A Bedtime Story

Writers: Dana, Eimi
Date Posted: 6th March 2007

Characters: U'kaiah, Traelyn
Description: U'kaiah and Trae share a confusing moment after tucking Kaiafel into bed for the night
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 2, day 21 of Turn 4
Notes: Follows "A Perfect Gift"

U'kaiah took the puppy out twice just to be sure, but once he was satisfied he wouldn't be finding any little puddles for a while, he knelt down next to his sofa to tuck his son in. His mother had agreed to grant him the rare privilege of sleeping over at his Da's weyr and Kaiafel and made sure to enjoy every minute of it. Even now he was struggling to keep his eyes open as the pup snuggled into his side.

"Are you comfortable?" the bronzerider asked as he pulled the blanket tight under his son's chin.

"I'm not tired yet," Kaiafel protested, even as he was betrayed by a yawn.

"I know, son, but your puppy sure is. Look, he can barely keep his eyes open." U'kaiah reached over and patted the pup's black rump before ruffling his son's curly mop of hair affectionately. "Did you think of a name yet?"

"Uh huh," Kaiafel nodded, stifling a second yawn. "I want to name him Kalamath."

U'kaiah couldn't help but grin fondly at the boy. "But wouldn't it be really confusing if you have a Kalamath and I have a Kalamath? How would we know which one we're talking about?"

Kaiafel thought about it a moment. "What if I name him 'Kal'? That's almost the same."

"Well, let me check." **What do you think. Would you mind if Kaiafel named his puppy after you?**

}:But that creature looks nothing like me,:{ his bronze snorted, rather confused at the workings of a human child's mind.

**Yes, but Kaiafel loves you. That's why he wants to name it after you.**

}:Well, in that case, I suppose it's a great name.:{ U'kaiah couldn't help but smile at the hint of smug pleasure he felt behind the words.

"He says that's a fine name for your puppy."

"Ok," Kaiafel nodded, his eyes already closing as he lazily patted the puppy's back. "Good night Kal."

"Good night, Kal," U'kaiah agreed as he gave the pup one last pet. He leaned down to kiss Kaiafel's forehead softly. "Good night, son."

Shards were they sweet, Traelyn thought with a tender smile, leaning back against the wall. It brought back so many memories of her own papa coming into her room to tuck her in at night. And sometimes, when she'd fallen asleep on the sofa, he wouldn't bother moving her--just wrap her in a soft blanket and brush her hair away from her face in a loving caress before taking himself to bed.

Traelyn's expression was soft when U'kaiah turned around, their eyes meeting.

"You must be exhausted," he whispered, reaching up to smooth back her hair. "Come on, it]s your turn to get tucked in now." The bronzerider reached down and linked his fingers with hers and gently pulled her towards the sleeping room.

"Will you read me a bedtime story?" she asked quietly, her grin impish as she turned her face up to his.

He laughed softly as he closed the door behind them. "Well, I'd offer to sing you to sleep, but all I know are bawdy songs and teaching ballads."

"U'kaiah, U'kaiah..." She shook her head. "Teaching ballads? Those can put just about anyone to sleep--myself included. But I guess you're the exception," she teased.

"Yes, but I wouldn't put you through that," U'kaiah chuckled as he pulled back the covers for her. "I wouldn't want to bring back terrible memories of little boys chasing you down to pull on your braids in Harper Classes."

"Yes well," she sniffed. "The little boys knew that if they did pull my hair, they wouldn't live to tell their little friends about it. They knew better." If anything, she chased them down!

"Well, don't worry. You're safe with me. I certainly didn't chase down the girls with the intention of pulling on their braids." He patted the mattress. "Come on now, young lady. In you go."

Grinning, she crawled in, rolling over to make room for him. "No, you chased them down for other boyish reasons, U'kaiah."

"You better believe it," U'kaiah grinned as he pulled the covers up under her chin and smoothed them down before settling on top of them alongside her, propping his head up on his elbow. "There is a reason why my teachers all thought I'd be a healer. I had a very impressive understanding of human anatomy at an early age."

A pale brow rose. "How early?"

"Oh I don't know. I suppose I became curious at around... six turns? Younger than Kaiafel, I know that." He shrugged a shoulder. "I guess I never really lost interest."

"Human anatomy is quite interesting," she told him with a slight smile, resting her head down on her outstretched arm. "And it's very easy to appreciate it. All of it."

