Gaston smiled a little at Rose's words. He knew she hated seeing others in pain just as much as he did, and that compassion was why he fell so madly in love with her! "I know," he whispered, giving her hand a little kiss. What a pair they were! When one of them was sad, the other got sad too. He silently berated himself for upsetting her, but at least she seemed better now. He tried to keep up the calm facade, but his smile was already fading. He knew that once he launched into the story about the dragon attack, it was only a matter of time before he made her sad again.

He had no idea how long he'd been crying. For a while, all he could do was hold tight to her hand - so tight that he was surprised he didn't break it in half - as his entire body shook with sobs. Her touch was the only thing keeping him from getting swallowed up by the sadness, fear, and overwhelming guilt that the memories of that day brought. As long as he held her hand, he had a small reminder that those days were far behind him.

Eventually his tears ran dry and he was able to look back at her, wiping his eyes. He was still mind-numbingly sad, despite having no more tears left to give, and his eyes held a lost, haunted look. It was only then that he registered Rose's words, and he shook his head sadly. He knew she wanted to comfort him, but she didn't quite understand! "I knew she was in danger the moment I saw the dragon..." He said, his voice raw and tired. "I should've been with her! I should've protected her..."

He heaved a sigh that sounded a lot like a scoff. "I always swore that I'd never make that mistake twice, but today I made the exact same choice..." his voice dripped with self-loathing. "I should've fought the monster, but instead I went chasing after poltergeist like a coward!"