A/N: Thanks again for the reviews and the follows. Also special thanks and much love to my beta- reader, TigerCritic

Having my usual morning coffee, I opened the door to my balcony to let some sunshine into my apartment.

I stepped on my balcony, the cool morning air further tangled my untidy bed hair. I looked down trying to figure out the height from the balcony to the ground. The cars and people below all looked like insects walking in an insensitive world.

"It's one jump and everything's over"

…

"Wait a minute, what am I thinking?"

I stretched my arms out.

I gasped as I felt someone's cold hand touch my shoulder. I instantly turned around.

SMACK!

"What the hell were you thinking?!"

I saw a million yellow stars. When my eyes adjusted to my environment, there she was in front of me!

"You-you HOW DARE YOU!" I screamed in her face. I didn't care how close we were standing near to each other or if the neighbours would hear us.

My blood boiled seeing the cause for my current state standing in front of me. I hit her on the left cheek. She didn't flinch but my palm stung like hell. She only looked at me.

"I guess I deserve that."

"You deserve more than that! How dare you show up here again after- after abandoning me?! Have you any idea the amount of people who asked for you? You selfish inconsiderate bitch! Just- just"

I began to tear up like always. I had planned what I had wanted to say in case she would return but I absolutely hated how I couldn't tell her everything that was on my mind. At least she got the message though. I knew I was going easy on her. If it was another person, she'd already be out their door.

She placed her thumb on my face and wiped away the tiny droplets.

"DON'T TOUCH ME!"

I shoved her hand away and ran into the apartment. I pulled the glass door before she could have come in.

"Haha for once I was quicker than her" I thought.

She banged on the door.

"Hey I'm sorry Nai. Please let me in."

I pulled the curtains so I wouldn't see her face. I felt like if I had seen her face again, I'd lose it and do something I'll regret.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Monday morning

I had woken up with swollen eyes.

When I was ready to leave for work, I opened the door. There I saw a sleeping dragon beside my apartment door. There was drool on her face. She was still wearing the garments she wore the last day I had seen her.

Did she sleep out here all night? I thought.

I felt a pang of guilt. Had I been too harsh on her?

I did not feel the need to justify my actions since someone who really cares for you would not abandon you for weeks and then show up on your doorstep like nothing had happened.

I sighed.

"You'll get a cold if you stay like that."

I saw her shake her sleepy head. When her eyes had fully opened, they fixated on me.

"Nai!"

"I'm going to be late. I still have a job, you know." I was beginning to turn away.

"I just want to talk."

"I don't want to hear it."

She stood up. "Please let me talk to you- for just 10 minutes."

"Elma, what could you possibly want to talk about?"

"No! Of all the people you said, who had asked about me, you deserve an explanation for my absence. It's the least I can do. When I'm finished, I'm going to go, if you want me to. I'm sorry to intrude."

I thought about it for a minute. After all, I did owe her after she saved me from the lewd guys at the staff party.

"Ok then, I'm going to call Miss Sakurai and tell her I'll be a bit late."

Her face lit up. "Thank you Nai-chan."

After explaining to my boss that I would be late because of some "technical difficulties" at home, I opened the door to my apartment and let the both of us in.

"Would you like some tea or coffee, Elma?" I tried to sound the most monotonous as I could. Miss Kobayashi does that well.

"Tea is fine." Her stomach grumbled loudly. She blushed. "Um-do you still have those oatmeal cookies by chance?"

"Uh sure" I replied.

After giving Elma the food, I sat across the breakfast table from her. Memories of the mornings she and I would sit here and have discussions about nothing in particular flooded my mind. They were just random conversations but I was unsure if she and I would ever regain that bond we had formed.

Damn you for ruining it, Elma!

I wanted to slap her again but I clenched my fists until my nails lightly pierced my skin.

"Are you ok now Elma?" I said when she had gobbled every grain of the oatmeal biscuits and drained the cup of green tea.

"Thank you Nai… you know I don't deserve this treatment. You're still the kind person I know you to be."

"Well people don't change in a matter of weeks. Cut to the chase. What is it that you wanted to tell me?"

