Catching The Feeling (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
Date Posted: 26th June 2025
Characters: N'vanik, Z'kim, Talryne
Description: The three of them enjoy a beach day and N’vanik thinks back on his third flight with Z’kim.
Location: Elsewhere on Pern
Date: month 7, day 14 of Turn 12
Notes: PG-17 version of “Loseth’s Fault I Want You So Bad”.
I made up “boulder drop” as the Pernese version of cannonball.
Rating: PG-17
N’vanik and Talryne were balanced on Loseth’s shoulder. Across from them, Z’kim stood poised on Warroth. “Okay,” N’vanik said. “One . . . two . . . three!” He jumped, tucking his legs up in a boulder drop, and splashed into the crystal clear water below. Talryne surfaced beside him, laughing.
Z’kim popped up a short distance away. “Haven’t done that in a while.” He stroked lazily toward them and then splashed N’vanik.
The bronzerider laughed and sent a spray of water back at him. A moment later they were all splashing each other, dunking and pulling at each other like kids. Loseth and Warroth went off to swim together, the bronze’s happiness adding to N’vanik’s exuberant mood.
Z’kim and N’vanik had visited each other regularly since N’vanik became Weyrleader, but they’d been spending more time together since N’vanik’s feelings had changed. There’d been some awkward moments and uncomfortable conversations, but most of the time it felt . . . so easy.
Even back when they first knew each other, when N’vanik had been a mess who had few friends and tended to destroy his relationships, he and Z’kim had quickly become close. The confusion of the bonus round after their flights should have been enough to end their friendship, or at least strain things enough to put distance between them. And it had, for a little while, but they’d been able to navigate through N’vanik’s inexplicable lust and had even grown closer because of it.
~*~*~*~
Month 13, 1196, Dream’s End Weyr
N’vanik floated in warm bliss, eventually drifting toward consciousness. There was an arm underneath him and he was stretched out on his back. Loseth had caught a green and a flicker of memory went through N’vanik’s mind " a beautiful, lithe green calling to him, surrendering to him.
Warroth.
N’vanik’s eyes popped open and he turned his head to see Z’kim sprawled on his back, asleep. For a moment N’vanik held his breath, worried that the feeling wouldn’t come back. Z’kim’s dark hair was a mess, and he looked both peaceful and well-flown. N’vanik had done that to him, flown him just as well as Loseth flew Warroth. There was a dark mark at the juncture of his neck and shoulder, ringed with the faint indent of teeth where N’vanik had bitten him, sucked at his skin. Claimed him.
Desire stirred. Faranth he really was fucked in the head because he was _relieved_. It made no sharding sense at all for him to want this, and yet he was smiling as he rolled over to press a kiss to Z’kim’s shoulder. “Zeke . . . Zeke . . .” His lips moved along the other man’s shoulder, over the possessive bite mark, then slowly up his neck.
Z’kim shifted and made a sleepy noise. “Mmm . . . wha"N’vanik?!”
“It’s back, Zeke.” He licked the spot under his friend’s ear and felt him shiver. “The feeling.”
“Shards and shells,” Z’kim breathed as his fingers tangled in N’vanik’s hair. “Hello to you, too.”
N’vanik chuckled and wrapped an arm around him, enjoying the feel of Z’kim’s warm skin under his lips, the taste of him. After a few moments he lifted his head to claim Z’kim’s mouth. The greenrider moaned, fingers tightening in N’vanik’s hair, the other hand coming up to grip his shoulder. Two months ago, the brief touch of Z’kim’s lips had felt so wrong, but now the man’s tongue was in his mouth and N’vanik reveled in it.
~*~ Fade to black ~*~
As the last of his orgasm faded, it started to happen again. The fire was dimming. “Zeke, it’s going.” N’vanik’s head dropped and he kissed desperately along Z’kim’s neck and shoulder as if somehow that would make the feeling stay. “I can’t hold on to it.”
Shards, he tried, though. But within a few moments there was no desire left and he was just lying naked on top of his friend. N’vanik sighed. “It’s gone.”
Z’kim was rubbing his back. “Poor baby. You don’t have to cry over me.”
“Screw you.” N’vanik got up, embarrassment and confusion tightening his guts. Z’kim laughed as the bronzerider went to the washbasin and started wiping the come off his stomach and chest. At least it wasn’t on his face this time. “You can clean up and put your underwear on.”
