A Little Kindness Might Be Nice

Writers: Eimi, Paula
Date Posted: 12th July 2017

Characters: J'nev, Aileyan
Description: J'nev asks a wary Aileyan for a little help...
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 13, day 5 of Turn 8
Notes: Follows "DFW: Kicked Ribs"
Mentions: Drumilla (not by name)

J'nev sat on his sofa, feeling more than a little miserable. He had taken the tea, and it certainly helped, but it still hurt to move too much. It didn't help that his pride hurt as much as his ribs. If he had known the healer girl was from Riverbluff, he wouldn't have tried to make a move on her. Of course, if she hadn't flirted _back_, he wouldn't have made a fool of himself either!

Well, he knew one thing he could do that might make him feel better, and only had a slight chance of making him feel worse. **Ankioth, can you pass a message on to Kjarliheth's that I've been injured and need her help?**

** Why me? What am I, a nurse?** Aileyan muttered when she got the message from Kjarliheth. But her curiosity won. It wasn't a Fall day today so how had he gotten injured. Only way to find out was to go to see what he wanted.

"Hi, J'nev," she greeted when she arrived. She hadn't exactly hurried but taken her time. "What happened to you?"

He was a little surprised when she finally showed. J'nev had almost given up on her, and so he made sure to put on his most pitifully pained face. "I was on sweeps and saw a cart in distress. I got kicked in the ribs by the runner while I was trying to help."

"Auch," Aileyan couldn't help but feel sympathy. She had broken her ribs once, when falling out of a tree. "Did your ribs broke?"

"No, just deeply bruised. I had some tea for the pain, but I'm having trouble getting undressed. It hurts to move." He lifted his arm slightly and a look of true pain flashed across his face as he let out a grunt.

"I've had broken ribs, I know how it feels," Aileyan said.

The bronzerider tried not to roll his eyes. **Seriously, a little sympathy would kill you?** "So anyway, I could use some help, if it's not too much trouble."

"Fine.I'll help, What do you need?" Aileyan replied with a shrug. She was slightly annoyed. Any drudge could help him and if they were female, they would probably to be happy to.

Shards! What did he do now? "Well, a little kindness might be nice." He _knew_ it was probably a bad idea.

Aileyan realized she was doing it again, keeping people at arms length. "I can be kind," She said. "If I want to. I'm just not sure of your motives." Yes, she was distrustful and cynical about him.

He frowned slightly. Did she always have to be so sharding serious? "Right now I'm in pain, Aileyan. My motives are anything that might distract me from that fact, and maybe a little help getting undressed. Don't worry, I couldn't really have ulterior motives even if I wanted to at this point."

"Alright," Aileyan said. "So I need to undress you?"

"If you're in a hurry, yeah. Otherwise a drink of something harder than tea might be nice," he suggested hopefully. She seemed to be thawing, at least a little.

"I can get you a wine," Aileyan suggested. "Now, that shirt, can you lift your hands straight up?" At least she had experience, thanks to Ravyan, how to undress wriggling, unwilling or just lively subjects.

"Ugh," he sighed, knowing how this was going to hurt. "I don't _want_ to, but I think I can..." Using one hand to hold his ribs, he lifted his arm slowly, wincing. "High enough?" he barely more than whispered. Even breathing was pulling the muscles tighter.

His pain was so apparently genuine that it brought out Aileyan's natural compassion. "You poor thing." She rolled the shirt as much as she could before pulling it over his head and arms.

For once her concern sounded genuine. J'nev wasn't quiet sure how to feel about that. "It'll be better in a few days. I won't be in drills or Fall for a sevenday at least, though." He slowly lowered the arm again, letting out a relieved sigh when it finally was over.

"It will be at it's worst on second day," she spoke from her experience.

"Oh good. Something to look forward to." Sharding runner. He _should_ have let Ankioth eat the beast! "So... If I need help again... Would you come?"

"I still have drills and duties," she pointed out. "But I can stop by to check you out."

For Faranth's sake! She was so sharding confusing! Did she want to see him or not? He honestly couldn't tell! "I don't want to twist your arm here. If you don't want to come, you don't have to..."

"I was trying to tell that I don't necessary have time for it," Aileyan replied. Shards, men, why were they so dense? Did you have to draw a picture for him?

"Well fine then. Don't come. I'll find someone else to help me. Shouldn't be too hard!" Oooh, he had stepped in it with that last remark and he knew it. Still, he would not give her the satisfaction of showing it.

Aileyan rolled her eyes. "I don't get you, do you want me help or not? Why did you call me in anyways? You really think that just because we had sex we are suddenly best friends? Insta-cuddlers? For your information, I don't cuddle," Aileyan sounded exasperated and then dropped his shirt on top of his head. The last bit wasn't quite true, she did cuddle, if the man was right. J'nev wasn't that man.

"I never asked you to cuddle," J'nev said, throwing his arms up in a gesture of helplessness that he instantly regretted. He quickly doubled over, grabbing his ribs in pain. Taking a moment to recover he finally gritted out, "I called you because I wanted to see you. I thought maybe we could talk. I thought we could actually get to know each other rather just fall into bed together. But if all you want is an easy lay, fine. Glad we have that established. If I am such a sharding inconvenience, then why in Faranth's name did you bother to come in the first place?"

Well, that left her flabbergasted and speechless. She opened and closed her mouth few times before finding her voice. "I'm, I'm so-sorry. I tend to expect the worst from people," her apology wasn't the most eloquent but it was sincere. "I'm making a fool of myself."

Shards, she was so confusing! J'nev never knew how he should feel around her! One moment she gets him all mad and acts like she's the victim, and the next she apologizes and makes him feel sorry for her! Why couldn't she just be one or the other - infuriating or endearing. Why did she have to be both at the same time! He let out a long sigh. "I need a drink."

Had she know what he thought about, she would had agreed. Aileyan was feeling very confused.
"I can get you a drink, what's your preference?"

"I probably only have wine over there," he said with a wave of his good arm in the direction of his sideboard. "Feel free to pour yourself some, too."

"Alright," Aileyan went to the pointed sideboard. She was feeling like needing a drink too.

J'nev was a little surprised when he saw her pull out two glasses. He hadn't really thought she would take him up on the offer. But really, nothing should surprise him tonight. "So do you have to leave soon?"

"I have to fetch Ravyan from his fostermother, but not quite yet," Aileyan carried the drinks over and handed J'nev his. "I got a roughly a candlemark."

"Well, do you want to... talk... for a while?"

"Alright. Just talk." She wanted to be sure he wouldn't get any ideas. He was a bronzerider after all.

J'nev rolled his eyes. Did she think he was faking the pain he was in? "Faranth's sake, Aileyan, I couldn't do more than that even if I _wanted_ to."

"You never know, you bronzeriders seem to be able to do miracles." Aileyan replied with dry humour.

J'nev's lips pulled into a slight smile, but it did not quite reach his eyes. Her jibe just reminded him that after all the time she had spent with his former Wingleader, she should know. "Yes, well, the runner's kick didn't kill me. I think I used up all my luck for today. Why don't we just start with where you're from..."

"Harper hall, actually. I grow up as a daughter of a master Harper. Of course, it turned out he wasn't actually my _father_ but a weyrbred journeyman my mother was sleeping with..."

Last updated on the July 21st 2017

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A Little Kindness Might Be Nice