Fic: The Dragon's Destiny [Sakito x Hiyori x Junji, NC-17]

[puss_nd_boots]

Title: The Dragon’s Destiny
Chapter: Standalone.
Author: Boots
Rating: NC-17
Genre: Urban fantasy, romance, drama
Warning: Threesome (with simultaneous oral and anal), deepthroating, dirty talk
Pairing: Sakito (Nightmare/Jakigan Meister) x Hiyori (Kiryu) x Junji (Kiryu)
Disclaimer: Kiryu is property of BP Records, Nightmare is property of Avex, I own the story only.
Summary: Junji, the grandson of a dragon god, is sent to the human world to help some rebel broadcasters who are helping fight a corrupt government. But things get complex when he realizes his feelings for the couple who are his new employers might go beyond the friendly.
Comments: For the July challenge at vkyaoi, which calls for fics focused on drummers, and for the Double Penetration square of my Season of Kink card. (See other, more spoileriffic notes at the end of the fic)

At the bottom of the Sea of Japan, in a grand palace made of red and white coral, the dragon kami Ryujin lived in splendor. He was, while underwater, pretty much like human artworks depicted him – a long, majestic sea serpent with glittering claws and a large head with an even larger mouth. Even other kami noted that he had a rather impressive appearance.

Ryujin was also in possession of two magical items of such power that even other deities regarded them with awe – the tide-controlling jewels, two large spheres of a silvery substance. The Kanju made the tides ebb, the Manju made them flow. He could use them to cause floods or prevent them, to punish enemies or to save the deserving. Their use was always carried out with the utmost seriousness and care.

But even though he was renowned and revered as a massive dragon of immense power, Ryujin could also take another form when he visited dry land – he could shapeshift into a human. It was a form he took of his own choosing. Kami were usually divided when it came to the subject of the beings they had accidentally created – one faction was pro-human, believing they had potential to be truly noble beings and the kami should give them help when needed; another considered them merely annoying bugs that should be allowed to simply destroy themselves with their own stupidity.

The dragon god fell very much in the pro-human camp. He liked them a lot. He found it fascinating how much they’d manage to accomplish without the aid of magic – cities, medicine, even flying machines. Of course, sometimes human progress did need a little nudge – and that’s when Ryujin and his family came in.

He didn’t go up to the surface much himself anymore – even gods can feel their age sometimes, and Ryujin was a very, very old one indeed, almost as old as the sea itself. But his children and grandchildren were very much able to help. Which is why Ryujin maintained a crew of oracles, blobby-looking sea creatures with incredibly powerful psychic abilities.

It was the job of the oracles to scan the human world for anyone in need of magical assistance. When they found someone, they would then scan the minds of Ryujin’s extended family, looking for the dragon who had the ability to solve the problem. That dragon was then dispatched to the surface, in human form.

The most famous case of that involved Ryujin’s eldest daughter, Otohime. She was sent to earth to bring comfort to a lonely prince, Hoori. They ended up marrying and having a child, who grew up to be the father of the first emperor of Japan.

Most cases of dragon intervention were not quite that radical – but there were many, many incidents where they had subtly influenced the course of history, where they did little things that ultimately bore big fruit.

Such was the case when one particular oracle came up to the kami one day and whispered in his ear. Ryujin looked surprised.

“Him?” he said. “Are you sure? He’s not exactly the most obvious choice for a mission, you know.”

The blobby creature bobbed up and down in the water, its way of nodding in the affirmative. Yes, it was definitely him.

“Fine,” Ryujin said. “I just hope that you are right.” He turned to one of his tortoise servants. “Fetch my grandson Junji,” he said. “And be quick about it. This might be a matter of utmost importance.”

* * *

Junji had just been poking around his family’s section of the palace, not doing much, when the servant arrived to summon him into the kami’s presence.

“Really?” the young dragon said. “He wants ME to talk to him?” He paused. “I hope it’s not because of that wrecked column in the ballroom. That really wasn’t my fault. It was cracked anyway – I just bumped into it.”

He was increasingly anxious, however, as he was led to the throne room. He wasn’t exactly the kind of dragon that got summoned for anything BUT being in trouble. There wasn’t much remarkable about him – well, except for his affinity for humans. He went on shore quite a bit, renting an apartment for a few months, having affairs with humans, sometimes even taking jobs in places like conbini and karaoke parlors just to observe people and feel what it was to be one of them.

Maybe I’ve been going to the surface TOO much, he thought. That could be why I’m in trouble.

When he got to his grandfather’s throne room, he bowed his head to the floor. “All Hail the Great Kami Ryujin,” he said.

“You can rise, Junji,” his grandfather said. “I have an important task for you.”

Well, that wasn’t what he expected to hear. “For me?”

“I was just as surprised as you, but the oracles said you’re the man for the job. Tell me, are you familiar with the nation of Yasaka?”

“That’s . . . that island across from Japan, right?”

“Yes. Yasaka used to be a part of Japan. They broke away in the years leading up until the Second World War because they disagreed with the military’s tactics. When they formed their own nation, things went well at first – but they fell on hard times economically, and soon, tyrants seized control of the country.”

Junji looked baffled. “I can’t free a country from tyrants,” he said.

“No one person or god can,” Ryujin said. “It’s a series of little changes that bring about big ones. And you are to help bring about one little change.” A glowing orb that looked like an enormous pearl floating toward Junji. “This is where you are going,” the kami said.

Junji studied it. It looked like an enormous, round box on wooden stilts in the middle of the ocean. “What the hell is that?” he said.

“The oracle said it is ‘a voice in the chorus of the people that cannot be silenced.’ That is your mission – to keep the voice from being silenced.”

“I . . . don’t understand. Did the oracle give you any more information?”

“They never do,” Ryujin replied. “That is up for the person running the mission to find out.”

“Real helpful, aren’t they?” Junji said, sarcastically.

“You will have a smaller orb with you,” Ryujin said. “It will give you small amounts of information as needed.” The orb floated in front of Junji. “Now, go – I will teleport you to the surface immediately.”

“Can’t I have a moment to tell my friends where I am . . .”

“Go,” Ryujin replied. “I will inform anyone who needs to know. There is no time to waste.”

And suddenly, it felt like all the ocean was swirling around Junji in a vortex of color and movement. He was overwhelmed with a sense of intense vertigo, and felt a strong urge to wrap his tail around something, anything, and anchor himself.

Just when he thought he was going to be sick, the whirling stopped – and he found himself lying on a beach, near the peculiar tower he saw in the orb.

“Well, this won’t do, will it?” he murmured. He quickly shapeshifted into his human form, because if anyone saw a dragon lying on the beach, they’d most likely freak out and call the authorities. Then he quickly put clothing on his human form – imagining a very sharp-looking blue shirt, black pants and cool boots, which then manifested on his body – because if humans saw a naked man, they’d freak out even more.

He looked up at the tower. “What the hell IS this thing?” he asked out loud. “How can THIS be the voice of the people?” The orb floated up next to him. “Okay, orb,” he said. “If you’re supposed to give me info, what is that tower?”

“That is Radio Muteki,” the orb said in a flat voice. “One of several pirate radio stations.”

Muteki – that was the word for “invincible” in the human language spoken in Japan and Yasaka. Obviously, these people have a high opinion of themselves, Junji thought. “Who are these pirates and why are they running a radio station?”

“Not pirates. Pirate radio. Broadcasters not licensed by the government of Yasaka, broadcasting non-government approved music and information. Some are on ships, some in old military forts, all in international waters.”

“International waters?” Junji said. “Well, okay, that makes sense.” International waters – five kilometers or more offshore – were owned by nobody but Ryujin himself and his family. No country’s laws had jurisdiction over them. If these pirate radio facilities were in international waters, broadcasting into Yasaka, the government couldn’t do anything about it, legally – and if they tried, they’d most likely be brought up before the United Nations and sanctioned.

Pretty ingenious, these radio pirates, Junji thought. So how come they need MY help?

