Interrupted Moments

Writers: Avery, Heather
Date Posted: 9th January 2015

Characters: L'pin, Chaysea
Description: L'pin's plans for a romantic date with Chaysea are interrupted by a greenflight, and it gets a bit awkward.
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 10, day 21 of Turn 7

L'pin knocked on Chaysea's door, carrying a basket in his hands. He'd
sweet-talked the kitchen staff out of a picnic meal and since it was a
rest day, he had hopes that they could find a private spot, maybe down by
the Dolphin Hall.

Chaysea had one blissful day off. She did not take them often, even on
Restdays there were things around the Weyr that needed the Headwoman's
attention, and besides, without a weyrmate or family, she enjoyed
being busy. The knock on her door was expected, and she smiled as she
opened the door. Today she was in a thin, cotton dress, the waistline
of which was detailed to accentuate her trim figure. The deep, green
dress was sleeveless and still fell modestly to her ankles, with a
tantalizing split that ran nearly to her thigh on the left side.

"L'pin." She smiled.

"You're gorgeous today. The color flatters you," he said, smiling at her.
Then the bluerider held up the basket. "Would you want to dine outside,
perhaps on the beach watching the sea? Or here in your weyr if that would
be easier."

"The beach sounds wonderful." Chaysea had not always lived where the
beach was so readily accessible, so the sight of the sand and water
were still exciting for her.

"Well then, let's take a walk that way." He shifted the basket so it
was more comfortable to carry and gestured for her to precede him.
Partly to be courteous, and just a small bit for other reasons.

Chaysea preceded L'pin just a bit, although she smiled over her
shoulder at him, "So how are things with the Weyrlings?" With how busy
the bluerider had been she wasn't sure if it was a sign that things
were good or bad.

"Been leveling off. I think they're always neediest the first months.
Should be interesting with the next clutch, been a bit since we have
two training at
once. But I'm hoping it'll be calm before the storm now."

"Me too. I can't say I wouldn't like to see more of you, sir." Chaysea
told him as they made their way out onto the beach.

His lips quirked and he dares his next words. "More of, or more of?"

Chaysea seemed to contemplate the question for a moment, a charming
hint of pink creeping up her neck to her cheeks, "Both." She grinned
at him.

The sky was lovely and the sand warm, and everything was on-track to
be wonderful. He was looking forward to lunch, but more to the things
that lay beyond that time. Maybe after the meal, it would be time to
go beyond the heavy touching and finally lay his claim to her,
initiating her into the ways of men and women.

He stumbled slightly, thrown off by the explicitness of his thoughts.

A loud cry suddenly rang out, and a green dragon went from a ledge
into the sky. She soared out towards the water, passing almost
directly over them. Two browns and a blue were hot after her, their
own calls in response.

Chaysea heard the change in L'pin's footfalls and she turned, her eyes
darting from the sky and back to the bluerider. "Is Chaneth chasing?"
She asked, unable to identifying the dragons in the air from such a
long distance.

"He is." The normally calm voice of the bluerider was slightly ragged in
tone with a mixture of annoyance and the beginning effects of flight
desire. "And it doesn't matter to him that I have plans -" he swore.

The Headwoman could not help the sharp stab of disappointment that
blossomed in her chest, even when she knew that there was nothing
L'pin could do to help the situation. "It's... It's okay. I'll just go
on to the beach and... Maybe I will see you later sometime?" She tried
to make her voice sound light.

"I'd like to see you later. I'll - make sure I'm in a presentable state,"
he added.

Chaysea nodded, and stepped away from L'pin, and then gave him one
last smile before turning and walking on toward the beach. The
brilliant sand blurred in her vision as hot tears scalded her eyes,
and a tight lump had settled in her throat. She didn't blame, L'pin,
really, but it was frustrating and disappointing all at the same time.

**It is just something you will have to get use to if you want to be
involved with a dragonrider.** She reminded herself as she spread out
her towel and then sat down on it, taking a deep breath she inhaled a
fresh whiff of the salty, ocean air and sighed.

~*~

He'd enjoyed the win and the time with N'fas, and they'd burned off
the feelings of their dragons together. He'd always enjoyed the fact
that for the rest of the day he felt charged with an extra
sensuousness and playfulness. But now he was here for Chaysea, and he
didn't want that spilling over.

Chaysea looked up from her book when the knock came at her door. She
figured on who it was, and she also figured that he must have won the
flight or enjoyed one of those flight moths that she had heard about
from Ikalis, since it was so late. She didn't really like either
option. Slipping a ribbon between the pages of her book, Chaysea
opened her door, a small smile crossing her fac when she looked down
to see the flowers in L'pin's hand, "Hey."

