Easier Than Words

Writers: Bree, Eimi
Date Posted: 7th November 2006

Characters: M'galec, Lenala
Description: M'galec charms his way back into Lenala's weyr with enough finesse that Vilarth gives in... for now.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 13, day 27 of Turn 3

Lenala

M'galec's back was sore from sleeping on the Infirmary cot the last three nights. This was becoming ridiculous. Either it was going to work with Lenala, or he would have to move into a weyr of his own.
There was only one thing he could do. He sent her a message and asked her if he could see her at the end of the day. With her permission, the bronzerider would be there waiting for her and when her duties allowed she could come home and they could talk about their future together.

Lenala spent the last candlemark of her day involved in an intense discussion with Vilarth. Her dragon showed an unusually intense level of emotion when it came to M'galec, and all of it seemed negative. The worst thing was that Lenala was having a hard time defending _why_ she wanted a chance to talk with M'galec. Now that she'd had a few days free of him, it seemed hard to remember just why she put up with the way he belittled and scolded her.

Still, she couldn't end things without at least trying to talk to him.
"Just a few candlemarks," Lenala promised Vilarth as they landed on their ledge. "If he upsets me, I'll tell him to go. Or you can make sure he goes... his dragon listens to you. You know that."

With Vilarth's uneasy consent, Lenala stripped off her riding jacket and ventured into her weyr.

And stopped almost immediately, her mouth falling open. Candles covered every empty surface in her weyr, and fresh flowers filled every one of her vases. The table was laid out with an intimate meal for two, and a small box sat in the middle of her plate. "Oh..."

In the middle of it all stood the bronzerider, holding a single flower in his hand, dressed in his Gather best. "Hello, Lenala," he said softly. Faranth's name, she looked beautiful in the candlelight.

Lenala could tell that Vilarth was highly irritated, but she couldn't for the life of her figure out why. It was _perfect_. "Hello, M'galec."

"I have been thinking very deeply about what your book was about, and trying to figure out the meaning behind the story. I think I figured it out." He took a hopeful step towards her. "I wish I could just be a regular man. I wish I could just be a surgeon, like I was before the Pass. I hate having to be a Weyrlingmaster Second. But I am a dragonrider, and now that a Pass is upon us, all dragonriders, you included, have to make sacrifices we were not expecting before Thread returned. You and I must sacrifice some of our time together for the good of Pern. But Faranth knows, I would rather be with you. I think about you all the time, every day. But I suppose I have allowed the time we spend together become mundane, and have forgotten just how precious the time we can share together is. So if adding a little bit of the mystery and the romance back into our relationship is what it will take to make that sacrifice a little easier for you, I will do it."

Lenala didn't say a word. She didn't _need_ to. She simply held out her arms to him, trusting that he would come to her and give her the sort of sweet seduction that had been missing from her life. Maybe all he needed was to know. Maybe it had been her fault for not telling him...

~*~

Several of the candles had burned their way down, but a soft glowing light from the living area still drifted across the bed. M'galec sat propped up against the pillows, running his fingers through the dark hair that cascaded down the back of the woman drapped half across him.
He was pretty sure the fine dinner he had prepared for them was now cold, but as long as Lenala was happy, he was happy. And after that round of love making, he was sure there was no way that either of them could be anything but happy.

Lenala was listening to his heart beat in his chest, eyes closed and body relaxed. The feeling of his fingers sliding through his hair was relaxing enough that she was drifting just on the edge of sleep. She could lay like this forever, feeling the warmth of his body, the rhythm of his heart and the skilled fingers caressing her hair.

At least now he knew for _sure_ it had been her dragon over-reacting and not another one of her childish tactics. The way she had responded to him assured him of that. But really, could he spend every night pampering her like this? It would break him! Not only physically, but financially as well. Ever mark he earned seemed to go to Lenala somehow, what with her fondness for little gifts, and not so little gifts. But he had to keep buying her attention somehow. She wanted to be treated as the Lady of the Weyr, and perhaps that was her right. She was brought up that way. And M'galec had been brought up to dote on such ladies. Taking care of Lenala's needs was a full time job, and he already had two of those. Just how was he going to keep Lenala happy without going crazy himself?

She stirred restlessly under his hand. "Is any of the food good cold?"
she asked sleepily.

"I am sure _all_ the food is getting cold, my love. Are you hungry?
Shall I bring you something?" Something had to be salvageable...

"No, I asked if any of it would taste good cold," she clarified. "I'm a little hungry, but I don't want to move. You feel nice."

"You feel wonderful, too." He his fingers gently massaged her shoulder.
"Does this mean I can come back home now?"

**Well?** she asked Vilarth sleepily.

}:I like Ar'lis better,:{ Vilarth replied, making Lenala tense slightly against M'galec. Vilarth _never_ called riders by name, no matter how important they were. }:Dwarkanath's rider can return. But if he hurts you again, he can never come back.:{ It was not a good sign that she was not answering right away. M'galec's brow furrowed a bit. Could it actually be that all these pains had been in vain? This all hadn't been some elaborate goodbye, had it?
"Lenala?"

"Of course you can come back," she said hastily. Her hand, which had been tracing idle patterns on his chest, slid a bit lower in hopes of distracting him from that terrible, telling pause. "I don't know what I'd do if you didn't. I missed you so much..."

Her hand certainly was deliciously distracting. He did not want to be away from her again. Wrapping his arms tight around her he murmured, "I love you, Lenala. And I will do whatever is in my power to make you happy."

Because she wasn't sure what to say in return, she decided to render a reply unnecessary by letting her lips follow the path of her hand.
Sometimes it was easier to speak in actions instead of words, especially when you didn't know what you wanted to say.

Last updated on the November 7th 2006

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Easier Than Words