The Silly Song
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, Bree
Date Posted: 26th April 2007
Series: Saving Each Other
Characters: Talryne, N'vanik
Description: Talryne catches N'vanik humming a popular song.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 3, day 12 of Turn 4
Formation hides in hand, N'vanik leaned back on the couch. There was only a minor change on one of the formations, but he like to go over all of them at least once a sevenday. It was good to keep them fresh in his mind. As he shifted one hide to the back of the pile, he began to hum unconsciously.
Talryne's lips twitched up at the first notes, but she held her tongue as she finished a row on her latest project and turned it over, studying the emerging pattern. By the time she had decided that the sweater was shaping up nicely, N'vanik had reached the chorus of his song, and Talryne couldn't quite stifle a laugh as she started her next row. She tried, though--she didn't imagine N'vanik would be quite as amused by his choice in songs as she was.
He glanced over at her. "What?"
She tried to fight back a smile and concentrated on her knitting as if her life depended on it. "Nothing. Just thinking."
"_What_?" he repeated, still not aware of what he'd been doing.
Talryne glanced up at him, her eyes still amused. "You were... humming."
"I was--?" Then N'vanik realized what he'd been humming. He squeezed his eyes shut. "Arg! That sharding song! There was a harper practicing it, and now I can't get it out of my head!" The annoyance was a good way to cover up his embarrassment. Of all the things to be humming, it had to be _that_ song!
"One of the weavers likes to sing it," Talryne replied, biting her lip to keep from laughing at his expression. "I've heard it's quite popular with the Weyr's young ladies..."
"It is," N'vanik grumbled. They requested it constantly. "Sappy, idiotic song!"
Talryne freed one hand up to poke him in the side. "You're just grumpy because I caught you singing it."
He crossed his arms. "It's a stupid song."
"Oh, don't be such a baby!" Talryne rolled her eyes and poked him again, this time a little higher. "You're going to start _pouting_
soon."
N'vanik rolled his eyes. "I am not." Then the corner of his mouth twitched. "You probably like that song."
Talryne's mouth fell open, and her knitting ended up on the floor forgotten as she squirmed around on the couch to glare at him. "Just because I like _one_ sappy book does _not_ mean I'm a sentimental idiot!" she retorted. "Besides, _I_ wasn't the one singing it!"
"I didn't say you were an idiot," N'vanik said firmly. "But that song would fit right into your book. 'Oh, L'shal, sing that song to me again, it's so romantic!'" While doing a horrible impression of a female voice, he pressed his hands together and batted his eyelashes.
She narrowed her eyes and considered him. "You make it so hard to get back at you, N'vanik. If I smack you, you'll just get all hot and bothered. I suppose I could just tell people about your favorite new song..."
He glared at her briefly before a wicked smile curved his lips. "And I could tell them about your book."
Talryne stared at him for a moment. Then she drew back her hand and smacked his shoulder. "You had that coming, whether you like it or not."
N'vanik laughed and rubbed his shoulder. "Oooo, so violent!" He pulled her closer and leaned down to her ear. "Are you gonna beat me up every time I tease you, now?"
"Not a chance. You'd never stop doing it." She turned her head so that her lips brushed his neck, then smiled against his skin before biting him. **I dare you to keep thinking about that sharding book now...**
He sucked in a breath, his hand tightening on her arm. Oh, shards.
"That . . . is not discouraging me," he managed after a few heartbeats.
Talryne pulled back and tried her best to make her expression thoughtful. "You're right. I should go back to my knitting." As she turned away to try to rescue her project from the floor, her lips curved into a smile. She felt so... normal. Flirting with N'vanik, teasing him and having him tease her... it was like her life was slowly falling back into place.
"Not so fast!" N'vanik tugged on her arm to get her to turn back around.
"You don't bite a guy and then just go back to knitting." He tried to sound annoyed, but he was nearly smiling.
"I don't?" Feeling happier than she had in months, Talryne couldn't resist teasing N'vanik. She fluttered her eyelashes at him. "Oh, N'vanik... won't you sing that song to me first? It's _so_ romantic."
He wasn't sure if he wanted to growl or laugh, but he definitely wanted to ignore the embarrassment. "You're terrible," he said, glaring.
Talryne smiled sweetly and slid her hand into his hair, playing with it absently. "Well, maybe I was just hoping you'd bite me back." "Kinky little thing." N'vanik smiled and bent down, biting her neck gently and then slightly increasing the pressure. Shifting, he pulled her down on top of him and started sucking. He was going to leave a nice dark mark.
Tthe fingers in his hair tightened almost painfully as Talryne gave a startled gasp that turned into a moan. She had never been terribly amused by men who went out of their ways to leave obvious marks, but she suddenly didn't care nearly so much. Not when it was him. Something much deeper than lust rose up in her and turned her moan into his name. For once, she didn't even care if he heard in her voice just how much she needed him.
It thrilled him all the way down, past the denial and the fear. He released her neck and kissed her with both tenderness and need, one hand cupping the back of her head. Part of him knew how much Talryne meant to him. He'd told her before, and now he would again in the same way, without words. But Talryne needed words. She pulled back just enough to meet his eyes, letting one hand cradle his face. "I have to say it, N'vanik. It's not--maybe it's not romantic to other people, but--" She pressed her forehead against his and closed her eyes. "Of all the men... none of them were like you. You are... very special to me." "Tal, I--" he swallowed. "You're special to me, too."
She took a shaky breath and let it out, her hands still framing his face. "Please tell me that was as hard for you to say as it was for me." He relaxed a little, smiling. "Yeah. But it's good to know." There was more, but he wasn't willing to admit it, to her or himself. He'd admitted more than enough for one day.
Talryne smiled and kissed him softly again. "Can we go to my bed?"
"Yes." N'vanik gave her a quick kiss. "Much more room than the couch."
She rose to her feet and tugged N'vanik up after her, hoping her eyes didn't give away just how sappy and sentimental the cautious words and tender kiss really had made her feel. To cover it she smiled. "And I won't even make you sing to me first." He was glad they were back to teasing. "Good." Grinning, he picked her up and started walking toward the sleeping room. "I have better things to do with my mouth."
Last updated on the April 26th 2007
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