Easy to Love

Writers: Heather, Miriah
Date Posted: 15th February 2016

Characters: R'axe, Paetri
Description: Paetri has a problem she needs to talk about.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr, Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 4, day 1 of Turn 8
Notes: Mentioned: J'kri

R'axe

When R'axe heard the telltale "pop" of a dragon coming out of between
he cracked one eye open. A smile crossed his face as he recognized
Paetri's green. He was laying out on the beach he, J'kri and Paetri
liked to visit when they wanted to get away from the cooler
temperatures of Dragonsfall.

}:Welcome Camilth.:{ Jayth greeted from where he was soaking in the
gentle breakers near the shoreline.

}: Thank you, Jayth. I thought you and Yours would be here. :{ She
landed, letting Paetri slide down to the ground before moving to sidle
up beside him.

Paetri adjusted the soft, white skirt after watching Camilth leave and
approached the prone bluerider. She wasn't wearing swim wear, but the
dress was light and well suited for the warmth. She didn't say much as
she sat beside him and tilted her head up to the sun.

"Hey darlin'," he drawled, "you don't seem beach ready today." He
smiled as he reached out and fingered the soft material of her skirt.
"What brings you by?"

"I didn't much feel like swimming, so I thought this would be
alright." She curled one knee up and looked back down at him. "I
suppose I just wanted your company." Her brow knitted for a moment.

R'axe pushed up onto his elbows and then turned on his side to look at
Paetri. "Well, here I am." He reached up and ran a finger across her
furrowed brow. "What's wrong?"

She didn't answer right away. Instead, she moved to lay beside him on
the sand, not minding if the dress got sandy. She snuggled up to him
and closed her eyes. "I met one of J'kri's...friends."

"Ah," R'axe stroked a tendril of Paetri's hair. "J'kri's friends." It
was true that the young bluerider seemed unable to say "no" to anyone.
R'axe had been around the Weyr enough to try and turn a blind eye to
it, he understood that J'kri was young and excited about his
sexuality. R'axe had his fair share of partners, but he was a bit
more... Selective.

She fell silent for a moment, then spoke softly. "I normally don't
mind, but F'nix..." She tried to put her feeling into words. "He
seemed to think that I was just another one of the 'friends'. It kind
of hurt. J'kri loves me and I know he does, but..." She looked up at
R'axe and her voice lowered. "Do you think that's all I am too?"

"Of course not, anyone with eyes can see J'kri loves you." R'axe
assured her. He wondered if J'kri was conscious of how his actions
affected Paetri. "You could ask him to tone it down a bit, you know?
That's not unreasonable."

Her brow furrowed even further. "I told him that I wouldn't try to
change him. I love him as he is. And I haven't seen him or heard of
him with other girls, it's just that..." She tried to find the words,
but failed. "I can't explain it, R'axe. But I've only ever been with
him and you, not counting Camilth's flights, which I can't do anything
about. I don't count them. I don't want much more than that."

"I guess it's different for me because I knew from the very beginning
that I would never be the most important person to J'kri, that is your
position," he smiled at her, reaching a finger out to tap the end of
her nose, "and I am perfectly okay with that. Just because you agreed
to take him as he is doesn't mean he's perfect and doesn't need some
improving. He's still a teenager learning to mature. Just talk to
him."

She chewed on her lower lip. "I guess I should. I just...what if he
doesn't want to?"

He stroked her hair. "That's where you have to decide, Paetri, what
you're willing to sacrifice for J'kri to have his way."

"I don't want to lose him." She spoke softly.

"You won't," he promised.

The stroking of her hair was soothing and the warmth of him eased
some of her nerves. She snuggled a bit closer, basking in both the
sun's and R'axe's heat. "Does it ever bother you?"

There was a moment's hesitation as R'axe struggled to admit feelings to
Paetri that he never admitted to himself. "Yes, it does, sometimes."
He answered truthfully. "I guess it's hard to know sometimes if you're
one of his many or if you're someone that's actually important to
him."

"Do you love him too?" The question was soft, but not judgmental.

"Yes." R'axe answered truthfully, without hesitation.

She nodded. "I thought so. He's so easy to love, isn't he?"

R'axe made a sound of agreement, "He is."

Last updated on the February 20th 2016

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Easy to Love