At that moment, a small motorboat pulled up on the shore. Two men got out of it – one with pink hair, the other tall, thin, and lanky. And both of them, Junji couldn’t help but noticing, were extremely good-looking.

They both froze at the sight of him. “An inspector?” the pink haired one said.

“He’s not wearing the uniform,” the tall man said.

“You think they would? They know we’re tipped off to them now! Does he have a measuring stick?”

If they’re so worried about inspectors, Junji thought, they must have come from that . . . tower thing. He walked toward them. “Hey, hey, I’m not here to inspect anything,” he said. “I’m here to help you.”

“It’s a trap,” the pink-haired man said, starting to push the boat in the water. “Get in, right away!”

“No, don’t!” Junji shouted. “I mean it, I’m here to help!”

“Yeah, right,” the pink haired man said. “That’s what they told King Radio before they dragged those guys off in the middle of the night. Sakito, let’s get out of here!”

“Wait!” Junji saw them start to push the boat back out into the water. He couldn’t let them get away – not if they were the center of his mission! He stuck his hand out in front of him, palm facing the water, and concentrated . . .

The water pulled out from under their boat and pulled back and up, until it was forming a vertical wall of water in front of them.

The two just stared at it for a moment. Then they both turned toward Junji, slowly.

“Did you do that?” the one apparently called Sakito said.

“Yes,” Junji said. “And I can do this, too.” He made the wall of water rise higher, grow taller, until it was towering over the two.

The pink haired man looked terrified. He kept glancing from the wall of water to Junji. “Who . . . who are you?”

“My name is Junji,” he said. “I was sent by Ryujin, the kami of the ocean. He’s my grandfather.”

“Your . . . your GRANDFATHER?” The pink-haired man nearly fell on the floor.

“But Ryujin is a myth,” Sakito said. “And even if he wasn’t a myth, he’s a dragon!”

“He’s no myth. He IS a dragon. So am I, when I’m underwater.”

“Holy shit.” The shorter man looked like he was going to faint. “Holy shit, holy . . .”

“I don’t mean to scare you, um . . .” Junji looked at the orb. “What’s his name?”

“Isshiki Hiyori,” the orb said. “And the tall one is Sakaguchi Takahiro, though he’s commonly called Sakito.”

Hiyori ran behind Sakito and tried to hide himself. “WHAT IS THAT THING AND HOW DOES IT KNOW OUR NAMES?” he shouted.

“It’s an orb,” Junji said. “My grandfather gave it to me to supply me with information. And if it knows your names? That means you’re the people I was sent here to help!”

“What?” Sakito said. “Are you telling me a dragon god sent his grandson here to help . . .” He looked almost as panicked as Hiyori. “We’re just a pirate radio station!”

“OFFSHORE!” Hiyori shouted. “We call ourselves an offshore station, remember? Pirates is the name that THEY gave to us!”

“I take it THEY are your government?” Junji said.

Hiyori glanced around. “Look, we can’t talk about this in public. Let us get the supplies that we came onshore to buy, and then we’ll take you back to the fort with us, okay?”

“Fort?” Junji said. “Is THAT what it is?”

“An abandoned military fort,” Hiyori said. “There’s a few of them still standing. They were built by the military in World War II as lookout posts – just in case Japan invaded Yasaka and tried to take it back. They were abandoned about 50 years ago. They’ve all been claimed by offshore radio stations under squatters’ rights.”

“Interesting,” Junji said. I have to make sure the thing is safe, he thought. If I’m supposed to help them, I can’t have it collapsing into the ocean.

So, he mused, if they have an illegal radio station, this must be what was meant by “a voice of the chorus of the people that cannot be silenced.” But if they’re safely in international waters, why would they be silenced – and what could I do to help them?

* * *

He waited on the shore until the two men arrived with huge shopping bags and put them in the boat. They went back to the street and got more, then still more.

“That’s about a week’s worth of rations,” Hiyori said. “Give or take a few days.”

“Unless someone eats too much,” Sakito said.

“You don’t eat enough, my love,” Hiyori said. “And that’s your problem.”

Junji didn’t miss the endearment. “So, I take it you’re a couple?”

“Going on two years now,” Hiyori said. “Almost as long as we’ve been running this thing.” He got in the boat and held out a hand to help Junji into it as well. When Junji touched it, he noticed it felt warm, soft, and just overall nice.

Damn, he thought. The two hotties are involved with each other. I don’t know who to be more jealous of.

The boat took off for the tower, Junji sitting behind the two of them, watching the wooden structure approach. “We’re going to have to make several trips to bring everything upstairs,” Hiyori shouted.

“No, you won’t,” Junji shouted back. “I can take care of it for you.”

“How could you do that?” Hiyori said.

“Just watch.”

The boat pulled up by one of the fort’s legs, where there was a small dock. A staircase inside the leg led upward, to the main body of the building.

“A long climb for you, isn’t it?” Junji said.

“Too long,” Hiyori said.

“Well, you won’t have to do that, either. Give me a moment.”

He held out his hand again, and a small wave of water shot out from the ocean, wrapped itself around the supply bags like a lasso, and lifted them upward, dropping them on the deck that surrounded the barrel structure. “There!”

“Whoa,” Sakito said. “I still don’t know how you do that.”

“It’s my power,” Junji said. “I can manipulate small amounts of water. I can make them freeze solid so they can hold and carry people or things. I can’t control the tides, though. That’s my grandfather’s thing.”

“Aren’t the bags going to be wet?” Hiyori said, looking upward.

“Nope. I had the water retreat from them entirely and not leave anything behind. And now . . . I’m going to put YOU up there!”

Before either could object, another wave of water wrapped around all three of them, lifting them in the air and setting them down gently on the deck next to the bags. Hiyori let out a rollercoaster-like scream the whole time they were traveling, and when they were dropped, he collapsed to the floor, breathing a sigh of relief.

“It’s going to take awhile to get used to this,” he said.

“You will,” Junji said. “I promise.”

“Can you do us a favor?” Sakito said. “Can you not tell any of our colleagues what you are – you know, the dragon thing - unless it’s necessary? We don’t want to freak them out.”

“Not a problem,” Junji said. “Far as anyone’s concerned, I’m a new hire. I’m just here to do general office work. Is that okay?”

“Um . . . CAN you do general office work?” Sakito said.

“Sure! This isn’t the first job I’ve held in the human world,” Junji replied.

“Well, then . . .” Hiyori took keys out of his pocket and unlocked a door set in the wall. “Welcome to Radio Muteki. It isn’t the height of luxury, but it’s home.”

The three of them stepped into a plain wooden corridor, although there was carpeting on the floors. “Carpet?” Junji said.

“Muffles sound,” Sakito said. “We don’t want anything going out over the air that shouldn’t be going out.”

They walked to a large door at the end of the hall which had a lit-up red sign over it that said “ON AIR.” When it went off, Hiyori said, “Oh, good, it’s a break.” He opened the door to reveal a room full of electronic equipment and racks of CDs. “And here, you have one of the most impressive libraries of swing music in East Asia,” he said. “Yes, that’s what we specialize in – swing music, old and new. This is one of our other deejays, Ni-ya.” He indicated the man sitting behind the console, who had a pleasant, roundish face and chin-length black hair with blue streaks.

“Hi!” the man said. “New blood?”

“This is Junji,” Hiyori said.

“Tokai Junji,” Junji said, bowing. He’d been using a full, inconspicuous name in the human world for awhile now. “How come you broadcast from up here, anyway? Couldn’t your announcers do their shows from land and just send it up here by Internet?”

“You’re from Japan, aren’t you?” Ni-ya said.

“Um . . . yes?” Junji said.

“Okay, pirate radio 101,” Ni-ya said. “I don’t know what they told you when you came over here, but this isn’t a glamorous opportunity in broadcasting. It’s hard work for a good cause. We broadcast from here because our Internet is restricted and monitored. They would know if you were doing a radio show from home.”

