Do Something!

Writers: Paula, Eimi
Date Posted: 26th August 2019

Characters: Aileyan, U'kaiah
Description: U'kaiah confronts Aileyan
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 5, day 2 of Turn 9
Notes: Mentions: Kaiafel, J'nev, Tavia Follows: "One Problem at a Time"

U'kaiah drew in a deep breath. Wasn't it strange that he could
bravely face Thread in the most horrendous of conditions, but the
thought of Aileyan's disapproving hazel eyes could make his palms sweat. Oh but how he loved those eyes.

**Knock already, you wherry's arse,** he chided himself before
straightening his back and giving the door an even firmer rap than he
had intended to.

Ravyan had wanted have a sleepover at one of his friends, so it was
just Aileyan, couch and a good book. Kjarliheth was asleep and Timor
was with Ravyan, as usual. She nearly jumped out of her skin when the
knock came. She was not expecting anyone. She put a marker between the
pages and went to open the door. It better not be J'nev. She was not
in a mood to deal with him. She opened the door.

"Uh... Hi..." The bronzerider gave the room a quick glance over her
head, half afraid to see she had company. "Are you alone? Can I talk
to you for a moment?"

It took her moment to find her voice, having been struck mute by his
unexpected presence. Her heart was also making funny skips.
"No, I mean yes, Ravyan's having sleep over with Alfri." She stepped
aside so he could come in.

He ducked his head in thanks as he stepped into the room. So much
looked the same, and yet little details had certainly changed. "I
hope I am not intruding on other plans, am I?" he asked, alluding to
J'nev not by name. If she were truly alone for a night, U'kaiah
knew he would have never have missed the opportunity to spend an
evening without fear of being interrupted.

"My only plan was to finish that book," Aileyan replied.

"Oh," U'kaiah said with a rather surprised lift of his eye brows. Had
she chosen the book over J'nev? Or had he just not cared enough to
notice? "Is it about pirates?" he asked innocently, though he
couldn't help but remember her fascination with rogues and scoundrels.
She had confided him in him once that she had a fantasy about being
taken by a pirate captain as his captive and lover. What an
interesting night that had turned in to! **And J'nev probably hasn't
even thought to ask.**

"Not this time," Aileyan's cheeks reddened with the memory. "It's
about starcraft actually," she said. Besides the harper romances, she
also read books from various crafts.

The bronzerider was naturally curious, and that overrode any
nervousness he might have felt. He walked over and picked up the
book, careful not to lose her place. "Is it any good?"

"I find it interesting," Aileyan replied, fidgeting nervously. Women
should have not been interested in such things. But she always found
math easy and fasinating.

"I was never good with starcraft outside what I needed to know for
being a dragonrider," he admitted. "Perhaps you'll have to teach me
someday." He flipped the book closed and carefully replaced it. "I
heard you and Kaiafel had something of a disagreement."

"Yes, well," Aileyan cleared her throat. "We made up already. I wasn't
reacting very adult-way to something he said."
She was clearly embarrassed.

"Well, Kaiafel and I had a talk about that. I told him that your
relationship with J'nev is none of his business and he's to stay out
of it from now on."

"Right," Aileyan just said. It was apparently none of his business
either and here she was hoping he would make it his business. Inside
her skull she was screaming at him: ** Do something! Show me you still
care about me! Go punch J'nev to the face or tell me you don't like me
seeing him! Do something, don't be all polite and nice about it!**

The bronzerider noticed one of Ravyan's drawings that had fallen under
the sofa. He reached down to pick it up. "It seems Kaiafel doesn't
like J'nev much. He doesn't like the way he talks about me. I
suppose he told you."

"Yes, he told me," Aileyan replied, slightly distracted by his bottom end.

U'kaiah's eyes scanned the page. "What do you think about the way
talks about me?"

"That's he petty and vindictive. It's not my job to defend you,
though," Aileyan replied.

He shrugged. "I suppose that depends on if you think he's right."

"Nobody seems to care what I think", Aileyan said bitterly, not quite
able to hide the lonliness in her voice. Tavia tried but she was often
busy, being a healer and a dragonrider and the children didn't count.

