When We Got Older

Writers: Dana
Date Posted: 16th February 2007

Characters: Traelyn, K'kar
Description: K'kar takes Trae out for some fun
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 2, day 14 of Turn 4

A brief knock was followed by a smiling face poking around the door. "How much trouble do you think I'd be in if I stole the Weyrwoman for the afternoon?"

Traelyn leaned back in her chair and grinned at him. "Why do you ask? You plannin' on stealing her, Kar?"

He stepped inside. "Only if she wants to be stolen."

She glanced down at her hidework, gaze lingering on her scrawling notes for a moment before she looked at him. "She just might!" And it was such a beautiful afternoon--for a restday. "Though you might have to convince her that she shouldn't feel guilty about leaving her work unfinished."

"You can worry about work tomorrow. It's a _restday_!" K'kar walked over and leaned against her desk. "C'mon Trae!"

"So we've dropped talking in third person, have we?" she chuckled, tilting her head so she could meet his eyes. "I guess I can get out of here for a little while and stretch my legs." After piling all her hides in one neat stack, she stood and rotated her neck until she heard it crack. Wincing, she rubbed it. "Maybe I should go get a massage later too. Shards, Kar, I'm too young to get this tense!"

"I can give you a massage," he offered without thinking. He'd given many of his friends massages before, including Trae.

"Oh would you? Shards, that'd be great." Pushing in her chair, she leaned against it and smiled at him. "Where are we going?"

"Where would you like to go? You know this area better than I do."

"The beach maybe?" Her tone was almost wistful. "I know a couple of coves along the shore that most people don't go to. They remind me of the ones we all used to flock to back at Far Island. With fruit-heavy trees and soft sand..." And they definitely had that isolated feel, which Traelyn welcomed. It would be nice to get out of the Weyr for a while.

K'kar grinned. "The beach sounds wonderful." He paused a moment and then chuckled. "And Wyverth agrees."

She grinned back. "And so does Nyith. Let's go!"

~~~

With a prim warble, Nyith swept past Wyverth, flicking the tip of her golden tail playfully in his face before suddenly dropping coyly below him.

**Flirt,** Traelyn told her queen, amused.

}:He likes it. All bronzes do, Trae. It's fun to humor them.:{ That made Traelyn snort out loud. **It's the same with their riders.**

}:Naturally.:{ Nyith checked her descent, catching a thermal and spiraling down towards the stretch of glittering sand below them.

Wyverth eagerly followed, skidding through the surf as he landed and sending up a line of spray. **Show off.**

}:You would do the same, if you could,:{ Wyverth said as his rider slid from his neck.

Kar chuckled. **I have my own ways of showing off to the ladies.** "They're enjoying themselves already," he said as he approached Trae.

Kicking off her boots, she turned to grin at him. "They certainly are. Brings back a lot of memories, doesn't it?"

"Yeah." He smiled and looked around. "You're right. This does look like one of the coves at Far Island."

Loosening her shirt, she pulled it over her head. "What's your favorite memory?"

"Too hard to pick just one," Kar said, trying not to focus on Trae removing her clothes. "But I always did like climbing trees." He turned to look at the ones growing up the beach and bent to take off his boots.

"Then we should climb one today--for old time's sake. And get some fruit!"
Slipping out of her pants, she laid out a towel and plopped down on it. "After you give me my promised massage, that is." She tilted her head backwards to give him an sweetly impish look. "Okay?"

"Okay." He was thankful that his voice came out steady. Offering a massage might have been a bad idea. Kar knelt down and put his hands on her shoulders. "Trae, you really are tense."

Wrinkling her nose, she looked out across the water. "Stress does that to me."

"I think it does that to most people," he joked. **We're friends, and I don't want to ruin that, but I'm attracted to you, Trae. And I'd like to do something about it.** Kar shook his head. It would be nice if he could just say something like that, but it seemed too forward.

"Poor us," she snorted, then sighed as his fingers kneaded a particularly tight spot on her shoulderblade. "Being constantly under stress comes with a dragonrider's job description. You think we'd get used to it by now."

"Mmm . . . so let's talk about unstressful things." Kar's hands moved lower.
"Like when we were young and carefree."

"Like when you boys would sometimes try to ditch me because I was a girl and should have been inside sewing?" she laughed, shaking her head. Well, maybe it wasn't so much the group as it was just B'ram who wanted to ditch her...

"_I_ didn't want to ditch you. I thought you were fun."

"You sure you're not just saying that to stay in my good graces?" she teased.

The bronzerider laughed. "I'm sure. I liked having you around. And when we got older . . ." he trailed off.

She glanced back at him when his voice faded. "When we got older?"

"Well I . . . I had a bit of a crush on you." Kar cleared his throat. "I think we all did."

She turned her head completely around to look at him, a small grin playing at the corners of her lips. "You're not embarrassed about that, are you, Kar?"

He met her eyes for a moment before returning his focus to her back. "Admitting it is a little embarrassing." **Not to mention being attracted to you _again_.**

"Why?" She shifted a little to lightly touch his wrist. "I'm not laughing at you."

His hands stilled. "I don't want you to be uncomfortable around me." It was a stupid thing to say, and he was treading dangerously close to another admission.

"Because of something you felt Turns ago?" She shook her head, puzzled. Of all things to be embarrassed of! Shards, they weren't in their teens anymore. What did a harmless crush matter now? Traelyn studied him for a brief moment, wanting to tease him, to bring them both back to something more safe, because he obviously was uncomfortable admiting this to her. For whatever reason. But she wasn't sure how he'd react to her teases. So, she replied seriously, gently, "I don't feel uncomfortable, Kar."

**I do.** He shook his head. "It's silly. I shouldn't have brought it up."

"Well...we don't have to talk about it anymore. I won't force you." She let the slight teasing slip through into her tone, and she watched his face.

His heart beat faster but he kept his face calm. "So do you think we can still get to the top of a redfruit tree?"

Traelyn grinned, glad that she could draw him out and past it. "I don't know. But let's find out!"

Last updated on the February 17th 2007

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When We Got Older