Truth Is Sweeter Than Rumor
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: Dana, Eimi
Date Posted: 22nd November 2006
Characters: Daigoro, Cinale
Description: Daigoro and Cinale revert to an adolescent moment
Location: Vintner Hall
Date: month 13, day 16 of Turn 3
Daigoro grinned as another small stone hit his back. They were not thrown hard enough to hurt, just enough to get his attention. He turned around and looked at the grin on Cinale's smudged face. "I see. There's no snow anymore so you're improvising, hmmm?"
"Oh yes," she chuckled, rolling the last pebble between her fingers. "I can't help myself, you know."
"What are you trying to do, _break_ my back this time?" he chuckled. Shards, but she was charming covered in dirt.
"Oh no, never." She gave him a look of complete contriteness, but her huge blue eyes gave her away, however. "I don't want you to be grumbling and wincing when we dance during our wedding, after all..."
Not to mention _after_ the wedding and the dancing... "Well, my girl, you just keep that in mind and behave yourself," he said as he turned back to the row he was hoeing.
A moment or two later, Cinale's last pebble bounced off his spine.
He turned around and looked at her suspiciously. The cook's eyes were flashing and her grin was girlish and challenging. Well, he was not just going to stand there and take _that_! Throwing down his hoe he overstepped the bed of herbs she had been so carefully planting, grabbed her hand and started pulling her over to the tool shed. If that little tease was going to distract him from his hard work, he was going to distract her right back!
"Are you going to admonish me now?" she asked with a breathless laugh once he got them both inside. Shards, it was rather dark in here, wasn't it?
"No, you irresistible little wench," he murmured as the he took her face in his hands. "I'm going to kiss you."
Her heart gave a hard bump. "Oh," was all she managed to breathe before his mouth closed on hers.
He could feel his heart pounding in his chest as he kissed her holding nothing back. Perhaps it was the knowledge that there was only a handful of days before there would be no restrictions on their desire for each other, or perhaps it was the fact that they were in a place where anyone could walk in and find them there, but Daigoro had never kissed Cinale quite like _this_ before. It felt a little wrong, just a tad dangerous to be kissing her so passionately when there were people that might be walking by right outside those flimsy wooden walls, but it made it all the more exciting as well.
Flushing, she followed his lead--and threw all caution to the wind when she realized he didn't seem to plan on stopping anytime soon. Shards and shells.... Needing something to grasp on to, she caught his arms, fingers curling into the soft material of his tunic, and she fleetingly wondered if he could hear her heart racing.
The Hallsecond felt smugly pleased that she would seem to feel the same burning deep inside. Shards, he could keep kissing her like that all afternoon and he didn't sharding care if anyone found them. That was until he thought he heard voices just outside the door. He pulled his lips back from hers quickly. "Did you hear that?" he whispered softly.
"Hear what?" she nearly gasped, straining her ears for any sound. Then, she glanced over her shoulder at the wall, blushing. Had someone _heard_
them? "Maybe it was the wind..." Oh, Faranth, Cinale didn't _think_ they were being too...loud...
"You're probably right," he nodded and started right back where they left of, his thick fingers reaching up to caress the hair.
Her fingers followed a similar route, nails lightly stroking near his temples. Shards...what would have it been like if they'd let themselves kiss like this when Fey rose? Her cheeks grew hotter at the thought, and she curled her other hand around the back of his neck.
Daigoro was thinking just how nice it would be when he could kiss her like this every day when he suddenly froze. "What was that?"
Confused, she leaned back to gaze at him. "What?"
"Did you hear something?" he whispered.
"I think you're imagining things," she whispered back, stroking his cheek.
Though maybe.... _Had_ that been someone's footstep just outside the door there? No...it couldn't have been. Could it?
"Should we stop?"
Cinale leaned forward, brushing the tip of her dirt-smudged nose against his. "No."
Well, with an invitation like that, footsteps could go /between/ for all he cared. He pulled her to him once again and picked up where they had been interrupted.
Her hands slid down to his waist, feeling his warmth through the tunic--and she wondered briefly what it would be like to touch bare skin. What would he do if her fingertip slipped through that small opening right there where the shirt had come loose from his waistband? Would he think it too bold? Though, could anything be bolder than what they were doing right now, at this very moment? A slight grin hinted at her lips as his mouth trailed down to her earlobe, then dropped to her neck.
"Ok, you had to have heard that," he whispered, pulling back and straining his ears for any hint of the sound he was sure he had heard.
There were indeed voices, locked in some heated discussion as they walked past the thin walled shack. The Hallsecond released Cinale almost guiltily, and took a step back. His eyes flickered up to hers. Was this their final destination? Were they about to get caught? He had to admit, this new game was kind of... exciting!
She folded her arms tightly across her chest, listening to the snarly tones outside as they faded away. "If you keep on doing this to me, Daigoro, I swear I'll go crazy," she breathed--though her expression was just as guilty as his!
"Well, we _could_ stop..." Daigoro suggested, though he knew it was the last thing either one of them wanted to do.
Her fingers itched to touch him, but instead she clamped them tight around her arms. "Yes. We...could..." Shards--she'd gotten dirt on his nose. The sight made a slow smile curve her lips, and she almost hesitantly took a step forward, bringing them closer once again. "Or we could...not..."
Shards, how could Daigoro even hope to resist her when she flashed him a smile like that! Curling his arms around her he pulled her close once more. The rest of the world could be damned /between/ for all he cared. He was alone with the woman he loved, that he would soon be married to, and all the journeymen and apprentices on Pern could parade pass them and he wouldn't much care.
That is, of course, if they didn't stop to stare--which was _exactly_ what the young apprentice did as he stumbled into the shed.
The Hallsecond at first didn't notice the young boy until the second one had joined them and the giggling started. Daigoro jumped back from Cinale and turned practically crimson in color. "Oh, hello lads," he said in his best casual tone which hid little of his shame and nervousness. "What are you boys up to then?"
"Nothing, sir," the apprentice replied, fighting the laughter building inside him. "I came for a rake."
"Oh, well, those are on the back wall there," Daigoro pointed with an embarrassed smile. "We were just looking for the hoes."
"Yes, sir." The boy turned and hurried over to the back wall to collect his rake and hurried out the door. As soon as they were gone, whispers could be heard followed by the guffaws of apprentices. The Hallsecond raised his eyes to Cinale's feeling utterly guilty. It would be all over the Hall now that the apprentices had caught the Hallsecond and the cook kissing in the tool shed like a couple adolescents.
Blushing furiously, Cinale rubbed the side of her neck, gently nibbling on her lower lip. She'd never hear the end of it from her girls! "Shards, Daigoro..."
He rubbed at his neck, hot from more than just the kisses they had shared.
"We really should finish weeding those beds I suppose." Shards, he hoped those boys weren't working on this side of the Hall. In fact he hoped he never saw them again. The shame would be too great.
"Yes... I guess it would be best...." She watched as he grabbed a hoe from its peg, but before he opened the shed door, she gently pressed her fingers to his, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye, blushing--but a little, secretive smile that hadn't been there before tugged at her lips.
Daigoro smiled back. Oh shards, what did it matter if the Hall knew he and Cinale traded secret kisses. They were in love. He put the hoe back on its peg. Why pretend? Let the Hall know just how much he loved and wanted this woman. Let the rumors fly. The truth was even sweeter than rumor.
Last updated on the November 23rd 2006