Gwen sat with Zyre on the top of their usual meeting place. It was the same valley they sat on the first time they bonded with each other.
After that day, whenever Gwen couldn't live with the turmoil in her head, the dragon-rider duo would meet at the peaceful place.
Zyre, who was in a sitting position, tilted his huge leg so that Gwen would be more comfortable leaning against it. She threw him a grateful glance, his silvery scales were glinting in the faint moonlight.
Gwen leaned her head back against the smooth scales of Zyre's leg, taking comfort in the dragon's presence. Zyre let out a low rumble, his massive form vibrating slightly. He was always attuned to Gwen's emotions and moods, and he could sense her inner turmoil.
Finally, Gwen broke the silence, her voice soft and contemplative. "Hey, Zyre, can I ask you something?"
"Of course," he replied quietly, his deep voice echoing gently in the serene night air. "What is on your mind, young one?"
Gwen took a deep breath, gathering her thoughts. "Do you think I'm impulsive?"
"At times, yes," he finally replied, his tone matter-of-fact. "You tend to act before thinking, allowing your emotions and instincts to drive your actions."
Gwen let out a soft sigh, mulling over Zyre's words.
"I know," she admitted, her voice tinged with a hint of frustration. "I can't seem to help it sometimes. I just get so... frustrated. It's like there's this fire inside me, burning and itching to be unleashed. And I just happen to unleash it all on Thorndyke."
"Your fire is both your strength and your downfall," he murmured. "It fuels your courage and your spirit, but it can also blind you to the bigger picture. It leads you to act without thinking, and it often puts you at odds with Thorndyke."
Gwen sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly. "I know it's irrational, but he just annoys me so much. He's so cocky and arrogant, always acting like he's the best. How can I help it?"
Zyre rumbled softly, his golden eyes fixed on hers. "Perhaps the problem is that you both are too alike."
Gwen raised an eyebrow, surprised by Zyre's words. "What do you mean?"
The dragon inclined his massive head, his smooth scales shifting slightly. "You and Thorndyke share many traits. You're both fierce, determined, and fiercely loyal. You both have short tempers and strong personalities."
"We're nothing alike," Gwen protested, a scowl forming on her face. "He's irritating and pompous. I'm just... me."
Zyre let out a low rumble, a slight sound that could have been both a chuckle and a sigh. "You both are two sides of the same coin. Your personalities are mirrored, yet different."
"That's absurd. I would never stoop to be like him," Gwen huffed, her frustration evident in her voice.
"But that doesn't change the fact that you do like him," he mused.
Zyre's words were met with a sharp inhale from Gwen, her expression turning both defensive and flustered at the same time.
"That's not... I don't..." she fumbled for words, her cheeks reddening slightly in the faint moonlight.
He let out another low rumble, the sound almost akin to a chuckle as he continued, "You are aware that I speak of nothing but truth, little one. You rile each other up, push each other's buttons, and yet you can't seem to stay away from each other."
Gwen sat there in silence for a moment, her mind spinning with Zyre's words. She had always thought that her constant animosity towards Thorndyke was born out of frustration and irritation, never considering it to be something more.
"It's... it's not like that," she finally managed to say, her voice much softer than before. "We just... annoy each other. It's not... it's not anything more than that."
Right? It didn't make any sense to her.
Zyre let out a soft rumble in response, a hint of amusement in his voice. It was obvious that he didn't believe her completely.
"Hmm... and yet, you can't deny the spark between you." He shifted slightly.
"You might try to hide it under layers of annoyance and irritation, but the chemistry is there. Don't you think?" He gently nudged her shoulder with his nose, trying to elicit a more genuine response from her.
Gwen could feel her cheeks heat up even more at Zyre's words. She had always denied the chemistry and the spark between her and Thorndyke, trying to convince herself that it was all just superficial anger and annoyance.
But even she couldn't fully deny the attraction she felt towards him, as much as she hated to admit it. The way his cocky arrogance and pompous attitude grated on her nerves, yet at the same time, she couldn't help but find it annoyingly alluring.
"It's just a stupid crush," she muttered, still unable to look at Zyre directly.
There was a hint of humour in Zyre's rumbling voice as he glanced at her knowingly, his golden eyes watching her intently.
"We both know it's more than that." Zyre shifted again, resting his head closer to her, his silky scales brushing against her skin. "And there's no shame in finding someone attractive, even if they get under your skin as much as Thorndyke does."
Gwen huffed quietly, her heart fluttering in her chest. She hadn't expected the conversation to go in this direction, and she wasn't sure how to feel about it.
She had always tried to dismiss her feelings towards Thorndyke as petty annoyance, but the way Zyre was reading her had her feeling a little exposed.
"I don't want to have feelings for him," she whispered, her voice barely audible in the quiet night.
Zyre sighed, "Accept who you are, Gwendolyn. Do not be ashamed of yourself for having feelings for someone. You are born to do wonders, and shall not adjust yourself for the sake of others. Make them choke if they try to swallow you."
Gwen's heart swelled with a mixture of emotions as she listened to Zyre's heartfelt words. She nodded and leaned her forehead on his, closing her eyes.
Talking to him always felt like a weight had been taken off her shoulders. In this cruel world, Zyre was the only one she had faith in. The only one who truly knew her, and chose her for who she was.
Even more than her own father.