Carry My Heart With You

Writers: Halyonix, Devin
Date Posted: 13th June 2025
Series: Bronze and Blue Entwined

Characters: I'serin, K'mai
Description: K'mai has a special gift for I'serin.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 7, day 2 of Turn 12

I'serin

K'mai

With his arm being injured, K'mai had asked a drudge to bring up the
lunch tray for him, but he carried the small box himself in his left
hand. Being grounded due to injury meant he had plenty of time to
bring I'serin meals in his office and he was taking full advantage.

"Hello Weyrleader," he said, using the title because the drudge was
there. "I hope you don't mind some company."

I'serin looked up from his paperwork as K'mai walked in. Mild
confusion showed in his eyes until he saw the drudge with the lunch
tray. "Did I miss a meal again?" he inquired.

"It's still lunch time, so you haven't missed it yet, but from the
looks of things I'm pretty sure you were going to." K'mai smiled. He
set the box down on a chair and started moving things to one side of
the desk. "Luckily, I'm here to rescue you."

"Your timing is impeccable," I'serin said as he took the tray from the
drudge and waved them off with thanks. "Try not to disturb too much
please? I do need my notes in relatively decent order for my next
meeting."

"I know you like everything all organized." K'mai kept moving piles,
squishing them together but not quite jumbling the stacks of hidework.
He waited until the drudge had closed the door behind them and then
picked up the small box. "But before we eat I, um, got you something."
He was a little nervous, wondering if I'serin would like the gift.

The bronzerider paused in unloading the tray. "Something?" he echoed,
confused but curious.

"A gift." K'mai offered the box. "Open it." I'serin did so. Inside of
the box was a small leather cuff, inscribed outward and inward. The
outward-facing part had geometric designs, artistic and simple. The
inward-facing part...

Had a heart.

I'serin paused for a long while, staring, as a dozen emotions churned
within him. There was a current of panic -- the ever-present worry of
"what if someone saw this" that he was trying to work through -- but
there were waves of warmth, of affection, of disbelief that someone
would think so thoughtfully of him. "K'mai," he murmured softly.
"This...is..." The normally loquacious bronzerider went quiet.

Instead, after a moment, he stepped forward to gently kiss K'mai. "I
do not deserve you," he murmured.

A kiss -- in his office! K'mai's heart swelled. "You do. You deserve
every good thing, I'serin." He caressed the Weyrleader's cheek. "I
thought this way . . . you could carry a little piece of me with you
wherever you go." He laughed. "Oh Faranth, I sound like something out
of a romance novel, don't I?"

"I will not complain," I'serin encouraged him. He fastened the cuff
and then showed it off. It felt...nice, no, endearing to have a gift
from K'mai that he could carry with him. Perhaps he should get the
bluerider something similar. "When did you come up with this idea?" he
inquired.

"I've had a lot of time sitting around lately." K'mai chuckled. "I
have a tanner friend so it was easy to ask for a design she'd done
before, with just that little addition." He held up a hand. "She's at
a different Weyr, so there's no reason for her to know I gave it to
you. I said it was for a friend, so for all she knows, I might be
giving this to someone so they can give it to someone _else_. And it's
a popular pattern, so even if somehow she saw you wearing it, she
wouldn't know it was _that_ one."

The steps K'mai took to protect I'serin only emphasized the dual
emotions of feeling seen yet unworthy. "I will wear it gladly," he
told K'mai after another kiss, promising himself that one day he would
work up the courage to tell someone else who had given him the cuff.
"And will have to think of something that I can give to you in
return," he added.

"I don't need anything. You're enough of a gift." K'mai winked. "It
looks good on you." He admired how the leather cuff looked on
I'serin's wrist, warmth curling in his belly at the thought of the
Weyrleader wearing a mark of his love.

I'serin internally disagreed that he was a gift but did not say
anything contradictory. "It does," he agreed. "Thank you." He gave
K'mai's hand a quick kiss and then motioned for him to sit. "Let us
not let the food go cold, shall we? And you can catch me up on the
Weyr's news."

"The gossip, you mean." K'mai took his seat with a gleam in his eyes.

Last updated on the July 22nd 2025

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Carry My Heart With You