( A.N. Hi, its Itachikitsune. This is my first American Dragon Jake Long fanfiction. Takes place after Hong Kong Longs. Honestly, I keep asking myself why I haven't written one fanfic for this particular section. This fic is a way to say its finally summer vacation after months of academic torture. Anyway, I hope you like it.)
Instinctual Connections
Jake bolted upright for the seventh time in two months, the familiar layer of sweat covering his body like an uncomfortable blanket. He didn't understand what was going on, just that he needed to go to his grandpa's shop. There was an underlying feeling of pain that became more pronounced the longer he laid there. It was like separation was his enemy, and the unfamiliar feeling of longing was driving him nuts. He quickly shut and locked his bedroom door before shifting into his dragon form. He thought whatever was going on would subside with the release of his dragon side, but it seemed to make it worse. The separation became sheer agony and Jake wondered if he'd be able to make the flight all the way to grandpa's shop.
Jake calmed himself down with a soft breath and harshly shoved his tidal wave like emotions to the back of his mind. He slid open his window and took off for his grandpa's shop. Meanwhile, Lao Shi took a key out of his pocket. He was standing in front of a door in the back room of his shop. He never thought he'd actually have use for this room until now. The emotions from his grandson were almost consuming him and he wondered if the young dragon would make it over to the store. He knew what it was, the feeling that separation was dangerous. It was was his developing connection to his student finally coming to a head. All dragon masters have a slight connection with their student that would eventually grow into a life-long emotional and physical bond.
The students felt it as soon as they started training with their dragon masters, though they usually didn't understand, or know, what it was. All they knew was that they had an almost subconscious tie with their teacher. One that let them know that even if they were in trouble with their masters, they were still wanted and loved by them. Many times a student would wonder if they loved or if one of their stunts had pushed their master too far. Often, students would trudge away from their masters after a bout of brashness, thinking they were nothing more then disregarded pieces of cobblestone. Only for their masters to reassure them that they were wanted, no matter what they did.
Lao Shi walked out to the front of his store and waited for his grandson. No sooner had he sat down, did Jake come flying through one of the store's many windows. He stared at Lao Shi and said man could see the struggle in his eyes of weather to stay dragon or return to his human counterpart. " Come here Jake. For this conversation, you need to be human." said Lao Shi. Jake with some difficulty, shifted back into his human form and landed on the floor. He straightened from his crouch and walked over to his grandfather. He was still sitting and Jake stopped in front of him. He dropped to his knees and moved between his grandfather's legs. It'd look weird to any outsider that saw it but this was comfortable to Jake and his grandfather. It was a submissive position, one that Jake would often take if he was with his grandfather. Usually, submission meant that one was being forced to cower under another in order to prove that they weren't trying to take a position of power.
What Jake was doing, the way he was presenting himself, was freely done. This type of submission was one brought on by a foundation of trust. Jake had nothing to fear when he was like this, as he knew his grandfather would protect him from anything. He rested his head on his grandfather's legs and Lao Shi rested a hand on the top of his head. Gentle, but firm pressure kept Jake from raising his head to examine his grandfather's expressions as he often did while they talked.
" What is going on? For these last few months, I've been feeling like I'm only half here when I'm away from you. Its like half of me has to stay here or I'll go insane." said Jake. " Little One, it is our bond doing this." said Lao Shi calmly. " What bond? I didn't even know we had one." said Jake. " When we first started training, and you got to know me as someone other then your grandpa, didn't you notice a slight connection between us? Like a ribbon tying us together?" asked Lao Shi.
