A Little Devotion
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: AL, Cali
Date Posted: 4th February 2010
Characters: B'lamick, Briata
Description: B'lamick takes Briata talk about what happened after the fact
Location: Elsewhere on Pern, River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 7, day 14 of Turn 5
"What a fool." B'lamick hadn't known. He'd never pried into the reasons why Briata had left Garnet Valley, he knew they were painful memories that she'd rather put behind her. "And that's why you left? I just can't believe that a man wouldn't appreciate how amazing you are."
Briata shook her head. It was painful, but at the same time, almost a relief to talk to B'lamick about it. "No. I left because he was having an affair...with a greenrider." And Briata had gone to the very Weyr where the greenrider resided. So be it. It was a trade of sorts. The girl lifted her head and looked straight at B'lamick. "There are many things I can forgive. Drunkenness, neglect, even raising a hand to me. But that...I can not forgive that, B'lamick. I can't be in a relationship where I am not the only one."
"Briata," he said slowly, pulling away from her slightly so she could see his face clearly. "I'm a dragonrider. You know how it is. Eventually, Latarth is going to catch a green, or maybe even a gold. I can't promise that you'll be the only one."
Briata waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. "Flights...I understand flights, especially after..." She flushed again at the memory of the gold flight. "I understand flights. I mean, outside of them."
His thoughts went to Tey. He cared about her, had wanted her for so long. It pained him to think that now that chance was gone. Not that there _was_ a chance. She had never thought about him as anything other than her friend, a brother, like Ishek had thought about Briata. Well, it was time to put that hope behind him. He had a wonderful, beautiful girl in his arms right now, who _did_ care about him and he wasn't going to let that go. "Briata, I've had plenty of opportunity at the Weyr to be with any number of girls. I didn't want them, I waited for _you_." Someone who wanted him for him, for everything he was, not just for a casual evening or a way to work off stress.
"Waited?" His words brought to mind what B'lamick had said earlier. Eventually Latarth would catch a green...that it was only his first time..."Wait...wait, you've never? But you're a dragonrider...and I...I was your first?"
B'lamick shrugged, it wasn't something he was proud of, certainly nothing he'd planned on. "Yes. I was at the Healer Hall before I Impressed. Then of course after, we weren't supposed to have any sort of relationships. When we were seniors, we were supposed to, and there was a girl I thought I eventually would with... but she turned out to be so vapid, I couldn't go through with it. After that, there wasn't anyone special who was interested in me, until you."
It didn't seem quite right, as if he was leaving something out, but Briata was going to give him the benefit of the doubt. "If we do this...it's not casual. It's not just for fun. It's...it's to see if we want to be together, forever." That might throw him. Would he want to make that sort of commitment? She didn't want to lose him, but she couldn't not tell him her expectations.
B'lamick sighed, the frown on his face sad. "Briata, forever is a long time. I'm going to be fighting Thread for the next fourty five turns. I hope I'll be here forever for you, but... I could be taken out at the next Threadfall."
"You know what I mean." Briata smiled a little and reached out to take his hand. "Do you still want to do this? With me?"
"You know I do." B'lamick would agree to almost anything at this moment. She was in his arms, he'd just made love to her, and all she was asking for was a little devotion. That didn't seem too much to ask for.
Briata heaved an audible sigh of relief. "Good." She leaned forward and kissed him...and became all too aware that he wasn't wearing any clothes and only a blanket covered his nakedness. She flushed, pulled away and averted her gaze. "You...should probably dress."
B'lamick groaned, she couldn't have been serious. "I don't want to dress. Latarth says there's at least another hour until sunrise here. I want to go back to bed with you." He lifted up her chin and made her look at him. "Come on now, I've waited nineteen turns for you, and now that I have you, you want me to wait again?"
Shards, she didn't _want_ to, but they weren't..."We're not married." At his expression, she quickly stated, "Weyrmated." She caught his hand in hers and held on tight. "Please...it's not that I don't want to, it's just...we need to be sure before we do it again."
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. All he wanted to do was feel her body against his, to cherish it and love it. Still... it's what he wanted wasn't it? Someone who wouldn't just jump from bed to bed, someone who gave herself because he was special. "All right. I'll be good. But come back to bed with me. I'm exhausted and if the winds ever die down I've got drills to get back to. I'll even put my shorts on if it makes you feel better."
"It would." If there were more than just blankets between them, it would help. It would keep her from acting like she shouldn't. Briata crawled onto the bed, her eyes firmly locked upon the wall until B'lamick told her it was safe to look. Then she lay down and, with the flush still in her cheeks, smiled in a shy invitation.
B'lamick chuckled at her behavior, he was pretty sure the time to be shy was past. While he might not yet know every spot on her body, he could remember enough of it to make him ache too. Still, he'd let her be shy. He slid under the covers of the bed that Briata had rearranged, and she tucked herself into her side. It felt amazing, and it took all of his control to keep his hands still. "You're making this very hard for me to go back to sleep, you know that right?"
"I'm sorry...I didn't mean to." She hadn't wanted him to feel bad. "I'll...I'll sit on the floor if you'd prefer." Briata sat up to do just that, but B'lamick stopped her.
"Briata, there's something you need to understand." B'lamick tone was light, though his hold on her was secure against him. "I promised to go slow for you, and I will. But it doesn't mean that I don't still want you, I'm _always_ going want you now. Every time I look at you I'm going to want to take you into my arms and be with you like I was last night. But I'll _gladly_ feel that want and need, I'll deal with it, just don't stay away from me."
Briata was going to turn red permanently, she just knew it. How much had she blushed just in the space of the conversation since they had awoken? She'd lost count. She felt bad, knowing what they had done and how it affected B'lamick, but she didn't want to stay away either. Briata nodded slowly and lowered herself back down on the bed. "All right." She whispered and lay her head upon his chest.
"Now sleep." B'lamick said, giving Briata several light kisses across her brow. "Latarth will wake us when the wind dies down."
Sleep. How was she going to be able to sleep? Already her body ached, desired, trembled. He was so close and his scent filled her entire being. Briata took deep breath just to inhale him and let it out slowly. Beneath her she could hear and feel the steady rhythm of his heart. She was more tired than she realized, though, and her eyes drifted shut as she was lulled by the steady beat beneath her.
Last updated on the February 6th 2010