"We did it!" And Zeno looks as exhausted as someone roughly his age should look, clothes all tattered and even frayed at the edges, breathless as if the fight stole even breathing away from him. Where blood drips down him, yellow scales clamor and shine under the fading light of the sun. He looks beaten down, and yet he smiles.
Somehow Shin-Ah doesn't know what to think but feel awe that his friend can somehow come out of a fight with a genuine smile, that if that were all you could see, you wouldn't imagine the yellow scales littering his skin or the blood or the clothes that are falling apart where people have slashed and attacked him.
Shin-Ah nods, because what other words are there to say? He doesn't know of them.
"It's good now." Zeno smiles and comes closer, and Shin-Ah briefly wonders what scales feel like, if they make it hard to walk, though with how quickly Zeno moves on his feet with them, they can't be tough or too hard. Just it seems like an odd reality, but Shin-Ah doesn't ask. The fact that Yona never has scales and Zeno only has scales some of the time at least makes Shin-Ah feel not so alone.
And when Zeno stops before him, it's like the sun is glittering through his eyes, he looks so happy! Blue dashed with gold from the setting sun as if Zeno is all sunshine now, and he holds out his fist. It isn't an open hand, but maybe it will open in a second.
Zeno's quick with it, maybe the scales that shimmer just past it is the reason for the speed or the brilliance of his smile as if he's saying, we did it! We won!
So, Shin-Ah remembers Yona, and he holds out his hand, quick to meet Zeno's, though he can't imagine what that will be like. And then, Zeno's fist touches his hand, not enough to hurt, and they both stop and kind of stare at each other.
"Oh." It's like some of the shimmery light of Zeno has faded for a second, before he somehow flips that light switch back on, and he pulls Shin-Ah close in a tight hug that nearly sends the tallest of them to the ground. Zeno has a stronger grip than Shin-Ah had ever realized, and when Zeno pulls away from the hug, patting Shin-Ah's shoulder, there's a grin that reminds Shin-Ah of little, tiny lessons or of bouts of mischief. Age has definitely not slowed the Yellow Dragon down any.
"Let's try this." Zeno holds out his fist, so Shin-Ah experimentally holds up his, because clearly a handshake wasn't what Zeno was after earlier.
Zeno taps his hand against Shin-Ah's gentle as a mouse's touch.
"Like this?" So, Shin-Ah reaches out his fist and taps Zeno, a little nervous that he'd tap the other too hard.
"Yes!" Zeno grins, wide as the sun, "Yeah, it's called a fist bump."
So Zeno reaches out and Shin-Ah meets it this time, and it seems odd to realize they are both moving towards each other, like the goal is just to not quite overpower the other.
"Why?" Shin-Ah asks, battle long since forgotten now.
"To show excitement." Zeno offers, "Or victory.'
"Oh." Shin-Ah mutters, and if the next time he sees Hak, the other looks confused when Shin-Ah goes for a fist bump so be it. Hak deserves a little victory shared amongst friends anyway, and Hak, in his own way, is often looking after Shin-Ah too, even if it's different than Zeno does or than Yona does.
Friends are amazing, and the lessons they teach are too.
