Break the Pattern

Writers: Dana, Eimi
Date Posted: 7th October 2006

Characters: Traelyn, B'ram
Description: Traelyn remembers an instance when she should have listen to B'ram, and decides that now is the time to do so
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 13, day 22 of Turn 3
Notes: Follows "What Good Were Wishes?"

B'ram

That rough bang in the closet with U'waki hadn't been the second or even third time something like that had happened. There had been many times before then, and countless times after. Countless times she should have apologized to L'kub, but hadn't.

The thought had never even crossed her mind.

Traelyn curled tighter up against B'ram's hard body as if it could help brace her against the onslaught of memories.

~*~

As a hard arm slid around her hips, Traelyn turned her head in surprise, setting the hide she'd been looking through aside. A slow grin spread across her lips. "I thought you hated the Records Room."

The bronzerider grinned as he leaned down to kiss her neck just below her ear. "I hate the Record Room, but I love the company."

"Are you saying you followed me in here?" she asked, tilting her head slightly to the side to give him better access. Sometimes she wondered why she ever got mixed up with this particular rider. Maybe it was those shadowy green eyes of his...and the expression they got in them when he stood so close to her... Or maybe it was his deliciously hard body that was so very different from L'kub's slender one. Maybe it was the way he kissed her... In any case, after that first night in V'dar's bed, she hardly ever said no to him. And when she did, it sharding wasn't easy.

"But of course," he chuckled as his finger slid along her thigh. "After you stood me up for that bluerider of yours, I figured I'd better take matters in my own hands."

Sometimes Traelyn wondered if all these bronzeriders were suddenly so persistant because they realized that Nyith was coming very close to rising for her first mating flight. She'd lost all of her baby fat now, and was sleek, lithe and supple--not to mention extremely flirtatious. Though she would sometimes lay out and sun with the other queens, it was more common now to find her out laying beside a bronze or two. She seemed particularly fond of U'waki's bronze, and now V'dar's. Was Traelyn spending more time with the bronzeriders because of Nyith?

Sometimes, when she thought guiltily of L'kub, she liked to think that was the reason.

"I wouldn't call it 'standing you up,' V'dar," she murmured, reaching around to place a hand lightly on his thigh. "That sounds so...bad..."

"Are you trying to tell me that you're _not_ so... bad?" he murmured against her lips. "I know you so much better than that."

Grinning, she nipped at his lower lip, unable to completely banish the memory of him grabbing her arm while she'd been walking towards the dining cavern one afternoon and leading her towards one of the many abandoned corridors. And that's when things got a little...out of hand. But Traelyn had enjoyed every sharding minute of it. "Mmmm..." Her hand slid higher. "Despite everything, V'dar, you still don't know as much as you think...."

"Oh really?" he asked with a deep throated chuckle, his fingers wandering higher. "Why don't I show you what I know and you can correct me where I'm wrong?"

"Fine. I hope you haven't forgotten anything..." And with his particular skills, she highly doubted he had, but what harm was there in a little teasing challenge?

V'dar claimed her mouth hungrily as his hand slid from around her waist to much higher. He loved the way she flirted and pretended to be so experienced. But like that day in the hallway, he had discovered she also had moments of innocence and inexperience. The bronzerider loved opening her eyes to all the things she had been missing keeping such limited company for so long.

Her slight gasp of pleasure was muffled against his lips as he moved around, positioning her so that her back was pushed against the record shelves. They dug into her skin through the thin fabric of her blouse as he leaned in closer, his hips pressing tightly against hers so she could begin to feel just how much he was enjoying what they were doing. With a soft growl, she dug her fingers into his crisp hair while her other hand slid low on his back, nails clutching at the material of his tunic.

"So you think you I would forget what you like?" His lips traveled along the low neck of her tunic as his hand lifted her leg to bring her perfectly in line with him. He smiled knowingly as her hands tightened their grip on his tunic and he could feel her tremble as he leanded into her even more. "It seems your body remembers..."

Shards--she could barely catch her breath. With a soft whimper she buried her face against his neck, her teeth scraping against his skin--the movement almost pleading. Shards...

