Lou

 

"Oh!" Harper grinned broadly. So wide that Lou blinked in confusion. He hadn't noticed that he was smiling. Confused, Lou looked at his friend.

"Huh?"

"Oh, nothing!" Harper shook his head quickly. "You've got your stone back. No one saw me, don't be afraid. They are now looking for a thief. But they were the thieves!"

"Thieves..." Lou stroked his sparklestone and leaned against Harper. "Yes."

Immediately, the dragon put an arm around him. And then a beautiful, white wing. "I'm sorry."

"What?" Lou touched one of the many soft feathers. They attracted him almost magically, warm and silky, he liked the feel under his fingertips.

"Everything."

"No." Why should the friendly, loving dragon feel sorry for EVERYTHING? Lou saw no reason for that. "No one hurt you?"

"They should have seen me for that. But... All they saw was a mouse..." The dragon laughed softly. "They chased me with a broom, but they didn't catch me. It's all good."

"What?" Shaken, Lou looked at his friend. "With a broom?" He took Harper's face in his hands, and leaned close to him, looking for signs of injury. There were none. Instead, Harper's cheeks took on a pretty flush.

"I was faster. As a mouse", his friend said, slightly embarrassed. "Vivi?" He touched Lou's hands and tilted his head.

Lou blinked and let go. "Ah. Hm. Are the others coming back soon?"

"They have a lot to carry. I don't know." Harper grabbed one of Lou's white strands of hair and played with it. "So pretty...", he added quietly.

Lou grimaced and freed his hair from the dragon's careful grip. "I just wanted my stone."

"You need food, clean clothes. You're not a dragon. You can't walk around naked all day long... Although. I wouldn’t mind." Harper winked at him.

"What?" Shaking his head, Lou tugged at Harper's clothes. "You're not naked either!"

"Yes, I am. The clothes aren't real."

"Huh?"

"Do you want me to prove it?"

"NO!" Harper's father growled from the back of the cave. "Leave Lou alone!"

"Hm", Lou murmured, rubbing the fabric between his fingers. Harper's clothes felt real. He tugged at them again.

Harper raised his eyebrows. "What? Should I actually prove it?" he teased.

Harper's parents sighed in resignation, while Lou felt and tucked unperturbed. As he did so, he came closer and closer to Harper. Lou looked at the fine weave pattern of the fabric. "No", he murmured, his cheeks rosy. He almost touched Harper's torso with the tip of his nose, that's how close he had come. "But... Magic is amazing."

"I want to kiss you!"

"NO!" Harper's father grumbled again. 

"Yes", Lou whispered. However, Lou didn't know exactly what he was saying yes to. A kiss, or the no? Luckily for him, he didn't have to think about it for the time being, as Ross, Nour and the others came back from their 'raid'. And it was indeed a robbery, as Max had secretly plundered the richly stocked pantry of one of Remy's neighbors. Of course, Lou didn't know anything about this, nor did the neighbor in question who had slept through the burglary. The man was left with only some bread and a few vegetables, which Max did not like the smell of.

The huge dragons landed in the cave. They carried boxes and bags in their claws, which prevented them from landing in a particularly ostentatious way. Instead, they rumbled loudly into the cave. Lou recoiled from the noise and clung to Harper. The dragon immediately wrapped its arms and wings tightly around Lou. "It's all good!" Harper grumbled softly.

Nour was the first to take human form. She rummaged through the pouch she had been carrying, pulled out a doll, and ran with it to Lou and Harper. "Lou! Your doll! So pretty!"

Lou peeked out from under Harper's wings. "Nour. Are you okay?"

"Yes! I was only allowed to keep watch and help carry it anyway! Here, your doll! Let's play with it!" She proudly held the finely crafted doll in her hands. "Does she have a name? Or is that a boy?"

"Oh." Lou leaned against Harper and pushed one of the wings aside. Immediately Nour climbed under the white wings, which Harper silently disliked, and held out the doll to Lou.

"Is that a boy?" Nour repeated her question. "Pretty!"

"Yes." Lou nodded and took the doll. "He doesn't have a name. Do dolls have names? Louise called hers always... Miss Beautiful."

"How about... Mr. Beautiful? No. That's stupid!" Nour said and sat down between Lou's legs. Harper hissed softly but was skillfully ignored by her. "Let's play! A promise is a promise!"

"Playing? How old are you?" Ross grumbled. In the meantime, they had all returned to human form. "Playing with dolls? Nour! You'd better help us set up the cave!"

