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His heart leapt into his throat, offering her a smile. It was a horrible mix -- he was nervous and elated all at once. Like the final piece of the puzzle was being toyed with between a pair of intangible fingers that were taking their sweet time snapping it into its rightful place.

"Farrkhod told me a story." he said, his voice tight with almost childish excitement. "He said, a long, long time ago, there was a dragon. A dragon who wanted nothing to do with the rest of the world because he prized the treasures he'd collected too much to leave his hoard and let them out of his sight. And he saw no point in going out into the world when all of its most beautiful things were right there with him."

Zhane's eyes wandered to hers, looking into them. "....until one day he met a tiny fairy, who was more beautiful than any jewel and who was brighter than any gold. He loved her from the minute he saw her, and wanted her for his own. But she wouldn't be had. She didn't understand what love was, and teased him and always flew just out of his reach.

But he followed her anyway, and left his treasures behind. He told her he couldn't expect her to be anything other than what she was, and he wouldn't have her any other way. And they went on like that for years....him loving her, and her not returning it. For the rest of their lives.

And then when they were ancient and dying, they ended up together on the bank of a pond."

His eyes wandered out to the dark depths of the water. "...she promised him that next time it would be different. That she would learn to love him when they found one another again in another life." He was quiet for a moment. "....Farrkhod said the story went that they've been at it ever since, old souls meeting up again in new bodies, only to be up to their same routine. He would love her, and she would tease. Each time they would come to the same place, and promise to meet again and that it would be different. Each time getting just a little closer to what love was."

"If....if you think about it, it kind of makes sense." he said carefully, trying to gauge her reaction as he watched her. She seemed flustered, but not on the verge of panic or anger, at least....this was a good thing.

"How I didn't notice anybody before you. How you've been drawn to dragons. How we both felt like everything was happening too fast even though it felt right..." He gave a small chuckle, but there was no humor in it. He reached out, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"And this is where it always ended. And where they -- we -- always made that same promise."

He drew his hand away from her again. Even that simple contact in this place was near-overwhelming.

"I always felt like there was a part of me missing before we met. And it was you." He felt himself smile warmly, eyes almost glowing in the darkness. "....its always been you, Nani."

His hand reached out to cup the side of her face as he scooted closer, gently turning her head back to look at him. "You haven't." he said, his voice likewise dropping to a whisper. "Because we're here now. And this time it isn't to say goodbye."

Something warm, and soothing passed over them, as if some unseen force was offering its approval of their presence here. He leaned in to brush his lips over hers, that alone making him feel lightheaded. "Nani, I promise you I'll always come home to you. Wherever you are, that's where home is to me."

"I want to." he told her, moving to stand as well. "I want nothing more than that, Nani, believe me." And, at this point, there was little stopping him from doing it. With things more-or-less on a new level between him and his parents, he could only hope they were more open-minded to his wanting his independence.

He didn't want to be out of their reach, but he wanted to be with his -own- family. Those who wanted and needed him most. And those he hurt to be without.

"Soon as I get things straightened out, I'll start looking into it more seriously."

He smiled, leaning in to touch his brow to hers - a familiar gesture of affection between them since they'd met.

....and yet, here, so much more.

His arms found their way around her, holding her close to him.

Letting her go was almost painful, but he allowed himself a smile as she pulled away. "I think, maybe, I can help with that..." he said, reaching out to take her hand in his.

As they had arrived in this place sacred only to the two of them, so too did they part from it, leaving its stoic silence behind. A new promise had been made between them there today, on the bank of that lake. And it was one that, this time, would not take lifetimes to fulfill.