}:Trae? Trae, Girifith is being most persistant.:{ The queen sounded more than a bit miffed, and apologetic. }:Girifith says that his rider says that you are not alone in the Record Room. He says that he is right behind the shelf you are...:{ She paused. }:...Shoved up against.:{ Another pause.
}:He says that if you do not get rid of Cevsith's rider and give him a moment of your time...he'll ask Versith's rider to join him there.:{ Traelyn's body suddenly stilled against his, her lips hovering just above V'dar's shoulder, her dark eyes widening. Shards...

}:I am sorry, Trae...:{ The bronzerider could feel her sudden change. "Trae?" he ask he pulled back slightly to look at her.

Closing her eyes, she silently cursed the brownrider as heat flooded her cheeks. Sharding, _sharding_ B'ram. And to threaten her with.... Faranth, he wouldn't tell L'kub? Oh, but what if he did... Confused by the sudden tangle of emotions, she shifted, her leg sliding down from around his hip. "Nyith is calling me." Glancing up at him, her hands fell reluctantly away from his body, her voice breathless, edgy. "I'm sorry, V'dar..."

"Is everything all right?" he asked as he stepped back a little.

She nodded, gingerly easing herself away from the shelves. Shards--if she felt like _this_, she wondered how _he_ was feeling... Trying to smooth her expression from sexually frustrated to more calm--more controlled--she forced a small, apologetic smile. "You know how they get when they want something... You can't ignore them." _Sharding_ B'ram.

He sighed deeply, but nodded. It was pretty obvious it wasn't just her dragon. They weren't _that_ persistant at inconvenient times for no reason. Seemed he was going to be denied _again_... "Well, I'm going back to my weyr. If your... duties allow, you know where you can find me."

"Yeah..." Traelyn folded her arms tightly across her chest, watching him disappear from view. No doubt he would grab the nearest, willing woman and take her to the nearest bed.... She ground her teeth, trying to gather enough scorching courage to take those few steps around the row of shelves. To face him. For he certainly wouldn't come to her. Wishing that she didn't feel so sharding desperate--in more ways than just one--Traelyn slowly moved until she was standing in the next row, facing him.

B'ram had it all planned out. Hearing all the mutters, the little sounds he had tried to ignore, he had plenty of time to formulate his plan. But now that she was standing in front of him, he just didn't know what to say. All the deliciously therapeutic insults he had meant to hurl at her caught in his throat. They just didn't seem to be low enough for her at that moment, and his eyes told her so. He fought down his anger, and that terribly annoying hint of jealousy that just never seemed to go away when she was around. "You know L'kub is the finest person I have ever known.
And one of the things that is best about him is that he loves unconditionally. Even you. Maybe _especially_ you."

She didn't move. Didn't speak. Didn't even lower her eyes. But his words had slammed into her, striking something deep within her. The words hurt. Shards, they hurt. Guilt that she'd shoved down and locked away while V'dar had held her in his arms was suddenly loosed. **...Maybe _especially_ you...** With her heart hammering in her chest, Traelyn raised her chin just slightly, trying to meet the challenging flame in his eyes with a bit of fire of her own.

But it was hollow. So hollow.

The brownrider ran his hands through his hair just to try to calm himself.
"You know, Traelyn, you could bang ever bronzerider in the Weyr, and I really could care less. But just... please... break it off with L'kub.
Breaking his heart once would be bad enough... But this... He doesn't deserve this... whatever _this_ is."

**No,** a small part of her whispered. **No, he doesn't.** But her pride was stung, and it rose up defensively beyond any rational sense. "Is that all?" she heard herself asking, her voice very quiet.

She was so sharding smug and superior! Sharding goldrider could go /between/! "You know one of these days he _is_ going to walk through the door, or round a corner and there will be you and one of your bronze toys, and that _will_ be all!"

Inwardly, she flinched, then to hide it she lashed back, "And until then, stay _out_ of our affairs, B'ram. They don't sharding concern _you_!" And before he could reply, she whirled around to make her escape. She didn't want to hear what else he had to say--what other truths he would throw at her and make her hear...make her accept.

~*~

Traelyn should have listened to B'ram that day. But she hadn't. Her sharding pride had gotten in the way--like it was getting in the way now.

But this time she would listen to B'ram. She would force herself to break this scorched pattern she always fell into, and apologize.

Last updated on the October 8th 2006

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