ATEEZ Imagines

Seonghwa ✦ Dragon AU

Just then, your ears picked up the faint sound of flapping somewhere in the distance. You were quick to brush it off, thinking that you were just imagining things—well, you thought you were imagining it, that is until a strong gust of wind blew your hair in front of your face.

"What are you doing here?" A deep and unfamiliar voice asked in a stern tone.
Slowly, you turned around to face the person. A tall, slim man stood at the entrance of the cave, a set of large wings outspread behind him.
No way.
"Y-You're... you're the dragon." You sputtered.
"Who told you I was here?" He asked harshly as he advanced towards you.
"My grandma." You answered, backing up against the cave wall.
"What are you talking about? No one knows about this place." He stopped in front of you, your eyes landed on his tail that was covered in shiny black scales. A perplexed frown tugged at your mouth.
Wait.
"They're not red." You muttered quietly to yourself.
"Excuse me?"
"Your scales. My grandma said she met a red dragon, but your scales are black."
"My grandfather had red scales." He stated, seeming less hostile than he was a few moments ago.
"Then... who are you?" You questioned, looking up at his tall figure.
"I'm Seonghwa. You are?"
"Y/n. I think my grandmother was friends with your grandfather."
In the dim light you could see his sharp brows knit together in bewilderment.
"Now that you mention it..." He trailed off. "My grandfather told me a story when I was young. A story about a human who would come and visit him."
"That's her!"
His mouth opened just slightly in both surprise and realization.
"I'm sorry for being so snappy." He bowed. "No one knows about my existence. Well, I thought no one knew. I'm just cautious is all."
He extended his hand to you, his nails long and sharp resembling claws. Despite their unsettling appearance, you weren't afraid.
"Friends?" He asked.
You reached out and shook his hand. "Friends."
"Would you like to come inside?" He offered. "I'm sure you don't want to be sitting in a cold, wet cave."
"Inside?" You echoed. From what you could see, you were inside.
"Step back for moment." Seonghwa said as he moved past you.
You stepped aside to give him space, watching as he grabbed the large rock situated at the back of the cave, pushing it to the side and moving it with ease. A dark and weathered wooden door sat behind the boulder that had previously concealed it.
So this is how he stays hidden.

"Follow me." He beckoned.
He retrieved a key from his pocket and used it to unlock the door, pushing it open. You followed him as he stepped inside.
Your eyes widened in amazement as you took in the decor of his home. There was a fancy chandelier filled with flickering candles hanging over the living room. The couch appeared to be made out of some type of velvety material, gold encrusting the framework of the furniture. A dark wood table sat on a maroon colored rug in front of the couch, a small bronze sculpture of a dragon adorning the middle of it. A massive shelf took up the entirety of the back wall behind the couch. Most of it was filled with books, while small trinkets and tchotchkes, vases and vintage relics and tiny souvenirs sat on the other shelves. You unconsciously walked over to the bookshelf to look at all the tiny nicknacks lined up: a jar full of gems, blown glass vases, chunky and jagged crystals, a couple hourglasses, and a crystal bowl.

"You've got so many cool trinkets." You commented.
"Thank you. My family has collected things throughout the years. A lot of that stuff came from knights."
"Knights?" You parroted in disbelief.
"Yeah. Back in medieval times us dragons teamed up with knights. In return for helping them battle they would give us small trinkets and gifts."
"Woah."
"All of those items you see have been collected by my family members throughout their lives."
"You have relatives that fought with knights?"
"I do. It's pretty cool." He smiled softly, admiring the items lining the shelves.

You turn around, your eyes catching sight of a fireplace on the opposite wall of the living room. You tilted your head to the side, wondering how it was possible for a fireplace to be in a cave. As if Seonghwa could read your mind, he spoke up.