“I see,” Junji said. It was becoming increasingly obvious that everyone referred to the government as only THEY.

“We have a rotating staff of four other announcers who live up here part-time and alternate shows with the two of us,” Hiyori said. “Right now, Ni-ya and Mitsuki are up here. When they leave, Takemasa and Ruka will come. We used to have two other guys, Hitsugi and Yomi, but they bailed.” He looked over at Ni-ya and said, “We’ll get out of your hair so you can go live again.”

Ni-ya waved. “Later!” he said. “Good to meet you!”

“Where do you all live, anyway?” Junji said after they left the studio.

“There’s living quarters in the basement. One bedroom for Sakito and I, one each for whoever’s on the air with us at the moment, one spare room – which is where we’re putting you.”

“And you two are here full-time?”

“This place is our baby,” Sakito said. “We never leave it, except to get supplies.” He opened another door. “This is the production studio, where we put together promos and ads. Yes, we have ads – mostly from hip businesses who aren’t afraid of the government. That will be your job, mostly – running contracts to the advertisers and bringing back ad copy.”

“And over here is the mess area,” Hiyori said, opening yet another door to reveal a stove, an oven, a microwave and a refrigerator, all looking salvaged from other, more respectable businesses that had thrown them out. The table and chairs, meanwhile, looked like discarded family furniture from past decades. “Down the hall is the lounge – some couches and a TV with video games.”

“Plus radios to monitor the competition,” Sakito said.

And then, Hiyori pulled all three of them into the mess area and shut the door. “And there’s one more thing . . .” he said.

“Hmm?” Junji said.

“Our biggest reason for being here,” Hiyori said. “Our biggest role – and the one we have to be most careful about.” He paused. “We pass coded messages on to the resistance organizations.”

“The store where we just got supplies?” Sakito said. “It’s run by leaders of one of the biggest groups. They always pass us a packet that looks like a package of meat, but it’s got the latest codes in it. They sound like random things a deejay might say between songs – like, ‘If you see a stranger on the street today, smile and make a friend’ – but the resistance fighters know the real meaning of them.”

“If we were to be taken off the air,” Hiyori said, “they’d lose their lifeline.”

“But, if you’re in offshore waters . . .”

The couple looked at each other. “They’re trying to find a way around that,” Sakito said. “They keep sending government officials out with measuring instruments, and taking aerial photos of our forts. They’re trying to prove any way they can that we’re NOT as in international waters as we claim.”

“So far, they’ve tried to drag another station into court,” Hiyori said. “They said that there was an outcropping of rock less than five kilometers between their station and the shore – but it was proven to be floating debris, not a rock mass. They promised all of us they would try again.”

“We’re just waiting for them to have a tactic that sticks,” Sakito said. “And when that happens . . . we might not be able to beat them.”

This is why I’m here, Junji thought. I’m here to help them when the government catches up with them. I’m here to learn about them and their business first . . . and then, use both that knowledge and my powers to save them. But . . . how do I do that?

* * *

Junji’s first week on the radio fort was spent learning the routine and settling in.

The station had live announcers from 6 a.m. to midnight, with an automated system running music and announcements during the overnights. Each announcer handled a four-and-a-half hour shift.

His duties included scheduling commercials and announcements, running errands for announcers on the air, and occasional trips to the shore with the motorboat to visit advertisers and bring back supplies.

He also opened the mail that the station received from a boat that went around from one pirate radio station to another, delivering sacks of envelopes and packages. Traditional mail was the only way their listeners could communicate with them, given the monitored Internet situation.

“Who are Jakigan Meister and Panty Hiwai?” he asked his new employers.

“Oh, that’s us,” Sakito said. “Our on-air names. Nobody in pirate radio uses their own names – you might get arrested.”

“So . . . you make up silly names like that?”

“You want memorable names,” Sakito replied. “You want to make sure people remember your station. Unique DJ names is one way to do that.”

The most important thing about that week, though, was that he got to know Sakito and Hiyori better. He liked them – genuinely. They were completely devoted to what they did.

“I started out in one of the government-run broadcasting schools,” Hiyori said. “I used to hear people on the state radio stations all the time, and I thought that was what I wanted to be. But then, before I graduated, I heard Radio Tokiko – the first pirate station – and I realized that was REALLY what I wanted to do. They had so much freedom – and they were making a difference.”

“I kind of came to this from the other end,” Sakito said. “I was a member of one of the anti-government rebel groups – even though I was a trust fund kid.”

“Your dad is rich?” Junji said.

“More like what we call an oligarch,” Sakito replied. “A billionaire who controls the government with money. That just allowed me to see from the inside how corrupt the government was, and why it had to go. I saw one of the rebel groups handing out pamphlets on the street, and I asked how I could join them. Working with them led me to Radio Progressive – which is where I met this guy.”

“Both of us had our first jobs at a pirate station there,” Hiyori said. “We clicked right away, and we decided to use his family’s money to start this place. We knew there was a radio fort available.”

“And with my father’s contacts, we were able to get some more investors,” Sakito said. “A few very wealthy Japanese people who wanted to see us fight the power, mostly.”

“So, we got the equipment, set up shop and we’ve been at it ever since,” Hiyori said. “And I can’t see doing anything different.” He leaned over and took Sakito’s hand. “With anyone different.”

Junji smiled. “You’re lucky,” he said. They truly were a beautiful couple – and, dammit, he was still attracted to them both. That was the hardest thing about being a dragon among humans – dragons didn’t have the human tradition that all relationships involve two people and be monogamous. As long as your partner was okay with it, it was fine to sleep with someone else, or bring another partner into the relationship.

Well, he thought, they’re a human couple, and I’ll respect that. Especially since I don’t want to come between their relationship. They’re too happy.

For the other deejays he spun a tale about being a frustrated Japanese radio station trainee unable to find a permanent station job in his homeland – so he came to Yasaka, chasing stories about opportunities at pirate radio stations. They definitely bought his tale – they’d seen a lot of people like that.

“Most of them last less than a week,” Ni-ya said. “At least you’re making an effort at it.”

“That’s because I believe in what I do,” Junji said. “And I truly want to help.”

In the evenings, before he went to sleep, he would try to get information from the orb about what his true purpose was and what kind of danger might be facing Sakito and Hiyori. The orb wasn’t forthcoming with anything, though. It kept saying, “You will know when the time comes.”

“But what do I look for? What do I warn them about?”

“I told you . . . you will know.”

Will I? he thought. How will I recognize danger for them when I’m not even sure what form that danger will take?

* * *

Junji found himself falling into a routine quite easily over the next few weeks. He would get up, head to the mess hall for breakfast, and then make his way into the studios and production room to find out what needed to be brought to shore, and get lists of things that needed to be brought to the fort.

He took the boat to the shore – which seemed like a rather primitive form of travel to him, it would be far easier to transform into dragon form, but he didn’t want to attract undue attention. He ran his errands, always keeping his eyes and ears peeled for anything unusual.

The mood on shore, he found, was that of people trying to go about normal daily lives – working, shopping, going to parks or the theater – but there was always a palpable tension. The people spoke in hushed voices. They always looked over their shoulders. And if anyone wearing any kind of military uniform was in the vicinity, they barely spoke at all, and they walked with eyes downcast.

“People are terrified of the government,” Sakito told Junji one day as they sat in the rec room, sorting a big bag of laundry Junji had just brought from the laundromat. “They’ve invaded every aspect of people’s private lives. There’s been talk of people disappearing in the night if they speak out openly against the government on the country’s soil.”

“And that’s why the rebel groups are there?” Junji said.

“The rebel groups are working in secret to gather information on the government,” Sakito said. “They’re going to use it to bring them down any way they can – both by armed attack on government strongholds and by enlightening the rest of the world about their crimes. When we give the code phrases on the air at a certain time, we’re communicating with the groups to tell them where and when to meet – each member has a list of what certain phrases mean.”

