Get Out Dad, We're In Love

Writers: Halyonix, Devin
Date Posted: 30th June 2025
Series: Bronze and Blue Entwined

Characters: K'mai, I'serin, A'len
Description: A'len barges in on I'serin and K'mai again, but this time he figures out what's going on between them.
Location: Dragonsfall Weyr
Date: month 7, day 5 of Turn 12

K'mai

I'serin

Maps, weather reports, and duty rosters had been pushed to the far
side of the Weyrleader's desk and food was spread across the surface
instead. K'mai sat on the edge near I'serin, his feet gently swinging.
"Can I sit in the chair?"

The bronzerider had just bitten into his food. Through chewing, he
said, "If you wish." He rose to take his meal standing.

K'mai hopped off the desk with a pleased, child-like giggle. He slid
into the large, well-crafted chair. "I might be the first bluerider to
ever sit in the Weyrleader's chair." He laughed. "Could you imagine,
me in charge?"

The left corner of I'serin's mouth crooked in a smile. "There would be
much more partying," he postulated teasingly. There was a warmth to
his eyes as he looked at K'mai that had little to do with seeing him
in that chair and everything to do with spending time together.

"Morale is _very_ important, you know." K'mai grinned up at him. "The
only thing that would make this better is you on my lap. I'm not
pushing, I know that's too risky for you. I'm just saying . . .
imagine it. Maybe we can pretend later, somewhere safer."

I'serin _had_ imagined it. And other things. Dozens of other things.
Every one of them he had internally deemed forbidden, but now was
slowly entertaining the freedom of those ideas more as time and
therapy went on. Bravely, he shot K'mai an expression that showed how
intensely he had imagined those things. "Later. Most certainly," he
answered.

The bluerider's eyes lit. "Ohhh. Oh you are naughty. I'serin, if you
roleplay with me I might die." Possibilities spun in his head.

But the bronzerider shot him a look saying otherwise. "Roleplay?" he
echoed. He leaned close to K'mai so that he could trace the
bluerider's jaw with one finger. "Ever why would I pretend to be
someone other than myself with you?" he asked rhetorically but
affectionately.

It was, inevitably, at this moment that A'len barged in without knocking.

"This situation with the Holdless has got to--" the older bronzerider
began without preamble. And then, he stopped short. There was that
blasted bluerider K'mai, sitting in the Weyrleader's chair. His son
was leaning over the bluerider. Was that...a smile on his face? Was
he...touching the bluerider like...like they...

Pieces upon pieces began falling into horrible place as A'len realized
that his son -- a bronzezrider! -- was in love with a bluerider!

Traitorous boy! Allowing for greenriders to be Wingthirds. Going to
those irresponsible Wing parties. Entertaining this...this...bluerider
as though Aluneth was a green! Didn't he realize what traditions he
was breaking? Didn't he see the damage he was doing? How this was
going to ruin his chances with the Weyrleadership again? Weyrwoman
Saibra would _never_ accept a gay man into her bed, much less let
Chioneth be flown by Aluneth! "What is going on here?" A'len demanded
to know, every word punctuated with anger and treachery.

K'mai flinched, his first instinct to cringe and appease an angry
bronzerider. But then his chest swelled. He needed to protect I'serin
and he tensed, ready to stand between his lover and A'len. "We're
having lunch, and you need to learn how to knock."

A'len's expression turned murderously dark. "I wasn't talking to
_you_, bluerider," he growled. "You've done enough harm here! Acting
like this is your place to be. Corrupting I'serin with your--"

"With _what_, A'len?" I'serin snapped, shaking free of his panic.
Again, that feeling of something within him having broken its shell, a
feeling that he could not go back to how it had been, was rising
within his chest, unfurling monstrous wings. It was equally as scary
as his father discovering the two of them but this feeling gave him
strength. A'len turned those furious eyes towards I'serin's way. "Say
it, A'len. With _what_?" I'serin demanded to know.

There was a trap in I'serin's tone. A'len remained deathly quiet but
still furious, looking for a way to spin the situation to his
advantage. It wasn't like he hated those gay greenriders, but this was
his son they were talking about, his son who rode bronze, and there
was an _expectation_ to be maintained. "Men who ride bronze," he
ground out carefully, "_traditionally_ do not like men who ride blue."