Guilt mixed in his stomach with the leftover traces of flight feelings
as he wondered what she'd heard about the flight. Her opinion was
important, he hoped
that she wouldn't be angry at him for something he had no control
over. So he hoped to make a peace offering, of sorts.

"I picked these," he offered.

"Thank you, they are lovely." Chaysea said as she reached out and took
the flowers. L'pin was the only man that had ever brought her flowers.
"Come in." She stepped back to allow him entrance.

He stepped inside and gave her a warm smile. "How was the lunch?"

She lifted her shoulders, "It was okay." It went without saying that
it would have been much better if he had been able to join her.

He knew what she meant even if it wasn't verbalized. "Do you have
early duties tomorrow or can I stay a bit? There could be music, or
just talking."

Though part of him still wanted to make good on his implications from
earlier, even if they'd been partially thought out under flight
influences.

"I don't have any morning appointments so you can stay for a while."
Chaysea moved over to the couch and sat down, pulling a blanket over
her lap as she did.

"Good," he said, settling next to her and reaching for her hand.

"Next time I should spirit you away from the weyr and any tempting
greens," he joked.

Chaysea smiled and chuckled, "Yes, now that sounds like a plan."

He shifted slightly as the sound of her laugh made him flush like a
boy. "Sometimes being a rider is sharding inconvenient. All these
interruptions make it difficult. I hope I haven't offended you."

"Not at all, L'pin. It is just apart of you being a dragonrider."
Chaysea twined her fingers together, "It is just all so new to me, of
course."

"Of course," he repeated. "And you come here relatively late, so it
must be harder on you to understand what goes on. Is there anything I
can say?"

Chaysea shook her head, "I don't think so. I mean, I understand that
flights are flights and you have no control over what your dragon
choses to do. But I come from a culture where monogamy is everything,
so even though my head understands my gut still clenches at the idea."

He nodded. "I understand that. I remember thinking abut marriage and
children." And also about hiding his feelings for men, though that
wasn't the right thing to mention at this time. "It was a shock to
realize I had to give that up. The Weyr has its own traditions
involving those subjects, but it isn't quite the same...and even when
promises are made, there's the knowledge that another's actions can
damage them, even unintentionally."

Marriage and children, two things that Chaysea had given up on long
ago when she had married Dothran, a man in his seventies. "Yes, it is
certainly... different. I suppose after a while it will be old hat for
me and I won't notice." At least, she hoped she could become so casual
with her feelings about intimacy and monogamy that it did not bother
her when L'pin won flights.

"It works that way for some people. Others still worry. I tell the
weyrlings that it's alright if they don't get used to it immediately.
Some Weyrlingmasters expect them to just throw over their old lives
and values...it's not for my tastes. They need to take the time to get
used to thinks at their own pace."

He stroked his fingers across her hand idly as he talked. "When it's
not like earlier when it interrupted us - would you prefer to know
nothing?"

Chaysea watched his fingers, "That's a hard one. I can see how not
knowing would be nice, but I do not want you to feel as if you need to
hide a part of your life for my sake. If I ask how your day has been
and you say that you were in a flight, I should be able to act like a
big girl and not fall apart." She was the Weyr's Headwoman, after all.

"It'll take time," he told her. "There's should, and then there's what
actually happens. They aren't the same, and they don't have to be. I
want you to be comfortable, so that means if you want to not hear, I
can say that." He unconsciously had slipped into the gentling tone he
often used for sensitive weyrling discussions.

Tilting her head up she looked into his eyes, "I'll be fine, I promise."

He kissed the top of her head. "And I swear that this doesn't happen
all the time. It just feels like it, sometimes.

Chaysea settled into the man's side and curled her legs up beneath
her, "Good, because a woman has needs you know." She teased.

"I would certainly rather think about you right now." He kissed her
lips in what was meant to be gentle, but flared quickly into heat.

She had thought it would be weird, knowing that he had already _been_
with someone that day, but his kiss quickly sparked the same desire in
her that she always felt when she was in his arms.

"Maybe we should move this to somewhere with a little more room," he
suggested.

Chaysea's heart fluttered at the insinuation, but there was no
hesitation as she stood, her fingers linked lightly with his, "I know
just the place." She murmured, leading in the direction of her bed.

Last updated on the February 11th 2015

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

Interrupted Moments