Surprise, Surprise

Writers: Devin, Dana
Date Posted: 16th July 2008

Characters: N'vanik, Traelyn
Description: N'vanik has some news for Trae
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 10, day 28 of Turn 4

N'vanik

"Hey there, stranger," Traelyn smiled up at N'vanik once he opened the door. "I guess Loseth warned you that I'd be dropping by."

"Yep. I had just enough time to clean up." He smiled. "And by that I mean, throw a bunch of stuff in the closet."

She snorted. Men. "Are you going to invite me in or should we carry on in the corridor?"

"You don't really need an invitation anymore, but if you'd like one...
please, come in." He stood aside.

"Talryne isn't home?" she asked quietly, setting her riding jacket on the arm of the couch.

"She's at her place." It was a good thing Loseth warned him, because he'd been there, too.

"Oh." It surprised her that they weren't weyrmates. Turning around, she perched on the sofa's arm to look at him. "How've you been, N'vanik?"

"Good, actually. How bout you?" He dropped onto the couch and flung one arm over the back.

Swinging her long legs around, she wrapped her arms around her knees and looked down at him. "Fine. Never a dull moment in my life. Though sometimes I think I could use a day of peace and quiet."

He grinned up at her. "Should I steal you away one of these days?"

"If you did, do you really think we'd get any peace and quiet?" she grinned back, one pale brow arching.

"Course we would. I like to sleep after."

She laughed, shaking her head. "Sometimes I can't tell if you're really serious or if you're just teasing me."

"I'm never _just_ teasing about that."

"About what? Sex?"

He shifted slightly. "Sex, and you."

Traelyn glanced at him sharply, expression curious.

"Don't look so surprised. You know you're important to me." It had gotten so much easier to say things like over the last few months.

She shrugged a shoulder, her smile rather self-conscious. "I'm just not used to hearing you say it, N'vanik." His being with Talryne had changed him. But not everything about him was different, and she was glad for it.
Shifting, she eased down next to him on the sofa.

He slipped his arm around her shoulders and wondered if he should tell her about Cosani. What could he say? Oh, by the way, I have a daughter that appeared out of nowhere? And that would bring up Cossida, and he didn't know if he wanted to get into that.

Resting her head companionably on his shoulder, she propped her feet up on the edge of the table. "You're pretty quiet there."

"Yeah ... You want some wine? It's kinda warm, but it's good."

"Sure." She looked at him as he busied himself in pouring. "You know, you're still not very good at changing the subject." He lacked a certain subtlety.

He snorted. "No, I'm not. So what's new with you?" He handed her a glass and sat down next to her.

"Honestly? Not much." She grinned at him. "I think I'm becoming boring."

"You and me both," he said. "But life has a way of throwing surprises at you."

"Does it ever," she snorted, taking a sip of her wine. "Has anything been chucked at you lately?"

He studied his glass. "Something."

Ah. Relaxing against him, she crossed one leg casually over the other. "Want to talk about it?"

It was hard to talk about. It brought up things that were hard to explain, even to himself. But if he didn't talk about it, he was going to keep trying to avoid talking about it, and maybe that was worse. "My daughter showed up at the weyr last month."

Traelyn blinked. "Your....your daughter?"

"Surprise, surprise." He took a drink. There was that weird mix of emotions again, things all tangled up that he didn't know how to sort out.

Surprise? Well, shards....no and yes. No, because it wasn't a secret N'vanik was a womanizer, but yes...because it was _N'vanik_. "Where did she come from?"

"A little nobody Hold out by Vista Point. She got here all by herself. Sharding determined." The corner of his mouth twitched and he felt a twinge of pride.

"Like you," she smiled. "What's her name?"

"Cosani. She's a Candidate." And he hoped she Impressed at the hatching.
Because if she was too much like him, she might do something to get herself barred from Standing before too long. Faranth knows he wouldn't have lasted if Loseth hadn't found him right away.

"And how old is she?"

"Fourteen."

"Do you....do you see her often?"

"I haven't talked to her since she got here," he said. "I don't know what to say to her."

"Does she make you feel uncomfortable?" Traelyn asked softly.

He took a long drink. "She thinks I abandoned her. I didn't even know she existed."

Well, she'd gathered as much. "So you feel guilty."

"Yes and no. I couldn't have done anything. I didn't know about her. If I had ..." He shook his head. "Her mother and I had some pretty nasty fights, but was I really so much of a bastard that she couldn't even tell me she was pregnant?"

Gently she brushed her fingers against his arm. "She might not have known how to tell you, N'vanik. Women can get...well, squirrely when it comes to pregnancy."

"But afterwards? She had all this time to tell me. She could've sent a message." He could have done something for them. He would have.

She shrugged a shoulder. "She could've, you're right. Again, maybe she just didn't know how to tell you."

He finished his glass and sighed. "Well, I'm sure you didn't come here to listen to me go on about my problems."

"Hey." She faced him, tucking her knee up on the sofa. "You needed to talk. It's okay." She smiled at him. "Friends listen to each other, you know?" Traelyn could remember when he wouldn't talk to her, no matter how much she pushed and prodded. Shards, that seemed like lifetimes ago.

He nodded and reached out to trace her cheek. "Same goes for you. If you ever need to talk, I'm here to listen." He couldn't remember the last time he'd given an offer like that. It was hard to believe that a turn ago they'd been like ... well, like him and Cossida.

She leaned lightly into the caress. "I'll remember that."

He leaned toward her and brushed his lips against hers.

Last updated on the July 16th 2008

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Surprise, Surprise