Those phrases, it seemed, had to be uttered at just the right time – the announcers would watch the clocks carefully, making sure they slipped them into their patter at exactly 9:05 a.m., or 7:40 p.m., inserting them smoothly so casual listeners would have no idea.

On one particular day, Sakito had a cold, but went on the air anyway – after taking a heavy dose of cold medicine.

“You know that makes you drowsy!” Hiyori told him beforehand.

“I’ll be fine,” Sakito said. “I’ve been on air with this stuff before!”

Except when Junji quietly slipped into the studio when Sakito had a song on the air, he saw the deejay leaning backward in his chair, eyes closed, snoring quietly. Crap, Junji thought. And then, he looked at the log – the list of what was supposed to be on the air when - on the counter in front of the announcer. There was supposed to be a coded announcement for the rebel groups in about two minutes.

“Sakito?” Junji shook him, gently. “Sakito?” No response. Whatever he had taken, it had him out like a light.

Well, he thought, only one thing to do. I know how to turn on the mike, at least, and bring the next song up on the screen. I can do it.

When the song that was playing ended, he pushed the button to open the mike. “You’re tuned to the Kings of Swing, Radio Muteki. If nobody else has said it to you today, we want to be the first to wish you a great afternoon. And now, onward with the music . . .”

He breathed a sigh of relief as the next song started playing and he closed the mike. Whew, he thought. I got the message through. Now, if I could only wake Sakito up . . .

Hiyori suddenly burst into the studio. “Who was that?” he said.

“It was me,” Junji said. “Sakito was out cold. I had to do the announcement.”

Hiyori sighed. “I TOLD him not to take that stuff,” he said. He leaned over and tapped his lover on the shoulder. “Sakito? Sakito, get up.”

Sakito stirred and let out an unintelligible mumble.

“I’m going to have to get some black coffee into him,” Hiyori said. “Can you watch the console for a few minutes?”

“Not a problem!” Junji said. Holy crap, he thought, when they left the room, I’ve been promoted to deejay. He looked around at the equipment, at the display screens, at the microphones . . .

Okay, he thought, I can do this. No harder than using magic, right?

And he proceeded to read announcements and commercials, play songs and promos, just following the list in front of him. This is easy, he thought. I could do this. I really could do this!

About an hour later, Hiyori came in while he had a song on the air. “He’s flat out cold,” he said. “I read him the riot act for taking that stuff. Thank you so much for covering.” He sat down next to him.

“Not a problem,” Junji said. “It was fun. I wouldn’t mind doing it again.”

“You wouldn’t?”

“Not at all.”

“Well, then, how about we try you out with a show – a short one, just a couple of hours? If it works out, we can give you more.”

“You mean it? Wow!”

“Of course I do. And you need an on-air name. We’ll call you . .. .” He thought a moment. “Pretty Juju.”

Junji laughed. “I love it!” he said.

“It’s settled,” Hiyori said. “You’re officially christened.”

Junji gave him a big smile. “Did you mean the pretty part?” he said. “You think I’m pretty?”

“Of course I meant it,” Hiyori said.

“Good,” Junji said. “Because I think you’re pretty, too.”

“Do all dragons flirt like that?” Hiyori said.

“Just the ones who aren’t afraid to get slapped in the face,” Junji said, teasingly.

It was the beginning of a new career for Junji. He found himself becoming Pretty Juju a couple of times a week, and he was genuinely enjoying it.

But still, the thing that gave him the most pleasure was being around his employers. He spent a lot of time with one or both of them in the lounge, playing table tennis or video games, or sometimes, just drinking wine and talking.

Of course, he couldn’t hide the fact that he was attracted to both of them. He couldn’t help it. They were both gorgeous. Hiyori had a sweet face that was almost feminine. Sakito had a pair of legs that wouldn’t stop. Junji imagined the sex they had together was blazing hot – fortunately or unfortunately, they had enough soundproofing on their bedroom that he couldn’t find out firsthand.

It’s not my fault my human form has so much libido, Junji thought. Indeed, he found himself having fantasies about the two – having Hiyori bent over the kitchen counter and plunging deep into his sweet ass, or being in the bath with Sakito, the two of them kissing hotly as they stroked each other’s erect cocks.

He reigned it in, though. He didn’t want to cause dissention on the fort – or in his employers’ relationship.

There were times, however, when he’d wonder if they were as attracted to him as he was to them. Times when Hiyori would hand him something, and their fingers would touch, and they’d linger much too long . . . or when he caught Sakito looking him over, head to toe, as they inspected safety equipment.

It’s probably my imagination, he thought. But damn, that’s one piece of imagination I’d like to see become a reality.

* * *

One thing he always kept his eyes open for on shore was any sign of government trouble. Fortunately, so far he had seen nothing – or, if there was anything going on, they were so discreet about it that they couldn’t detect it.

That was until the day when he saw two men standing on the beach, just sort of staring at the fort, staring at a tablet one of them was holding, and then staring at the fort again.

He was on his way back to the motorboat when he saw them, bags of supplies in hand. He figured it probably wasn’t a good idea to just take off for the fort right now and just draw attention to himself, and to them.

Instead, he quietly moved behind a sand dune, keeping his ears peeled.

“You sure it’s within the five kilometers?” one man said.

The figure definitely registered as significant for Junji. He remembered Sakito telling him that the government could do nothing to offshore broadcasters as long as they were five kilometers out at sea.

“Oh, it is,” the other man said. “Two and a half kilometers out exactly. We measured twice.”

“And the law is still on the books?”

“Hasn’t changed at all,” said the man holding the tablet, who was looking rather smug. “This will be our test case. If we can haul them into court on this? We not only will stop them from broadcasting, we can use this as a grappling hook to haul in all those other pirate broadcasters.”

What’s two and a half kilometers out? Junji thought. He gazed out toward sea. He could see nothing but water surrounding their fort.

“You realize that your argument might not hold water, you know,” the first man said. “No pun intended. I mean, it only dries out part of the day . . .”

“Doesn’t matter. The law says that if a sand bar dries out within territorial waters at ANY time of the day, it counts as dry land that is owned by the nation of Yasaka. And therefore, their radio fort is only two and a half kilometers from our country – meaning they’re in violation of our laws.”

“You KNOW that the bosses are going to want more aerial photos before they move on this, don’t you?”

“I know. And we’re going to take photos at different times of the day, over a 48-hour period. If dry land shows up at all? We will be there to arrest them the next day. And believe me, I would very much look forward to that happening.”

Oh, crap, Junji thought. Oh, CRAP. They’re on to them, all right. They’ve got something on them. I’ve got to go back, I’ve got to warn them. Of all the dirty goddamn trickery . . .

He waited until the two men had gone, and jumped in the boat, aiming it at the fort and traveling as fast as he could.

* * *

When he arrived back on the fort, he quickly stormed right into the lounge, where Sakito and Hiyori were sitting with a box full of forms, going over advertising deals. They looked up when they saw him enter, and from the expressions on their faces, he could tell they knew something was wrong.

“Junji?” Hiyori said. “What happened?”

“Trouble,” Junji said. “Big, big trouble . . . they’re going to arrest you!”

“WHAT?” the two of them said in unison, leaping to their feet.

“They . . . they said that your fort is two and a half kilometers from a sand bar . . .”

He detailed what he had heard, and Sakito slammed his fist into the table. “Leave it to those fuckers to have a rule like that on the books,” he said. “I mean, what kind of bullshit is that? A sand bar? A fucking SAND BAR? Really?”

“And it’s not like we could move the fort,” Hiyori said. “Or the sand bar. Unless . . .” He looked over at Junji. “This is what you were sent for, wasn’t it?”

Junji took a deep breath. Well, this was the attempt to silence the voice of the people that his grandfather had sent him for, wasn’t it? Except not even a dragon could move a sand bar. And he couldn’t move the fort itself – not without causing substantial damage.