She tightened her grip on the blue teacup. "Um- where do I start? You already know I am a dragon so things could be a little less complicated."

"Maybe you start from the day you walked out" I said nonchalantly.

She sighed. "Fine. Well the sudden love confession was a bit much for me so I left the apartment to get some air and think. You have to believe me, Nai, but I never had any intention of abandoning you."

"So what happened then?"

"Please let me finish."

I had a slightly annoyed look on my face.

"A few moments after I had left here, I decided to go the seaside. Did I mention to you that I am originally a water serpent? You only saw my half-dragon form on that day. I have never transformed into a full fledged serpent before your eyes. Anyhow so when I'm near the water, I think more clearly. Everything that seemed to confuse me, becomes clear. All of my worries are gone when I'm in or near the sea."

She paused for a breath.

"Nai, can I please have some more tea?"

"Help yourself."

She quickly left the table to pour some more green tea from the kettle, her tail and horn still on display.

"You probably attracted a lot of attention parading yourself out there like that. Or they probably thought you were cosplaying or something" I commented.

"I attracted the wrong person, or rather er... he found me" she returned to the table with a second cup of tea. I knew she would ask for another one in a few minutes. She always drank 3 cups of tea before leaving the house every day.

"So when I went to the seaside, there I saw another dragon. He used to be one of my subordinates in the Harmony faction."

She paused to take a sip of tea and continued. "His name is Cremene-san and he is a ruthless dragon. He doesn't take no for an answer. He tried convincing me to return to Harmony."

"So why didn't you go?"

"Well you see that's the thing. I had made up my mind to go with him but I didn't. The reason being, and you have to believe me, Nai- Harmony is not my home. Yes, I was born into that faction and I am thankful however that does not mean that I will bound myself to that place forever. Since my very existence, I have served them. But I have built a stable, comfortable and simple life here with you Nai-chan and I am happy to say that this is my new home."

I was speechless. I felt a lot guiltier than before but another part of me was happy to have a god-like creature explain herself to me. I didn't know if I had completely believed her but Elma was one of those people who just can't lie to save their life. Her expression and her tone of voice seemed genuine enough. Now the ball was in my court.

She continued. "I'm very sorry for leaving you alone Nai. You must have been worried sick for me. Anyhow I had explained what I told you moments ago, to Cremene-san, but he would not accept it and kept insisting that I was a 'treacherous dragon'. Our disagreement somewhat escalated and had to be brought before the Council of Harmony. This took days because the Council must listen to thousands of cases and my case was just one. I had to formally request for my case to be heard. This took some time however my request didn't take long to process, since I had previously served on the same panel too. After my case was heard, I had to wait five days for them to make a decision.

Since I was on the good side of the judges, they ruled in my favour so that I could stay here but…oh boy…um this is where it gets complicated- They said that since I have given them so many years of loyalty and service, I could freely retire as a dragon and live in this world but it would come at a price since they would need to find a good replacement. And harmony replacements don't come so easily unless we reproduce. Since many of us are busy with our individual responsibilities, our birth rate is very low. I mean *hehe* the youngest harmony dragon is a hundred years old or around that age."

"I'm sorry Elma but I don't follow?" I was following her but I wanted to ensure I was not misinterpreting.

She sighed and stared in the now empty teacup. "I mean to say that we haven't brought forward one of us in the last century. And the war is still going on and we are already short on battle dragons."

She began to giggle nervously and played with the spoon in her cup. "He he he you see, this is where you come in, Nai."

"I'm sorry. I don't follow."

I blinked a few times at her and gave her a questioning look.

"Which part you don't follow? The part about us being busy to reproduce or the part about the council."

I blushed. "The busy part" I said more quietly.

She smirked. "Yes. Well it's pretty self-explanatory. But thing is, the Council told me that I must reproduce so that my offspring can replace me, if I plan to retire, that is. Dragons learn much faster than humans so-"

I choked on my tea. I coughed loudly and ran to the fridge for water.

"Are you ok Nai?"

When I had done gulping a large glass of water, I said "Yes, you were saying?"

"What did she mean by 'This is where you come in, Nai.'"

At this moment, it struck me:

Elma showed up at the same time I was considering doing stupid. How could she have known?