Z’kim snorted. “Is that your oh-so-polite way of telling me to get out?”
“No.” He plunged on before he could lose his nerve. “I wanna take a nap with you and I don’t want your dick flopping around and touching me.”
“You are _so_ romantic.”
He heard the bed shift as Z’kim got up. N’vanik made himself look over as Z’kim stood at the basin on the other side of the room. “I’m not runnin’ this time and I don’t want you to leave, either.”
Z’kim met his gaze. “Are you seriously asking me to cuddle? Didn’t think you were the type.”
“This is all so sharding confusing, but you’re still my friend, right? So it might be nice, as a friend thing.” N’vanik’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t get ideas, though. That feeling really is gone.” He sighed. This was such strange territory and he didn’t understand it, much less know how to navigate through whatever these feelings were. “Even if it wasn’t, even if we . . . I wouldn’t want anything serious.” When he got too close to women he slept with, he had an urge to run, to push them away. And they fought, and it always went wrong. He didn’t want that to happen with Zeke, didn’t want any of this to ruin their friendship. N’vanik had few enough friends.
**And whose fault is that?**
Z’kim’s mouth fell open and he laughed. “Oh, oh shards and shells N’vanik, I’m not _pining_ over you! Faranth, the ego on you bronzeriders.”
“Shut up.” N’vanik turned back to the washbasin.
“I just wanted to have a little fun once in a while. I almost hate to admit it, but you are _sharding_ good in bed.”
That brought a smirk to N’vanik’s lips. “I know.”
“Ugh, bronzeriders.” The bedfurs rustled as he got back in.
N’vanik finished cleaning and found his underwear at the foot of the mating cot. After tugging them on, he slid in next to Z’kim and nudged the man onto his side. He put an arm around Z’kim and settled against him, echoing the way Loseth was still curled around Warroth. No desire stirred, but holding his friend’s warm body was comforting and he closed his eyes. For as much as he was arrogant, sarcastic, and acted aloof, and as much as he feared vulnerability, N’vanik also craved closeness. Even after all this, even though they’d known each other less than a Turn, Z’kim felt . . . oddly safe. “I miss the dragonlust, but . . . this is nice, too.”
Z’kim chuckled quietly. “You are the _weirdest_ bronzerider I’ve ever met.” He wiggled closer.
“You mean sexiest.”
“Keep screwing me like _that_ and you’ll earn the title.” After a moment, Z’kim said, “People are going to notice we’re staying in here an awfully long time.”
“Don’t care.” Then N’vanik cracked an eye open, staring at the back of Z’kim’s head. “As long as you don’t _tell_ them, let ‘em speculate.”
“Fair enough. It’ll be our little secret.”
N’vanik was half asleep when he asked, “Zeke? We good?”
The greenrider rubbed a gentle hand along his arm. “Yeah, we’re good.”
N’vanik drifted off to sleep.
~*~End flashback~*~
“I don’t think we’re going to be able get them out of there,” Z’kim said between bites as he watched the bronze and green shapes on the horizon.
“They’ve gotta get tired enough for a nap eventually.” N’vanik picked up a beautiful little pastry that had only melted a little in the tropical heat. “Shards, this looks almost too good to eat.”
“You can admire it for a minute, but it’s _meant_ to be eaten.”
“Really, Z’kim, these are gorgeous.” Talryne selected a square with cream filling and an intricate swirled pattern on top.
“Art that’s also delicious.” Z’kim didn’t have much time for his craft, but he dabbled from time to time and enjoyed using his skills to make treats for his friends. “A harper would have something poetic to say about its ephemeral nature or whatever.”
N’vanik took a bite and made an appreciative noise at the flavor filling his mouth. “Oh, that’s good.”
“Mmmm.” Talryne licked cream from her lips. “Pineapple with rum? That’s amazing.”
It was such a pleasure to watch people enjoy his food. And it was a pleasure to spend the day with N’vanik and his weyrmate. When Z’kim had first met Talryne he hadn’t known how to act around her, deeply uncomfortable at having to face a dragonless rider, but he’d made an effort for N’vanik’s sake. Over the Turns they’d become friendly, and he’d come to enjoy her company. And now there was . . . well, things had changed in ways he’d never expected.
N’vanik had told him that he and Talryne didn’t have hidebound notions, and over the past few months they’d certainly proven that.
Last updated on the July 10th 2025