Nour pushed Harper's wings aside, Harper hissed again, sticking her tongue out at Ross. Then she smiled at Lou. "Have you ever played with dolls?"

Lou said no. He never had. Not really. Except, perhaps, with Louise's old doll? He liked to hug her and rock her like a baby in his arms. But back then, Lou was younger.

"Lou is too old for that, too!" muttered Ross.

"Be quiet!" hissed Max. "Leave them alone! I bring the supplies to the back. It's cooler there!"

"Harper? Help us! Leave Lou to little Nour and the doll!" Ross grumbled at last. "We need to clear out the boxes, and..."

"What?" Harper rested his head on Lou's shoulder.

"I can help too!" Lou suggested immediately. He embraced his doll the way he had once embraced Louise's doll. However, Nour also snuggled into his arms.

"It’s all right, Lou", Connie replied. "We can do it alone. Harper? Come and help us! Sally! What are you doing?"

"Huh?" Sally hopped on one of the large cushions she had been carrying. "That's funny! Lou? Come hop with me. It makes you happy!"

"Hm." Lou stayed where he was. He couldn't see Sally bouncing around. Harper, on the other hand, got up annoyed to help his siblings.

"What have you got?", asked Hallie. "Show me!"

And so the dragons, except for Nour and Lou, began to set up the cave and stow supplies. Harper was reluctant to help, and Nour eagerly thought about what she and Lou could play with the doll.

"How about mom, dad and... No, that's stupid. I've never had a doll either. I don't know what you humans are playing with it", she grumbled, leaning against Lou. "But you have a lot of catching up to do, don't you?"

"Louise and Nina used to play this", Lou said, continuing to hug the doll, his sparklestone, and the dragon girl. "I wanted a doll too, but I never got one. This one is from Remy."

"It belongs to Remy? Really?" Nour grimaced. "I didn't think so. Do you want me to bring the doll back?"

"No! The doll is mine, and Remy gave it to me."

"Ah. Good! Dolls don't suit Remy. But you, yes. You look like one yourself."

"Do I do that?" Lou had never been compared to a doll.

"Definitely", Connie agreed, hurrying over to them. She carried a casket in her hands. Which she handed to Lou as well. "Your jewelry!"

"Jewelry?" Nour grabbed the box, since Lou didn't have a free hand and was just staring at Connie, and opened it. "Oh, it all sparkles!"

Lou nodded. "That's what your brother chose."

"Oh." Nour sighed and stroked a beautiful brooch. "From Narcisse..."

"Narcisse?" Connie, on the other hand, snorted. "Do you like jewelry?"

"I think so." Lou wasn't sure yet, but the things were nice. But did he want to wear them? He had never worn jewelry before. Not even with Remy. Lou had never dared to dress up with it. Is that what he wanted? Nour was happy to take the decision away from him. Smiling, she began to decorate Lou with all the jewelry and ribbons. Connie laughed in amusement, leaving the perplexed Lou to the dragon girl's ideas of decoration.

"Nour?", he asked, confused, but didn't stop her. To do that, he would have had to let go of the doll and the stone, and he didn't want to do that.

"Now you look like a princess. No! A prince! So cute!" Nour tied the last bow in his hair."

"Ah." Lou didn't think he was cute, nor did he think he could look like a prince. Or a princess. "No. You're cute!"

"Yes. I'm the prettiest and sweetest girl! Repeat after me! Nour is the prettiest girl and I am infinitely grateful to her!" she warbled happily.

"No."

"Why not?" Immediately, the girl pouted. "How mean!"

"Louise is the prettiest and sweetest girl!" declared Lou. "My twin sister."

"Ah." Nour took one of the chains in her hands and held it to Lou's hair. "Well... The cutest and prettiest dragon girl?"

"Yes." Lou agreed.

"Good! Then repeat after me!" Nour tried again. Since she had run out of bows, she now adorned Lou's hair with the remaining necklaces. She had a lot of fun with her playing. "I am the most beautiful and sweetest prince!"

"No." Lou clearly didn't want to say that.

"Nour! Are you annoying Vivi!", reprimanded Harper. He sauntered over to them and sat down next to Lou. "Why does MY VIVI look like a crowded jewelry stand?"

"Because I'm a pretty prince?" Lou answered, looking at Harper in a slightly desperate way. "Do I look bad?"

"No. Cute and dazzling!" said Harper quickly.

"My art is never BAD!" scolded Nour, then she laughed. "You look really silly, Lou! We'd better free you from it."