Chapter 7

"Takashi, why not?" Hide asked, looking worried as he noticed Takashi's tears.

"Well, I'm just not comfortable with my old home, everyone there is very hostile," Takashi said, lifting his wing from his face.

Hide looked shocked. Sure, Takashi was pretty hostile, but if he was fearing heading home to the point of tears, he must've been telling the truth.

He watched Takashi wipe his face in the blink of an eye, glancing back at Tsuki.

"Well, once we get to the sand kingdom, we should head west, past the moon kingdom for the kingdom of sea," Tsuki said, looking over at Hide, looking for confirmation.

Hide jumped with excitement. He had always loved the water more than anything else, He'd never known why.

"Well, I have no complaints. What about you Takashi?" Hide asked.

"Oh, that's alright," Takashi said.

Hide retrieved the bag that he had set on the floor moments earlier, putting it around his long neck, and flapping his wings. Hide began sprinting towards the door.

"Hide-" Tsuki began.

Takashi extended his long wing out, stopping Hide in his path.

"Hey! What was that for?!" Hide panted.

"Why were you sprinting towards the entrance if you're not healed?" Takashi asked his harsh voice back, and better than ever.

"It felt fine when I beat it, so I just assumed it was fine." He said, setting his satchel down on the dark gray rock beneath him.

"Well, you're not going out until you rest in the moonlight. We must see if the experiment works." Takashi said, his tone softening.

Hide sulked for a moment, slumping down as he sat.

"It's what's best for you, Hide," Tsuki said, jumping off of the perch, and coming up behind him.

Hide sighed, hoping he could finally get off of his lazy streak. He hadn't done anything in the past three days, and he hated every moment of it.

"I suppose. But I wanna fly extra long." Hide pouted.

Takashi chuckled for the first time in the days' Hide had been with the both of them. It was such a pretty smile. It mixed tones of slight happiness, but also such sweetness. Hide covered his face in his right-wing, feeling his face burn.

"What is it Hide? Why are you covering you're face?" Tsuki said sarcastically.

"Shudup-" Hide whispered to Tsuki.

Takashi looked over to Tsuki, and Hide, his eyes riddled with confusion.

"Also, Hide..." Takashi began, then turned to Tsuki, who had a cheeky grin on her face, going from ear to ear.

"Tsuki, this is private," Takashi said harshly.

Tsuki looked surprised, and a little hurt. She quickly got up, her feathered wings dragging across the stone, and onto the ledge. She quickly perched herself on a dull stalagmite.

Hide watched Tsuki leave with slight confusion on his face.

"Hide, I'm taking my chance to fully apologize. You truly hadn't done a thing wrong, and I've been nothing but cruel to you. Please accept my deepest apology." Takashi said, bowing his head.

Hide was shocked by Takashi's apology. His eyes were so wide with surprise, he felt them sting after maybe a minute of staring. The crimson dragonet was apologizing to him? Hide? The starry dragonet that he'd been so against apologizing to? He felt flustered as he blinked his thoughts away. This wasn't love. He knew it wasn't. Hide could read emotion in others decently. This flustered feeling wasn't one he'd thought he'd seen when two dragons had chemistry and passion for one another. This was a deep, outrageous shock.

Or at least he hoped.