This is a fluffy little one shot I wrote using the characters of my story "On the Run."

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“Damian!” Caitlynn exclaimed as she hysterically. She dodged and raced past many bystanders on the street, trying to catch up to the fast-walking boy. “Damian,” she cried again, “wait! Please!” She murmured quick apologies to the woman she accidentally ran into but was off again within seconds.

Damian heard her, but he couldn't bring himself to stop. The faster he left town, the sooner Caitlynn would forget about him and go back to her life, no worries of the HDF threatening her or her family any more. It's for the best, he reminded himself firmly and didn't dare look back.

Caitlynn turned the corner and stopped upon losing sight of him. She was frantic. She had to find him. He couldn't just run off like that. Not after what he had just confessed.

Damian clenched his hands into fists and looked away from the shocked, sorrowful eyes that were pinned to him.

“You're leaving?”

“Yes.. I have to go. The HDF are never going to give up, but they promised to leave you alone if I left town,” he said, chin tilted up with little confidence. He couldn't bear to look her in the eye, even as she tried desperately to meet his gaze.

“You mean you're leaving because of me?!”

Damian wanted to wince at the anger and self-loathing thick in her words, but he did nothing but step back and turn away from her. “I have to,” he said just loud enough for Caitlynn's ears to strain to hear it, “I love you too much to put you in danger... If I leave, so does the HDF.”

“I don't care! I don't want you to leave!” She stomped her foot in a tantrum. “... You... you can't leave.”

“I can, and I will.”

Steely-eyed and tense, Damian walked out the door of Caitlynn's apartment, nodding good bye to Cadence and the twins' mother. He walked quietly out of their home, quickening his pace when he heard Caitlynn start to chase after him.

Caitlynn had been surprised at his sudden departure, but then the shock seemed to polish itself off. Her legs bounded forward, and she felt as if she was unable to get enough air into her lungs. She tripped on her way from her room but stumbled back up again, intending to catch up to Damian and demand he stay.

I love you too much to put you in danger, his words echoed inside her head. She bit her lip in surprise, and the tears immediately started trickling down her face.

And Caitlynn was still running. She had lost sight of Damian, but she continued to run nonetheless. All she needed was just a glimpse of him. She had to catch up to him and beg him to stay. If he left, Caitlynn didn't know what she would do. She couldn't let her life go back to being so dreadfully dull.

That was when she saw it. A glimpse of his hair, and she snapped her gaze in that direction. She saw him turn into a dark alley, head bowed sadly. She hurried to the entrance of the alley and paused when she heard a strangled sigh come. It broke her heart to hear Damian holding back sobs, cursing himself for allowing himself to grow so close to a human.

“Damian!”

Caitlynn rushed over to the dragon boy sitting propped against the alley wall. She threw herself into his surprised arms and sobbed into his shirt. “How dare you,” she hissed between her gasping cries, “how dare you run off like that?! You jerk!” She beat lightly on his chest with her fists, crying harder when his arms snaked around her shaking figure.

“Caitlynn, I...”

“No! I don't want any of your excuses! I don't care if I'm in danger because I know you! You are not leaving me like this! Jerk... You... you're such a... jerk..!”

Damian sighed but allowed a small relieved grin to take up residence on his lips. He hugged her close and buried his nose into her messy hair, wild from her mad dash through the city. “I know.. I'm a jerk, but you know you love me for it,” he teased and kissed the top of her head.

Caitlynn grinned up at him through her tears, “Unfortunately, that's true.” She giggled and tipped her head up to press a kiss to his lips. “But don't you dare try to leave like that again,” she warned.

Damian rolled his eyes. He pulled her into his lap, a hand stroking down her hair and over the nape of her neck, cupping her chin and pulling her into another kiss. “Hm.. you taste pretty good,” he noted absently and licked his lips, his tongue accidentally lapping against her mouth. He laughed when a blush crept onto her face. He kissed her cheeks then her forehead and then her lips again and again and again.

Caitlynn giggled as he moved to peck kisses on her jugular and along her jawbone. It sent tingles shooting through her body when he caressed her shoulder with his hand like that. She whined softly when he paused, lips still on her neck. “You're so wonderful,” he whispered tenderly against her skin, sending a shiver down her spine.

“Then why did you try to leave?”

“I told you... it was to protect you. You're in danger because of me. If I left, you would be safe.”

“I don't want to be safe if it means losing you...”

Damian could smell the salty tears as they gathered on Caitlynn's lashes. He hushed her, his hands cupping her face and drawing her gaze up to his. “Don't cry... If it's going to hurt you so much, then I won't leave... I'll stay and protect you as long as it takes,” he vowed and pressed his lips firmly against her forehead. “So don't worry...” He thumbed her cheek, grinning widely at her.

Caitlynn beamed at him and coiled her arms around his neck. She settled her head against his shoulder and kissed butterfly kisses on his neck. “Thank you... oh I love you so much..”

“Hm... I love you too, Lynn.” He stroked his fingers through her hair, his other hand coiled around her middle and holding her comfortably on his lap.