"Well, I do have a definite preference for female anatomy," he grinned down at her.

Her answering grin was wicked. "Any part in particular?"

"Hmmmm," he hummed thoughtfully as he gently lifted the covers from under her chin with a finger and made a show of trying to peek under it. "A few," he finally admitted with a smile twitching at the corner of his lips.

Chuckling she caught his finger in her hand. "What? Too bashful to name them off for me?"

"Yes, I'm usually too shy to talk about those parts out loud. I normally communicate my appreciation for them in other ways." He wiggled his eyebrows at her suggestively.

Grinning, she reached up. "You know, when you flirt with me, your right eyebrow quirks up a bit higher than your left." She smoothed the tip of her finger over it in a light, feathery caress.

His brow furrowed a bit in thought for the briefest moment before smoothing as his lips turned up in a smile. "I don't know why, but the idea that I would flirt with _you_ of all people sounded strange for a moment there. I suppose we do flirt sometimes though, don't we. Technically, at least."

Her expression was amused. "Technically? As opposed to not technically?"

"It's your fault you know," he said with a slight pout. "You so effectively shot me down when I first met you that the very idea that I would flirt with you like any other woman seems impossible. But I suppose flirting is just teasing for adults right? There's no harm in it."

**No...no harm.** Her grin faded and she shook her head, looking down. "You know why I did?" she asked quietly after a moment.

The question took him by surprise. It wasn't so much the question as it was the way she said it. She was not teasing anymore. "Why?" he asked softly.

A wry sort of half-smile touched her lips. "Because I didn't want to be just another woman with you. I guess it was a pride thing. Or arrogance." She shrugged a smooth shoulder, suddenly feeling rather self-conscious. "Maybe both."

The bronzerider's lips curled into a smile as he brushed the stray hairs from her cheek. "You could never have been just another woman, love. You would have always been _Trae_."

She'd never heard him say her name like that before. Ever. And it was enough to make her heart pound, make her feel uncharacteristically shy, make a soft smile curve her mouth. Gathering her courage, she looked up into his eyes.

His deep brown eyes were soft and unguarded. He had nothing to hide from her. U'kaiah looked back into her eyes with no fear, or uncertainty. Only warmth and affection inviting her - almost daring her - to meet his eyes with the same trust and openness.

She leaned slightly closer, his name on the tip of her tongue when suddenly a loud scratching noise filled the air, startling them both.

U'kaiah chuckled as he lifted his head from his hand and used his elbow to push himself up. "Sounds like the puppy needs to go outside again. You sleep, I'll be back." He leaned down and kissed her cheek softly as he pulled the covers tight around her once more. "Don't wait up for me."

She almost didn't hear him as she twisted around onto her back, eyes closing. **Shards, Trae.** Exhaling, she rubbed her brow, dimly aware of U'kaiah's retreating footsteps and Kal's soft whining.

Traelyn shook her head, pulling the covers tighter along her body. She'd almost kissed him. Of course, this wasn't the first time she'd been on the same bed with him and had wanted to kiss him. What woman wouldn't feel the pull of sensuality and desire, slight or not, when a man was lying in bed with her?

But it had been different this time. It had _felt_ different.

**You fool,** she thought to herself, opening her eyes to glare up at the ceiling. **There's nothing wrong with one sharding kiss!** But even still, she had hesitated. It would not have been an innocent Turn's End kiss for luck. And it certainly would not have held any of that sweet, friendly innocence. What would he have done, she wondered, if she'd ignored that whisper of doubt and had pressed her lips against his anyway?
Would he have returned it? Would he have accepted it, then gently pull back without returning it? Would he have deepened it? Parting her lips to tease her tongue with his, hand turning to caress the side of her neck...?

Impatiently she raked her fingers through her hair, suddenly bitter, and confused. **Scorch it, Trae. You did the right thing to hesitate.** Another wry smile curved her lips. Shards, she really was hypocritical.

Traelyn didn't want to ruin what they shared. What they had was too sharding precious to ruin on a whim. And that's all it was: a whim; a moment when she'd almost got caught up in her own sensuality. It would be better if she just ignored it. And so, with a determined yank of the blankets, thrusting them up beneath her chin, she shoved those confusing thoughts away from her and did exactly that.

Last updated on the March 10th 2007

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A Bedtime Story