Chapter Text
Three years later
Neil stood up from the wild explosion of plants that made up his garden and fondly pushed their stalks away from his face. The wind was picking up and sending them swaying, and he could feel a gentle warmth under his skin starting to grow. He looked up to the bright summer sky and smiled as he watched a bird-like shape swooping closer and closer to him.
His husband was coming home.
Neil tied his long hair back once more and idly picked out the occasional stray leaf and flower that clung to him. He weaved and wended his way through the emerald riot of his garden, plucking a flower here and a fruit there with the intuition of a powerless witch who devoted all his time these days to the careful stewardship of the plants in his care. Andrew had encouraged him with his garden in those fragile first weeks when Neil set foot back in his home, a very different man from the witch who had left it so long before. For while Neil could no longer charm a twist of herbs or set enchantment on the wind, he knew more about the earth and its plants and rhythms and motions than any mundane person could ever hope to dream of. He couldn’t make a magical poultice, but he could sure as sunshine make one to draw out infection and encourage healing with nothing more than the natural power of his plants.
It had been a long two months, on his own in his little house on the edge of a nameless frontier town. He’d had his work with Katelyn and Aaron to keep him busy with tending to the town’s illnesses and emergencies, and he sometimes helped Roland tend the bar on the busiest nights. He had a small den of foxes living at the end of his garden, and the cubs often snuck into his house to keep him company when his nightmares were too vivid and his dreams too disturbed, pushing their soft noses under his hands and pressing against him for comfort. He wasn’t lonely, but he was very glad to see Andrew winging his way back home once more, after spending the time tending to his flock and helping Wymack rebuild the dragonlands, one nesting season and one egg at a time.
The emerald-shining young dragon flying circles down towards him let out an ululating cry of joy and love, and Neil cupped his hands around his mouth to let his own song carry out to her, and her passenger both. The dragon let out a triumphant plume of flame and hurtled down towards the ground. Dewdrop landed in the field across from Neil’s home, prancing proudly through the long grass at her achievement even as Neil jogged over to her. He laughed and rubbed his hands over her smoking muzzle in greeting while she blew puffs of smoke at him and rubbed against his chest to get his scent.
“Hello, Dewdrop,” Neil smiled fondly, calling back to her with the song of a parent greeting their child. “I missed you too.”
Andrew dismounted from the saddle between her wing joints with a thump, staggering a little as he regained his land-legs and calmed the nausea Neil knew flying so high always gave him.
“One day I’m going to sneak up on you,” Andrew muttered, his voice as warm and beautifully familiar as ever.
Neil grinned at him. “Not a chance, with this noisy young thing flying you about.”
Andrew snorted amusement and stepped up close to fold Neil into his arms, holding him so tight and secure. Neil sank into him with relief, clutching him back just as tightly in mingled hello and welcome. Their kiss was slow and longing, months of separation making everything seem delicate and wondrous. Andrew pushed a little of his magic to dance in Neil’s body, and Neil sighed in sweet relief at the feeling of it, of feeling at home and complete once more with Andrew holding him and magic in his grasp once more.
When they could bring themselves to part just long enough to walk inside their house, Andrew reached up with one hand to touch the hazel scale suspended and gently swinging in the doorway. His dragon-scale charm rang out a note, clear as a bell, and stilled once more.
Home at last.