Chapter Text
Bam was curled up, his tail loosely coiled around his body, and his wings tucked in close, lax with sleep. His breath fogged from his snout with each exhale but Bam did not feel the cold permeating within the cave. The black scales covering Bam’s dragon body protected him from the chill, allowing him to sleep deeply. Bam had not meant to fall asleep while waiting for Rachel but it was hard not to, with nothing else to do in the dark cave he resided in.
Suddenly a loud clack resounded through the cave. A rock had been dropped from the opening at the top of the cave-- the signal Rachel had taught Bam. Quickly awoken from his slumber by the noise, Bam snapped his golden eyes open. If Rachel were to poke her head through the cave opening at this moment, all she would see is two slitted eyes staring out from fathomless darkness. These eyes were filled with nothing but adoration but Rachel knew the truth; that Bam considered her nothing more than a thing to own. Dragons did not know love after all, they only knew how to possess .
Rachel could not be further from the truth. It was quite the opposite really; no species loved as deeply as dragons. Their love was a rare gift, one to be cherished. Over time, dragons grew to be feared for their way of expressing love. Entire civilizations had been wiped out by revengeful dragons who had their loved ones harmed. Those at the top of the Tower labeled dragons as possessive and domineering, cruel and callous, harbingers of destruction-- an excuse to hunt them down and extinguish their power before they became a threat.
Neither Rachel nor Bam knew the truth. All Bam knew was Rachel, his Star that came down to brighten the darkness, who exudes warmth and care, who spoke to him softly and patted his head. Bam’s everything. All Rachel knew was Bam, the overwhelming darkness that looked at her with terrifying golden eyes, who had sharp teeth and claws meant for tearing people to shreds. Rachel pitied Bam-- she was also afraid of the power he unknowingly wielded. And yet there was a part of her that could not help but envy Bam.
Rachel snapped back to awareness when she heard Bam call out an excited “Rachel!”
Carefully peeking down into the hole, the sight that greeted Rachel was not a terrifying dragon but rather a small boy with long brown hair who was covered in a dirty white cloth, waving at her frantically. With practiced ease Rachel smiles and gently calls “Bam”.
Bam let out a happy little chirp , a sound that could not be produced by human vocal chords, as Rachel made her way down the tower of stones leading to the cave’s opening; the sound too quiet to reach Rachel’s ears.
Once Rachel was at the bottom of the tower, Bam happily ran up to her and threw his arms around her with a big smile. Rachel’s scent, the smell of campfire, smokey and warm, filled Bam’s senses. “Rachel, Rachel, Rachel!”
Rachel giggled at Bam’s cute display. She wrapped her arms around him and began to pat the top of his head. “Hello, Bam.”
Bam, overcome with happiness, began to purr from deep within his chest. Rachel, his Star was here. His treasure. He didn’t need to wait anymore, he could be with his most precious person. In her arms, he was safe, he was warm. He wasn’t alone.
Bam realized his mistake as soon as the arms that had just been holding him close, moved to his shoulders and forcefully pulled him back, his arms being ripped from Rachel’s body. The warm campfire he was smelling moments ago became sharper, a forest fire raging endlessly, burning everything in its path. Feeling suffocated by the change in scent, cold shock flooded through Bam’s veins and he couldn’t bring himself to move. A stern expression was on Rachel’s face as she gazed at Bam, who had tears forming at the corner of his eyes. “Rachel, I’m-- ”
“Bam.” The hands gripping Bam’s shoulders tightened.
Bam snapped his mouth shut.
“You know you’re not supposed to make those sounds. What have I told you about those noises?”
Bam bit his lip to stop it from trembling before opening his mouth to answer, “People will think I’m disgusting and will hurt me if they ever hear me make them.”
“That’s right.” Rachel’s hands loosened their grip and she softened her eyes before continuing. “I am only doing this to protect you, Bam. This is to keep you safe. Do you understand?”
Bam rapidly nodded his head. “I’m sorry, Rachel, I’ll be more careful.”
Rachel smiled once more and pat Bam’s head. “Good boy.”
Bam tentatively smiled back at Rachel, hope shining in his eyes at the positive attention. He slowly reached out his hands to grip at Rachel’s dress. Seeing that he wasn’t being rejected, Bam moved closer to hug Rachel again, leaning his face on her shoulder. He took in a deep breath and tried to ignore the scent of forest fire that continued to assault his nose. Rachel was hugging him after all. Everything would be okay.