Gaston nodded in reply to Rose's words and managed to return her smile with a sad shaky one of his own. He knew she would never expect him to hide his emotions, but he couldn't stand upsetting her like this! He was a little surprised when she told him he needed to stop crying, but he knew the words were meant to be comforting, not like when his father told him the exact same thing. The hug calmed him down, and he was able to blink back the last few tears and look back at her. "I'm Sorry, force of habit," he said. "I just can't stand seeing someone I love in pain..."

He knew the relative calm wouldn't last long however. Telling Rose about the dragon attack opened up all the old wounds and made him cry all over again. Too many memories, too many emotions to keep inside anymore... He wasn't sure how he expected Rose to react, but he wasn't expecting this. She was strangely calm, almost as if she was in shock. Then she was talking to him, trying to comfort him, but he could only manage a weak sniffle in reply as he squeezed her hand back, holding on for dear life.

Tears still falling, he continued his story, "I-I was teaching a class at the time. I had n-no idea anything was wrong until... One boy said he saw f-fire outside. I thought it was a prank... Then I actually saw the d-dragon, just as it broke all the windows in the classroom..." He shuddered at the memory of the deafening sound of the dragon's roar and shattering glass. "Professor Evremonde and I g-got everyone to safety. There was a group of teachers going to fight the dragon. I w-wanted to go, but he convinced me t-to stay with our students. They were s-so scared, I couldn't leave them..." He could still see their frightened faces clearly in his mind, still hear them begging him not to leave them behind

"It was hours b-before we were allowed to leave, and... w-when I finally found Ellie s-she was already..." His voice dissolved into bitter sobs, and he clung to Rose's hand as if it were his only comfort left.