Relaxing

Writers: Avery, Dana
Date Posted: 29th September 2006

Characters: Traelyn, L'pin
Description: L'pin has a restless night, so he seeks out Traelyn for company
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 13, day 17 of Turn 3

He twisted and turned uncomfortably, somehow unable to lose himself in sleep, despite everything he'd tried. Two glasses of wine hadn't worked, nor had reading a boring story, nor had running laps around the Weyrbowl- which had garnered him some looks, especially at this time of night. He'd even bothered the kitchens for a glass of warm milk.

Finally he'd managed to get into a half sleep, only to have visions of Traelyn in his mind- how beautiful she was, how they had moved together that one night, how her eyes had looked when... L'pin sat up and shook his head, trying to rid himself of those images.

}:You should go to her. She makes you feel good.:{

**Chaneth, I'm fine.** He paused. **You gave me those images. Is that why you keep chasing.**

}:Flights make you feel like this.:{ He sent L'pin an echo of flight-lust and L'pin shuddered, immediately reacting. }:But with her, you felt this.:{ He sent L'pin an echo of when they had been together, and it was less raw than flight lust, but still intense and with emotional echoes. }:I like that. It is good for you. You miss them. She makes you good again.:{ The blue whuffled loudly.

L'pin might have denied it, but with Chaneth showing him the feelings, he couldn't really. **Okay, okay.** he grumbled softly, pulling on his clothing.

Which was how he wound up at the Weyrwoman's door, a skin of liquor in his hand, two glasses in the other, in a pair of old patched comfortable pants and a battered and dirty shirt, feeling very very foolish as he tapped the door.

}:Chaneth's rider,:{ Nyith sleepily supplied as Traelyn roused from her doze, hearing the tapping.

**L'pin?** she asked, surprised, blinking away the light sleep.

}:Well, he _is_ Chaneth's rider, is he not?:{

Grinning at her queen's airy tone, the young Weyrwoman stood from the sofa and stretched, then sauntered over to the door, not even bothering grabbing a robe. He'd seen her in much less than what she had on now, and besides, it was too late--and too damn humid--to care.

"Lookin' for some company?" Traelyn asked with a soft smile once she'd opened the door, running a hand through her hair.

"Err...yes, actually. Did I wake you?" he asked guiltily, looking at her. Just becuase he couldn't sleep... He waved the glasses at her, trying to push away the guilty feelings. "I thought you wouldn't mind if I dropped by."

"Shards, L'pin, I don't mind at all. Come on in." After she got him inside, she gestured for him to follow her to the sofa. "And no, you didn't wake me, so you can wipe that guilty expression off your face."
Traelyn perched on the cushion with a smile, and held out her hand for the glasses. "I really wasn't sleeping anyway."

He smiled again in relief, walking over and handing her the glasses. "I suppose it's just one of those nights, isn't it?" he pondered. "Things rustle in the night, sleep doesn't want to come, and you think too much. That happen often?"

"More often than not," she muttered dryly, shifting to make room for him.
"It's scorching annoying, that's what it is." Sighing she shook her head, watching as he poured her some liquor. Only after a night of lusty sex or loving on _top_ of drills and hidework did she find she slept better.
Probably because she was just too exhausted mentally and physically to do much else.

He nodded, passing her one of the glasses and taking a small sip from the other. "I guess things just caught up to me. It's the weyrlings, I worry about them, of course. And memories, and greenflights, and everything." Shaking his head, he took another deep drink. "It's nice to be able to relax."

"The green flights bring back the memories?" she asked softly.

He nodded. "Chaneth always used to win hers. It's never been the same since, but I think Chaneth has decided to chase every green here. Honestly, you're lucky golds rise so rarely. Imagine if Nyith was a chaser like a blue or bronze, and every time you were upset she decided flightsex would make it better. You start to get almost tired of it." He laughed. "I bet most male riders never say that."

She shrugged a bare shoulder, taking a sip of her drink. "Maybe not, L'pin. But you're not like most male riders." Traelyn gave him a small smile. "I can understand wanting...more...out of sex." Because isn't that why she'd gone to B'ram all those nights before? Because he gave her more than just a night of passion?

"Sex alone isn't the answer to problems, but I don't think dragons can realize that. Chaneth rationalizes if it makes me feel better for a short time, it should be had all the time. But then it becomes a crutch, nothing good. Not like it should be."

"And yet....you're here tonight."

"Not for sex." he said softly. "For company. And if things go in that direction, then they go that way. And if instead we pass the night talking as friends do, then that is how the night is." He smiled slightly. "I rarely go anywhere with a single motive."

"Then you're a better person than I am," she whispered before taking another--longer--drink.

"Trae?" he asked gently, looking at her with concern. "You're a wonderful person." he told her, reaching out to brush her cheek. "Is something troubling you?"

