Dragon Slayer: A Lisoo Dragon AU

Chapter Six: Truth

"I-I don't know about this, Lisa," Jillian stammered, twiddling her thumbs. "What if she runs away or gets scared of me?"

"You're not scary," I said.

"But to her, I'm probably a monster! I don't want her to think that way." I could see tears forming in her eyes.

"Jillian, look at me," I begged.

She did as I said, allowing me to wipe the tears from her eyes.

"You're not a monster. She'll see that," I told her.

"You really think so?" she asked.

I nodded. "Yes, I do."

I could feel her coarse fingers intertwine with mine. Despite the roughness, they felt incredibly soft to me.

"Thank you, Lis," she said softly. "I couldn't do this without you."

"No need to thank me." I beamed. "I'm always here to help. Now, do you remember what you're going to say to her?"

"Somewhat." She seemed a bit hesitant.

"How about you practice it first?" I suggested. "Pretend I'm Lacy for a minute."

She tilted her head to the side. "Are you sure?"

"Practice makes perfect, Jill," I stated.

"I guess you're right," she sighed. "Should I start?"

I nodded, which prompted her to continue. She cleared her throat a bit, which caused a bit of smoke to fly out her nostrils. I giggled lightly upon seeing it. I didn't know dragons could be so damn cute. She looked down at the floor, then took a deep breath and looked back up at me.

"L-Lacy, I know you don't know me too well and you're probably scared and terrified of me right now. I would be too if I saw a giant fire-breathing dragon in front of me. But please, hear me out. My name is Jillian and I wanted to tell you something. I-I think you're really pretty and you seem really fun. I w-would love to take you out sometime, if you'd like."

"That was really good!" I beamed. "You barely even stuttered that time around."

"Really? You think she'll like it?" Jillian asked.

"Definitely. It's heartfelt and cute. Exactly the words I would've said," I replied.

"Lisa, can I ask you something?" she questioned.

"Sure." I shrugged.

"Do you miss her?"

"Who?"

"Your princess," she clarified. "Do you miss her?"

I sighed. "Of course I do. I miss her a lot."

"Would you have confessed your feelings for her if she was here now?" she said.

"I would try." I turned swiftly to grab her scaly hand. "Jillian, what you're doing is really brave. Being vulnerable is the bravest thing a person can do and you're the bravest of us all right now. I couldn't be more proud of you."

I wiped a few tears away that had fallen down her cheek. Gently, I leaned my forehead against hers, cupping her face in my hands. I never thought that I'd be the one giving romance advice to a dragon, but sometimes, things happen when you least expect them, I suppose. I knew that Jillian would be happy with Lacy. It was a bit hard for me to let her go, but I knew it was right.

"I can't do this, Lisa." Her voice sounded broken and strained.

"Yes, you can," I encouraged her.

"No, I can't!" she shouted, pushing me away slightly. "I can't keep pretending anymore. I'm sick of it!"

"Jillian, what do you mean?" I questioned, worried.

"Lacy isn't real!" she yelled. "She never was! I just told you that because I didn't want you to know the truth."

"And what is the truth?"

"I love you, Lisa!" she snapped. "I always have! And that's why this is so hard for me. I know that I'm not the one you want but I can't keep this in any longer!"

I froze, unsure how to respond. She'd lied to me, but I didn't care about that. The only thing I cared about was that she loved me. Despite my love for the princess that still carried through, I had truly begun to love Jillian. We were closer than the princess and I ever were, and it was so easy to talk to her. In a way, my love for Jillian had grown stronger. Maybe even stronger than my love for Jisoo.

"Is that what you think?" I asked. "Do you think that I don't want you?"

"You want the princess, not a menacing dragon," Jillian sniffled.

I took her hands in mine, which caused her to look up at me. Her eyes were tearstained and reddened. Although she did appear a bit frightening, Jillian was the kindest being I'd ever met. I wanted her to know so many things, but I couldn't put them into words.

Instead, I leaned down a bit to kiss her cheek. Sure, it felt slightly rough with her hard scales, but I didn't mind. I lingered there for a moment, savoring this sweet moment I had with her. She looked at me with confusion and surprise, but I simply leaned my head against hers.

Gently, I traced along the side of her cheek. "Jillian, I did something that I never thought I would. I fell in love with a dragon. A beautiful one who has the kindest heart in the kingdom. Don't ever think for a moment that I don't want you. You're all that I want. I love you too, Jillian."

I was about to lean in to give her another cheek kiss when something strange happened. Golden light started to shimmer around Jillian, taking her out of my grasp. It swirled around her, soon covering her entirely with its rays. When it faded away, I let out a small gasp.

In the place of the gigantic, red dragon was a girl. A human girl. She had long, dark, wavy hair and a stunning red dress on her small frame. When she looked up at me, I couldn't believe my eyes. Her features were so familiar from her dark brown eyes to her small, heart-shaped lips. Could it be?

"P-Princess?"