The Dragon's Treasure (BL)

"Are you comfortable?" Brandon asked, as he picked up another blanket. Pan was not burning up with a fever, but it was cold outside.

The few herbs that still grew in the winter had lured Brandon outside.

But now that he had Pan and Pan was slowly falling asleep, Brandon wanted to get to know him better.

"I'm fine, thank you," Pan said as he turned around.

He could feel what the dragon was. Knew that Brandon was a dragon.

 And yet hoped that Brandon had not seen his pendant. Maybe it was ironic for a dragon slayer to not want to slay a dragon, but Pan had only taken the pendant so he could explore.

"Would you like something to eat then?" Brandon knew from bitter experience how hard it was to get rid of a slave rune.

 It wasn't every day someone managed it. Only those who had already broken their own chains could remove a slave rune as easily as Brandon had.

"I... maybe some bread, if you have any," Pan said, only for his stomach to grumble seconds later.

"Yes, a little bit of bread and stew would do you good," Brandon left the blanket over Pan, tucking him in, making sure that the man was warm. 

He went into the kitchen.

"What sort of stew should I make him? Potato, maybe?"

He had a lot of potatoes. The thing about being a dragon was that you could claim pretty much any farmland you wanted to. 

Not that Brandon needed to claim any farmland.

 He had an entire gnomic colony, which were all mini-farmers, and supplied him with food for the winter months. 

"The gnomes will be happy that I won't waste the food this year," he picked up a couple of potatoes, some onions and carrots, and also some chicken wings, and began to cook. 

Whistling a tune all the while.

0000

Pan awoke to the most delicious meal he had ever smelled. He could already say with certainty that it was the right amount of spicy.

 As he sat up in bed, Brandon placed a nice warm bowl on his lap and gave him a spoon. 

"I'll be bringing your bread in just a second. It took a little bit to prepare, I didn't have any, so I made you one from scratch," that was a lie. Brandon had plenty of crackers and biscuits, which he could have shared with Pan. 

But the desire to be the one who actually made him some freshly baked bread had been too overwhelming. Pan watched, hiding his face, by looking at the bowl.

 He knew what the dragon was doing. Didn't want to say no to it. And yet, if he let the dragon have him, then Pan was never going to be free. 

"I...thank you," but that didn't mean that Pan didn't know his manners. After all, his great-great-great-grandmother had been the only peaceful apple nymph dungeon core in the whole of the universe, and she had taught him much in her last years. 

"Do you need help with anything? I think I feel better now, and I can help you wash up," Pans said.

 Brandon chuckled and offered his hand to Pans. The man shook it. 

"Rest now. Rest and eat. And if you tell me a story before bedtime, that would be nice of you," Brandon turned around slowly and walked back into the kitchen. Soon after, he came with a platter with a steaming hot loaf of bread. 

"I hope you like bread with walnuts. I felt like you could use the sweetness," for you are my sweet, Brandon wanted to say, but did not. 

He had to control himself around Pan. 

Pan was his treasure, but that didn't mean that he was free for the taking.

"Ah, yes, I like that very much," Pan said, uncertain. 

Brandon placed the loaf of bread on a bedside table near the bed and then decided to busy himself with getting the herbs ready. 

He had to make sure that his mint was well stored. He had gotten the last of it from his patches around the forest. Soon, the snow was going to smother everything, and he was not going to be able to have enough mint for tea if he didn't dry it fast enough. 

As he busied himself with placing the mint over a single sheet of paper near the window, Pan looked up from his bed.

 He didn't want to eat it all alone, but felt like he was starving. As he began to eat, mouthful after mouthful, he felt better and better. 

"I..., the dragon scale, do you have a scale?" Pan asked.

 He didn't want to abuse the dragon's hospitality, but knew that if he didn't take the scale, if he didn't place it under his apple tree sapling, he was going to die soon. 

He, like most of Theanore's progeny, was not a full nymph. He had merman in him, and also human, and even, much to the shock of his grandmother, a couple of elves.

"Yes, of course, I have one from the dragon. Would you like to place it in your sapling?" Brandon asked. 

Pan nodded. 

"Then eat your meal," Brandon chuckled as Pan just blinked at him. "That is the only thing I wish as payment."

 "But why? Why are you being so nice to me?" Pan already knew, but still, he hoped that the dragon wasn't nice to him only because they were soulmates. 

Something had called out to Pan. Had forced him to go to that mountain. To hire those brigands at the port.

That same something must have called out to Brandon as well. Had forced him to leave this wonderful cottage and venture out into the snow. 

"Well, why not? You seem friendly enough," Brandon said. And so, as Pan began to eat with more gusto. Brandon busied himself with making sure that there was enough mint tea to go around. 

Normally, he drank only one cup of it per day. But now that he had a guest, he had to make a little bit extra.

"Brandon?" Pan asked, uncertain.

"Yes, Pan," Brandon said, even though about how to make the tea better with mana.

"I think I will be well enough to leave tomorrow, with the scale I...," Pan didn't know how to tell this to Brandon, 

He couldn't collect his thoughts. He owed him much, maybe even his life. If Brandon hadn't gotten rid of the slave rune, then Pan was going to be sold, most likely.

 But now, Pan was safe, and he was with his soulmate, and every single instinct in him told him to simply snuggle up to Brandon.

 To bury his nose in his nape. 

And yet, the dragon slayer nymph wavered.

 What if Brandon was just like the other dragons? What if he was possessive? What if he was never going to let Pan live a life of his own?

"Never mind," Pan said, not knowing if he was defeated or not.

He just noticed how Brandon's eyes became softer, how the dragon's mana reached out to him.

Promising him a sweet embrace.

Pan was too much of a coward to let it envelop him.