**I'm wonderful because I only let you see what I want you to see.**
Shaking her head, she leaned into his caress, shifting closer. "Nothing a nice night of drinking, talking, and kissing won't cure, I'm sure." She gave him an apologetic half-smile.

He smiled back. "Shadows, then, to be dispelled by others. I know those." He sipped his drink again. "Was your day well?"

Traelyn nodded. Well enough. "And yours?"

"Excellent." He sighed slightly. "Ever since Ruumin apprenticed, they've made me miss my son more, though. But they're not getting into mischief, which makes everyone happy."

She grinned. "You mean, not getting into mischief yet?"

"It's only a matter of time before they do." He laughed. "I just hope it's nothing serious. I think...that would be horrible."

Chuckling, she set her glass on the table. "I'm sure their mischief will be as harmless as it can be, L'pin. No doubt you were mischeivous at that age? Faranth knows I was."

"Oh yes. Y'sani and I got into quite some trouble- it was usually my idea, but very few ever suspected that." he confessed with a laugh. "We could probably tell some great stories."

Traelyn brought her knees up, curling an arm around them. "Tell me one?
I love good stories."

"Well, there was this one bronze weyrling that was with us, in our clutch, right? And he had these opinions. About male blue and green riders, and what they were good for. And let me tell you, it wasn't much." L'pin grimaced, barely resisting the urge to compare to a certain Weyrleader. "So I had this great elaborate revenge plotted out on him. Nothing that would _hurt_ him or his dragon. Just...break him. You know, mess around with his riding straps, pull out some of the stitching, talk about how a _womanly_ bluerider could do so much better. Except he started calling me names. And that was the point when Y'sani hit him, and it all went downhill from there. We were scrubbing the kitchen's worst pots for _sevendays_."

She laughed. "_You_ were scrubbing pots? Y'sani was the one who hit him!"

"Yeah, but I was the one who made him mad at me. Plus I'd masterminded it. I think we only settled down when we got saddled with 'real' jobs, not just being wingriders." He laughed. "Any tales of your own?"

"Hmmm...." Traelyn sipped at her drink, thinking. Then she grinned. "It must have been a sevenday or so after I graduated Weyrlinghood. Maybe. I know it was that same month... Anyway, I had really let myself go. After months of not being able to revel in any of the more pleasurable pasttimes of the Weyr, I just couldn't hold back anymore. And it didn't help that I had a core group of friends who encouraged me in every aspect!" She chuckled, shaking her head at the memory.

"One night, we all got rip-roaring drunk down by the shore. After candlemarks of drinking and playing in the water and running up and down the beach, we decided to crash. Unfortunately, we decided to crash in another couple's weyr! And on their bed no less. Shards, that couple was so scorching angry with us us when they got home. Can't you just imagine?" she laughed. "Can't you just see a group of horny, adolescents half-naked and half-unconcious, trying drunkly to explain ourselves? I can tell you right now, the Headwoman was not pleased, and neither was the Weyrwoman. I got the worst punishment out of the group because I rode gold and I should have known better. Should have set a better example."

Grinning, Traelyn downed the rest of her glass. "It sure was fun though, even if the headache the morning after wasn't."

L'pin chuckled. "That sounds amazingly fun." he remarked. "I can just imagine how those other couple's faces must have looked. Did you continue to act like that for awhile or sober up almost immediately?"

"Well, that little escapade ended the drinking in excessive amounts," she replied. "I was never able to hold my liquor very well in the first place, so it was always easy for me to get drunk quick. But shards....I loved to party, L'pin."

"What's wrong with that?" he asked. "I mean, when it's excessive and dangerous, that's one thing, but cutting loose after work with a group is another thing."

"Ah--but I didn't say I stopped cutting loose altogether," she grinned.

"That's good, cutting loose is fun." He eyed her and smiled slightly.
"Have I seen you cut loose, or have I just seen you relaxing?"

Her grin eased into a little smile. "Relaxing."

He smiled back, thinking how lovely she was. He was feeling much better. }:I told you.:{ Chaneth informed him sleepily.

"Trae?" he asked hesitantly. "You know you can always drop by my weyr, right, if you ever need anything at all?" Suddenly it seemed important that she should know.

Leaning forward, she kissed him. "I know," she murmured quietly.
"...Thank you." Somehow, the words seemed an insignificant response to what he was offering her, so she kissed him again.

L'pin was a bit startled by the kiss, but he certainly wasn't going to resist it- not the way just the _memory_ of her lips against his could feel, and certainly not the way it felt right here, right now. Instead, L'pin responded by deepening the kiss and running one hand down her back slowly, gently, pulling her closer.

Last updated on the October 3rd 2006

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Relaxing