Not Fooling Anyone
Dragonsfall Weyr
Amber Hills Hold
Vintner Hall
Healer Hall
Hidden Meadows
Dolphin Cove Weyr
Dolphin Hall
Emerald Falls Hold
Harper Hall
Printer Hall
Green Valley Hold
Leeward Lagoon Hold
Barrier Lake Weyr
Sunstone Seahold
Citrus Bay Hold
Writers: Bree, Eimi
Date Posted: 1st March 2006
Characters: Talryne, U'kaiah
Description: Talryne convinces herself she is coming just to check on U'kaiah...
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 10, day 15 of Turn 3
Talryne was good at pretending. When she knocked on the door to U'kaiah's new weyr, she pretended that she had come to see how he was doing and offer a friendly shoulder, nothing more. And even when she admitted she might be willing to offer all sorts of things more friendly than a shoulder, she pretended that it was because she'd always been fond of U'kaiah and not because he was terribly interesting now that he was a little more dangerous.
U'kaiah was unwrapping the last of his precious knicknacks when he heard the knock. "Come in!" he called over his shoulder. The bronzerider was glad that whoever it was would find a much cleaner weyr than the one from the one it had been the night before. Abrei had been a merciless taskmaster.
Pretending or not, Talryne had taken the time to dress in a flattering skirt and rather daring blouse, and had stopped by the kitchen to filch a basket of goodies and a decent enough flask of wine. She held up the former as she slipped into his sitting room, smiling at him, tossing the flask onto the couch next to him. "I thought I'd see if you wanted something to eat."
"Oh yeah?" he grinned as he set put the glass back into the box. "Just what did you bring me?"
"Mostly sweets," she replied, setting the basket down in front of him. "And other things that are bad for you. But that's always more fun." "Yes, the badder the funner," the bronzerider said teasingly. "So which of these badies are yours and which are mine?"
Talryne gave him her wide, innocent eyes. "What do you mean? The sweets are for me! You're going to have to settle for a bad greenrider as your prize...
unless you can convince me to give a few of them up." So maybe she wasn't fooling anyone, much less herself. "I'm sorry?" U'kaiah blinked at her, utterly confused. Where had _this_
come from? Leaning in, Talryne whispered conspiratorially, "I'm flirting with you.
Don't worry, I promise I won't bite you." Pulling back she wrinkled her nose at him and then pulled the basket over. "Since you look so confused, though, I suppose I _have_ to share." He gave her smile that didn't quite wipe the confusion from his eyes.
**Abrei would kill me...** "Thanks. They smell delicious."
"I made friends with one of the cooks," Talryne admitted, flipping the basket open. "She lets me sneak into the kitchens at night when I can't sleep and gives me goodies."
"You haven't been sleeping lately?" U'kaiah asked as he peeked into the basket. The bubblies looked inviting...
Talryne made a face. "Could we go back to the awkward flirting?" she asked hopefully. "It's bound to me more entertaining in the long run than my insomnia." "You don't like actually _talking_ much, do you," he stated, rather than asked.
"I love talking," she replied easily, but there was a shadow in her eyes as she glanced up at U'kaiah. "I just don't like talking about myself. There's nothing good to say." "I know that isn't true," the bronzerider said with a soft smile. "There are lots of good things to say about you."
The aggressively cheerful façade cracked, leaving the slightest hints of vulnerability in her face as she looked at him. "I did a lot of bad things, U'kaiah. I am not a very good person." He chuckled as he put an arm around her shoulder. "I don't remember seeing anything so terribly bad in your files. I think of the two of us I'm the one with the bigger stains on my record."
"But--" She clenched her teeth for a moment and then shook her head. "You shouldn't say things like that, U'kaiah. You're a really good rider, and you were a great wingleader. And you'll be a great wingleader again." Her encouragement meant more than he could say. He leaned over and kissed her cheek softly. "Thank you, Talryne. I appreciate it. But I can't believe that I can find redemption and you cannot."
"If you say so..." She smiled and returned his kiss, letting her lips linger for a moment on his cheek as she enjoyed the feeling of being close to him.
The same hunger as always awoke inside her, the need to touch and hold and cling and hope that this man would be the one that would mend the jagged loneliness inside her. He closed his eyes and leaned into her lips ever so slightly. For the first time since the fight, he felt like someone still believed in him. The soft faint glow of hope began where only self-doubt and disappointment had been.
"You know you better be careful," he murmured quietly, "before Jaela I had a bit of a reputation as a ladies man."
"Then maybe _you_ should be careful," she replied just as quietly, her lips over his ear. "Before I came here, I had a bit of a reputation for liking ladies men." "Back to awkward flirting?" he asked as he lightly rubbed his cheek along hers.
She laughed softly, her breath warm against his ear. "You started it this time, so no blaming me." "I wasn't flirting." U'kaiah pulled back enough to look her in the eye. "It was an honest warning."
Talryne smiled and lifted one finger to trace along the line of his jaw.
"I've been with the sort of men who women need to be warned about. I don't think you're one of them. I think even if you did hurt me by mistake, you'd never hurt me because you liked doing it." "No, I would never mean to hurt you." U'kaiah closed his eyes and enjoyed her soft touch. "You came here looking for a new start, to get away from all that, and I promised to help you..."
"I'm lonely," she admitted as she traced her fingers over his lips softly.
"I'd like to spend time with someone who is intelligent and handsome and caring." She was used to men being willing to take advantage of her willingness, but U'kaiah actually seemed to be a genuinely nice man, which gave her voice a tremor of doubt as she dropped her hand and watched him.
"If you're interested, that is..." "I'm lonely too," he admitted softly. Abrei would kill him...
She leaned in slowly, giving U'kaiah every chance to pull away. When he didn't, she gave him a gentle, chaste kiss that turned into something far less chaste when her tongue traced along his bottom lip, coaxing him to respond. He didn't need much coaxing as he leaned into her hungrily. The bronzerider reached behind her and moved the wine flask to the floor before gently leaning her back onto the sofa cushions. U'kaiah needed a bit of warmth and tenderness after all that had happened. Talryne was more than happy to give him whatever he needed, letting him set the pace. All she cared about was the warm heat of his body above hers and the way lust and need rose inside her with every touch, filling the emptiness inside her with sensation.
Last updated on the March 1st 2006