Page 83 of Dragon AU

“He’s mine!” Rowan growled, and Milo’s world finally righted itself.

Notes:

Do you have pets?

Do you ever look at them and think: “Oh, you’re so dumb but I love you so much?”

It’s how we feel about these two.

Their one shared brain cell is on strike, but we love them anyway!!!

25

Rowan

Shades of red flashed past Rowan’s eyes, vivid flames of fury as he regarded his brother and the scene he’d walked in on.

The only thing keeping him from torching the place was the quiet devastation that threatened to buckle his knees.

Nothing had ever hurt so much.

He felt stupid for bringing that stupid coffee cup that he’d driven four hours for after he’d spent another hour tracking down where Milo could even be, only to find him wrapped in his brother’s arms, eyes shut tight.

Rowan rocked as a body slammed into his, limbs wrapping around him. Rowan hugged back on instinct, something inside him telling him that it was precious and needed to be guarded despite the despair.

When he finally tore his eyes away from Ruben’s strained face and looked down, Milo came into focus. Rowan’s first glimpse of him after days apart.

Milo was pulling at him like he was trying to crawl inside him, untucking his clothes and digging claws into skin. “There you are. You’re my Rowan.”

He said it like it made all the sense in the world, and Rowan’s heart answered back that it did.

But his brain couldn’t stop seeing the image of Milo in another man’s arms. His brother’s arms. “Milo,” he croaked out. He wasn’t even embarrassed by how wrecked and vulnerable he sounded. “What was going on here?”

“I was looking for you. You went away,” Milo mumbled into his chest, burying his nose there. His claws flexed against his back and Rowan wished they’d dig in harder to ground him. To mark him so people would know.

“Rowan, it wasn’t what you think—” Ruben said.

Rowan snarled in his direction, smoke billowing out of his nose and sparks catching in the air, drifting down as embers. “Stop talking.”

“No, no, no, you tell me to stop talking, not him. Rowan, tell me to stop talking. Tell me to be quiet. Tell me there’s something wrong with me,” Milo rambled, scratching at his back and nosing his neck with quick puffs of air.

Rowan frowned and looked down at him. Milo sounded dazed and hazy, but at the same time Rowan could feel his heart beating through his chest like he was about to have a heart attack. Rowan cradled the back of his skull and tried to pull him away to look at him. “Milo, I think there really is something wrong with you.”

Milo refused to be moved, holding on with all his strength and sighing in delight. “You sound right. I missed the way you sound.”

Rowan’s elation was tempered by how worried he was. He cupped Milo’s face in his hands and immediately noticed that his slitted pupils were dilated in a way he’d never seen before. There were dark rings of purple around his eyes like he hadn’t slept in days, and he was pale and sweating, his hair damp and curling at his temples.

“Milo, are you okay?”

“We need to leave,” Milo told him seriously.

“What? Why?”

“We need to leave. Together. Not alone. You aren’t allowed to go places alone ever again. We need to go back to your apartment.” Milo was urgent, practically climbing him.

“Slow down, Mi. Breathe.”

The nickname slipped out without thinking and Milo finally stopped moving, frantic gaze settling on his, and he caught his breath. “You didn’t ask me to take care of your plants,” he finally said, unexpected and blunt. “Did you not think I could do it?”