Hydra

I quickly rush back home for equipment, there's a dragon that belongs to me under that facility. His habitat is ready it's been days... Being held on the underground of the council base? it couldn't be easier.

I make my way to the outer grounds of the most heavily secured place of the hemisphere. Guards everywhere, deadly traps everywhere, and an impossible to break in security system. All of them with a big, shiny, convenient "Hi-dra", written clearly on their surface.

I reach the outer grounds of the council base, the security patterns never seemed so obvious. I had no need to hide myself behind crates as I knew precisely where everyone would be at what time. Not only trained them, I planned their schedules.

I notice a disturbance on the checkpoint entrance to the containment quarters, someone is talking with the soldier… I approach cautiously to eavesdrop.

“Hiro? Hiroooooo! Have you seen Hiro? Wasn't she in the garden just now?" Miori asks around as she keeps fastly pacing around the corridors, not losing a second.

A knot forms on my stomach as I hear her searching for me, I’ll have to be extra careful and not use the checkpoint. A wall between two columns on the far side of the hall leads directly into a storage room, smashing it would give away my location so I pour my acid on it too, devouring the wall silently and proceeding into the facility.

I close my cape and put on my black hood, trying my best to blend in with the shadows, and avoid any detection. Doing everything I can, from hiding under sacks, to opening empty cells and hiding myself inside them until the guards pass.

"Hiiiiirooooo, are you there? I need to talk to you, my darling!" I hear in the distance, followed by a short silence. "...I mean how the fuck can you lose someone that was right there I'm going to kill someone when I find her--… WHAT ARE YOU DOING STANDING THERE? BRING. ME. HIRO."

I freeze into place, clenching my fists and grinding my teeth as I’m not in any mood to talk to who fired me.

Reaching a gigantic cell I hear the loud cackling of the big chains holding the creature inside. I proceed to melt the lock on the small door and come through, taking a look inside. The pulsating beheaded body of the dragon stands right in front of me, exhausted from fighting the chains. It's body is decaying, and it's head is found chained and gagged.

Before I take one step in, I gasp and hold tightly onto one of the bars of the door, full of anger.

“They are treating you like this? I’m taken off my position and this is what happens. Oh I swear to the gods, I will--”

“Guess the good news!" Miori says standing right behind me.

I look over my shoulder ready to knock out whoever it was, but then I see it’s Miori with a proud smile on her face, like she just found gold. I can’t say a word, I am frozen in place.

"Okay, okay… I admit it. My technology might be ages away from yours... But I have absolutely no clue on how to take care of a living thing… Especially when it looks like this." She chuckles.

I look at the dragon and then at her, confused but putting it all aside… If she was angry, she would have killed me already.

“You’re keeping it beheaded, suffering, decaying. We have different priorities. I’ll take it home.” I turn my back to her and walk towards it, but she stops me with her hand on my shoulder.

“Yes, precisely! Right on the money. You will take it home, heal it, and report your research privately to me, isn’t that right my sweet general?” Her words are sharp, controlling, as hypnotizing as her smile.

I nod, accepting her offer and quickly throwing acid on the chains, rapidly devouring his restraints. I pour all my healing potions on his wounds at once, and caress his head and neck, worried about his state.

“Shh, shh, you’ll be ok, you’ll have a new home, ok? Sleep now…”

The dragon opens his eyes for a second noticing how he is free but has no strength to move, I then proceed to knock his gate down and launch my flare up. The signal is sent and the answer is immediate; from the treeline, my soldiers come with their scaly-bulls to drag the creature home.

As I’m about to heal his head back into place, just placing them next to each other made it start to reconnect by itself. "Maybe that's the power this dragon holds…?"

Surprised, confused, but mostly glad the hardest part was done, I can’t really rest. I try my best to save his lower jaw and neck, the place we’re Hero and Bunny respectively struck him, but it’s rotten. After hours, I manage to come up with a special alloy to substitute the damaged jaw, but the fire-breathing systems… These are gone.

Contrary to my expectations, he seems to understand the situation and lays relaxed, staring directly at me. His gray pupils and blue iris observe my every move, like it were waiting for something to happen… And it does. I feel the many hours spent on his aid hitting me all at once, exhaustion making my legs fail, I sit on the ground yawning… Then I’m surprised by the dragon’s tail reaching over and bringing me closer, scary at first, but I relax immensely, laying on his claw, for once feeling safe. I smile one last time to the weak dragon before falling asleep.

I jump out of bed in an instant, worried on why I'm not at his habitat... But as I come to my senses, it hits me that I’m no longer home... Oh… another dream. I look at our portrait at the altar once more and sigh, exhausted mentally and physically, I fall back on the bed, frustrated.

“Fuck, again with this shit?” I say out loud, rubbing my eyes, tired of this recurring nightmare.

“Rise and shine, huh?” Hero says sipping from a mug. I feel my heart stop, he’s been on the door all along. “Good morning, my love, nightmare?” He says approaching.

Surprised and scared, I throw myself back onto the pillows. I was hoping he wouldn’t show up, so I could at least stay put until I wake up.

“Yup. Same old nightmare… It’s getting on my nerves.” I say, closing my eyes, enraged at the situation but pretending it’s nothing.

I feel mocked by his chuckles, but he sits by my side on the bed.

“I’m also on my last straw, I’m spending the entire day at home if you need to talk about it.” He says with a devilish smirk.

I sit on the bed instantly with both eyes as big as pool balls, stunned at the possibility.

“YOU DID THAT? CAN I DO THAT?” I say excited as if he just made my day so much better, anxious to hear the answer.

“Exactly, apparently, you can simply call off, tell them you're sick. I’m gonna do that everyday now.”

Immediately I grab my phone, calling “Hi-Dra Secretary”.

“Shh… It’s ringing… MORNING! I WON’T GO TO WORK TODAY, GOOD LUCK!” I hang up at the same second.

He laughs more than I expected.

"What are they gonna do? Fire you?"

Furthermore, I smile at him with everything I have and open my arms to stretch after this early victory. Apparently, it looks like I’m asking for a hug. Hero leans in and quickly hugs me very tight. I’m completely caught off guard by it, flustering me and emptying my head in the process.

“Just as I planned.” He chuckles, sitting straight on the bed and crossing his arms. “So, feel like spending the day at home with a certain someone?” He smiles.

Suddenly Tomo jumps on the bed, almost falling, but quickly recovering.

“... Actually some two.” Hero laughs clearly embarrassed.

I struggle to even answer, stuttering and not finishing a single word, but… this feels great.

“...Thought you’d never ask!” I let my happiness shine through my smile, reaching to pet Tomo right after. “What are your plans for our day?”

He finally lays down, getting properly comfortable and sighing.

“We stay home for the entire day, try to enjoy all this wasted time we spent working, and we have fun until we pass out. I have some ideas already, but first, we need to find something to keep us busy until the night.” He says giggling.

A grin spawns on my face, very pleased with his plans.

“So you are telling me, you, me, and Tomo, will stay home the entire day? Want to order and taste random foods and watch fun stuff with me till the sun goes down?” I say, waving my tablet in one hand and trying to sell the idea, clearly aching for a yes. Not even a perfect Hero in a dream could make me cook today.

"I couldn't ask for anything more than that! We're gonna have the time of our lives!" he laughs, I laugh too. Both feeling  clearly victorious.