Gotham

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Gotham lived alone, and he liked it that way. He was able to fall asleep to the sound of the winds outside rather than to dragons chattering. He hunted when he wished, slept when he wished, and answered to no one.

He had left his clan when he was young, one of the many who decided to go and try to carve their own clan out of the wandering wind, but he never found anyone else who shared that dream with him, and ended up living by himself here. It wasn't so bad. It wasn't bad at all, really. Had he already mentioned the lack of chattering dragons? Especially hatchlings... little noisy demanding hatchlings were the worst.

it was late spring when he saw her. He was heading back to his lair, having gorged himself on some of the large cats that lived out on the plain. They were fierce predators in their own right, but no match for a full grown dragon, and he had perhaps eaten more than he should have. So it was that he was rather lethargic when he first encountered her.

The fae floated in the sky, riding the winds effortlessly as though she herself were a spirit of the air. Small, yes, but exquisitely formed, as though the gods themselves had placed her personally on this earth...

And then she noticed him, and angled her wings and drifted up next to him, somehow catching up despite his much greater bulk. "Hello," she said, offering him a timid smile.

Gotham said nothing. He could not find the words to speak.

"I'm Harley," she continued. "What's your name?"

"Gotham," he choked out. "That's a beautiful name," he added inanely, because that was what you said to beautiful females, at least that's what he thought you said. He didn't really have the experience.

"Thanks," Harley looked down at her claws, and then looked up suddenly, smiling. "You wouldn't happen to be on your own, would you?"

"No, just me," Gotham replied awkwardly.

"You wouldn't mind if I camped out with you for the night, would you? It wouldn't be for long. Only, I'm trying to find my clan again and they seem to have moved on, and it's getting dark, and night here isn't always safe for a fae..."

"I think I'm in love," Gotham said, without meaning to.

The fae's face lit up. "Does that mean yes?"

Gotham gulped, stared at her. Perhaps this was why dragons enjoyed the companionship of others. "Yes."