I hate sitting indoors. Luckily I didn't have to sit completely indoors. Me and Vlik sat in his room with me under his wing with the rain pouring down on us. He seemed so at peace, his snout was pointed up towards the rain with his eyes closed. A smile was tugging at the corners of his mouth. I wondered how it felt, I scooted carefully out from under his wing into the rain then turned my nose up and closed my eyes. A large raindrop landed inside my nostril. I shook my head trying to get the water out of my nose, instead I sneezed. I heard a rumble, I looked towards Vlik, he was laughing at me. His eyes sparkled with amusement. "You know I don't exactly feel the cold like you do," he told me, "You could become ill."

"Me?" I asked arching an eyebrow at him pretending like I didn't just become a human water gage.

"Well I'm not the one whose catching rainwater in my nose." He said closing his eyes and lifting his snout to the downpour once again, after he readjusted his wing creating my scaly umbrella.

"Hey!!!" I exclaimed. Not at him covering me, but rather his statement. He's still rude... That hasn't changed yet...

"What? It's true." He said cocking his head to one side then the other, his eyes remained shut.

"Just because it's true doesn't mean you need to rub it in." I crossed my tiny arms at him and looked away staring at the wall.

"Yeah it does." He said opening his eyes grinning cockily at me.

"No... It doesn't." I said not finding anything to back up my statement.

"Just admit it, I'm right and you wrong." He smiled, Jerk. It ain't my fault I'm not good at winning arguments...or humor for that matter.

"Sorry have you meet me, I'm just a little bit stubborn." I said finally looking at him full on.

"I've noticed..." His eyes met mine, and I was confused. I know almost all his expressions except this one. In it I could see kindness, laughter, and longing. And in them I could see something else. His laughter made me avert my eyes. "What are you doing? Your face is all confused." He smiled tilting his head like a puppy.

"Sorry... I was just trying to read your emotions." I looked away, blushing. Was I really staring that long?

"How do I feel?" He asked adjusting himself so he didn't have to swivel his massive head so much to look at me.

"Don't know. You never had this one on you features." I replied shrugging my shoulders not really wanting to go into detail.

"What do you think I feel?" Man... And I thought I asked a lot of questions...

"I can see longing in your eyes..."

"What do I want?" He tilted his head smirking, he knows that I'm getting annoyed and he's enjoying it... Double jerk.

"Am I right?" I demanded. Time to turn the tables on him.

"Don't know you tell me," he joked. And turning the tables on him has failed... Score: Natalia none: Vlik won...

"Vlik..." I groaned rubbing my temples with the palms of my hands.

"Yes?" He chuckled.

"Please tell me..." I did my best to make puppy dog eyes. It had to have worked slightly otherwise why else would his gaze have softened as much as they did.

"In time little one, in time." Was the only reply he gave me.

"Vlik?" I asked him in hopes to continue conserving with him, this was probably the only time I'll hear him this way before he could possibly turn back to normal.

"Yes?" He looked down at instead of tilting it.

"Um... When that other dragon, Rosa, um you told her, that you like someone. Who is she?" I asked nervously. He sighed and transitioned his head back and forth staring at the hole in the roof as if debating what he should say. Not once did he look at me while deciding his word choice.

"That's for me to know, and you to find out." He finally stated, I didn't catch this but his eyes flickered towards me, but only briefly. He then re-lifted his snout to the rain.

"Please tell me." I gave him my best shot at puppy dog eyes, so I'm not technically sure what it looks like. He didn't even meet my eyes so he never saw.

"Can't. But I will tell you this she is closer than you think." He replied, closing his eyelids, allowing the droplets to roll across them.

"How close?" I asked wondering if I might ever meet this girl. I wonder what she looks like, he must like her a lot to get all defensive about it with Rosa.

"Very..." He vaguely answered, I'm not going to get much from this, time to change subjects again!

"Ok what about yesterday?" He finally looked down, confusion clearly written in his eyes by my change of conversation.

"What do you mean?" He asked, laying his massive head on his front claws while looking at me with one amber eye.

"What did you hear?" I elaborated, also wondering his explanation for his weird behavior.

"Oh that, I probably heard Jason." He replied lightly, closing his eyelid slowly.

"Why did he come here, why does he..." I shivered, my thoughts haunting me. Vlik jumped up slightly in surprise, hearing me sniffle as silently shed tears rained down my cheek.

"Want you." He mumbled, finishing my little outburst. I nodded in agreement, I shivered again, I wasn't cold... I was afraid. Vlik is great at noticing these sort of things suprsingly. His tail wrapped around me and brought me so I was right in front of his chest, then he literally, I kid you not, nuzzled my shoulder.

I couldn't help it, I was scared of Jason, I hugged his snout, I was right I did find something better than a sister, I found a best friend. "I'm scared..." I whimpered out. He rumbled, normally I associated this sound with anger and hatred, but today it was calming. Soothing even.

"I know little one, I know..." He moved his snout making me let go, then his tail dragged me so close to his chest I was touching it, his tail gently settled me down then it moved away, he repositioned his front talons so I was leaning against one and the other was laying on top of the first, his head rested on them. Pulling his wings in to block out the rain, I was then literally in a cocoon of green scales. "He won't get to you, I'll keep you safe." His eye watching me. I leaned my head back onto his forearm.

"Thank you, I don't know what else to say..." I yawned. He chuckled at me, and I was vibrated against his chest. It tickled a bit, but I was too tired to notice.

"Sleep little one..." He said soothingly, his amber eye half-lidded as he watched me closely. Normally I can't sleep with someone watching me, it would only remind me of the times I was on the carriage with my father, brother, and sisters, when we were in monster infested woods, with beasts that waited for you to fall asleep before pouncing upon you like a cat would a mouse, playing with its food before devouring you whole.

"I don't think I can..." I shivered at my own thoughts, why did I think of such a thing...

"Allow me to help then..." I don't know how he did it but he turned his deep voice into an almost singsong voice, he sang "sevgimdən gün artıq yatmaq kiçik bir sizin hekayə yalnız i keçmiş, mənim gül i siz artıq yatmaq üçün sevgi dərin indi sizin həyat onun kədərli nağıl yuxu əvvəl sevgi sevgi bilirik başlayıb edir..." I was asleep halfway through, I had no idea what tongue he was speaking but it was very calming. I didn't know what he did afterward but what he did would have surprised me, he gently laid his head on my lap and whispered "I love you...not anyone else my dear, you."