Appreciating Quality

Writers: Eimi, Rochelle
Date Posted: 31st March 2007

Characters: Eleada, B'ram
Description: Eleada invites B'ram to her weyr for some wine...
Location: Dolphin Cove Weyr
Date: month 2, day 27 of Turn 4

B'ram

Eleada sat on her sofa, looking around at her weyr without really seeing it as she waited for B'ram to arrive. Their last trip together had been fun, and it had only been when they were wrestling over a pastry, teasing shamelessly, that she had realized the stab of alarm hadn't come. The uneasy feeling she always got when a man was too close, when they reminded her of the cause for her close brush with death during childbirth, had barely been noticeable. She'd hidden it of course, and he'd won the pastry. But she was forced to wonder if maybe...

She shook her head. Perhaps her musings had influenced her that morning, but she doubted it. When she'd run into B'ram after drills, he'd been as persistent as ever, and she'd continued the chase by inviting him to her weyr for wine -and just wine. He was fun to string along and tease. More fun than most, because she got that little thrill of danger whenever he managed to get close before she slipped away.

B'ram too a deep breath before knocking on the greenrider's door. She had never invited him to her weyr before. He felt a little nervous, but it was the good kind of nervous. Little flits always flittered around his stomach before meeting with Eleada. Nothing had really happened between them, just a few stolen kisses here and there. But maybe that was what kept that feeling of anticipation going. And he was enjoying it. Reveling in it. Shards, it had been so long since a woman could make him feel that way! Trae didn't give him that feeling. He felt longing in other places when Trae was around. But with Eleada... the chase was fun, but even if he never caught her, just _being_ with her...

The brownrider adjusted his tunic once more and gave her weyr door a strong knock. He winced slightly. Maybe a little too strong...

She started as the knock rang through her weyr, and felt a faint smile twisting her lips as she went to the door. So long as he had not come for more than the _wine_... She pulled the door open, leaning casually against it as she ushered him in with a warm grin. "Come on in."

"Thank you," he smiled as he slipped past her, only casually brushing the greenrider on his way by. "I thought I would contribute a bottle to the evening." B'ram held aloft the bottle he had bought especially for this occasion. It had cost a pretty mark, but he hoped she'd be impressed. "It's from the North."

Her eyes widened as she closed the door, recognizing the vinter's mark on the bottle. "You really... oh my." She reached for the bottle, caught herself, and grinned delightedly at him. "I've missed having northern wines, B'ram! How did you know?"

"Well, you're from the north," B'ram said with a nonchalant shrug, though his smile widened at her reaction. "I just figured you would want a taste of home."

She felt her smile fade a little, and shook her head to hide it.
**Linrary was the northerner... Stop that!** "Not exactly. I was born at Thayan Peak, and I actually Impressed here before I went to High Reaches. That's how I have family here. But I loved the mountains there
-and the wine!" She added, her eyes sparkling as she hovered, unable to stop herself from being drawn to the bottle in his hands. His vintage was much better than what she had!

"Well, you don't have to be born in a place to miss it." Though B'ram had only ever lived in one other place himself. And he had found he had missed Vista Point very little. All his good memories were clouded over by the bad.

"True." She sighed, and waved him over to the sofa while she grabbed the wine glasses from the table. Her wine could wait. "I think we'll start with your contribution. Would you like me to open it?"

"Are you sure you don't want me to pretend to be a gentleman and open it for you?" he asked as he sat back on the sofa's soft cushions.

"If you like." She said with a grin, settling beside him with the glasses. "Either way it will be open, won't it? We really can't waste such a wonderful vintage."

"Don't worry. There's little chance of that happening while I'm around." B'ram carefully opened the bottle and poured them each a glass. "What should we drink to?"

Eleada lifted her glass. "To our lifemates, who save us in Fall and love us unconditionally, even when we're drunk off our butts and complaining of hangovers." She announced with a grin. It was an old standby toast of hers, designed to prevent amorous drinking partners from getting ideas.