Could I cover the sand bar with water? He thought. I could analyze it, figure out the times of day it was uncovered, then push water over it . . .

Except he didn’t have the power or stamina to just keep pushing and pushing water for 48 hours – which was the period of time when the bastards would be taking their aerial photographs. He doubted even his grandfather could do that just with his own magic.

No, but there was something else his grandfather used, something rare and powerful, that just might be able to help them . . .

“There might be a way I can prevent this,” he said, quietly. “Operative word, MIGHT. It depends on getting my grandfather’s permission for something.”

“How hard would that be?” Hiyori said.

“It depends,” Junji said. “It’s a favor not that many family members ask for. But . . . if I can impress on him that it’s important . . .”

“Can you try?” Sakito said. “At least try? If there’s even a chance . . .”

Hiyori walked over to the window of the lounge. He looked down at the sea below, seeming to be deep in thought.

“We’ve risked everything for this station,” he said. “We’ve put everything we are into it, too. To lose this would be to lose, well . . .” He glanced over his shoulder at Sakito. “Absolutely everything.”

Junji was quiet. The government would definitely take their station, at the very least. They’d probably be thrown in jail, possibly sent to the hard labor camps. They’d be separated, and would lose each other as well as their life’s work.

I can’t let that happen, he thought. And it’s not just about the mission anymore. It’s about them. It’s about their drive and their passion and their spirit. They’re everything I’ve always loved about humans . . . and more.

“I’ll make it happen,” Junji said. “One way or another. You’re not losing your station. I’m going back to my grandfather tonight.”

He walked over to the door that led from the recreation room onto the railing around the fort. He paused, and when he figured nobody was looking, he quickly made the clothing he was wearing dissolve into thin air, then hopped onto the rail, executing a dive toward the ocean. As he fell, his body elongated, the flesh turning to glittering dark blue scales edged with gold, until by the time he hit the water, he was fully in dragon form again.

I won’t come back, he thought, until I have ensured your safety. I promise you.

* * *

Ryujin was shocked when his grandson entered his throne room again. He thought that Junji would be gone for a much longer time. “What is it, boy?” he said. “Have you abandoned your mission? Don’t tell me you’ve dismissed it as hopeless!”

“No, Grandfather,” Junji said. “It is very much active. In fact, it has reached a crisis point – which is why I need a favor.”

The god narrowed his eyes at the younger dragon, skeptically. That wasn’t something his younger family members asked him about very often. “What kind of favor?”

“I need to borrow the Manju. Please.”

His grandfather looked flat-out horrified. Nobody had asked him for the use of the Tide-Flowing Jewel in years. No humans, no dragons, nobody.

“No,” he said. “Absolutely not.”

“But Grandfather, it’s the only way I’m going to succeed! You said their voices can’t be silenced – well, they WILL be silenced if I can’t control the tides! The government is going to use the flow of the tides against them, you understand?”

He explained about the international waters rule, and the sand bar, and he watched his grandfather’s face. Ryujin looked absolutely stoic. He didn’t seem to be moved by the danger Hiyori and Sakito were facing at all.

“So you see, if I don’t use the Manju . . .”

“Do you have ANY idea how dangerous that is, child?”

Junji kind of expected to hear that. “I can handle it, Grandfather. I know it needs to be carefully controlled, and . . .”

“You can NOT handle it. Other dragons who were older and stronger than you have tried. They just wanted to irrigate a small area . . . they caused floods that wiped out entire villages. And you just want to cover a single sand bar with water for 48 hours? You’d cause a tsunami! You wouldn’t save your friends’ fort, you would destroy it – and all the other offshore radio stations as well! You’d probably take out a good deal of the coastline to boot! No, I cannot permit it!”

“But if the government sees the sand bar uncovered at all . . .”

“You can find another way out of this, Junji! You’re a smart dragon! The oracle chose YOU for a reason, and it is NOT to wreck entire coastlines!”

“But there IS no other way out of this! I can’t keep water constantly flowing over a sand bar for two days with my own power! And I can’t let them lose! Not after . . .” He stopped.

“After . . . what?” his grandfather said.

“After I’ve gotten to know them!” Junji said. “After I’ve worked with them side by side. These humans . . . they have heart. They have drive. They want to use their talents to shape the future of a country. Humans have no magic – they have to create change on their own. The way they create change is by inspiring change. They work and they create and they never give up. And that’s what Hiyori and Sakito do best. They never give up. They’ve poured their souls into both entertaining the people and helping the rebel organizations. They’ve moved me – they’ve been a lesson in just how strong the powers of committed humans can be.”

Ryujin listened quietly. Then, he said, “You really are willing to take that much of a risk for them?”

“With everything I’ve got, Grandfather.”

There was a pause. And then, Ryujin said, “I’m sorry. I still cannot allow you to use the Manju.”

Junji’s heart sank. There went the last chance. What were they going to do now? They were lost if he couldn’t control the tides. The government would win. He had to come up with something else. Something, anything. If they lost their radio station . . . if the rebels lost their help . . . if they lost each other . . .

If he lost the two of them . . .

He bowed to his grandfather and headed for the throne room door, head downcast. What to do now, what to do now . . .

And then, he became aware of something streaking past him. He lifted his head – and saw his grandfather swimming past him, a whirling silver ball held within his claws.

“Well, then?” Ryujin said. “Show me where this sand bar is.”

Junji lifted his head. “But . . . but you said . . .”

“I said I would not permit YOU to use the Manju. I will take it there and set it up so it flows water over the sand bar for 48 hours. But 48 hours only, do you hear me? Once their fort is saved, it goes back to my palace and stays there.”

Junji suddenly broke out in a huge smile – well, to the extent that a dragon can smile, anyway. “Thank you!” he said. “Thank you so much! You won’t regret it, I’m so grateful, so very . . .”

“Stop prattling, child, you’re wasting time! Now, take me to this sand bar at once!”

* * *

Junji stood near the window of the recreation room, gazing out toward the sand bar. Or, rather, where the sand bar should be. It was currently invisible, completely submerged beneath seawater.

And it had better stay that way, he thought. At least until those guys take their pictures. And then there’s the question of whether Grandfather got there in time . . .

He heard a voice behind him. “Hey,” Hiyori said. “What’s going on?”

Junji turned to face the other man, a small smile on his face. “Just thinking,” he said.

“About what?”

“About how much I’ve loved my time here, and I don’t want it to end.”

“It doesn’t have to, you know,” Hiyori said. “You said your grandfather did something that would help us.”

“Hopefully,” Junji said. “Hey, we’re giving it a shot, right?”

Hiyori moved closer to him. “What’s it like, being a dragon?” he said.

“Really no different than being human, in a way. Except you live with water instead of air as your natural element. Oh, and you can do magic. But we only use magic as we need it – kind of like how you humans use technology.”

“And do you live in homes, like we do?”

“Most dragons have dens in rock caves. Of course, since I’m part of the royal family, so to speak, we have fancier accommodations. We live in my grandfather’s palace. It’s so big that I’ve got relatives I’ve barely seen.” He plunked down on the couch. “And, yes, we eat mostly sea plants and small fish. My diet has a lot more variety up here. In fact, there’s a lot of things that are more fun as a human. Eating, drinking, and especially sex. Dragons just aren’t as creative with that as humans are. I’ve gotten very fond of sex with humans.”

“Male, or female?” Hiyori sat next to him. “Or don’t you have a preference?”

“As long as I find the person attractive? Anything goes,” Junji said. “And I’ve both topped and bottomed with guys.”

“And do you . . . have you with more than one person at a . . .” Hiyori looked away. “Never mind.”

“Hiyori? What were you going to say?”

“It’s nothing.”

“No, it isn’t. Now, tell me what . . .”

And then, Sakito’s voice came from the doorway. “Well, automation is turned on. And it seems we’re the only three guys on the fort tonight. Ni-ya and Mitsuki went ashore.”

“They did?” Junji said.

