Strategic Points (PG-17)
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: Devin, Dana
Date Posted: 5th September 2005
Characters: Traelyn, N'vanik
Description: Traelyn questions N'vanik about his behavior with her
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 7, day 18 of Turn 3
Rating: PG-17
"Oh..." Traelyn moaned as she rolled her tense shoulders. Shards. She hadn't been quite _this_ sore in a long while. She needed a nice, _long_
soak in the bath.
"I hope you don't mind if I join you?" she asked N'vanik as she strode into his bathing room just a moment later. She gave him a rather impish smile as she pulled her tunic over her head.
"Not at all." N'vanik returned her smile.
"Good." Slipping out of the rest of her clothes, she slid into the steaming water and sighed deeply. "I got so sharding tense today. First from longer drills and then hunching over that sharding desk of mine looking over all those inventories..." She leaned her head back against the side, wincing as she rolled her shoulders again. "Sharding muscles..." she muttered.
"You know if you want a massage, you could just ask." His smile was teasing as he moved over to her. "I don't want your muscles to be tense ... yet." N'vanik slipped behind her and began working on her shoulders.
One brow arched as she slumped gracelessly forward. "...Yet?" It was all she could manage to get out before she moaned again as his fingers found a particularly-knotted area.
"But you're welcome to make that sound anytime you like."
"Mmm..." Her eyes closed and she grinned, her hands moving to brace themselves on his knees. "So tell me...how was your day?" Trae had to have something to distract her. Even though the massage was helping, that didn't mean that it didn't _hurt_!
N'vanik shrugged and then realized she couldn't see it. "I don't know.
Okay I guess."
"You guess?" She tensed, her back arching slightly as he kneaded her left shoulderblade - hard.
He shifted his hands, rubbing in a circular motion. "Well, what do you want from me? You know I don't do small talk." Despite the words, his tone was not annoyed.
"I'm just curious. You seem pretty quiet today."
"Am I?" He asked, worried about where this was going.
"Mm-hm." She turned her head to glance at him out of the corner of her eye. "You're not sulking about what happened earlier, are you?" Her tone was gently teasing - she wanted to make light of this, and she couldn't just ignore what had happened earlier that day and pretend he hadn't gotten sharp with her _and_ the boy.
"Why would I sulk over a silly thing like that?" He smiled, wishing she hadn't brought it up. N'vanik wanted to forget that little incident had ever happened, the sooner the better.
One brow rose. "Oh... So you think it's silly, do you?" **You sure didn't act like it was...**
"It's not worth worrying about. Just relax and enjoy the massage."
Her jaw clenched just slightly at the patronizing tone in his voice, but she decided to drop it. **But that's the problem, isn't it, Trae?** she asked herself, closing her eyes. **You always drop it. And we never sharding _talk_...**
N'vanik relaxed a little when she didn't push it. He knew there was no chance of her forgetting how he'd acted, but he hoped that she wouldn't bring it up again. "Let me know when I've got you loosened up enough."
She nodded, letting him continue to massage. His hands _were_ doing wonders for her tightened muscles, and she allowed herself to concentrate only on the feel for a while.
After a while, she pulled away a little. "That's much better, N'vanik. Thanks..." She brought a hand up to one of her shoulders and rubbed it, slowly scooting out from in front of him to sit beside him.
The bronzerider sighed, getting the distinct feeling that she wanted to talk. "What now?"
Trae tilted her head slightly to the side, studying him. "Have you always acted like this with the women you've slept with?"
"Acted like what?" He asked, trying to sound casual.
A small frown found its way to her lips. "You know what I'm talking about."
"I want to be sure we're talking about the same thing. Wouldn't want to make any assumptions." He grinned, knowing he was annoying her. Inside, he was feeling like a trapped animal.
Irritated, she folded her arms over her chest - and resisted the urge to give him an icy glare. "You want me to spell it out to you? Fine. Are you always sharp with the women you bed and then ignore those little circumstances like they never happened, and then expect us to do the same as well?"
"Which ever way I answer is going to make me look bad. Besides, you're blowing this out of proportion." He said.
"You didn't answer my question," she told him, and this time, she couldn't hold back the glare.
For a moment he simply returned the glare, tempted to say he wasn't going to answer her. "Well, since your question seems awfully _specific_, the answer is no."
Well then. "Then why do you treat me like this?"
He realized she was talking about more than today. "I don't know." That was the truth.
She ran her fingers through her hair and sighed, that hint of a frown still pulling at her lips. "You don't know?"
"No, I don't." For some reason he wanted to elaborate, but he didn't even understand it himself. "When I fight with other women, they either get over it and come back, or they don't and I just move on to the next bed."
Her eyes softened just a little. She wanted him to continue to talk to her. Talking was good. Talking was progress. "That doesn't sound like us at all."
N'vanik looked at her for a moment, then turned away. This conversation was getting even more uncomfortable. "No, it doesn't." He said quietly.
She watched him turn from her. For a moment, the only sound that could be heard was the water lapping up against their skin, but then she said softly, "You don't need to hide from me, N'vanik."
**Yes I do.** Was his immediate thought. He had been hiding for most of his life, and he had gotten quite good at it. A number of biting comments crossed his mind, but what he said was, "It isn't that easy, beautiful.
We've known each other for a month. You can't sweet talk me into pouring my heart out just yet. Try again next sevenday." Feeling a little more in control, he smiled.
Trae gazed at him. "I'm not asking you to. I just want you to stay open...that's all."
A gleam lit his eyes. "Speaking of open . . ." He leaned close and began kissing her neck.
Shards, that felt good. Apparently they were finished discussing things -
for now. Traelyn tilted her head to the side, her eyes closing. That _really_ felt good... "What about it?" she asked, her voice a little breathy, and it hitched slightly as she felt his teeth graze downwards.
With a throaty chuckle, he slid his hand along her thigh, gently moving it to the side. He positioned himself between her legs, not quite touching her body. Continuing to tease at her neck with his lips, his hand began to massage a very strategic point.
Her hands grasped at his shoulders hard enough for her nails to pierce the skin. Oh, _shards_... She shifted under his touch, both evading and seeking. That sharding..._hand_... When his lips finally left her skin, she took advantage of the opening and thrusted her head forward, and this time, it was her lips that locked onto skin. Yes...they would continue their conversation...
Later.
Last updated on the September 5th 2005