Shaking partly from fear, partly from cataclysmic truth, I'serin
threaded his fingers into K'mai's hand. Tightly. And said, "Then add
it to the list of traditions that I have decided to change as
Weyrleader."

K'mai stood, his hand squeezing I'serin's, the strangest combination
of tender warmth and fierce, protective anger filling him. He smiled
at I'serin, his expression grateful and almost shy. Then he turned to
A'len. "You've done nothing but judge him and belittle him. _You're_
the one who's corrupted him. Making him doubt himself, making him feel
like he isn't good enough. But he's amazing."

A'len whirled on K'mai. "Don't spout off that mindhealer nonsense to
me, boy! I didn't give you or your dragon permission to speak!" It was
a tone he had perfected from his Wingleader period, when upstart,
errant riders decided to argue back.

The fear was there, but it was distant. "You were always so mean,"
K'mai said. "I used to be afraid of you, but I won't let you bully
him. Not anymore." He could feel I'serin trembling and that just made
him angrier.

The older bronzerider stalked forward. "What did you say to me?" he
growled, fists balling.

"Enough!" I'serin shouted, interposing himself in case A'len decided
to lay hands on K'mai. I'serin was not certain he could restrain
himself if A'len decided to hurt the bluerider. "Leave, A'len," he
commanded with none of the certainty he usually felt. But it stopped
the elder bronzerider enough.

"Mark my words, boy, he'll bring you ruin," A'len snarled.
"Distracting you from your true purpose. You'll see what I mean.
You'll see that I'm ri--"

"OUT!"

A'len slammed the door behind him as he left.

I'serin immediately braced himself on the desk, shaking weakly. He
felt Aluneth press lovingly against his mind, giving him strength. Had
that just happened? Had he just stood up to his father, stood up for
K'mai, stood up for himself? }: Yes, :{ Aluneth said, }: and I am
deeply proud of you. :{

K'mai wrapped his arms around him. "It's okay." He didn't know how
much it had cost I'serin to stand up to A'len, but he knew it was a
lot. "If he tries to hurt you, to damage your reputation, I'll . . ."
K'mai wasn't sure what he would do. "I have the ear of at least half
the people in this Weyr. I'll make his life miserable."

The bronzerider chuckled weakly. One of his trembling hands held on to
K'mai's supportive arms. Fear and uncertainty coursed throughout him
but unlike the last time he had been in a fight with his father over
K'mai, this time I'serin had a growing sense of speaking his truth
rather than hiding behind lies. And how scarily freeing that felt. "I
believe that you adequately could," he murmured. "Even more so than it
is now." No doubt there would be further discord sown but right then,
I'serin did not care. "I...would like my chair back please. Before I
fall."

K'mai gently guided the Weyrleader into his chair. "I'm proud of you."
He kissed I'serin's temple. "Faranth, you really meant it when you
said you didn't care if he found out."

"I...was not certain...how that would go," I'serin admitted, shocked.
He focused on his breathing, on grounding like he did after his
nightmares, while one hand still held on to K'mai in some form.
Eventually, a tittering laugh escaped him. "That...happened, yes? I
was not dreaming of it?" he asked.

"That really happened," K'mai said with a smile. "You . . . pretty
much acknowledged we're together, to your _father_ and then told him
to get out." He laughed incredulously. "I thought his head might
explode."

"It may still yet," I'serin murmured. "No doubt he will retaliate
but..." He leaned his forehead against K'mai's. "I will handle that as
it comes." He exhaled, less shakily than before. "We should finish our
meal. There is no telling when I may eat again today." And it would
give him more time to calm down.

K'mai squeezed his hand. "If he does anything to you, I swear I'll
turn this whole Weyr against him." He had friends from drudges all the
way up to Wingleaders. For that matter, he had friends all over Pern.

I'serin lifted K'mai's hands to his lips. "I know you will," he
answered. But he would not ask that of the bluerider. He knew he
should face his father, that hiding behind someone else's offer would
not allow him to grow. I'serin, did, however feel stronger for hearing
K'mai say it. It helped to remember that he had more allies than he
thought. "Come. Eat. We will deal with A'len when he resurfaces. Let
us not waste our time together before my next meeting."

Last updated on the July 22nd 2025

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Get Out Dad, We're In Love