Accidental Touches

Writers: Bree, Paula
Date Posted: 18th December 2006

Characters: Abrei, U'das
Description: Abrei nearly causes U'das to drown when she propositions him in her own special way.
Location: River Bluff Weyr
Date: month 1, day 10 of Turn 4

Abrei

As always when the temperature spiked upwards, the residents of River Bluff had spilled out onto the beach, obviously bent on enjoying a hot afternoon spent splashing in the water.

With the infirmary forbidden to her, Abrei had done the same. Still, she was feeling antisocial enough that she spent a quarter candlemark walking down the beach, hoping to find a little bit of water where she could swim in private. There was a little cove around the bend that was mostly hidden from the main Weyr, but not pretty enough or large enough to be popular with swimmers.

She was a little out of breath as she climbed over the rock and slid down, expecting to find herself alone. Instead she found U'das.

The bronzerider had a pole and line in water, although he had fallen asleep in warmth. So had his dragon. What ever lure he had been using, was long gone and the fish avoided his hook.

For a moment Abrei considered turning around and leaving him to sleep, but it looked like he was dangerously close to losing his fishing pole into the water. Brushing sand off of her skirt, she made her way to the bronzerider's side and placed a hand on his shoulder. "U'das?"

"Whuh?" U'das was startled wake. Instinctively, he tightened his grip on the pole and pulled out from the water. The empty hook glinted metallic in the sun. He turned to look who it was. "Oh, Abrei. Hi, and thanks."

Abrei smiled. "Looks like someone stole your bait."

"Yeah, so they did. Oh well, at least I have the perfect excuse for doing nothing," the bronzerider grinned.

"You're not going to keep trying?" Abrei asked curiously, glancing out at the water. She'd never considered fishing here before. Of course, she'd never tried to fish _anywhere_ before, but supposedly learning new hobbies was what she was meant to do during her month of enforced idleness.

"Maybe later. It's too hot, fishes find deeper waters this time of day,"
U'das said and stretched.

"Oh." Abrei shaded her eyes and looked out at the water. "Do you mind if I swim here? I was looking for someplace a little more quiet than the main beach."

"Go ahead," U'das gestured towards the mirror calm waters.

She gave his fishing poll a suspicious look. "You're not going to toss that back in and hook me, are you?"

U'das laughed. "No, I'm not. But I might join you for a swim," he said.

"Oh." This time her cheeks flushed as she was forced to admit the reason she'd spent so much time trying to find a secluded--and calm--area of the beach to swim on. "Well, I'm not much of a swimmer. Since I don't particularly feel like drowning today, I'll probably stick close to the shore."

"Want me to teach you? I swim like a fish. Results of growing up in a seahold," U'das suggested.

Abrei snorted as she settled down in the sand to pull her boots off. "I don't think I'm going to learn, no matter how good a teacher you are.
There's something about it... it just doesn't work right."

"Anybody with two working hands and legs can learn to swim. Unless you've terribly afraid of water, but then you wouldn't be going in there anyway," U'das responded confidently. "Even infants can swim."

"I'm not _afraid_ of water," Abrei retorted a little too quickly. "I just... tend to sink."

"So? Just hold your breath," U'das advised with a grin.

Abrei glared at him for a moment before rolling her eyes as she scrambled to her feet. "I think I'll try staying where I can touch the bottom, just the same." Reaching up, she twisted her hair up and shoved her hairpins back in, hoping to keep her hair out of the water. Then she shrugged out of her tunic and skirt and waded out into the water with a relieved sigh. Shards, it was hot out!

No matter who or what had happened, U'das never tired of admiring female bodies.

After a few moments, Abrei glanced back over her shoulder, one eyebrow going up. "Did you decide not to swim?" Normally she would have snapped at him for staring, but it seemed a bit hypocritical to get upset over a little bit of looking when she'd been all but tripping perfect strangers into bed since Turn's End.

"In a moment," U'das replied.

It didn't take him long to shed of what little clothing he had over his swimming trunks. For a man in early sixties, he had a good looking body.
Tanned, muscular and as hairless as his head. He walked to farther along to the beach, to some rock outcroppings. Water there was much deeper and after climbing to the rocks, he dove from there with perfect arch.

Abrei watched him, unable to completely hide that she was impressed. She didn't feel terribly comfortable moving any deeper than she was, with the water just below her shoulders. When U'das surfaced, she wrinkled her nose at him. "I think you're a show off."

U'das chuckled and swam to her. "Maybe a little. How else to impress you young ladies?"

"Do we need impressing?" Abrei retorted. "I thought you'd impressed enough of them already."

"It's never enough," U'das replied with amused shake of his head. Then he started to swim farther away. She obviously wanted to be left alone. He still planned to stay close enough to save her if she decided to drown.

He hadn't gotten far when Abrei did something unexpected. "I'm impressed," she offered in a different tone of voice.

"About what?" The bronzerider stopped, confused. He was so used to her rebuffing his flirting attempts.

Abrei waved a hand vaguely in the air. "Everything? I don't know, I'm rotten at flirting. Maybe because I never practiced, I don't know. But it doesn't matter." She shrugged her shoulders and glanced up at him. "Want to have sex?"

U'das was so surprised that he nearly sunk. He swam next to her again.
"Are you serious about that?" He asked incredulously, studying her face.

She reflected that this was why she needed to learn how to lead up to the question. People tended to stare at her as if she couldn't possibly be in her right mind. "I wouldn't have said it if I wasn't."

U'das couldn't remember a time when he would have received such a blunt suggestion. He actually had to think it over. Usually, there were the flirting and so, that led you there, and put you to the right 'mind' for it.

Abrei started to look a little embarrassed and turned away to wade back in the direction of the shore. "Well, obviously you don't have to."

"You know, you have to prepare people for it. If you just dropped in out like that, people will be too confused to be able to do it," he replied.
"Maybe you need few lessons?" he suggested.

Her back still to him, Abrei concentrated on shoving a few stray strands of hair back up. It gave her something to do while she waited for the color to leave her cheeks. "Well, I'm sure I'll figure it out eventually. But I've only had time to worry about it for about two sevendays, so I haven't picked up the finer details yet."

"Here's some. Tip number one: casual, 'accidental' touch," U'das said and put his hand on her arm, sliding it down with soft caress.

Abrei nearly jumped in surprise, glad that the water wasn't any deeper.
She didn't dare turn to look at him, not completely sure if this was him accepting her offer or just attempting to give her pointers. Either way, she had to clear her throat before speaking. "That seems easy enough."

"Why don't you try now?" U'das asked.

He was standing close enough behind her that she only had to lean backwards a little to let her shoulder and arm brush against his chest as she turned to face him again. Her hand kept moving, drifting past him with the tips of her fingers brushing across his stomach. "Accidental touches, hmmm?"

"Yes, it has a surprisingly strong effect," U'das said. The bronzerider moved little closer, pulling her into an embrace.

One of Abrei's eyebrows went up along with the corner of her lips in a bemused smile. "Are we past the accidental part, now?" she asked hopefully.

"Yes," U'das grinned and bent to kiss her.

Last updated on the December 20th 2006

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

Accidental Touches