Making People Jealous

Writers: Anwen, Eimi
Date Posted: 30th November 2006

Characters: U'kaiah, Maiz
Description: U'kaiah finds a perfect dance partner for the evening in Maiz
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 13, day 30 of Turn 3

The bronzerider adjusted his new black tunic, cursing under his breath at the drunken greenrider who had practically tried to rip it off of him. He knew he looked good in his new Gather clothes, but still! U'kaiah smiled ruefully as he noticed his friend Maiz walking towards him. "Have you come to rescue me from this drunken rabble?"

"Only if you agree to rescue me in return. So many drunk people, and I can't even have a sip of wine,"
Maiz replied. She was rather happy with her new dress.
It was pale yellow, with a fitted bodice and lots of skirt that swished around her calves when she walked.
Of course, in a few months it wouldn't fit her any longer...

"My, you look lovely tonight," the bronzerider grinned. Yellow certainly did suit her. "A very happy dress. Seems as though you are going for a nice spring look. I, on the other hand, am going for tall, dark, and incredibly handsome. Do you think I succeeded?" He gave her playful wink as he held out an arm for her to take.

The young woman laughed as she took his arm. "You know perfectly well that you could wear rags and still be 'tall, dark and handsome.' Though I will say that your black tunic shows all that off extremely well." "Why thank you." He flashed his best cocky bronzerider grin. "So shall we dance and show each other off and make all the men and women jealous?"

"I don't dance very well," Maiz admited, a bit of her usual shyness and uncertainty creeping back in. "I might step on your foot and embarrass you!"

"You don't look all that heavy, I doubt you could do much damage. Worst comes to worst you could just start out standing on my feet." "Okay," she agreed, still a bit uncertainly. In any case, she allowed him to lead her out to the dance floor.

"Come on, we can do this," he assured her. "Now, take my hand and put your other hand on my shoulder."

Maiz rolled her eyes, "I know that much, silly. Its not that I don't know what to do, its just I'm not _good_ at it."

The bronzerider laughed. "Well, obviously since you haven't even taken my hand. That _is_ the first step."

Frustrated, she stepped closer to him, grabbed his left hand and placed it comfortably on her hip, linked thier right hands and placed her remaining hand on his shoulder. "There." "See, we're half way there." U'kaiah gently pulled her towards him and into the crowd. "So far so good. See, you're better at this than you thought!"

"Everyone is going to be watching you, because you're so handsome, and they'll all be thinking 'who is that girl with him who can't dance?'"

"I think you have a very over-inflated opinion of me,"
the bronzerider chuckled. "And they are going to be so busy admiring the rest of you, they're not even going to notice your feet."

"Fine, they'll notice you because you're taller than everyone else," Maiz corrected. "All right, I admit, I am rather tall," U'kaiah conceeded. "But I still think most of the boys will be looking at you more than me." She smiled wickedly, "Oh, I think there are certain boys that would much rather have you in their bed!"

"Well, there's more than one who can actually claim that they have had me in their bed. Or at least a flightroom bed." He had never been one of those bronzerider who flinched at his dragon chasing a male greenrider's lifemate. Kalamath never put conditions on his lovelife, afterall.

"So can we conceed that more people are looking at you than at me? After all, you've got all the girls, and a good number of the boys too..."

"I suppose," U'kaiah said with a dramatic sigh. "What's the mattter? Jealous?"

Maiz stopped to consider for a minute, wondering how thier conversation had gotten so far off track. "I think my point was that I don't dance well, and would prefer that not everyone's attention was focused on us."

"And because you were so busy thinking of my bronzerider charms, you haven't had time to get nervous about everyone watching your dancing. And you probably haven't noticed that you stepped on my boots only once since the dance began, so I'd say you're a better dancer than you feared."

Once was still more than enough in her opinion.
"You're just saying that to be nice. I won't be offended if you want to ditch me for a more graceful partner."

"In the middle of a dance? Never. Besides," he leaned down and whispered in her ear, "I like the partner I've got."

Maiz laughed. "Why don't you have yourself a date for this celebration, U'kaiah?"

"I like to keep my options open," he shrugged. Besides, he already had his big celebration for Turns End at Dolphin Cove. "Did I tell you about the conversation I had with Harki recently?" the greenrider asked. "When I told her we were 'friends' she was absolutely convinced that it implied a deeper meaning." U'kaiah chuckled. "Ah, Harki. She's always one to speak her mind."

"It was a rather strange conversation," Maiz admited. As if any conversation with Harki was 'normal'. "Why's that?" he asked out of curiosity.

She shrugged. "It just was. She asked if I knew anything about you getting your wing back, and I said I wasn't certain on that. Then she was convinced that because I said we knew each other that we were sleeping together..."

"Well, I'm sure you know I have a bit of a reputation." Which was a bit of an understatement. At least, it used to be. "There are a lot of women I have slept with, many of them I consider friends. It's a Weyr, and I'm a man."

Maiz rolled her eyes. "Of course I know you have a reputation. Its just she didn't seem to think you _could_ be friends with a woman _without_ sleeping with her. The two are mutually exclusive!"

"You and I are friends, aren't we? Have I ever pressured you for more? I figure if you want a different level in our friendship, you'll find a way to tell me. But its not a requirement to be my friend." There were plenty of friends he had never slept with... Well, at least two. Arilanna... Traelyn... "If you told me you wanted me, I wouldn't refuse you. But if you told me you didn't, I wouldn't leave you alone."

"I didn't mean to offend you," Maiz said quietly, thinking he was mad at her. "No, Maiz," he said, shaking his head for emphasis, "You have never offended me. We are friends. I don't make friends lightly."

"Me neither, and you know you better stay my friend, because you know way too much about me that most people don't know! Speaking of which, did I remember to apologize for crying all over you the other day?"

"As your friend, I wasn't aware that you had anything to apologize for. My shoulder is always available to you, Maiz."

"Well, I'll try not to get it quite so wet next time,"
she said, attempting a joke. "I dryied out eventually," U'kaiah smiled. He didn't mind being there for his friends.

"I'm embarrassed," Maiz admited. "It happened so long ago, I shouldn't get so emotional about it."

"You know what they say. You can't get it all out if you keep holding it all in." Like he was one to talk, though.

"Easier said then done."

He smiled, knowing all too well that was true. U'kaiah leaned down to kiss her forehead softly."Then why don't we just dance and make a new start in the next Turn?"

Maiz smiled at him, "Sounds like a good idea to me."
She rested her head on his shoulder and allowed herself to stop worrying and simply enjoy the rest of the evening.

Last updated on the December 1st 2006

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Making People Jealous