The color of one's Qi is largely influenced by the type of Qi they use. The exception to this is when one has ties to a divine or celestial dragon. The Qi will then take on the colour of that dragon, though the feel of the Qi will still indicate the type of Qi being used.

  Tae held little Wook in his lap. Haru had claimed Min. She was obsessed with his black hair. The only other person she’d seen with dark hair was her grandfather, Sang-Ook. The man was taller than average, but shorter than at least half the people here.

  “You feeling better now uncle Tae?” Wook asked. His sea-green eyes staring up at Tae. When the boy had struggled with the second half of Tae’s given name he’d told both Wook and Haru to call him Tae.

  “Yes, Wook.” Tae reassured the boy, ruffling his hair. Wook giggled. “I’m feeling much better now.”

  Wook and Haru both cheered before turning their attention back to the treats on the table. Tae had felt bad about missing teatime the other day, though it’d been unavoidable. If he’d been more familiar with this new form he'd probably have shown up anyways, but the risk of crashing into buildings on the way had been too high.

  “We’re all very glad you were able to make it today.” Aunt Eunsuh said. Tae gave her a small smile. The woman was around the height of the average man in the plains, but seemed short here next to her family. Her husband, Sang-Ook, was only a little taller than she was. Her light green eyes told Tae exactly where his youngest cousin, Chohee had gotten her eyes from. The young woman was a nearly spitting image of her mother actually now that he thought about it.

  “We’re always glad when you join us,” uncle Kyubok chimed in. “Just remember that if you’re not up for it we won’t mind. We know we can be a lot.”

  Kyubok’s eyes were a nearly identical shade of blue to the loving eyes Tae remembered his mother having. Their hair was the same pale shade of brown too. It had only taken a glance when Tae had first met the man to know that he was his mother’s brother. Tae didn’t remember his father so he wasn’t sure if Eunsuh bore the same family resemblance to her late sibling that Kyubok did. He did know that his father, Korain, had inherited his grey eyes from his father, Insoo.

  “Wook and Haru will always be excited to see you both, and miss you when you aren’t here.” Yuna, cousin Daehyun’s wife said. She was Wook’s mother so Tae was certain she was right.

  Her comment gave him a thought. When he managed to master his new dragon form with the help of Beom, he was going to take the two children flying. He wouldn’t have been able to make it today without Beom teaching him how to change back into his regular human form. He’d already learned a lot about dragons from Beom and they’d only had a few sessions. Tae was certain Beom would be pleased with the idea of him learning to harness this new ability well enough to play with the children. Beom had a soft spot for children.

  ***

  Min walked in the direction Tae had gone earlier. He noticed a clearing and hoped that Tae wasn’t much further. He was already further in the wooded area than he’d anticipated. As he entered the clearing Min stopped dead in his tracks at the sight before him. Tae rose up from the water that was only waist high on him. His hair was down and water ran from the white locks down behind him, doing far more than the clear, still, water was to cover him. Min stared mesmerized. He must have made a sound because Tae turned. The muscles on his back and broad shoulders rippled with the movement. For a moment Min caught sight of the scars underneath the hair on Tae’s back.

  Tae’s ice-blue eyes met his own gold ones. Min was still getting used to the change in Tae’s eye colour. He raised an eyebrow as if to ask what Min was staring at. Min’s eyes ran over the face of the man before him. It’d been a sin for him to hide his face behind a beard. Min’s feet moved him closer, he stopped at the edge of the lake, never taking his eyes from Tae’s face. An unbelievable amount of muscles and scars covered Tae’s entire body. Even though he’d seen it before it still surprised Min. There really wasn’t a safe place to look.

  “All that flirting and I only find out now that you’re ungodly stunning.” Min said, more to himself than the unfairly attractive man who stood before him. Where Min was beautiful enough to tempt men and women alike, Tae looked like he’d been sculpted by the very gods.

  Tae laughed. He had been slowly making his way through the water to where Min stood.

  “And here I was worried you were starting to miss my beard.” Tae teased.

  Min looked up from Tae’s chest to his face at the words. He felt like he was under a spell, his eyes locked on the soft, surprisingly full lips that, until shortly before their trip, had been hidden at least partially by facial hair.

  “You going to just stare, or are you going to join me?” Tae asked.

  Min swallowed. If he joined there was no way he would be able to keep his hands to himself. All that self control he was so proud of had seemed to vanish. His eyes slid down the chiselled body in front of him. The droplets of water running off it making it impossible not to. Just before his eyes made it too far he felt Tae’s finger under his chin, pulling his head back up to that perfect face. A satisfied smirk played on Tae’s lips.

  Tae’s hands grabbed his waist. Min’s breath hitched in anticipation, but instead of pulling him closer Tae pushed him back. Min looked up confused. Tae chuckled, it was a pleasant rumbling sound.

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  “Your clothes are going to get wet.” Tae said.

  “My…” Min just stared for a moment. “You think I care if my clothes get wet right now?”

  “No,” Tae replied, “But I do.”

  Min sighed in exasperation. He looked down at his cotton garb in frustration.

  “They’re also likely to not stay in one piece if we continue right now.”

  Min looked back at Tae in surprise. He met Tae’s eyes and saw a burning fever in them, it almost made it seem like his ice-blue eyes were glowing. Min bit his lip. He undid the tie and let the belt drop to the ground.