“They got invited to a bachelor party,” Sakito said. “A guy they both worked with at another station who’s getting married this weekend. I told them to not even try getting back out here drunk off their asses – we don’t need them crashing the motorboat and getting us in more trouble. So they’re getting a capsule hotel.” He looked over at Hiyori. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing!” Hiyori said, quickly.

“You look . . . uneasy. Is it because of the sand bar thing?” He walked over to Hiyori and took his hand.

“Sort of, but . . . not really,” Hiyori said. “I trust Junji when he said he did something that’ll help.”

“So what is it?”

Hiyori suddenly got up, said, “I need a drink” and rushed across the room for the liquor cabinet. He grabbed a glass and poured whiskey into it, not bothering to go into the kitchen for ice.

“Hiyorin . . .” Sakito walked over to his lover and wrapped his arms around his waist. “What is it? You can tell me. If you want Junji to give us a moment . . .”

“No,” Hiyori said, quickly. “It’s just . . .” He took a swallow of the whiskey. “I was thinking something I shouldn’t have, that’s all.”

“What was that, love?”

“I think I know.” Junji walked over to the couple. “Hiyori, it’s about what you and I were talking about when Sakito arrived, isn’t it?”

There was a long pause, and then Hiyori nodded in the affirmative.

“What was that?”

Hiyori looked over at Sakito and said, “What you and I were talking about a few nights ago. The . . . the fantasy.”

Junji looked from one of them to the other. “Wait . . . what?”

“We’ve been talking for awhile about how we have a fantasy of having a threesome,” Sakito said. “We just wanted to find the right guy, and . . .”

“We both said it would be great if you were the one,” Hiyori said. He added, quickly, “But you don’t have to!”

Junji suddenly felt a big smile spreading over his face. The feelings for the couple that he’d been holding in ever since he’d met them didn’t have to be held back any more. He moved so he was standing between them, an arm around each of them.

“I don’t have to,” he said. “But I want to.” He pulled them both closer. “We have a quiet night . . . . the automation is on at least until dawn, there’s nobody else on the fort to hear us . . .”

“You . . . you will?” Hiyori said, sounding mildly surprised.

Junji just caught the man’s lips with his own in a searing kiss, pushing his tongue into his mouth. He heard Hiyori let out a little whimper in his throat.

When the kiss broke, he turned his head over toward Sakito, and the taller man kissed him hard instantly, meeting Junji’s passion to the point where they were both quickly breathless. Junji explored his mouth with his tongue thoroughly, shuddering a bit at the warm, velvety feel.

God, he loved sex with humans. Not just the sensations of pleasure, the thrill of touching and tasting and exploring their bodies.

“Does that answer your question?” he said to Hiyori.

Hiyori took his hand and began to lead him toward the staircase that led downward to the bedrooms. Junji went quietly, and very, very willingly.

If they were facing an uncertain future, at least they were going to enjoy tonight.

* * *

There were three bodies on the bed usually designed to hold two, clothes scattered just about everywhere. There was no sound except kisses and sighs as Junji brought his mouth to Hiyori’s, the two of them exploring each others’ lips and tongues thoroughly before he turned his head to Sakito and did the same thing.

Hands moved over his body slowly, from either side, the two of them stroking his nipples, caressing his ass, making him let out soft moans. He felt Hiyori lean over and start sucking one hardened peak, breathing heavily with excitement, his tongue stroking him eagerly.

Junji reached down and ran his fingers over the pink hair, gasping slightly as the third member of their little group began kissing his neck, sucking at a sensitive place near the bottom. He leaned his head back, inviting Sakito to keep going, and he did, nipping at the skin, then licking, then nipping again.

“This is something you’ve wanted for a long time, isn’t it?” Junji asked Hiyori as the pink head moved to his other nipple, sucking it with a hunger that you would only find from a man who was fulfilling a fantasy.

“Yes,” Hiyori lifted his head long enough to murmur, before going back to sucking, and Junji moaned in appreciation – just as he felt Sakito’s fingers reach around his body and find his cock, which he began to stroke slowly, teasing the shaft little by little.

“God, you two know what you’re doing,” Junji moaned. “Sure it’s the first time you’ve been with a third guy?”

“You’re definitely first,” Hiyori murmured as he moved up to kiss Junji’s lips again, and Junji let his hand slide down Hiyori’s back, moving toward his ass, which he gave a firm squeeze.

“What else did you think about?” Junji moaned as he leaned back against Sakito’s body, feeling a hard cock pressing against his ass, even as his fingers explored Hiyori’s bottom.

“About . . . . about both of us fucking a guy at the same time,” Hiyori said. “One in the front, and one in the back . . .”

“Oh, fuck,” Junji moaned.

Hiyori suddenly looked worried. He froze in place, eyes open wide. “You don’t want to?”

“I said ‘oh, fuck’ because the idea is turning me on so much,” Junji said. He slid his hand around to Hiyori’s cock, stroking it softly, the way Sakito was doing with him. “You think I don’t want to be sandwiched between the two of you?” His finger traced the tip, moving around and around. “Oh, I want a mouthful of this.”

Hiyori moaned a little. “Yes . . . I want to give it to you . . .”

“And you . . .” He leaned back against Sakito. “You can bet I want that cock in me. You know I’ve been thinking about that since I got here? Every time I saw you sitting in that leather chair in the rec room, I would wonder what it would be like to sit on your lap and grind on your cock.”

“Fuck . . .” Sakito moved his head to the crook of Junji’s neck, kissing and licking again.

“And you,” Junji said to Hiyori. “I remember coming downstairs and hearing you in the shower, and I imagined being on my knees in front of you under the water, sucking you deep . . .”

“Oh, God, yes!” Hiyori cried, pulling Junji in for another kiss and tumbling backward so he was on his back on the bed, pulling Junji on top of him.

The dragon-turned human kissed the smaller man fiercely, pressing his hips forward so their cocks were touching, and he started to grind against Hiyori, the other man moaning loudly and grinding back, hardness sliding against hardness.

Junji felt hands on his ass as he moved, squeezing it hard, and then there was a lubed finger penetrating him, gently rubbing around inside him, pulling out, then pushing in, a second one sliding in alongside the first.

“I’ve wanted this, too,” Sakito said as he pushed his fingers in and out, moving them apart slightly. “I’d watch you talking with Hiyori and thought about watching you on top of him, and then being on top of you. I’d get so hard thinking about it . . .”

A third finger pushed in, and Junji leaned back against the delicious invasion, moaning. Oh, he was so glad that in this form, he had completely normal human physiology, including sensitive nerve endings and a very stimulate-able prostate.

He was going to enjoy this so, so much.

“Do it,” he moaned. “Fuck me front and back.”

Junji pulled himself off Hiyori and got on all fours, and then Hiyori was pushing his cock against Junji’s eager lips, just as Sakito’s hardness started to press against his entrance, filling him slowly.

He started to suck gently, parting his legs a bit wider to encourage Sakito to keep sliding into him. It was a bit overwhelming in a very nice way – he was starting to feel completely filled, one cock starting to thrust gently in and out of his ass, the other sliding over his lips and tongue. Both of the men taking him were moaning with pleasure, and Junji was moaning back, starting to move his hips and bob his head, wanting both of them deeper, harder.

The two sped up, little by little, and Junji sped up along with them, sucking Hiyori’s cock hard, taking it deep, almost into his throat, reaching one hand up along the other man’s body, sliding along his sweat-streaked chest. He found a nipple, pinching it gently, feeling Hiyori’s whole body tremble . . .

Just as Sakito started a hard, deep thrust, almost pounding into Junji, the hardness stroking hot spots and stoking them into a low-grade blaze over his whole body. He now was starting to have trouble figuring out where he ended and they began, he was just a mere vessel for the cocks pushing into him front and back, and he loved it, oh, God, how he loved it . . .

“You’re so gorgeous,” Sakito murmured as his hands swept over Junji’s body, sliding under him to caress a nipple, even as he was doing the same thing to Hiyori. “Look at you, you’re sucking him real good, look at how he’s moaning . . .”

