"What in all of Abyss is that?! And why is it in my room?!"

The black dragon hissed, red eyes glaring at the teenager. Elliot swore, drawing his sword with a dramatic flourish. Leo pouted, crossing his arms over his chest as Jabberwock reared up on wobbly legs.

"Elliot! Don't be mean to Jabby! He's going to stay with us now!"

The Nightray spluttered, raising his sword higher as if to attack.

"What are you talking about? This thing's a monster!"

A small puff of smoke plumed from the dragon's nostrils and it snorted as if insulted. Elliot yelped; started to bring the sword down but Leo was quicker, grabbing one of the heavy books from the bed. With a swift arm motion, he threw and with unerring aim the encyclopaedia bounced off Elliot's head.

Elliot woke with a pounding headache and the panicked sense of being suffocated. He could feel a heat on his skin and realised with a sickening thought that the dragon was perched on his head. He roared with anger and it hopped away, spiked tail narrowly missing scratching his cheek. He tried to sit up but found he was unable as a set of scaly claws held him down. His sword was annoyingly out of reach and Leo was just standing there. He growled low in his throat.

"Get. It. Off. Me."

Leo didn't move, looking down with an amused smile at where Elliot lay in an ungainly position on the floor, trapped by the dragon sat on his stomach.

"Why? I think he likes you. Look how he waves his wings at you!"

Jabberwock clacked his teeth together violently and Elliot flinched. Did Leo really find that appealing?

"Stop speaking nonsense. Where the hell did you find it? I think it wants to eat me."

Leo considered for a second, with one finger rested on his chin.

"Eat you? Why ever would he want to do that? You're not that tasty, Elliot. Dinah on the other hand..."

Elliot jerked at that, looking around quickly to check if the kitten was around or not. Thankfully, she seemed to have gone out and he breathed a sigh of relief before turning back to Leo.

"It's not eating the cat! That silly Vessalius girl will cry if it eats her. Get it out of here! Now!"

He made another attempt to pull the chain off him and eventually succeeded in loosening the claws enough to jerk free. The dragon curled up into a ball near Leo's feet, glaring at Elliot through the coil of its tail.

"Shush, now. You've scared him, raising your voice like that! That's mean, Elliot." He leaned down and petting Jabberwock's scaly back. "There, there he didn't mean it! Don't listen to him, Jabby. Elli's just no good at showing his love!"

Elliot raised an eyebrow at that and took a hasty step backwards as the dragon hissed at him again. He was about to object again when Leo spoke again in a wheedling tone.

"Please, Elliot?"

And then Leo looked at him with those eyes he could never refuse and he knew he couldn't say no.

Dammit.