Drifting

Writers: Devin, Dana
Date Posted: 28th May 2007

Characters: N'vanik, Traelyn
Description: The gold and bronzerider talk about where they stand in their relationship
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 3, day 21 of Turn 4

N'vanik

For a long moment he lay there, feeling his heart pound and listening to
her breathing as it slowed. It was a little . . . strange to have someone
else in his bed, but not strange enough to dampen his enjoyment. "Ok, that
was worth waiting for."

"You saw all you wanted to see?" Traelyn asked with a grin, breathless laugh
muffled against his side.

"Um-hm." He trailed a few kisses along her shoulder. "How about you?"

She pressed a gentle kiss to his skin. "Mmmmhmm." Then, with a long
drawn out, languid stretch, she rolled over onto her back and stared up at
the ceiling, enjoying the sated, almost numbing feeling as it spread
throughout her body. "I needed that," she murmured. And she had. Hot
baths were one way to ease tension and stress. Sex was another way.
Sometimes it was a lot more effective. And this certainly had helped.

N'vanik shifted into a more comfortable position. "You're welcome."

She cracked open an eye and grinned at him. "Brings back memories,
doesn't it?"

"Yeah. It has been a while, hasn't it?" They hadn't shared his bed in months.

"Mmm. Half a Turn at least."

He propped himself on his elbow so he could look at her. "Did you miss it?"

She ran her nails lightly over his arm. "Miss what?" There were many
things that could apply to that question....

"My bed," he said, picking the safe option.

Shifting, her dark eyes flickered to his as her fingers continued to
caress his arm. She was silent for a moment before a faint smile touched
the corners of her lips. "Yeah. I missed it."

"I missed having you in it," he admitted.

Her hand moved, one finger lightly trailing across his cheek. "Did you?"

He laid his hand over hers. "Yeah."

She smiled. "It's interesting, isn't it? Us, I mean."

"That we can still stand each other after all those fights?" he asked,
amused.

Traelyn snorted, remembering those times when tempers had flared, when
yelling and snarling had ensued, ending with either a door slamming when
one
of them left, or a rough tumble in bed. "We were too alike in temperament
_not_ to fight. Maybe we still are."

"Maybe," he agreed. But a similar temperament hadn't been the only reason
for those fights. "I shouldn't have treated you like that."

"No," she conceded. "But then, I wasn't always on my best behavior
either, N'vanik."

He reached out to run a hand through her hair. "And what about now?"

"Now? I'm still not always on my best behavior."

N'vanik chuckled. "Me either."

"Some things never change," she grinned up at him, returning the touch,
slender fingers carefully twining in his hair. **And some things do....**

"Some things . . ." he echoed, thinking much the same thing. She wasn't an
emotional threat any more, and that made him feel more comfortable around
her. But at the same time, there was a new kind of distance.

She studied his face for a moment, her grin fading into a quiet smile. "You
sense it too."

"What?" he asked, although he knew.

Lightly her hand slid down his neck to his shoulder. "That
we're...drifting."

He fixed his hazel eyes on hers. "Was there ever much to drift from?" And if
there wasn't, whose fault was that?

"Obviously there was enough of something if we both noticed."

He looked away. "Yeah."

Traelyn didn't need to ask him why they were drifting. What good would it
do by breaking it down, piece by piece, especially when they both already
knew why? Gently she traced his scar. "Look at me?"

N'vanik lifted his eyes.

"Things between us don't have to be any different from what they are right
now, N'vanik. I know this is probably the part when things get awkward
for...couples...but we don't have to fall into that cliche." She gave him
a
hesitant grin. "I think I'd miss you if we did."

He squirmed at her use of the word 'couples', but the hesitation made him
feel better about it. "Good. I think I'd miss you too."

"Well...it's settled then."

N'vanik shifted. "So, you won't take it the wrong way if I tell you I need
to leave soon?"

Her hand stilled over his skin. "Leave?"

"Talryne, she--she doesn't sleep well alone," he stammered. Besides the
guilt he would feel if he left her alone, he'd grown used to sharing a bed
with her. It would be uncomfortable sleeping next to someone else.

Her hand fell away from him completely. "Then I guess we're calling it a
night." Traelyn wasn't going to deny, despite what they'd just told one
another, that it hurt a little. But she forced a small smile anyway and
shifted away from him, sitting up.

"You can stay here, if you want. Sleep in my nice, big bed." His smile was
uncertain as he sat up.

The glance she slanted his way was quietly amused. "Alone?" She shook
her head, reaching down for U'kaiah's white tunic that lay in a heap on
the floor, along with her pants. "Thanks for the gesture, N'vanik,
but....well...." Her smile turned rueful as she shrugged
self-consciously. "She isn't the only one who has trouble sleeping
alone."

He slid across the bed and tugged her toward him for a kiss. "I'd ask you to
join us, but I think that would be a little too awkward." Now his smile
was teasing.

She nipped gently at his lower lip before pulling away to slide her pants on
over her hips. "Yeah, maybe just a little."

**_Everything_ seems awkward lately,** N'vanik thought as he turned to
retrieve his own clothing.

Last updated on the May 29th 2007

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Drifting