It only made Junji suck harder, opening his throat and mouth wider, moving down hard on Hiyori until he was deep-throating him, and in return, Sakito thrust into him deep and fast, hitting his prostate, making his entire body tremble with a hot shock that ran through his veins.

He felt Sakito reach down to his cock, stroking it as he sucked Hiyori hard, moving all the way down again, and Hiyori was the first to cry out, thrusting deep into Junji’s throat as the bliss hit him, and Junji swallowed every bit of it, eagerly.

And then there was another hard hit to his prostate, and Junji gave way, the ecstasy exploding through him like rockets, and he poured himself over Sakito’s fingers as he shuddered deliciously, a thorough and total climax that left him extremely drained – and extremely satisfied.

He leaned against Hiyori’s stomach, clinging to him with both arms, panting, and Sakito grabbed his hips, thrusting into him hard, then gasping, shuddering . . . and pulling out right before he let go, his come pouring onto Junji’s ass before he collapsed atop him.

All three of them ended up in a sweaty heap, laughing and kissing each other, and Junji snuggled between them, thinking that he was pretty damn blissfully content right now.

“That . . . was better than my fantasies,” Hiyori said.

“That was amazing,” Sakito said. “Absolutely incredible. I don’t think I can breathe yet.”

“Mmmm . . .” Junji just wanted to bathe in the afterglow – and the sensation of being so close to the two of them. I don’t want to move, he thought. I don’t want to move, ever.

This had been the best sexual experience he’d had yet. And he knew it was because of the people involved. He was starting to have feelings for the two of them that went beyond protectiveness and affection.

They have to keep this radio fort, he thought. Because they have to stay here, together . . . and they have to be here for me to be with whenever I want. He couldn’t live with them full-time after the mission was over, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t come back to them – a lot.

“We’ll do this again,” he murmured. “Again and again, as many times as you want to.” And he meant it – not just for today, but for the foreseeable future.

* * *

Junji was humming happily to himself as he piloted the motorboat back to shore later the next day.

The first round had been followed by a second, and then in the morning, when the automation was scheduled to shut off, Sakito ran down to the studio and put on a pre-recorded show called Swingtown so they could have a few more hours of very private time.

Later, the other deejays arrived back on the fort, dealing with their hangovers by hiding behind dark glasses and drinking from big cups of coffee. They found Sakito in the on-air seat, and Hiyori and Junji off on the other side of the studio, looking at a computer monitor.

“Hey,” Ni-ya mumbled, looking around. “How come all of you are in here at once?”

“What, we’re not allowed to?” Hiyori said.

“Um, you’re allowed to, just that . . . it’s unusual.” He groaned, holding his head. “Fuck, I’m gonna need a nap before I can even think of going on the air.” He walked out of the studio and down the hall.

When he was gone, Hiyori and Junji looked at each other and laughed. Their colleague had no way of knowing that the two of them had just been kneeling on either side of Sakito when his pants were unzipped and halfway down his legs, trying to get him off with fingers and tongues before a three-song set ended. (They succeeded).

Now, Junji was going to shore to run his usual errands. He wasn’t thinking about anything but what had happened the night before, and this morning . . . until he saw the two uniformed officials he’d seen a few days ago, and reality hit him dead in the face.

Oh, shit, he thought. Is this it? Did what my grandfather did not work? Are they coming to raid the fort?

And his fears were compounded when one of the men started stalking toward his boat, yelling, “YOU! You’re one of THEM, aren’t you? I see you coming out from that damn fort all the time!”

Great, Junji thought. Just great. Now what? He bowed and said, “Good day, gentlemen. What can I do for you?”

“Answer my question!” the man shouted. “Are you working for those Radio Muteki bastards?”

“I run errands,” Junji said. “That’s all.” He hoped they didn’t recognize the voice of “Pretty Juju.”

“I don’t know HOW you did it,” the other man shouted, “but fucking congratulations, you’ve managed to squirm out of a government citation.”

“Otori-san,” the other man said, “remember you’re supposed to be professional.”

“You had a sand bar dry out by your goddamn fort within territorial waters,” the man said. “I KNOW you did. I had pictures. And yet, the aerial surveillance showed nothing. Not a goddamn thing. And the top brass just dismissed it. I want to know how the FUCK you managed to change the tides!”

Junji smiled inwardly. Oh, he knew how to change the tides, all right. Thanks, Grandfather, he thought.

“If there was a way for a bunch of simple radio people to change the tides,” he said with all sincerity, “I’d like to know about it. I’d make a fortune.”

“Otori-san,” the other man said, firmly, “let him go about his business. They’ve been officially found operating outside territorial waters, that is that. The case is closed.”

“This isn’t the last of this!” Otori shouted. “The laws will be changed, believe me! We will have a way to prosecute you even if you’re in no-man’s-land!”

“Come along.” The other officer tugged on Otori’s sleeve, but as they walked away, Junji heard him mutter, “You’re lucky they didn’t fire you on the spot. Honestly, that ridiculous story about a dragon falling from their radio tower . . .”

“But I could have sworn that’s what I saw! I’m telling you, they’ve had supernatural help!”

“Yeah, right. You need to go on leave for a week or two. You’re hallucinating.”

Junji chuckled to himself. The irony was the man DID see a dragon falling from the tower – Junji himself, going to see his grandfather. And it worked. They were saved. He could go back to his grandfather and tell him he’d completed the mission, and . . .

He suddenly froze. Completed the mission. That meant that his time with them was over, that he had to leave the human world and go back to his own, that he might never see them again . . .

And after last night, that flat-out hurt. It was dawning on him very rapidly that his feelings were deeper than he’d realized. Much deeper.

* * *

He arrived back at the fort to see Hiyori in the recreation room, looking at his computer. He looked up when he saw Junji. “Hey,” he said. “Ni-ya finally got on the air. He’s got almost an entire pot of black coffee next to him, though.” He paused. “What’s with the face?”

“It’s just . . . I was on shore, and I heard . . .”

“Oh, no.” Hiyori stood up. “It’s not those jerks from the government, is it? What your grandfather did didn’t work?”

“Just the opposite,” Junji said. “It worked perfectly. They’re not filing charges against you. You were found to be completely within international waters.”

“But that’s good news, isn’t it?” Hiyori said. “We don’t have to worry about losing the station!”

“It’s good news, except . . .”

Sakito came into the room and saw Junji’s face right away. “Oh, no,” he said, rushing toward them. “We’re losing the station?”

“You’re keeping the station,” Junji said. “You’re losing me. It’s the rule of my grandfather’s kingdom. As soon as a dragon successfully completes the mission the oracles chose him for, he has to return to the dragon realm. If you fail to do so . . .” He took a deep breath. “Let’s just say my grandfather keeps close tabs on things like that, and he’s not above destroying a family member – or the humans the family member chose to stay with.”

“What the hell kind of family member is that?” Hiyori shouted.

“He’s a kami, remember,” Junji said, quietly. “Their rules . . . they’re not like yours.”

“But I’ll miss you!” Hiyori threw his arms around Junji. “Especially after last night, and this morning, it felt like you were . . . were . . .”

“I know,” Junji said, quietly. “I wish we could stay like this, too. I wish it could be the three of us together. But . . .”

Sakito suddenly pulled both of them into an embrace, and the three of them clung to each other as if their lives depended on it. “I’m not crying,” Sakito said, blinking back tears. “Really. I don’t cry.”

“Liar,” Hiyori muttered.

“It’s okay,” Junji said. “I think we’re all crying right now.”

Junji held onto both of them, and they held onto him. Dammit, he thought. Dammit, I never thought anything like this could hurt so much . . .

He pulled away from them. “I should go,” he said, quietly. “Tell the others that, oh, I don’t know, I had a family thing come up in Japan and I had to go back there.”

“You . . . you can come back and see us, right?” Hiyori said.

