"Ah. So - so does the layout change much, or will I have to eventually find my way around a new layout?"

"If you stayed here a hundred years, you might."

... She kisses his hair.

"It's becoming increasingly tempting," she admits, fondly. Wince. "But I don't think I'll, um. Live that long."

...he wraps his arms around her and squeezes.

"I don't - I've never tried to keep anyone that long before - I don't know if I can. I have some healing magic, but..."

"We'll figure something out," she says, with absolutely no proof of this at hand. It just seems like the thing to say.

...snuggle.

Snuggle.

Yyyyeah she somehow gets the feeling that he wouldn't handle it well if she either disappeared or died. She's astute, that way. Able to put it together from context clues.

She is so clever!

He curls up and rests his head on her shoulder.

She pets him, pensively. Pet, pet, pet.

"I do like it here," she offers, after a pause. "You're, um. Really sweet, actually."

...he laughs.

She snorts.

"Not used to being described that way?"

"It doesn't happen often, for some reason!"

"I'm shocked."

Giggle.

Snuggle.

"You are sweet, though. You just - don't really show people."

"...yeah, I guess."

Snuggle.

"... Maybe I should introduce myself as - um." She can't actually bring herself to say 'belonging to you.' "As under your protection. And um, maybe try to persuade people not to have riots over you just upon seeing you, without you having to fly around being the friendly neighborhood dragon or anything else you wouldn't like."

"...they'll probably be really terrified of you."

"But - but I'm an innocent bystander! You liking me doesn't mean I'm like you, it means that I'm likable -" She huffs and leans into him. "Sorry, that. That wasn't at you, I'm just. Everything dragon associated is worthy of terror?"

"Mm, it's not that they'll think you're going to personally burn down the city, it's that they'll think you might go back and tell me they were rude and I'll come and burn down the city."

Wince. "Ah. It'd be tricky to mitigate that."

"Yeah."

Snuggle. "I want to figure out a way, though," she murmurs. "I don't want to just - just leave things as they are, you're so clearly unhappy."

Sigh. Snuggle.

Hair kiss. Snuggle.

"... Honestly, I'm glad you picked me up, now."