rub off of it like a fish's scales?

"You," it said. Its voice was loud, but it felt like a whisper. It was familiar. It drew Johnny in, but he wouldn't let Slow Dancer take another step forward. "What are you doing here, Joestar?"

The words sounded like they were supposed to be full of malice, especially coming from this great beast, but instead they just felt empty.

"How do you know my name?" His eyes were trained on the dragon's face in the shadows. He couldn't make out any features but its eyes, sharp, bright blues. Oh.

"Dio..." he breathed. He felt the years-long hatred build up inside of him. He wanted to kill this unnatural beast. He slowly took out his bow.

"You've come here to kill me," Diego said. "That's a bad idea, you know. I could crush you with one blow."

He said it as if he was just stating a fact. As if their history meant nothing to him.

"I came here to stop you from disrupting the surroundin' villages with your... whatever you're doing up here. If that means killing you, then it's my duty to—"

Diego snaked his head down in front of Slow Dancer. He was really something else, that horse. Most likely scared shitless but stubbornly obedient. Johnny, also scared shitless, stayed silent, looking his old rival in the eyes.

"Please leave. I'm not a human anymore. Don't speak to me like I am one." It was weird to watch him speak. It shouldn't have been possible to form the words with the reptilian way his mouth moved. He could feel Dio's hot breath on him.

Johnny didn't want to feel any sympathy for him. Whatever happened to him, it's his fault. Maybe he wasn't human. Maybe he never was. That was none of his business. "I'll go. But quit your shrieking. And don't fly near any towns."

Diego growled lowly before whipping his head back to face away from Johnny, moving further into the cavern. Johnny put his bow away, but kept a hand on the hilt of his sword.

"Let's go Slow Dancer," Johnny said softly, rubbing at the base of the horse's neck. They turned and left the cave.

"How'd it go?" Gyro asked. He had been waiting outside of the cave, his armor glinting in the dusk light. His eyes were soft and brown and wonderful.

"It went fine," Johnny grumbled.

"Was he as wise as the legends say dragons are? C'mon Johnny gimme something."

Slow Dancer carefully followed the path down the mountain, Valkyrie and Gyro following them. "No, he was pretty stupid actually."

"Huh."

"I don't really want to talk about it, Gyro."

"That's alright, tesoro. I'll make you dinner when we get home."

"I told you to stop calling me that. I don't know what it means. Are you calling me stupid or somethin'?"

Gyro stifled a laugh.