“I hope so.” Junji didn’t know what the laws about that were. He’d never dealt with that before. Hell, he’d never had a mission before now.

He kissed both of them, murmuring, “I had fun . . . I had more fun than I ever have in my life. And I won’t forget you. At all.”

He turned and quickly walked to the edge of the railing around the fort. He glanced back at the two of them, briefly, feeling sorrow rise in his chest.

I think I know now what human love feels like, he thought.

Before he could think any more, he hopped to the railing and dove off.

* * *

Junji swam around the palace, listlessly. Which was just about all he’d done for the past several days, ever since returning home.

He’d been congratulated on his success loudly, by his grandfather and by other dragons. He’d been given a medal for a successful completion of a mission. He was called a hero.

He didn’t feel like one. He just felt, well, sad. He missed the fort and the broadcasting and the swing music. He missed standing out on the railing at sunset, feeling like he could look out on all of heaven and earth. He missed instant ramen bowls and Mario Kart.

But above all, he missed Hiyori’s laugh and his touch and the way he looked when he was studying his computer screen, and he missed Sakito’s voice and his big yawns and the awkward way he sat when he was listening intently to someone else talking.

He didn’t mean to get so attached – but he did. And now, he just felt empty without them.

A tortoise swam up to him – one of his grandfather’s heralds. “You are wanted in the throne room at once, Junji-sama.”

“Is it another mission?” he said, listlessly.

“I do not know, Junji-sama. I was just told to bring you.”

He followed the herald to his grandfather’s presence, remembering the day he was given his mission. All he’d worried about then was whether he was being blamed for cracking a column. It seemed so small and insignificant now.

When he was in front of the throne, he bowed. “All Hail the Great Kami Ryujin,” he said.

“Junji,” his grandfather said, “they tell me you’ve been unhappy since completing your mission.”

“They aren’t lying,” he said.

“Why?” said his grandfather. “You were successful. You kept their voices from being silenced.”

“It’s. . . . it’s not because of that, but . . .” He bowed his head. “It’s difficult to explain.”

“So it’s as I thought,” his grandfather said.

Junji raised his head in surprise. “What is?”

“I believe I told you that I have allowed the use of the tidal jewels to help humans very rarely,” Ryujin said. “Indeed, I don’t think I have since I used them on behalf of the Empress Jingu. You do know her story, do you not?”

“She was a Japanese queen who conquered the Korean peninsula, wasn’t she?” Junji said.

“Yes,” Ryujin said. “One of my sons was sent to aid her by the oracles. He fell in love with her, and he came to plead for my help in stopping the Korean navy. I used the tidal jewels to aid her, just as I used them to aid your radio people. I was moved by the depth of his love.”

Junji looked surprised. “You were?”

“Most dragons who go into the human world just do what they’re supposed to and come home. But others connect. They bond with the humans in a special way – and they become a working team. Together, they can conquer anything and change the course of history. It was obvious that he was meant to be more than a temporary helper to her. He was . . . her personal dragon. Her Kiryu.”

“Kiryu.” Junji said the word tentatively. There was a . . . rightness about it.

“So I allowed this dragon to go back to her as her aide and her lover, and working together, they conquered the Korean Peninsula. She is still regarded as a legend today.” He paused. “I believe that has happened again. You’ve become a Kiryu to one of the people you worked with, haven’t you?”

“More than one,” Junji said. “A couple. I fell in love with them both, and . . .” He stopped. Did they fall in love with him? Did they return his feelings?

“As I thought,” Ryujin said. “Now tell me, is there any reason there might be unfinished business with this couple of yours? A reason for you to go back?”

Junji thought a moment. “There was a man from the government – Otori,” he said. “He said he was going to see to it that the laws were changed, that their kind of broadcasting would be illegal no matter where they were broadcasting from. He would definitely count as unfinished business.”

“Then I will allow you to return to them and live in the human world.”

Junji looked thrilled. “Really? Really – truly and really? This isn’t a joke?”

“No joke,” Ryuji said. “Of course, I will expect you to return to my realm from time to time, if only to make reports and to maintain your ties to other dragons. But it does seem your place is with them.”

“Thank you!” Junji suddenly began swimming in circles around the throne. “Thank you, thank you thank you, Grandfather! This means more to me than anything! This is . . .”

“Will you calm down, child?” his grandfather snapped. “Go back to the surface before I have you declared mad and unable to perform missions at all!”

That made Junji stop. “Sorry,” he said. “I’m going. I mean it. I’m really going!” He started to swim out of the throne room, then peeked back in, and said, “Thank you again!”

“GO!” his grandfather shouted, so loudly it made the red and white coral walls of the palace shake.

Junji laughed to himself as he swam back to the surface. He’d be reunited with the two of them. He was their Kiryu, their personal dragon, united with them in destiny.

But all that mattered was they’d be close again. They’d be able to see where their relationship would go from here. And that meant more to him than anything in the world.

* * *

It was quiet on the radio fort, more quiet than it had been in a long time.

Hiyori had just finished the last shift of the day and turned on the automation. He walked into the recreation room, looking listless. Sakito was already in there, nursing a cup of tea that had a generous shot of whiskey.

“We’re done for the day,” Hiyori said, sadly. “I’m just going to bed, I think.”

Sakito walked over to him and hugged his lover with one arm, the other still holding his cup. “You miss him, don’t you?” he said.

“Don’t you?” Hiyori said.

“More than I can stand,” Sakito said. “I didn’t think I’d feel this empty, but . . . it’s like part of me is missing, right? Part of US. And I can’t explain it.”

“Do you think that . . . we might have fallen in love with him?” Hiyori said. “Not lust – love? And that what we’re feeling is . . .”

At that moment, there was a voice from the outside railing. “Hey! It’s an even longer way up here than I thought! I just about had to create a tsunami to lift me up this time!”

The two of them looked at each other, and then rushed onto the railing. There was Junji, standing there with a big grin on his face.

“You’re . . . you’re back?” Hiyori said.

“Yes,” Junji said. “My grandfather sent me back, can you believe it? He said that you had unfinished bus – mmmph . . .”

His words were muffled by Hiyori pressing his lips to Junji’s in a long, heated kiss. When it broke, Sakito leaned over and kissed him as well, making it even more breathless than the kiss before.

“This isn’t a dream, right?” Hiyori said. “You’re really here, and you’re still beautiful and sexy, and you’re not going away this time, and you’re going to be in bed with us every night from now on?”

“I’m not going anywhere,” Junji said. “I have full permission to stay. Apparently, I’m bound to the two of you, somehow. And I’m destined to keep protecting you. If that Otori tries anything else? He’s dead. And . . .”

“We’ll talk in the morning,” Sakito said. “Right now . . . I think we just want to touch and hold you to make sure you’re real.”

“I’m not going to object to that,” Junji said. “Especially if it goes beyond touching and holding.”

All of them laughed, and he held the two of them closer, one with each arm.

It’s happened, he thought. I’m back with them. I belong here – I’m their Kiryu, their dragon, their destined partner. But more than that, I’m their lover, and they are mine.

He was happier and more complete than he’d ever felt in his life. He knew that they were feeling the same way, too – this was good and right for all of them.

Junji just wished he had whatever oracle had sent him on this mission in front of him, so he could thank them personally. They’d helped him find purpose, and strength, and most importantly, love. And that mattered more than anything else on earth.

END NOTE: The pirate radio stations here are based on an actual radio movement that sprung up around Great Britain in the 1960s, when the government tried to forbid any broadcasting that didn’t come from the state-run BBC. There really were radio stations that set up shop in abandoned military forts in international waters and ships anchored around Great Britain. The “sand bar” excuse to try to keep the station from broadcasting is based on the case of one actual fort-based pirate station, Radio 390. Yes, there really was a rule that ridiculous. Unfortunately, they didn’t have the help of a dragon god and his grandson, so their story didn’t end happily – they were forced off the air.