"Oh, Aileyan, how can you say that?" he asked gently, shaking his head
sadly as he stepped closer to her. U'kaiah couldn't help it. Her
loneliness drew him to her as it always had. "When I have not cared
what you think? Especially what think of me?"

Aileyan's temper rose. Well, that was better than broking into tears
in front of him. "You've been gone for Turns! All I got was letters!" she spat the last word out. "How do I know you _still_ care?"

U'kaiah'e eyebrows raised, but not out of surprise at her anger. So she _had_ received his letters. How many candlemarks had he thought he had wasted pouring his heart out to her with nothing in return. He had been half afraid she had just torn them up every time one was slipped under her door. "Because I
_still_ write the letters," he said in a measured tone in answer to to her question.

He had been in love with Aileyan for a long time. Though he could be rather thick about relationships, there one was thing he had learned about his little greenrider - sometimes she just needed the fight. Perhaps that was why she had never replied. It was hard to fight with a love letter. Well, if that was what she needed, he would sharding bring it to her! Setting his jaw, his eyes narrowed. He began to pace. "And what did I get from you, huh? Nothing. Not a reply, just silence. And then you go chase after J'nev - a boy you _know_ I can't stand! What did you expect? That I'd just forget you? Just like that?"

"I did try to reply, at first," Aileyan admitted. "But it was too
painful. All I got down to hide was ink blots and tear stains," she
didn't mean to tell him that but there it was.

Finally, she was using her words! U'kaiah knew bringing her to a place where she could put voice to her feelings was a major hurdle. It was time to push a little further. "And now you want J'nev, not me."

"Who says I want him?" Aileyan snorted. "Maybe he's only one who wants
me. It was just easier to give up to him than be alone. And maybe I
hoped it would make you jealous." The words were just pouring out of
her with brutal honesty. There was only one man she truly wanted and
he was not J'nev. What she had completely missed, was all the other
men who were interested in her. She had built a shell around her and
it pushed them away. Kjarliheth's mating flights always drew in a
large number of chasers. She had always thought it was all her green's
doing, it never occurred to her that some of those men were there for
her.

U'kaiah stopped in front of her and bent closer to look her in the eye
more easily. "Aileyan, I have been jealous of many men, and women, in
my life over a whole lot of things I have wanted. But what I feel is
far deeper than just being jealous. What I want is your happiness,
and if J'nev is the one you want, if his saving you from being alone
is what will make you happy, then how can I feel something as small
and petty as jealousy over it? What I feel is far worse. It rips me
apart inside to know that I can't make you happy, and it's a feeling
that's been with me long before J'nev appeared. There is not a day
when I don't feel it festering inside me. Jealous doesn't even come
close to what I feel. And you didn't need him to make me feel it."

Aileyan couldn't help it, her arms were around his neck before she
could stop herself. The thing was, she didn't want to stop herself.
These were the things she had needed to hear.

His hands first reached around her to pull her close, knowing what she
needed in that moment. But as much as she needed her assurance, he
needed some as well. His hands traveled up to cup her face and turn
it to him so he could look deep into her eyes. "I don't care if you
need J'nev to take away the loneliness while I'm gone. You can have
him if that's what you need. But I have to know, Aileyan, did I lose
you forever? Are you his? Or are you still mine?"

"All you have to do is call and I come. I tried to forget you, I tried
to bury it under all that anger, but I never stopped loving you and
never will," Aileyan replied. "I never been J'nev's."

In Turns past when Kalamath had just lost out in catching Kjarliheth,
U'kaiah had felt a deep sense of jealousy over the little greenrider.
The bronzerider had paced outside her door, wondering if she had been
happy with her green's choice, wondering if another man was making her
happy. Even he did not understand why he felt so envious in that
moment. But when she quit the Flight room and found him waiting, she
had pushed away all his doubts with a heated glance, and a single
word. "Mine," he growled softly and pulled her in for a kiss that
left no question of how much he had wanted her.

"Mine," she was also claiming him back with passion.

The bronzerider easily lifted her small frame, and she wrapped her
legs around his waist without hesitation or even breaking their kiss.
Even after so long, neither had forgotten the steps to their little dance. He could find her bed without even looking, and knew just how high to hitch his leg to climb onto it, their bodies still entwined as he lowered them both down onto the
mattress.

Last updated on the September 3rd 2019

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