Flames In Fire ((Hajime X Nagito))

 "This is your house?"
Hajime lowered his hood when he stepped inside my small cabin. It wasn't much, and I wasn't exactly expecting company, but it was enough.
I gave a smile, closing the door behind us as we stepped inside.
"I could get you something to eat?" I tried to offer, "The voyagers brought back this new fruit a couple weeks ago. It's starting to go bad but if we eat it now I think it'll still be..."
"I'm good," He waved off my offer, seemingly more focused on taking a look around. "Hey, Komaeda, you didn't have any parents growing up, did you?"
"No," The question seemed out of nowhere, it nearly took me off guard for a moment. "They died when I was young, I don't remember them well. It was a... Hunting accident I think, a bear."
At least that was what the others had told me. The town had all taken a part in raising me but only because it was the morally right thing to do. But I still remembered being passed back and forth as the people desperately tried to find something I was good at, only to eventually give up and hand me off to someone else. I wouldn't say it was stable, but I turned out fine, I think?
Once I was old enough to handle myself, I was simply given a small, rundown place at the edge of town and away from everyone else. After that, it was history. Everyone tried to forget I existed.
Hajime's lips curled to a frown before he crossed his arms.
"I wouldn't have let a hound stay here. How have you managed the whole time?"
What was he talking about? It was a bit old and worn but it still..... I cocked my head, meeting Hajime's worried gaze.
"There's not much wrong with it. I have everything I need."
"There's a draft," Hajime's attention moved to the windows. "The floor is rotting in on itself," With a short tap against the floorboards, it gave off a squeak. "It's like you haven't even swept the floors in years, it's filthy."
A long pause fell between the two of us before Hajime's shoulders fell,
"You haven't swept the floors in years."
"I guess it slipped my mind." I was starting to feel like a fool and rethinking my decision on allowing Hajime to enter. This was something you broke off a bond for, right? Who would want to be close to a disgusting, filth of a pig like me who didn't even sweep his own floors?
But Hajime released a sigh and took another look around.
"I suppose that would be something parents teach you. For living alone all this time with no guidance, it's decent. But some people should come by and touch it up a bit I think. You don't deserve to live in a place falling apart like this."
"Oh but I do!" It suddenly slipped out before I could stop myself, and before I knew it, Hajime was giving me a look of concern, disappointment, anger, and any other emotion mixed upon his face. I didn't want to argue with him, not again, so before he could get a word in, I took over first and continued. "I mean, I'm really just a talentless waste of space. Too weak to forge a sword, too dumb to read a map, I can't aim an arrow or mark a trail, I can't seem to manage to prepare food or repair the broken, I can't even look after a kid. Really, it's more than enough the Chief put me in a home to begin with when I'm nothing but a waste of time and space."
"I..." Hajime's eyes flickered in hesitation before he averted looking at me altogether. "I see. Why would think that way after all this time of being shunned for being useless, I could get it. But it's wrong, who says your worth has to be decided on what you can do for others?"
I couldn't help but be taken aback, unable to think of a proper reply. The boy gave a long sigh before turning around and facing me, much closer than I suddenly felt comfortable with.
"I'm not too great at these sorts of talks so bear with me here, but who ever said your worth was measured that way? What can you do for yourself? You don't live to treat other people, or at least you shouldn't be. What about you? What do you want to accomplish, what do you want?"
The brunette's eyes were stern and focused, looking at me with the utmost sincerity and seriousness.
I could feel my heart beating in my chest, thumping against my ribs at the closeness.
I couldn't stop it, not before the single "you", left my lips.
Hajime blocked, taken aback before stepped away, face full of surprise. At that moment, it hit me what I just said.
"What?" He raised an eyebrow, urging me to clear my throat,
"What I mean is-!"
I didn't get to finish before a clang came from upstairs where my bedroom was and attention was diverted to there.
Why did I say that? What is wrong with me?!
I repeated the question over and over, slapping myself mentally as much as I could as I followed Hajime upstairs.
When he pushed open the door, the small dragon sat on the ground, wrapped in the blankets dragged off my bed, and now were covered in claw marks and bites.

As for the wood flooring, it was already scraped up, and even the walls looked like they had been rammed with the baby animal's four horns.
"Why..." What was I even supposed to say? My bedroom was wrecked. I took a long, careful look at the damage before staring back to the dragon, mouth still carrying a handful of the blanket.
His eyes glistened looking up to us before it unfurled its wings, previously hidden beneath his scales.
"Close the door!" Hajime quickly ordered, which I didn't think twice to obey, slamming it behind us right as the dragon took flight.
Unsteady, and yet fast, the creature was hurting at us, and rather than attempting to stop it with my bare hands, I moved aside just in time before he collided with the door.
But rather than fall, his sharp claws dug into the wood frame and he gave another flap of his wings in the struggle.
"Maybe we should get a leash," Hajime finally exhaled when it seemed to have calmed down.
"Right..."
Now that the adrenaline was finally dropping, I quickly remembered what we had just been talking about.
Out of all the things I could have said; A better life, a cleaner home, maybe a talent, maybe to feel welcome in the town, why did I have to I wanted Hajime?
I didn't stop him as he started to shuffle around through my drawers. It wasn't like there was anything to hide, but maybe he could find something to use as a makeshift leash somehow.
Knowing Hajime, of course he'd manage something.
While he was looking, I slowly reached out and set my hand atop the dragon's head, trying to pet it to keep it calm as well.
It probably wasn't practical to leave a wild animal in my bedroom when I left my house for so long in hindsight, but I didn't imagine it would cause as much chaos as it had.
It was still just a baby!
Suddenly, Hajime gave an "Aha!" before he pulled something out of one of my drawers. "Good thing you had some rope here," He held it up.
I had no memory of ever-
"Right, just my emergency rope!" I gave a thumbs up, but still questioned it in the back of my mind. What other weird stuff was shoved in my drawers that I forgot about?
I stepped aside as Hajime moved close and carefully tied the end of it around the dragon's neck, making for a proper leash.
"Alright," He gave an exhausted breath when it was firmly in place before pulling the animal off the door. "Let's go around the back way through the hills this time. It's getting antsy, I don't think we can wait until night."
The hills would be more of a challenge and would make for a longer walk, but they circled around the town, which meant it was possible to make it to the forest from my home. At least this time, I felt lucky my house was closer to the outskirts, going that route without being noticed wouldn't have been possible if I were in the middle of town like the majority of houses.
He pulled the bedroom door open, but didn't meet my eyes.
Did I really mess up this time?
"Ah, Hajime, about what I said-"
"We can't afford to waste time," He quickly cut me off. "We can talk later."
It was so rushed, I nearly felt shut down.
Still, I followed behind, Hajime carrying the dragon in tow.
When he made it out the door, the boy swiftly pulled open his coat and hid the creature beneath it. Obviously noticeable it was hiding, but if anyone saw, they couldn't directly see what.
The sun beat down on my neck, yet the northern breeze made me shiver before I had the chance to feel the warmth.
I could only hope Hajime knew where he was going, because I had never used the back hills to go to the forest before.