What We Want

Writers: Avery, Heather
Date Posted: 11th February 2015

Characters: D'kere, Talwynn
Description: The pair negotiate what they want from each other.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 10, day 23 of Turn 7

Talwynn swallowed as she walked along the weyrbowl towards D'kere's
weyr. A few days past 'half a sevenday' had already passed, and she
was afraid that maybe he was angry about that. Maybe he should be.
She'd been curled up in her own weyr thinking about everything and it
had taken longer than she expected.

Now she thought she'd finally figured everything she wanted to tell
him out, and she was nervous like a blushing Hold-girl, waiting
outside and strangely hesitant to go forward.

The break had been longer than agreed upon, and in D'kere's mind that
was tantamount to the relationship being over. What else could it
mean? He had gone about his daily routine, trying not to act as if
anything were bothering him, even though he was crushed inside.

}:Perhaps you should open the door. Riveth's stands outside.:{
Kenirath regarded the human curiously, trying to determine what
Talwynn was doing.

Surprised, and at the same time trying to squash down the flutter of
hope that had trilled inside him at the news, D'kere rose and went to
the door. Opening it, it was as Kenirath said, there Talwynn stood,
the expression on her face unreadable, "Tal?"

"Hi," she said softly, giving a tentative little wave up at Kenirath,
then D'kere.

D'kere stared at her for a moment. All she had to say was 'hi'? "Do...
you want to come in?" He asked uncertainly.

"Yeah, if that's okay. I missed you," she added in a soft, a little
shy voice as she followed him in.

On her own ledge, Riveth looked over at the bronze on his. She still
liked him even if her rider was weird. }:Riders are funny.:{

That was a relief, D'kere thought, although inwardly he was still
preparing himself for the inevitable. Closing the door behind Talwynn,
the Weyrlingmaster's second motioned for her to sit. "Well?" He sked,
cutting straight to the point. They both knew why they had arranged
this meeting.

She settled into a chair and groped for words. Finally, she blurted
out, "I've been being terrible."

"You have?" He asked, his eyebrows lifting a bit. It wasn't what he'd
expected her to say.

She nodded. "I've been a little unfair to you for reasons that aren't
really your fault. We should have talked earlier about what this was
between us. We didn't and that caused a misunderstanding. And we
didn't talk about it bcause I'm dumb."

D'kere reached out and caught one of her hands and enveloped it warmly
between his, "You are not dumb. We are talking now so I take it that
means you've decided what you want to do?"

She curled her hand under his. "I was dumb. I was letting my fear
build a distance," she disagreed. "I want to try a relationship with
you. Even though I'm afraid I'd be bad at it."

The words were a relief, but D'kere only revealed his emotions with
the faintest of smiles, "What makes you think you will be bad at it?"
His thumb traced the delicate outlines of her knuckles and the tendons
that ran along the back of her hand.

She enjoyed the sensation of his skin against hers as the confession
spilled free. "I don't know how it works, spending time with someone
with...expectations...between us. The idea of belonging to someone always
scared me."

Terrified her. Belonging to something made sense, fed her need for
structure and didn't trigger her fear of vulnerability.

"The key to making a relationship work is figuring out what _we_ want
those expectations to be. We'll make the relationship work for us and
not the other way around." D'kere couldn't help bit feel a bit of
surprise that Talwynn had never been in a real relationship before
when he found her absolutely captivating. How had others not felt the
same about her? **Or maybe some have and she hasn't let them in.**

"What would you expect?" she asked, heartened by his words.

D'kere exhaled deeply, worried that his expectations would be a deal
breaker, "Exclusivity outside of mating flights, and no hanging around
for seconds _after_ a flight, are two big things for me."

She felt the impulse to protest rise in her throat, but took a moment
to analyze it. Was she really not comfortable with that? Or was she
just feeling like protesting to protest? Because before she and D'kere
had begun...whatever this was... she hadn't exactly been flitting
around the Weyr like a firelizard in rising. So really, how bad was
it?

Besides, weren't bronzeriders the one with the problem of not keeping
it in check? And she assumed he wasn't suggesting to her anything he
wouldn't choose...

"For us both. Anything else?"

"For us both." D'kere agreed, happy that she had accepted. "Those are
the big things I can think of.. but what about you? What are your
expectations?"

She had to sit and think about that for a moment. What did she want
that signified this was different from whatever they'd been before?

"I don't want to move in full time..." she valued being independent
too much for that. "But I like being able to stay over often. If that
makes sense."

D'kere was in no hurry to rush Talwynn into something serious, like
being weyrmates, but just knowing that they would be committed to one
another while they tried out their relationship was enough for him,
"That sounds fair to me. You know you're welcome here any time, and
then when I've annoyed you beyond reason you can retreat to your
weyr." He grinned a little to show he was teasing.

"Don't forget when panicking weyrlings show up after the midnight
candlemark after having done something horrible," she said.

"Or, while I'm seeing to the panicking Weyrlings, you could be
enjoying the bed all to yourself. Then you wouldn't have to leave in
the middle of the night." D'kere brought her hands to his lips, and
sighed. "I'm glad you came to talk to me, Talwynn. We'll make this
work, I promise."

His lips touching the back of her hand made her shiver in the good
way. "I'm glad I came back, too."

The man's blue eyes regarded her warmly, "Will you stay tonight?"

"I'd like to, if you're okay with it." Her voice was soft, as though
she wasn't sure if she'd get permission. It sounded like things were
moving in a positive direction, but after she'd been so difficult this
month, was it possible things were patched over quite so quickly?

"I asked, didn't I?" D'kere stood and gently guided Talwynn to her
feet. "I have missed you... a lot."

It made her feel good to hear. "Then let's show each other how nice it
is to be back."

Last updated on the February 20th 2015

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What We Want