Midnight Dawn: Guiding Light

Chapter 14

I figured he would be heavier than this, Jasper laughed to himself as he trudged through the thick woods. His training wasn't all for nothing, as Jasper had gained the strength to carry a sleeping Red Dragon on his back along with all of their belongings.

A muscular, completely relaxed Red Dragon, to be precise.

Unsure of how far they had truly gone, Jasper began to slow down to take in their surroundings. As he came to a stop, Ayri started to shift, lifting his head slowly from Jasper's shoulder.

"Is someone finally awake?" Jasper turned his head to the side to peek at a groggy Ayri through his peripherals. Ayri hummed and moved his face to rest on the opposite shoulder, but only long enough for Jasper to feel the mischievous smirk on Ayri's face against his skin before he was met with another bite.

"Really, Ayri?!" Jasper cried as he tottered in place. "The first thing you do is bite me??"

"What?" Ayri asked in a playful sing-song voice. He squeezed his arms around Jasper's shoulders and snickered. "It's how Red Dragons say good morning!"

Ayri slid off of Jasper's back and jumped in front of him with a sly smile. Jasper rolled his eyes.

"We both know you're a terrible liar. This is an Ayri thing, not a dragon thing."

Ayri pouted and crossed his arms across his chest.

"Hmph. You believed me the other day when I told you your heart would stop if you ever broke a deal with me."

"I didn't know you like I do now, you silly dragon," Jasper grinned and tapped Ayri gently on the nose, earning the cutest nose scrunch from the redhead Jasper had ever seen. In the blink of an eye, Ayri scooped Jasper up by his legs and the small of his back and started to walk in the direction they were meant to go.Jasper yelped as he squirmed against Ayri's strong arms that held him with such ease.

"Wh-what are you doing?" Jasper squealed while throwing his arms around Ayri's neck.

"What does it look like? I'm carrying you now!" Ayri might have been among the shadows of the woods, but he felt more energized than he had in a long time. Perhaps it was the quick sleep he managed after healing Violet. Perhaps it was the way the sun's rays peeked through the shelter of the trees and warmed his skin. Or maybe it was the way Ayri's heart could barely be contained within his chest merely being in Jasper's presence. There was something so perfect about the sound of Jasper's racing heart coupled with the laughter he released into the afternoon air.

"You don't need to carry me, Ayri! Can't we just walk together?" Jasper giggled before he was silenced with a squeeze against Ayri's chest.

"In a minute," Ayri hummed.

"If you insist, you crazy man," Jasper breathed in deep, taking in the sweet smell of Ayri and the sound of the dragon's heart.

Ayri's heart.

Jasper bit his bottom lip and felt himself grinning from ear to ear, realizing that it wasn't just a one-time occurrence. He could hear Ayri's heart, and not just when he was pressed up against the strong chest of the man who held him.

I should tell him, but not yet, Jasper thought.

Ayri righted Jasper back onto the ground and immediately laced their hands together.

"So, where did Violet and Rena end up going? I kinda wanted to ask them about Elysia. See if they knew anything, you know?"

Jasper nodded as they walked together.

"I told them to go to Lumen to find the governor. Elysia is farther from here than Lumen is, right?"

"Yeah, it's probably another three or four days' journey at the pace we're going," Ayri squeezed Jasper's hand and tilted his head. "Speaking of Lumen, though. Care to explain how the dragons who tried to rob us knew you are the governor's son? Was that something you were going to tell me?"