The Dragon's Lair

Here There Be Dragons

Some days you praised Kwon Soonyoung for being the best friend and overall human being on the planet. Other days, you cursed the day you became friends. Today felt like it was going to be the latter.

"I really don't know about this, Soonyoung. It just seems so wrong," you grimaced as he pulled you along towards the grey-bricked and incredibly ridiculous building.

The Fairy Pawmother was one of the most popular businesses in town these days. And, in case the name didn't give it away, was styled ostentatiously to look like a small castle. There were koi ponds instead of a moat and a cobbled walkway instead of a drawbridge, but it was painfully obvious the entire place with themed purposely. The two towers on either side of the building were actually a popular cafe and a Hybrid specialty shop that employed the adoptable hybrids themselves.

"You're thinking about it the wrong way, that's all. I mean, sure. It would be nice if they all had their freedom and people stopped treating hybrids like lesser beings. The law is easing up on them little by little every year, so maybe someday there will be hope. Until then, there are all these hybrids without anyone to care about them. They are all alone, no one to care whether they live or die." Soonyoung sighed dramatically and wiped a nonexistent tear from his dry eyes.

"The guilt trip route? Ugh, fine," you groan and follow him towards to entrance.

Soonyoung smiles gleefully, as he usually does when he convinces you to do what he wants. Which is quite often, sadly.

"Come on. You won't regret having a hybrid of your own. Since your Grandma died, I worry about you. She was all the real family you had left. I know you have me, and I consider myself your family too, but you could do with more. Just remind yourself you're saving them from someone that won't feel about hybrids the way that you do. You'll treat them good, whereas they could have gone to a sex fiend or something."

"Who says sex fiend? Weirdo."

"Your weirdo," Soonyoung drapes himself across your back, squeezing softly.

"Disgusting. Get off me," you kick your foot back, hitting the giggling Soonyoung lightly, but you can't hide your soft smile fast enough before he catches it.

"This place is great too. They treat the hybrids well. They feed them properly, have good rooms and jobs if they want them. They even bring in teachers for homeschooling and stuff. It's where I got Jihoonie."

"My point exactly. Jihoon is a little brat."

"A brat that you spoil as much as I do. Don't think I didn't notice that you suddenly have jugs of milk in your fridge when you hate milk. Or that you guys have movie marathons where he comes back so stuffed he doesn't want to eat dinner. Or the fact that those headphones you claimed you won in a contest at work and gave to him were almost $3,000. And you forgot that I share your Amazon account."

"Having a nosy best friend is the worst," you grumble, looking around the lobby of the Hybrid shelter.

It looked bright and welcoming, with ivory painted walls covered in pictures of past adoptions and a lounge filled with plush crimson couches. There were several nice looking families waiting, presumably to pick up their new Hybrids, but Soonyoung pulled you away from there and towards the front counter.

The man at the counter was stunning, with beautiful dark eyes and pouty lips. When you couldn't see any evidence of him being a Hybrid himself, you were almost disappointed. His eyes glimmered with mischief as he caught you checking him out, his gaze piercing you in a way that made you wonder if he could hear your thoughts. You blushed and looked away, glad for Soonyoung's interference as he excitedly greeted the man.