  “If I had more changes of clothing accessible right now, that actually sounds fun.” Min smirked, shrugging out of his outer robe. He purposely took his time undressing. Tae just stood there watching. He’d have been insulted if it wasn’t so explicitly clear that it was taking Tae a lot of effort to stay where he was.

  Min stepped out of the final piece and stepped towards Tae, his feet now in the water. Tae backed up step for step as Min tried to approach him. Min’s brows furrowed with his frustration until his eyes slid down. He wasn’t sure why it still surprised him. He’d seen it plenty of times before and Tae was a very large man after all. Min’s eyes slowly made their way back up to Tae’s face, making it clear he very much enjoyed the view. He smiled at the unmistakable lust that burned in Tae’s eyes. Min held out his hand to Tae. After a moment Tae took it. Min pulled Tae, gently, to him.

  “What are you acting all hesitant for now?” Min asked. “It’s not like I don’t know what I’m getting myself into.”

  Tae growled in response. It was an almost animalistic territorial sound. Min smirked, he’d found he quite enjoyed Tae’s possessive side. Min moved Tae’s hand so that his arm wrapped around him. He shifted forward until his body pressed against Tae’s.

  Min raised his head so that his lips brushed the base of Tae’s neck. The man shuddered in response. Tae’s arm tightened around him. His other hand wrapped around Min’s neck, forcing Min’s head back. Min didn’t even have time to blink before Tae’s lips were pressed against his own. Min wrapped his arms around Tae’s neck helping hold himself up. Tae’s soft, silk-like hair brushed against his hands and Min raised his hands a little higher, his fingers running through the hair at the base of Tae’s head. Another growl, and Min smiled at the sound, even as it made him shudder against the strong, powerful man. A moan escaped his lips, Tae’s teeth caught Min’s lower lip biting it gently and another moan practically rippled through him.

  Tae’s arm slid further down his back, his hand cupping half of Min’s ass. Min raised himself up on his toes, his breath quickening. Tae broke away from the kiss. Before Min could get upset, Tae’s lips were on his neck, travelling down his throat. Min arched, his neck stretching backwards to give Tae better access.

  A rumbling chuckle was more than enough for Min to know that Tae had thoroughly enjoyed his response. Min felt a familiar and pleasant excitement fill him at how Tae tended to respond to him playing submissive. Tae’s hand no longer held his neck but traced down his spine and Min arched again. He heard sloshing in the water, it was all the warning he had before Tae picked him up. Min gripped Tae’s shoulders, surprised.

  “Don’t worry, I won’t drop you.” Tae reassured. Min looked down, the dancing light in his eyes more than enough to let him know Tae was laughing at him now. Min glared. No matter how many times Tae picked him up it still startled him.

  Tae knelt down, Min still in his arms. Min felt himself lowered down, feeling fabric and not grass on his back surprised him. Tae started to lower himself, but Min had had enough of this. He moved quickly, flipping Tae so that the man was now underneath him and not the other way around. It was Tae’s turn to look surprised.

  Min smirked, He placed his fingers on Tae’s collarbone, tracing his way down that hard chest and unfairly defined abs. Tae went very still as Min stopped. Min teased him and Tae’s whole body shuddered in response

  Feeling blissfully wicked, Min shifted his body, sliding back, before bending forward. A whimpering moan from above him pulled his attention away teasing his lover to get a better look at Tae. The man had dug his hands into the ground, only the fabric of the cloth they were on was keeping the grass and dirt from filling his hands.

  “Wanting inside a different part of me?” Min teased.

  He didn’t even have time to brace himself. Tae had flipped him over almost the same way he’d flipped Tae earlier. Min wrapped his arms around Tae’s neck, pulling his face down for a kiss. Tae complied. The passion of Tae’s kiss left Min breathless.

  They lost themselves in each other. Min hadn’t realized he’d grabbed Tae’s shoulders until he felt his fingers and nails digging into Tae’s skin. He was sure he spoke again, but he had no idea what he said.

  After a moment he realized Tae was speaking. He forced himself to focus on the sound.

  “Min,” Tae whispered. It sounded more like a moan and Min shivered with pleasure at that. Tae said his name over and over again as if it was the most precious of words. Min responded by whispering Tae’s name back. Tae lay half on top of him. Min kissed Tae’s neck, the only part of him he could reach.

  Tae rolled to the side, his arm had wrapped around Min at some point and he pulled Min with him. Min found himself laying on top of Tae, his head cushioned on Tae’s chest. He wrapped his own arm around Tae before his eyes slid closed in exhaustion.

  It felt like moments later that Tae was shaking him awake. It took him longer than usual to become alert. He carefully sat up.

  “If we don’t get up and return soon, someone is bound to come looking for us.” Tae said. “While I don’t mind putting on a bit of a display now and then, I’d rather not have them find us in this particular state.”

  Min shrugged. He honestly didn’t care if others saw them like this. Something changed in Tae’s eyes. Oh. Interesting. “Is it them finding us like this that you have a problem with, or is it other men seeing me naked?”

  The growl from Tae made it clear it was the latter. Min laughed.

  “For such a calm and collected person, you’re surprisingly territorial.” Min told him.

  Tae flinched slightly. Shit. Seemed like that was a sore spot.

  “Tae?”

  “No, you’re right.” Tae said, shaking his head. “I’m usually calmer than this.”

  Min waited for Tae to finish the thought.

  “Dragons are territorial creatures Min. They don’t like others touching what they deem theirs.” Tae explained. “The idea of someone else seeing you like this right now…”

  “Lets get cleaned up then.” He said.

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