B'ram would have been lying if he had thought he were not hoping for a toast which was a bit more personal, but, lifemates it was. "To our lifemates," he smiled as he clinked his glass to hers.

She took a drink and sighed in pleasure, resting her head against the wall behind the sofa. "Oh Faranth, this is good. Thank you B'ram. Where did you go for this?" She asked curiously. More than once she'd considered sneaking north for a visit -or a bottle.

"High Reaches." He remembered that was where she had transfered in from.

"Ah." She took another sip, feeling it slide smoothly down her throat.
High Reaches imported most of their wine, but they had good taste. There was no point in suffering bad alcohol as well as bad winters! "So what do you think of it?" She asked contentedly, sinking into the cushions
-and letting her body lean slightly in his direction so that their thighs were touching.

Honestly he preferred something a bit drier but he wasn't about to admit that. "It's great," he nodded, relaxing his leg a bit so it just slightly pushed back against hers. She hid a smile behind her wine glass, extremely aware of his body beside hers. He knew the dance as well as she did now, but hadn't pressured her for more. "So what kind of wine do you normally prefer, when you aren't sneaking north to impress greenriders?" She inquired.

"Oh, I'm usually not that fancy," he shrugged, leaning a little closer so that their arms gently touched. "Just between you and me, I'm pretty ignorant when it comes to wine. I just usually drink what's in the skins offered."

"You just drink whatever is offered?" She asked with a sly grin. "Then I shall have to teach you to appreciate _quality_, my handsome brownrider."

"Well, I can appreciate quality where it counts." His warm smile told her that he definitely considered her to fit under that category.

"As can I." She said simply, taking another sip. She was suddenly glad that she'd eaten well at dinner. It was good wine, and she was letting her guard down in the absence of the familiar unease. A full stomach would certainly help her keep her wits about her, even if she was increasingly reluctant to move away from B'ram.

"Seen anything of quality lately?" he asked, leaning in slightly closer.

"I can think of a few things." She admitted with a smile, holding up her glass with an admiring look. It felt nice to have him beside her. Warm and comforting, disturbingly familiar. Once she'd had men to cuddle every night, or even all day if she wished. Well, if she wasn't going to move away, he wasn't going to be shy. He tilted his head to whisper lightly in her ear. "Do you want to tell me, or is it secret?" Eleada hesitated for a moment, feeling to her surprise a small surge of longing instead of the uneasy twinge of warning as his breath tickled her ear. He was so close... "I think you can guess." She whispered, turning to face him, but not pulling away.

"I'm a good guesser," he nodded. Reaching up to cradle her chin he kissed her softly, amazed that it still felt like the first time.

She leaned into the kiss, tasting the wine on his lips and the warmth of his breath, and felt her breath catch. Gently, she pressed herself closer, wanting to feel the warmth of his body against hers before she pulled away again. But the brownrider didn't want her to pull away from him. He wrapped his arm around her, gently pulling her even closer as he deepened the kiss slowly. Maybe this time, she would not run away so quickly.

She should have pulled back, left the kiss light and teasing rather than let him have anything more. But almost against her will, she felt herself responding to his slow increase, letting him taste some of the longing in her as she snaked an arm behind his back. She didn't want him to let go yet. Soon, but not yet.

B'ram melted into her, feeling longings of his own. Kissing Eleada was so different from kissing Trae. This felt normal, it felt natural, and above all, honest. Pleasure without guilt or self-loathing... Shards, he had almost forgotten what it felt like to kiss a woman like this! He tasted so wonderful... regretfully, she ended the kiss, gently pulling back and taking a breath as if she'd just run out of air. She smiled softly at him, something inside her crying. She wanted more.
Faranth, she wanted to keep going! But she knew better than most what would happen if she let things continue without some kind of break. Another miscarriage so close to the last would kill her.

Unable to bring herself to pull out of his encircling arms, but not wanting him to see her thoughts on her face, she rested her head on his shoulder with a contented sigh.

Last updated on the April 1st 2007

Welcome to Triad Weyrs!

Appreciating Quality